Clockwork Sewers
Link descended a ladder and soon touched the floor of the sewer. As he expected, the water was frozen down here as well, icicles on the ceiling. What caught his eye was a door that was sealed with a code terminal, but he would investigate that later.
The ice withstood Link's weight as he walked across, having to avoid the usual falling icicles. There were several platforms along the ice that Link chose to go across to avoid slipping. He came to a short frozen waterfall with no way to climb up. Partway back, there was a block with the symbol of the mask on all sides. Link could push the block to the waterfall and use it as a boost to climb up it. However, the block would slide over the ice with each push, so Link had to navigate it around the platforms to get to the waterfall.
He was able to bring it across and climb up. Link took his next step on the ice, but the river immediately began to crack. "Ha ha ha! This ice looks a little more unstable, Master! If you aren't careful, you could fall in and freeze!" Ayri said happily.
"But there's nothing to stand on. Sigh, if I was a Minish again… Wait…" Link pulled out the Minish Cap. Curious, he stuck it back on his head. "AAAH!" A painful sensation overcame him, as if the cap was squeezing his brain. His ears grew longer, his pupils grew and inflated, and a feather tail grew from his rear. As the transformation transpired, Link's body was compressed down to Minish size. "Ahh… hey… it worked…"
"Hee hee hee! I never realized how cute you were in this form, Master!"
"Heh heh… at least I'm light enough to cross this ice." Of course, due to all the cracks, Link had to move around a maze of sorts. He made it to a solid platform and could return to normal size. Following more platforms across the river, he reached a tall pillar. Behind that pillar was another frozen waterfall. Link could turn into a Minish and go into an open gap between the bricks. He could climb his way up a path within the bricks and reach the top of the pillar. Sitting there was nothing but a rock (which first came off as a mountain to the Minish). Link took off the cap and lifted the rock.
"WAH!" He fell back in fright when a Korok sprung up on a spring.
"YA HA HA! You FOUND me! Find 900 Koroks across the sea and we'll give you a golden turd! TWEE HEE HEE!" It spun around and presented said golden item, Link pinching his nose shut from the smell. The Korok sparked, shook, and exploded.
"As if the idea of those creatures could be any more ludicrous!" Link saw a projected image on the wall ahead. It depicted a man wearing a black suit decorated with golden puzzle pieces, baring a staff with a puzzle piece for a head, along with a puzzle piece mask. "Ah, now what have we here? Pointed cap, green clothes? Why, you must be the famed 'Hero of Time' I've heard tales about. A savior of worlds, destroyer of monsters, explorer of temples… HA HA HA HA! A mere boy with mere average intelligence!"
"Yeah, well what are YOU supposed to be?" Link shouted.
"I am your one true nemesis, 'Hero.' My name is Anton, but you may call me The Puzzler! And no one boggles the mind like me, fair Hero! And YOU are just in time to take my first test! You won't be leaving this room until you have."
"I don't have time for this! There's a storm outside, Clockwork Island is in danger! YOU'RE in danger!"
"Au contraire, I am safe in a remote location. I'm not sure what YOU plan to do about this storm, but a hero who listens to Courage before Wisdom is as good as nothing. So, before I let you have a chance to call yourself this island's savior, you must prove you have the brains to escape this room."
"Grrr… Fine. What do I have to do?"
"In the area before you are four blocks whose top parts form an image. All you must do is put the correct pieces together. It's so simple, even a Korok could do it. Mwuh huh huh huh!" Rolling his eyes, Link jumped down and began to push the four blocks in question. The blocks would actually flip with each push, making the puzzle a tad more complicated. Regardless, Link was able to put the images together, forming a picture of a familiar boy with snot dripping from his nose. "Congratulations, you have passed the preliminary test. You have earned your first Puzzle Trophy. I expect nothing short of your best as you search for the other 99, mwah hah hah!"
The exit opened, and behind it was a trophy of a golden puzzle piece. "Well, here's a side quest I'm going to neglect."
Side Quest: A Puzzling Conundrum: Find all 100 Puzzle Trophies and locate this masked mastermind.
Beyond there, Link could follow a straight passage that would lead him to a ladder. The sewer hatch at the top had little snow bits dripping from it. Link climbed up and had to give a few forceful pushes before the lid came off. He was exposed to the powerful winds and nearly blinded by the raging snows. Squinting his eyes, he could make out a treasure chest flying toward him. "WAH!"
"GORO!" Gork rolled up and knocked the chest away with his stronger stone body. The Goron uncurled and asked, "I don't know why you were in that sewer, but you should probably get back inside!"
"No! I need to… stop that girl!"
"You don't mean that girl in the sky, do you? Is she the one causing this storm?"
"Yes, and I think she's using that baton to make it worse. I need to get up to her somehow!"
"She should be above the town square. I can help you get there, but trying to catch her is a different story. Goooor! I need to stay curled up or else I can't move well! You'll have to push me!"
The Goron curled up again, and by staying behind him, Link was somewhat safe from the wind. He struggled to push the Goron against the wind, and the flying treasure chests crashing into him made it worse. It took a few minutes for Link to reach the road to Town Square, and the wind circled at that point, convenient so Link could change position behind Gork. There was a narrow twister in the square, and it led straight up to the masked girl.
"HEY! Girl in the mask! Give back my Wind Waker!"
The girl faintly heard his voice and looked down. "Oh… it's that green boy again. I knew I should've used more magic to make the cap stick." She lowered down slightly. "Go away, Green Boy! The Wind Waker doesn't belong to you. This is a holy baton that has the power to control the weather. Who better to possess it than a goddess such as myself? Until now, my power was only limited to ice. But with this, I can conjure storms that shatter mountains, summers that dry oceans, autumns that decay… Mark my words, this Winter Apocalypse is just the beginning!"
"But why?! Why would you want to do any of this? Can't you see you're hurting people?!"
"I'm taking back what's rightfully mine! My mother's dream was to be one with the weather, but you wretched mortals took her away. Know that every frigid gust is imbued with her RAGE!" The wind grew stronger as Link was nearly swept off his feet, watching as the girl hovered higher.
The hero fought toward the center of the cyclone, directly under the girl as the wind no longer blew him. "If she was any lower, I could spring you up!" Gork shouted. "But I can't shoot you that high!"
"I have one more idea… but it'll be tricky to pull off." With that, Link put the Minish Cap on. Gork gaped as the human shrunk down into a Minish form and was sucked up the cyclone like a vacuum. "WHOOOOOAAAA!" Link was growing dizzy, whirling around the windy tunnel, unable to determine his current altitude. He was able to see the girl swooping past his vision, so Link pulled off the Minish Cap, dropped, and GRABBED the girl.
Link smashed her against the ground and swiped the Wind Waker from her hand.
You got the Wind Waker back! This legendary baton has the power to control the wind! You also remember all the songs you learned, instead of just magically forgetting them!
"Only one thing to do now!" Link conducted the Wind's Requiem and willed the storm to blow away from town. Though the sky remained cloudy, the townspeople could have a moment of rest. "Sigh… well, that solves that conflict."
"Hold on, Brother!" Gork said, mouth still agape. "Just now… you turned into a Minish!"
"Oh… hehe." Link smiled sheepishly. "To be honest, I don't know the details mys-"
The girl blasted Link away with ice and was back on her feet. Link crashed against the clock tower, frozen up to his head. The girl rose back to the sky and positioned her hands a few inches from each other. Blue sparkles appeared between them and formed into a Wind Waker made of ice. "It doesn't matter if I have the real one… as long as I remember its shape and density, a copy will work just fine." She waved the copy around and called back the storm.
"A copy…?" Link spoke weakly, the impact making his head go numb. "Impossible… ugh." The world went black for the hero.
A boy with chestnut-colored hair and a red jacket was seen adrift in the darkness, observing Link's unconscious form. The hero came to and gasped at seeing the stranger. "Who are you?"
The boy was taken aback. "…You can see me?"
"Yes…"
"Huh… Well, this is a surprise." He scratched his head sheepishly. "My name is Cheren. You don't know me, but I'm kind of 'you' from another world."
"Okay? And why are you here?"
"I came to observe you. In fact, I'm a bit curious about that masked girl myself."
"Well, I think that girl is about to kill me, so if you don't mind…"
"Wait! I think I know a way to stop her. Although I think doing so would be interfering with the past…"
"I'm FREEZING OVER HERE!"
"Okay, okay! Er, uh," Cheren felt around his person, "Hat Kid! Open that drawer, is there a flute?" A few seconds later, a gold pan flute appeared in his hand. "Perfect! Link, play this song." He put the flute to his mouth and played a six-note melody.
Link awoke just as Gork was tearing him free of the ice. "It didn't work, Brother. Let's just get out of here."
"Not, yet!" Link lightly pushed him off and marched toward the girl again. "I have one more thing to try." He stopped a short distance away from the masked one and directed the Wind Waker like so: left, right, down, left, right, down. The majestic voice of an angel echoed from the baton, humming the song.
"AAAAH!" the girl screamed, clasping her head when an unbearable ringing vibrated in her ears. "That song… it's that song again! Quick! Get out of here, Avis!" The girl spun a sphere of snow around herself, and by the time it was gone, she had vanished. The storm began to calm again.
Once Link confirmed that the danger was over, he took a well-deserved sigh of relief. "I just wanted to have a nice, normal day of sleeping. Is that too much to ask?"
"GORO!" The answer was "yes," for Gork had roll-tackled Link onto the ground. "Brother, I've seen a lot of weird things before, but NONE are weirder than what you just did!"
"Gork, there you are!" Link saw the Zora girl, Sipha to his right in his upside-down vision. "Evan was worried about you, come on!" Gork got off Link and rolled after his friend, and Link chose to accompany.
In the town's playground, Evan was half buried in the snow, shivering terribly and clattering his teeth. His mittens were clutched firmly on the edge of his hood. "He was afraid to move because he was protecting Meen." Sipha said. "Poor guy is frostbitten!"
The Minish girl in question climbed down from Evan's hood to his nose. "Evan, I'm so sorry! If only I wasn't such a nuisance, you could've gone somewhere safe."
"Quit whining, Meen! Just be happy you weren't swe-…eh…ACHOO!" Meen flew away from the force of his sneeze, but Sipha caught her.
"Let's take him to the Stock Pot Inn and get him some soup." Gork suggested.
"No! Nighlo still hasn't come back, yet. We gotta go to the old lady's lab and see if he…he…ACHOO!"
"Look, I'll go and check on Nighlo." Link offered. "You just warm yourself up."
"And who're you supposed to be?"
"I'm the Minish kid from earlier. See?" Link put the Minish Cap on, and they were awestruck to see him transform.
"Th-Th-Then… you really WERE a human!" Evan said.
"That was the COOLEST thing ever!" Sipha beamed, resisting the urge to fist-pump with Meen in her hand.
"That ain't all he can do!" Gork said. "Tell 'em how you stopped the blizzard!"
Link changed back. "Maybe later, guys. Be back soon!" With that, he was off to the sewer hatch.
Purah's Laboratory
Dr. Purah had lain Nighlo to rest beside her fireplace. "You weren't expecting me to give him my bed, were you?" asked the child doctor. "His feathers would've gotten everywhere."
"At least he's okay. But I have no idea where that girl escaped to. If she comes back, I guess I could try playing the song again, but what if she's attacking other parts of the ocean?"
"You played a song to stop her?" Purah inquired.
"Yeah, it went like this." Link conducted the same song, the heavenly voice singing from the Wind Waker.
Ayri jumped out of the Sheikah Slate. "Master, my data reads that that is the Song of Healing!" she spoke sprightly. "It's a magical song that can heal disheartened souls! There's an old legend that says people turn into masks when they hear this song; that sounds so fun!"
"Maybe I'll turn the emotions off for now." Link said.
"You know, that song actually sounds really familiar." Purah said, stroking her chin. "Yeah… a few days ago, a traveling salesman visited my lab. He was a mask salesman, and he said he was looking for a very rare mask. He played that same song on a little handheld organ."
"The Mask Salesman?" Link mumbled, at the same time hearing another voice in his head. Wait, why did I say that like I know who it is? "Can you tell me more about this man?"
"Well, he had a real freaky grin, a purple outfit, and orange hair. The last thing he said before leaving was, 'Maybe I'll check Picori Island.' Of course, the sea was already frozen by that time, and I doubt he had a Sheikah Sailor!" she chortled.
"A Sheikah what?"
"Oh, it's nothing. I found an ancient ship on the seafloor a while back, and even though I fixed it up, it still needs a power soooouuu…" Purah's eyes were drawn into the slate on Link's belt.
"Uhhhh…"
Purah SNATCHED the slate and dashed into the sewer. "HEY!" Link chased her down and watched as she inputted a code to the terminal he noticed before, opening the door beside it.
Link followed her to a large room where a ship was at dock in a pool. It was slightly bigger than the S.S. Linebeck and made of the same material as the Sheikah Slate. "You didn't think I forgot about you, huh baby?" Purah reached over the edge of the moat and hugged the ship. "This poor boat must be thousands of years old. I fixed what little damages she had and enabled her to float again, but she just wouldn't float. …But if you insert the Sheikah Slate into the slot at the helm, that just may change. Well, go on. DO IT!" She shoved the slate back into Link's hands.
They both climbed onto the deck as Link noticed the steering wheel and the empty slot behind it. Link stuffed the slate into the slot, and Ayri jumped to the keel. "Restoring power to Sheikah Sailor. Activating headlights. Activating ice-cutters. Activating paddles. Ready to ship off when you are, Captain."
Orange lights came on around the edges of the ship (in the form of ancient letters), blue lights lit up the cabin, headlights at the bow, and at the base of the bow were electric beams. "So begins the maiden voyage of the S.S. Purah." the scientist said, going to a lever on the port. "SNAP!" The room began to shake and rise, breaching the ice on the surface. The shutters opened, exposing the vessel to the open, frozen seas. "The beams at the front were specifically designed to cut through frozen waters. With this, you'll have no trouble finding where that girl has run."
"Ha ha ha! This is amazing! …Eh, but I'm not calling it the S.S. Purah. How about… the Iron Lion!"
"It's not iron, it's Sheikah Tech."
"Fine, the Ancient Lion!"
"You don't get to name her, she's MY boat!"
"Ancient Lion it is! Ayri, set a course for Picori Isla-… actually, let's pick somebody up real quick."
Stock Pot Inn
Link found the inn that Evan's group mentioned earlier. Stock Pot Inn: Providing service to weary travellers for 1,000 years. With Nighlo's tired form hung over his shoulders, Link entered the inn and saw the Bomber Pirates seated on the lobby couch, with Evan drinking a bowl of hot soup. The kids looked over and were happy to see their missing friend.
"Oh, Brother." Gork shook his head. "How can anyone sleep through all that?"
"Dr. Purah helped protect him." Link said, resting the Rito in the corner.
"I don't know who or even what you are, Outsider, but I guess we owe you a lot." Evan said. "I talked it over with the crew, and we decided you more than earned a spot in our ranks. Give 'im the notebook, Gork." The Goron presented Link a yellow notebook with a Jolly Roger of a red bomb and crossbones.
You got the Bombers' Notebook! Use this to keep track of your side quests and rewards!
"There's a lot of people 'round these islands that have problems. We document all the people we help in that. This might be wishful thinking, but I bet someone like you could fill that notebook whole. You gonna stick around town?"
"I'm afraid I can't. I'm planning to track that girl down, and I'm going to Picori Island first."
"Picori Island?" Meen spoke up. "That's where the Minish live! If that girl is going there, they'll never stand a chance!"
"I won't let that happen!" Link declared assuringly. "Count on it!"
"He he he! You sound like you know what you're doing." Sipha giggled. "Hey, since you helped Nighlo, we'll give you something for your troubles." She walked over and searched the Rito's pockets. "Good, he still has it. I'm sure he won't mind if you have it." She gave Link the Empty Bottle he had been carried in before.
You got an Empty Bottle! Use this to carry water, fairies, and other items! It's also good for any seafaring Minish! …But you should probably stick to your boat.
"Hee hee hee! Why do you do that every time you pick something up?" Sipha asked.
"Uh… It's a quirk of mine. Heh heh." Link blushed.
"It's cute!"
"Well… I guess I'll see you guys later."
"You, too, uh… what's your name again?" Evan asked.
"It's Link."
"Link… do us a favor, would ya? If you find whoever's behind this weather, rip that mask off her face and give her a good punch to the face!"
"You got detention for doing that!" Gork shouted.
"That twerp had it comin'!"
"Ha ha ha! I'll do just that, Evan!"
The Bombers gathered at the dock, watching as Link set sail on his Ancient Lion. The ship cut perfectly across the frozen surface. "Ahoy! The wind be takin' us to the south, Cap'n!" Ayri spoke with a pirate personality. "Thar, Picori Island be our destination! We shall arrive by sundown, aye?"
"Ha ha ha! Full speed ahead, first mate!" Link said, feeling more joyful than ever. No matter what happened, the memory of his new friends filled him with positive spirits. He felt this was going to be a fun journey.
In a different world, in a different time
Cheren Uno took off Hat Kid's hat and stretched his arms. "Uuuuwaaaaaaahhh. Being Link sure is exhausting. Especially when your real body goes all numb."
"So, did you find out anything interesting?" Hat Kid asked.
"No doubt, that girl is drawing power from her mask… but I haven't determined if that mask is the Newborn or not. If it is, then Majora definitely had a hand in breeding it."
"But if you know who the Mask Man is, why don't you go ask him yourself?"
"What would be the fun in that? It's better to learn as much as we can first-hand. But first, let's go eat." He gave the hat back and raced down to the kitchen, his friend following eagerly.
Now loading…
Bomber Pirates mission…
Operation: F.R.O.Z.E.N.
Frozen
Realms
Obviously
Zany
Entity's
Niche
Loading Transmission…