Clockwork Island; Stock Pot Inn
Everything that had transpired took place in a single day, so it was no surprise that Link was extremely tired. Luckily, the hero kept his pajamas with him. Sometimes, he thought about going around in his pajamas, but he would get very sick from the cold. After all this cold and swimming, he welcomed a nice warm blanket.
What made it slightly warmer was Ayri's hologram laying next to him. She served as a nightlight for the tired hero. "Yaaaawn… Master Link, the Sheikah Slate does not require sleep to remain active. This is just one of my… yaaaawn, personality settings."
"I know, but you feel more like a real person if you get tired, Ayri."
"Did your little sister… yawn, used to sleep by you?"
"Yeah, she did. Usually when it stormed. …I wonder if she still gets scared. I mean, it couldn't be as bad as the Forsaken Fortress. Yaaawn…" Link rolled over as his arm phased through Ayri's body. The hologram closed her eyes and pretended to sleep, too.
Yiga Clan Hideout
The young Yiga child entered a torchlit chamber with piles of bananas. He took off his mask and pulled back his hood, exposing his messy white hair, red eyes, and pointed ears. "Ahh, my son." The large man on the throne spoke. He was an overweight Yiga, peeling a banana before throwing the peel into the pile. "How was the Minish collecting? I can't WAIT to chow on some Minish-farmed bananas!"
Leader of the Yiga Clan
MASTER KOHGA
The boy looked upon his father with disbelief. "Actually, Father… we couldn't recover the Minish. The soldiers were defeated by a boy with a sword."
"Hmm? Must've been a Sheikah. Why didn't you fight him, Kigo?"
"Because he had an unusual power, and he wasn't a Sheikah. Not only was he able to change shape and size, he had a Sheikah Slate. Just like yours."
"HMM?!" Kohga jumped in his seat. He grabbed the slate from his belt and held it up, studying it from various angles (Kigo didn't see the point of this). "But my model is one thousand years old. Where could he have found it…"
"I don't know. But he also had blonde hair and green clothes…"
"Blonde hair… green…! HOOOOOORRRRRMMMM!" Kohga dove into the bananas and burrowed under like a mole, popping out beside Kigo and shaking him by the shoulders. "KIGO! It's him! It's the Hero from all the old legends! The one who destroyed the demon, Majora and stopped the moon from falling!" Kohga released him and did a fast twirl. "Finally! And what of the timing! Only a month after Majora's reincarnation had arrived! This is our opportunity to please her, Kigo! We MUST capture that boy, dead or alive!"
"Father, are you sure? I mean, a boy of his skill… he would be pretty handy to have with us, wouldn't he?"
"Don't be silly, boy! We need to determine his next course of action and work to set up an ambush! Did you gather any more info about him?"
"W-Well… before I decided to leave, I saw him and a Minish girl open the Rain Temple. Maybe he's going to rescue the Four Maidens."
"Let's see…" Kohga stroked his chin. "There's no way for him to get to the Twilight Isles, and the Snowcap Wastes are out of the question… Then it's no doubt he's going to the Sun Temple next! Kigo, you have to go to the Avian Highlands and wait for him! Do everything you can to bring that boy to his knees!"
"Hmm… Very well, Father."
The next morni-
"LIIIINK!" Evan jumped on his bed and jolted him awake.
"COUGH! Evan!" Link saw that the other Bombers were here, too.
"Tee hee hee!" Meen giggled, standing on Evan's shoulder. "I told them you were staying here! You didn't know my family lived in that tiny hole down there, did you?"
"Link, you cheeky boy! What's this in the paper about the poison suddenly being gone from Picori Island?" Evan held down a newspaper. "Don't hide it, it was YOUR doing, wasn't it?"
"You caught me red-handed. Now, please get off me."
Evan jumped down and Link sat up. The kids stepped aside as Dr. Purah approached him. "But more importantly, I'm disappointed you didn't come to ME first. I have to make sure my precious Sheikah Slate is okay!"
"Hey, I don't belong to you, silly!" Ayri said.
"I unlocked some new functions for the slate inside the Rain Temple. I even met the Spring Maiden, and she gave me something called the Earth Arrow."
"The Earth Arrow?" Purah asked. "I've never heard of such a function for a Sheikah Slate."
"See for yourself." The digital bow materialized in Link's hands, and the arrow glowed green.
Purah gasped. "A brand new function for the Sheikah Slate… this is the most amazing thing ever! I have GOTTA take it back to my lab to analyze!"
"Hey, back off, Granny!" Evan stated. "That waterbike you made for us ended up explodin', I hate to see that happen to Link's thing."
"I did that on purpose to teach you a lesson, brat." The six-year-old glared. "And stop calling me Granny, I'm younger than you, ya dig?"
"Hah, not with THAT slang!"
"Did you say you got that from the Spring Maiden?" Sipha asked. "Oh, I love the story of the Four Maidens! It's the most beautiful one in all of Termina, but it's so sad!"
"Yes, yes," Purah rolled her eyes, "it's the most popular legend in Termina, besides the one of the Six Giants."
"Wasn't it Four Giants?" Gork asked.
"NO. It was SIX Giants. And Four Maidens. A story of four girls from four races coming together and bringing happiness to all-"
"And they all had beautiful, angelic voices," Sipha sang, "and when they all sang together, it was like you were floating to the sun on a golden chariot, while the Giants give you back-massages and served you ice cream!" She embraced Nighlo in a hug and said, "Soooo romantiiiiic!"
"Sometimes, I wonder what goes on in her mind…" Gork commented.
"I didn't know ice cream existed back then." Link said. "Wait, why did I…"
"Say, Link, how's about we treat you to breakfast?" Evan asked. "It's the least we can do for everything you did."
"Thanks for the offer, but I should really get—No, no, Link!" He suddenly whipped his head right. "You are gonna go with your new friends and get some fill. Hey!" Link slapped himself. "I don't know who you are, but I don't appreciate you controlling me! Just go with them," slapped himself, "I know you're hungry. Stop it!" Slap. "Just go!" Slap. "Nnck! Nnck! Nnck! Okay, fine! Just stop… hm?"
He looked at the Bombers. Their eyes were wide in total shock and confusion. "Uh, hehe… sounds great, let's go eat."
Kokiel's Cooking Corner
The Bombers sat at an outdoor table and were served food by a 12-year-old Sheikah girl. Link was served a bowl of soup with mushrooms, and the first sip put a smile on his face. "Mmmm… This is pretty good!"
"Thank you!" the Sheikah said with a grin. "We went through a lot to collect the ingredients. Ever since the sea was frozen, we've been pretty slow on business."
"What'd I tell you?" Purah asked. "Koko's the best chef in town! We Sheikah are talented in more ways than technology!"
"I know, but I'm still just an apprentice…" Koko blushed, scratching her head. "Kokiel-san is still much better than me."
"Koko, huh?" Link asked. "I… swear I saw you somewhere before."
"Really? 'Cause I've never seen you before."
"Yeah… Heh heh, maybe I've been playing too much Kingdom Hearts."
"What's Kingdom Hearts?"
"I have no idea, I've just been speaking nonsense lately." Link sighed.
"Hee hee hee! Well, I'll just leave you the bill." Koko placed a paper on the table.
"Only 120 Rupees?" Link asked. "I collected way more than that from those Yiga."
"YIGA?!" Koko and Purah yelped.
"Whoa whoa whoa! You ran into the Yiga Clan?!" Evan exclaimed.
"Yeah, they were some ninjas. You know them, too?"
"EVERYONE knows the Yiga Clan, dummy!" Purah said. "They're Sheikah who went rogue and started attacking innocents! Their existence dates back nearly a thousand years ago, to a legend that says when the moon nearly fell on Termina. Supposedly, they worshipped a demon that caused the calamity to happen."
"Zanifr." Link said. "Uh, I mean… I wonder if that means they're underlings of the masked girl?"
"I dunno, but if you got on their bad side, they'll probably come for you again."
"Sigh, then I can't stay here for much longer. I have to go rescue the other Maidens from their curses. Do you guys know about the Avian Highlands?"
"Oh, that's where Nighlo's from!" Evan answered. "Right, Nighlo?"
"Huh?" The Rito gasped awake. "Sorry, I'm still drowsy… Link, I don't know if going there's a good idea. You can see the Highlands from the port, and the giant black storm cloud over them. They've been trapped in an endless storm for weeks. Rito can't go flying because the lightning always strikes them. And the worst part is… I heard that the Murdo Mafia have taken over Rito Roost."
"Murdo Mafia?"
"The Murdo are a tribe of Rito who are crows. I hear they're pretty well-known in black markets."
Ayri jumped out and said, "Link, I just read that a 'murder' is a flock of crows, so it's possible that the 'Murdo' combined the words 'murder' and 'Rito' to make their name."
"The more you know. Are they as bad as the Yiga?"
"Not really… In fact, I never actually hear about their crimes… most of the time, they're just real shady. And they have this weird habit of asking questions."
"Then I got nothing to worry about!" Link said, getting some Rupees from his wallet. "I'll head to Avian Highlands, rescue the Summer Maiden, maybe pick up a new item or two, and be back before you know it!"
"Hey, we were treating you to breakfast, let us pay." Evan stated, getting his own Rupees.
"Well, thank you, Evan. That's pretty nice of you." Link blushed.
"And in return, you let us come with you."
"HUH?!"
"What, we know how to fight! We spar with each other all the time. I mean, sure that masked girl gave us a chill, but she was different! Sipha is wicked with her spear, Meen is great at training Pikmin, and Nighlo can spit nuts like bullets when he's awake. Sometimes, we go out and kill us a few Seahats!"
"That's cool to hear, but I've been in the monster-slaying business for two years. There's no need to risk your lives to do what I should be doing. And besides, if there are areas I can only access with my powers, it'll be too much trouble to lend my items to you so you can make it, y'know?"
"Sigh… I guess you got us there." Evan conceded.
"Excuse me? Link, was it?" Koko approached him. "Um… I know I shouldn't be asking a customer to do this, and you are really busy… but you are an adventurer, right? I really wanna expand my personal recipe book with new ingredients. So, if you're out there, you think you could… bring back any ingredients you may pick up?" she asked with hands behind her back and shifting on one foot.
"Ha ha! Of course I can, Koko, I always got time for side quests. 'Long as I get a Heart Piece for it."
"Koko will see what she can do!"
Side Quest: Koko's Cooking Corner: Bring Koko ingredients to make new recipes!
Link searched the town and found a Sheikah Warp by the Clock Tower, so now he could warp back to town whenever. Afterwards, Link returned to the Ancient Lion and began sailing to the east, seeing a vast mountain range miles away, as well as the dark clouds above it. He was attacked by Snowhats, a type of Seahat that could cut through ice, but they were no match for Link's arrows. I admit they would've slowed you down, but I wouldn't underestimate them. I bet they were pretty strong.
"You still haven't told me why you're in my head."
I only came here to watch you up close, but I didn't think we would share a body. My friend calls this a "Reverse-Reincarnation."
"Reverse-Reincarnation, right. And why do you want to Reverse-Reincarnate in me, anyway?"
To be honest, I'm hoping that I can regain a bit of strength by connecting with you. I've been pretty out-of-practice lately, and I think another good adventure can help me get back into it. And also, I'm really curious about that girl's mask. I have a good idea what it really is, but I need to know more about it.
"Well, just don't get in my way too much. We're here." (Play "Tower of the Goats" from A Hat in Time!)
The air became warm and the water was unfrozen as a strong wind picked up. Link docked his boat at a small shore at the base of the storming mountains. Link switched Ayri's personality to 'Scared.' "M-M-Master… th-these are the Avian Highlands. They're the tallest mountains in Termina, a-and the sky is always very clear and bright. B-But now it's all dark and stormy, a-and it's scary!"
"Don't worry, Ayri. I sail in storms like this all the time. Just trust your big brother."
"B-Big Brother?"
"Heheh! Never mind."
Stage 5: Avian Highlands
Mission: Reach the Rito Roost.
Link climbed a few tall steps, but quickly arrived at a dead end. There was a sign that read, Stairs closed for repairs. Please leave your name and address and we'll write to you when they're fixed. However, Link looked above at the towering pointed posts and used his boomerang to link them with the sign. However, the last post was covered by a cracked boulder, but he could destroy it by shooting an Earth Arrow. "So, do these arrows basically serve as my bombs? Kind of disappointed, honestly."
After balancing up the ropes, Link stepped off on a path leading into the mountains. There was a gate guarded by two crow Rito in brown robes and Western hats. Link surmised these were the Murdo. He calmly approached the guards, but one told him, "Apologies, fellow 'Rito,' but this road is, off limits, due to monster infestation."
"But I have a sword." Link said.
"How lovely. And what one-word activity do you commonly do with your sword?"
"Uhhh… Battle?"
"I see. Then perhaps you would like to go BATTLE with your sword somewhere else. Good day to you, fellow Rito."
Link was already baffled by their behavior. He decided to head back and hide behind a short rock, where he turned into a Minish. There was a tiny hole in the left wall, and it led around to another hole behind the gate. Link returned to normal and proceeded into an open area with large stones. Link raised his shield when the stones grew stubby hands and feet and approached him.
"Link, those are Stone Pebblits! They're sentient rocks that can't be cut with a sword! B-B-But they can be blown up. Still, the way they move is so scary for rocks!"
"I am extremely curious what your responses for your other personalities are." Link said as he used his Earth Arrows to destroy the Pebblits. Of course, more of the creatures would rise out of the ground. There was a geyser in the ground by the wall, and Link felt it was too dangerous to ride in because of its heat. Link plugged the hole with a Stone Pebblit and stood on the creature as they were blasted up. Link hopped to a ledge and saw some Bokoblin stationed on wooden towers and platforms on the cliffside. "Ah, Bokoblin. I was starting to miss these guys."
"Huh?! HEY, GUYS! It's that kid with the sword! SHOOT 'IM!" The Bokoblin grabbed bows and started shooting. Link dodged and fired Earth Arrows at them, but they impaled them just the same as normal arrows.
"L-L-Link! You know Earth Arrows have no effect on non-earth targets, you know? T-They're just the same as usual arrows."
"Whatever, Ayri, we killed them, didn't we? I must say, it's really convenient not to worry about running out of arrows." There was a path across a gap, but there were no posts to form a rope. However, the tower on the edge had a leg lodged within a small rock, and when Link shot it with an Earth Arrow, the rock broke, exposing the shorter leg as the tower toppled and became a bridge.
Link crossed and entered an entrenched path. The earth shook when a bolt of lightning struck up the path, sending boulders barreling his direction. Link quickly blasted them with the Earth Arrow, but ducked any remaining debris. Link raced further up the path, and the lightning struck once more, completely blocking the path with gigantic boulders. They were too strong for even Link's Earth Arrow. However, he could become a Minish and enter a tiny gap under the boulders.
Link reached the end of the path and had another view of the open sea. To his left was a very steep and rugged hill, and Link's climbing skill was nowhere good enough to make it up there. However, there was a Billy goat standing on a ledge partway up, and Link could use his boomerang to connect a stalagmite up there with one beside him. Once up by the goat, Link became a Minish and climbed onto its nose when it bent its head down. The goat hopped its way up the rugged path, Link holding its fur as his body flailed in the air.
Once up top, Link was viewing a field of watchtowers with Murdo perched on them. Unfortunately, it was too windy for his Minish form to cross the field, so he had to become human and crouch down. Link glanced up at the Murdo, watching them turn and staying out of their eyesight. The last two Murdo were facing directly at the stairs, so Link had to shoot an Earth Arrow at a cracked boulder up on the left, catching their attention. Link raced up the stairs, but had to crouch again at the top when he noticed Murdo sitting at a table under a roof.
There were other such tables on this road, but with the wind constantly blowing Link backward, he had to stay crouched. "The Gorons never like to share their rocks with anyone!" one Murdo said, and all the tables burst into laughter as they crazily flapped their wings. "CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!"
"And the entire island caught on fire!" another Murdo said, and the laughter rang throughout the air again. Whenever this happened, Link had the chance to crawl a little further. "And the Zora said, 'These new fishsticks taste delicious!' CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW! And did you notice we all look exactly the same?! CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW! It's like the gods copied us from the same model! CAW! CAW! CAW! CAW!"
Link got past the Murdo and arrived at another cliff with a Kargarok sitting in a nest. It was making its usual eerie caw, but Link once again snuck up to it as a Minish and climbed on its back. The bird flapped its wings and took off up the mountains, getting uncomfortably closer to the raging clouds. The Minish was startled when lightning struck a mountaintop, hurdling rocks in their direction as Link steered the Kargarok to dodge.
Miniblin came riding beside them on their own Kargarok, trying to poke the one Link was on, but the tiny hero could shoot arrows in their eyes and steer them away. Link reached a more open field and reverted to human form, for the strong winds blew the Kargarok away. Link picked up a rock to make him heavier before going up the steps into the field. The ground shook when lightning struck ahead, and he felt his sword sparking with electricity.
"L-Link! Lightning is about to strike you! It's attracted to your sword! DO SOMETHING!" Link looked both ways, panicking, but there was nothing to hide under. He quickly set his rock down and became a Minish: his sword was too small to attract the lightning, and the gigantic rock blocked him from the wind. Link changed back and continued the trek, shrinking down whenever lightning threatened him. He made it into a vertical cave with a ladder to carry him up. He climbed to a path with much calmer wind, the thunder rumbling softly. The path seemed to fork: the left road led into a chasm with a gusty updraft, and another sign stating that the stairs were broken.
Link decided to follow the right path, leading him to a field enclosed within some pointed walls. A Murdo was standing by the entrance, staring up at the furthest peak. "Hey, what's going on over here?" Link asked.
"Oh, hello, fellow Rito. You are just in time! The sacrifice is about to begin!"
Link gasped when he realized that a young Rito was bound to the peak via a rope around his leg. "We offer this sacrifice to the mighty God of Thunder," proclaimed a beefy Murdo dressed in religious robes, "in prayer that he will spare our humble village! Mighty spirit, we hope you enjoy your feast, and we ask what your favorite sauce to go with roasted Rito is!"
"Oh, I love me a good sacrifice." the guard said. "Say, fellow Rito, what is your favorite part of the sacrifice?"
"The part where I stop it!" Link bolted past him.
"Hmm… I am not fond of the DATA ERROR, but to each their own, I guess."
Halfway across the field, Link was stopped by a puff of smoke, and a Yiga boy appeared. "Who are you?!"
"I am Kigo: the son of Master Kohga and the heir of the Yiga Clan!"
"Ha ha ha! I see your father spared no thought in naming you!"
"I had a feeling you would be coming here, Hero of Legend. May I say, it is an honor to have the chance to assassinate you-"
"Yeah, yeah." Link casually passed him. "If you'll excuse me, I have a life to save."
Kigo drew his blade and slashed, but Link was quick to counter with his sword. "You won't take another step!"
"Can't you see that he's about to die?! I heard you Yiga were bad, but I didn't think you were heartless!"
"Dude, we're trained to literally take peoples' hearts."
Link sighed. "Fine, then we'll have to do this the hard way." (Play "Kohga Battle" from Breath of the Wild!)
Sub-boss: Kigo
Link swiftly clashed with Kigo, back-flipping when the boy swung at his legs. Kigo ran to Link's left and poofed into smoke, and Link gasped when Kigo appeared above and tried to stab down. Kigo's sword impaled the ground, so Link had the chance to stab him. Kigo recovered and used a Shadow Clone Jutsu to divide into three. The clones kept a distance from Link and shot arrows in mirror fashion, so he couldn't determine which ones were real. As Link kept his shield raised, he locked onto all three with his boomerang and linked them together, forcing Kigo to dispel the jutsu.
In that moment of weakness, Link shot him with his own arrows. Kigo charged a spin attack and whirled at Link, the hero using a Shield Bash to bounce him back. Kigo was beginning the attack again, so Link decided to counter with a similar move: the Hurricane Spin. Both speeding spins collided, yet they were both of equal strength, and both swordsmen became dizzy as a result. When they came to, Kigo performed the same attack, but this time, Link chose to shrink to Minish form, get under the sword's radius, and then quickly change back to deal an uppercut.
Kigo grabbed Link's fist and tossed him away, then ran to slash him in the left hip, Link clutching the bleeding wound. "I know about your shape-shifting, Hero! I watched you in the woods."
You know, that brings up a good question. Link thought. He shot a few arrows that Kigo whacked away, then tossed his Hero's Shield to knock his sword away. Kigo ran to retrieve it, but Link seized the chance to pounce him from behind and stick the Minish Cap on his head. There was a flash, and Kigo transformed into a harmless Minish. "Hey! What the heck happened-"
Link caught him in a bottle, holding him up beside his beaming face. "Whaddya know! It does work on other people!" He proceeded to shake the bottle around, laughing silly. He then dumped the Minish out and pulled his cap off, and the second he changed back, Link SLASHED him in the mask and sliced it in half. (End song.)
"NNGH!" Kigo gripped his bleeding face. His hood came back, and the voice in Link's head gasped at seeing his white hair. He looks… familiar…
"Grrr, you're tougher than I thought. If I hesitated for even a second, that sword would've cleaved half my head off."
"I wasn't trying to kill you. I hurt people enough to make them give in, but I won't kill a fellow human."
"Yeah? Well, you were so busy fighting me, you forgot to save him, didn't you?"
Link gasped, looking up at the Rito boy. The thunderclouds circled above him, attracted by the harp on his back. Link quickly tossed his boomerang and severed his rope—the lightning STRUCK, and the singed Rito came crashing to the earth. Link fearfully rushed to his aid and bent down. "Hey! Are you o…kay…?" The Rito cracked open his red eyes, and those combined with his darkened white hair made Link realize, "Wait… are you… Prince Komali?"
"Cough! H-Human… tell Medoh… that I…" He fainted.
"Link! I-I-I don't think he's gonna make it!"
"The great Hero who fixed all problems in Termina." Kigo smirked. "Even he couldn't bring back those that had died." (Play "Song of Healing" from Majora's Mask.)
"…" With a more serious expression, Link stood and conducted the Song of Healing. The goddess's soothing voice touched the Rito's soul, and he was awash in memories.
Young Ko'an was an ordinary boy, peacefully strolling on the walkways of his elevated village. Passing dozens of other Rito, his destination was a restaurant called The Bird Seed. There, he would sit front row as a beautiful girl of 16 played the most beautiful songs on a harp. She would peep open her eyes and stare down at Ko'an, a blush on his brown feathers. One day, Medoh lent him her harp and guided his fingers in playing the instrument. She was two years older than him, so Ko'an never expected her to like him romantically, and this was the closest they could get.
And then, when she was playing on the stage, easing everyone's fear of the raging storm, her arm was snatched by the black feathers of the Murdo. Medoh was dragged into darkness, leaving her harp behind. Ko'an claimed the instrument and determinedly flew into the darkness, only to find himself surrounded by the preying eyes of Murdo. The boss's silhouette was up against the bright white window as he turned to Ko'an, and a girl with glowing blue eyes on her dark mask rose behind him. Ko'an had no chance of escape as the Murdo swarmed him, like the darkness overtaking his soul.
Link and his "passenger" saw this very scene, and involuntary tears ran down their faces. Vito's spirit sat on his shoulder, crying as well. Ko'an's body disappeared, leaving only his mask, a face brimming with confidence. "What… did you do…" Kigo spoke.
Link picked the mask up. "I healed him." (End song.)
You got the Rito Mask! Wear this to inhabit the form of a Rito! Spread your wings to glide across the air and ride gusts of wind. You can also flap your wings to blow strong gusts of wind.
"That power… is the same as the masked girl." Kigo said.
"So, you know about the masked girl, too?"
"Heh. You impressed me today, Hero. Maybe you'll impress me some more." Kigo poofed and vanished.
"Hmm… At any rate: time to test this out!" Link put on the mask and felt another terrible transformation: feathers grew, his arms became wings, talons pierced through his boots, and he was now the spitting image of Ko'an (save for clothes). "PERFECT! No more high ledges, because I can FLY!" Link flapped his wings and LIFTED off! …A few feet. "AH!" Then he fell. "What gives, can this guy not fly well?"
"Link, that wound in your hip! I-It's still bleeding!"
"Oh, right. We better fix that, shouldn't we? I think Rito Roost is up that other way." Getting accustomed to his new feet, Link walked to the other path and could fly in the updraft blowing up from below. This set him on the entrance to Rito Roost.
In the other world
Cheren took off his hat and wiped off the remnants of tears. "Hehehe. Go on a feels trip?" Hat Kid grinned.
"I felt something, alright." Cheren noticed the red stain on his white shirt, lifting it to see the cut.
Hat Kid gasped. "I…I had no idea, I…"
"Heheheh. No adventure is complete without a little danger."