Dusk Town was a rather shabby town, the wooden houses full of holes and the Dusk Trees withering. Their gold leaves were turning orange as they lay scattered on the ground, and Link could feel a gentle, howling wind. There were tall lamp posts that brimmed with soft light the color of sunset, providing light to the parts of town that were hidden from the sun. North of town appeared to be a huge, brownish-gold pyramid.
Link took off his Sheikah Mask after arriving to avoid scaring the locals, but it seemed there was no one around to greet him. Nobody except for a Shadow Beast. Link knocked the creature dizzy and played the Song of Healing, and when the creature's mask came off, he destroyed the living facewear.
Link had rescued a teenage Twili about his height. "I…I've been freed? …Wait, you're a human!"
"I heard what's been happening to your town. Let me cut to the chase: do you know about any temples in this land? The Fall Maiden?"
"You must mean the Evening Temple. I don't really know much about it, but I heard the temple can only be opened by the Shadow Keys."
"And I assume there's a song associated with it?"
"Yeah, but I don't know what it is myself. But ever since our town became cursed, those masked ninjas have been taking our food and belongings. I heard they stole the Shadow Keys and kidnapped the mayor, the only one who knows the song."
"Do you know where those ninjas are based?"
"There's been a lot of them, but I don't know where their fortress is. I've never paid attention to where they come from or go. …Heck, until just a few hours ago, I was kinda just hiding in my house before the curse hit me."
"Well, I think I can figure out a way to find them. You should probably go back into hiding until this curse is over."
"I was eager to stop talking with you for that very reason." And so, the boy fled.
Link put the Sheikah Mask on and morphed into Kigo. "All I should have to do is approach some Yiga and tell them to lead me to their base. …Wait a minute…" Curious what shape his Wind Waker had become, Link realized there was a small, portable piano strapped to his belt, the large keys black and small ones orange.
"Master! I can sense a mystical energy from within that piano. I am positive it's the Shadow Keys!"
"Then this was the instrument that Kigo mentioned. Then I just need to learn the song…" Link explored the town and saw two Shadow Beasts lurking on one road, deciding to save those people. He saw two Yiga standing near a bridge leading to a farmland and approached them. "Wait, how does Kigo talk again? …Yo, fellas!" The Yiga turned at hearing the greeting, seeing 'Kigo' approach them. "How's it happenin'?"
"'ey, Kigo! You're in a good mood today." a Yiga greeted.
"Wait!" The other Yiga blocked him with an arm. "Remember what the masked girl said? She said the shape-shifting boy learned how to change into Kigo! But he forgot to hide his funny hat!"
Link realized he was still wearing his green cap. "Oh, uh, about this…"
"GET HIM!" The Yiga pulled swords, and Link clashed swiftly using his new katana. When Link intended to use a jump attack, he poofed above a Yiga and shot down with a clean cut. He then struck the Yiga's back and took him down. When Link tried to parry the other Yiga, he zipped behind with a flash-like step and struck his back. The Yiga made Shadow Clones, Link dodging their blades, and he was able to leap onto one's blade during a stab, slicing his face as the clone vanished. Link clashed with the remaining two, but struck the real Yiga, and the clone vanished once its master was KO'ed. The Yiga both dropped bananas, which Link collected.
"The masked girl already told them? …Did she predict I would change Kigo into a mask and tell them while I was fighting that monster?"
"Master, I hate to inform you of this possibility, but there is a slim chance that the masked girl warned the Yiga before even confronting us. Her intention to murder could have been premeditated."
"You're probably right… The Yiga need to know what really happened, but I doubt these foot-soldiers will listen to me. Maybe we can find someone higher-up at their base."
Link explored the village and saw a Shadow Beast trying to tear down the door of a house. "Mama, please! Please don't eat us!" He could hear children crying inside. Link attacked the beast and destroyed its mask, rescuing a pudgy woman.
"Oh…what? What was I just doing?"
"That voice! It sounds like Mama!" The door opened as three young children came out. The little Twili had purple hair, yellow, and green hair respectively. "Mama! You're not a monster, anymore!"
"You scared us, Mama!"
"Oh, that's right… I was cursed, wasn't I? I'm so sorry for worrying you three…"
"M-M-Mama… we heard you eat Piggy." the purple one said fearfully.
"I…I did what?!"
"P-Piggy is gone! Waaaaaaahh!" The triplets began crying.
"I-I'm so sorry! I promise we'll get a new pig later; we shouldn't leave the house right now."
"I want my Piggy baaaaack!"
"Poor guys…" Link sighed as the mother led them back inside. "Maybe I'll bring them a pig if I can find one."
Side Quest: Piglet for the Twilets: The little Twili triplets want a new piggy! How can you say 'no' to those precious faces?
Sadly, Link had to focus on his mission, so he donned his Yiga form and crept around town. He saw a Yiga break out of a house with a sack of Rupees. The ninja quickly raced across town, but Link noticed Sheikah Spots on the houses and was able to leap between them and catch up quickly. The Yiga headed outside of town, running down a slope and across a field of tall grass. As Link pursued, the Yiga suddenly stopped and whipped around—Link ducked in the grass. He sneakily crawled closer, the Yiga searching every direction before continuing. He would jump off the edge of the island and Ninja Leap a series of pillars hovering over the abyss.
Link followed him in like fashion, landing on an island with a large wall. The Yiga approached the wall and did a cryptic knock, a password which caused the wall to open. Link quickly followed in after before the wall resealed. The Yiga crossed a bridge to an island with a large cliff. There were two Blademasters guarding a doorway, and they allowed their comrade inside. "Hmmm…" Debating how to get inside, Link drew his bow, readying his new Shadow Arrow. He shot the right Blademaster in the head, blinding him with a shadowy fog. The left Yiga looked at him in surprise, but when he approached his friend, Link crawled up from behind and performed a Silent KO. He then slipped into the door without being noticed. (Play "Eldin Eruption" from Skyward Sword.)
Stage 9: Yiga Clan Shadow Hideout
Mission: Find the Mayor of Dusk Town.
Link crept up a small staircase to a lobby. There were spears and sickles lined up on the wall, but Link would stick with his own weapons. A Yiga was coming through a left door, so Link hid behind a shelf of weapons. The Yiga walked by the opposite side, allowing Link to sneak behind and KO him. Link snuck into the passage he came from, leading into a room with two rectangular pillars and Yiga roaming around. Link snuck around the left pillar and found a ladder to climb atop it, overlooking the room. A Yiga was walking to the corner of his pillar, out of eyesight of the others as Link pounced down to KO him. A Yiga was approaching his pillar from the other side, while the other two were looking away, so Link KO'ed him next. He then took down the center Yiga, then snuck around the other pillar to KO the last one.
Link climbed onto the other pillar and viewed up a shaft with Sheikah Spots. He leapt his way up those spots and reached an upper floor. He entered a room over a spike pit, where a Blademaster was rotating on a center platform, covering all corners of the room. He was protected by a glass barrier, but Link could leap to the posts aligned around the room, thanks to the Sheikah Spots on them. He stayed behind the rotating Yiga until he was at the glass's opening, pouncing in to KO him. He hit a switch to open the glass wall. From here, Link had to leap to targets along a corridor with a spiked floor, but Shadow Baba waited beside those targets. Link tossed his boomerang at the closest one and beheaded it, and after leaping to the first target, he could cling to it and toss his boomerang at the others.
The passage would turn a left corner, but a Yiga would be there to spot him. However, looking down, Link saw a spot with no spikes, so he dropped to it. He could then shrink into Minish form and enter a tiny hole. The tunnel led him out into an area beneath a grated floor. Link became a Sheikah again and leapt to cling the grate. Two Yiga were walking around, but when one walked above a hatch, Link quickly popped out and Silent KO'ed him, pulling him underneath. He KO'ed the other Yiga, then took out the one watching the spike floor.
Link approached a passage that overlooked a large room where Yiga were doing push-ups, all facing the floor. Link could clamber along the grated ceiling, going directly above them. There was a door on his level, but it was locked. He noticed one of the Yiga had a key on his belt, so he quietly dropped down, took the key, and leapt back to the ceiling (which had Sheikah Spots on it). He unlocked the door into an outside area, overlooking the pretty twilight. He would have to climb a pillar to a bridge that two Yiga were crossing back-and-forth, meeting in the center before splitting up. Link could go behind the pillar and leap to the bridge's underside. He crawled to the middle, waited for the Yiga to split up, then picked them off one at a time.
The bridge crossed to an area where three Yiga sat around a campfire, roasting bananas over it to enjoy their cooked flavor. Link crawled around from far away, but could sneak up behind one to take his key. He opened a door into a straight, narrow passage, but he could sense a Yiga Archer directly above him on a platform. "Hmm…" Link realized that the Yiga really seemed to like these bananas. He tossed a banana bunch a few feet ahead. The archer leapt down to collect the fruits, but was vulnerable to Link's attack. There were windows throughout the hall that Yiga were in, but with the first archer gone, Link could Ninja Leap to targets above those windows. He avoided their line of sight and reached the next door.
This room had no Yiga, but rotating Search Beamos that would sound the alarms. There were five White Rupees around the room, magic Rupees that would unlock the next door. Link had to shoot the Beamos with Shadow Arrows, and they would be blinded for a few seconds as Link quickly ran to collect the Rupees. He could leap to Sheikah Spots on the walls before the Beamos reactivated, and when the door opened, he blinded them to go through. He was outside again, and his path would take him up the cliffside. He walked up some stairs to an upper ground, but two Yiga were patrolling in a circle. He waited for them to pass each other before shooting the one facing him with a Shadow Arrow. Link quickly hurried up to KO the other one from behind, then took out the blinded one.
Link could Ninja Leap up to a ladder, which carried him to the next platform. A Yiga was watching the ladder from above, but Link saw another ladder hanging from the opposite side. He put on his Rito Mask and glided to that ladder, then reverted to Sheikah. There was a Yiga sitting at the top of that ladder, but Link yanked him down for a KO. There was a Yiga on the left edge of the platform, viewing the ladder at the right, so Link clambered along the edge to get behind that Yiga and yank him down. With that, he could climb the ladder and reach a narrow path along the cliff. A Shadow Kargarok was flying around the cliff, and Link would crouch behind short bumps on the ledge whenever it looked his direction. He would also have to cling to Sheikah Spots hanging from above to hide.
Link came to a Wall Jump zone that required Ninja Leaps, but there were Yiga in windows going up the wall. The Yiga were sleepily nodding on and off, so Link leapt up while their heads were down. Link reached the highest ledge, where a Blademaster was guarding a door. "Hmm…I notice a lot of these Yiga drop bananas…" Link climbed off the edge and clambered along to get to the left side. He placed a banana bunch up, then clambered back to the right.
"Hoh?" The Blademaster noticed the bananas. He did a slow, merry jog up to the fruits, but Link surprised him from behind. Afterwards, Link entered the door. It was a small room with a Twilight Mirror. "I guess this will take us to their base in the Light Realm. Let's go…" Link played the Ode to Twilight on the Shadow Keys and opened the mirror, climbing inside. (End song.)
Link found himself in what appeared to be the captain's cabin of a ship… except it had a pile of bananas. There was a rather obese Yiga stuffing his mask with bananas like an ape… but to Link's surprise, the masked girl was panting on the floor before the pile, fortunately faced away from the mirror. "Can't you catch your breath outside? I don't want the bananas getting frozen." Master Kohga said.
"Don't talk to me that way, you one-eyed oaf!" the girl snapped back, whipping an arm at him. "That brat is getting too close to rescuing the Maidens! Your men haven't been doing nearly enough work to stop him!"
"Oh, what does it matter, anyway? Wasn't the Winter Maiden destroyed? Even if that mask contained her power, he'll never get the Sword of Four Seasons without your permission."
"No… this mask doesn't contain my mother's power. I know that half of her power was sealed inside the Blizzard Temple, but the other half has to be somewhere else. Until I find it, I can never seize it for myself. But because that boy played the song again, my power is waning. Do everything in your power to kill him, that's an order!"
"You have my word, Princess Avis! I've waited too long for Majora's reincarnation to return, and I will finish this journey with you!" Kohga saluted in a hyper fashion. "I swear by the Garo blood within me, you will have your revenge on the Hero of Termina!"
"What a clown… I need to go someplace quieter." And so, the girl turned and marched out of the cabin, freezing footprints along the floor.
Link remained hidden behind the mirror, waiting a good while until he was certain the girl was gone. Afterwards, he bravely stepped out, taking the place where she had knelt. "Oh? KIGO! You've returned, my boy! You just missed Princess Avis! Hee hee, don't tell her I told you," Kohga seemed to blush goofily, speaking in a whispery fashion, "but I think she might have a sort of crush on you~. Can you imagine, my own son marrying Majora's incarnation's vessel. You'll seize the place of Top Servant in no time, my boy!"
"…" Link took off the mask and revealed his true form.
"W…WHAAAAAAT?!" Kohga flew into the air, his legs flailing. "Y-You…YOU'RE THE HERO! How DARE you disguise as my son!"
"That girl murdered your son."
"Ye…what did you say?"
"Earlier today, Kigo ambushed me, but he was afraid to fight me. …Well, it's not that he was afraid, it's that he… Kigo wanted to be my friend."
"Master, Kigo's speech did not specifically say-"
"He wanted to, Ayri. He was just afraid to say it. But it's because he refused to fight me that that girl killed him."
"Unthinkable! We of the Yiga are Majora's loyal servants! We serve the one who is chosen as Majora's vessel, and I, Master Kohga, and my son are her most loyal retainers! Kigo would never break his solemn oath!"
"It's true, Kohga!" Link placed the mask on and transformed. "Princess Avis… killed me."
"K…Kigo."
"The reason I can transform into him… is because I healed his soul. This mask I'm wearing is filled with Kigo's hopes and feelings. And Kigo… I don't think he ever wanted to serve Majora or whoever that girl is. She didn't want him to betray her, so she killed him."
"…You…" Kohga raised a finger. "You're lying to me."
"I'm not lying!"
"My son was wholly devoted to the great Majora! He has never lied to me! I think… YOU'RE the one who killed him!"
"No, I didn't!"
"You turned my son into a mask and ate his soul, didn't you?! Foul demon of a hero! I promised to do everything in my power to destroy you, AND I WILL!" Kohga whipped out a small tablet.
"Master! It's a Sheikah Slate!"
"GYAH!" Link was blasted away by a digital ball-and-chain that emerged from the slate. He blew through the cabin door, landing on the deck of a ship.
"OH?! Is that Young Master Kigo?!" a Yiga asked.
"Do not be fooled!" Kohga yelled. "That's the Hero in disguise! Stand your ground, men! This is MY battle!"
"Master Kohga! Vanquish him!"
"For the glory of all Yiga!"
"For the glory of Majora!"
"That's right! And play my epic battle music!"
Some Yiga on the stern of the ship began playing instruments. (Play "Song of Giga Rosa" from Xenoblade 2!)
"NOW, Hero of Termina!" Kohga summoned twin digital ball-and-chains from his slate. "May your legacy end once and for all, today!"
Boss fight: Leader of the Yiga, KOHGA
Kohga whirled the balls with terrifying speed, Link's ninja reflexes helping him to dodge and avoid massive head trauma. There was no getting close to him while he kept the balls spinning. Link saw a Sheikah Spot on the mast behind him, so he leapt up to it. A draft was being conjured by the spinning balls, so Link became a Rito to fly in the draft. Kohga "Grrrr'ed" at his trickery, so he chucked the balls up. Link dodged as they hit a net full of cannonballs, causing some to spill out and bash the leader's head. "DOOOO! D'oooohhh…" A dizzy Kohga fell on his front, so Link spared no expense in slicing him up. Kohga recovered and twirled away, leaping to one of the Sheikah Spots on the sails.
Kohga summoned Shadow Clones to all leap around the different targets and confuse Link. One of the clones shot a digital Hookshot at Link, yanking him up as the hero suffered a powerful PUNCH. "YAAAH!" the Yiga cheered as Kohga repeated his strategy.
"Master Link, Kohga is unable to duplicate his Sheikah Slate! You should be able to track his slate if you turn on your device's Wi-Fi!"
"What does that mean?!"
"No way, the Wi-Fi is being implemented as a puzzle mechanic?!" Cheren exclaimed. "Link, here, turn it on!"
Confused, Link found the 'Wi-Fi' button and clicked it. Somehow, the real Kohga's body began to glow blue. Link targeted that clone, and when the Hookshot fired, Link dodged and shot a Shadow Arrow up. A blinded Kohga tried to leap to another target, but hit his head on the mast and fell down. Link gave him another cutting, but Kohga spritely jumped to recovery. The next rune he summoned was the Beetle: the large, claw-mouthed device perfectly floated between its master and Link, and when the hero attempted to get close, the Beetle would zip up and choke him, leaving Kohga to deal a kick.
Link shrank into his Minish form, prompting the Beetle to fly down and crunch him, but Link jumped and got atop the Beetle's head! The tiny Minish was able to tame and control the digital device, steering it directly back to Kohga. "EEEEK!" Kohga panicked and ran in a comical fashion, taking several turns around the deck, but Link was able to cut a corner and catch Kohga's neck. The Beetle choked its master, while Link returned to normal and stabbed him in the rear. Kohga fumed at Link in fury before switching to his next rune, the Mega Ball. Instead of two, it was one massive ball-and-chain, marked by the Yiga Eye.
Kohga steadily approached Link as he whirled the massive weapon. However, it moved slow enough to where his Sheikah form could pounce onto the ball's eye and hang on as it spun. "Uurrr?!" grunted Kohga in confusion. He kept spinning, hoping to shake Link off, but the hero instead grabbed his boomerang. He tossed it to Kohga and was able to link a rope between his arm and a cannon. Kohga's arm got snagged on the cannon, and his abrupt halt caused the giant ball to BASH him in his own head. Furthermore, the cannon was flipped to face him, so Link shot a Fire Arrow to blast a cannonball directly into the leader's stomach.
"EEEEEEEE!" The blast sent Kohga flying across the sea, where he smashed through another ship. The Shadow Clone poofed, and through the ship's hole, the real Kohga was seen sitting and playing a Switch. His fingers vigorously mashed the buttons. "HUH?!" He whipped around, seeing the broken wall and the discarded Sheikah Slate. "CHOOOOOOOOOO!" Steam erupted from his ears as he reclaimed the slate and made the swim back to the flagship. The Yiga chief summoned the Spinner Rune, mounting himself on a giant top.
The top glided and spun around the deck with great speed, bouncing off the railing and ramming Link with every chance he got. Link leapt up to a Sheikah Spot, but would have to leap to others as Kohga tossed kunai. Link tossed his boomerang to link a rope between the rigging on opposite sides, and Kohga would bump his head into said rope as he fell off the Spinner. Link dropped down to land some more strikes on the boss. Kohga swapped out his Spinner for a Spring Blast, a large spring-loaded device that would send Link flying.
The rune totally shielded Kohga, but Link noticed the cannon was still aimed inward. Forming a plan, Link leapt up to a Sheikah Spot, then dropped down from directly above Kohga. The Spring Blast fired, rocketing Link straight up into the sky! "YAHOOOOOO!" Kohga began doing a gleeful dance around the deck. Meanwhile, Link recomposed himself and switched into his Rito form, descending slowly as he readied his Fire Arrow. He waited for the perfect time for Kohga to be aligned with the cannon. "WE DID IT, Kigo! WE DID IIIIIIT!"
Alas, the arrow loosed, setting fire to the cannon's fuse. "BWEEEEEEE!" The cannonball made contact and Kohga was banished to the sea. The Yiga called out in terror as the hero made land on the deck. "Awesome work, team!" Link praised his masks: the spirits of Vito, Ko'an, and Kigo assumed proud poses beside him. (End song.)
"PLUE!" Kohga resurfaced and spat water from his mask. "YOU! Did you think you could humiliate MEEEE?! You were a fool for underestimating Majora's most powerful servant!"
"Uhhhh…yeah." Link said nonchalantly. "Listen, I wasn't lying about before! That Avis girl was the one who killed your-"
"SILENCE! You have pushed my hand, little boy! And now, I will show you my full power!" Kohga brought up his slate—it slipped around in his wet hands, but he managed to catch it. "Behold… the STASIS RUNE!" By snapping Link in the slate like a camera, the hero froze in place.
Internally, Link was panicking, but he couldn't show it. A yellow aura encased him, and it was beeping slowly. "HA HA! You are helpless before the power of TIME!"
The Yiga gasped: a Big Octo rose from the sea, looming over the floating Kohga. "MASTER KOHGA! Master Kohga, behind you!"
"Yes, my brethren! Behold the true power that is Kohga! This slate has been passed through my family for generations! Only the true heir to the Yiga Clan can use this forbidden technique!" The Big Octo opened its void of a mouth. "It is… the absolute most powerful…hm?!"
CHOMP! The Big Octo swallowed him whole. After chewing for a bit, its top opened, blasting Kohga into the heavens like a cannon. "WAAAHAAAAaaaaaa…" Twinkle.
"MASTER KOHGAAAAA! Quick, we must save him! Bring all the bananas!!" The Yiga frantically dove into the sea, swimming in the Octo's mouth. Repeating what it did, the beast chewed and blasted them to the heavens like fireworks. "The Yiga will hunt you to the ends of the seeeeaaa!"
The Stasis wore off on Link. "'kaaaay. Byyyye." he called out with a wave. "Sigh…looks like the ship is clear. What was I doing again…right, the mayor!"
Link reentered the ship and located the brig. There was a prison cell where an old, sick Twili was trapped. He had a shadowy head with bushy white brows and a mustache, with only a small bundle of hair. Link saw a barrel at the end of this passage and rolled into it to break it, finding a key. He unlocked the Twili's cell. "Hey… are you the mayor of Dusk Town?"
"Ohhhh…who are you, young man?…"
"I'm here to save you. Name's Link. Let's get you back to the Twilight Realm."
Link escorted the elder back to the Twilight Mirror and helped him inside. Once back in his homeworld, the elder was able to rise. "Ahh…that feels much better… Thank you, young one. And yes, I am the mayor. Call me Dour. Those goons have held me prisoner for over a month. That masked child who commands them… she wanted me dead… but one of those Yiga, a boy, convinced her not to, saying I may have knowledge that could be of use to them."
"Are you talking about Kigo?"
"Yes, that was his name… Every week or so, he'd come down here and bring food… and he'd tell me he was trying to capture the cursed Twili before they hurt the innocents. What a nice young man…"
"About that… there's something you should know." Link informed him the fate that had befallen the young Sheikah, transforming into Kigo to prove himself.
"I see… how terrible, that girl…"
"Kigo also had this." Link withdrew the Shadow Keys. "This piano can open the temple, right? The Fall Maiden was cursed, too, but if I can save her, it should save the rest of your people. You know the song to open the temple, right?"
"You're going to save the Maiden? You are certainly an interesting boy… but I feel I can trust you. The Evening Temple is north of town, if you could escort me back…"
"Hold your breath." Link placed the Minish Cap on the mayor and caught him in the bottle.
After returning to Dusk Town, Link released him and was led to a northern field, ending at a ledge. A chasm separated them from the glowing pyramid Link saw earlier. There were also four large ruins of unique shapes lodged into the ground. "The song is called Midna's Lament. Play it like this."
The song was rather long and fast-paced, but Link could feel the sad tone within the piano's notes. As the song went on, the ruins around them began to form glowing blue lines. They shook and rose into the air, flying toward the pyramid. The ruins united to form some kind of helmet, latching itself to the pyramid's tip. It was shaking as light ruptured from inside, nearly blinding the whole area. When it died down, the pyramid was gone, but a bridge resembling its texture appeared to take Link to the temple. The temple itself resembled some sort of posh, beautiful mansion.
"The Fall Maiden, Evea… ever since we've known her, she has been plagued with a terrible sadness. Please, do what you can to rid her of her curse. But it would be nice… if we could do more for her."
"…" Link shared a glance with Ayri, seeing a strange, determined look in her digital eyes. The duo crossed the bridge bravely, ready for the trials of the Evening Temple.