Clockwork Island
"Let's dedicate this breakfast to our new crewmate, MADIM!" Evan cheered, the Bombers sitting at their table at Kokiel's Cooking Corner. The kids were all wearing masks: Evan wore a Keaton Mask, Nighlo wore the All-Night Mask, Gork wore Don Gero's Mask, Sipha wore a cow mask, and Meen wore a tiny beetle mask. The only exception was Madim, the Twili girl keeping herself warm against Nighlo's feathers.
As Koko came to bring their food, she asked, "So, what's up with the masks?"
"We're celebrating the opening of the new Mask Shop! They're even doing face paint; just check out Madim here."
"Oh, I thought you looked new." Koko acknowledged the girl. "Did you just move to town?"
"Ditto esdeath. Rubarb wiggle net ick." Madim answered. ("Um, yes, I did. I came here with my father.")
"Uhhh…Koko thinks she misunderstood." The chef cocked a confused brow.
"She's from far away, heheh." Sipha replied awkwardly. "We don't really understand her… but we're trying!"
"Okay! Well, tell me if you need anything else." Koko said before leaving.
"Mmmm…" Madim blushed, thinking she must've sounded weird again. She glanced up as Meen approached her on the table.
"Don't worry, Madim. When me and Evan first met, he thought I sounded like a funny bug. But I learned how to speak human, so I'm positive you can, too!"
Madim assumed Meen was trying to comfort her, so she smiled at the little Minish. "Yeah, but we're gonna have a hard time without Link's magic thingy." Evan replied. "That's why we got these masks. So, let's ditch the speakin' and act like animals!"
"Hey gang, I'm back!" Link greeted cheerily.
"LINK! Good timing, help us translate for Madim!"
Ayri came out and began doing so. "So, she seems to be doing well."
"Yeah, we gave her some warm soup and her cold started going away." Sipha replied. "She's gotten real close to Nighlo, tehe~"
"Well, there's only two warm boys here, and I already claimed one, haha~" Meen winked cutely.
"Are you saying I'm not warm?" Gork asked.
"Oh, don't take it the wrong way." Sipha replied.
"I've been having a hard time… but I really like these guys." Madim said. "It feels kinda nice, not having to hide like this."
"We're kind of telling everyone she's wearing makeup from the Mask Shop." Sipha clarified. "It's not exactly the time to tell people there's a whole other dimension of shadow people."
"I guess that's true." Link shrugged. "Speaking of which, I was able to… Wait, did you say Mask Shop?"
"Yeah, it just opened." Evan tipped up his mask. "Mask Dude gave us opening day discounts."
"It…It couldn't be…?!"
The Bombers led Link to the town square, where the shop was marked with a large, grinning mask above the entrance. Link immediately rushed into the shop, the Bombers curiously following. The inside of the shop was dark, and a man in a purple outfit and shoes appeared to be cleaning the counter. Link's eyes widened, he and Cheren letting out a gasp.
"I've put you through quite the ordeal… haven't I?" he spoke in a light, yet emotional tone. He turned to face Link… exposing his disgusting face with a mouth resembling a banana split and an eye on either side of it.
"AAAAH!" Link recognized the creature as Molgera from the Wind Temple.
"OH HOH HOH HOH!" The man laughed and removed his mask, laughing with a shining smile. "Some things never get old…" (Play "Clock Tower" from Majora's Mask.)
Three ornamental lights lit up the shop, made with stained glass. All kinds of masks lined the shelves to the left, right, and behind the man's counter, which was built within the gaping mouth of a giant mask. A diamond-patterned carpet covered the floor. The man sat on the counter, a leg crossed over the other as he gazed at Link as if he were his long-lost child. "…I've been hearing about you. You're the Mask Man that's been traveling to all the islands, right?"
"But of course I am. In all of Termina, masks are the most celebrated and sacred items. I travel the world in search of the rarest masks. And I carve my own masks based from the wonderful people I meet." He showed them some masks, one resembling Mario, one with a black left half and white right half, a raccoon mask, and a knight's helmet. "Ahh…it's so wonderful to meet you again, Link." The hero looked at him with confusion. "It feels like only yesterday… those fateful three days. But like I told you… our parting need not last forever."
"I already don't know what you're saying. But you know something about what's happening, don't you? About that girl and her mask."
"Yes… that mask. Araea's Mask, next to Majora's as one of the rarest masks in the entire world. To think I dreamed of a day where I could display that mask next to Majora… I've gone to such painstaking lengths to seize that mask, and that little girl snatches it right from under me! OHHH, I feel such despaaaaiiirrrr!" He cried a waterfall of tears.
"Hey, cut it out, you weird old man!" Evan yelled. "Our pal Link's been going through a lot of trouble to stop that girl, so if you know anythin', you better help out!"
"For example," Link began, "when I rescued the Fall Maiden just now, I learned something about Araea. My Sheikah Slate, Ayri had a message from Araea, trying to tell us something. It led Evea to believe that there was more behind her betrayal than just… wanting all the power, I guess."
"That's a fascinating question… but one I do not have an answer to. One would logically assume it was all the mask's doing. But where did this dark power come from, and how did it fall into Araea's hands? Life is full of mysteries, isn't it? More importantly… you've created quite the beautiful world, haven't you?"
"Excuse me?"
"Can you believe it has already passed? It seems like it was only yesterday… and now, the fruits of your labor have shown. Ask yourself, 'Link'… are you proud of this world? Do you love these people around you?"
Link glanced back at the Bombers, still confused by the Mask Man's meaning. The Bombers felt the very same as he did. "Well… yeah, this is a pretty cool place. It's kinda weird how some of these people look like people I knew from the Windy Sea, but I like most of everyone here. I mean, there's some people I'm kinda iffy about, but…"
"What's the Windy Sea?" Sipha asked. "I've never heard of that."
"It's the ocean I came from. I've also been to the Phantom Sea."
"I've never heard of either of those places."
"Yeah, but I've never really heard of the Terminan Sea myself."
"You know, my children," the Mask Man intervened, "sometimes, the world can seem so small. Most of us never venture beyond our homelands… but I am quite different. The 'world' is bigger than you can even imagine, and is full of so many magical things. Much like the happiness found in these masks." He picked up the Kafei Mask and softly stroked it. "Which reminds me, my boy… you are going to the Snowcap Wastes, aren't you?"
"Yeah. I don't know if I'll be able to stop the endless winter for good, but I'm bound to find some answers, at least. …It also sounds like I'm gonna get a really cool sword."
"I should warn you, the masked girl has cast a spell, blocking the way up the mountain with a magical door. I journeyed up there, and it seems I was able to enter the door. It had a mask symbol with a '10' next to it. It would seem that the door will only allow people to enter if they carry 10 masks."
"Great, then I'll buy some of your masks."
"Oh hoh hoh hoh! I do not think it is that simple. I thoroughly analyzed the door and felt the Dark Chi around it. Simply owning masks was not enough to enter it… but rather, it was the happiness inside the masks that opened the seal. The happiness I felt when I crafted or discovered these masks, after witnessing the happiness that they were based around."
"What the heck does that mean?"
"It means that you must find the masks yourself. Find them… and the happiness that comes with them. I can feel the happiness within the masks you possess. Between the Minish, Rito, Sheikah, and Enguarde Masks, you only need to find six more."
"What about these three masks I got from the bosses?"
"Hmmm…though you did a kind thing by rescuing the Maidens, it seems those masks do not possess enough happiness. Hoh hoh!"
"Man, that blows. Oh well, I'm used to helping people just for fun. I'm sure I can find six more masks between all the islands I've been to."
"However, you are free to buy the masks I have on sale for enjoyment's sake. In fact, take a look at my 'Classics' shelf." The Mask Man directed them to a shelf with over 20 masks. "These masks were collected by the Hero of Termina when he first saved this land. I'm sure they may be of use to you still."
"Yeah, but they're pretty expensive." Link said. "Maybe I'll buy some later."
"If you wish. Knowing you, you're bound to find many amazing masks. Just believe in yourself…believe…" (End song.)
Link and the Bombers gathered outside the shop. "You ever get that feeling where, you feel like you should've learned something, but then you learned nothing?" he asked them.
"All I know is I have a lot of questions." Sipha remarked, rubbing her forehead.
"Anyway, you guys wouldn't happen to know where I could look for some masks, do you?"
"Masks are popular, but we ain't really mask experts ourselves…" Evan said, rubbing his chin in thought. "But when you mentioned how expensive they are, I kinda thought of something. Ever heard of the Rupee Mines?"
"Ooo, I know about that!" Sipha beamed. "I heard that that's where the government collects and carves Rupees to be distributed to the economy! But the entrance is far under the ocean, so of course they need expert divers to go down there. I couldn't say about any masks, but who knows what other treasures rest down there?"
"That sounds like a good place to grind some cash." Link smiled at the idea. "Where would I find it?"
"There's a part of the ocean that sparkles brighter than the rest under the sunlight. I actually swam under there once and found a huge area of rock with gems lodged inside it, but I couldn't really find an entrance. Do you have a map?" Link showed her his digital Sea Chart. "Yeah, right about there." Sipha pointed at a spot partway southwest of the island. "It might've been somewhere in this area."
"Okay, then I guess I'm going salvaging. I'll bring you back some souvenirs if I find 'em."
Link sailed to the region of ocean Sipha indicated, but the cloudy sky didn't help in finding a sparkly sea. "Wait… if my Fire Arrow can clear the sea… the Wind Arrow can clear the sky." And so, Link launched a Wind Arrow to the clouds, piercing them open as sunlight poked through. Link cleared the sky enough so the sun could shine on the sea, and his eyes lit up at the sparkling water. "Let's go, Ayri!" He donned the Mask Enguarde and dove. He followed the sparkles to the bottom of the sea, finding a huge, undersea mound filled with gems.
Link swam to the east side of it and found a boulder-filled entrance. He destroyed the boulders with Earth Arrows and swam in. Link was able to resurface inside a tunnel. (Play "Spirit Crucible Elpys" from Xenoblade 2.)
Mini-Dungeon: Rupee Mines
Mission: Find a rare mask.
The glittering of the colorful gems reflected in Link's eyes. Green, blue, purple, red crystals grew in the earth. They were of the same texture as Rupees. No doubt, these were the mines. To think, all the Rupees that Link has ever owned, the Rupees he's spent at auctions or for translating charts, they probably originated from this mine. Still, there could be other mines like this in the world, but it was so incredible to learn where they came from. Stone Pebblits attacked him in this first room, their bodies coated with gems. Link's Earth Arrows could only damage the parts of normal earth, and Link collected the gem bits that dropped.
Link leapt down some platforms going down into a pit (and he'd be able to climb the wall back out). The platforms ended at a river, where Link could jump more platforms across the pure, gentle water. Piranhas leapt across them in attempt to bite the hero, but they learned their lesson the hard way~. The door was locked up ahead, but with all the piranhas dealt with, Link could dive underwater and find a chest with a key. Link unlocked the door to a more vast room, seeing a horde of Miniblin on the open floor. Link walked down the stairs and casually approached them.
"Neh?! Nene nene!" the Miniblin chanted their usual sound and pounced about to poke Link with pitchforks. Slashing his sword every which way, he slayed them one after the other, their bodies poofing into darkness. A red one, a blue one, a green one, and the colors repeated as they depleted. After slaying another green, there were practically none left. "Nene nene." He turned left, seeing one more, orange Miniblin. Link sliced his gut, the creature falling and writhing in pain, but the hero went for the kill-
"LINK, STOP!" He was immediately restrained by the voice inside his mind. Link's eyes turned brown as that mind took over, looking over the Miniblin with empathy. Normally, the young hero wouldn't hesitate. He had no reason not to slay this ordinary Miniblin, especially since he already did away with the others… yet, for some reason, this orange Miniblin stood out from the rest. For some reason… Link was crying.
"It…It's you…" Link spoke for the voice in his head. "You're the Miniblin from New Galaxia… Y-Y-You're the Miniblin I met… at the Neutral Garden…sniff…it's really you! WAAAAaaaaaahhh!"
Neither the Miniblin, Ayri, nor Link himself had any idea why he was crying. "I-I recognized you! You look just like all the others, but I can tell…I can tell that it's you! I'm so sorry I attacked you! U-Until a moment ago, I nearly forgot about our meeting, but as soon as these Miniblin attacked… i-it just clicked! You're the Miniblin I met!"
"Nu…w-what's… New… Galaxia?" the Miniblin breathed. "I…I don't know what…"
"I guess it hasn't 'happened' in this time, but…but I can't. I just can't finish you off like this. Link, we have to do something. We have to heal this guy somehow; and I don't mean with the song. Maybe we can find a fairy or something down here."
"A… fairy? Fairies don't really… heal demons… but I heard there was an Anti-Fairy somewhere in this mine… that would help… But why…why do you want to help me? You already… killed my comrades…"
"It's hard to explain…" Link wiped away the last tears. "But I'll find the Anti-Fairy. Just… hang in there."
Side Quest: No Ordinary Miniblin
Link searched around this open area; on the left side, he noticed a Crystal Switch blended in with a mound of crystals. He hit the switch, but it immediately deactivated. With a shrug, Link decided to advance. The far side of the room had a huge, sealed door with a green Rupee painting. To either side of that door were some stairs up to walkways: the right walkway led to a large chest, from which Link collected…
You got the Dungeon Map! Even mini-dungeons need the usual items! Make sure not to get lost in the labyrinth of the mines!
The left stairs led Link to a tunnel going deeper. The tunnel was dark, but the white mist of Ice Keese gave light, the hero shooting them down before they could freeze him. Link reached another open cavern filled with water. There were sparkly fish swimming around, but Link wanted to focus on the current mission.
Link climbed in the pool and swam around for a path, and he discovered a tiny hole, but it was above the water. Link returned to the platform and looked to the ceiling: there were Rupees hanging from the tips of stalactites. He used the Boomerang to take them down, and the Rupees would float flat on the water. Link could jump them as a Minish and make it to the hole. It led to a passage filled with Morphs, the one-eyed spikeballs staring at Link creepily. He simply shot them with arrows, defeating them as easily as if he were normal size.
The tunnel led to a river, which would immediately pour into a small waterfall. Link saw a platform with a chest across from him, so he jumped out the tunnel, became a Rito, and glided to the platform before falling too low. The chest contained a Heart Piece! Link then dropped to the lower ground, and he saw another tiny tunnel that would bring him back to the previous pond room. He proceeded into a wider tunnel that was dark, using the slate's light to be wary of pitfalls. He saw the colorful wings of Mothula raining powder in the darkness, but he was able to battle the giant bugs, and he collected their severed wings.
Link found some torches and lit them with Fire Arrows, giving better sight to the cavern. He noticed a chest's shadow was being cast from nothing, but his Lens of Truth would reveal a large chest. Link suspected he knew what it would be.
You got the Compass! This will mark the locations of Rupee fissures and other collectibles deep in the mines. The question is, who was the careless miner who left this and the map here? They're all gonna get lost!
Link found the exit to the dark tunnel, finding himself at a crystal-filled cliff high above a river. Link could link boomerang ropes between the crystals and climb up them. Once high enough, he could jump the last one and use Rito to glide to a tunnel on the opposite wall. This led into a cavern where different colored fissures stuck out of the ground. There was no place else to go… but a curious Link decided to shoot a green fissure with an Earth Arrow. The fissure shattered, rewarding him a single Green Rupee, while also exposing a hidden pitfall with some insects. He collected those insects, then repeated the process with a blue fissure, except it took five arrows.
"I see. These crystals will only shatter after the number of hits respective to their Rupee's worth." Indeed, the yellow fissure took 10 hits, and the red one took 20 hits, and that one revealed the way to progress. …Link noticed an elevated platform with a silver fissure. His patience supreme, Link shot that fissure with 200 arrows. Not only was he awarded a Silver Rupee, but he discovered a shining, Silver Centipede, so he took that as well.
Link climbed down the hidden path and came upon a beautiful, underground pond that shimmered a bright cyan and had fairies floating over it. The water was shallow, but Link also noticed the mirror lodged into the wall. He conducted the Ode to Twilight and opened a portal. Upon entering the twilight version of this chamber, he found a black pond, and a dark-blue and black fairy was floating around it. The Anti-Fairy cackled at Link and zapped dark magic at him, but he stunned it with the Wind Arrow and quickly caught it in a bottle. "This has to be it. Let's hurry back."
Link returned to the Light World and made his way back through the mines, to the massive chamber where the orange Miniblin was still lying. Link released the Anti-Fairy, and it swirled around the Miniblin's body as its wound healed. The fairy flew away as the demon slowly helped himself up. "Wow… you saved me. But I… still don't understand. What makes me so special out of every other monster you've fought?"
"That's something I couldn't really explain, but… the thing is, we met before. And it clicked with me that demons like you are people, too. And some of you may not really be into what you're doing."
"Actually, we did meet before. Once at the Forsaken Fortress, then at Ganon's Tower. But we didn't talk or anything. You sort of just killed me. But that's not a big deal since we respawn in the Underworld. Anyway, it sort of loses its appeal, trying to attack you over and over, even though it's pointless. But hey, it's what pays the bills. Whether we're working for Ganon, Majora, or Avis, attacking you is what they pay us to do."
"Want me to give you a free shot, just for kicks?"
"Nah, I don't feel up to it now. …Before you came, we were actually searching for a cool treasure down in this mine. It's supposed to be behind that big door, but we couldn't find the way to open it."
"There's a switch over there." Link pointed. "I wonder…" Link searched the opposite side of the room and discovered another Crystal Switch. He hit it, but it turned off. "Hey, maybe we need to hit both of these at the same time. Go over there and let's try it." The Miniblin bounced over to the other switch. Link gave a signal with his fingers, and they struck the crystals at the same time. The cave rumbled as the large Rupee door opened. "Hah, it worked! Come on, let's go!"
Link excitedly ran to the doorway, the Miniblin following. The chamber beyond it was round, the wall glittered with Rupees. A huge chest sat in the center on an altar. Light shone from inside as Link cracked it open. The young explorer reached in and found a mask, star-shaped with several colored crystals connected at the center, and sunglasses for eyes.
You got the Rich Man's Mask! You'll feel very lucky as Rupees will appear more commonly from enemies or objects! However, the "price" to pay is taking damage will cause you to lose money, so be very careful.
"So, that's where it was." the Miniblin said. "I guess I'll let you have it. Anyway… it was great meeting you, Link. Or, should I say 'talking' to you? I'm gonna leave now. But just so you know, there's a chance we'll encounter each other again. Princess Avis expects us to attack you, so I may not have a choice next time. But when that time comes… don't hesitate to fight me. It's okay."
"Hmm…alright. I won't." Link nodded. "All the same, if you ever meet me again, when your current boss isn't around, let's have another talk. …'Course, there's a chance I won't remember you. But don't worry."
"Okay, Link. …Bye." With that, the Miniblin bounced his way up the wall and would disappear through a gap.
"Sigh…Miniblin." Link's heart felt light and filled with satisfaction and relief. According to his map, there were more corridors in this dungeon, but for now, he had what he came for. "Now I just need five masks, I guess. Let's go back to town." (End song.)
Clockwork Island
Link had gotten so sidetracked by all this that he ended up not being able to share a meal with his new friends. "Huh?" There was quite the large amount of people around the restaurant.
"Everyone calm down and form an orderly line!" yelled Kokiel, the restaurant owner. "We still don't have enough ingredients to feed this large of a crowd, we were only barely recovering! Look, one person at a time!"
"Oi! Liiink!" The hero watched as Koko ducked her way through the crowd and rushed up to him. "Link, Koko really needs your help! A rumor got out talking about Kokiel-san's food! You've been bringing me so many ingredients that people think we're a bustling business!"
"Oh…I'm sorry!"
"No, this is really great! But it's also really terrible 'cause Koko doesn't have enough for all these people!"
"I gathered some stuff from my recent journey, but I dunno if it'll be enough."
"Just gimme whatever you got! It'll be a miracle if Koko and Kokiel can fill all these bellies!"
"Link, let us lend a hand!" Link whipped around, spotting the Bomber crew. "We'll set everyone at tables and take orders." Evan declared. "Gork, bring in the extra tables!"
"Aye-aye, Boss!" Gork rolled up with a bunch of tables balanced on his boulder, quickly setting them around.
"Right this way, sirs and misses!" Sipha hurriedly, yet half-courteously set people at the tables.
"Don't think we forgot the little guys!" Meen cheered, racing atop a table with a bunch of tiny tables, where Minish were seated. "Order whatever you like, because big or small, Kokiel's Cooking will fill you all!"
"We've even prepared a special lunch time show to keep you entertained while you wait for your meal!" Sipha announced. "Presenting Madim and Nighlo in 'The Heroes of Twilight,' with special effects by our resident scientist, Dr. Purah!"
The Sheikah doctor in question pulled a rope to open the curtain of a stage. Madim and Nighlo (wearing the All-Night Mask to keep awake) appeared to be acting in a silent performance. Nighlo wielded a spear and Madim a sword as they clashed with holographic machines. The background resembled a burning city under sunset. "Wow, you guys are really crafty." Link said.
"And best of all," Evan began, "since we're all from different races, we know what our kind likes to eat. We'll help Koko with the meals, but you think you can try to scrounge up some more ingredients?"
"That's a lot to drop on me, but I'll try my hardest. Do you at least have any recommendations?"
"We got a list down just in case." Evan handed him a paper. "Now you can't say we never help you."
"Heh heh, I never even considered it!"
Link sailed to the Lava Cake Isle he found before. There were some steam geysers on one side of the cake that he could use to fly up as a Rito. He landed on a platform on the cake, but he was quickly sweating from the heat. There were cracked parts of the ground that Link could shoot with Earth Arrows, causing small, molten rocks to burst out. He waved his Wind Arrow by the rocks to cool them, afterwards collecting them. He also shot down the Fire Keese flying at him to collect their wings.
Link returned to Picori Island and could use his new abilities to access new areas. He used Fire Arrows to burn down a web blocking a passage, where he could climb a ladder to a platform on a tree. Tropical Flutters (which were Wigglers evolved into butterflies) were flying around the tall trees, their bodies stretching in attempt to block Link's view of the Sheikah Spots on those trees. Yiga Link would leap to them while the Flutters weren't blocking, and Skulltula would slowly descend from above some spots to bite him, requiring Link to jump quickly. The spots brought him a tree's foothold, where Link could shrink and enter a hollow. Not only was there a Heart Piece available, but he found a stash of Puffy Acorns, which were a good Minish snack.
Link swung by town, delivered his ingredients, then visited the fishing shop for some lures. He sailed near an island called Romani Island and dove into the sea. He swam around and found the locations of Dairy Basses (resembling chubby cows), Cuccofish, and Pig Puffers. He used special bait for the Pig Puffers that would soothe their tastebuds and not prompt them to puff up. Later, he returned to the Rupee Mines and found the pond with fish that had sparkly scales; supposedly, these were a delicacy to rich folk, so Link caught them with a fishing lure resembling a wallet.
"Hmmm…" Link considered the possibility of the restaurant gaining more Twili customers; at the very least, Madim and her father would be hungry. He revisited the Twilight Isles and could use his Spinner to access another island, riding a track over the abyss and slashing down Guays that tried to harass him. Link landed on an island where pigs of black-and-orange skin frolicked around. "Oh yeah… those kids wanted a piggy, didn't they?"
There were soil spots around the ground, but his Earth Arrows couldn't dig them. Instead, he became a Minish and asked one of the pigs to dig for him. There were purple stones known as Dusk Relics, a few Shadow Insects that might make good ingredients, and some berries. He also found a path leading down to a hidden dig spot, from which the pig unearthed a Silver Firefly. Link resized, collected the bug, then he carried the pig who helped him as he rode the Spinner back up the track. He carried the pig to Dusk Town and brought it to the house of three children.
"Look, Mama! That man has a piggy!" the purple child pointed.
"Yeah, I brought this for you guys." Link replied. "You looked upset that your 'Piggy' was gone."
"You brought this just for us?" the mother asked. "I don't know what to say… thank you."
"Now Sissy can finally stop crying!" the green one cheered.
"You were crying, too!"
"I just hope this little guy can fill the void." Mother said. "Traveler from the Light World… perhaps this could help you."
Link was given a Heart Piece. "It sure will! You guys enjoy!" With that, he made the rush back to Clockwork, happy to cross out another quest.
…
With the various ingredients Link collected, Koko and Kokiel hastened to make a Lava Fudge Cake, Gem Candy, and Rock Sirloin for some Gorons. They made cooked Cuccofish to be eaten with crab claws, Peak Turkey legs, and boiled Guay Eggs for Rito. A loaf of Deku Nut bread was cut into crumbs and served to the Minish, with Blessed Butterfly butter for a topping. Even Madim was served a Sunset Salad made with Golden Leaves. Gork, wanting to partake in Twilight food, had a Rock Sirloin fitted with purple syrup from a melted Dusk Relic. Meen had her bread with Twilit Butterfly butter.
Koko was panting to catch her breath, but it seemed that the lunch rush was slowing down. "With most of the Maidens back in business, the crisis is starting to go away." Link said. "I guess the first thing on peoples' minds is food."
"Koko-chan…" The hero and young apprentice looked up as Kokiel approached them. With a closer look, Kokiel appeared to be a woman in her early 20's, and she almost gave the impression of a motherly figure in Link's eyes.
"Kokiel-san! Koko did her best to keep up with everyone. She's sorry we had to make these kids help us…"
"Koko, there's something you need to know. I was the one who caused the rumors about our food to spread. I had advertisements mailed out, talking about our apprentice chef. Ever since we've been getting these new ingredients, your recipes have really improved. Your recipes made a lot of people happy, so I made sure everyone knew they were yours. These people didn't come here for my food, they came for yours."
"But…but Koko was following Kokiel-san's instructions. Kokiel-san's the real chef…"
"Don't lie to me, Koko." Kokiel ruffled the child's hair. "I saw you adding your own little touches to the recipes. And besides, I only gave you the basic formulas and instructions, but you figured the rest out yourself. You're a natural at this, Koko. You're a fast worker and have a sharp memory, despite all these different orders."
"Does Kokiel-san really think so?"
"Yes… in fact, I want to give you something. Come inside."
Kokiel led Koko into her office in the restaurant. She opened a safe containing a mask resembling a chef hat rising from the center of a salad and tomato crown. The hat had a Sheikah Eye on it. "This is the Star Chef's Hat. It was once worn by the greatest chef in the Sheikah Clan. Koko, I'm going to be leaving for a while on important business… so until I return, I'm entrusting the restaurant to you." She held it down to her apprentice.
Koko's eyes teared as she hesitantly took the mask. "…Do you really think… Koko will be okay on her own?"
"Well, it might be nice if those kids stuck around to help out. But don't worry, I'll be back soon. For now, I trust you to handle this. Will you do it, Koko?"
"…Yes. Koko will."
Kokiel patted her shoulder. "I'll see you later, Koko." The woman left the shop.
Link was there to meet Koko as she walked out as well. "Hey, Link… Koko would like you to have this mask. Koko wouldn't have been able to come this far without your ingredients. Koko heard that this mask has a special power; if you use it, you'll be able to find lots of hungry people. You travel a lot more than Koko, so it'll be better in your hands."
"Sure, Koko. I'll be sure to make good use of it."
You got the Star Chef's Hat! Wear this mask around people to learn their favorite recipes! They may have certain rewards to give you if you feed them~
Link decided to wander around town for anything else to do. "Mister Link! Heeeeeeeyyyy!"
Link looked up and recognized the Postman: he was a short man with a white toga, angel wings, and a signature red cap. "Hey, what's up!" Link greeted. "It's nice to meet a familiar face."
"Pardon me, Mister Link, but this is our first meeting. Only reason I know your name is 'cause you match the description on my letter. Speaking of, I have a letter for you, Mr. Link." He handed him an envelope. "Well, my business is concluded! On to deliver the next letter!" And he took flight once more.
Link opened the letter, marked with a golden puzzle piece. My Hero, I hope you haven't been neglecting my exciting puzzles. Honestly, have you been enduring this tedious journey with nothing but your brawn? How utterly shameful! However, seeing as you love your temples so much, you'll be happy to know that I hired a few helping hands to 'improve' the temples you've visited. If you would take the time to revisit them and find all my trophies, there may be some fine rewards waiting for you. The Sun Temple may be worth your visit in fact, mwah ha ha! Yours Sincerely, The Puzzler~
"Oh, right… forgot about that guy." Link sighed. "Hmm…Sun Temple, eh?"
Sun Temple
After making the journey back to the temple in question, Link looked at his map, which now had five puzzle pieces marked around the dungeon. The first puzzle was in the room with Lightspeed Bubbles. There were five Crystal Switches suspended above the chasm, with a caged trophy in the middle. He tossed his boomerang to hit all of them, but they had no effect. "Poor Hero, is your head spinning trying to figure out the proper order?" Puzzler taunted on a speaker.
Link went to the hourglass and used it to change the temple to night. With the Bubbles slowed down, Link noticed one of them was flying around the switches, its head spinning a certain number of times beside each. With this, Link was able to determine the proper order, throwing the Boomerang at that combo. There was a dinging sound as the cage opened. Link glided to collect the trophy.
There was a trophy on the roof walkway above the windy tower. There were several artificial Peahats floating in the sky above. Link saw the Sheikah Spot above the tower entrance and leapt to it, and he could leap to the Peahats as well. The propeller devices would rotate, but they would bring Link to the tip of the windy tower, where the trophy was stationed. He could only catch it by leaping to a Peahat directly in the trophy's path.
In the room where Link had to push the stacked blocks over a rounded, on-and-off light path, there was now a Light Ladder "maze" of sorts, going up and leading to a trophy. However, the Skull Kid was still repeating the Sun's Song next to the caged hourglass, making the ladder disappear at night. Link shot a Wind Arrow through the cage to dizzy the Skull Kid long enough for him to climb and maneuver around the ladder, until he could make it to the trophy's platform.
Link returned to the Dead Hand mini-boss room. The picture frames were moving up-and-down as they did before, but they were fit with Puzzle Trophy pictures, with Puzzler's smirking face behind them. "One of these paintings is not like the other, dear Hero. I've always had an eye for detail~" Link used the Lens of Truth, but all the paintings were real. It took a while, but he finally noticed that Puzzler's eye was missing in one of them. He burned that painting with a Fire Arrow and found the trophy in the frame.
There was a trophy above the waterfall of Sea Cloud. Link found a switch upon entering the room, and hitting it would open a cage at the top of the waterfall (under the water, in fact). The normal way would be to use the Boomerang to make another rope path up the platforms, but the timer would run out by then. Instead, Link used his Mask Enguarde to dive in the cloud water and quickly swim his way up the diagonal fall, avoiding the platforms and reaching the trophy before the cage resealed.
With the five trophies collected, a new chest appeared on his map, in the Boss Room. Link returned to Solrun's chamber and found a new puzzle: he had to pick up a baseball bat and hit baseballs at targets that would rise around the field. There were five targets and Link had 10 baseballs. A target appeared on 3rd base, one above the Rain Fruit tree, one on the right ledge with an hourglass, one directly behind Link, and the last one appeared up by the Maiden's platform. Link had two baseballs remaining when he finished the challenge. The chest's cage opened, so he ran to collect his prize: a gold mask with large eye holes (resembling Sheikah Eyes) and a haunting grin.
You got the Hero's Charm! This mask will allow you to see enemy HP! When viewing through your camera, you will be able to tell which people helped Puzzler hide his trophies. If you call them out, they may be able to give you some clues~
Dusk Town
Link decided to return to Dusk Town in search of masks. He was quite happy to see Twili out on the streets again; the ethereal nature of the people and this town made this one of his more favorite places. He remembered the Silver Firefly he collected earlier and decided to ask a man about it.
"Hmm…that's a pretty strange bug, but I'm not really an expert. …Actually, I do know someone who would know: there's a girl who lives all alone in a house under that farmland. She has all kinds of creepy crawlies in her house…"
Link traveled to a farmland southwest of town and found some stairs leading down the side of the island. It led to a lone house with flora overgrowing on it and insects crawling outside. Link knocked on the door—"NOOOOO!" he flinched at the screaming from inside. The door was quickly answered as a girl yanked him inside; she had yellow hair in a ponytail and large, round glasses that were completely filled with the orange light of her eyes. Based on her height, she was about 17 years old.
"You! You better not-a stepped on 'em or I swear!" The Twili flipped Link upside-down and checked his shoes.
"Hey-hey, put me down! I made sure not to step on them; I heard about you and I thought they might be yours!"
"Heard about me??" She dropped Link and was moving frantically like a scared animal. "N-N-N-No one talks about me." She looked left and right, then squatted over Link. "Only way you heard about me is 'cause you're a bug-lover. A-Are you a fellow bug-lover??" She twiddled her fingers.
"Uh, yeah, kind of. I have a few bugs in one of my Infi-Pouches." Of course, Link wouldn't mention that he gave some to Koko to cook.
The girl quickly sniffed the pouch in question. "Oh-ho-ho, yes yes. I smell 'em bugs. Ah, so that's what Light World bugs smell like. Also, you're a Light Worlder, how weird. Huhuhuhu, a Light Worlder heard of me, how weird." She grinned, her skin shaking. "I'm Bethana, by the way. These are my bugs." She directed to her glass cages, where various insects crawled around. There were some roaming around the floor. "Rascally little guys, aren't they?" She crouched down and stared closely at the floor bugs. A centipede crawled up her face and along her nose. "Huhuhuhuhuhu. Sometimes, I give 'em my nosehair to play with…"
"Uh…heh heh. Actually, could you tell me about these bugs?" He held up the Silver Firefly and Centipede.
Bethana's eyes shrank at seeing them. "You have… two Silver Bugs. S-S-Silver Bugs, rarest of all bugs, hu hu hu…"
"Well, you can have them if you want."
"I'll give you anything, I'll give you my soul. But not my bug collection!"
"Do you have any masks?"
"Um…well, I do have this." Bethana sank in her shadow and slithered over to a shelf, where she came out and picked up a mask, resembling a watermelon helmet with large eyeholes that had lenses resembling bug eyes. She put it over herself as the lenses reflected the glow of her eyes like her glasses, making her seem like a large bug. "I crafted this myself to help me blend in with the bugs. When I do this," her whole body compressed to fit in the melon, with which she rolled around, "I can sneak up on them and they don't get scared."
"Would you lend it to me so I can find more Silver Bugs? It sure would be handy to have a way to sneak up on them. I mean, I do have a hat that can shrink me, but that wouldn't really help in catching them."
"Ya…you have a what?" She popped her mask off.
"Watch this." Link put the Minish Cap on and shrank before her eyes.
Bethana panicked, getting down and skittering up to the little hero. Her eyes shrank from the incredible result. "Y-Y-Y-You can become as small as a bug…" Her eyes grew back as pupils seemed to form, pulsing with madness. "I must have your hat."
Link took the cap off and exploded back to normal, Bethana cowering back and curling up. "I'll lend you this Minish Cap for maybe a few hours, if I can have that melon mask for… indefinitely."
"You are a blessing, Light Dweller." Bethana gave him the mask without hesitation.
You got the Melon Helmet! Curl up and roll around as you can sneak up on sensitive bugs and even startle enemies!
"Wow, thanks! And here's my end of the bargain." Link gave her the Minish Cap. In a heartbeat, Bethana put it on and shrank.
Link decided to go material gathering for the next few hours, but he returned once he felt time was up. He knocked on the door: Bethana answered, sweating terrifically as her hair was a mess. "Huff, huff, huff, huff…that was the most amazing experience of my life. Here… you can have your hat back." She returned the cap. "Heh, heh…snail slime feels sooooo good…"
"Um…cool. Well, I'll find you those Silver Bugs as soon as I can, promise."
Side Quest: Bethana's Silver Parade: Find the 24 Silver Bugs across the world and bring them to Bethana.
Clockwork Island
Link went to sleep after a long day of work. The following morning, Link awoke and was quickly greeted by Sipha when he walked outside. "Hey, Linkie! Can I call you Linkie?"
"You need something?"
"Hee hee, I heard someone has a little crush~" The Zora grinned knowingly.
"What?" Link blushed.
Sipha sidled up to him and whispered, "Every other day, I see this boy fishing at the Fishing Corner. I see him talking to himself, so I swam under to eavesdrop on him once, and I hear him talking about some girl. Hehe, I wonder who it is…?"
"Are you asking me to play matchmaker?"
"Well, love leads to happiness, and happiness leads to masks, right?"
"Love can also lead to heartbreak, but I might as well try my hand at it. What's he look like?"
"He's got blue hair, you can't miss him~"
Link traveled to the Fishing Corner and saw a boy with dark-blue hair, tied in a spiked ponytail, a black T-shirt, yellow trunks, and orange sandals. He also had tan skin and seemed to be 12. "Maybe it's not really that tall… and I could always trick the monsters and make them fall off… But what if it just disappears when I…?"
Link could hear him mumbling as he approached. "…Aren't you cold?"
"Huh?" The boy turned and looked up at him. "Oh, thanks for your concern, but I'm fine." He grinned spritely. "My body is naturally warm. Even in the dead of winter, I only shiver just a tiny bit. Besides, it kinda feels like the weather's getting warm."
"Well, if you're not bothered. Though I thought I heard you muttering something about monsters…"
"Ah…" The boy blushed a bit. "Well, it's kind of embarrassing, but there's a girl I like and I was thinking of getting her a gift."
"You getting her a monster?"
"N-No, no!" He sported a laugh. Feeling uncomfy with his head twisted, the boy stood and faced Link fully. "I meant… You know about the Angel's Needle?"
"I'm new to town, so not really."
"There's this really tall, kinda thin mountain, kind of northeast. It doesn't reach the sky, but… at the very top of this mountain, these weird, tiny clouds float around. In fact, they're shaped like hearts. I feel like if I could catch one of them, it would be a super cute gift to give to her."
"Do you want me to go get one for you?"
"Huh? What do you mean?"
"I'm a professional explorer. I fight monsters and everything, so it's no problem."
"Wow… if you could really help, then let's go right away!"
"You wanna come, too?"
"I'm the one who should be getting this gift! Otherwise, I'd have asked a Rito or somebody. Only reason I was afraid to go was because of the monsters. I have no problem crossing to this island, but I'm not cocky enough to go that far."
"Crossing to this island?"
"Yeah, I'm from Papaya Village. It's pretty close, so I can just row here on a boat, or in this case, run across the frozen sea!" He grinned proudly. "Oh, and my name's Louie, if I forgot to mention."
"I'm Link. Let's head to my boat and we can talk more."
"We're using a boat? What about the sea?"
"Just let me show ya~"
Side Quest: His Heart in the Clouds
Link showed Louie to the Ancient Lion, the boy's eyes and mouth wide with fascination. As the hi-tech vehicle easily cut across the sea, Louie pointed Link in the proper direction. Link melted icebergs with his arrows as he proceeded to tell Louie about himself. "Magic masks… temples… ever since you were the same age as me??"
"Yep, my life changed forever on my 12th birthday."
"Man… I feel like you have a better shot with Judith than I do. If that's all true, then… you're really cool."
"I admit, not a lot of people do what I do. Still, before all that crazy stuff happened, I wasn't very impressive. I was pretty much a boring, stay-at-home kid. I lived in a fishing village, but I never did any work. Nothing ever happened and life was just boring. I got annoyed when my sister dragged me to do stuff. …Then, when Aryll was kidnapped… something just sparked inside me. It just happened so suddenly, and on an impulse… I just decided to chase after her."
"Weren't there any adults who could've done it?"
"There was, but… I don't know why I decided to. But a lot of people were really upset. Even though life was boring, everyone was pretty happy. But if Aryll wasn't rescued… I felt like everyone would be miserable forever. And that would just make the boredom worse…"
"So, you just didn't wanna be bored?" Louie laughed.
"What, no! I really loved my sister, and if no one saved her, she could've been killed! But even if an adult could've done it… I didn't wanna live in misery with everyone else. Maybe that's why I decided to save her…"
"Hee hee hee… I think I get what you mean. …Look, Link, there it is!" (Play "Gusty Garden" from Mario Galaxy!)
They had arrived at a towering pillar of an island with ledges along the sides. They docked at the shore and set foot. "Whoa, that's a lot higher than I was expecting. I hope your equipment works!"
Louie followed Link up the first path, where he already had to link a boomerang rope to a post on a higher path. Up there, a Tallblin spotted them, stabbing a large spear at the boys, but Link ran up the grounded spear to cut his head before leaping behind. The Tallblin turned, but Louie wrapped his fishing lure around his legs to trip him, allowing Link to land a fatal blow. The boys would have to climb a rugged wall, but hornets would fly out of holes and try to sting them. Link became a Minish and relied on Louie to climb up, riding his spiked bun as he shot the bees down with arrows. Louie successfully made it up to the platform, Link changing back as they shared a thumbs-up.
They jumped up some platforms aligned like stairs, but one of those stairs collapsed and fell, Link quickly flipping back. Beneath it was a propeller platform, which Link stirred with the Wind Arrow, then used Rito to carry them both across. Link would have to maintain Rito form as several whirlwinds were floating side-to-side and would steadily ascend upward. Link carried Louie and stayed above the first whirl, floating to the second, but they would have to follow that one back to reach the third whirl. Despite Louie's heavy weight, the Rito was able to set him on the safe foothold above. Some of these platforms had Windmill Flowers, which Link decided to collect.
There were no visible ways up, until Linked used the Lens of Truth and saw invisible beanstalks. He grabbed the first stalk, and Louie trusted his judgment and climbed after him. There were invisible Baba as well, but Link cut them down. They side-jumped to other beanstalks to their left, the third one bringing them to a platform. From there, small Peahats were lowering and retracting vines, so the boys had to carefully swing them with good timing. They reached a platform that had a patch of soil.
"Oh, look at this! I heard of these Magic Beans that can make floating platforms to carry you across places." Louie pointed at the soil. "I wonder where we'd find some?"
"Well, we can still get up this way." Link said as he sidled along a thin ledge. As Louie followed, Deku Scrubs descended on propeller flowers, launching Deku Nuts in attempt to knock them off. The boys could only avoid them as they progressed along to a safer foothold. They found a platform where Link could fit his Spinner, and spinning it would cause the platform to elevate. There were diagonal paths to either side going up, and Hiploops (giant bugs) charged down them in attempt to shove the boys off. Louie would stay to Link's back, leaving the hero to swat the bugs away. However, Louie could still protect them from the Kargaroks swooping in, launching his lure to wrap one's neck and swing it against the others.
Louie then reeled his lure as the platform elevated through a ceiling. It would let them off on a very wide platform at the top of the tower. Their expressions were aghast, seeing a beautiful field of Windmill Flowers, and dozens of small, heart-shaped clouds floating in the breeze. "They're real! Link, these are really the clouds! The…The Love Clouds! Quick, help me get one!"
Louie climbed onto Link's shoulders and was barely within arm's length of the clouds. He caught one, then leapt down. "Wow, it feels like… a small pillow full of air." Louie smooshed and molded the cloud, which was a little bigger than both his hands. "This would be a cool gift, but it would easily float away. …I know, I'll use my string to tie it down." Louie cut off part of his lure, tying the severed end around the cloud (which was reshaped into a heart). "I really hope she likes it…"
"You can at least keep it as a souvenir. Let's go down." (End song.)
Papaya Village
Papaya was a village made with wooden houses and boardwalks over the surface of the sea. They were supported on a reef, so the water below the village was fairly shallow. There were other dark-skinned humans native to the village, along with Zora, but many were wearing coats in the cold weather.
"There she is." Louie said after leading Link halfway across the village. There was a Zora girl standing at the edge of a boardwalk. A wide, purple fin wrapped around her head, though Link mistook it for hair at first. It seemed her chest and belly areas were also purple. "Wish me luck." He walked forward bravely.
Link sat on a bench to watch the interaction. When the girl, Judith turned to face him, her purple eyes complimented her well. She was a few inches taller than Louie and possibly 13 years. "She's kinda cute. Honestly, I was expecting some sort of twist."
"Look, Judith!" Louie presented the heart cloud. "This is a Love Cloud, from the Angel's Needle. It was really high up, but I climbed it and reached up to the sky itself to get this cloud! I have it tied to a string so it doesn't float away, but… isn't it beautiful?"
"Louie, how many times do I have to tell you? I don't wanna date you."
"Okay, I may have had help getting up there, but I still made it. I wanted to prove myself by getting this. I promise I'll do anything for you, and I'll treat you with respect."
"Louie, I'm trying not to hurt your feelings… but I'm just not into you. You're just too… naïve for me."
"What's that mean?"
"It means you're too… look, forget it. Louie, there's a lot of other girls out there, you just have to find the right one. And that girl isn't me, okay? So, please stop trying to impress me. But if your story is true, then that is pretty cool, I'll admit. Maybe someone else will like that cloud…" And so, she left.
Louie came to join Link with a downtrodden expression. "She rejected me again…"
"Sorry, Louie. …You know, I actually know another Zora-"
"Link, do you know where to find any other pretty treasures? We should find something cooler to impress her!"
"Louie, no offense, but if someone just doesn't wanna date you, there's not much you can do. Just find someone else."
"It's probably the age problem. She is technically 50."
"Yeah, she's… FIFTY?!" Link gaped. "But she looks at least your age!"
"Didn't you know Zoras take a long time to age? Just like Gorons."
"Then… how old are fricking Sipha and Gork?!"
"Anyway, I probably shouldn't keep you. I guess you have stuff to do. But I would like to give you a present for helping me."
Louie went into his house. Link waited a while before the boy returned: he had poked holes into the Love Cloud and attached a gold headband to the top, meant to go around Link's head as he wore it like a mask. He also shaped tiny angel wings to the sides of it. When Link put it on, his nose was tickled by the fluffy, misty heart. "Tehe! Are you sure you don't want it?"
"You did most of the work, so you earned it. Maybe I'll get one myself someday!"
"Just be careful, Louie. And remember… even if you don't find someone who 'loves' you, never forget to love the world! Love all the beautiful things like this cloud."
"You can count on it, Link!" Louie winked and thumbs-upped.
You got the Cupid Cloud! This heavenly heart will slightly increase the effects of your recovery items! Some enemies who view the mask will hesitate to attack you!
Link prepared to set sail, delighted by the simple, yet fluffy mask filled with love. "Hmm…let's go, Ayri. Let's go to the sky!"
"But Master, we are still one mask short. We may not be able to climb the Snowcap Wastes."
"We'll search for one in the sky! I'm getting too excited, so let's get going!"