Play "Yggdrasil" from Xenoblade 2.
Dungeon 4: Temple of the New Year
Mission: Learn Araea's truth.
When Link first heard of the Blizzard Temple, he expected frozen ground, giant icicles, and a fair amount of frigid wind. …Instead, he was met with a rather sci-fi, alien structure. Lines of neon lights stripped along the walls, there was a faint, ethereal blue glow in the air overall, and Link could see a few robotic entities roaming about. …Heck, he wouldn't even know what 'sci-fi' or 'alien' was were it not for the voice in his head.
"Master Link… my scans read that this structure is, indeed, the Blizzard Temple. However, it seems to go by another name: the Temple of the New Year. The material that composes this temple is not of this world, but I can sense that it has been built here for thousands of years."
"The Frosolites… are they… not of this world?"
The lobby chamber was rather expansive. Link began to explore it, approaching one of the robots, which resembled floating Frosolites with halos above them. The robot, which Ayri scanned as a 'Frost Sovereign,' conjured light spears to throw at Link, and each spear would be stuck in the floor for a second before disappearing. Its halo could project a barrier for brief instances, but Yiga Link found it easier to run up a spear's handle and do a jump attack from above the halo, piercing the head. On the east side of the room were wide stairs leading him to an upper walkway, with two Sovereigns guarding them, but Link dealt with them in the same manner.
The upper walkway would diagonally cross over the room, a Beamos traveling to-and-fro along a light path. When the Beamos came Link's way and saw him, its eye projected a solid light barrier and blocked him. Link went far back so the barrier would disappear, then he shot a Shadow Arrow at the Beamos when it came back, allowing him to run past the blinded sentry. The path connected to the opposite wall and would go right, but a platform to his left was blocked by lasers. There was a switch on that platform, and behind it was a statue with an empty hole.
Link followed the right path, going up stairs to a high-tech door. It seemed the door would glow in the presence of his Sheikah Slate and open. Link entered a very wide, tall, cylindrical room. To his right were stairs winding down to the bottom floor. Rito Link leapt off and floated down safely, but there was nothing on this expansive floor except for four large switches under the stairs. Link returned up the stairs, then headed up another flight on the left of the door. Mechanical balls rolled down the stairs, opening to reveal red eyes. These robots were Sacrificial Sovereigns. The eyes flashed before the robots exploded; Link would have to quickly shoot the eyes before then.
At the top of the stairs, there was a door, while the next stairwell was blocked by lasers. There appeared to be a holographic sign beside the door with digital, alien text. Ayri translated the text for her master:
We have made land on the planet from which the signal was radiating from. The inhabitants of this world call it "Termina." However, the air beneath this mountain is too warm; only during certain months does it become cold enough for us to survive, but only barely. However, it would appear our arrival on this world caused a geothermal shift and raised the planet's sea level. Fortunately, the inhabitants managed to take refuge on the elevated parts of land.
Link entered the door to a two-story room. There was a huge robot, white with cyan lines and sharp shoulders, parked in a wall opening. The robot stared at Link with a single glowing eye and marched toward him. Link shot the eye to stun the Mighty Sovereign, but found no way to the upper level. There was a Spinner slot in the Sovereign's resting area, and spinning on it would open a slot behind Link with a Giant's Mask. Link's own mask would resonate with it, allowing him to grow bigger than the Sovereign. He could pick up the robot like a large toy and slam it against the wall. His massive arms could reach up and grip the upper ledge, struggling to haul himself up. Link removed the mask and shrank to normal, going to press a switch.
Outside, the lasers blocking the stairs deactivated. However, Link became giant again to grab another ledge, pulling him to a large chest. Just for fun, he opened the "tiny" chest as a giant, but his fingers were too bulky to get the item inside it. He decided to shrink and collect what was inside.
You got the Compass! Haha, just kidding, it's the Dungeon Map. It would be weird if you found the Compass first and saw a bunch of chests and collectibles floating in emptiness.
Link exited the room and went up the next stairs. However, they would simply drop off, and Link looked up at the underside of a higher staircase, going the opposite direction. Below his stairs was a Spinner track, but it would also end at nothing. Link dropped to it, the Spinner going up slowly. He passed the end of the upper stairway, saw a Sheikah Spot above it, and quickly switched to Yiga and leapt to it. Those stairs ended at a door, but Link saw yet more levels of this central room. He would probably get to those in time.
Link entered the next room, which seemed to go rightward and up. Ahead of Link was another holo-sign.
This station served another purpose: it was made as a temple for the sovereign, Araea. There is probably not a Frosolite alive who knew her in life. However, our arrival on this planet was met with a miracle! Araea returned in spirit form, and she had been given the power of Winter by the God of Snow. Araea would protect our clan with her new power.
Link climbed a short ladder to an upper floor, but was immediately blocked by a Barrier Beamos. Link noticed a Sheikah Spot against the left wall, so he leapt to it to get in shooting range of the Beamos. After blinding it, Link could climb the ladder before its vision returned. Past it, Link was chased by an Armos, but he shot its eye to stop it. There was no way to destroy the statue, but Link found a large switch that would fit it. The end of this area had an inactive elevator. When the Armos awoke, Link lured it onto the switch, then stunned it again. The elevator became powered and carried Link to the next level. It led to a dead end with another sign.
Araea explored the world of Termina in her spirit form. She met the spirit of a Kokiri named Lyara. Lyara was fascinated by Araea's power; however, instead of Winter, she preferred Spring. Lyara would later return with power given to her by the Spirit of Forest. They met a Gerudo spirit, Flaru, who wanted the power of Summer; and Evea, a shadow being, who sought the power of Autumn. Araea and her fellow Maidens would balance the Four Seasons in harmony.
Link saw another floor above the area he just came from and could use a Spinner track to ride up to it. He had to defeat three Frost Sovereigns before tackling the next puzzle: he simply had to pick up two small statues and place them on switches to activate another elevator. However, to his left, there was an enclosed passage with a door on a high ledge. To his right was a larger statue with a hole. Clearly, he had to use these statues for something, but what? Regardless, he got on the elevator and rode up to a ledge, where a door would take him back to the central chamber.
Link had to jump to a floating square platform, which would lift up to another platform moving forward and back. A flying sphere called a Sentrobe would open up and shoot small missiles, which Link could bounce back with his shield to take the droid down. There was a door on a low platform to Link's right. Link first jumped to an available platform with a door, but it was locked. Rito Link glided down to the low platform and entered. The door sealed with bars.
Link was on a ledge overlooking a low floor. There was a stairway of platform statues aligned on the opposite wall. Link dropped down there—behind him was a being in a whitish-blue robe. They were tall and thin, and their eyes glowed through the rim of their robed mask. The being drew a baton, energy spears forming on either end, leaving strips of light as they twirled it. (Play "Still, Move Forward" from Xenoblade 2!)
Sub-boss: Valiant Sovereign
The Sovereign twirled its weapon like a fan, blocking from any of Link's attacks. His sword and arrows couldn't cut through, and even when parrying behind it with Yiga speed, the Sovereign would twirl the baton at their back as they turned. Link shot his Wind Arrow at the twirling baton, causing it to spin faster as the Sovereign flew forward, pushing Link against the wall for damage. The being jumped off, then took a swing at Link, the hero dodging. The Sovereign resumed twirling its baton in defense. Link stepped far back, but the Sovereign would leap forward with a stab attack. Link dodged it barely in time to shoot an arrow, stunning the robot enough to land some cuts.
The Sovereign leapt away and started twirling its spear again. It was now sending small light balls, but even hitting them back wouldn't pierce the defense. It wouldn't lunge at Link anymore, so he stepped far back and shot another Wind Arrow. The baton spun and pulled the Sovereign forward, but Yiga Link zipped behind it this time, quickly striking the robot as it crashed against the wall. The Sovereign flipped away with spear handy, dancing its way around Link as it left holographic clones. The clones rotated around in attempt to confuse Link, but his Lens of Truth could pick up the real one—it lunged to attack the hero before giving him the chance.
The Sovereign repeated its strategy, but Link briefly saw one spin around. He focused on that one and shot his Wind Arrow, forcing the spear to pull it forward, but Link dodged in time to land some more cuts. The robot retreated and raced up the wall, running circles near the ceiling as Link tried to focus on it. It would throw the spear down without warning, but if Link could dodge, he could shoot ahead of the robot to hit it. Link landed three arrows on the Sovereign before it leapt back down. Once more, it twirled the baton and shot spheres, but when Link shot a Wind Arrow again, it would side-dodge.
Link tricked it into side-dodging, then he Yiga-parried around it at the same time to stab its back. The Sovereign was still determined to fight, and when Link tried the same strategy, it would be ready to defend in time. Instead, Link would parry around it, prompting the Sovereign to hold the spear behind, but it was then that Link would shoot a Wind Arrow, causing the robot to be pulled backwards. Link dodged in front all the same and stabbed it in the robed chest. (End song.)
The Sovereign held its chest and knelt in pain. It looked up at Link. …The Sovereign stabbed its spear in the floor and bowed its head to the victor. Its right hand to its chest, it seemed to reach through its robe and pull out an orb of light. Link stared with wonder as the light seemed to float into his Sheikah Slate. Ayri came out, staring at herself curiously. Link watched as the A.I. flew into the tallest statue in the room. Its empty hole filled with light and came to life.
You got the Dominion Rune! Your slate can now inhabit the bodies of heartless statues! Just snap the statues with your Camera Rune to hack Ayri into them. Tap "Up" on the D-Pad to switch between controlling Link and the statues.
"Look, Master! Now I can be giant, too, haha! From now on, I'm going to help you out even more!"
"Hee hee hee!" Link grinned at his reliable friend and gave a thumbs-up. (Resume "Yggdrasil" theme!)
Ayri lined the tall statue against the edge of the door's platform. Link then instructed her to line up the other statues as stairs, allowing him to climb up and exit the room. The Valiant Sovereign remained in a bowing position. It seemed to be wishing the best intentions for Link.
The only problem was that he didn't have a key to the next room. However, Link remembered the statue in the escalating hallway, so he returned there. He made his way back to where the Frost Sovereigns were. Link could take command of that statue on the right, and when it walked out, not only was a chest revealed, but there was a ladder behind that statue. Link lined the statue up with the high door on the left. First, he opened the large chest and collected…
You got the Boss Key! Okay, fine, it's the Compass! I'll stop tricking you. This will mark the usual collectibles, plus the locations of statues.
Link then climbed the statue to the door, exiting to the center chamber. He was on a platform with a statue resembling a mechanical knight, its sword aimed down. The platform was encased in a barrier, but hitting a switch would deactivate it. Ayri took command of the statue, but there was nowhere to bring it… except down. Link told Ayri to walk off the edge. "Aaaaaaaahhhhhhh!" Link watched as she plummeted to the very bottom of the chamber. He glided down after her; fortunately, his friend was okay. Link remembered the four large switches under the stairs and had Ayri set the statue onto one. He probably had to bring others here.
But where was the key? Link looked at his map for any clues… and he realized, the first room! Link returned to the lobby chamber, remembering the statue behind the laser wall. Ayri possessed that statue and had it press a switch. The lasers deactivated. Link jumped to that platform, and from there could leap to a Sheikah Spot. That spot was on the inside of the temple's enormous door. Link could drop to a tiny ledge and climb around to the outside of the door, and the temple. He made it to a platform with a lone chest, and inside that chest was the key. "Wow, it was hidden outside the temple. Clever."
Link retraced his steps and made it back to the locked door. He opened and entered a room with two statues and some Technoblin, Bokoblin wielding electric swords, but he defeated them using parry attacks. The shorter statue had a Minish hole in the bottom, while the taller statue had a hole partway up, level with the top of the shorter statue. Link lined the statues up with a ledge on the left, making sure the taller one's Minish hole was aligned with the shorter's top. His miniscule form could climb up ladders inside the statues to reach their tops, with the taller one taking him to the ledge.
High above the opposite side from Link was a ledge with another statue. Ayri controlled it and bounced down some stairs along the front side of the room. Link saw the Sheikah Spot on the statue, and was now in range to leap to it. He walked up the stairs and found a door behind where the statue originated. He entered a room with several, cone-headed statues that had Spinner tracks on them. Sacrificial Sovereigns rolled around the statues and tried to explode on the hero, but he shot them before they could. Ayri controlled the statues and had them lined up in a way where their tracks connected. Link could ride the curving track up to the next ledge.
This ledge had another large knight statue, and Link could bring it through a wide exit to the central chamber. However, the walkway it led to was sealed behind a barrier, so they had to guide the statue past some Barrier Beamos. Link blinded the Beamos with Shadow Arrows, so the statue could get around them without being spotted. At the end of the path, the barrier was gone, so Ayri bounced off the edge and to the bottom of the room. She brought the statue onto the next large switch.
As for where to go next, back in the statue-tracks room, Link could glide to a stair passage on the opposite side. The stairs led up to a door, which brought Link outside, the fierce blizzard punishing his skin. Link trekked up a snowy hill and fought some White Wolfos that ambushed him. At the top of the hill, there was a ledge facing a large platform, but too far for Link to jump. He turned and noticed a large Eye Switch on the temple's side, and shooting it would make that wall turn and reveal a Giant Mask.
Link put his own mask on and became large enough to jump to the platform. He jumped another platform, then to a ledge along a cliff. A cyclops called Hinox stomped up to Link, equal size with the hero as they threw punches. Link jabbed his eye, socked his gut, then kicked the Hinox off its feet. Link jumped on its back until the demon would poof into darkness, and he shrank down to collect its dropped materials. The cliff led to a dead end, but Link looked below to see a platform. Across the chasm was a ledge with a giant statue. Ayri could possess the statue, feeling gigantic herself as she made it bounce down onto the platform. Link grew giant again, jumped the statue's top, then to the opposite ledge.
The ledge would bring Link to another entrance to the temple, in which he had to fit his bulbous fingers into the gap and pull the giant door open. It would only open partway, so Link shrank to enter. Link was in a wide hallway, where he could press a switch and unbar a door at the other end. However, his attempt to run to it was thwarted by Sacrificial Sovereigns that rolled out of the wall, and he couldn't dodge around them well enough to reach the door in time, and he suffered some explosions in the process. Link returned to hit the switch, but this time, he used the Melon Helmet to roll quickly across the room, swiftly dodging around the round robots and getting through the door in time.
Link was back in the center room. He could go up stairs on his right, but first, he found another sign. The denizens of Termina speak of a demon called Majora. Majora is a dangerous being that nearly destroyed the world. They say that Majora had close connections with this world's moon, but we've no way of reaching there currently. Majora had also attained a cult following with some people of this world, and they await the day when "Majora's reincarnation" returns.
Beyond that sign, Link saw another knight statue, set on a barrier path. Ayri possessed it and would have to guide the statue through the path. A crane was hovering above, moving in an ovular loop. Ayri would cross while it was on the upper part. The path curved right, and she would have to sneak around a rotating Beamos. Stairs led down, leading to one last boardwalk that would drop Ayri down to the bottom. She just had to avoid two cranes along the way, after which she took the plunge. The statue was set on the next large switch.
With that, Link headed up the stairs, finding a statue at the start of a walkway. Link could latch to a Sheikah Spot on the statue while Ayri guided it across. She had to avoid cranes that would take them back, but she could use the statue's axe to destroy the Frost Sovereigns trying to bother them. At the end of this path, the statue helped Link be in range of another target, which was beside a door. Link entered a narrower cylindrical room, where a Spinner track winded up around the wall, and was parallel to a double-track with a statue. Ayri had to roll that statue up its track and block lasers that were touching the Spinner track, staying alongside Link as they traveled up. She blocked each laser as they landed beside a door.
They were in a long, vast corridor, their platform set on a high point above a statue's head. The floor below was electrified, so Link had to ride the huge statue across the room. Ayri carried her master as instructed, while Link took down Sentrobes. He also blinded Beamos before they came too close in range. At the end of the passage, he could open a chest with a key. However, his map read there was another room along the left wall. Behind one of the Beamos, there was a Crystal Switch, and hitting it would deactivate the electric floor. Link dropped down to the floor, heading for a single door. Upon entering, as he predicted, it sealed with bars. (Pause song.)
There was a large statue that Ayri could possess, and a huge armored creature. Both of them were wearing football gear, and this room was as big as a football field. "Hmmmm…" The creature about-faced: it was a huge Darknut, wearing a football helmet instead of the usual. "HURYAAAH! HUT!" The beast readied his football strongly! (Play "Big Ed's March"!)
Sub-boss: Footnut
Ayri possessed the statue, her posture matching the Footnut's, trying to anticipate his move. It seemed he was trying to get around her and slam the football on her goal post, while Ayri had to run to his side and do the same. The Footnut charged her, but Ayri maintained a firm stance and grasped his football. She tore it away and threw it to the goal, but she had to make the touchdown directly. Unfortunately, the Footnut quickly ran to reclaim his ball. Ayri was still able to tackle him again, wrestling him to the ground and taking the ball. The A.I. performed the touchdown, causing the Footnut's armor to electrocute him.
They returned to the starting positions, but this time, Footnut would extend his arm to reclaim the ball if it was thrown. Ayri attempted the same strategy, but his new technique would make it fruitless. However, Ayri noticed a switch on the wall and threw the ball to that instead. It caused a Giant Mask to appear, allowing Link to grow to the size of the players. Link ran to Footnut's end of the field, holding his hands open. Ayri wrestled with the beast and took the ball away, throwing it to her master. She grabbed the Footnut immediately afterwards, giving Link enough time to do a touchdown! Footnut was electrocuted once more.
The three players resumed starting position. This time, Footnut backed up to his goal, both Ayri and Link creeping up to corner him. Not only did Footnut chuck the ball over their heads, but he spring-leapt over his foes to catch up to the ball and touchdown. Link and Ayri were electrocuted! They restarted again: this time, Ayri would follow the Footnut to his side, while Link defended their goal. When the Footnut threw the ball, Link grabbed it, but the Footnut would remain on his side, ready to intercept it!
With that, Ayri wrestled with the monster, giving Link a chance to bring it over. The Footnut shook her off and charged at Link, but the hero threw it to Ayri before grabbing the monster himself. Ayri was able to land the touchdown! Footnut was electrocuted for the last time, his body exploding into darkness as a spirit shaped like Araea's Mask flew out. His helmet flew to break open the wall behind his goal. Link and Ayri exchanged a giant high-five and chest bump! (Resume "Yggdrasil" theme.)
Link shrunk back down and entered the revealed room. The blue and yellow chest could only contain one thing:
You got the Boss Key! For real this time, I'm not going to trick you, anymore. …You wanna know who else is a liar in this story?
With the door unsealed, Link exited, then made his way to the start of the giant statue's hallway. A ladder brought him up to the exit's platform. However, he noticed a tiny Spinner track, fit for his Minish size. The small top grinded along the track, going into a tunnel, which brought him to the cylindrical spinner room. The tiny track led up to a higher platform, where Link resized and opened a locked door. Now back in the central chamber, Link was practically at the top… and yet, it seemed to go even higher, for there was an enormous ladder ascending to the outside. There was nothing on Link's ledge except for a sign.
The Sheikah Clan were very fascinated with our technology. As a matter of fact, they had learned to develop a technology of their own, using special materials harvested from the earth. An alliance was made between the Frosolites and Sheikah. Even Araea's spirit seemed to spend a lot of time with the Sheikah Chief. The Sheikah had invested in an ongoing project called "Project Hylia" for a great many years. With our aid, they believe they may yet be able to complete the project.
At this angle, Link could shoot an Eye Switch. He heard a very faint sound, but looked up at the colossal ladder: a door opened below the first bar, very tiny from this view, but Link could see the statue inside. He sent Ayri all the way up to possess that statue. He watched as she took the veeeeeerrrrrry long fall to the bottom. Regardless, she survived, and she set the statue on the final switch. This caused the "floor" itself to open: the switches were actually situated on a glass floor, while an enormous hatch opened beneath it, revealing a massive Giant Mask.
Link, his eyes narrowed with determination, put the mask on: he grew so big that he could reach up and firmly grab the bars of the giant ladder. He pulled himself up with immense strength, lifting himself to the outside of the temple. Link was given a tremendous view of the mountains as his colossal form stomped up a stairwell wide enough to support him. There were Frost and Mighty Sovereigns at his feet, but he crushed them like ants. The Sacrificial Sovereigns could barely cover his boots with soot as they exploded. Link just felt so mighty and invincible, and to think he was at the highest point in all of Termina. As the air grew colder and colder, he knew he was nearing Araea's altar.
Another Grand Guardian ambushed the hero at a break in the stairs, but he engaged it no differently than the other one. He brought it down and flattened its head. He then stomped up the rest of the stairs, arriving at a coliseum-sized structure. There were two Frostnuts guarding a door, so he squished them without mercy. Unfortunately, Link was now required to remove the mask, zapping back down to his comparatively puny normal size. He drank some milk he purchased from the store to refuel his stamina.
He was now fit to enter the Boss Door, the entrance to the coliseum. However, he noticed a broken wall and the sign hidden inside it. Ayri translated: To my future daughter: I'm probably committing a taboo by having you with a mortal. That's why I want no one outside your father or Evea to know who you really are. I want you to grow up happy and healthy. There are many things about us that you've yet to learn and many responsibilities, but first, I want you to enjoy your childhood. However, I sense a terrible fate befalling me, so I fear being unable to meet you in person. But mark my words, we will meet, somehow, someway. Until then, I crafted you a gift: a mask that I designed in my image. I have it hidden in my chamber, so please, take it and keep me close.
"Avis…" Link clutched the Boss Key passionately and took it to open the door. He entered the vast arena, where Araea's altar stood in the center. Before it was her daughter, Avis. (End song.)
"Well, Hero… it seems you know the secret to this temple now. As you can guess, the Frosolites weren't from this world. We were outsiders… the kind that denizens of this world feared. Perhaps that is what connected us to Majora… If he was connected to the 'moon,' then he is an outsider as well. That's why they hunted us down…"
"Avis, I don't understand some parts of your story. First off, that woman who saved you; the last Frosolite that was still alive. Isn't it weird that that one person survived long enough to tell you who you were? Heck, that she even KNEW who you were? And besides, your father wasn't a follower of Majora, was he?!"
"Those Sheikah who raised me… though they weren't wearing the garb, it's obvious they were Yiga, posing as normal Sheikah. And regardless of who that woman was, I now know my destiny. I'm destined to destroy this world… to destroy the people who killed us. And you, the 'Hero' who trampled over my mother's temple… I'll make you pay for your crimes."
"Fine, then I'll teach you the hard way." Link prepared himself. "I'll rip that mask off your face… and we'll find the truth together." (Play "Majora's Mask Battle" from Majora's Mask.)
Boss fight: Araea's Masked Daughter, AVIS
"Target locked: Avis. This is the last living Frosolite and the daughter of Winter Maiden Araea. With the powers she stole from the other Maidens, along with her ice-made Wind Waker, she can use all kinds of elemental powers. Said 'Ice Maker' is able to conduct mystical songs and use their special powers, including songs that help her jump through time. Her 'Mask Magic' will be able to force you into any of your transformations, but the Song of Healing should restore you. However, Avis will likely thwart your attempts to play the song, so it may be wise to render her movements before you do so."
Avis levitated off the ground, flying as she cast spells that conjured White Wolfos. Link slew the wolves as they tried to pounce him, but once through with that, he shot Fire Arrows at the princess. Avis swiftly evaded and waved her Ice Waker, blowing a fierce wind against the hero. Link shot Wind Arrows to stop the wind, but Avis would quickly bring it back. He repeatedly fired Wind Arrows to both intercept the wind, as well as blow Avis around. Link noticed the giant, rooted statues around the area and blew Avis toward one of them. He had Ayri possess the statue, reaching to grasp Avis in its large hands. As the princess struggled, Link conducted the Song of Healing, causing Avis to writhe in pain.
"That's not enough to stop me, anymore!" Avis froze the statue's hands and broke free, but was forced to the ground from mild weakness. Avis skied around and cast beams to freeze all the statues. She then skied toward Link, doing break-dance maneuvers to send ice blades along the ground, the boy promptly jumping. But Avis suddenly stopped, trapping Link in a dark, psychic grip. The Minish Cap was forced on his head, shrinking the hero. Afterwards, Avis willed snow to fall heavily, hoping the giant flakes would stab the little Minish.
Link tried to take off the cap, but it was glued on, and trying to do so resulted in some snowflakes pricking him. He ran frantically to dodge the flakes, but many were blocking his way. He decided to mount the Spinner, bouncing around the flakes and breaking them instantly. Link bounced his way toward Avis and rammed the Spinner against her icicle toenails. She gripped her toes in pain, but her distraction allowed Link to play the Song of Healing and restore his size. He dealt a forceful SLASH to Araea's Mask, Avis flying from the impact. He shot a Fire Arrow to unfreeze one of the statues, but Avis would stay away from it.
Avis stirred the clouds with her Ice Waker and struck lightning. As Link dodged the bolts, they melted the surrounding snow, revealing lightning spaces attached to generators. Link lured the lightning to strike a generator, powering one of the Giant Masks between the statues. Link grew gigantic and pursued the little princess, dodging further lightning strikes and duck-diving to snatch her. Link kept a firm grip and brought her to Ayri's statue, allowing his friend to take her. Link shrank to normal and played the Song of Healing, causing more pain to course through Avis. Regardless, she broke free of the statue and skied away from Link.
Avis erected a towering pillar of ice, a throne stationed at the top on which she sat. Large spikes stuck out of the pillar, decorated with Avis's eyes. As she cast more icicles down, Link realized that Avis's eyes resembled Sheikah Eyes: he could therefore leap up them as a Yiga, evading the icicles in the process. He stayed on the side that was behind the throne, so once he was up there, he slipped around the throne and grabbed her, leaping off the pillar and slamming Avis forcefully against the ground. Link played the song on the Shadow Keys, damaging Avis once more.
Avis conducted the Ballad of Gales, creating a snowy cyclone that uplifted her. She spun the cyclone around the arena, sweeping up giant snowballs that would hit Link, who tried to keep from blowing around himself. Link got Ayri to possess one of the statues, waiting for the cyclone to spin by as she grabbed hold of it. Link didn't understand the science of that, but with the cyclone rooted in place, he became a Rito to fly up its draft. Boulders were sucked into the wind, Link destroying them with Earth Arrows. Once he was at Avis, he grabbed hold of her mask in his talons, tugging as desperately as possible.
Avis escaped his grip, but the cyclone dispersed as she fell, leaving her to be grabbed by Ayri. Link played the song on Ko'an's harp, inducing the mask with more pain. Avis escaped again, vanishing in the cold. Link saw her reappear in a faded form, but then another, then more, all throwing ice shurikens at him. His Lens of Truth not only confirmed they were fake, but he saw the real one sneaking around. Link shot an arrow at her, but could not do more before she blew him back with wind.
Avis willed the clouds to stir, and Link could feel a shower of lightning about to come! However, Avis would bypass this by conducting the Song of Passing, causing her to skip forward in time. The only way to follow her would be to play the Sun's Song and skip forward as well. (Even if Link could survive the thunder shower, he would have to wait 12 hours before Avis returned.) Day or night didn't seem to matter in this dark blizzard, but Link skipped time regardless. The results of the lightning powered all the Giant Masks and left the ground mostly clear of snow.
But to Link's terror, a gigantic, icicle-nailed hand gripped the rim of the coliseum, followed by another, as a skeletal titan of ice clambered over the wall and crashed into the arena. Link donned the Giant's Mask and charged forward, meeting the titan's hands in his own. They wrestled furiously, but Ayri could see Link's hands slowly freezing. There's a chance they would break off just like the hands of the other statues.
Fearing for her master, Ayri possessed the last statue. With all the strength she could muster, she detached the statue from its root on the ground, using its hands to crawl toward Avis' titan. Ayri pounded the titan's feet, cracking them until they shattered. The titan sank and faltered, but she still focused power to freeze Link's arms. As Ayri's statue pounded the titan's back, breaking through its shell, Link's will grew stronger. Despite his arms succumbing to frostbite, his iron grip shattered the titan's hands. "AAAAAHHH!" The hero stretched his arms to the sides and SMASHED the titan's head in a powerful CLAP! Avis was trapped between his giant palms, gasping for breath.
When Link felt she had suffered enough, he loosened his grip and pinched the puny mask in his fingers. He popped it clear off, then chucked Avis away. Link returned to normal size, and with the mask flat on the ground, Link flipped into the air and STABBED it! (End song.)
"Huff…huff…huff…" Avis couldn't bring herself to stand after the fact, touching her bare face. "It can't be… like this… Did I really… lose?!"
Link carefully removed his sword from the mask. …A white light poked out of it. Link stared in wonder as a small orb of light flew from the mask… and entered his Sheikah Slate.
Ayri exited the statue and started glitching. "M-Master. A-A new… setting… has been added… to the Sheikah Slate…"
The slate glowed for a minute, but when it faded, it entered the Personality Menu. A new option and icon was added for it: it was labeled 'Araea.'
"A…A…Araea?"
With nothing left to do, and curiosity becoming him, Link clicked the icon. …He watched as Ayri's digital form began to morph. (Play "Zelda's Awakening" from Wind Waker.)
A beautiful, sparkly light encased Ayri. Those sparkles evolved into a blinding flash the color of snow. Soft, fluffy flurries flew all around, Link and Avis both shielding their selves. It was a burst of light that brought warmth and life to this dark, frigid mountain.
And then the light faded. Ayri looked… positively beautiful. Her body, once sparkly like pixels, now sparkled like ice. She wore a wide, fluffy dress with a snowflake design on the front banner, icicle spikes on her ears, long snowy hair, and dark-blue points around her snowflake eyes.
"M…Master… I mean… Link." Her voice changed from that of a machine to a more clear, concise form. "New data has been restored to my memory banks. I…I am… Araea…"
". . . . . . . Wat." Link replied with the most derpy expression.
"…" The maiden turned to Avis. She slowly approached her, her holographic feet making no sound. 'Araea' knelt over Avis, who could only gaze at her with longing, wondering eyes. "…!" Araea slapped the girl. "You idiot! What were you thinking, putting on that terrible mask?! I wanted you to grow up happily, not ruin life for all of Termina!"
"B-But…bu-but…" Avis was almost tempted to say 'but Mom,' even though she never once had the chance to say that. "The mask… Your message said the mask was for me…"
"…" Her eyes narrowed, Araea walked over to her altar. With a wave of her hand, the altar slid open. Araea bent down and collected something from the hole. "This. This is the mask I had crafted for you." Araea approached Avis, holding a mask that, indeed, resembled the maiden's likeness. Avis took it, staring curiously.
Avis got Araea's Mask! This mask is a precious gift from mother to daughter!
"…But…" Link looked to the fallen, dark mask. "If that's Araea's Mask… then what's that one?"
"…That mask… was used to trap me." Araea said. "It was a curse… sent by Majora."