Light faintly returned to Link's eyes. It took a moment to process it, but he vaguely recognized the ceiling of Purah's lab. He lay on a bed, covered in bandages, and when he looked to his left, Purah was standing over him (on a stepladder), as was Araea.
"Link, you awful naughty boy. You've been showing me this Sheikah Slate the whole time and you never told me that it contained the Winter Maiden's essence."
"W…what… happened…"
"You were knocked unconscious after Lyara's attack." Araea replied. "Avis was hurt, too. She's over there." She directed to the other bed.
"L…Lyara…" Link gasped, "Where is she?!"
"The other Maidens chased after her, but I'm still bound to the slate. However, I was able to divide my power once more. A Snow Clone of me is helping them search for Lyara. In fact, your Arrow Rune was upgraded."
Link pulled out the slate and viewed it.
You got the Ice Arrow! This arrow can cool hot weather and freeze platforms on water or lava!
The lab entrance was kicked open. "LIIIIINK!" The Bombers raced in.
"HEY, don't just break in shouting, you're disturbing the patient!" Purah yelled.
"Link, are you okay?!" Evan yelled. "Madim was spying on the lab, she came and told us! We couldn't understand her, but her body language implied… Who's this dame?"
"I'm Araea, the Winter Maiden."
"WAAAAAAAAAAHHHH?!" the kids cried in extreme surprise.
"Look, let me fill you guys in." Link began to explain.
"So… the real bad guy was the Spring Maiden…" Gork went over the facts. "Your Sheikah Slate was the Winter Maiden… and that girl is…" They turned toward the lying Avis.
"Th-That's the masked girl that's been terrorizing everyone?!" Evan exclaimed.
"But she was only being controlled by the mask, right?" Purah asked. "Just like Araea was?"
"N…No." Avis replied. "The mask did guide me, but… all of what I did were my decisions. I thought the outside world killed my people out of fear and hatred, so I…I wanted revenge."
"You're the one that froze the ocean!" Sipha yelled. "You cursed Madim's father and created that terrible blizzard!"
"Evan risked his life to protect me from your awful storm!" Meen shouted. "He could've died!"
"Sigh…sorry…" Avis said.
"Sorry?! Is that all you have to say for yourself?!"
"Meen, I'm not sure if she can hear you from this far…" Gork replied.
"Ghhhh!" Meen jumped off Evan's shoulder and scampered up to the bed, climbing on top, then climbing Avis' dress to reach her shoulder. "Hey! Can you hear me now?!"
"Oh, I didn't notice you."
"How can you just act like that after all the terrible things you did?!"
"Look, I really am sorry, okay? I wouldn't have done all those things if I knew I was being tricked. But I don't feel bad enough to beg forgiveness. Honestly… I don't know you all. And after what happened to my people… the things I've been doing to the world just felt small."
"Grrrrr! Well, they certainly weren't small to me! Or everyone else!"
"It's true that she wronged a lot of people…" Link said, "but to my knowledge, she only killed two people: Vito and Kigo. And Ko'an was killed by the Murdo, even if they were freed thanks to her…"
"You're not trying to defend her, are you?"
"Of course not, she hurt a lot of people. But I think that… Considering she witnessed the genocide of her own race, I just feel like things could've been a lot worse. I feel like… she was being more merciful in her own way."
"Being more merciful?" Madim questioned. "I…I don't understand… What she was doing to the Twili was almost like genocide, so how…"
"Look, no one's asking you to forgive her. But people are complicated. When they've been through certain experiences, they start to look at other experiences with less value. Problems that people are really concerned or angry about might not be a big deal to other people, for one reason or another. So, even if you punish Avis for her crimes, she won't automatically feel bad about them. Especially if she really doesn't know you…"
"Her caretakers failed to tell her of her origins, and 'Majora' was able to easily manipulate her." Araea said. "Too many things happened all at once, so she's not going to change right away. Give her time to think and decide what she wants to do."
"Well, I feel for her." Evan said, approaching Avis with a cool smirk. "And lookin' back… I guess it wasn't a big deal." He turned to his team and said, "Hey, fellas. How about we let her join the crew?"
All at once, it felt like Gork, Sipha, Nighlo, Madim, and Meen were punched with invisible fists. A bizarre silence fell over the room.
". . . . . . YOU'RE LETTING HER JOIN THAT EASILY?!?!?!"
"You guys sound excited. Alright, looks like you're in." He turned to Avis.
"W-WAIT!" Meen yelled, flustered as her anger turned the frost at her feet into steam. "I don't want this witch in the team, she's so cold and heartless!"
"But look at you standin' on her, Meen. You never climb onto people unless you like them."
Meen bounced with a big blush. "N-No! I just wanted to see how disgusting she was up close! Her skin is as cold as her soul and her long nails are ugly like her heart!"
There was a distant rumbling sound. Everyone silenced and looked confused. "What was that?" Purah asked.
"I'm getting up…" Link forced himself out of bed. He saw his clothes on the nearby table and went to put them on.
"You sure you're okay to move?" Sipha asked.
"I'm fine." Link smirked assuringly, strapping his new sword to his back. "My body is too used to stuff like this."
"I can feel his health and stamina almost fully restored." Araea confirmed. "Even with that Heart Container we gave you, you have quite the resilient body, Link."
"Hah hah~"
The group headed outside, searching around. The frozen sea around them appeared to be melting. "…L-Look up there!" Evan pointed in panic.
In the bright noon sky, the full moon was clear and beautiful. …A dark aura began to brim around the moon. "This is…This is what Majora did in the ancient stories." Purah observed. "Majora… nearly caused the moon to crash and destroy Termina."
"The moon is… going to fall?" Sipha asked. "H-How long do we have?"
"In the story, the Giants were what stopped the moon from falling, right?" Gork asked. "So, are the Giants going to come again?"
"Wait… there's something else we can do." Araea said. "Impezzio, Avis's father told me about it. The Sheikah Clan created four gigantic entities out of their technology, after Majora's first attack. They're the-"
"DIVINE BEASTS!!" Purah suddenly outbursted like an ecstatic fangirl. "Constructed by brilliant Sheikah minds in case something like that would ever happen again! They said that they didn't want to rely on the gods forever, so they were created in case the moon were ever to fall again."
"The only problem is we have to find them and activate them."
"Well, where are they?" Link asked.
"The Beasts were designed like sea animals and therefore swim in the deep ocean." Purah answered. "Luckily, I know exactly where they are. Link, show me your map." Link did so as Purah marked four areas of the sea, with one being on the White Sea. "Their names are Vah Dekodan, Vah Dargora, Vah Mikos, and Vah Keetoo. Problem is, these Beasts have to be manually operated."
"With that said, I think we're in luck." Araea smiled.
"How?"
"Vah Dargora is designed to be operated by a Goron, Mikos by a Zora, and Keetoo by a Sheikah. We have nearly all the requirements, but… Dekodan is meant to be operated by a Deku. Even if we could find one, convincing them to help us so suddenly is another story."
"Why do we need a Deku?" Evan asked.
"Impezzio told me the mechanism was built to resemble Deku Pipes, which means you'd need the mouth of a Deku."
"The Mask Shop guy has a Deku Mask. He said its mouth can do what a Deku mouth can do."
"I'm not gonna ask what he means by that or how he knows…" Link cringed.
"Well, it's clear what we gotta do, Bombers." Evan knew. "We gotta be the ones to power these beasties!"
"Are you sure? Maybe finding some adults would-"
"That'll take too long! Link, you've been doubting my team ever since you got here, it's time to show you what we can do!"
"Yeah!" Sipha cheered. "We'll power the Divine Beasts! We're going to save the world!"
"This is a little sudden, but… I'll do what I can!" Gork declared.
"Ugh, I can't believe you're roping me in with you brats." Purah complained. "But how could I possibly resist the chance to power one of the legendary Divine Beasts?! Check me in, yo!"
"And as for the Deku Mask… I'll use it myself." Evan decided.
"What?! Evan, why?!" Meen asked.
"Because I'm the only other one who can. Nighlo might not stay awake, Madim is sick most of the time, Link's got other things to do, and… you're too small to wear it."
The tiny Minish fumed in anger. "I'm coming with you, anyway! Me and my Pikmin will protect you from any monsters that might attack!"
"So be it. Then Madim, I want you to protect Sipha, Nighlo will protect Old Bat… and Avis, you be Gork's guard."
"Y-You're pairing her with me?!"
"You still dissin' me?!" Purah remarked.
"Avis is a teammate now. Rely on her, Gork, that's an order."
"Gorrr… aye, Captain."
"Mmmmhh…" Avis mumbled.
Link smiled from their determination. "You know… you guys are an impressive team."
Araea smiled as well. "Oh, and Link? …Even though you know who I am, don't be afraid to use my customization, if you want. I'll still retain my memories."
"Ah, that's good. To be honest, I always thought of you like my little sister, but now you look like my captain."
Araea sparked and glitched in embarrassment. "Well, if that's so shameful…"
"Ha ha! Alright, let's get on the boat!"
The crew climbed down to the Ancient Lion. They first drove to town so Evan could run to the Mask Shop and buy the Deku Mask. Once he returned, they set sail. …The group could feel their selves sweating from immense heat. "Man, that cold went away fast." Link said.
"It looks like Lyara is going crazy with their new power." Araea observed. "The weather is rampantly changing. Link, you'll have to make use of all your arrows if we're to make it. I know you just woke up, but you're the only one we can rely on."
"He ain't gonna be the only one for long." Evan reminded. "We're in this together!" (Play "Homecoming Hijinx" from Tropical Freeze!)
Stage 13: The Tempered Sea
Mission: Awaken the Divine Beasts.
Link sailed toward the first marked location, somewhere north of Avian Highlands. The ocean was boiling under the intense sunlight, the steam nearly drying their throats. Link launched Ice Arrows into the sea to cool it down; Avis was heavily succumbing to the heat, so Link shot her with Ice Arrows to reinvigorate her. "WATCH OUT, LINK!" Evan cried—the hero looked up in panic when rays of sunlight fell from the sky! The sun pierced various parts of the ocean, so Link forcefully steered the ship around them. However, even though he could manage this, comets seemed to fall from the sun and explode, transforming into Angry Suns!
The living suns grit their teeth in anger, eyes narrowed as they swooped down at the ship. Link shot successive Ice Arrows to destroy them—an Angry Sun tried to surprise them from behind, but it was destroyed by an ice blast from Avis. "I knew my instinct was right!" Evan boasted. They heard the hissing of a dragon and saw a snake dragon in the sky ahead; it was actually an Angry Sun carrying a line of sun balls. The Sun Snake flew toward them and launched its balls one at a time, Link dodging the boat. Once all were sent, the sun launched with the speed of a comet, but Link shot it down in time.
They arrived at the approximate location for Vah Mikos. Link put on the Mask Enguarde and dove into the sea alongside Sipha. The two searched intently for anything that resembled a Divine Beast. They swam deeper still into the sea-
8888888(((((((
A gargantuan mass swum directly behind them. Link inhaled a glob of water upon seeing it: it was a whale, with blue glowing lines crossing its body. The whale seemed to be composed of a light-brownish, stone-like texture. "Link, scans read that this is Vah Mikos. This Divine Beast channels immense power into its blowhole. It is named for Mikau, a legendary hero of the Zora. It seems that we can enter the beast via the blowhole." With that in mind, Link and Sipha swam to the top of the creation and toward the blowhole. Bombfish were sent out, but Sipha drew a spear and jabbed at them from afar to explode them. The duo entered Vah Mikos, swimming through a tunnel. They followed an alternate passage until they were able to surface.
The two hurried down some stairs, but came to a river ending at a high ledge. Link froze that river with his new arrow. Sipha climbed on his shoulder to get onto that ledge, then she held her spear down to help Link up. In the next room, three Chu Worms jumped at them in large bubbles. Sipha stabbed her spear through a bubble to stab one, while Link froze the other two's bubbles, followed by fire to finish the creatures. "Look at this contraption, Link." Sipha acknowledged the large water wheel dipped in a pool.
"This appears to be Mikos' power generator. It seems you are meant to swim around this pool to spin the water wheel, thereby enabling Mikos to harness its energy. When you've activated it, it will swim to the surface and sense for impending danger, such as the threat of the moon. You will have to recharge it every 10 minutes." 'Ayri' explained.
"And only a Zora could swim so fast. Leave this to me!" Sipha declared as she dove in the pool. She swam in rapid circles as the water wheel spun. Lights came on and power generators began to ignite. While this happened, Link had to defend Sipha from a horde of Chu Worms jumping in. The generators grew brighter, and they could feel Vah Mikos rising to the surface.
The Bombers gaped, seeing the colossal, mechanical whale rise from the sea like a miniature island. Sensing the impending danger of the moon, it seemed to cast a beam from its blowhole. "There, I think it's working for now!" Link said. "I'll send Madim in soon!"
"Great! I'll just hold back the rest of these monsters!" Sipha said, jumping out of the pool.
Link hurried out of the beast and returned to the ship, telling Madim to fly inside next. With that, they made sail to the next destination in the southeastern sea. It began to rain very heavily, but it was nothing too unbearable, until the raindrops became gigantic. Link put his steering to the test once more, dodging the boulders of water. Once past this zone, random parts of the sea began to sink into maelstroms. Link had to tightly turn the helm away from the whirlpools to stay out of them. Seahats flew along the surface, stirring their own whirlpools with them, so Link shot them before they could get too close.
They were in the vicinity of the next beast. In fact, they could already see it: there was a small, oddly-shaped island that resembled the upper head of a frog, made of the same material as Mikos. "That is Vah Dekodan, its design resembling a frog. In place of a tongue, it has a turret designed to unleash a beam at imposing threats. It appears to be stationed on an underwater body of flora, from which it harnesses power. As one can see, it is named for the Deku tribe."
"Don't Deku have names?" Link asked.
"Unable to provide answer."
Link parked the boat beside the back slope of the head. He and Evan climbed up and found a Spinner slot atop the head. When Link spun in the slot, the frog's eyes opened up, so Evan climbed inside one. "Huh?" Link saw a bunch of tiny things with legs fly into the other eye, and Meen was hanging onto one. "Meen?"
"Look, Link! My Pikmin braved the storm and answered my call! I'll go in and protect Evan! Hurry and find the other ones!"
Once they were all inside the eyes, Link stepped off the Spinner as they sealed. Inside the machine, Evan discovered a pipe mechanism, connected to a single mouthpiece. Evan donned the Deku Mask and put its mouth to it. He began blowing into the pipes, the mask helping to enhance his breath for the task. Outside, the crew watched as Dekodan's head faced up at the moon, opened its mouth, and shot a laser out as though it were a tongue.
The crew sailed toward the western sea, south of Twilight Isles. …The sky seemed to turn purple as a gigantic illusion of "Majora" appeared, wearing their mask. "What are you doing with these… things, Link? Think they're enough to stop me? Hah. And you've no one to rely on but these meddlesome children? They'll die to my minions, Hero. And Termina will know that their deaths were YOUR fault."
'Majora' turned and pulled off the mask, exposing their manic smile. "Not that there's gonna be a Termina anyway, HA HA ha ha! But hey, maybe I'll spare you from the destruction, just to show you how epically you failed! And don't think it's gonna be just Termina! I'm gonna freeze and burn every damn ocean in fresh, juicy despair!" They twirled again, placing the Kokiri Mask on as they became Lyara. "I wonder which ocean you hail from, Link? I wonder how many good things you did for good people? I bet lots of people love you~. I hope I get to meet them all someday~"
"That monster…" Link hissed… "But are they… really Majora?"
The frigid snows overwhelmed them again, and Link launched Fire Arrows at gigantic mounds of hail. Waves would rise up without warning and become icebergs that Link tightly steered around. Gigantic Freezards emerged and blew beams of ice from different directions: Link shot the ones to the left while Avis blocked the beams from the right with her own power. Past this section, tall, skeletal beings of ice called Chilfos skied along the sea, using ice-made hockey pucks to hit Mini-Freezards in their direction. Link had the ship jump some of the pucks and he tried to shoot the Chilfos, but the ship took a few hits from the many obstacles.
"Wait, I kinda recognize this area." Gork said. "This is where the Seaprism Mine is. A lot of Gorons work down there."
"Explains why Vah Dargora is here." Purah replied. "Speaking of, how do you plan to get down there, Gork?"
"Time to see if a Goron fits in a bottle." Link said, holding up the Minish Cap and bottle.
"This is embarrassing…" Gork drooped.
With the Goro-Minish bottled, Link dove into the sea, using the Fire Arrow to keep warm in the chilling waters. He swam bravely into the darkness until he could see faint, spotted blue glows. These glows were set on a rounded mass, and the patterns resembled the shell of a turtle. "Master—I mean, Link, this appears to be the shell of Vah Dargora. This beast creates spinning plates of energy from its shell to launch at dangerous threats, and it draws in chi from the earth itself to use power. Be wary of its security turrets."
Some of the plates rose up, revealing laser turrets that tried to shoot the hero. However, one of them had no turret and was hollow; the Dominion Rune was able to possess that one. Ayri unscrewed it until it came out of the shell, exposing an opening. Link swam inside, finding a place to resurface and climb out. He freed Gork as he resized, but the corridor would bring them to a spike pit, a ramp at the edge of the floor. Link noticed the floor was wet, so he froze it into ice. Gork crouched and rolled against the frozen floor; the ice was able to halt his movement and let him build enough speed to launch up the ramp and land on the other side. Gork hit a switch for Link to come over.
Topmen spun out of the walls, but Link bounced around them with the Spinner to flip them over, slashing their weak spots afterward. The path ended at a high ledge, in which Gork curled up and Link climbed atop him. Gork sprung up and shot Link onto the ledge. The hero could hit a switch to open up a ladder, allowing Gork to climb. They arrived at the generator room, where five Snapper turtles were gathered. "Dac-quack." The turtles called before curling in their shells and spinning toward the intruders. The duo dodged as Gork performed a Goron Pound to flip the turtles over, leaving Link to finish them.
The generator they found was a treadmill, and it became clear what Gork had to do. "Time to get in my exercise for the year!" Gork curled and began rolling onto the treadmill, which began moving under his speed. Energy coursed through the Divine Beast. The "fins" of the sea turtle stretched free as it rose to the surface. Upon sensing the danger that was the moon, the shell's plates spun, sending energy discs up to the moon.
Link returned to the ship. "Avis, you can get in through that opening."
"Okay…" Avis formed an ice staircase and walked up onto the shell, jumping inside.
"You really sure we can trust her, boy?" Purah asked.
"She'll do fine, I'm sure of it. Let's just hurry to the last beast."
The crew sailed for Windmill Cove. Along the way, lightning struck the sea, so Link shot Wind Arrows at the sky to split the clouds. But even from afar, the lightning struck the sea and sent electric currents at the ship. Link became a Yiga and shot Shadow Arrows to intercept the currents; they were somehow enough to stop them. The sky turned dark as "Majora's" illusion appeared once more, twirling as they wore a horn mask.
"Over mountains, through the rain, over wind and sea! Here comes the hero, the Hero of Time, what were the words again? Ah who cares, hahahaha!" With one more twirl, they switched to a mask resembling the Ikana Mirror Shield, speaking in their calmer voice. "But I will say, you're a lot more interesting than when we first met. Back then, you used to be an emotionless mute, turning dead people into masks with that heartless expression of yours. With the way you are now, it'll be a lot easier to taste your despair!"
Once at Windmill Cove, Link quickly reactivated the windmills. Purah and Nighlo screamed as the cyclone uplifted them all to the White Sea. They sailed to the ocean that was southeast of the Snowcap Wastes—the sky was a fiery red as meteors rained upon them! Link shot Earth Arrows to destroy them, but some of them would drop Fire Bubbles onto the deck. Nighlo spun to knock the skulls off the deck with Wing Whacks.
As they were nearing the next beast, the sea seemed to turn gray in this zone. "Wait, I know this area." Purah said. "This should be directly over Thunder Island, an island that's always shooting lightning into the sky. …Wait, of course! The electricity naturally courses underneath that island, and Vah Keetoo must suck it all the way up from its place in the sky!"
"I think we're directly over it right now!" Link shouted, noticing the glows of the beast underneath the gray clouds. Based on the shape of its silhouette, it appeared to be a giant manta. "Eyah! I hope it's not the same monster from the Evening Temple!"
"Just blow the clouds apart with your arrow, dummy!" Purah ordered. Link did so and blew apart the clouds with a Wind Arrow. The boat landed on the back of the manta, which certainly appeared flatter than the other beasts. They raced up to the front, seeing what looked like a terminal.
"Scans read this as Vah Keetoo, named for a legendary giant warrior known as Keeta. As Purah had deduced, Keetoo is powered by electrical chi, and it seems the island below is an excellent source for it. The manta's antennae can send powerful electric beams at threats it detects, but only a Sheikah scientist is capable of operating its terminal controls to direct the electricity through its veins."
"And thus, my time has truly come at last." Once at the holographic terminal, Purah began mashing the keyboard with a maniacal grin. "Link, I expect nothing shy of your full respect and admiration. Same goes with you, Nighlo, and the rest of your bratty friends!"
The young scientist was a natural at the controls, the antennae sparking to life. They were drawn toward the dark moon, so sensing the threat, twin beams of lightning blasted skyward. Now, all four powers of the Divine Beasts were working to keep the moon in the heavens. (End song.)
"Link, I can feel the power eclipsing the moon weakening." Araea said. "Though it was a hasty decision, the Divine Beasts are working. Still, I don't know how long these kids will be able to hold on. But if the Maidens can hold Lyara off enough, their hold over the moon may weaken."
"Yeah… but as much as I hesitate to ask, why didn't they take the sword with them?"
"Right now, your slate contains the essence of us Four Maidens, including 'Lyara.' The sword resonates with you the best, therefore. And in general, sacred swords like these are stronger in the hands of mortals."
"Then we need to get up there. …Is there a way up to the moon from your temple or something?"
"No. Our temple lost all capability of flight when it crashed on this planet. Dr. Purah, I don't suppose you know a way up to the moon?"
"Hmm…" Purah rubbed her chin in thought. "A way to fly up to the moon… To tell ya the truth… I can only think of one thing. In fact, Araea… you may know what it is, since you were involved with a Sheikah."
"It…You couldn't mean…" Araea began with surprise.
"Link, there's something I've been meaning to ask you for a while, but with everything that's been happening, I've never been able to. But… where did you say you were from again?"
"Um…I'm from Outset Island. It's a small island out on the Windy Sea."
"I see. …Does the name 'Hyrule' mean anything to you?"
"H-Hyrule? That's the name of the lost kingdom under the sea."
"So, you do know of it. …Link, originally, the Sheikah Tribe were not native to Termina. The Sheikah 'migrated' to Termina a couple thousand years ago, through use of a strange portal they discovered. They fled to this world in order to escape the Great Flood that threatened to claim the kingdom."
"To escape the flood? 'This world'? …Are you saying this is a separate world from my homeland?"
"So it would seem. But we Sheikah treasured the ancient documents dearly, including the description of the hero garbed in green. The fact that you've arrived here means the time has really come."
"The time for what?"
"Project Hylia." Araea spoke knowingly. "You're saying it's ready… aren't you?"
"We knew that, as a result of the flood, the Hyruleans would need a new land to call home." Purah continued. "So, for those millennia, along with the Divine Beasts, they've been constructing a ship. A ship designed to breach the dimensional barrier and return to the remnants of the lost kingdom. With that ship, they would ferry the Hyruleans to a new land to call home. The name of that ship is Santa Hylia."
"But how can a ship take us to the moon?"
"Don't you know anything about Sheikah Technology, boy?! It's not a ship for sailing the sea, it's a flying ship! And it doesn't just fly to the sky, it flies to the stars! Imagine all the billions of different islands you could find in the vastness of space! All those stars that glitter your sky are all islands just begging to be researched…"
"That's…" Link's pupils shrank from the sheer magnitude of the idea. "There's really a ship that can do that?!"
"This is a top secret we Sheikah have kept from the people of Termina for ages. Everyone… except the Frosolites, because they hail from one of these stars themselves. Only recently have the Sheikah begun putting the finishing touches on Hylia. It may be our only way to the moon."
"How do I find it?"
"Return to Clockwork Island and go into the central clock tower. With a keen eye, you'll find the way to go." Purah winked. "Now, hurry and get goin'!"
Link nodded seriously. With Araea beside him, he clicked Clockwork on his map and was transported via the island's Sheikah Warp.
Clockwork Island
Link went to have Koko cook food for him, replenishing his stamina; he also felt the need to save some food for his friends. "Hey, Koko… you wouldn't know anything about 'Project Hylia,' would you?"
"Huh? No, Koko has never heard of that."
"I see…" Link remembered that her teacher, Kokiel left to go do something, so he put the pieces together. Since Koko was a child, perhaps she was too young to be involved.
"Hmhmhmhm. This is quite a dramatic turn of events, isn't it?"
Link turned and faced up at the Mask Man, his grin ever emotional, but creepy. "Mask Man, it's Majora! That mask belonged to Majora all along!"
"Now, now… although the masks are similar, I am positive that is not Majora's Mask. But to call their selves Majora… is there truth to their words? Or lies?"
"What do you mean?"
"Isn't it amazing what mortals are capable of?" The Mask Man changed topics, facing up at the moon. Link did so as well: the power of the Divine Beasts were working in unison. "The power that is denying the cruel fate is not the aid of gods, but the passion of mortals. You are a blessed boy to have found such reliable comrades."
"…" Thinking back on it, Link smiled. There were a couple times he had to rely on people, such as Medli, Makar, or Gongoron, but he was so used to doing most of the fighting that he somewhat doubted the potential that others possessed. He was afraid of letting them get hurt. But in truth, there really were some people who were just as courageous, maybe even strong as he was. "Yeah… they really are a great crew."
Vah Dargora
Gork sat to rest after fully charging the beast. Now he need only wait for the recharge. "…?" When he looked over at Avis, she seemed to be wearing a mask. "Hey… what's that mask?"
"Hm? Um, my mom made it. …It's Araea's Mask. The… real one…"
"It's a lot prettier."
"You would think that…"
"…goro…"
There was a calm silence as Avis casually walked around the room. "…To be honest, you don't really seem that bad." Gork said. "I mean, you did a lot of bad things, but… well, me and my friends are still alive, so I guess I don't have anything against you. Plus, you speak our language." He smiled awkwardly. "I like Madim and all, but it's so hard to talk to her when we… you know, don't speak the same language. …Did you have any friends back home?"
"A few. …Not anymore."
"Yeah, I know. …But I hope you like it in our crew. Evan's the kind of guy that'll accept anybody."
"Yeah, he's an odd one, alright. Him and Link…"
"I guess so-goro!"
The Moon
"Oh, Hero… how can you resort to relying on these children?" 'Majora' asked. "Go ahead and let them try. There's only so much they can do against my underlings…"
A squad of Yiga ships were sailing toward Dargora, with Master Kohga posed proudly on the keel of the flagship. …He bonked the side of his head to knock seawater out of his ears.
A group of jungle ships were nearing Vah Dekodan, and leading them was a tall, mighty jungle warrior in a tribal mask. "Odolwa~ …Odolwa~" It sang and performed a dance.
The Murdo were flying to Vah Keetoo in the sky, led by the Mur Don.
And finally, a robed figure was skipping across the sea en route to Vah Mikos: the spirit of the Garo Master.