Legend of Zelda- Majora's Mask- Part 6

He finally tore his eyes away from the seal and glanced up. There were no torches in sight, which surprised him. It sure added to the uneasiness he currently felt. The air itself seemed sick and heavy, and there were thick clouds of dust particles. The stench from the poison was even stronger yet, and combined with musty scent surrounding him, Link was quite overwhelmed.

Suddenly a faint ‘whooping’ of something calling out from far away echoed throughout the chamber, causing Tatl to startle and duck behind Link for protection. Then it was calm, the only clear sound being water droplets splashing.

Needless to say, the entire atmosphere of the temple was quite sinister. Link was reminded of the Forest Temple back the in Kokiri Woods, and somewhat a little bit of the Shadow Temple. He had to help heal this place and cleanse all the water.

Link softly smiled at his twinkling companion, she being his only source of light at the moment. “Well, what are we waiting for?” And he took another step further into ominous darkness.

---

Part 6 The Giant

The boy and fairy ventured around in the dark, musty stone tunnels and caverns for quite a while. Smoking torches occasionally greeted them with a warm flame, casting shadows that danced on the cracking rock walls. A few brown moths circled the fires, drawn towards the light. Otherwise it was a rather gloomy labyrinth of twisting corridors, and with each room they passed through it seemed as though Link would step further and further into the darkness. Some caverns had more poisonous water that just the smell of would make the two feel nauseous, and more often than not Link would run into hostile creatures he’d have to kill. The boy would also have to turn back into a Deku Scrub to reach certain ledges or chambers.

Every so often they would hear that same high pitched yodelling from before. Its shrill cry echoed through the temple, thoroughly creeping Tatl out.

Still the duo pressed on, Link determined to not let his unease stop him from getting to the heart of the temple. He would occasionally glance up at the fairy to check if she was doing okay. Her body gave off a soft glow causing her to stand out from the dim corners.

Yet another bat flew in front of Tatl, making her spin and drop some sparkles. She let out a little screech and, after composing herself, glared at Link. “Do we even know where we're going? We have no map and we are just wandering aimlessly through room after room! This is a maze and admit it, we're lost!”

The boy reached out a hand to feel the wall to navigate through the chamber they were currently in. Thick soggy moss covered the whole expanse of the wall and his fingers sunk into it. There were no torches around and he could hardly see a thing in front of him. One would think his eyes should have adjusted to the black by now but it was as if the air kept getting darker and darker.

“Well how else do you get through a maze? You have to walk around in it,” the boy answered simply. A water droplet fell from the damp ceiling, and it was so quiet he could hear the ’plop’ from when it landed in a puddle. “It’s okay Tatl, we will make it through this temple, trust me.”

The fairy glanced at Link, unconvinced. “I just don’t like this place, not one bit!”

“Oh you're so boring,” Link teased. “This is an adventure! Wow, Navi never questioned me this much.”

Tatl huffed, “Well I’m not this “Navi” you keep mentioning; and I prefer not to be led into the jaws of death, or the black abyss in this case!” She only got a chuckle in reply.

Link suddenly hissed in pain as he felt a multiple sharp pricks on his ankle. He looked down to find a black shadowy ball with bright orange eyes. He groaned in annoyance before kicking it off and unceremoniously stomping on it. There. Black fluff no more.

After several more minutes of walking and a couple more rooms and hallways to venture through, the pair reached a large door that looked quite important. There were two stone slabs covered in moss and grime. The rock was cracked in certain places, but it was surprisingly dry. No puddles formed around the area and water did not drip down from the ceiling. Creeping vines bordered the door, wrapped around any purchase they could cling to. Two lit tiki torches stood on either side of the stone, and dozens of moths swarmed around the loudly crackling flames licking at the darkness.

Link could tell that the door had not been opened for quite a while. But even with the aged stone, he was able to make out a carving of a giant faded red hibiscus flower. And the same weird creature with long arms and legs from the door back at the entrance of the waterfall was etched above it.

“I feel like this is the end of the temple. We’ll figure out this whole mess, then we can get out of here.”

“Finally!” Tatl cried in relief. “Well what are we waiting for? Let’s get out of this stupid cave!” She bounced forward with a twinkle.

The hero took a deep breath and reached out to the ancient door. He had barely touched the grimy stone when it shook and opened smoothly as if by magic. With a faint rumble, the two slabs slid apart, grinding against the rock. Dirt crumbled down from above, disturbed by the sudden movement of the door. Link stepped right through, the golden triangle on his left hand giving off a soft glow.

They entered what appeared to be a circular chamber. There were no light sources anywhere, but Link was able to still see around in the dark room. He could feel the evil magic; it prodded and clawed at him but he managed to shake it off. The marking on his hand continued to shine even brighter. Tatl, who was also uneasy from the room, shuttered and hovered a bit closer to her companion than usual.

The green-clothed boy took a few slow steps forward, carefully observing all around the room. He could faintly hear a deep, steady drumbeat sounding far off, but couldn’t spot any source of it. Above him no ceiling was visible, just twisting branches that writhed up into a vast fog of black that appeared to go on forever. Vines and moss also creeped along the old stone walls, reaching into every crack. On the far wall was painted a yellow and brown moth Link had to squint to make out clearly. In the center of the chamber was a large deku flower and circular patterns were engraved on the floor that spread out in layers. It was obvious the room had been painted bright colors at one time but age had worn out the hues, leaving the faded colors of various triangles, patterns, and jewels.

Tatl said nothing; she was speechless and scared. Link didn’t want to break the silence either. But he had no clue of what awaited them, or what he was supposed to do.

Link’s head perked up when he realized the drumbeat was getting louder, accompanied by the rattling of nuts and leaves. The hairs on his neck rose as he became on edge, eyes widening in fear. The sound was now pounding on his head. He frantically looked all around, searching for where the noise could be coming from. Tatl chimed in alarm, catching on to the boy’s new panic.

Sensing movement, the hero quickly looked up to the ceiling, or lack-thereof. A large form was dropping fast from the darkness and before Link knew it, the thing hit the ground with a loud thud as the room shook. He lost his balance and fell back, catching himself with his elbow propped behind him. He peered over his knees and up at the being before him.

Standing in the center of the room was a giant-sized warrior with tan green skin and only a small cloth covering around his waist. Various red, blue, and green stripes and tribal tattoos were painted all over his body. He wielded a kite-shaped blue and green striped shield, and a large iron sword, several times the length of Link. The warrior also wore a wooden mask with a headdress of three long frilly extensions that were striped many colors, one on the top and the other two on each side. The mask itself was painted with some white, yellow, red, and green lines, and narrow eyes and a jagged open mouth were carved into it. Red eyes shone from behind the mask peering directly at Link.

Link studied his opponent, who made several large slashes with his sword. It pierced through the air so fast they could hear the whistling it made. Slightly bending his knees, he then got into a battle stance, swaying back and forth. He towered over Link, glaring down at the small boy with an intense and deadly gaze.

The warrior was easily over five times the size of Link, Tatl roughly estimated. This was worse that she thought. The fairy looked over at her companion, half expecting him to try and find a way to escape the room, but began to panic when she saw the look of determination on his features. Granted she wasn’t too familiar with the look but even just by knowing Link for a few days she knew and could recognize it. He got it whenever he was determined in his irrational little head to do something and wasn’t scared, stupidity aside. “Are you really gonna fight that thing?!”

“Yeah, what else?” replied the boy as if it was obvious.

“...We’re dead…” she stated just before he unsheathed his sword and bounded forward to approach the warrior. “Wha-? Link!!”

The hero drew closer to the warrior but stopped a safe distance away. The giant loudly called out in a bold, higher pitched voice, “Odolwa! Odolwa!”

“If you get close to him, you will be beaten! Do you understand me?” Tatl exclaimed. But Link didn’t even glance her way.

Odolwa, as Link had decided to name him, swung his large blade at the boy. “Look out!” Tatl shrieked as Link jumped back. But he was too slow and couldn’t avoid the second swing of the advancing enemy when it came racing at him right after the first. He flew back, tumbling before curling in on himself. Dark magic was ripping at him, specifically at his side where he had gotten hit. Trying to shake it off, Link forced himself to move out of the way and got up with a grunt. Odolwa took another side swing and the boy shot his shield arm up. The shield took the brunt of the blow but his body still got jerked back. His arm was tingling like it had lost some of its feeling and his legs whined at him. ”That’s definitely going to hurt tomorrow,” Link thought with a groan.

The warrior hopped back, continuing to rock side to side. He then began dancing, leaping on the toes of his two feet. Link cautiously stepped closer. Odolwa swung his sword again but missed as the boy ducked under and somersaulted behind the warrior. Link sprung right back up and immediately started slashing at the enemy’s legs. Odolwa cried out and suddenly jumped impressively high, landing halfway across the room. His head was twitching back and forth before he raised his shield, observing the boy. Then without warning, the warrior charged forward, slashing downward on top of Link with his sword.

Link had barely enough time to dive out of the way. He rolled to the left before bouncing right back up. His calf felt as if it were on fire, so he glanced down and saw the blood appearing just above the rim of his boots. The sword must have nicked him. If it wasn’t for his adrenaline, he was sure he wouldn’t be able to put full weight on it.

Link faced the warrior and held his own sword straight up to eye level, regripping the handle. He made a jump forward to egg on Odolwa. So the warrior raised his sword to hack down, but this time Link was ready as he once again ducked, rolled around, and continued swinging his weapon at the giant’s legs. Odolwa cried out and jumped away again, but this time when he landed he started hopping on one foot, waving his arms and chanting, "A'alik Beora! A'alik Beora!"

The boy stood on edge ready to make a quick step at any moment, but was mostly confused if he were honest. He had fought a lot of strange monsters but this was one of the weirdest battles he had ever been in.

Not before long, a myriad of giant insects the size of Tatl burrowed up from cracks in the stone of the room. They gathered and made their way towards the boy. Some began crawling up his boots and he quickly brushed them off before trying to step on them. He then looked up in time to see the tribal warrior charging at him.

Link frantically threw up his shield and ducked behind it right before he was pushed over and fell harshly on his side. He got up, stumbling slightly as Odolwa turned to face him again. Link’s hip was throbbing at him but he stood his ground, gritting his teeth. The warrior advanced again, hacking down on Link with his large sword, but the boy hopped to the right and attacked Odolwa.

The warrior leaped away. When he landed he began spinning with his sword pointed out, his motions becoming a blur. Link ducked and brought up his shield, tensing all of his muscles to keep him in place. Each time the blade hit his shield he got roughly pushed back but stayed in his defensive position. Odolwa eventually stopped and stood up. He arched his back with arms open up to the ceiling and called out “K’iinam took ool!”

The hero gripped his sword tighter while breathing heavy, awaiting the next horror to befall him. His chest was heaving but he wasn’t about to stop.

A large swarm of moths came down from the ceiling, a rapid blur of browns and oranges coming at the boy. He couldn’t see anything, so he tried swatting them away but it was futile. The insects started biting him. Among the chaos he could hear Odolwa boldly chant, “Tookik taali! Tookik taali!”

A ring of fire erupted, encircling Link. The moths soon burned up with little shrieks which was a relief to him, but he still couldn't see anything through the flames. And if he wasn’t sweating before from the hard work he certainly was now.

The fire suddenly flared up at him. Link squinted and raised his arm over his face but cried out, feeling them overheat and burn. He took a step back, whimpering slightly. Already the blisters could be seen forming on his forearm. Hissing in pain, he looked up at the inferno roaring around him. More shouting could be made out:

“K’iinam took ool! K’iinam took ool!”

Link saw a form come flying through the waves of orange and before he could even think of what to do, he was pushed back and out of the circle of fire. The fire dissipated and died out as Link rolled over on his hands and knees. He spotted the angry red blister on his right arm and hissed through his teeth before looking up.

Odolwa was chanting again, ”Oh no…” The large ring of fire appeared again and Link began to panick. But something green stuck out from the browns and reds; just a few feet away from him was an orange deku flower. Getting an idea, he hastily put on his Deku mask and dove into the flower. Being inside the plant, Link could feel the heat threatening to scorch the leaves. He was suddenly very conscious of the fact that he was made completely out of wood.

Then to his relief the heat died away. So the Scrub shot out of the flower to find Odolwa’s back was to him. The warrior was clearly confused as to where his opponent had gone. Link transformed back and leaped into the air, stabbing Odolwa between his shoulder blades. The boy then stabilized himself against the giant’s back using his feet and pulled out his sword with a sickening shunk. The tribal warrior let out a wailing shriek before falling forward to his knees then face. His body blackened and turned to ashes that blew away with an unnatural wind that came from somewhere otherworldly.

Tatl, who had been freaking out at a distance this whole time, was speechless. She flew to Link who took a deep sigh and relaxed his shoulders. His arm was still feeling hot as he wiped sweat from his brow. His right calf was screaming at him as the pain set in. The boy put his sword back in its scabbard and latched his shield on his back. When he shifted his weight he discovered his hip was sore as well; it must’ve been bruised.

The chamber was quiet and empty now, seemingly dead as if no one had been in there for ages. Looking ahead Link then noticed something odd on the ground and hobbled closer to observe it.

He soon recognized that it was the last remains of Odolwa. The warrior’s tribal mask was almost the size of Link’s torso. The paint stripes were chipped and its wood was cracked in a few places. Its black, vacant eyes stared back at Link, void of any spirit. There was no more evil magic in it. It was just an empty mask now.

A low hum filled the room and a blue ring of light shone up a few feet circling around the Deku flower. The pure light could be felt emanating from it and, intrigued, Link got closer. Tatl, who couldn’t really feel the same thing her companion did was not at all interested in the strange blue light. She chimed up, “Where are you going now?”

Link could hear a faint high pitched hum from it, and by reaching out a hand to touch its edge, he got the feeling it was a portal of some sort. He turned back to the fairy, “You coming?”

She groaned and trailed behind him, reluctant. He stepped into the ring, hearing the soft ring get louder. Then a blinding light shot up, taking over his vision. The boy felt like his body was stretching.

Everything was white.

When Link could finally see again, his eyes widened in wonder. Before him was a vast expanse, all in various shades of a soft mint green. In the distance what looked to be clouds or a thick fog slowly rolled past, mirrored on the horizon (similar to how a mountain would be mirrored on a crystal clear lake). A little ways away was also a pillar of thick seagreen water gently falling from above into a sea of the same swirly substance.

The boy looked down and saw he was standing on hexagonal-shaped platform. It was a lofty pillar made of a clear stone similar to glass, tinted with a color he had never seen before; the best way to describe it was as a mix between a light blue, pink, and yellow. He brought his head back up, still taking it all in. Colorful bubbles were spinning all around him dancing in the air. It reminded him of the fairies flying in the Kokiri Woods; the memory made the hero softly smile.

His gaze followed a particular bubble that flew past him, which made him notice that there were a few more water columns cascading down from clouds.

It was so beautiful; absolutely stunning. Neither the boy nor the fairy had ever seen anything like it. Link was overwhelmed with the sheer tranquility of the paradise. One could simply sit there for the rest of their life and be content.

Tatl, who he had forgotten was still beside him, eventually disrupted the quietness. “...Woah…This place is incredible. I feel so...it’s as if… I...just can’t describe it.”

Link knew what she meant. He felt completely and utterly at peace here. As if nothing could get to him; there was not a trouble in the world.

And it was then that his mind realized that he wasn’t in pain anymore and what that truly meant. He glanced down shocked to see his calf wasn’t a bloodied mess, his arm wasn’t burned anymore, and other various cuts and bruises were gone. If anything, he felt better than he ever had in a long time. He had been miraculously healed!

“W-wait, what’s that?” Tatl spoke up again. Link brought his attention up.

Ahead the two could see a shadow in the clouds on the horizon. As it grew bigger they could distinguish a tall and slender form emerging. It continued to step forward and out of the fog.

A colossal red being stood a good distance away in front of Link, fog swirling around and drifting past its body. It was taller than the pillar the boy was on, having impressively long and thin yet muscular legs connected to a large head. Slender arms stretched out from the sides of its head through the green leafy beard and hair. Directly above the giant’s beard was a large nose, and soft black eyes surrounded by wrinkles.

A bold and and distinguished vibrato voice called out, the source of which they assumed to be the creature. It didn’t disrupt the peace of the air but rather added to it. The giant strongly sang deep, long notes that first went down and then raised to higher pitch. It was a rather simple melody, and before the echoes of the final note died out, it was sung again.

“Wait...Listen...It seems to be saying something.” Tatl hovered in front of Link, turning between him and the giant red creature. “It keeps repeating that melody over and over. Could that crying be its way of teaching us the song? Don’t just stand there, get your instrument…” The fairy didn’t snap at him, she just spoke softly in awe.

The boy pulled out his ocarina and brought it up to his mouth. He closed his eyes and truly listened to the music, enthralled by it, before swaying as he played back each pitch in perfect tune. Tatl twinkled and bounced along with him.

The creature sang the melody, and Link echoed him, notes ringing clearly across the air. Soon the giant and Link were playing a duet, the sound waves rolling through the air like the clouds. The boy could feel a good and bright power welling up in him, a sense of purpose overcoming him. The guardian before him had made a promise to protect peace and keep order in the world, and Link was now taking that same oath.

The boy lowered his instrument and opened his eyes. The giant began to speak, its voice coming across in various pitches of high and low. The sound seemed to fill the entire realm they were in. It repeated the same pattern a few times.

“Call...us.” piped in Tatl. “That’s what it’s saying.”

Before Link knew it, the soft ringing and bright light returned. He rose in a yellow light, everything blinding before him.

His chest began to ache and his heart yearned for the complete and utter peace the giant realm gave him. He didn’t want to go back to the needy and broken world full of evil, pain, and sorrow. Triforce of courage or not, hero or not, he wished he could just stay in that heaven to relax and rest his soul...just let go of all his problems and hardships, and let them float farther and farther away…

But he knew he couldn’t do that. It wasn’t in his nature to shy away from danger and let desperate people suffer. He had taken an oath to save innocent people and restore order to the land, and he wasn’t going to let anything stop him from fulfilling that promise. So Link shook off his desire for that realm just as shades of green and brown stretched before him, the blinding light fading. He could hear a sharp caw and some splashing before he shook his head to focus and reorientate himself. Everything blended into focus and the boy realized he was back on the Deku altar at the entrance of the temple.

Link and Tatl looked around, relieved to see that the pool of water was a deep crystal blue. Plants in the area that had previously been a sickly yellow green were now vibrant shades of green with some splashes of purple, pink, red, and yellow. The biggest difference--and most important in Tatl’s opinion--was that the putrid smell was gone. Overall, the atmosphere of the swamp was healthier and more cheerful.

Tatl moved to hover a foot in front of Link. “Woah.” She suddenly turned, a new energy coming from her, “Do you think that’s who Tael told us to call? You know, the spirit that was trapped inside that mask by that warrior?” She barely left him a chance to respond with a nod before she began talking again, “Oh! Hey, you were pretty good out there! Have you done this before of what?”

“Yeah, you could say that,”

“--Now just keep up the pace and go save my brother! We have less than a day so let’s get moving.”

Link was about to make a comment mentioning how the whole town needed saving too, but decided against it. They made their way down the ramps, but he noticed Tatl seemed to be mulling something over in her head; she appeared to be unsure, drifting a few feet away from him.

“Hey! Umm...All that stuff I did to you… your horse...I don’t think I ever said sorry, so...I...I apologize...Sorry. It’s kinda my fault you’re stuck in this mess.” She quickly flew back to face Link. “There! I apologized! So don’t hold it against me, got it?”

“Thanks Tatl, I appreciate it.” Link hid a smile by gazing out on the pool. Suddenly something caught his eye. Pink flowers were forming along the branches of the crooked tree that grew on the side of the temple. One particular bud stuck out as it was especially large and colorful and, well, glowing.

The hero pointed at it. “Let’s check that out first.”

“Link,” his companion protested. “We have no time for this!”

“It won’t take that long. Besides, that bud looks pretty important.”

The fairy refused to speak as Link pulled out his Deku mask, put it on, and dove into the flower at his feet. He then flew over to the tree and landed on the branch the special flower was on. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary if you ignored the fact that it was glowing.

“It probably grew because the water is clean now, maybe?”

“Wait, I think I see it moving!”

Link reached out and poked it. The bud bulged, then pink flew at his face. He fell back with a bubbly wail, startled. Tatl couldn’t hold back her twinkling giggles--correction, she didn’t even try to hold them back.

Link quickly stood up, and before him was a large, newly blossomed flower with a little Deku Scrub standing in the center of it. She was a smaller, softer colored Deku with long leafy hair twisted with vines of petite pink flowers. Purple bell flowers hung from her head as earrings, and her hair was tied together in a long braid, a pink petal crown on top. Bright orange eyes shone over red tinted cheeks. She wore a leaf and petal dress also adorned with flowers. The Deku shook her head and body, resulting in all ornamental leaves to rustle.

“Wha? ...Who are you?”

It took only a few seconds for the shock to dissipate and the hero to introduce himself, “My name is Link, and this is Tatl.” The Scrub gave a slight bow, “You must be the Deku princess.”

“Link? Pleased to meet you, and yes I am the princess.” She curtsied and brought a hand to her cheek. “Are you, by chance, here to rescue me?” Upon seeing the slight nod in response, she jumped forward with a noise of joy. “Aha! I knew someone would come for me. You see, the god of this temple poisoned the swamp and imprisoned me and the Guardian. Would you, Mr. Link, be able to escort me back to the Palace?”

“Of course, your father is worried sick about you.”

“Then we have no time to waste!” The Princess reached out and took ahold of Link’s hand. He led her down to the ramps and out to the waterfall. They walked through the door engraved with a drawing of the red giant which they could recognize now. The fresh mist hit Link in the face as he looked out over the Southern Swamp. It felt much more alive, teeming with life in every corner. It made him happy. He took a deep breath of the fresh yet muddy lake air, hearing the water crash from the falls. Insects were buzzing all around them.

The Deku Princess softly smiled and tightened her grip on Link’s hand. “Beautiful, isn’t it?”

They hurriedly made their way back to the Deku Palace where they were met with a mini parade of ecstatic Dekus. When they entered the Royal Chamber, the King immediately stood and cried out, “Oh my princess! My darling princess!! Are you alright? I was so worried!”

The princess took her rightful spot next to her father as she explained that Link saved her and the swamp has returned to normal.

“Oh, strange traveller, my sincerest gratitude for returning my princess, my precious little blossom!! You are finally home, safe and sound!” the Deku king tried to thank Link until he got distracted by his daughter’s return. The hero took it as his cue to leave and nodded to Tatl. He looked back to see the Deku Princess blushing at him before he was lost in the swarm celebrating Dekus. So the partners wormed their way out of the Royal Chamber, Link silently slinking away from the lives he helped as he always did, like a ghost taking its leave.

As he was walking across the bridge outside of the palace, however, someone called out to him. Curious, Link turned to find the Deku butler beckoning him. He hopped over across some lily pads and looked up at the tall Deku who stood with his hands clasped behind his back.

“Link, I am truly thankful for what you have done for the princess. I noticed that the king and his subjects were too busy celebrating to properly show you gratitude. If you ever are in the area again, please, visit us and we shall help you in any way we can.” The butler made a move to turn and dismiss the conversation, but then he paused. “Actually, when I see you, I am reminded to my son who left home long ago. Somehow I feel as if I am with him again, seeing you run around as he once did.” With a faraway look, the slender Deku’s eyes held a great sadness in them. “...Oh, you must excuse me, I got lost in some silly memories. Safe travels.” And with that, he bowed.

The Deku Scrub nodded, “Of course.” He began shuffling away, and with a second thought, glanced back and waved with a little smile. The Deku Butler bowed again.

“I knew he had taken a liking to you,” Tatl stated when they were a good earshot away. “Now, let’s go and stop Skull Kid! We can’t let him win this game!”

---

AN: I never really knew what Odolwa chanted during the battle, to me it just sounded like “Odolwa!” “Run for your life!” and something like “madonna.” But apparently they say he chants 3 things in Mayan. I never found an actual source for this, it just seems like everyone says it because they read it somewhere else. I would love to believe this because it would make him that much cooler, but I can’t line up the phrases with what it sounds like he’s saying so for the sake of this story I put in those Mayan phrases:
"K'iinam took ool!" = Head will ache and burn.
"Tookik taali!" = Come burn.
"A'alik Beora!" = Dance now.
I’m also a little sad I didn’t take the time to include the monkeys in this story, so I didn’t get to write about the Deku Princess getting angry at her father for mistreating the monkeys, but oh well.