"Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry...The four who are there... Bring them here..."
~Tael
Dawn of the First Day
~Tael
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
Before I delve into Majora's Mask, I need to provide a bit of an explanation for those unfamiliar with the game. Majora's Mask is the sixth game in the Zelda series, and was developed by Nintendo and released for the N64 in 2000. While the game was met with mixed reception at its release (due to the N64 being near the end of its life because of the upcoming Nintendo GameCube, for deviation from the familiar Zelda formula, and for being a follow-up to the very critically acclaimed Ocarina of Time), but in recent years has gained a very strong cult following.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
The story follows a young boy approximately ten years old. While the player is able to choose his name, for the sake of simplicity he will be referred to by his canonical name: Link. At the beginning of the story, Link is wandering through the woods, searching for an old friend (believed to be Navi, his fairy companion from Ocarina of Time). However, he is assailed by a masked forest imp nicknamed the Skull Kid, and two fairies, the yellow-colored Tatl and her purple-colored brother Tael. They steal an ocarina from him--more specifically, the titular artifact from Ocarina of Time, and run off. Link gives chase, but the Skull Kid retaliates by turning him into a Deku Scrub, a plant-like lifeform. As Link (joined by Tatl after she accidentally gets separated from the other two) continues to chase the Skull Kid, he encounters the Happy Mask Salesman, who offers to return him to his original form on one condition: that Link recover the mask the imp stole.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
And so Link enters the land of Termina, which is in the middle of preparing for an annual festival, to embark on his quest. However, he sees something that causes all his confidence to wane: in the sky, a giant, angry-looking moon looms, threatening to crush the world beneath. In the final hours before the moon strikes, Link is able to make it to the top of the clock tower to confront the Skull Kid. However, he is too weak to do anything to stop the Skull Kid, much less the moon in his present state. Tael attempts to give Link and Tatl some advice before the Skull Kid strikes him to shut him up: "Swamp. Mountain. Ocean. Canyon. Hurry...The four who are there... Bring them here..."
With that advice in mind, Link manages to recover his ocarina and uses its power to travel back in time....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
The Happy Mask Salesman plays the Song of Healing for Link, a song that heals and brings peace to his soul and restores him to his Hylian form. A mask is created in the process, and Link finds that he can wear the mask to return to the form of the Deku Scrub. The Happy Mask Salesman is not happy when he finds that Link has failed to obtain the mask, known as Majora's Mask, from the imp. He reveals that it is a powerful mask filled with an ancient evil and that it is responsible for the moon's falling. With this new information and Tael's cryptic plea in mind, Link and Tatl head for the Southern Swamp.
It is at this point that the story ceases to be linear. There is still a primary storyline to follow, but it consists of several different stories being told simultaneously. In addition, there are several secondary storylines (again, occurring at the same time) that can be explored. You see, everyone in Termina has their own story and their own problems. Termina is a broken land, and Link cannot truly "save" it simply by making the largest problem go away.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
One of these stories occurs in the Southern Swamp. When Link arrives, the swamp is polluted to poisonous levels and has become a battleground between a tribe of Deku Scrubs and a pack of monkeys. The Dekus believe that a monkey has kidnapped their princess, and if she is not returned in three days, the monkey is to be boiled alive in a pot of water as punishment. However, the monkey is innocent. He was simply exploring the nearby Woodfall Temple with the princess when she was captured. Link must go to Woodfall Temple himself to free her.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
Within the depths of the temple, Link encounters the "Masked Jungle Warrior" Odolwa. After defeating the masked being, a spirit is freed. Link meets a giant guardian, who tells him to free three others like him, each one's location corresponding to one that Tael gave Tatl and him, as he is unable to assist Termina alone. He teaches Link a song to call the four of them before departing. Link then rescues the kidnapped princess and saves the monkey. In gratitude, the Deku Butler prepares a gift for him (a certain mask), but first challenges him to a race. You see, Link's Deku form reminds him of his son....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
Meanwhile, the northern mountains in Snowhead have been hit by an unnaturally long and harsh winter. Link travels there to find the next giant and encounters the ghost of Darmini III, a Goron hero who died on a journey to Snowhead Mountain to find the cause for the long winter. He is full of regret, but after Link plays the Song of Healing for him, he passes on, leaving behind a mask that Link can, once again, use to take his form.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
To avoid the same fate, Link must learn a lullaby to bypass a giant Goron spewing a blizzard across the mountain. This requires both saving an elderly Goron patriarch from an icy grave and consoling his crying infant son. Link must bring comfort to both of them in order to proceed.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
After Link enters the temple and defeats Goht, the "Masked Mechanical Monster," the winter in Snowhead ends and gives way to spring. With the ice gone, the patriarch can be reunited with his crying son, and the Gorons celebrate. The patriarch mistakes Link for Darmini and offers to step down so that the Goron hero can take his place as leader of the tribe. However, Link has other things to do....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
The once-pristine waters of the Great Bay in the west are clouded and murky, and the water temperature is rising to dangerous levels. When Link arrives, he finds seagulls circling around a Zora in the water. He pushes the Zora, named Mikau to shore. Mikau then tells Link of his plight: some Gerudo pirates have stolen the eggs of Lulu, a female Zora who has fallen mute. Mikau is in a band called the Indigo-Go's with her and the two seem to have a close relationship. He attempted to infiltrate the Gerudo fortress, but ultimately failed and was heavily injured. Link soothes the dying Zora's soul, once more leaving a mask that Link can use to take his form.
The song awakens a guardian of the sea, a giant turtle who ferries Link to the Great Bay Temple. There Link defeats Gyorg, the "Gargantuan Masked Fish," cleansing the ocean and freeing a third Giant, who implores Link to save the final one. And so Link sets off to one final area....
If Link fails to save the ranch, Romani is abducted along with the cows. She is returned later, though her memories of Them are missing and her personality seems slightly changed. If, however, Link is able to succeed, Romani gives him an gift and her gratitude. But Romani Ranch's troubles still aren't over. Cremia must transport their wares to the Milk Bar in Clock Town, but a pair of bandits have been attacking her and keeping her from doing any business. Link must help protect her as well.
Cremia also rewards and thanks Link for his help. With the stressful events removed from their life, Cremia and Romani are able to spend more time together and grow to understand each other. Though Cremia originally believed Romani too young to go to the festival in Clock Town, in the final hours before the moon falls, she offers to let her drink their ranch's specialty milk, a drink reserved for adults. Romani is confused, unaware that her sister now sees her as one. Though Romani's adult life will almost certainly be short-lived....
By following the postman, Link learns that the masked boy Link saw was none other than Kafei, cursed by the Skull Kid to appear as a child. His wedding mask has also been stolen by a thief named Sakon, and with it missing, he finds himself unable to face Anju. He resolves to get his mask back, and asks Link to give Anju a pendant to convince her to stay. Though Anju is worried, she resolves to wait for him, despite her mother's suggestions that Kafei has already run off with Cremia.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
The Indigo-Go's are stressed over the whole situation. Apart from their usual drama, Lulu has lost her voice and Mikau has gone missing. What's worse, they are scheduled to play in the festival in Clock Town. Link consequently attempts to get Lulu's eggs back, braving the pirates' fortress and the undersea depths. It is not a simple task to save all seven eggs, but he eventually manages to rescue them and find a place to hatch them. When they do, they teach him a song that Link plays for Lulu, restoring her voice.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
The song awakens a guardian of the sea, a giant turtle who ferries Link to the Great Bay Temple. There Link defeats Gyorg, the "Gargantuan Masked Fish," cleansing the ocean and freeing a third Giant, who implores Link to save the final one. And so Link sets off to one final area....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
While the majority of Termina is in varying degrees of denial or panic, the eastern Ikana Canyon remains unperturbed. This is because Ikana Canyon is dead, and has been for years. Past the river, almost nothing grows, and there are only two living inhabitants: a little girl and her father--who is, for some reason, becoming a mummy-like Gibdo. Link, reacting instinctively upon seeing him, attempts to attack--but the little girl leaps in front of him, protecting her father despite his appearance. Link is able, however, to heal the man's soul, restoring him to his human form.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
However, even the undead inhabitants are not at piece. The Gibdos in the dried well seek items. Two Poe brothers are feuding. The giant skeletal captain, Skull Keeta, is plagued by his failure during his life. Igos du Ikana, the undead king, must deal with the evil sleeping through the spirits from one of the Skull Kid's curses. Link sets out on a quest to the Stone Tower Temple to free the fourth Giant and free Ikana from its curse.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
The journey to Stone Tower Temple is not an easy one. It is a difficult ascent up a series of cliffs. A single mistake means a deadly plunge. But Link perseveres. He reaches Stone Tower Temple and maintains the courage necessary to pass through--even when the temple's mysterious properties reverse gravity and he has to avoid falling into the sky itself. After one final grueling race against the clock, he defeats the "Giant Masked Insect," a pair of enormous wormlike creatures known as Twinmold. He frees the last of the Four Giants. But his quest is not yet over....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
Healing Termina is not as simple as merely stopping the moon. There are many people who need help in their own little ways. For example, a young girl by the name of Romani, named after the ranch her older sister Cremia runs. Cremia is ignoring her warnings about the otherworldly "Them" that Romani is expecting to show up and steal their cattle, waving them off as a child's fantasies. She asks for Link's help defending their cows from Them, to which he agrees.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
If Link fails to save the ranch, Romani is abducted along with the cows. She is returned later, though her memories of Them are missing and her personality seems slightly changed. If, however, Link is able to succeed, Romani gives him an gift and her gratitude. But Romani Ranch's troubles still aren't over. Cremia must transport their wares to the Milk Bar in Clock Town, but a pair of bandits have been attacking her and keeping her from doing any business. Link must help protect her as well.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
Cremia also rewards and thanks Link for his help. With the stressful events removed from their life, Cremia and Romani are able to spend more time together and grow to understand each other. Though Cremia originally believed Romani too young to go to the festival in Clock Town, in the final hours before the moon falls, she offers to let her drink their ranch's specialty milk, a drink reserved for adults. Romani is confused, unaware that her sister now sees her as one. Though Romani's adult life will almost certainly be short-lived....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
One of the first things that Link sees on his first day in Clock Town is a young boy in a mask, who drops a letter in a mailbox and runs off, locking himself away from the rest of the world. The letter, it turns out, is for Anju, innkeeper at the Stock Pot Inn. If Link inquires, Anju will invite him into the inn later that night to tell him in confidence that she believes the letter is from her fiance Kafei, the mayor's son who has recently gone missing. She asks him to find Kafei for her and deliver a letter.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
By following the postman, Link learns that the masked boy Link saw was none other than Kafei, cursed by the Skull Kid to appear as a child. His wedding mask has also been stolen by a thief named Sakon, and with it missing, he finds himself unable to face Anju. He resolves to get his mask back, and asks Link to give Anju a pendant to convince her to stay. Though Anju is worried, she resolves to wait for him, despite her mother's suggestions that Kafei has already run off with Cremia.
Dawn of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
Kafei manages to track down Sakon, and enlists Link's help in recovering his mask from the thief. Working together, the two of them manage to get the mask back, and Kafei runs back to Clock Town to meet up with Anju, who is one of the only inhabitants left in the town. The two exchange masks and vow to stay with each other to greet the dawn together. However, it is a dawn that may not come....
→ A ↓ → A ↓
Dawn of the First Day
-72 hours remain-
Though I chose to spotlight only these six stories, they are not the only ones who need help. Everyone in Termina has their own story, and many of these people need some sort of help. Not everyone needs to save the family ranch or find their unhatched eggs or keep a monkey from being boiled alive. Many people in Termina have little regrets.
Dawn of the Second Day
-48 hours remain-
There's the mayor, who is caught in a debate on whether to hold the festival or whether to evacuate and is unable to make a decision. There is Grog, who accepts his looming demise but regrets that he never got to see his cuccos grow up. There is the mayor's wife, who is looking for her lost son, Kafei. There is the injured soldier who no one seems to be able to see. And, most bizarrely of all, there is the hand known only as "???," which is reaching out of the toilet and desires nothing but a scrap of paper.
Dawm of the Final Day
-24 hours remain-
But time draws short, and there is not time to help everyone, is there? No, the moon must be stopped. Link is able to ascend once more to the clock tower mere hours before the moon hits to confront the Skull Kid. He calls the Four Giants to stop the moon and save Termina. The victory, however, is short-lived, for the mask the Skull Kid is wearing is sentient. It discards its host, forcing the moon downward itself. Link, with no other options left, must travel to the moon as it attempts to consume everything....
The dark, angry sky gives way to a bright, open meadow. A grassy plain extends in every direction as far as the eye can see. The timer at the bottom of the screen has disappeared. There is only one feature: a giant grassy tree sitting atop a hill, beneath which five children play. Four of the children, each dressed in plain white clothes and wearing the masks of the defeated temple bosses, ask to play a game of hide-and-seek. The fifth, wearing Majora's Mask, asks to play a different game: "good guys against bad guys."
Link is transported to a technicolored room, where Majora's Mask attacks him. It is not a simple battle, but he eventually emerges victorious. As the whole of Termina stops to watch, the moon dissolves into a beautiful rainbow orb, which shoots across the sky.
Dawn of A New Day
Link awakens to find the Skull Kid speaking to the Four Giants--who, as it turns out, are old playmates of his that he thought had forgotten about him. However, despite all he did, they still thought of him as a friend. The Skull Kid then turns to Link, who forgives him for his misguided anger under the mask's influence and befriends him as well. The Happy Mask Salesman recovers the mask and finds that the evil has left it. He offers Link a few kind words of advice before disappearing. Tatl suggests that Link go about his business as the rest of Termina celebrates and, though her wording is harsh, thanks him as he leaves. The credits begin, showing the effects of all the good Link has managed to do in Termina before closing on an image of a tree trunk with a scene carved into it: an imp, a boy in a tunic, and two fairies happily waving along with four giant figure in the background.
The End
