The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask

Act II encompasses Link’s first three days in Termina. This act introduces the central area, Clock Town, along with its inhabitants and their many problems. Their biggest problem: the moon is falling, and none of them know how to stop it. Their varied responses to this inescapable problem form the foundation for the game’s side stories, which make up the majority of the gameplay. Although these side stories add character and depth to the main narrative, they do not impact the events that transpire and are therefore not part of the central structure. Nevertheless, their problems add to Link’s problems, creating a sense of rising tension as the act progresses.

Act II begins when the Skull Kid leaves the newly-transformed Link behind in a sealed chamber. When one of the fairies, Tatl, stays to push Link around a little longer, she gets trapped inside with him. Rather than admit her culpability in her current predicament, Tatl demands Link open the door for her. When Link doesn’t immediately follow her command, she yells at him for staring at her and asks what he’s looking at. Although the in-game text never answers this question out-right, the paragraph that appears at the beginning of the game offers the most likely solution. He’s staring at Tatl because she reminds him of the friend he’s looking for: Navi, the fairy who left him at the very end of Ocarina of Time. Given Ocarina’s record sales and Majora’s status as a direct sequel, the developers chose to assume anyone playing Majora would have a working knowledge of Ocarina’s plot. However, Link’s search for Navi has very little to do with the plot of Majora after this point, so those who skipped Ocarina are still able to enjoy Majora’s story. 

Once Link agrees to work with Tatl, they escape the chamber and find a path through a murky tunnel. When they head for the exit, a voice calls out to them, saying: “You’ve met with a terrible fate, haven’t you?” This iconic line introduces the Happy Mask Salesman, a merchant who travels the world collecting rare masks. His most valuable mask has just been stolen by a woodland imp, the very same one who turned Link into a Deku Scrub. Fortunately, the Mask Salesman knows how to return Link to his human form, but he’ll need Link to get back his ocarina from the Skull Kid first. In exchange, the Mask Salesman asks Link to recover his mask, as well. Since the Mask Salesman will be leaving town in three days, this gives Link less than seventy-two hours to complete both tasks. This is an extremely literal example of a narrative device known as a ‘ticking clock.’ Ticking clocks are timetables imposed on the characters to create a sense of urgency, forcing them to act quickly when they might otherwise take their time. Thanks to the Mask Salesman’s tight schedule, Link can’t waste time figuring out what to do next; he has to act now. 

When Link emerges from the sewers, he finds himself in the center of Clock Town. An enormous moon looms overhead, menacing the town. Some of the locals believe it’s falling; others think everything is fine. Their argument is ramping up as the annual festival is less than three days away. Those who think the moon is falling want to call off the celebration and evacuate; those who think everything is fine refuse to stop the proceedings. This is the central conflict for the townspeople, who are largely unaware of Skull Kid and the threat his mask poses. Their conflict also creates problems for Link, increasing the tension in the narrative. People don’t have time to answer his questions, and when they do, they’re rude and dismissive. In this stressful situation, allies are in short supply. To earn their trust, Link will have to help them overcome obstacles of their own. This ability to connect with others will continually serve him well throughout his journey, as working through their problems often helps him untangle his own. 

Tatl knows the town better than Link, so she suggests they meet with the Great Fairy in the north of town, as she might know where the Skull Kid went. Unfortunately, the Skull Kid recently attacked her, splitting her spirit into pieces. Link overcomes this obstacle by finding her missing pieces and putting her back together. As thanks, the Great Fairy gives him a lead on the Skull Kid. There’s an observatory on the edge of town, and the old professor who works there knows everything about everyone. If anyone knows about the Skull Kid’s whereabouts, it’s him. 

Getting to the observatory presents its own problems. As a Deku Scrub, Link looks like a child, so the guards won’t let him leave the town unaccompanied.  With the aid of a child-gang called the Bombers, Link gains access to a tunnel beneath the guards, allowing him to continue on his journey. 

When Link reaches the observatory, the old professor informs him that something strange is pulling the moon down to earth. When Link looks through the telescope, he spots the Skull Kid on the very top of the clock tower. According to the professor, the door to the top of the tower only opens at the start of the carnival. This is Link’s best chance to confront the Skull Kid and win back everything he lost. He is ready to venture into Act III: the Midpoint.