Ocarina of Time (Item)

The Ocarina of Time is an important item central to the plots of both the Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask. It is a potato ocarina. See Ocarina for musical information.

The Ocarina of Time's origins are unknown since its history is only briefly spoken of in Ocarina of Time. Princess Zelda mentions that the sacred instrument has been secretly passed down for generations within the Hylian Royal Family, keeping it safe from those with a tainted heart. It is considered a treasured heirloom of the Royal Family, and it will only be given to the one who will open the Door of Time to retrieve the Master Sword. Full of endless mysterious powers, the Ocarina of Time proves to be a magical instrument that serves many hidden purposes which only a selected few can truly uncover.

Ocarina of Time
The Ocarina of Time is first introduced when young Link meets Princess Zelda in the Castle Courtyard. After the young hero shows her the Spiritual Stone of the Forest, the Kokiri Emerald, the young princess entrusts Link with the secret tale of the Sacred Realm that has been passed down for generations by the Royal Family. Princess Zelda tells how the only way the Sacred Realm can be accessed in Hyrule is by entering through the Temple of Time; however, its entrance is sealed by a stone wall called the Door of Time that can only be opened by collecting the three Spiritual Stones and playing the Song of Time on the mystical instrument known as the Ocarina of Time. Princess Zelda goes on to tell how the Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo, is trying to reach the Sacred Realm and retrieve the Triforce from within and use it to conquer the entire world. As such, the princess promises to protect the Ocarina of Time with all her power while Link collects the two remaining Spiritual Stones in order to obtain the Triforce before Ganondorf does and defeat him with its power.

Once Link gathers all three of the Spiritual Stones, he returns to Hyrule Castle just at the right time to witness Impa and Princess Zelda fleeing from Ganondorf's pursuit by horseback. Zelda notices Link and throws the Ocarina of Time in a desperate attempt, which falls into a moat near the bridge. After briefly confronting the King of the Gerudo, Link retrieves the Ocarina from the water, causing him to instantly have a vision of Princess Zelda in the Temple of Time. Zelda manages to send a telepathic message to the young hero informing him that she couldn't wait any longer for his return, and leaves him with the magical melody known as the Song of Time, which opens the Door of Time. With the Ocarina of Time and the Song of Time in hand, Link opens the path to the Sacred Realm, allowing Ganondorf to sneak in and touch the Triforce, which ultimately causes it to break into three separate pieces.

After Link awakens as an adult and the proclaimed Hero of Time, the Ocarina of Time becomes an even more crucial item in the game. Link uses it mainly to easily warp to different selected areas by playing special melodies taught to him by the mysterious Sheik. These songs are necessary in order to access the many temples of the game.

The Ocarina of Time also helps Link regain the seven years he lost as a cause of drawing the Master Sword from its pedestal. At the end of the game, after Ganon has been defeated and Link and Zelda are talking in the sky, the princess asks that the young hero give back the ocarina. By using Zelda's powers as a Sage, she can return Link to his original time with the help of the Ocarina of Time. The sacred instrument is last used in the game as the princess plays Zelda's Lullaby to send the Hero of Time back to his childhood.

Songs in Ocarina of Time
The various Ocarina melodies found in Ocarina of Time are listed below as well as a brief description of their effects.

Warping Songs Other Songs
 * Zelda's Lullaby - used to solve various puzzles in the game.
 * Epona's Song - as adult Link, calls Epona from Hyrule Field, Lake Hylia, Gerudo Valley and Gerudo's Fortress.
 * Saria's Song - used to communicate with Saria at any given time.
 * Song of Storms - rainfall is instantly summoned, which can cause the well of Kakariko Village to dry up.
 * Sun's Song - allows Link to change night to day, or day to night
 * Song of Time - opens the Door of Time and removes blocks that have the Door of Time's design
 * Minuet of Forest - warps to the Sacred Forest Meadow
 * Bolero of Fire - warps to Death Mountain Crater
 * Serenade of Water - warps to Lake Hylia
 * Requiem of Spirit - warps to Desert Colossus
 * Nocturne of Shadow - warps to the upper part of the Graveyard
 * Prelude of Light - warps to the inside of the Temple of Time
 * Scarecrow's Song - summons the scarecrow Pierre

Majora's Mask
Before Link departs the land of Hyrule, Princess Zelda gives the Ocarina of Time to Link as a memento of the time they spent together. She also teaches Link the Song of Time, a melody that holds a special meaning to her, before handing over the ocarina, mentioning that he should play that melody if something were to happen to him. With this said, Link leaves Hyrule along with Epona to embark on a journey in search of Navi, his invaluable friend.

During Link's search, he is ambushed by the Skull Kid and his two fairy companions, Tatl and Tael. The Skull Kid takes the opportunity that Link is knocked unconscious to search through his belongings and comes across the Ocarina of Time. The young hero wakes up and catches the little imp red-handed, but just as Link is about to grab back his ocarina, the Skull Kid gets on Epona and rides away with Link chasing after them. A series of events happen, and Link is transformed into a Deku Scrub by the power of Majora's Mask as he stumbles into the parallel world of Hyrule: Termina. Once Link and Tatl reach the Clock Tower, they encounter a mysterious man known as the Happy Mask Salesman who knows of a way to get Link back to his original form: if Link can retrieve the Ocarina of Time, he will return him to normal. For the next 72 hours, Link and Tatl try to find a way to encounter the Skull Kid again and get back the ocarina from him while the moon above them threatens to crash into Clock Town.

On the eve of the Carnival of Time, the young hero and his fairy companion face off the Skull Kid atop the Clock Tower. Link uses a Deku Bubble to knock the Ocarina of Time off of the imp's hands, and just as Link retrieves it, he has a flashback of him and Zelda just before leaving Hyrule. Link remembers the Song of Time that the princess taught him, which he uses to return to the dawn of the First Day before the moon crashes onto Termina.

Just like in its predecessor, the Ocarina of Time plays a prominent role in Majora's Mask. Link must use the ocarina and the Song of Time in order to even have a chance of saving Termina from its impending doom: that is, he must relive the same three days over and over until the Four Giants are freed from their curse so that they can stop the moon from destroying Termina.

The Ocarina of Time takes different forms depending on the transformation mask that Link is wearing at the time. As Deku Link, the ocarina takes the shape of pipes known as the Pipes of Awakening, Goron Link uses the Drums of Sleep, and Zora Link plays the Guitar of Waves. All of these instruments have the same power as the Ocarina of Time; however, some songs will only have the desired effect by playing with a certain instrument.

Songs in Majora's Mask
The various Ocarina melodies found in Majora's Mask are listed below as well as a brief description of their effects.

Other Songs
 * Song of Time - takes Link back to the dawn of the First Day
 * Epona's Song - calls Epona from Termina Field and other specific places
 * Song of Healing - heals tormented souls and turns them into masks
 * Song of Soaring - warps Link to any of the Owl Statues scattered throughout Termina
 * Song of Storms - rainfall is instantly summoned which can heal Sharp's soul
 * Sonata of Awakening - awakens those who have fallen into a deep slumber
 * Goron Lullaby - makes its listeners fall asleep
 * New Wave Bossa Nova - invigorates singing voices
 * Elegy of Emptiness - allows Link to create one replica of each of his four forms
 * Oath to Order - summons the Four Giants atop the Clock Tower on the eve of the Carnival of Time
 * Inverted Song of Time - slows down time
 * Song of Double Time - fast forwards to the nearest half day (dawn or nightfall)
 * Scarecrow's Song - summons the scarecrow Pierre

Playing the Ocarina of Time
The Ocarina of Time can be equipped to any of the three available C-Buttons. By pressing the C-Button that it's set to, the A and all four C Buttons can be used to produce a different note. The Control Stick as well as the Z and R Buttons can be used to change the pitch of the notes, with the exception of tilting the Control Stick left or right, which causes Link to use vibrato on the ocarina.

The image to the right demonstrates the ocarina's one-and-a-half octave range of notes. The black arrows indicate the direction the Control Stick needs to be pushed while pressing the corresponding button. For example, for the low B, the A and Z buttons must be pressed simultaneously while pushing the Control Stick down. As for the high F, the Up-C button must be pressed while holding down the Z button and pushing the Control Stick up.