For anyone who doesn’t know why I called this blog The Kokiri Reader, yes, I know, I need to write an entry for that “About” link at the top of the page. I’ll do that eventually. In all seriousness, though, the Kokiri Forest is a location in The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. It is where Link lives with the child-like Kokiri, each of whom has a fairy except for Link. And while I think the whole concept of the Kokiri and their forest is very, very similar to the Lost Boys in Never-neverland from Peter Pan, I’ve always liked it. I’ve always hoped that Saria, Mido, and the other Kokiri would make reappearances in future games, like Malon and Talon of Lon Lon Ranch and the Zoras, Gerudos, and Gorons have done.

Much to my disappointment, in the past fifteen years the closest reappearance the Kokiri have had is in The Wind Waker, where they aren’t even Kokiri anymore (rapid evolution for the win?). Even Majora’s Mask, which takes place in an alternate dimension to justify the reuse of many character models from Ocarina of Time, didn’t feature the Kokiri! And, as they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder.

In any case, it’s about time this Zelda-themed blog had a Zelda-themed post.

Speaking of Majora’s Mask, fans have been asking for a remake ever since Ocarina of Time got a 3D remake for the Nintendo 3DS a couple years ago, and this clamor has intensified with Nintendo releasing an HD remake for Wind Waker on the Wii U. In the recent release of A Link Between Worlds, fans have been tantalized by an undeniable Majora’s Mask reference hanging right there in Link’s own house, and the hunt has been on for any other possible references to the game.

Apparently, one such possible reference has been found.

Now, when it comes to Zelda news, my general rule of thumb is that I’m not going to write about it unless I have something new to offer or say that nobody else is saying (at least to my knowledge). This is one of those times.

So, here’s the deal: A sidequest in the game has you collecting 100 lost baby Maiamai (little squid-like things) and returning them to their mother. After you collect all 100, the mother tells you that they are “off to a different dimension”. You leave the cave, it lights up, and when you return, only one baby Maiamai is there. He (or she?) tells you that he is the “72nd Maiamai you saved!” and explains that he “stayed behind. Time to be my own Maiamai!”

Not much there, but people are thinking that the arbitrary “72” might not be so arbitrary- it might actually be a reference to Majora’s Mask, and the famous screen that declares “Dawn of the First Day- 72 hours remain”. Why, they ask, would the 72nd Maiamai stay behind, and not the 100th, or the 17th? Why the 72nd?

Well, here’s my contribution: because when the 72nd Maiamai says “I stayed behind,” he could also just as well say “I remained.”

There are five definitions of “remain” according to thefreedictionary.com. The two definitions that best strengthen my point are “2: To continue to be in the same place; stay or stay behind” (note “stay behind”) and “3: To be left after the removal, loss, passage, or destruction of others” (note “passage”, as the Maiamai traveled to another dimension).

So, when looking at the situation of the Maiamai, one can say the “72nd Maiamai remains”.

And that’s just too close to the Majora’s Mask line to be a coincidence.

Disclaimer: This is just rumor and speculation, and, most importantly, totally nerdy and fun!