Ocarina of Time Chapter 42

 

Chapter 42

The Phoenix

The Spirit Temple's entrance opened up into a cavernous hall that could have easily accommodated an entire troupe of Gorons. Marble pillars rose like tall trees, reaching up towards the elaborately carved mural that stretched across the ceiling. Along the walls, the old Gerudo kings stood tall and proud, donned in battle dress, their swords clasped in hand. The intricate appearances of many of these kings bore an eerie resemblance to Ganondorf. Link was almost certain they were watching him, but a quick glance assured him they were not the constructs of some malevolent sorcerer.

Just statues, Link told himself, his thoughts straying to the beamos outside.

To either side of the ancient kings, and stretching up towards a tall ceiling decorated with floral motifs and enormous birds. Along the walls, murals depicted scenes of battle or the presentation of offerings. One of the offering scenes showed a priest standing over a bound prisoner, a ceremonial knife raised to the man's throat. It was far from a welcoming sight.

Before he could examine the walls or statues further, Sheik noticed something. Link saw the consternation on her face before she asked, "Why are those braziers lit?"

"It's probably just an enchantment," Navi offered, eyeing the braziers that lined the central aisle.

Link couldn't help but feel an icy trickle of dread run down his spine. After so many unpleasant experiences encountering things lurking around corners and hiding in the shadows, he was sure he was just getting paranoid. But no. It wasn't paranoia. Something was watching them. He glanced at the statues again, reassured to see they were not looking directly at him.

"Don't touch anything," Sheik warned him. "I would rather not trigger any unpleasant surprises. There is an ancient magic running through this temple, and it may not take kindly to our presence."

Link nodded but said nothing. Navi was not so eager to remain quiet.

"You mean this temple is alive?" she asked incredulously. Link gave her a pointed look, hoping she'd get the idea and be quiet, so as to not put any unpleasant ideas in his head about what might lie ahead of them.

"In a manner of speaking, yes," Sheik answered. "It is alive. The ancient shrines of the First Sages were all like that, or so some texts claim. The Sage of Water was rumored to have made his shrine almost impossible to enter, let alone traverse, even for a Zora."

"Well, that's just great," Navi said, her voice laced with false cheer. "Of all the places I wanted to visit in Hyrule, a temple that may or may not want to kill you is not one of them."

"Navi," Link said, feeling irritated. "You're not helping."

"Sorry," she said quickly.

Link paused before an enormous statue at the far end of the hall. It rose toward the ceiling, its large almond-shaped eyes commanding his full attention. Fortunately, there was nothing to indicate it was alive and ready to pronounce judgment upon the three intruders.

Pakhet, Link thought.

The Goddess of War sat upon a throne of cold stone that was carved with numerous glyphs. There were cobras stretched along the armrests of her throne, their heads raised and fangs bared. She was dressed in Gerudo garb, including an intricate golden neckpiece resembling an ornate collar beset with precious stones. The metalwork that formed the centerpiece of the collar resembled the stretched wings of a vulture.

Link's skin prickled as the unnerving sense that he was being watched intensified. It was then that he heard a deep rumbling.

He spun around in alarm, his heart leaping in fear that it was an earthquake. Only the ground didn't shudder, and it sounded distinctly like stone scraping against stone. He realized with a sudden start that the door leading back to the outside world was getting narrower.

"The door!" Navi cried.

The stone doors were indeed closing on their own accord, shutting them in. Sheik swore and sprinted up the hallway, Link following quickly behind. He caught up and skidded to a halt just before the doors. Thinking fast, Link grabbed one door with both hands and pulled with all his might. Grunting with exertion, muscles straining with the effort, Link tried to force the door back, but it wouldn't yield.

Sheik grabbed the edge of the other door, and together they tried to stop it from closing. Their efforts were in vain, and moments before his fingers would have been crushed, Link jerked his hands away from the narrowing gap.

"Damn it!" Sheik cursed as the door shut with a thud. "I should have seen that."

"I doubt we could have done anything to stop it," Navi offered. "Did either of you sense someone might be watching us before the door shut?"

"Yeah, I did," Link admitted, breathing heavily. Sweat was beading down his forehead, but he noticed Sheik wasn't perspiring at all. He looked again at the unyielding stone door, his gut sinking with dread as he guessed what had happened. Something or someone had shut them in. He doubted that this was just a random magic trap; if what he sought was in here, then Ganondorf wouldn't have left the temple unguarded.

Unless Impa resorted to vandalism, which would be a poor way to earn the Sage of Spirit's trust, Halvard would have a difficult time reaching them.

"Whatever made that door shut," Navi continued, "Something tells me it hasn't got our best interests at heart."

"No doubt," Sheik added flatly.

Link turned around to scan the empty hall, half expecting to see something emerge from the shadows of the tall columns. There was nothing there, but he knew better than to either let his guard down or ignore Navi's concern, particularly in a place that had already caused him to see things. Speaking of which...

"Wait... where's Halvard's mask?" Link asked. Then he bit back a curse as he realized where it was; he'd placed it in Epona's saddlebag, thinking he would be able to come back for it if need be. Most of their supplies were with the horses too, and there was no going back for them now. The tiny slits above the door that let in tiny fingers of sunlight were too small for Navi to squeeze through.

"You left it in Epona's saddlebag?" Navi asked. "I thought it was in Saria's satchel."

"Halvard said he was certain we should be safe from the illusions now that we're inside the temple grounds," Link explained. "Besides, I can't fight well with a mask blocking half my vision."

"We will manage without it," Sheik said as she studied the doorway, running a finger across the stone-carved glyphs. "See if the ocarina does anything."

At Sheik's suggestion, Link pulled out his ocarina. He played the Requiem of Spirit, and as he did, the notes floated through the chamber, echoing off the walls. Link waited for the door to move, but it remained as still as ever.

"Nothing I read mentioned this," Sheik sounded irritated, "nor did I find any indication that there was another way out."

Great, Link thought.

"Maybe there's a hidden catch somewhere," Navi suggested, zooming closer to inspect the stone wall. "There has to be a mechanism somewhere. If this was designed to protect against an attack, the occupants will have wanted a back way out."

"We should concentrate on finding the Sage of Spirit, and worry about that later," Sheik told her. "Halvard knows where we are. He might be able to get the door open."

"Preferably without breaking it?" Navi asked.

"Preferably," Sheik agreed.

"Why wouldn't it open when I played the ocarina?" Link asked, glancing at Navi as she continued her search.

"It is possible the song can only open it from the other side," Sheik suggested.

"Or whatever opened the door, and then shut us inside, has no intention of letting us out," Navi said, landing on Link's shoulder. "Great. A temple that wants to kill you. You always bring us to the nicest places, Link."

Despite feeling a touch annoyed, Link ignored the comment. Sheik did not.

"You can always wait here if you're worried," she said pointedly.

Navi glowered. "Somebody has to look after Link."

"Thanks, Navi," Link said, trading a glare with Navi as she alighted from his shoulder.

"Alright, you can come with us," Sheik said.

"Where in this temple do you think the Sage is?" Link asked, cutting Navi off before she could respond.

"I have no idea," Sheik answered calmly. "She's probably sealed away somewhere...most likely where the other Gerudo weren't likely to wander..." she paused, rubbing her chin in contemplation. "More than likely she is inside the temple's inner sanctum. It would make sense. As I recall, only three Gerudo Elders and the king are allowed in there. It's where they make offerings."

Her face twisted in distaste at the word 'offerings.' Link had no idea what was so appalling, but Navi looked aghast.

"Wait... they still sacrifice people?" she asked. Link found himself looking at the picture of the bound prisoner standing before a priest, a sour feeling in his gut.

"It fell out of favor until Ganondorf's reign. Pakhet is neither benevolent nor forgiving to those who wrong her people."

"I think that also describes the Gerudo," Navi muttered dryly.

Sheik did not appear to appreciate this remark. "Do not be so quick to judge them, Navi. They have grown up in an unforgiving land that has tempered their spirits."

That wasn't what Link had expected to hear. He would have thought Zelda of all people would have sufficient reason to despise the Gerudo.

"Even after everything that has happened, you don't hate them?" he asked, unable to quite hide his surprise. 

"Not a day goes by that I don't recall what they did to my family," Sheik said, her voice growing hard. "But I do not blame them for it. They were blinded by a force far stronger than anything Hyrule has seen in millennia. They are victims of this war, just as we all are."

"I don't think many people share that view," Navi muttered.

"I'm sure they don't," Sheik agreed sadly. "You shouldn't concern yourself with that. We need to find the Sage, and it may take some time to reach the inner sanctum."

Just one question remained- what was the quickest way to the inner sanctum?

About halfway down the hall towards Pakhet's figure, and between the statues of the Gerudo kings, stood two archways decorated with intricately carved glyphs that featured creatures Link had never seen.

Taking the archway on the left, Link soon discovered that finding the inner sanctum was not going to be an easy task. He was not shocked by this discovery, or at all surprised, for Hyrule and 'annoyingly difficult to traverse' temples, seemed to go hand in hand.

Sheik hadn't been kidding about that.

An almost translucent magical barrier of shimmering green light barred the way forward. Sheik threw a loose stone at its surface, but the projectile merely bounced off and clattered to the ground.

"This could be annoying," Navi said with a small sigh.

It already is, Link thought.

"Now what?" Navi asked, turning to Sheik.

"Let's go back and try the other archway," Link suggested.

He turned and had only moved several steps when a loud crack reverberated throughout the room. Link swung around, wrenching his sword from its sheath and bringing it to bear.

The barrier was gone, and the path to the doorway ahead was now clear.

"What the... Sheik, please tell me you did that?" Link asked, feeling very unnerved.

Sheik's jaw hardened, and Link could almost sense the worry emanating from her.

"I did not," she answered.

She took a step towards where the barrier had been, and upon judging it safe, kept going. Wondering what would happen if the barrier reappeared, Link hesitated for a moment before catching up to Sheik.

Reaching the end of the twisting passage, they arrived at a doorway that led into a roughly rectangular room. Before Link could move, Sheik whispered something and gestured towards a stone tablet set into the wall beside the doorway. The neatly carved glyphs set painstakingly into its surface were so small that Link could barely make them out.

"What is it?" he asked.

Sheik gestured with a nod. "Do you know about the trials the Gerudo undertake to become a warrior?"

"Didn't Aveil mention something about them?"

"She did, and according to these glyphs, this is where they start," Sheik said, her voice grim.

Link scanned the chamber ahead, searching for any clues to the dangers that might lurk within, half expecting something to materialize and attack them. It seemed deceptively empty, but this only sharpened his caution.

"Maybe we should go the other way," he suggested.

"Agreed."

No sooner had Sheik voiced her assent than a loud crack akin to clapping thunder made Link jump. When he realized what it was, his heart sank.

A shimmering barrier blocked the way back, leaving them with only one option. That was frustrating in itself, but the barricade's abrupt appearance made the hairs on Link's neck stand on end.

"Oh good, now we're really stuck," Navi said irritably.

Not wanting to be thwarted by a magical barrier, Link tried hacking it with his Master Sword. Unfortunately for him, this proved to be a rather bad idea; when he struck the shimmering light, he was thrown violently to the floor, a loud bang reverberating through the room.

Bones cracked as Link hit the stone, landing awkwardly on his shield arm. He groaned, clutching his arm. "That worked," he said through clenched teeth. He gingerly pushed himself to his feet, waving off Sheik's offer of help. "I'm fine."

Rolling his shoulder, Link checked himself for damage, found nothing serious, and then grabbed his sword.

Staring at the barrier, he realized something that chilled him to the bone. The mysterious magic was similar to the barrier he'd encountered in the Forest Temple. That obstacle had been the work of Ganondorf's phantom, and it only fell after Link had slain the specter.

"You don't think there's another phantom here?" he asked, looking at Navi.

"No, I don't think so," she assured him, shaking her head and surveying the barrier. "The magic making this barrier feels different."

They stared in silence as Navi's words sunk in. They had very little idea what they were dealing with.

Well, that's just great, Link thought, rubbing his throbbing arm. He peered into the relatively innocuous room. It was empty save for the raised tiles scattered about the room.

"What do these Gerudo trials involve?" he asked, not eager to proceed without knowing exactly what they were up against. Unfortunately, with his luck, that was precisely what he'd have to do.

"A Gerudo Elder usually guides a novice through them. Most of the trials are conjured illusions, but not all," Here Sheik paused for thought. "There are six in total."

"So we don't know what we're facing?" Navi asked, sounding as thrilled as Link felt.

"No," Sheik answered. 

Great. They were absolutely blind. If only Aveil had been able to accompany them. Link didn't even know if she was alive; she had been injured during the fight with the Blin. Knowing that pondering on questions which he had no answer to wasn't going to help him right now, Link resolved to deal with what came. He'd come this far by doing that.

By the skin of your teeth, he told himself.

"I'll go ahead," he said at last. "If one of us walks into something, it won't do to have us both wander blindly into it."

"My thoughts exactly," Sheik said appraisingly.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Link muttered quietly, a range of possibilities springing to mind.

Taking a deep breath, and doing his best to not let his imagination get the better of him, Link walked into the empty chamber. He kept his sword bared; if anything appeared, he didn't want to be taken unawares.

He was halfway through the room when a cackle echoed through the air. Link jumped and quickly looked for the source of the noise. The laugh reminded him of the witch Kotake, laughing in glee as she tortured him.

That chilling thought distracted him, and suddenly cold, Link stepped back.

"Link, stop!" Sheik yelled, her warning echoed by a voice in his mind.

Too late. Without realizing his error, Link stepped onto one of the raised glyphs. There was a faint hiss, and then Link felt the stone block sinking into the floor beneath him. He tensed. What did I just do?

As if providing an answer, a deep rumbling shook the room, and dust fell from the ceiling in a thick plume. Link turned to locate the sound's source, then realized it was coming from above. That was when he noticed something rather odd.

The high ceiling seemed to be getting lower. With a jolt of horror, Link realized it was sinking.

"Run!" Navi shouted.

Link burst into a run, legs pumping as he ran towards the door. The ceiling was now low enough that he could have jumped up and touched it. He was feet away from the door, his head nearly bumping the now low ceiling, when a poe appeared. It hovered in front of him, cackling madly at his predicament. Throwing caution to the wind, Link channeled a wall of flame straight into the ghostly apparition. The Poe's eyes went wide, and it shrieked as the flames crashed into it, swallowing it whole. A wave of vertigo hit Link, and he stumbled. Sheik grabbed him roughly by the arm and hauled him through the door.

"Well," Navi's voice was filled with false cheer as Link caught his breath. "At least that's one down... I hope."

Link couldn't help feeling unamused by her tone. "Thanks, Navi," he gasped, still struggling for breath, "that's good to know."

She was right though; they had faced one trial, or so he hoped. Link didn't find it particularly comforting to think that there were more traps and hazards waiting for him.

"Let's go," Sheik didn't give him time to ponder; she was already heading down the corridor. She paused, looked over her shoulder expectantly, and Link quickly joined her.

The next chamber revealed a single trap door. The only remaining doorway was sealed by another shimmering barrier.

I really am starting to hate those things, Link thought. He knelt down, pulling the latch to open the heavy iron trapdoor. 

He peered through the trapdoor and saw the rungs of a ladder that reached down to the floor below.

"Maybe I should go first?" Navi suggested, following Link's gaze. Without waiting for an answer, she flew through the trapdoor and out of sight. It was only a second before she called out, "It's clear. You can climb down."

Before Link could respond, another crack echoed through the room, and yet another barrier appeared, blocking the only other way out.

"What was that?" Navi called worriedly.

"Just another barrier. We're fine." Link glanced at the ladder and quickly climbed down.

As he climbed the last few rungs and reached the floor below, he gazed around the room. It wasn't filled with the usual lavish decorations Link came to associate with temples. Nor was it adorned with murals depicting deities and scenes of everyday life amongst the Gerudo. What was odd though was the shaft atop the ceiling, and that each wall was lined with four doors. One of these was noticeably larger than the rest, gilded with gold around its edges.

All of the doors were locked except one. Link twisted the door handle, ready to back away if anything unpleasant emerged. He threw it open, and a group of bats with barbed tails flew out with a cacophony of squeaks. Navi flew into the shelter of Link's tunic as one bat nearly collided with her. Another swooped at Link, slashing its barbed tail towards his face. Link slapped it away. It came back for another swipe, and he skewered it on his sword. Sheik slashed her knife through another as it tried to attack her. The remainder seemed to think better of attacking the duo and quickly flew up the ceiling's shaft, their chittering squeaks fading into the distance.

"Bats?" Link asked as his heart pounded madly inside his chest.

"Keese," Navi corrected, zipping back into the open.

"How were they still alive?" He peered into the room. It was small, roughly ten feet from corner to corner. There was nothing inside except a chest, and nor anything to suggest how the Keese could have survived in there for long.

"They're apparitions," Sheik reminded him.

"Right." Link looked down at the bat he'd slain, giving it a soft nudge with his boot. Instead of blood, a strange purple smoke drifted up from the wound. Even as he watched, almost leaping back in astonishment, purple flames began to consume the corpse, leaving nothing but a pile of ash. Moments later, the one Sheik had slain disintegrated in a similar manner.

Stepping over the still smoldering ash of the Keese, Link stepped into the next room, half expecting to trigger another trap. Checking the floor for any markings or raised glyphs, he found none and put his hands on the chest's lid.

"Careful," Navi cautioned him. "Whatever is in there, I doubt it's rupees."

Link pried the lid of the chest open a crack and peered inside, half expecting to find a Skulltula. Or something worse.

It was just a key. He breathed a sigh of relief, almost laughing at the absurdity of what he thought he'd find. Link picked a door at random, only to find the key wouldn't fit. Then a second and third. He almost kicked the fourth one. Then finally...click.

Holding his breath again, Link wrenched the door open. Inside he found...

"Another chest?" This wasn't what Link expected. He would have thought the Gerudo trials would involve something more physical- fighting, fasting, or meditating.

To the Kokiri, a trial would have been locating a special object within the woods, with nothing but their skill and a newly bonded fairy guiding them. Link's quest had become one of a far more elaborate nature.

"Just chests?" he said, bemused. "This can't be right."

Opting for caution, he nudged the chest with his foot in case there was anything unpleasant inside. Hearing nothing, he opened the lid and came eyeball to eyeball with a snake that appeared none too pleased with the disturbance. 

Link jumped back, stumbling clumsily onto the tiled floor as the angry viper hissed and slithered from its cell, landing smoothly upon the floor. Recovering his senses quickly, Link launched himself back to his feet. The snake raised its head, hissing, and was rewarded with Link's blade cutting straight through its body. The headless serpent fell, body thrashing and twisting as it burst into flames.

"What's next?" Link muttered, managing to catch his breath. "Giant spiders?"

"Probably," Navi answered.

Without further thought, Link retrieved the key and searched for the corresponding lock. He tried almost every door until he found the right one. The next room contained a giant scorpion, something he'd never come across before. The fourth room did, in fact, contain an enormous Skultulla.

The fifth room contained a Wolfos that howled and lunged at Link. Assuming a defensive stance, Link thrust his sword forward, letting the beast's weight crash onto the sword which sank into its ribs. With a mild amount of cursing, he threw the mutt off of him.

"How many more of these are there?" he asked, grimacing at the sight of the canine's sharp fangs.

"There are seven more doors," Sheik answered plainly. "Do you need to rest for a moment?"

"No," Link said tersely. "I'll be fine."

The wolfos unsettled him in a way that the other creatures hadn't. It made him sweat and the hairs on his neck stood up. If he closed his eyes, he could recall that terrifying encounter where he'd almost died. With difficulty, he dismissed the memory, clutching his sword so tightly it was a wonder his hand wasn't cramping.

"Enough of that," Courage bade him. "If I'm going to be stuck here with your thoughts, kindly stop dwelling on what cannot be changed."

"Just fine," Link muttered aloud, gritting his teeth. Navi and Sheik both regarded him with worry, but he just took a breath and proceeded to the sixth door. Deciding he was going to kick the chest on the other side, just to be safe, he turned the door handle. Pausing. 

Maybe a Goron bomb would work...

No. Accidentally destroying the key would likely leave them stuck. 

Link had barely pried the door ajar before a flicker of yellow flame greeted him. Link yelped and jumped away, barely missing the tongues of fire that rushed through the doorway. There was a loud snarl, and he brought his sword to bear as a lizalfos emerged into the chamber. Quickly, Link slammed his shield into the lizard's face. He felt bones shattering beneath the impact, stunning the lizalfos. Not giving it a chance to regain its senses, Link plunged his blade into the reptile's gut. Grimacing at the brutality of what he'd done, he pulled his sword free.

Sheik took the unfortunate beast's blade, casting it a look of distaste, and then the lizalfos turned to ash before their eyes.

"It doesn't matter how many times I do that, I feel revolted each time," Link said, staring at the Lizalfos' ashes.

Sheik studied him thoughtfully. "That says a lot about the kind of person you are." When he didn't reply, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "There will be a time to ponder our past actions, but right now we need to focus on finding the Sage and getting out of here."

"She agrees with me," Courage commented, sounding pleased.

"Right."

Taking her advice, Link proceeded to the seventh door. A stalfos emerged from its dark prison, and Link cleaved the Master Sword through its neck before it realized what was happening.

The next room contained nothing except two pots.

Odd. He wondered if he should break them in case anything was waiting inside. Deciding that this was unlikely, and he was just being plain stupid, Link kicked the chest open.

No sooner had he done so, than the pots rose into the air on their own accord and veered towards him.

"Link, duck!" Navi shouted, flying away from the projectiles.

Link did so, turning his head to see the pots smash into the wall with a tinkering crash.

Sheik, who'd been standing beside the door, peered inside, her expression wary. When she spotted the broken clay fragments, she shot a questioning glare at Link.

"It wasn't me," he protested. "They just-"

A cackling laugh alerted him to the poe as it materialised, swinging its lantern towards his face. Link managed to dart out of the way and slash the Master Sword straight into the creature's side. It gave a shriek and vanished in a burst of blue flame.

"I'm really starting to hate those things," he muttered. "Come on, let's get the rest of this over and done with."

Grabbing the key, Link followed Sheik over to the next door. Then, with a nod at Sheik, he wrenched it open. A blast of blue fire moved towards him. Link jumped out of the way as a Beamos' blue beam nearly seared his foot. For a heartbeat, the Beamos stopped firing, and Link secured his shield in front of him. The second beam struck the shield, bouncing back into the Beamos and obliterating it.

"This is a stupid test!" Link seethed.

He didn't think that Ganondorf was behind this. Annoying traps weren't the Gerudo King's style. He was far more confrontational. That was when Link heard that cackling laugh again, and at first, he thought it was just another Poe, but when none appeared, he started to wonder if it was something else.

The ninth door led to a Moblin, and the tenth contained a ReDead. By the time Link spotted the cursed beast lurking in the shadows of the room, it was staring straight at him, its ear-piercing shriek nearly tearing his eardrums asunder. The leathery remnants of the ReDead's hands clawed the air, reaching for his neck.

Just before the beast could wrap its hands around his throat, a blade burst through the beast's chest. Sheik swung again, slashing the undead's head from its shoulders.

Freed from the paralysis, Link collapsed onto the floor, trembling terribly. It took a few moments to compose himself; his limbs felt rubbery, and he'd broken out in a cold sweat.

That was too close.

He pushed himself to his feet, using the wall for support.

"Link?"

"It's nothing," he said, trying to brush off Sheik's concern. "I just let that thing get too close. That's all."

Sheik seemed to accept this and offered him some water. He gulped it down, took a deep breath, steadied himself, and moved on to the next room.

Retrieving yet another key, he found the eleventh door, which wasn't hard to find. It was bigger than the rest, which Link didn't take to be a good sign given how insane this test had been so far.

Sheik stood back, her hands raised to send a blast of magic towards whatever was on the other side.

"Ready?" Link asked.

He plunged the key into the lock and twisted.

Click.

CRASH!

Link went flying backward, slamming into stone. Splintered and shattered wood rained down around him, and he looked up just as a colossal suit of armor stepped into the now open doorway, an enormous battle-axe clasped in its hands. It made the statue Link fought inside the Gerudo Fortress look like a child's plaything. The room shook as it stomped towards him, raising its cruel, sharp axe. 

The axe came swinging down, striking the floor and gouging the stone as Link rolled out of the way.

"Link, move!" Navi shouted. "It's an Iron Knuckle."

Clanking with every step, the menacing suit of shining armor came lumbering forward. It swung its axe at the ladder, smashing and splintering the wooden rungs as though they were only twigs. Link could only groan with dismay as wooden debris flew across the room.

Their way out was gone.

Oh great, he thought.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

Link looked beyond the behemoth towards the ruined door, noticing the chest was just inside.

Sheik saw it too. "Link, I need you to keep it distracted."

"What?" he exclaimed. He knew what she intended, but he hadn't actually expected her to try it.

"I'm going to make a run for the key."

The axe came cleaving through the air again, coming within inches of slicing through Link's skull.

"Whatever you're doing hurry up!" Link roared, glad the monster was too intent on killing him to worry about whatever it was Sheik was doing.

Sheik dashed through the door, the Iron Knuckle continuing to ignore her. Link leapt to the side as the Iron Knuckle's axe slammed through the air again, carving through the stone floor, and sending a spray of stone into the air.

"Hurry!"

He spotted Sheik running out the door with the key. He deftly avoided the Iron Knuckle's next attempt to carve him in two and then ran. The statue followed with an angry roar.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

"Run, Link!" Navi screamed.

"I'm running!" he shot back, racing after Sheik as fast as he could. She opened the final door, beckoned for him to hurry, and then bolted through.

Link followed close behind with the axe-wielding enemy charging after him. Realizing it was too large to fit through the doorway, the Iron Knuckle came to a halt just short of smacking its head into the stone arch.

Not to be deterred, and roaring its frustration all the while, the beast hacked at the arch, sending another spray of stone through the air. Link stared at the colossal hulk of armor, wondering how he'd managed to avoid being carved to pieces.

"I hope there are no more of those things," he managed breathlessly.

"As do I," Sheik agreed.

They walked up the passageway, dreading what might be beyond the next door. Torches lit both sides of the corridor, and they could still hear the Iron Knuckle hacking the stone behind them. Then, it finally went eerily silent.

Link gripped the door handle at the corridor's end, praying to the Goddesses there wasn't anything more unpleasant on the other side.

Instead, he found himself standing before a long corridor divided by tall, marble arches with more murals along the frieze of the archways. Each of these seemed to depict people standing before a figure who held a book in one hand and a scepter in the other. There were five arches in total, and at the far end was a door painted a deep red.

Sheik's attention was focused on a stone tablet beside the first arch, decorated with neatly carved calligraphy, the markings so small and so neat that Link couldn't help but wonder at the skill involved. The faded and dust-smeared surface of the stone suggested that it was far older than the murals surrounding it. Sheik read it, her eyes narrowing as she squinted at the small writing.

"What does it say? " Navi asked.

"It speaks of prophecies. Beyond here, the temple will show us a glimpse of things that were and things that are yet to come," Sheik said, her brow furrowed. She stared towards the archway.

Link had a bad feeling about going forward, but there was no choice unless they wanted to visit their friend waiting at the other end of the previous corridor.

"This is what Aveil was talking about," Sheik murmured, turning back to the glyphs and tracing her fingers along them. "These arches reveal prophecies about the Gerudo, the people of Hyrule, and the one who walks beneath them."

"How?" Link asked, not entirely sure that he understood.

"I guess we're about to find out."

Link took a tentative step towards the first archway and then another. As he stepped beneath the arch, he felt something pulling at his navel. He gasped, turning around as the world shimmered around him. The air rippled and coalesced, and the room began to change. Then, everything went black.

Link fought down a sudden urge to panic, sure that he'd somehow been blinded. But just as he thought this, he could see again, and the world came back into focus. Except he was no longer standing in the Spirit Temple.

Instead, he was deep in what he assumed was an unfamiliar woodland, all but the closest trees shrouded in fog, all of them leafless, gripped within winter's icy depths. A single haunting cry of a bird broke through the fog, but still, nothing stirred between the silent boughs. 

As Link adjusted to this strange dreamlike world, he started forward, damp leaf litter crunching beneath his boots. He quickly came across a pond, just before a stand of trees. Something drew him nearer to the water, and he peered down into its depths.

The moment he did, he forced back a scream, stepping back in shock.

The reflection peering back at him wasn't his own.

It wasn't a red-eyed demon either. Slowly, not certain whether it was a simple illusion, Link approached the pool again.

A tall figure in regal armor, the pauldrons covered in ivy and the breastplate forming the shape of a bird, stared back at him. But it wasn't human, or at least, that was what he first assumed. Its face was devoid of flesh. Only the skull remained. A single glowing orb remained in place of the right eye, gazing at him from beneath the ornate helm. All in all, it resembled an elaborately dressed Stalfos. Link shook his head, and to his immense horror, the creature's head moved in unison with his own.

He wasn't staring at a Stalfos. He was the Stalfos.

Link screamed. A horrible sound tore from his throat, like the ghoulish howl of a creature from the underworld.

Then everything went white, and when his vision finally returned, his heel caught on the floor and he went backward in a heap, instinctively landing with his hands against the cool stone. Sheik quickly knelt over him.

"Link, are you alright?" she asked quietly. "What did you see?"

Link shook himself and got to his feet, not quite able to hide the confusion from his voice as he said, "It didn't make any sense...I...I was a Stalfos in armor I didn't recognize."

They were silent for a brief time, Link gazed at the carvings on the arch as though hoping they might give him a clue as to what he'd seen. Sheik put a hand on his shoulder, and he looked at her. "It doesn't show what will happen," she said gently. "Remember what I said, it shows different paths the future can take."

"I hope you're right," Link said, unable to shake the memory of seeing that ghostly reflection staring back at him. "What did you-"

It seemed a stupid question, even as he said it, and Sheik cut him off. 

"Later," she cut in. "We need to keep moving."

Understanding her meaning, Link nodded and pried no further. He was unable to take more than a few steps before he glanced back, his thoughts returning to that ghoulish creature. What had he been looking at?

"I hate to ruin any notion of grandeur you had, but age will do that to you," Courage said, its sudden presence in Link's mind almost making him jump. Mercifully he didn't. "Time's flow is ever cruel. We come like a whisper in the wind and leave, our passing but a fleeting moment in this world. The rising sun will set, and a newborn's life will fade. That is the way of things. What matters is what you can do now."

"That really isn't helpful," Link thought back, not impressed. Though he was not entirely sure he wanted an answer, he asked anyway. "Was it really me?"

"Perhaps, or perhaps not," the spirit responded vaguely. "That is but one path the future may take. One of many and each one can be changed even by the smallest actions you take."

There was something odd about that statement.

Aware that he was staring at the ground pensively, and the others were looking at him with worried expressions, Link shook his head.

"It's nothing," he told them resolutely. "Come on."

He dreaded what he'd see next as he walked beneath the second archway. His skin prickled as he sensed the ancient magic humming in the air. Then it once again engulfed him.

The scene greeting him differed from the last; both Sheik and Navi were with him. They were standing in a room lavishly decorated with a variety of furnishings that included a carpet, and an unusual bed, made of a mat and lots of plump tassled cushions at its head. It sat on a dais, the silk curtains that surrounded it currently drawn back and two Gerudo sat on either side of the raised platform. The man bore a striking resemblance to Ganondorf, but his build, and the smaller nose, told Link this wasn't Ganondorf. As Link watched, the man got up from the bed and strode away from it. The woman behind him, her jaw set and eyes narrowed angrily, glared at him.

The man sighed, saying something in Gerudic and rubbing his temples. Whatever he said, it did nothing to defuse the obvious tension pervading the room. Link looked to Sheik for answers, but she wasn't watching him. The man sat down at a writing desk near the bed, looking tired. It was a low table, with a cushion instead of a chair.

A cold breeze brushed through the door of an open balcony, and Link stepped outside to look down upon the flickering lights of the Gerudo Fortress. He'd barely stepped outside when a door on one side of the room opened. A rather grumpy and sleepy-looking red-haired boy, his nose crooked as though he'd been in a recent fight, stepped into the room.

"Is that..." Navi asked slowly, her eyes going wide. "Wait..."

They were staring at a young Ganondorf. Far from the menacing figure he would become, he wore a simple vest and breeches. He couldn't have been older than five or six. The man looked up from his scrolls and stood.

"Sheikah," breathed Sheik, the urgency in her voice catching Link's attention.

She gestured further along the balcony. "What?" Link turned to see two figures creeping towards the doorway, dressed in cloaks that blended with the night.

In an instant, the peaceful desert night shattered. The two Sheikah paused, stared at each other, gave the barest nod, and then stepped into the room without a sound. Still, something caught the attention of the man, for he gave a shout and flung himself between the Sheikah and his young son.

"Guards!" he roared. "Assassins in the king's chamber!"

Ice began forming on the door, covering its entire frame and sealing it shut. Link could hear the pounding and yelling from outside.

The two assassins sprang forward with terrifying speed. One swept a knife across the Gerudo King's belly before he could make another move. Blood gushed from the wound, and he doubled over, crumpling bonelessly to the floor, crimson blood spilling onto the stone.

The woman screamed, leaping for a blade hanging on the wall. The second assassin was on her in a second, and before she could take another step, a sword slammed into her gut. The assassin wrenched the blade free, and a pool of red splashed onto the mat as the Gerudo was thrown back onto it.

It was over so quickly that Link was still in shock when the two assassins turned towards the young Ganondorf. He was standing next to the Gerudo King's body, and Link could feel the horror within his eyes.  Eyes that couldn't process the magnitude of what was happening. The assassin standing beside the dead king stepped towards the boy, blade raised. Ganondorf stepped back, looking upon the eyes of the Sheikah and cowering.

The assassin hesitated, knife trembling as their hand shook.

Their companion noticed.

"Impa," the man barked. "What are you doing? Kill him now!"

Link gasped. So did Sheik.

Slowly, Impa brought her hand down. The knife slipped from her grasp and clattered to the ground. The man cursed and jumped over the dais, raising his own blade to do the deed himself.

"Stop!"

Impa grabbed the man's hand before he could plunge the knife into Ganondorf's heart, nearly stumbling.

"He's just a boy!" Impa exclaimed. "We were told to expect a child capable of great sorcery, but I see none of that."

"You know what he'll become, Impa! Far more blood will be shed than his!"

The other assassin struggled to break free of her grasp.

"What if we're wrong?" Impa asked. 

"The High Seer is never wrong!"

"Are you certain of that?" Impa demanded. "This boy is no mage!"

The man looked back into the eyes of the terrified Gerudo child. Link didn't know what Impa was expecting to find, but it was hard to believe those same eyes would one day stare at Link with the purest hatred while standing upon Castletown's drawbridge, their positions very much reversed.

In that moment of hesitance, as both Sheikah stared at the Gerudo child, the shield of ice shattered, and the door burst open. Both Sheikah cursed and sprung into action. The man, whoever he was, launched towards the boy, even as Impa tried to pull him back. A Gerudo stepped in front of Ganondorf, spear flashing towards the boy's would-be killer, her spear slicing a deep cut into his leg as he tried and failed to get around her. 

 More Gerudo burst into the room, their voices in shouts of rage that promised retribution.

Knocking back her companion's attacker, Impa pulled the injured Sheikah away. He was still able to limp, even as they held back the Gerudo, their blades deflecting the spears that lunged for them. Impa withdrew a stone from her pocket; it glowed with a brilliant yellow light, swallowing her and her companion. They vanished into the night.

"Find them!" one of the Gerudo roared. "Find the damned Sheikah!"

Ganondorf stood in the midst of the chaos, his eyes lingering on his dead parents. One Gerudo tried to pull him gently away from the terrible sight, but he wouldn't move. The woman finally decided to pick him up and carry him away from the scene. The young boy found his voice at last, and the last thing Link heard were his heart-wrenching screams.

The world went white, with Link and Sheik finding themselves staring at the corridor's marble floor.

Nobody spoke.

Sheik was clasping the wall with one hand, looking like she was about to be violently ill.

"You didn't know. Did you?" Navi asked quietly.

"No," Sheik replied, breathing heavily. "I knew that the Gerudo Royal Family was assassinated... I knew they'd blamed the High Seer and agreed to help stop him, but I..." her voice trailed off as she choked on the words.

"You didn't know Impa had anything to do with it?" Navi finished for her.

"No." Sheik's face was ghostly white, and she looked shaken to the core. "I don't know the rest of the story... nor do I know why Impa was surprised to find Ganondorf couldn't wield the Flow... he should have had some ability... I..." As Link had done earlier she glanced back at the archway, looking far more uncertain than Link could recall. 

"The archways test us. They're meant to shake us. That's what Aveil said," Navi said at last. "Maybe we didn't see it the way it happened... Sheik... who was the High Seer?"

"He was the Sheikah's leader. To even consider questioning his judgment was heresy," Sheik answered, her voice barely audible. "He was deposed long before our time."

Sheik would say no more on the subject. Instead, and without a word, she resolutely led the way to the next arch.

The next vision led them outside a tent in the desert. A village carved into the rock formations stood upon sandy hills not far from them. More tents were scattered across the desert sands around them, and there was a definite air of tension inside the camp. From inside the closest tent, a woman moaned in agony. At the sound of thundering hooves, Link turned around to see a jet-black horse. It came to a stop, snorting with the effort of its run, a sheen of sweat thick on its coat. Its rider gestured to the guards that surrounded him.

The rider was Ganondorf, an uncharacteristic look of worry across his face.

"How is she?" he asked one of the women guarding the tent. They knelt as he dismounted.

"The birth does not go well," said one of the guards, bowing her head. "It is as the healer predicted. My Lord...I am sorry we do not have better news."

"Did you find Koume or Kotake?" Ganondorf demanded.

"No, my Lord. They haven't been seen since last night. We found a Sheikah in the village. A healer, a woman by the name of Anisha Lon..." Something in the guard's tone betrayed that she had some misgivings about the healer. "She said she could help Nabooru."

Navi and Link stared at each other, both coming to the same unspoken conclusion. They both knew who this woman was, and they both knew she'd died in the Gerudo Desert.

"You did what?" A look of rage passed over the Gerudo King's face.

One woman licked her lips nervously. "I'm sorry. I know it was against your wishes, but it was the only way, and Nabooru insisted on it."

Inside, the woman who Link guessed was Nabooru groaned loudly. It took some confirmation from Navi for Link to realize what was wrong.

Ganondorf pushed his way past the two women and entered the tent. There were frantic voices inside the tent, yet Ganondorf's angry voice could be heard above it all. There was one final loud moan, voices speaking words of encouragement, and then everything went silent.

The two women outside the tent looked at each other with utter dread. There were a few frantic words from inside and a woman's resigned affirmation.

Then a wail of anguish came from the tent, a sound of heart-wrenching grief.

"Oh no," Navi whispered.

One guard left the tent's front and stepped inside. Some of the nearby Gerudo halted their various errands, looking to see what the noise was. Ganondorf's guard made some sign against evil.

There were more angry shouts from inside the tent. Ganondorf strode out, a look of unbridled fury on his face.

"My...My lord?" the guard still by the tent flap asked uncertainly. "Is Nabooru...?"

"She will live," Ganondorf said, his voice deadly quiet. "My son is dead."

"I-" the guard's voice trembled. "Ganondorf, I'm so sorry."

Ganondorf scoffed bitterly, "It's far too late for that. It seems the gods have decreed I shall have no heir."

Two more of his guards stepped outside of the tent.

"Have the Sheikah witch bound," Ganondorf ordered them.

The two newcomers looked surprised. "My Lord," said one. "You promised Nabooru you would let her go! She is part Gerudo and Sheikah, yes, but you yourself promised to pardon those of such descent."

"I promised nothing of the sort," Ganondorf snarled. The guards retreated a few steps.

"You know she had nothing to do with your son-"

"SHE HAD EVERYTHING TO DO WITH IT!" Ganondorf roared, spit flying from his mouth. "I will hear no more of this, or you will join her!"

He looked every bit like the imposing figure Link knew, only far less contained. The guards' faces were torn between grief and horror. Ganondorf seemed to realize all his people were looking at him, the guards on horseback quickly tending to their frazzled steeds, while servants running errands doubled their pace, all eager to be anywhere their king wasn't. Ganondorf took a deep breath, but the tension didn't leave his voice. "Just bind the damned witch...and bring her to the fortress."

"What do you intend to do with her?" one of the guards asked, dread evident in her voice.

"You know damn well what I intend to do! It's what I should have done to those damn half-breeds long ago."

Ganondorf stormed away, mounting his horse and riding off. A cold chill swept through the crowd of Gerudo as they stared at him with a mixture of dismay and horror.

The air rippled, and the scene changed. Link was standing in a plaza inside the Gerudo Fortress. There were Gerudo all around him, pressed together in a tight crush of bodies. Everyone was staring at a platform within the plaza's center. Ganondorf stood on the dais, his voice ringing out over the throng. Two figures stood behind them, one holding a staff with a red ruby, and the other a blue sapphire. Link recognized them.

Koume and Kotake.

Twelve Sheikah stood before Ganondorf. They were bound, hands behind their back. Most of them stared at the ground, while others defiantly glared at the crowd as two Iron Knuckles loomed over them. A Hyrulean banner had been draped over the shoulders of each Sheikah in a cruel mockery of their defeat.

Ganondorf shouted an order, and all the Gerudo cheered...almost all. Some looked troubled as their companions screamed for blood. The Iron Knuckles stepped forward.

Link felt sick; he knew what was coming, knew nothing could stop it, and he now also suspected this was the fate that had befallen Malon's mother. Her death had been no accident. Ganondorf had murdered her. Another name on a long and blood-soaked list.

One by one, the Sheikah were forced to their knees. The axes glinted in the sunlight and then came down with a sickening crunch.

As Sheikah blood splattered the stone, Link spotted a figure on the edge of the gathered throng, her guards beside her. Nabooru watched the slaughter in silent disgust.

Then the world rippled around them, blurring as the scene changed again. Link had seen enough. Goddesses, what kind of a cruel test was this? He was going to be sick.

They were in a room with sparse torches lighting the carvings and calligraphy along the walls of a hallowed chamber. The murals along the walls depicted a boat, a funerary procession, and along the wall furthest from the entrance, a deity with the head of a dog. A row of sarcophaguses stretched the length of the chamber. There were more coffins between the murals on the wall, much like the catacombs of the Fire Temple. It was beside one of these niches that Link spotted a solitary figure.

Ganondorf was wearing his trademark black armor. The alcove he stood beside housed a tiny sarcophagus. Realizing what it was, Link felt a strange sense of sympathy for the man. This broken monarch was not the same Ganondorf he knew. Not yet.

Ganondorf didn't even turn when two black-robed figures entered the chamber. He looked tired, worn, and drained; like a man who'd lost everything.

The two newcomers approached the Gerudo King, and then stood silently, waiting for him to acknowledge them.

"We can bring them back, you know," Koume said softly. "We can bring them all back."

"How?" Ganondorf asked, his voice hollow and dead.

"The ancient relic can restore them," said Kotake.

"This again?" Ganondorf scoffed bitterly, then turned around. "I've heard enough of your nonsense. You promised answers, and I have grown tired of waiting. Either you find a way to free my people from this curse, or I will leave your corpses to dry in the desert."

"How dare you speak to us like that!" Koume snapped, her eyes bulging with rage. "That's no way to treat the people who raised you."

"I will speak to you as I please," Ganondorf growled.

"Now, now, Sister." Kotake chided, patting Koume on the shoulder. "We mustn't be so hard on our dear king, not here and certainly not now..." Kotake drew away from her sister and regarded the small coffin. "We have told you repeatedly how you can save your people," she began. "We can bring your son back. All you-"

"All I must do is invade a sovereign country, capture the most sacred and well-guarded relic in all the Ten Kingdoms, and bring the wrath of an entire realm upon on us," Ganondorf said acidly. "Yes, you mentioned that already. Have you grown so old and senile that this is the extent of your wisdom?"

"Impudence!" Kotake screeched, eyes bulging. "Insult my sister all you like, but don't insult me!"

Koume didn't look impressed. "Hmm...the Blins know of an artifact that can help us. They worshiped it once, but if you are going to be so rude, perhaps we won't help you at all."

"What artifact?" Ganondorf snapped.

"Ho! Now you want to know?" Koume sniffed. "The artifact is a mask. Hidden somewhere within the mountains. All you have to do is find it. It contains an ancient power that will help you obtain the Triforce."

"Are you proposing that if I get this mask of yours...I just stroll up to King Nohansen and ask him for the Triforce?" Ganondorf asked dryly. "Do you think the man so dull that he is just going to say yes to the descendant of a man his people his grandfather went to war with?"

"Not exactly," Koume said. "Anyway, as I recall he didn't like his family, not on his father's side at least. If you gain the king's trust, you will be able to go about finding it unimpeded. Hyrule Castle's library has all the information you need."

"Tell me, you said you would do anything for those you love? For your people?" Koume asked, meeting Ganondorf's eyes. "You know what will happen if you don't do this. You saw your people's fate when you entered the Spirit Temple-"

The voices suddenly became muffled, as though somebody had thrown a blanket over Link and stuffed it against his ears. The conversation still echoed in Link's head as the world faded.

The calm, empty corridor was at odds with the torrent of emotions whirling within his head. He could still see the looks on the Sheikah's faces, the hope dying in their red eyes moments before the axe came down. Link recalled that haunted expression in Ganondorf's eyes as he gazed upon the tomb of his stillborn son.

He looked at Navi.

"When we get out of here, promise me you won't tell Malon what happened," Link said, still trying to process what he'd seen. "I don't think it would be fair to put that on her."

He didn't want to hurt her, but for some reason, it seemed a cruel secret to keep.

"I won't," Navi said. "Not unless you decide you want to."

Before they could speak any further, Sheik prompted him to keep going. They only had two archways left. Once again, the air rippled around Link, and his mind left the Spirit Temple.

Darkness.

He was inside a cave.

The flickering light of a torch, held by a Gerudo, guided their way forward. She was standing beside Ganondorf, the Twinrova Sisters keeping pace alongside them. Behind him, Nabooru took up the rear.

An echoing whisper swept through the cave, sending an icy shudder down Link's spine.

"Ganondorf."

Ganondorf paused, and the Gerudo quickly stopped.

"Is something wrong?" Nabooru asked.

"Did you hear that?" Ganondorf asked.

Nabooru looked puzzled. "Hear what?"

"It...never mind," Ganondorf shook his head, appearing to shrug off his concern.

Link knew he'd heard that voice too. Whatever it was, Ganondorf hadn't imagined it.

"Did you hear it?" he asked Sheik and Navi.

They nodded.

The party of Gerudo continued, their footsteps echoing in the darkness.

They soon spotted light ahead. The group quickened their pace towards it, and the cave opened up into a chamber.

The room they entered was far bigger than the Spirit Temple's entrance hall. Torches flickered along the walls, illuminating the room. Statues of animals, women, and men lined the chamber. Reliefs were carved into the stone, forming murals across the walls.

The subject of these particular carvings struck link as rather dark, and each scene bore the same ominous theme. Death. Destruction.

Carved on one wall was a round orb resembling the moon. A face had been carved into its surface, twisted into a terrifying smile, its gaze lingering upon the settlement beneath it. People stood outside the city's walls, knowing the safety it promised was a lie. Some of them glanced up at their impending doom with terror, while others simply looked resigned to their terrible fate.

"What is this place?" Navi asked.

"I believe it is a shrine, somewhere in the Gerudo Mountains," Sheik answered. "The Sheikah recorded some of the prophecies they foretold. Including one of Hyrule falling to a flood. Their shrines were abandoned as their society collapsed."

"I remember Rauru mentioning that the Sheikah recorded their dreams," Link said. "Or it was something like that."

"Yes, Dream Seers. When they were children, Dream Seers were inducted into the temple. There, the priests would record their dreams, interpret them, and then present their findings to the High Seer. In doing so, the High Seer could choose the right path."

"The right path?" Navi asked.

"It was meant to be the path that would lead Hyrule and the Sheikah to prosperity," Sheik answered grimly. "We already know how that ended."

Her gaze fell upon a nearby mural that featured a settlement suspiciously similar to Castletown, with enormous waves of water crashing against its walls. There were people atop the wall, fear carved into their faces, no doubt wondering just how long the walls would hold against the deluge. In other places, the water crashed over the wall, sending people toppling from its height. In the center of all this chaos, stood Hyrule Castle, appearing exactly as Link remembered it. It stood like a proud bastion amidst the tempest, the waves pounding relentlessly against its tall walls. A section was in the process of buckling, water pouring through the breach, hapless citizens tossed flying, devoured by the surging waters.

"You know... it could be a metaphor for an army," Navi suggested, studying the carvings. "Maybe an invasion? It looks like a giant wave. The Zora speak of giant waves that occur after an earthquake, crushing and devouring anything in their path." She studied the carvings more closely. "That's what it looks like."

"Possibly," Sheik mused.

The sound of raised voices drew their attention back to Ganondorf and his companions.

There was a sarcophagus at the far end of the chamber, the image of a hooded man carved into its heavy lid. As Link stared at the seemingly innocuous coffin, a presence inside swept through his mind. He shuddered, feeling the malevolence of whatever was sealed within the tomb. There was something in there that wanted to get out.

Ganondorf strode over to the sarcophagus and ran a finger through the dust that smeared the coffin.

"Is this it?" he asked, his voice barely audible. His question seemed to be directed at the Twinrova sisters.

Koume and Kotake, garbed in elaborate ceremonial robes, examined the tomb.

"Yes," Koume announced. "Yes, this is the one."

At Ganondorf's command, the Gerudo gathered around the coffin. Koume and Kotake murmured a quiet incantation, their hands on the lid. Ganondorf exchanged a look with them, and with a loud crack, the lid shuddered as its seal broke. Then, at Ganondorf's order, the Gerudo slid the lid off the sarcophagus, revealing the mummified remains of a corpse wrapped tightly in linen. There were only three items in the tomb, a sword, a shield, and a mask placed on the head of the mummy. Unlike a death mask, it wasn't carved into the likeness of the deceased's face. Link felt a sliver of recognition, and then as he stepped forward to get a better look, he realized what he was looking at.

The Skull Mask.

The gem on its forehead emitted an ethereal red glow, and Link felt a sensation of heat ripple through the room. At that precise moment, a strange stream of red energy shot out from it, striking Ganondorf in the chest. The Gerudo King grunted in pain, grimacing as he fell to his knees, hands gripping the sarcophagus for support.

"Ganondorf!" Nabooru cried out.

Ganondorf brought a hand to his chest, his eyes clenched shut in agony.

The other Gerudo quickly raced to help, and only the Twinrova Sisters didn't move. Nabooru held a hand to keep the others at bay. She knelt down beside Ganondorf, worry creased across her face. The man's breathing was ragged and pained.

"Ganondorf, are you alright?" Nabooru asked.

She reached out a hand to grab his arm. Ganondorf's eyes snapped open, and he gazed up at Nabooru. For just an instant, there was nothing in those eyes but the purest loathing.

It quickly vanished, but not before Nabooru apparently noticed, a look of utter shock crossing her face.

The world went white once again, and then Sheik, Link, and Navi stood inside the Spirit Temple.

"So that's how he found Ganon," Navi murmured. "Why are their names so similar?"

"Ganondorf means 'Demon's Bane' in the old Gerudic tongue," Sheik answered, almost immediately. "Ganon is simply a word for demon. Whether the title was meant to be prophetic, or it symbolizes the fact that he survived the demon's curse, I am not certain."

She looked at the final arch, Link following her gaze.

Just one more, Link thought, hoping it would be more pleasant this time. "Well. Waiting's not going to make it easier," he said, taking a breath. "Shall we?"

The others murmured their assent, and Link stepped forward, walking beneath the final arch. The air rippled again, the room changing as the next vision began.

Please, Goddesses, let it be more pleasant.

A single heartbeat was all it took before that faint hope was snatched away.

Link was standing at the top of Ganondorf's tower, watching as a torrential downpour drenched the land below. In the east, Death Mountain was erupting, large columns of ash and smoke spewing from its vent. The ground shook, and the tower trembled. A strange growl rumbled from within the volcano's depths, getting louder.

Lightning flashed around the volcano, illuminating a sky choked with smoke and ash. Great winged beasts flew into the air, shrieking madly as they fled the cataclysm unfolding beneath them. Many of the strange beasts bore people upon their backs, flying into the west as dust, smoke, and ash smothered the trembling land.

Hyrule convulsed, the ground cracking as the land heaved in death throes. The smaller peaks surrounding Death Mountain quaked, buckling and sliding towards lower grounds. Kakariko was buried amidst a paroxysm of fire and ash. Link watched in wordless horror as the mountains slipped towards the woods. Wider fissures began forming across Hyrule Field, widening into chasms that swallowed trees, earth, and buildings whole.

The Great Flood. Link thought, only it wasn't a flood he was witnessing. Hyrule was sinking.

Ganondorf's tower wobbled while the ground beneath it lost all solidity. Water and steam bubbled through the many cracks as the land continued its violent seizures. Link was afraid; he didn't know if they could die in these visions. Sheik, her ashen face cold as stone, seemed to be completely lost in a daze. She appeared too shocked to comprehend the horrible scene of her kingdom, her home, and her world, crashing down around her.

The rumbling from Death Mountain turned into a fierce roar, and the volcano exploded. The entire mountain vanished as an enormous cloud of ash and debris hurled itself into the sky. A pyroclastic flow swept down the ruined volcano's flanks, obliterating anything the lava left behind. Smoke continued rising, and lightning flashed around the volcano's remains. Death Mountain was gone.

Amidst the chaos, Link heard a phoenix cry again, a beautiful and haunting lament as it farewelled the land crumbling around it. Another fissure appeared, right in the heart of Castletown's ruins. The crack widened to form another chasm, the tortured earth heaving and groaning. A thundering sound drowned out all noise, and the ruins collapsed into the deep. Only a small remnant of the city remained, with the Temple of Time sitting upon the precipice of the newly formed ravine.

Ganondorf's tower trembled, its foundations crumbling into the chasm. Stone and mortar cracked, groaning. The tower leaned dangerously forward, and then with a deafening roar, the tower buckled, breaking like a tree ripped from the earth. Link was knocked off his feet, rolling towards the tower's edge, the world crumbling in a spray of dust and mortar. He reached out for Sheik with a cry, but before they could fall from the crumbling tower, the world went white again, and he struck something solid...

Salt.

Link was no longer falling. He caught the scent of salt carried on a gentle breeze. That was the first thing Link noticed, amidst the gentle crashing of waves against a rocky shore. After the apocalyptic events he'd just witnessed, the silence left him stunned. Link shielded his eyes, squinting as he tried to work out where he was. He was standing on a small rocky outcrop, an island amidst an endless body of water far bigger than Lake Hylia. Seaspray washed over them as the waves splashed against the small island. Sheik slumped against the rocks behind them, looking ill.

To the west, smoke billowed across the horizon as far as the eye could see, and debris formed a black slick on the water's surface. Small islands jutted out of the water, scattered across the endless expanse. There was something else too- a small cluster of enormous boats. Link had never seen anything like them before. They were far bigger than a fishing boat, and he doubted they'd even fit in Lake Hylia. Their tall billowing sails rippled in the breeze, and Link felt a sense of awe as he watched them cutting through the water with ease.

"What are they?" he asked.

Sheik seemed to come to herself, straightening and following his gaze. "They're ships."

Ships bearing banners of many different colors, including the soaring Phoenix of Hyrule, sailed towards the sun as it rose over the vast ocean. Birds flew above the ships, and Link spotted the brilliant red plumage of a phoenix as it circled above the battered fleet, singing its beautiful yet haunting lament. It wept for Hyrule, a kingdom lost beneath the waves.

"It was not a prophecy of doom, it was one of hope," Sheik murmured. "Ganondorf got it wrong. The phoenix is a symbol of hope. That is why it appears on the Hyrulean Crest."

Before Link could think any more on this, the white light erupted around them again, and they were back inside the corridor.

"Well, it looked like doom to me," Navi muttered, sounding frightened.

"It wasn't real, Navi," Link muttered, his voice hoarse. At least he hoped it wasn't. For all they know, it could be a vision of what would happen if he failed. Link knew he couldn't fail, even though he had no idea how he would fight Ganondorf. All he knew was that Saria, the Kokiri, and so many others were counting on him.

"That can't be our future," he thought, his mind still on the vision. "Is it?"

"It was but a whisper of what may come, one of many paths the future can take," Courage told him, almost comforting. It didn't sound disturbed by what Link had seen, or even surprised, "But it doesn't have to be your future."

"How do we stop it?" Link wondered.

"You could try as the Sheikah and the Gerudo did, but you would become so obsessed with stopping it, that you would lose sight of what is in front of you. It would drive you mad as it did them. Focus on now. Focus on finding the Sage."

"Right," Link thought.

"Link? Are you okay?" Navi asked, noticing his far-off look.

"It's nothing," Link told her, giving himself the barest shake and focusing on the tall doors standing before him. "Come on, let's not keep the Sage waiting, along with whatever else this temple might throw at us."

Link placed a hand on the gilded doors and pushed them open.

Whatever else this temple had in store for him, Link just hoped he was ready.

He would be, he told himself, feeling the Master Sword's familiar weight upon his back and needlessly adjusting the sword's sheath. He would be.

Next Chapter

Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 43 . Feb 11, 2017 Damn. That backstory about Ganondorf makes it a lot easier to sympathize with him. Don't get me wrong, all the crap he's done is still awful, but given the circumstances, it's easy to see why he did what he did. Whatever his original intentions were though, that's definitely not his intention anymore, corrupted as he's been by that mask. I'm not sure that he's redeemable in spite of that... but at least Link understands his enemy more now.

Cyan Quartz chapter 43 . Nov 2, 2015 That 'I hate snakes, why is it always snakes' thing sounds like a reference to something? Nice job here! I really like this story.

HelixHero chapter 43 . May 16, 2015 Awesome!

R. Recollect chapter 43 . Apr 17, 2015 Excellent Chapter. Character Development for Ganondorf is always welcome in a fanfiction: too many fics these days just depict him as evil from the get-go. And friggin' lol at Link's hat. That was totally a parody of Indiana Jones. Admit it. You're alluding to both the Child Timeline and the Adult Timeline by showing the Hero's Shade and the Great Flood, the latter being shown in particularly good detail. This story is excellent because it adds new content and gives depth to what we're used to. Keep it up! I'm starting to wonder how the Shadow Temple will play out. With more Dark Link, maybe? Warmest Regards, R

Lord Darth Yoda chapter 43 . Apr 17, 2015 I really enjoyed this chapter. So much foreshadowing and a great look into what made Ganondorf Ganondorf. My only problem is Link seemed to have taken the idiot ball and ran with it, a lot of what he says and does in this chapter seems far too dumb compared to the rest of the chapters. I'm sure it wasn't your intention but seeing Link think things through a bit better would be nice. Or make it interesting bad say his lack of judgement could be from the temple being female oriented and intentionally screwing with any male's mind. But that's just me.