Chapter 42- The Phoenix

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Chapter 42

The Phoenix

The Spirit Temple's entrance opened into a cavernous hall that could have easily accommodated an entire company of Gorons. Marble pillars rose like tall trees, reaching towards the elaborate reliefs carved across the ceiling. Along the walls, the old Gerudo kings stood tall and proud, clad in battle dress, their swords held before them. They all bore an eerie resemblance to Ganondorf, and Link was certain they were watching him. To either side of the ancient kings, murals stretched up towards the tall ceiling, depicting scenes of battle. Some reliefs depicted Gerudo kings making offerings to the goddess who presided over the temple. One mural even 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 main aisle. 

Link couldn't help the dread that rose within. 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.

"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 wasn't so eager to stay 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.

"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 rumoured to have made his shrine almost impossible to enter, let alone traverse."

"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 me."

"Sorry," she said quickly.

Link paused before an enormous statue at the far end of the hall. It rose towards the ceiling, its large almond-shaped eyes commanding his full attention.

Pakhet, Link thought.

The Goddess of War sat on a throne of cold stone carved with numerous glyphs. Cobras stretched along the armrests of her throne, their heads raised and fangs bared. She wore Gerudo garb, including an intricate golden neckpiece resembling an ornate collar set with precious stones. The metalwork at the centre of the collar resembled the outstretched wings of a vulture.

Link's skin prickled as the sense of being watched intensified. Then a deep rumbling broke the silence.

He spun around in alarm, his heart leaping at the sound of stone grinding against stone. He spotted the source instantly - the door leading back to the outside world was closing.

"The door!" Navi cried. 

The stone doors were indeed closing of their own accord. 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, 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 on 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.

Worse, there was no way out; they were cut off from the portal outside. Halvard should have reached Impa by now, but unless one of them returned and found another way in - or resorted to vandalism, which seemed a poor way to earn the Sage of Spirit's trust  - they were on their own. "I don't know what made that door shut," Navi continued, "but something tells me it hasn't got our best interests at heart."

"No doubt," Sheik added flatly.

Link turned to scan the empty hall, half expecting something to emerge from the shadows of the tall columns. Nothing stirred, but he knew better than to let his guard down or ignore Navi's concern, especially in a place that had already made him see things. Speaking of which...

"Wait... where's Halvard's mask?" Link asked. Then he bit back a curse. He'd taken it off and put it in Epona's saddlebag.

No going back for it now, he thought, realising that most of their provisions were still with the horses. The narrow slits above the door were too small for Navi.

"You left it in the saddlebag?" Navi guessed. 

"Halvard said we would be safe from the illusions once we were in the temple grounds," Link protested, somewhat lamely. "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 the notes flowed through the chamber, echoing off the walls. Link waited for the door to move, and for a moment the runes upon its surface seemed to glow, but then the light faded as surely as the dying echoes of his song.

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

Perfect, Link thought sardonically. Just my luck.

"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 would 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 only opens 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."

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

"You can always wait here if you're that 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'm not certain," Sheik answered calmly. "But if she's been sealed away, I'd expect to find her somewhere the other Gerudo seldom venture." She paused, rubbing her chin. "Perhaps the inner sanctum. 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's gaze returned to the mural of the bound prisoner. Navi looked aghast.

"Wait... they still sacrifice people?" she asked.

A sour feeling settled in Link's gut as he remembered the priest's ceremonial knife poised at the prisoner's throat.

"It fell out of favour 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.

"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, between the statues of the Gerudo kings, stood two archways decorated with intricately carved glyphs featuring creatures Link had never seen.

Taking the archway on the left, Link soon discovered that finding the inner sanctum wouldn't be easy. He wasn't shocked. Hyrule and 'annoyingly difficult to traverse' temples seemed to go hand in hand, and judging by the shimmering barrier now blocking the way forward, this temple was no exception.

Sheik threw a loose stone at the barrier, 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.

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

With that, Sheik stepped towards where the barrier had been and, once satisfied it was safe, kept going. Wondering what would happen if the barrier reappeared, Link hesitated for a moment before catching up to her.

At the end of the twisting passage, they reached a doorway leading into a roughly rectangular room. Before Link could move, Sheik caught his attention 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.

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

"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 for clues to the dangers that might lurk within, half expecting something to materialise 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 a clap of thunder made Link jump. When he realised 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 a bad idea; when he struck the shimmering light, it threw him violently to the floor, and a loud bang reverberated through the room.

Pain cracked through his arm as he hit the stone, landing awkwardly on his shield side. 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 realised something that chilled him to the bone. The mysterious magic resembled the barrier he'd encountered in the Forest Temple. That obstacle had been the work of Ganondorf's phantom, and it only fell when Link slew the spectre.

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

"No, I don't think so. The magic making this barrier feels different," she assured him, shaking her head. "There is something within this temple, and I think it's safe to say that it isn't friendly."

Wonderful, Link thought irritably, 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. 

"A Gerudo Elder usually guides a novice through them. Most of the trials are conjured illusions, but not all." 

"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 questions to which he had no answer 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 my 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 wandering blindly into it."

"My thoughts exactly," Sheik said appraisingly. "Just try to be careful."

"Yeah..." Link muttered, steadying himself. "I have a bad feeling about this." 

Trying not to let his imagination get the better of him, Link walked into the empty chamber. He kept his sword ready; if anything appeared, he didn't want to be taken unawares.

Halfway through the room, 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 he stepped back before he even realised what he was doing.

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

Too late. Without realising his error, Link stepped onto one of the raised glyphs. There was a faint hiss, and Link felt the stone block sink 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 source of the sound, but 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 realised it was sinking.

"Run!" Navi shouted.

Link burst towards the door, legs pumping. 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 scraping the descending stone, when a Poe appeared. It hovered in front of him, cackling madly at his predicament. Throwing caution to the wind, Link channelled a wall of flame straight into the ghostly apparition. The Poe's eyes went wide. It shrieked as the flames swallowed 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 said with feigned cheer. "At least that's one down. I do think casting Fire was overdoing it."

"Thanks, Navi," Link gasped, still catching his breath, "that's good to know."

She was right about using magic. Using it on a Poe would exhaust him, and he couldn't afford that right now.

"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 contained a trapdoor set into the floor. Another doorway lay ahead, but a shimmering barrier sealed the passage beyond.

I really am starting to hate those things, Link thought. He knelt and pulled 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. Only a second passed before she called out, "It's clear. You can climb down."

Before Link could respond, another crack echoed through the room, and a second barrier appeared across the entrance behind them, cutting off their retreat.

"What was that?" Navi called worriedly.

"Another barrier," Link replied, staring at this latest obstacle before glancing back down the ladder.

As he climbed the last few rungs and reached the floor below, he gazed around the room. It wasn't filled with the lavish decorations Link had come 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 in the ceiling and the twelve doors lining the walls. A thirteenth door stood apart from the others, noticeably larger and 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 rest seemed to think better of attacking the duo and quickly flew up the shaft of the ceiling, their chittering cries fading into the distance.

"Bats?" Link asked, his heart pounding madly in his chest.

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

"How were they still alive?" He peered into the room. It was small, roughly ten feet from corner to corner. Nothing was inside except a chest, and nothing suggested how the Keese could have survived there for long.

"They're apparitions," Sheik reminded him.

"Right." Link looked down at the bat he'd slain and nudged it gently with his boot. Instead of blood, a strange purple smoke drifted up from the wound. He almost leapt back in astonishment as purple flames began consuming the corpse, leaving nothing but a pile of ash.

Stepping over the Keese's still-smouldering remains, Link ventured inside, half expecting another trap. He checked the floor for markings or raised glyphs, 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 chest open a crack, half-expecting a Skulltula or worse.

It was just a key. He breathed a sigh of relief, almost laughing at the absurdity of what he'd expected to find. Link picked a door at random, only to find the key wouldn't fit. He tried a second, then a third. By the fourth, he was ready to kick the door in frustration. Then the key clicked into place.

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 - such as fighting, fasting, or meditating.

For the Kokiri, a trial meant finding a special object in the woods, relying only on their skill and a newly bonded fairy to guide them.

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

Opting for caution, he nudged the chest with his foot, just in case something unpleasant was 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 onto the tiled floor as the angry viper hissed and slithered from its cell. Quickly recovering his senses, Link sprang back to his feet and slashed his blade across the snake's head. The headless serpent fell, its body thrashing and twisting even as it burst into flames.

"What's next?" Link muttered, catching his breath. "Giant spiders?"

"Probably," Navi answered.

Once the snake had turned to ash, Link found another key lying at the bottom of the chest. He took it and searched for the corresponding lock. To his immense annoyance, none of the locks would turn, except for the last one.

Of course it had to be the last one. 

He pulled the door open to come face to face with a giant scorpion, which promptly became a smouldering pile of ash. The fourth room did, in fact, contain an enormous Skulltula.

The fifth room contained a Wolfos. It 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. Cursing under his breath, he threw the mutt off.

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

"Seven," 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. He dismissed the memory, with difficulty, 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 regarded him with worry, but he just took a breath and proceeded to the sixth door. Deciding to kick the chest on the other side, just to be safe, he turned the door handle, then paused.

Maybe a Goron bomb would work...

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

Link had barely pried the door ajar when a flicker of yellow flame greeted him. He yelped and jumped away, barely missing the tongues of fire that rushed through the doorway. A loud snarl rang out, and he brought his sword to bear as a Lizalfos emerged into the chamber. Quickly, Link slammed his shield into the lizard's face. Bones shattered beneath the impact and, before the Lizalfos could recover, Link plunged his blade into its gut. Grimacing at the brutality of what he had done, he pulled his sword free.

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

"No matter how many times I do that, it still makes me feel sick," 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."

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

"Right."

Taking her advice, Link proceeded to the seventh door. A Stalfos emerged from its dark prison, but Link swept the Master Sword through its neck before it could react.

The next room contained nothing except another chest and 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 of their own accord and veered towards him.

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

Link ducked, turning just in time to see the pots shatter against the wall with a tremendous crash.

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

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

A cackle alerted him to the Poe as it materialised, swinging its lantern towards his face. Link darted out of the way and slashed the Master Sword straight into the creature's side. It shrieked 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 the Beamos within fired, its blue beam narrowly missing his foot. For a heartbeat, the Beamos stopped firing, and Link raised his shield, before approaching again. The second beam struck the shield, reflected back into the Beamos, and obliterated 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. Then Link heard that cackling laugh again, and at first he thought it was just another Poe, but when none appeared, he wondered if it was something else.

The tenth door led to a Moblin, and the eleventh contained a ReDead. By the time Link spotted the cursed beast crouching in the shadows of the room, it was staring straight at him, its ear-piercing shriek nearly tearing his eardrums asunder. The ReDead's leathery 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 to the floor, trembling. 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 and steadied himself.

Before leaving the chamber, Link found another key inside the chest.

The twelfth door wasn't hard to find. It stood beside the larger, gilded exit. Given how insane the test had been so far, Link wasn't looking forward to discovering what lay behind it.

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 backwards, slamming into stone. Splintered, shattered wood rained down around him, and he looked up just as a colossal suit of armour stepped into the now-open doorway, gripping an enormous battle-axe. It made the statue Link had 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."

The menacing suit of shining armour came lumbering forward, clanking with every step. 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.

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 his skull.

"Whatever you're doing, hurry up!" Link roared.

Sheik dashed through the door, the Iron Knuckle ignoring her as it remained entirely focused on killing Link. He leapt aside 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 dodged the Iron Knuckle's next attempt to carve him in two, then ran. The statue followed with a 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. Realising it was too large to fit through the doorway, the Iron Knuckle halted just short of smashing its head into the stone arch.

Undeterred, and roaring its frustration, the beast hacked at the arch, sending shards of rock through the air. Link stared at the colossal hulk of armour, wondering how he'd avoided 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 fell eerily silent.

Link gripped the door handle at the corridor's end, praying to the Goddesses that nothing more unpleasant waited on the other side.

He pushed the door open and found himself looking down a long corridor divided by tall marble arches, with more murals along their friezes. Each seemed to depict people standing before a figure holding a book in one hand and a sceptre in the other. There were five arches in total, and a painted door stood at the far end.

Sheik stopped beside a stone tablet near the first arch, its surface decorated with neatly carved calligraphy. The faded, dust-smeared stone appeared far older than the surrounding murals. She bent closer, squinting at the tiny inscriptions.

"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 they had 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, then another. As he stepped beneath the arch, he felt something pulling at his navel. He gasped and turned 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 an unfamiliar woodland, forest litter crunching beneath his feet as he sought something. After a moment, he paused, trying to get his bearings. IIt was far too quiet, and the trees' gnarled branches were gripped by winter's depths. Somewhere in the distance, a phoenix cried, its haunting call carrying through the trees. He'd heard of the bird before; Saria sometimes spoke of them, but he'd never expected to see one. Curious, he glanced upward, hoping to catch a glimpse of the majestic animal. It was nowhere to be seen.

As he grew accustomed to his strange surroundings, Link wandered deeper into the forest. Before long, he came upon a pond nestled amongst the trees. Something drew him closer, and he peered into the still waters.

He forced back a scream and stepped back in shock.

The reflection staring back wasn't his own.

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

A tall figure in armour, the pauldrons covered in ivy and the breastplate forming the shape of a bird, stared back at him. A single eye peered from the skull beneath an ornate helm, the right socket empty. 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, he was on all fours, and Sheik was kneeling over him.

"Link, are you all right?" 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 armour I didn't recognise."

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.

"I hate to ruin any notion of grandeur you had, but time and regret 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. Our passage is 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, unimpressed. Though he was not entirely sure he wanted an answer, he asked anyway, "Was it really me?"

"That is but one path the future may take," the spirit answered. "One of many, and each one can be changed even by the smallest actions you take."

Link became aware of Sheik and Navi watching him with concern. He rubbed his forehead, trying to put the vision out of his mind.

"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 stood in a lavishly furnished room with a carpet and an unusual bed made from a sleeping mat, with plump, tasselled cushions at its head. It sat on a dais, its silk curtains currently drawn back, with two Gerudo seated 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. The woman  behind him glared, her jaw set, eyes narrowed.

The man sighed, saying something in Gerudic and rubbing his temples. Whatever he said did nothing to defuse the obvious tension in 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 open balcony door, and Link stepped outside to look down at the Gerudo Fortress' flickering lights. 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 come to be. Instead of black armour, he wore a vest and breeches, with a cloak draped behind him. 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, their cloaks blending 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 man's attention; he shouted and flung himself between the Sheikah and his young son.

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

Ice formed on the door, covering its entire frame and sealing it shut. Link could hear pounding and yelling from outside, as the king's would-be rescuers tried to get in.

The two assassins sprang forward with terrifying speed. One swept a knife across the Gerudo King's belly before he could react. He doubled over, crumpling bonelessly to the floor as blood spread across the stone beneath him.

The woman screamed, leaping for a blade hanging on the wall. The second assassin was on her before she could reach it, driving a sword into her stomach. The assassin wrenched the blade free, and the Gerudo woman staggered backwards, blood spilling onto the mat.

It was over so quickly that Link was still in shock when the two assassins turned towards the young Ganondorf. The boy stood beside his father's body, his eyes wide with horror, as though he could scarcely comprehend what was happening. The assassin standing beside the dead king stepped towards the boy, blade raised. Ganondorf stepped back, staring into the Sheikah's eyes and cowering.

The assassin hesitated. The raised knife wavered.

Their companion noticed.

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

Link gasped. So did Sheik.

Slowly, Impa lowered her hand. 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 assassin's hand, nearly stumbling as she stopped the blade before it could reach Ganondorf's heart.

"He's just a boy!" she 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 hesitated, looking into the terrified Gerudo child's eyes. Link wondered whether Impa's words had finally given him pause. It was hard to believe those same eyes would one day stare at Link with pure hatred from Castletown's drawbridge, their positions reversed.

In that moment of hesitation, as both Sheikah stared at the Gerudo child, the ice shield shattered, and the door burst open. Both Sheikah cursed and sprang into action. The man, whoever he was, launched towards the boy, even as Impa tried to pull him back. A Gerudo sprang between Ganondorf and the assassin. As he tried to get past her, she swept her spear across his path, its blade cutting deep into his leg. More Gerudo burst into the room, their voices raised in shouts of rage that promised retribution.

Knocking back her companion's attacker, Impa pulled the injured Sheikah away. He was limping, but he still held the Gerudo back. Impa withdrew a stone from her pocket; it glowed with brilliant yellow light, and then she and her companion vanished in a brilliant flare of light. 

"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. Finally, the woman picked him up and carried him away. Only then did the boy find his voice, and the last thing Link heard was his anguished screams.

The world went white, and all three found themselves back in the corridor.

Nobody spoke.

Sheik steadied herself against the wall with one hand, looking as though she might 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 understand how Ganondorf could have been unable to 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, 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, and a definite air of tension hung in 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 stopped and snorted with the effort of its run, a thick sheen of sweat on its coat. 

The rider was Ganondorf, his face etched with an uncharacteristic worry. 

"How is she?" he asked one of the women guarding the tent. The guards 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," the guard replied, visibly chewing her lip. "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 her misgivings about the healer. "She said she could help Nabooru."

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

"You did what?" Rage flashed across 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, whom Link guessed was Nabooru, groaned loudly. It took some explanation from Navi for Link to realise what was happening.

Ganondorf pushed past the women and entered. Frantic voices rose from within, yet Ganondorf's voice carried above them all. One final loud moan, voices speaking words of encouragement, and then silence.

The two women outside the tent looked at each other with utter dread. A few frantic words came from inside, followed by 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 nearby Gerudo halted their errands, looking to see what the noise was. Ganondorf's guard made a sign against evil.

More angry shouts came from inside the tent. Ganondorf strode out, his hands clenched into fists, while the fire burning in his eyes promised murder to any who crossed him. 

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

"She will live," Ganondorf said, his voice deadly quiet. He straightened, closed his eyes briefly, and exhaled, but when he opened them again, the fire hadn't dimmed. "My son is dead."

"I..." The guard struggled to find the words. "Ganondorf, I'm so sorry."

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

Two more of his guards stepped out of the tent. They stopped short, looked imploringly at each other and then knelt. 

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

The two newcomers looked surprised. "My Lord," said one as they got to their feet. "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 realise that his people were watching him. The guards on horseback quickly turned their attention to their restless steeds, while servants hurried about their errands, anxious to avoid their king's wrath. Ganondorf took another 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 clear in her voice.

"You know perfectly well what I intend to do!" Ganondorf growled in answer. "It's what I should've done to those damn half-breeds long ago."

Ganondorf mounted his horse, and rode 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. Gerudo surrounded him, pressed together in a tight crush of bodies. Everyone stared at a platform in the plaza's centre. Ganondorf stood on the dais, his voice ringing out over the throng. Two figures stood behind him: one held a staff topped with a red ruby, and the other a blue sapphire. Link recognised them instantly.

Koume and Kotake.

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

Ganondorf shouted an order, and almost all the Gerudo cheered. 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 stood in a dimly lit chamber, where a few torches illuminated carvings and calligraphy along the walls. The murals depicted a boat and a funerary procession. Along the wall farthest from the entrance stood a deity with a dog's head. A row of sarcophagi stretched the length of the chamber. More coffins lined the wall between the murals, much like the catacombs of the Fire Temple. Beside one of these niches, Link spotted a solitary figure.

Ganondorf was wearing his trademark black armour. The alcove beside him held a tiny sarcophagus. Realising 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, then stood silent, 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.

"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'm 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 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, drawing herself up indignantly. "Insult my sister all you like, but don't insult me!"

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

"What artefact?" Ganondorf snapped.

"Ho! Now you want to know?" Koume sniffed. "The artefact 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 stroll up to King Nohansen and ask him for the Triforce?" Ganondorf asked dryly. "Do you think he's so dull that he'd simply hand it over to the very man his grandfather went to war against?"

"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 can go about finding it unimpeded. Hyrule Castle's library has all the information you need."

"Did you not say 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 pressed thick cloth over Link's 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 condemned Sheikah, the hope fading from 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.

A flickering torch illuminated the passage ahead, held aloft by a Gerudo walking beside Ganondorf. The Twinrova sisters followed close behind, with Nabooru bringing 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, casting light across the room. Statues of animals, women, and men lined the chamber. Reliefs carved into the stone formed murals across the walls.

These carvings struck Link as dark, and each scene shared the same ominous theme. Death. Destruction.

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

"What is this place?" Navi asked.

"I suspect it was once a Sheikah 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, and preserved them in these shrines."

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

"Yes, Dream Seers. As children, Dream Seers were inducted into the temple. There, the priests recorded their dreams, interpreted them, and presented 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 on a nearby mural depicting a settlement suspiciously similar to Castletown, with enormous waves crashing against its walls. People stood atop the wall, fear carved into their faces, no doubt wondering how long the walls would hold against the deluge. Elsewhere, the water crashed over the wall, sending people toppling from its height. In the centre of all this chaos stood Hyrule Castle, built exactly as Link remembered it. It stood like a proud bastion amidst the tempest, the waves pounding relentlessly against its tall walls. One section was buckling, water pouring through the breach as hapless citizens were tossed about and devoured by the surging torrent.

At the far end of the chamber stood a sarcophagus, its heavy lid bearing the carved likeness of a hooded man. As Link stared at the seemingly innocuous coffin, a presence inside swept through his mind. He shuddered, feeling the malevolence sealed within the tomb. Something in there wanted to get out.

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

"Is this it?" he asked, his voice barely audible as he addressed the Twinrova sisters.

Koume and Kotake, garbed in elaborate ceremonial robes, examined the tomb. If they sensed anything beneath the seal, they kept silent.

"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. The Gerudo then slid the lid off the sarcophagus, revealing the mummified remains of a corpse wrapped tightly in linen. Only three items lay in the tomb: a sword, a shield, and a mask placed on the mummy's head. Unlike a death mask, it wasn't carved to match the deceased's face. Link felt a sliver of recognition, and as he stepped forward for a closer look, he realised what he was seeing.

The Skull Mask.

The gem on its forehead emitted an ethereal red glow, and heat rippled through the room. At that moment, a strange stream of red energy shot out and struck 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 raised a hand, signalling for the others to stay back. She knelt down beside Ganondorf, worry creasing across her face. The man's breathing was ragged and pained.

"Ganondorf, are you all right?" 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, those eyes held nothing but pure loathing.

It quickly vanished, but not before Nabooru saw it, 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 symbolises 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 for that faint hope to be snatched away.

Link stood atop Ganondorf's tower, watching a torrential downpour drench the land below. To the east, Death Mountain erupted, 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 carried people on their backs, flying 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 ground. Kakariko was buried amidst a paroxysm of fire and ash. Link watched, wordless, 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 swayed 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 stood motionless, her face ashen, watching in disbelief as her kingdom, her home, and her world crashed 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.

Amid the chaos, Link heard a phoenix cry again, a beautiful, haunting lament as it bade farewell to 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 cracked and mortar crumbled as the structure groaned. It leaned dangerously forward and then, with a deafening roar, buckled and toppled like a tree torn from the earth. Link was knocked off his feet and rolled toward the edge as the world came apart in a spray of dust and mortar. He reached out for Sheik with a cry, but before either of them could be thrown from the collapsing tower, the world went white again, and he struck something solid...

Salt.

He lay face down on sun-warmed sand, and as he tried to lift his head, he smelled salt on the breeze. He rolled onto his back to behold a pristine blue sky. No smoke. No crumbling avalanche of debris. Nothing but open sky as far as he could see.

It took Link a moment to comprehend what he saw, his ears still ringing from the destruction he had witnessed so recently. Sunlight. Blue sky. And beyond the shore, a vast body of water stretching to the horizon, far larger than anything Link had ever imagined.

It might have been beautiful, but Link could just make out a faint black smudge upon the horizon.

Smoke.

And the longer he looked, the more debris he could see bobbing upon the water's surface, gathering into dark rafts that drifted with the currents - all that remained of a kingdom lost beneath the waves.

Small islands jutted from the water, scattered across the endless sea. There was something else, too: a small cluster of enormous boats. Link had never seen anything like them before. They dwarfed every fishing boat he knew, not that he'd seen many, and he doubted they would even fit upon Lake Hylia. Their tall, billowing sails rippled in the breeze, and Link watched in awe as they cut through the water with graceful 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 colours, including the soaring Phoenix of Hyrule, sailed towards the rising sun over the vast ocean. Birds flew above them, and Link spotted the brilliant red plumage of a phoenix circling over the battered fleet, singing a long, mournful lament that carried across the water.

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 symbolises hope. That is why it appears on the Hyrulean Crest."

Before Link could think any further, 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 knew, 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, still thinking about the vision. "Is it?"

"It was but a whisper of what may come, one of many paths the future can take," Courage told him, in what almost passed for comfort. 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, shaking himself slightly and focusing on the tall doors 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.

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.