BoM - Chapter 25 - Jewels in the Dark

Walking out the Palace of Darkness with a purpose in the back of his mind, courage flowing through him strongly, Link headed towards the southern portion of the Dark World, over the bridge and into the marshlands that rested there. The soggy grasslands received a good amount of rain, but the red sky above was clear of the dark clouds that oftentimes plagued the land. Link sunk somewhat into the soggy grasslands, his legs becoming wet and his boots slowly filling with water as he trudged through the water-rich landscape to the greenish-grey monolith in the south. Monsters would poke out of the grass from time to time, seeking to block Link's way towards the place of which Aekorra had told him, however they did not last long under the cool steel of Link's Master Sword. He continued towards the mossy structure, surrounded by a small moat, and entered inside; however, to his dismay, he found that he could not advance into the dungeon for he was unable to find any way to climb a tall ledge from the bottom of a deep canal. It was then that Sahasrahla spoke to him telepathically—very faint was his voice—and reminded him that the Light and Dark Worlds were mirror images of one another; somehow, the Wise Man speculated that which happened in one might affect the other.

Using the mirror he had been given on Death Mountain, Link came to the Light World of Hyrule once again, finding a similar prairie and temple, the Watergate Ruins. He entered inside where he found a lever that operated a tall gate that served as a dam; realizing the old man's clue, he lifted the lever and watched the gate open wide, allowing the water in the moat to flow into the passageways below. Link returned to the grasslands and found that the mirror had actually made a temporary gate back into the Dark World; he entered it carefully, feeling the light twists of being pulled once more into the Dark World. Returning to the Swamp Palace, he found that indeed the dungeons below had been filled with water, at least to the next dam that blocked the flow of the water. Link swam over to the previously unreachable ledge, and continued through the dungeon, releasing the blocked water as he came across each dam in turn. Often he would find himself having to leap over large gaps, physically unable to do so, to reach some of the levers, but a hookshot happened to be stowed away within the dungeon, enabling him to cross them with ease.

At the end of the passageway, Link found a room covered with a thin film of water. As Link approached the room's center, he happened to look up to find he had walked into a trap, for it was then when a gigantic squid of sorts let loose of the ceiling to fall on him. Link dove out of the way into the water, rolling along the ground to his feet to draw his sword. The squid was an Arrghus, a water-loving creature with a single eye with which to see. The squid was surrounded by a shell of smaller parasitic creatures called Arrgi; together they were very solid and hard, almost as strong as steel, but alone they were as fragile as talcum. Using the hookshot, he was able to drag the parasites off of the squid, slaying them one by one until none remained. The Arrghus did not take kindly to this and attempted to leap upon and squash Link or, at the very least, blind him with water in his eyes. Link ran away quickly as the creature landed, shielding his eyes from the splash. As the creature reoriented itself, Link leapt in to swipe the squid with his sword. After a few attempts to squash Link, the Arrghus soon found its own eye pierced with the blade of the Hero, and it screamed out in pain as it began shriveling away into nothing.

From its remains came another crystal, and this time Shanai, the Sage of Spirit, appeared; she looked just like the Gerudo women of old appeared save for her manner of dress, much more conservative from those times. Shanai thanked Link for her rescue, bowing before him respectfully. Shanai had some knowledge of the origins of the Triforce, having been taught that from her mother, the former sage. She mentioned that the Triforce had originally been here, but over the years, its whereabouts had become lost, all because of the thief Ganondorf; breaking free of the Dark World had not been easy for him, but after the last time he had broken free, after the waters over Hyrule had crashed down upon it, he had not been able to figure out the secret to breaking the seal... until recently, sadly. However, the Gerudo noticed that Link had the uncanny aura of magic about him, and that would help serve Link over the days to come. She wished him well and pleaded with him to go towards the Skull Woods—the parallel here of the Lost Woods in Hyrule; somehow she had felt one of her kindred trapped there. Once again, she gave the Hero her blessing and, reducing the size of her crystal to a common gem, placed herself within Link's pack.

Link could not find any way to reach Skull Woods from his current location, either blocked by bridgeless rivers or heavy stones, so he used the mirror in hopes to find another entrance to the dark forest. Traveling through Kakariko Town and into the forest, Link walked into the trees, no longer having the curious mist fogging the area with its mystical and dreamlike auras. Though much easier to navigate, Link still managed to get lost in the trees from time to time, wandering in circles. In frustration, he managed to kick a stone of decent size, only to discover, to Link's surprise, a blue tile within the ground, one of the Eight Gates, just as he had found on Death Mountain. He stepped into the gate and suddenly found himself within Skull Woods, a dark and almost dead forest. The air hung thickly, almost chokingly, over Link as he made his way through the winding passageways, finding a gaping stone skull into which he descended.

Link recognized the place as Skull Dungeon, the next mark on his journey. The dungeon was very expansive and broad, yet it had a much tighter feel to it, the walls as if they were closing in on Link, for the dungeon was carefully designed to force Link back to the entrances of the dungeon as doors slammed shut after he passed through them. Unable to make significant headway, Link returned above ground to think, and curiously enough, Link managed to find holes in the ground that led into the dungeon at different points. Using these to strategically map out the sanctums of the maze. Soon he came to a larger skull, one which had the skeleton of a deceased arthropod blocking its way. The bones were too heavy to move and too strong to shatter, but with the help of a Fire Rod, a magical artifice that controlled the very flames, found within the dungeon beneath the forest, the bones boiled into the ground below, leading him further into the trap-infested pits.

Link eventually fell victim to a very deceptive trap, a hidden breakaway tile within the dungeon's flooring, sending him down into a room with spike-lined walls and an overgrown moth known as a Mothula, filled with the powers of the Evil Realm. The moth flew into the air, its eyes shooting streams of liquid fire at Link; to make matters worse, the floor began moving, almost as if it were on a infinite sheet of floor somehow detached from the walls and ceiling of the room, but again, Link had to remind himself that anything could be done with magic. Link ran against the direction of the floor, keeping his balance and position in the room, dodging the fire as best he could, but Link was thrown off-balance once or twice, unable to avoid being charred; however, the Mothula was unprepared for Link's persistence, and in the end, Link's blade cut a swath through the wings, rendering it unable to fly; mere moments later, it was defeated, and the third of the maidens would appear to him.

Within the crystal would be Lalia, the Sage of the Forest. The Kokiri, devoid of the protective magics of the forest, had grown up into a beautiful woman, much unlike the few other Kokiri he had seen, the very few who had given up hiding and become thieves within the Lost Woods. She sat down within her crystal cage and looked into Link's eyes. Lalia spoke of the Great Cataclysm, a prophecy that had stemmed back hundreds of years; it was largely believed that should someone of utter darkness obtain the Triforce for his evil purposes, Destiny herself should provide the realm with a hero to be their savior. However, only that hero would be able to destroy the evil one; should he fail, their land would plunge into darkness forever. Lalia knew that Link was the Hero of legend, and as she stood up, she encouraged Link to do his best to rescue the remaining maidens, the next one just south of the forest, and Zelda, along with defeating Ganon. Just like the previous maiden, she faded away to Link's pack with the sacred words, "May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce."

Doing as the maiden had advised, Link headed south into what he imagined would be something like Kakariko Village. In a way, it met his expectations, the town being a darker version of what Kakariko was; however, what he had not expected was how bleak the town could be; the town was in shambles, many of the houses destroyed or decaying, and the citizenry was largely populated by thieves trying to earn a quick rupee off of the Hero; thankfully, Link's sword tended to keep them at bay for a few moments to give Link the chance to run off. The town was the Village of Outcasts, and it seemed that no joyful thoughts could ever come from the place; indeed, from those that would give a kind word to Link, it was said that they could hear the screams of a maiden from far beneath the gargoyle in the center of town, drowning any moment of joy with an ever-deepening sorrow; Link's ears perked at the knowledge of the maiden, and so he couldn't help but have his curiosity raised, him deciding rather quickly to investigate.

Stepping down into the Gargoyle's Domain, Link found himself in a great world beneath the town above; the dungeon had to expand for blocks upon blocks of the village. Link continued his way on a descending course, occasionally hearing the cries of a girl far below him. Enemies did not stand much of a chance as Link redoubled his efforts to find the girl whom he sought. Traps were prevalent as conveyor belts, falling floors, and spiked traps seemed to lay at each corner wherever he went. At the lowest point of the dungeon, Link defeated a great armored warrior, finding a curious-looking key upon the corpse. Judging from the shape of the key and the proximity of the guard to the prison cells, Link tried the key in the cell door, opening it to find the fair maiden. "Thank you!" she said, rushing into his arms. "Quickly now, there is no time for introductions; if you would take me outside, I would be most grateful." Link agreed and they began ascending.

On the way back, however, Link found himself unable to remember the location to the domain's entrance; his wanderings would eventually take him into a room filled with light from above, seemingly coming from a false house above the surface. As the maiden following Link stepped into the light, she screamed loudly and painfully, and the maiden's guise began peeling off of her as her true form was revealed; it was no maiden Link had rescued, but rather a male thief who had been called Blind due to his aversion to the light. Blind shut the door behind him and began casting magic throughout the room, magic that would sear the very soul of Link if he were too clumsy. Link's blade was confident and ready, however, and the thief dressed in his white cloak was soon beheaded, the body falling to the ground in defeat, disappearing from sight, leaving only the cloak which he had worn... but also a small lump within it.

As Link suspected, it was the fourth of the maidens: Maranya, the Sage of Light. Link smiled from the moment he had seen Maranya, for she was one of the few who lived in Hyrule Castle that he had met while he had been growing up, and though they never saw each other too often, they had always been friends. Link told Maranya of all of his travels and journeys, catching her up with all that he had done; in turn, Maranya explained to a curious Link of the war long ago, a war Link had only heard about through the other sages' stories. Apparently, according to the history books, Maranya had said, many of the knights of Hyrule had been killed long ago in a great battle known as the Imprisoning War, and to this day, the blood of those knights had remained very thin, hardly spreading despite the time since then. The Sage of Light speculated that quite possibly Link was the last of that lineage, having known that his father had been one of those knights, a father Link had never known. She wished she could reach out to touch Link, but she could not because of the prison she was in, but she comforted Link the best she could, wishing him the best before she disappeared with the other crystalline maidens.

With the maidens' stories still in his mind, he used their wisdom to lead him towards the location of the fifth of their number, brining him towards the southeast of Hyrule where the Frozen Lake slumbered. Link came across the edge of the large lake and dipped his hands into the waters, feeling for the temperature; a chill shot through his body, causing him to shiver for the water was ice cold. Link knew that there would be no way to survive the chilly waves; figuring that he might be able to use the parallel worlds to his advantage like he had before, Link found himself in the world of Hyrule, now carelessly jumping into the much warmer Lake Hylia towards an island in its center... surprisingly just the spot where an island—albeit much larger than this one—had existed in the Dark World. He got out of the water and found a curious-looking stone, rather heavy and difficult to budge; however, Link pushed with all of his might and uncovered a Gate as he had several times already. Drying himself off first for fear of freezing to death in the Dark World, he tentatively stepped upon the gate, taking him to the Ice Palace, trapped within an enclosure of ice on all sides. With no choice, Link entered the cold realm of the Ice Palace.

The air inside the Ice Palace was frigid, Link's breath easily visible within the walls. Link shivered for warmth as he gradually descended beneath the icy chill of the water's surface into the dry but frosty depths of the palace, the temperature getting colder with every step. It seemed as if the dungeon continued forever downwards, like a bottomless pit, and the deeper he got, the more monsters he found; somehow they had all adapted to the cold climate of the dungeon, Link finding birds that slid across the ice upon their stomach as well as creatures that had been frozen into the wall suddenly springing to life, fueled by the low temperatures. The Fire Rod became Link's trusty tool, using it to melt them into water. The further Link progressed, the more and more Link began going in circles, having to backtrack long distances just to get to where he had wished to go.

Finally after he dropped from the floor above to the seventh level beneath the surface, he saw a great sphere with a single eye, white puffs covering the rest of its spherical form, a Kholdstare. It was trapped within the ice, and Link knew that his magic would come in handy. Link used the magical rod against the shard of ice, jamming the tip into the glacier, the clear crystal beginning to melt. His other hand upon his sword, Link was ready to strike the moment it was was unleashed, but the Kholdstare would not be taken advantage of. It shattered the rest of the ice to Link's surprise, knocking him backwards and sending tiny shards of ice into Link, the larger ones lightly piercing his tunic and flesh, but none deep enough to cling to Link's skin, just falling away onto the ground. Picking himself up, Link charged the Kholdstare, brandishing his sword bravely as he cut into it, seeking revenge for the damage. The Kholdstare screamed and rolled away, trying to flee, but it had been blinded by Link's sword, making him an easy kill. Finally, Link held the Fire Rod to the beast, and it, like the ice statues he had faced earlier, melted into water, quickly thawing.

From within the frozen puddle, piercing it as if it were merely a liquid, came a crystal. Within it was the Sage of Water, Celeste, the daughter of Wealas, the Rito-turned-Hylian on Death Mountain. Celeste smiled to Link, and Link told her that he had met her father upon the mountain, and for a few moments they shared some stories and tidings of recent events. But soon the conversation turned much more serious, looking towards the future. Link had mentioned that Maranya had told him of the thinning bloodline, and the Water Sage nodded simply. She told him that the mixed magic of the Sages and the ancient Knights was what was needed this time to seal Ganon away, so it seemed; only with that mix would the seal be made stronger, the new seal patching the holes of the cracked seal, thus strong enough to lock Ganon away for good. Link vowed to Celeste to dedicate his courage towards the cause, and she smiled brightly before disappearing, her faith fully placed within the Hero.

Link then headed west towards the direction of the next missing maiden, but he was stopped as he saw a tall cliff separating him from the westward lands. He sat down with frustration momentarily, trying to think of how to enter the lands separated off from the Dark World, and when he sat, the solution slid out of his backpack, almost as if destined by fate. The magical mirror was taken in his left hand and Link returned to Hyrule, walking now through the hot desert once again; Link didn't mind it much the second time, happy to have the change from the icy caverns of the Ice Palace. Off on a cliff, he found in plain sight one of the Eight Gates, the gate in the desert, presumably the one that Ganondorf himself had used a long time ago. Link stepped into the Dark World once again to find himself in Misery Mire, a swamp cursed with the black clouds that forever rained upon it. To the north, Link saw a structure buried in the quagmire, and Link stepped into the caves there, taking him into Misery Maze.

The Maze of Misery was aptly named; it was perhaps the most complicated dungeon Link had been forced to explore to date, none of them as confusing as this one. Passageways were one and many, but the ones that captured Link's desire never seemed to be reachable; always they remained just out of possibility until much, much later. The temple was also rather dreary, the thick, humid air from outside making it difficult to breath as Link explored the dungeon's depths. Within a remote corner of the dungeon beneath the muck of the bog was a magical cane, one of the two most famous in all of Hyrule's lore: the Cane of Somaria; it was able to create blocks as solid as steel yet seemingly light as a feather. It greatly eased Link's ability to keep switches depressed, making the maze into a child's puzzle for him.

The dungeon eventually seemed to be taking in some of the swampy mixture from outside as Link reached the far reaches of the maze, and only when he reached the last room did he see the cause. An horde of evil creatures akin to mere eyeballs was resting within a hole in the floor that allowed the slime to seep onto the floor; the creatures were Vitreousi, and they could shoot lightning at Link from their retinas, very similar to Agahnim's blasts. Some of the smaller ones attacked first, trying to poison Link with the slime from the lower depths of the swamp. But Link's sword easily cut them into nothing, causing them to vanish. Soon the largest of them charged forward, but again, it was no match for Link, Link defeating it easily with his sword. With their apparent leader deceased, the remainder disappeared into the swamp, leaving behind the treasure that they had been given by Ganon, the sixth maiden and Sage.

Within the crystal was Drayah, the Sage of Fire. Both of them knew that the end of the road was very near, the final days of the Dark World would be at hand. After all this time, the six maidens met around Link, looking at one another, but it was Drayah who spoke. "Now it all makes sense," she told Link, the other Sages seemingly agreeing. "I did not know that the other maidens had been captured until it was too late, and even then, I did not know it had come to this, that all seven of us would be drawn into the Dark World; Agahnim—nay, Ganon—drew us into here to crack the seal that had been placed upon this world years ago, and now we face dark times. The Dark World has the chance of extending into Hyrule, but only if Princess Zelda remains within the hands of Ganon's minions. Quickly, Link, you must go to Turtle Rock in the Mountains of Death; the princess is there, waiting for us all..."

Death Mountain was an arduous climb, very far away from the likes of the swamp; thankfully, unable to escape the swamp, Link's journey took him through the Light World, bringing him the faces of his friends in Kakariko as he walked by, giving him another reminder of just what he was fighting for. Knowing he could enter the Dark World from Death Mountain, he continued into the mountain range, once again saying hello to Wealas, giving him the good word that Celeste had been rescued, showing him the now-opaque crystal in which she resided. The old man bade him stay, but Link knew that time was drawing short; he needed to find the princess soon. He journeyed to the east, somehow almost guided by a mental, telepathic tug, drawing him not towards Spectacle Rock but rather towards the eastern ends of the mountains, towards another of the Eight Gates into the former Golden Land. Traveling into the Dark World, Link found himself atop a rock shaped like a turtle, the resting place of the final Sage. However, no entrance was in sight.

"Link," Zelda called, her voice strong in his mind, "summon the powers of thunder into your blade by jamming it into the shell of the rock." Link shook his head, not understanding just how that would help him at all. However, Link did as the princess advised, and to his surprise, thunder clashed from the heavens into Link's sword, causing the earth to quake and the turtle's head to decompose into mere sand.

Link gave a faint grin towards the direction of the sky. "Thank you, Zelda. I will be there soon." Perhaps it was merely his imagination, but Link could have sworn he saw in his mind the smile of Zelda.

Turtle Rock was built into the very bowels of Death Mountain, the magma deep within the craters of the mountain visible from the long passageways carved through the solid rock. Link could see several bridges made of thin cord, almost infinitesimally small so that Link could not hope to walk across them. Link took the Cane of Somaria and waved it in the direction of the cord, and upon the thin cord appeared a thin platform. Tentatively, Link stood upon it, finding out that he could use these, thin as they were, to cross over the expansive gaps within the floor. The traps within this dungeon were much more deadly than any he had seen before, stone-carved eyes shooting lasers at him in rapid succession, disregarding all armor and shields that Link could throw at it... save for the eventual Mirror Shield that Link found within a large chest; only that could deflect the beams that before had tortured Link.

Finally, across a great chasm lit with magical torches, Link found the largest of the creatures he had ever faced. Standing there before him was a three-headed dragon, its heads emerging from a body of solid stone. It's name was Trinexx, the most ruthless of Ganon's monster minions. Each of its necks was colored different, giving it an exotic look, but the color of each head truly described the personality of each head; the mouth of the red one would send fireballs hurdling towards Link, the blue sending beams of ice, the green seeking to bite him viciously. Using his Fire Rod along with an Ice Rod that he had acquired in his travels, Link put a halt to the outer two necks of ice and fire, causing them to be severed from the dragon, squirming about the floor after they were disconnected. However, the middle head, the essence of the dragon's body, was not finished. Cracking open its rough exterior, it became something of a snake, slithering around, trying to coil about Link; however, Link felt his instincts point his blade towards the middle of the snake, that which had been most guarded in its earlier form. Link's intuition was indeed correct, and the snake quickly split into two pieces, both of them wriggling in pain as it was sliced in half.

Slowly, a crystal began to fade in from the deepest depths of the Dark World, and Link was very glad to see that it was, at long last, Princess Zelda. Tears started to stream from both the princess' and the hero's eyes as they saw each other, both of them thankful that the other was alive. Seemingly connected beyond all possibility now, they shared a heartfelt reunion, but they realized that their tasks were not yet finished. Agahnim still was alive, and beyond him was Ganon, the evil alter ego of the thief Ganondorf Dragmire. Zelda felt a strong magic emanating from the west, a protective seal thrown about Ganon's Tower, the stronghold of the Gerudo thief. With the Sages' powers together, they would be able to bring down the barrier. With Zelda in tow, he ran towards the tower, and as predicted, the seal was brought down, Ganon's lair exposed for all the world to enter it. Zelda wished him a final good luck and returned to Link's pack, and Link, taking down a huge gulp to calm his nerves, entered the dark tower.

Ganon's Tower was large and broad, a work that would most certainly be a wonder if it were not that it was filled with evil. Statues of Ganon were placed everywhere, all of them as if they were taunting Link with the Triforces they were holding. Ganon was well prepared for Link, making him relive some of the most difficult battles Link had faced in his journeys. Puzzles, enemies, and traps were prevalent everywhere, making it feel as if nowhere was safe. It was the epitome of all that Link had learned to live with and struggle through; it was the sum total of his adventures in a condensed form, him facing the last few weeks within the span of a few hours, but the end of that journey would inevitably lead him to the thing which he had originally sought—Agahnim's demise.

Agahnim, seeing Link a second time, was thoroughly enraged but albeit impressed; however, this time would be the last time. This time it would be a battle to the death; there would be no third meeting. All of Agahnim's magic was thrown into the blasts that he threw at Link, and he even used his magic to create shadow copies of himself, them fully capable of using the very magic Agahnim used. Link was oft taken surprise by the magic, feeling its strong sting embracing its body as he regained his stance upon his feet. The Master Sword was able to reflect the all of the magic from Agahnim's forms, but the ghostly images of the wizard were not phased from the stray bolts of magic returned in their directions. However, as difficult as the battle was, Agahnim eventually fell victim to his own bolts of energy, gasping and heaving as he laid upon the floor, his magic and life force slowing disappearing, oozing out of his body into a black puddle, a blackness that was Ganon's own magic. It began coalescing into Ganon's shape momentarily, laughing at Link without mercy... and, before Link's very eyes, Ganon's magic turned himself into a Keese, him then flying off for his last stronghold.

Link could only watch as Ganon flew off, eluding him once again, but before he could despair, a fairy appeared to Link, only this one did not have a figure like that of every other fairy; her proportions had grown significantly, her simple gown stretched rather dangerously for her large body to fit within the seams of the garment. "Link," said the fairy, "the time now has drawn near for the final fight, the fight that shall determine which side—light or dark—shall win. I know I do not look much like a fairy, but it is Ganon's Dark World that is the blame for my appearance, and I will stop at nothing to see him pay. Link, long ago, when magic was much more prolific, arrows made of light were used to win over Ganondorf, but the magic of the light is not as strong here in the Dark World, so I give you these arrows made out of silver. They are not as effective, but they will do the trick." She handed the quiver to Link, him replacing his old quiver with it. "Now go; defeat Ganon. Make his wish shatter before his very eyes."

With a blink, Link stood atop the pyramid that he had stood upon when he entered the Dark World, the Pyramid of Power. Only one thing had changed, and that was a large crack appearing in both the top and trickling all the way down the side of the pyramid, the crack apparently created from the force with which Ganon has slammed through the pyramid's top. With his silver arrows upon his back, Link held onto the edge of the flat of the pyramid, and then he let go... into the darkness.

When he landed, lamps suddenly flickered to life, burning brightly. Ganon stood there ominously before Link, gazing at him with his sinister eyes. Ganon appeared just as deformed as he had been long ago in his very first battle, but Link could not know this, for he had not been there. He growled loudly, but soon reverted to a small grumble. "I am a fool for thinking that one such as yourself would have been able to enrage me so, giving me such trouble. This ends tonight, though. I have waited so long to have my wish upon the Triforce, and not even you will stop it from coming true. Goodbye, Link."

Ganon wielded a trident that magically appeared within his hands. Whirling it about through the air, he threw it at Link, it barely missing Link as he jumped out of the way; the trident hovered for a moment, finally moving once again, as if by magic, to where Ganon now stood, all the way across the room from where he had once been. Apparently Ganon had learned the art of teleportation through the magic of the unified forces of power, wisdom, and courage. Ganon's magic was strong and intense, but the mighty spells Ganon flung at Link left holes within Ganon's defense, inviting Link to come close to Ganon and slash him with the sword, which he did. Whenever the Sword of Evil's Bane struck the Evil King, it rendered him immobile, casting a temporary seal about him. Remembering the words of the fairy by which he had been visited, he quickly took out his bow and flung a triad of silver arrows into Ganondorf's chest. The evil king screamed in pain and quickly teleported about the room, using a black wind to snuff the fires lighting the chamber; the darkness gave Ganondorf perfect stealth, catching Link by surprise upon the prongs of the trident. Ganon threw Link across the room, him landing into a disheveled pile, but Link's determination put him back on his feet before Ganon could skewer the hero. Link found himself reach for the Fire Rod at his belt, quickly flinging fire towards the room's lamps in rapid succession, once again revealing the evil warlock. The same cycle continued, Ganon opening himself up to Link's blade and silver arrows, Ganon doing his best to take Link's life with the powerful offensive magic. The battle was long and arduous for both warlock and hero, but after many arrows, the silver within them began to glow, eventually beginning to consume Ganon, feeding upon his evil. The arrows took Ganon's spirit into the arrowheads, and the Evil King screamed in pain, muscle spasms brining his body to the ground, jerking violently until at last there was peace, one final grunt emitted from his mouth.

A door finally opened, and there within the inner sanctum of the pyramid stood a shimmering triangle of triangles, three of them oriented elegantly and perfectly, upon an ornamental shelf. It was the Triforce, shining with all of its golden beauty, and as Link gazed upon it, within Link's mind, all he could hear was four words.

"Link, come to me..."

Link followed.