Finally.

After all these years of research, I have finally made a historical breakthrough.

My hands shake steadily as the magic flows out from them. The violet light that envelops the room gets the attention of a few creatures outside. I hear them attacking the door, but I simply ignore it. They can't get in the way of this discovery.

I was looking for ways to travel through time. I could feel that I had done it before, but I had no recollection of such events. I desperately needed the travel to ensure my success – he would certainly triumph if I didn't find out soon. Instead, I stumbled upon this.

I pressure my blood further. The magic flowing through me extends further outward. My brain hurts, but it's durable. I can always regenerate it later. This will get done. It was only temporary in previous trials, but this time, I must make it permanent.

The room is getting hot now. I can feel the grip of the heat fighting the cold darkness emanating from my fingertips. Suddenly, I feel a presence. Nowhere near me, I find – it's truly odd. It feels… almost distant. Extremely distant, and yet, it feels familiar. I can't quite place it.

No sooner do I feel this presence than the magic begins to be siphoned from my being. I can feel it. Something begins to take my magic for itself! I attempt to cut off whatever is happening, but it's too late. They've got a tight hold on me.

Suddenly, I am released. I fall forward, panting. Before me, I see a dark circle, surrounded by a glowing pale-purple border, swirling around the structure. It appears completely two-dimensional. I'm stunned. I hadn't been able to keep a portal stable like this until now. I feel my magic returning to me, almost as if the portal began to grant my strength back. It's corporeal now.

"And just what were you thinking?" asked a voice. It was unlike one I had ever heard. From the portal, perhaps?

"If your idea of a good time is stealing someone's magic, I must say it's quite a pity of a hobby." That voice again. I might as well respond.

"Heh. Playing games with me is asking to die."

"Oh? So you're the big-headed type? Shame."

"It was you siphoning my magic, not the other way around. Show yourself, fiend!"

"I beg to differ, big boy. I didn't think mortals could contain power such as yours."

A figure steps through the portal. A tall, purple-skinned figure with wild hair and little in the way of clothing appears before me.

"You don't look the part," I say.

"And you do?" the man retorts.

"Your voice… it sounds nothing like you look."

The man's face attains a bit of a greenish hue, what I interpret as his species' version of a blush. He… posed in a very strange way.

"Oh, do you like it? You think it's fabulous?" he asks.

"You're a character," I respond.

"Pity. I must say, you're a bit on the disappointing side, yourself. I didn't imagine a being that nearly matches my power could be as boring as you."

"Might I ask who you are? And what are you doing here?"

The man smiles. It's clear he's been waiting for me to ask this the whole time.

"Well… I find it strange that this is where I ended up. That wasn't my intent. And based on your reaction, you didn't want to go where I come from either."

He motions towards the portal. I hesitate, but his insistence is difficult to overcome. I take a step through. On the other side, I see a vast canyon filled with glowing blue crystals, reaching heights and depths that Hyrule had never seen before. It was a truly magnificent sight.

"N… No, I didn't intend on coming here," I stammer, trying to get the words out.

"The City of Souls. When people die, they congregate here in soul form. The intent is to find their eternal resting place, but…"

"What?" I ask.

"I've been at war with these goddesses, and there's this kid that keeps getting in the way."

I grin. "I feel your pain. I constantly need to keep on top of things because my plans are always foiled by some… boy."

"Oh?" The man turns to me with a massive grin on his face. Suddenly I feel slightly worried. Did he have a great idea, or is he going to harm me in some way? To him, those might not be mutually exclusive, but there's no way to know.

"Hades," I hear him say. He reaches his hand out to me.

"Uh… Ganondorf," I respond. I take his hand and shake it.

"Say… what made you want to open a portal in the first place?" Hades asks me.

"I started by trying to travel through time, but I found a short-range teleport…"

"Ah. I was attempting a short-range teleport as well."

We look at each other with puzzling looks.

"You're a god," I start, "aren't you?"

"That's what I thought," he replies. I should be capable of anything. So what could case something of this nature?"

There's a brief pause between us before a voice cuts both of us off.

"Gentlemen."

We turn to look towards the portal. Suddenly, a third figure stood before us.

"I believe that our time has come."