A/N: Hello everyone. I don't have much to say, so I'll let you read this chapter.
Ghirahim walked through his castle. His emotions were in turmoil. On one hand, he was relieved that the woman left, but on the other he was infuriated with her betrayal. Without realizing it, he had walked into the woman's old room. Books was strung all over the bed and every other furniture. One book was left open pages down on the bed. Ghirahim picked it up; he couldn't stand if one of his books had a broken spine. A slip of paper fell to the ground. The demon lord closed the book in his hand and set it back on the bed.
The noble picked up the slip of paper that had fallen. Written in neat print was the title of three books. Ghirahim turned the paper over. "This person holds the answers," Ghirahim read. The noble flipped the paper back and forth. What person? Ghirahim sat on the bed thinking. He should be finding out where the second gate of time was, but at the same time he enjoyed a challenge. Ghirahim looked back at the list of books. Ghirahim found the three books easily enough (they were all littering the bed). He laid them side by side frowning. The titles had nothing in common; there was a history book, a children's book, and a cook book. Ghirahim exhaled sharply. He grabbed the first and turned it around in his hands. That was when he noticed that the first three letters of the author were written on the spine. He gathered the other two and held them in a similar manner. "Gab-rie-lla. Gabriella." Ghirahim read.
"Gabriella," the noble called. The meek woman shuffled forward.
"Yes, my lord," she greeted.
"Do you have the answers I seek?"
The woman nodded and reached in the pocket of her apron, "Rahzel said to give this to you if you were to ask."
Ghirahim unfolded the page. "Ancient Cistern, In Faron Woods," Ghirahim read. "Do you know where this is?" he asked the servant.
"No sir."
"Faron the dragon would know, wouldn't she?" Ghirahim thought out loud.
LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LO Z-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ-LOZ
Link and Rahzel left the fortuneteller numb. "Do you really believe what he said?" Link asked the older woman.
"No, my uncle is slightly insane. I mean you can't tell the future it's not set in stone," Rahzel reasoned as if trying to convince herself.
"But you looked like you believed him," Link argued.
"I never said I was sane," Rahzel said with a grin, "besides he is my uncle so I must try to be respectful." Link chuckled at the woman as he led them to the edge of Skyloft. He whistled before Rahzel and him jumped.
Crimson caught them easily. The pair was over the green pillar of light in minutes. Rahzel hadn't spoken during the entire trip which seemed odd to Link not because the woman was normally talkative but because it was as though she was thinking deeply about something. "Are you ready, Rahzel?" Link asked turning to speak with the woman behind him.
She silently nodded pulling out her purple sailcloth. Both jumped off the large bird and let gravity take control. Link swallowed the fear that always came with falling to the surface.
Then over the billowing of the wind, a loud shout started. "Link! HEEELP!" the voice screamed. Link tried to look over his shoulder when he felt a heavy weight pull him down. Link quickly unfurled his sailcloth before they crashed horribly.
This slowed Link and his unwanted skydiving partner, but not as well as he would have liked. They landed with a crash. Rahzel landed softly nearby and pulled the large weight off of Link. "What's the big idea, Groose?" the woman shouted one hand clenched in a fist the other on her hip as she stared down at the larger Skyloftian on the ground.
"Don't look at me, Link should have landed bett… WHOA!" Groose shouted when he saw the small birds that had landed on him. At his exclamation, the birds fled. "B-birds? TINY birds? Wh-what… are they?" Groose asked. Before Rahzel or Link could answer Groose, the red-haired Hylian spotted Gorko, the Goron. "And what is that thing?" he asked fear creeping into his voice. He then began to mumble to himself.
"You think he's alright?" Rahzel asked as Link got to his feet.
"Where am I?" Groose shouted. The red-head jumped to his feet and begun to shake Link, "What's going on here? Ever.."
"Shut up and listen, Groose!" Rahzel shouted. Much to Link's relief the taller Skyloftian stopped shaking him like a rag doll. Said man was about to rant again until Rahzel held up a single finger, "This is the Surface. The stories you heard as a kid are false. And Zelda is safe Now you may go back to Skyloft."
The red-head Skyloftian just stared slack-jawed. "Come, Link. We should be seeing the old lady," Rahzel ordered before turning to leave. Link also begun to leave. He felt guilty leaving Groose behind, but he knew the best place for Groose was the sky.
"Go to Skyloft?" You got to be joking. The true hero has finally arrived. You two can sit back now, Groose is here," the red-head shouted running ahead.
Link sighed. He doubt Groose could handle the task of saving Zelda. "We should probably follow him, "the hero voiced.
"Yeah, he might get attacked by a Kikwi," Rahzel said sarcastically. Link laughed at the thought of the tall Hylian being swarmed by the small furry creatures. Side by side the two walked to the Sealed Grounds.
Link and Rahzel reached the Sealed Grounds to see Groose sulking outside the Temple. Link tried to figure out what the other Skyloftian was mumbling about. Rahzel said nothing, but opened the door to the temple. Link took it as a symbol to continue his quest and walked into the temple.
"Link, I'm glad to see you in good health," the old woman greeted. Link looked back at the door which closed behind Rahzel; he worried slightly about Groose. "Don't worry about the big one. He needed to understand his destiny." Link nodded sadly; destiny was something you couldn't escape. Rahzel scoffed, but didn't say a word. "Anyways, how may I aide the chosen hero?" the old woman continued.
"Impa said that we must speak to you about the second gate of time," Link answered.
"We?" the woman asked looking back to the door that Groose had left.
"He means himself and me," Rahzel clarified stepping forward.
"And you are?" the woman pressed eyes narrowed suspiciously.
Rahzel curtsied, "My name is Rahzel Farrow." The old woman pressed her lips into a thin line. The suspicion still written on her face.
Link spoke up, "She is a good friend of mine and I think that she could be a great help on my quest."
The old woman sighed, "I do not recognize your name, Rahzel. I therefore must assume that your destiny is insignificant to this prophesy." The woman turned to Link her long braid swinging, "I must warn you hero. That your task may be difficult, but trusting the wrong people could make it impossible." The entire temple became quiet. "Now that the gate is destroyed there is only one way left to find them." Link nodded in understanding. "You must make use of the harp given to you by Zelda."
Rahzel let out a bark of a laugh, "I don't know about you, Link, but I can't play a harp."
"I'll teach you how to play it, Link," the old woman said braid swinging.
Link pulled out his harp. The metal felt cold against his fingers and he debated whether or not he was holding the instrument right. The old woman began instructing him on which strings to strum. Rahzel was chuckling in the background. After several minutes, the albino obviously got bored of watching the hero attempt to play the instrument and began to walk around the temple. Link sighed and attempted to play the instrument again. "Excellent Link, now come over to the ring in the center of the temple," the old woman instructed as she guided Link to said circle. "Now play the song you just learned."
Link did as the woman asked and began to play the song. The song ended and Link quickly put away the harp. For a moment, nothing happened. "Maybe you played it wrong?" Rahzel suggested now reappearing beside the old woman. As if to contradict the woman's remark, the ground shook violently.
A large stone pillar rose from the temple floor. It was gray with the top half a clear blue stone. "The giant slap you see before you is know as the gate of time. It is the last of its kind in existence… The only portal binding our world to the one Zelda now resides. If you manage to open the gate and pass through, you'll likely appear in the same area as Zelda. But you will need to endure many hardships and put yourself in great danger to awaken the gate from its dormant state. Though your journey will put you in harm's way.. You must endure to the end." The seriousness of this task was not loss on Link. "It is your fate, Link as the chosen hero of the godde…" Before the woman could finish the ground shook again. A loud roar filled the air. "This shaking… I fear the seal has been broken. I expected that it would react to your summoning the gate, but I never imagined the seal would break so quickly. There will be more time to explain later. Hurry to the bottom of the pit outside."
Rahzel and Link needed no further instruction. They ran out the door. The ground shook violently again. "Come, Link," Rahzel shouted ignoring Groose and the old woman. She started down the spiral path. Both skidded to a stop at the center of the pit and unsheathed their swords. Black smoke billowed from the stone spike. A large scaled head rose from the ground. Link stood in shock as the monster from his nightmares towered over him. "Back up, Rahzel," Link advised gently pushing her back.
The large beast roared and started climbing up the spiral path to the temple. Link charged slashing at the monster's scaled legs. Rahzel followed, but neither could penetrate the scaly hide. Link sliced again as the Imprisoned lifted its foot. Instead of hitting the scaled leg as he planned Link sliced through one of the creature's toes.
"Rahzel, get his toes," Link shouted to the woman. Rahzel and Link destroyed all the toes quickly Unable to balance itself, the Imprisoned fell backward. Link and Rahzel had to jump to avoid the large monster. Link slashed at the large sealing spike on its head, hoping that this would reseal the beast. The stone spike sank smoothly into the Imprisoned's skull. When the stone spike was nearly three quarters of the way into the beast's head, the scaly creature stood on its stubby legs. With a mighty roar, its toes reappeared and the sealing spike was pushed out.
"Keep hitting its toes, Link. I have an idea," Rahzel shouted as she ran off the spiral path. Link watched as the woman caught the jet of air in the center of the pit and flew straight into the air. Link slashed ferociously at the Imprisoned's toes. Link glanced up to see Rahzel standing on the monster's head. She drove the sealing spike into the creature's skull causing the beast to shake its head. Rahzel kept her balance and hit the stone spike one more time.
The creature shrieked and burst into small black shards. As the shards gathered to the center of the pit, Rahzel landed gracefully. "Now what?" the woman asked.