The Hero of time walked forwards and entered the building. How long had this shrine been hiding in the forest? He looked at the torches, there was no ash under them, nor was there a source for the flame. Had they been burning ever since it had been abandoned? There were tapestries hung over the walls between the glass windows. He looked at them and saw that they joined with the stained glass in depicting room-sized murals of the goddesses and everything that they had created. Nothing was covered and dust, it looked as though it were use frequently.

There were statues delicately carved in the walls and up from the floor. Nothing in the shrine looked in any form of disrepair. It seemed as though it was in a state of constant maintenance.

"Roke?" Link called out in his mind. "Is this your people's shrine?"

Yes. The voice answered him. We imbued it with the magical blessings the goddesses had given us so that it would never fall into shambles.

"That's interesting." Link responded. He looked around the room and saw several doors. "So where is the Light Blade?"

I left it to Krod to hide before our fall. There should be no monsters or locked rooms. It will only be a matter of looking around for it.

Link groaned and went to the nearest door. He explored the shrine and looked in every room three times. It was the middle of the night by the time he found the Light Blade, tucked away in a pile of objects. Link sighed when he saw the hilt and pulled it out.

The blade was made of pure silver and a gentle white fire coated it. The guard and hilt were made of copper and was inlaid with blood rubies that seemed to have fire in their depths. Staring at them, he remembered the Terminian Mines and the magma that flowed through them. Link felt a torrent of power while holding onto the hilt of the sword.

Link sighed and reached into the pile, searching for the sheath to the sword. He found it and yanked it out with such force that he was sent flying backwards. He looked at the sheath and saw that it looked exactly like the Master Sword's, from what he remembered, save for the fact that it was red and yellow instead of blue and yellow. He quickly took his old sword off and attached it to one of the saddlebags he had taken with him. He attached the new sword to his baldric and replaced the leather strap around his torso.

Link stood up and thought out to the spirit of the mask, "Roke, you were going to teach me a magical technique?"

Yes. Go to the room with the large tapestry of the goddesses looking over my people.

Link walked out of the room he was in and went to the opposite side of the temple to go where he was directed. He walked in and looked around. This was empty of anything beyond the tapestries and a pedestal in the center, so he had only briefly scanned it once.

Place my mask on that pedestal.

Link did as he was told and a light blue mist came from the mask. It spilled over the floor and came halfway up his calves. The mask rose from the pedestal as it was surrounded with a white light. A figure formed in an ethereal form, Link could still see through the apparition. The mask half phased from existence and Link saw the towering form of Roke standing on the pedestal, he held the double helix sword in his hand, the mist seemed to steam up from its wickedly sharp edges. Link stared at the pure white eyes and was in awe of the immense power he felt looking upon him. Link understood why the Hylians had mistaken the Oni for dark gods; he might have been trembling if he had any less mettle.

"Link," Roke said as he lightly jumped off the three foot pedestal and walked towards the living being, "are you ready for my training? It will encompass more then that technique I mentioned before."

Link nodded. He had two days left before the time mentioned. "Just one thing," Navi spoke for him, "The tower that was mentioned in the riddle: 'The crystal of time resides within the tower.' Do you know what tower was meant? Was it the River Guide?"

"No. The tower mentioned is our Tower of the Gods. Tiza had the foresight to place Lei's Crystal within those sacred halls, so that its dark power might not be unleashed. It worked well for several hundreds of years."

"So, where is that?" Navi asked.

"In Hyrule. In the center of the Golden Lands. We placed it between three triangular mountains that Din formed."

Link was startled. He couldn't make it to there in four days, let alone two.

"Worry not, young Hero of Time." Roke said, "We built a magical system that would take us from one site to the other. Only we knew how to use it, that is why your foe has not discovered this place yet. Train for one day and then rest for the next. After that, go save the Princess of Destiny."

Link nodded and drew his sword. "He says he's ready for your training, Roke." Navi said.

"Very well then." Roke stood and readied his transparent sword. "Come at me."

Link sheathed his sword over a day later, sweat dripped from his forehead. He sat back on the ground.

"That took longer then I meant it to. But now I feel you are prepared for whatever challenges await you. Link, when you desire to leave, turn this pedestal to your left half of the way, then rotate it completely in the opposite direction. Then a quarter of the way, again in the opposite direction. Then stand on the pedestal when the light appears on it. You will be taken to the very bottom floor of the Tower of the Gods. There should be Lei's Crystal, and with any luck, your Princess."

Roke jumped back onto the pedestal. He turned to face Link as the mist retreated, the mast began to become solid again, and his figure faded. "Link! Don't go until your body is recovered. It is dangerous and deadly to go into battle exhausted. You'll have time if you sleep now." Roke disappeared and the mask clattered to the top of the pedestal.

Link sat back against the pedestal and closed his eyes to sleep. His dreams were plagued by visions like he had before the River Guide, but he did not wake until ten hours had passed.

When he awoke, he leapt to his feet and immediately followed the directions that Roke had given him after snatching the mask up. He could feel that the magical properties of the mask had been drained. Magically imbued masks were heavier then regular ones. He could no longer use the mask to transform. As Link pushed the pedestal, grunting with the effort, he figured that with all of the new sword techniques Roke had taught him, he would be all right.

The top of the pedestal lit up as Roke had told him it would. He climbed up and felt himself transported.

The doors of the room Zelda had been kept in burst open, the room flooded with light. Umbra retreated to the back of the room. Zelda merely stood. In the doorway was Amageten.

"Well, are we ready, child?" He asked as he walked towards her.

With the light Zelda felt some of her strength return to her. She felt enough resolve to deny him what he wanted. At once a hand was around her waist and the crystal in front of her, offered on a pale palm.

"Isn't this what you wanted?" She heard Umbra ask her. "Ganondorf's revival, and the destruction of those people that are enjoying themselves while you were kept here in the dark?"

At the sound of his voice, the feel of him near her, and the reminder of his presence, his spell was cast over her again. Although it had left with the entrance of his master, Umbra had replaced it in an instant.

"I…"

Umbra lifted his arm from her waist and used it to lift up her hand. He placed the crystal in the appendage and closed her hand around it.

"Go on, you know you…" She felt his smirk form near her neck. She shivered and then looked around the room, wondering what had happened. The pedestal that the crystal had been kept on had lit up brightly, sending a column of bright light to the ceiling of the room. Umbra didn't move at the light and she heard him chuckle as a figure formed in the light.

"Ah, Link. I was wondering if you were going to show up." Umbra said menacingly as the pillar faded and the Hero of Time stood there. He looked over at Umbra and glared, reaching up for his sword. Zelda was startled. Umbra had lied to her, and she had believed him. She was indignant with rage and silenced by her anger.

"Umbra! What is the meaning of this? Why didn't you kill him?"

Umbra let go of Zelda for an instant to bow at Amageten. "Oh, I tried. He's just far too lucky for my traps, I suppose. Do you want me to take care of him now?"

"No, Umbra. You're obviously too incompetent for this. Take Zelda away from here. I shall deal with him and then we shall continue as planned."

"Very well, Master Amageten." Umbra sneered the last word, grabbed Zelda, and faded into the shadows.