A/N: Temple time Temple time lololo


Oasis and Heath let Zelda and Ganondorf borrow two shields before showing the three how to properly sand seal surf.

That was the only way to get to the Arbiter's Grounds quickly. The sand seals, lead by Patricia, would show them the way without much effort.

Link seemed to get the hang of the surfing a bit quicker than Ganondorf and Zelda.

It was a combination of balance and steering.

Only when the group was sufficient at the travel method did the Desert Zora follow them, swimming through the sand as easily as a dolphin through the ocean.

"The Arbiter's Grounds is guarded by a Molduga," Oasis said as he swam beside Ganondorf. "It's blind, but its hearing is unrivaled."

"Molduga?" Zelda asked, glancing at the Zora then looking forward so she wouldn't accidentally steer her sand seal into another rock.

"Giant beasts that swim beneath the sand," Heath explained. "Their leather is good for weapons and armor and their guts for medicine."

"How do you fight one?" Ganondorf asked.

Oasis laughed. "You don't. You pray and hope it doesn't find you."

"Anyone who's ever been in a battle with a Molduga hasn't come out alive."

"Then how do you know about its leather and insides?" Zelda asked while Link nodded, unable to sign since he was holding onto his rope.

"It takes about twenty of our people to even be a challenge to it," Oasis said. "You're just two Hylians and a Gerudo. What do you hope to do against it?"

"Got any bomb arrows?" Ganondorf asked with a grin. "We'll show you that we're not just 'two Hylians and a Gerudo'."

Zelda really didn't like where Ganondorf's thought process was going. She also didn't like Link's excited grin.


The Arbiter's Grounds was completely blanketed by sand. The only indication that something lay below were the multiple rock spires that jutted from the sand.

Even from a distance Ganondorf could see the moving mound of sand that indicated the Molduga's location.

"So, what's the plan?" Zelda asked as she stared at the sand shifting then looked at Ganondorf. "Don't tell me it involves getting eaten."

"It might a bit," Ganondorf muttered. "That Molduga is sensitive to sound. So, all we have to do is lure it aboveground."

Link frowned, tilting his head. How?

"The bomb arrows." Ganondorf pointed to a spire. "I'll warp all three of us to that rock pillar. Link, fire an arrow at the sand. Once it's up, I'll warp you over the Molduga's mouth to shoot more bomb arrows into its throat."

Like a Dodongo! I get it!

Ganondorf nodded. "That should stun it long enough to attack it. Once it goes back beneath the sand, we repeat the process until its dead."

"How do you know this will work?" Oasis sniffed, crossing his arms as he eyed the Molduga skeptically. "The Molduga could do something you don't expect."

"Then I'll do something it won't expect," Ganondorf grumbled. "Just trust us."

Heath and Oasis glanced at each other, very much not trusting the plan before Heath dove beneath the sand.

After a few minutes, he returned with a bundle of bomb arrows, handing them to Link.

"I hope you know what you're doing."

So do I, Ganondorf thought as he held onto Link and Zelda's hands tightly.

Focusing on the point in space where the rock pillar resided, Ganondorf closed his eyes and teleported.

The rock pillar was just barely large enough to hold all three of them and Ganondorf tried not to take up too much space.

Link took out a bomb arrow, notching it then firing it at the ground in front of them.

The shifting sand halted before it began to race towards them.

The rock pillar vibrated with the force of the Molduga as it came closer before finally breaching the sand.

The beast was double the size of a Hinox with an enormous mouth and useless feet, body built for sand swimming rather than walking.

Almost forgetting what they were doing at the sight of the Molduga, Ganondorf shook his head before grabbing Link around the waist. He had never teleported over a moving target before and hoped it wouldn't end in disaster.

Visualizing the area above the Molduga's gaping mouth, Ganondorf teleported with Link and time seemed to slow down as they appeared over their intended target.

Link notched a bomb arrow then fired it into the beast's maw before firing several more until the spell was broken.

As the beast collapsed in the sand with a shriek, Ganondorf teleported himself and Link to the sand, their landing less than graceful.

From the safety of the rock pillar, Zelda summoned the Light Bow and a Light Arrow, beginning to fire several at the downed Molduga.

The sharp tips sunk deep into the beast's hide.

Link began to slice at it and without thinking about it, Ganondorf snapped his fingers.

A bolt of lightning struck the Molduga, causing it to shriek and flail.

Ganondorf grabbed Link and teleported the both of them out of range as the Molduga retaliated with a swing of its tail.

Again, Link said as they appeared on a rock pillar separate from Zelda.

Ganondorf nodded.

They repeated the strategy of luring the Molduga aboveground with a bomb arrow then stunning it with more. It took one more round before the Molduga finally lay dead, smoking slightly from the power of the bomb arrows.

Oasis and Heath appeared from the sand as Zelda climbed down from the pillar.

"Wow, that's amazing!" Oasis said. "I can't believe you actually took it down."

Ganondorf shrugged. "Told you not to underestimate us."

"Can we take it?" Heath asked.

"Of course." Zelda nodded. "We don't have a use for it."

The two Zora appeared excited as they moved towards the Molduga.

A ways away, near the front of the Arbiter's Grounds, the sand sunk in before splitting into two, revealing a staircase.

Link stared at it before looking at the others.

"Guess we go in," Ganondorf said. "Come on."

Together the three descended the stairs into the Arbiter's Grounds, the lamps along the walls lighting themselves as they passed.

The room they came into appeared to be a tomb of some sort with skeletons laying in stone slots.

Ganondorf gazed around as Link searched for a way to open the door in front of them.

A sudden scream startled them, Ganondorf flinching and Link covering his ears.

"What the hell?!" Ganondorf snapped, glaring at Zelda. "What was that for?!"

Zelda pointed a shaky finger at something, stuttering, "Mum….mum…."

Link looked to where she was pointing and spotted what he could only assume was a ReDead in a corner. He moved closer to her, staring at it suspiciously.

Ganondorf sighed at their reaction over a corpse. "It's just a body. Come on."

Withdrawing a sword, Ganondorf moved closer to the corpse and stabbed it a few times to prove his point.

"See?" He looked back at the two. "You're being crazy."

Link and Zelda shook their heads simultaneously before Link suddenly pointed behind Ganondorf.

Before Ganondorf could react, something latched onto his middle in a vice grip. He was fast enough to grab the corpse's jaws before it could sink its teeth into his neck.

"Someone kill it! It's trying to eat me!"

Link shook his head furiously, moving behind Zelda.

Zelda rolled her eyes, taking out her bow once more and another Light Arrow. After careful aiming, she fired and the arrow sunk into the ReDead's skull.

It shrieked, releasing Ganondorf and falling to the floor.

Ganondorf moved back towards Zelda and Link, rubbing his neck.

The death of the ReDead appeared to cause a chain reaction as the skeletons in their tombs turned their heads toward the group, red orbs lighting up their empty sockets.

"Oh, great," Zelda muttered as she took out her sword. "Stalfos."

"Better than whatever that thing was," Ganondorf grumbled.

Link nodded. He could handle Stalfos. ReDead? Not so much.

As the Stalfos began to climb out of their stone beds, Ganondorf blasted several of them with fire while Zelda and Link hit the ones remaining with arrows.

It didn't take long to dispatch all of them and once the last Stalfos had fallen still, the door opened.

Link appeared relieved. I hope there's no more ReDeads.

"Me either," Ganondorf mumbled as they moved into the next room.

The room beyond was circular with an intricate circle in the middle of the floor. Seven rooms ran around the circumference of the room with the last room blocked off by rubble.

"I wonder what we do here?" Zelda murmured, staring at the room for any sort of answer as to what they had to do.

Above each door were strange markings and Ganondorf wondered what they said before Link waved to get their attention.

He pointed to a sign that obviously gave them a clue to figuring out the puzzle.

"Turn your vices into virtues and you will be redeemed," Zelda read. "I wonder what that means."

"I got it," Ganondorf said. He pointed to the plaques above the door. "See those marks? They represent the seven sins. Sloth, greed, pride, lust, wrath, envy and gluttony."

So, we have to do the opposite of them? Link asked, tilting his head.

Ganondorf nodded. "Their virtues are diligence, charity, humility, chastity, patience, kindness and temperance."

"I wonder how we turn them into virtues," Zelda murmured as they headed towards the room marked as wrath.

"I suppose we'll see," Ganondorf said. "But I guess we don't need to worry about gluttony with it being blocked off."

Link nodded.

They only needed to worry about six of the seven vices.

As Ganondorf passed through the doorway, a door slamming shut, blocking him from Zelda and Link.

"Gan!" Zelda called, hitting the door.

"I'm fine!" Ganondorf responded. "I just…"

He looked over his shoulder and saw a statue, beginning to approach it. It was a sage that he vaguely remembered. The statue wielded a hammer.

For your sin of Wrath, wyrm, you will be judged.

Ganondorf stepped back at the deep voice that echoed throughout the room.

An image of Ganon appeared in front of him, shrieking and bucking like a wild horse.

It took a second for Ganondorf to understand. Ganon was his wrath. Turn his vices into virtues.

How did Zelda calm Ganon down? Ganondorf wondered as he slowly approached the angered beast.

He didn't remember the words, but he remembered the tones and tried a humming to imitate it.

It seemed to work as Ganon slowly calmed down, gazing at him, and Ganondorf reached a hand out towards the boar.

As he touched the beast, Ganon disintegrated into white petals before disappearing.

You have calmed your sin of wrath, the voice said, the door behind Ganondorf opening. But you still have more to be flipped into virtues.

"Gan!" Zelda ran over to him, grabbing his arm. "Are you all right?"

Ganondorf nodded. "I'm fine."

What happened?

"I think these are all meant for me." Ganondorf left the room, looking at all the other sins. "To atone for my past crimes."

"What do you mean?" Zelda asked.

"That was an old sage there. Apparently, this temple doesn't believe I can be redeemed."

The temple? Link appeared confused, gazing at the walls.

"Everything holds memory, Link. Even temples. And this one had made tests just for me."

"So…we just wait?" Zelda murmured, appearing put off that she couldn't help Ganondorf with his trials.

"I'm sorry." Ganondorf smiled. "I'm the bad guy, remember? Things aren't going to be easy."

Zelda remained quiet as Ganondorf went to the next one: greed.

That one had always been his most difficult one.

As the door closed behind him, Ganondorf approached the statue at the end of the room. This statue wielded a spear.

For your sin of Greed, you will be judged.

Ganondorf wasn't surprised when he was presented with a throne chair.

Of course, it would be that. But he didn't need it this time.

"I'm happy just to be able to be with my friends. A throne is of no interest to me. Besides, it's rightfully Zelda's."

An image of Zelda appeared, decked out in royal garb and wearing a crown. She sat upon the throne and it disappeared.

You have slaked your sin of greed.

The door behind him open and Ganondorf left, making his way to the door beside it: sloth.

The door behind him remained open as Ganondorf approached the sword wielding statue.

Your sin of Sloth has long been rectified, wyrm. You have no challenge here.

Long since been rectified? Ganondorf wondered which one of his past selves hadn't been slothful in their duties but couldn't come up with one so he left the room.

He crossed over to the door beside the blocked one: envy.

I coveted that wind, I suppose.

No, you were just envious. Ganondorf figured out what he had to do to turn envy into kindness as he approached the statue that wielded a bow.

For your sin of Envy, you will be judged.

He could feel the breeze around him and closed his eyes. He had grown up with the gentle wind of Hyrule this time and was no longer envious of it.

"This wind shouldn't be hoarded by one person. It should be appreciated and shared by everyone."

The wind disappeared and the door opened.

You have rectified your sin of envy.

As Ganondorf left the room, he looked at the two remaining ones before entering pride.

That one would be trouble, he was certain of it.

The door didn't close behind him and Ganondorf wondered how he could possibly have ever been humble.

Your sin has been rectified by recent actions. Move forth to the last sin.

Hmm. Oh. He was humble before the Great Deku Tree.

That counted? Ganondorf wondered as he made his way to the last room.

He was just being polite.

I don't think I'll understand any of this, Ganondorf thought as the door closed behind him and he was presented with a statue wielding a claymore.

For your sin of Lust, you will be judged.

Ganondorf glanced around when nothing immediately appeared. When he looked back at the statue, a shadowy form stood there.

He didn't recognize it and realized it was neither his past selves nor Demise.

It was as large as the statue with wings spread from its back and horns jutting from its forehead.

Ganondorf took a step back when the shadow opened its eye, staring into the gaze of the Malice's true form.

I think we're going to be good friends.

"I don't need your charity," Ganondorf spat at the Malice. "If I want power, I'll do it on my own. Without your help. And if I ever go too deep, I know my friends will pull me back."

The form of the Malice growled at him, leaning down. You thirst for my power, wyrm. I know you do. You're practically salivating.

Ganondorf withdrew his swords. "You want to test that, parasite?"

The second the malice lunged, Ganondorf charge, his swords easily slicing into it. When the Malice tried grabbing him, Ganondorf vaulted over the grab, stabbing his swords into the back of the shadow's neck.

Take my power!

"No."

The shadow disappeared and Ganondorf landed on his feet.

Go face your final challenge, wyrm.

The door opened.

"Are you done?" Zelda asked when Ganondorf came out.

Ganondorf nodded. "Yep. That wasn't too difficult."

We still have the boss, Link reminded.

"The boss will be easily taken care of by all three of us."

Zelda appeared amused at Ganondorf's enthusiasm.

The circle in the center of the room opened up, revealing a set of spiral stairs swirling downward.

The three made their way down, coming into a room that was enormous with the only thing there being a pile of bones.

"I take it we need to fight some sort of Stalfos," Zelda muttered before the bones could even arrange themselves.

The Stalfos beast was vaguely boar-shaped with horns atop its head and sharp tips along its spine. A long tail was ended in four curved spikes.

As the beast roared, purple flames sprung up around its feet and down its spine. When it sprayed a miasma mist at the three, they all dove to separate sides, not eager to see what the miasma would do if they breathed it in.

Link fired a few arrows at it, but they bounced off the bones.

Ganondorf spotted a jewel in the center of the beast's ribcage and pointed to it. "Weak spot!"

The question was getting to the jewel without being sprayed by miasma or being attacked.

Link fired a bomb arrow at the Stalfos to distract it and once it turned towards him, Zelda summoned a Light Arrow.

Shea aimed carefully then released the arrow. It slid between two ribs, striking the gem.

The Stalfos shrieked and its body collapsed, completely exposing its weak point.

Zelda wasted no time in repeatedly striking it with Light Arrows while Link fired a few more bomb arrows.

After a bolt of lightning struck the gem, the Stalfos reformed itself, rearing up with a shriek.

Ganondorf took advantage to rush the Stalfos, leaping onto one of its legs before jumping into the ribcage. He struck the gem with a sword, driving it in as deep as possible.

The Stalfos once again separated and Ganondorf moved back.

"On three!" he said, looking at Zelda and Link.

The two nodded, Light Arrow and bomb arrow aimed at the gem.

"Three!"

The two arrows hit the gem as a bolt of lightning did.

The combined force cracked the gem before it shattered.

A door at the far end of the room opened up.

"I think we're becoming too strong for this," Zelda laughed. "That was easy."

"Don't jinx it," Ganondorf muttered, eyeing the bone pile as they made their way to the door.

I want more of a challenge. Link frowned, annoyed at the shortness of the battle.

Ganondorf sighed. He really didn't want a challenge. He just wanted to get to the springs.

The room beyond held the spring and without much fanfare, the three walked into it.


"I say we go to Lake Hylia first."

"And I say that's a stupid idea. The closest area is that one over there."

"But that isn't where the next temple is!"

"Closest places beat the place with a temple!"

He gave a heavy sigh at Midna's weak argument, pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're just my shadow now. So, I get to choose."

"You have no sense of direction…"

"Yeah?!" He began to stomp on his shadow as Midna laughed. "Who's the one with no sense of direction now?! I'm stomping on you! I'm stomping on you, stupid shadow imp!"

If a few people noticed him stomping on his shadow while talking to himself, they quickly moved on.


"You really shouldn't force me to come to your chambers so you'll eat, Your Highness," he muttered as he knocked on the door.

"It's my castle. I can do as I please."

"No, it's my castle now!"

"Because you stole it from me!"

He growled deep in his chest at her defiance before dropping the tray of food by the door. "Fine. Be that way. Starve for all I care! That's one less light for me to take care of!"

He stormed off.

Once he was gone, the door opened and she looked down the hallway where he had gone. "How many cycles before this ends?"


A/N: Almost caught up xD