Chapter 29: Forest Temple Chamber

"Link…" Saria said quietly as she sat in the center of a fairly sized chamber with a symbol of three golden triangles connected at their points painted in the center. Paintings of a gloomy trail leading to an ominous castle lined the wall; a single staircase led to an unseen hallway somewhere else in the room, spear-like rope barriers lined the sides of the platform on which she sat, "Please come soon."

She heard footfalls coming from somewhere in the room but couldn't determine its source because of the echoes that bounced from every corner of the room, "Link?" she said suddenly expecting to see him, but instead she heard Maiku's voice fill her ears.

"Link is currently wandering around the Temple, Forest Sage Saria…" he said

"Why do you keep calling me that, Maiku?" she cried out, "Why can't you just call me Saria? Why can't you just be good?"

He stepped into her view, "Good?" his tone harsh and annoyed, "How would anybody accept me to be good with my appearance? I'm slowly changing into something every passing day… and you expect me to become a good person? Can't you sense my aura?"

"Your aura? ….It has a blood red coloration to it with a tint of black."

"Exactly, I am far too emerged into darkness to come back out. I am sorry… but you cannot help me with that."

"How can you say that?"

"Because sweet, sweet Saria… you are but a sleeping sage… you have yet to awaken to fulfill your destiny… but to do that, it seems that you must… die."

"Die…?"

He nodded, "It appears that once your soul leaves the body, it takes its place in the Chamber of Sages in the heart of the Sacred Realm."

"So you are here to free me of my physical being?"

He nodded, a tear slid down the mask's surface, "Yes, I am sorry." He didn't know why he felt so sad about having to kill Saria, perhaps because of her pure innocence, her purity to the world. She had done nothing wrong to him or Ganondorf, it was her sad destiny to meet her demise in the Forest Temple and he was her partially unwilling executioner. He unsheathed a dagger with a decorated one and half foot long blade from behind his back. He thrust the blade into her chest and his ears were filled with her high pitched agonized screams.

Her blood oozed from out of the wound and dripped onto the cold floor, he withdrew the blade, wiped it clean with his tunic and waited for the Hero of Time to enter the room while cradling Saria's body in his arms.

*                      *                      *

At the same time Link and Navi where outside of the door to the chamber where Maiku waited for them "So why do I have to awaken the Sages again?" Link remarked.

"To seal Ganondorf away." Navi replied

"Why aren't they awake already…? It would make everything easier if we just had to ask for their aid rather than risking our lives!"

"Hey! You were the one that said to Maiku 'Oh I wish I can go on adventures like you did!'."

"Don't you ever bring that up that I saved Maiku from certain death when he was a Zora…. by seeing that he's our enemy now."

"Don't be so hard on him Link."

"Why do you say that?"

"It was the mask's fault he became evil and joined Ganondorf."

"I think he wanted that, Navi…"

"But I don't think he knew that the mask would takeover like that on a whim."

"What makes you say that…?"

"Well… I don't know…."

"Didn't you say he abused you when you were by his side?"

"Yeah… so what's your point?"

Link groaned and put his hand to his forehead, "Why are you so optimistic?"

"Fairies are optimistic by nature!"

"Oh…" he took a large golden key from out of an inner pocket from inside his tunic and placed it into the lock hole, unlocking the door and entering the chamber beyond.

Maiku heard the door open and close followed by the sound of boots on the hard stone floor, "You have finally come, Link…" he said and noticed the Hero of Time walk into his view.

Link's eyes immediately focused on Saria's body in Maiku's arms, "Saria!!!" he clenched his fists, "What did you do to her?!"

"Do not worry about this girl… her soul has fulfilled its destiny and is on its way to the Chamber of Sages so that she can help you seal Ganondorf away when you finally awaken every single sage left…"

"What the…? What are you saying?"

"Are you a total imbecile, Link?" he gently placed Saria's body on the ground and stood up, "Can you not get the meaning of my words?"

"Then speak up, Maiku! Talk normally!"

"Great, Hyrule's got a total imbecile for a hero…" he mumbled under his breath then spoke up, "Listen to me, I want you to fight with all your soul!"

"What the hell…? You mean… you actually want me to succeed."

"In a way, yes… but I can't let you off that easily…" he glanced at a portrait on the wall, "I have a playmate for you to test your skills with…."

Link drew the Master Sword and pointed its blade towards Maiku's mask covered face, "Come on! Fight me!"

He shook his head, "It's not the right time yet. Phantom! Take care of this Hero of Time." He walked into a shadow filled corner of the room and vanished.

"Phantom…?" Link glanced around the room expecting to see a hideous monster or something approaching him but he didn't, "How can you expect me to fight it if I can't see it?"

Maiku's voice filled the room, "Just look at each picture that line the walls… you'll see it… sooner or later…" he said

Link started to walk around the room, glancing at each picture as he passed each. When he started to walk to the staircase four long spears emerged out of the ground, causing him to jump back in surprise. He heard the sound of horse hooves behind him and he turned around, "You!" he cried out, "Ganondorf!"

It was Ganondorf, it seemed, and he was looming over him just like he did on that day seven years ago, holding a large decorated javelin. To his surprise, Ganondorf reached up to his own face and ripped it clean off of his skull.

"Ewww!!!!" Navi squeaked, "Disgusting!!!"

To Link's surprise there was no blood coming from where the face was; instead, the skull was clean and from out of the eye sockets came an amber glow which burned angrily into Link's soul. "What…" he started, "…What is this… thing?"

"C'mon Link!" Maiku's voice filled Link's ears, "Think! I just told you what it is… Phantom Ganon... defeat it and liberate the forest, save your Kokiri friends…"

His voice stopped; Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath and stared straight at Phantom Ganon with full determination to beat the evil spirit. "For everyone, I shall beat you!" he yelled out, lunged and swung the blade to strike the spirit down….