Some time had passed, with the rhythmic beating of the rain never ceasing the entire time. After investigating around the swamp I had discovered an old disused cave on its edge that had provided me with shelter from the storms. The entrance was well concealed such that no unwelcome creature would be able to discover it without a considerable degree of fortune. The marshland was huge and seemed to cover as large an area as the desert did in Hyrule, as if it had somehow the surface had metamorphosed with the never-ending rain showers. After examining the boundaries of the swampland I knew there was no way out by normal means - at least not in the strange foxlike form I was now in. No entrance, no escape, the words were now etched into my memory. Yet I knew there must be another way - after all, I had found a way to get here.

The next day I awoke to the now familiar thunderclouds. It was nearly impossible to even tell the time of day, such were the thickness of the dark clouds that sunlight could barely penetrate them for more than a few minutes a day. Strangely enough food was not a problem, for there were a vast array of creatures that lived in the swampland and I was beginning to adapt to my new form - I had developed the instincts of a hunter and could sense the living things around me. I thought back to what that tree entity had told me and realised he was right. 'The longer I'm here, the more twisted my thoughts become.. I'm beginning to forget who I really am at times,' I pondered.

For now my main concern was what was on the breakfast menu as I went foraging, hovering slightly above the ground with my wings fluttering. I had gone some way when I noticed something curious; there were some hooded figures lurking around by a corner, who promptly seemed to vanish into thin air before my eyes! I crept closer to where they had been standing and noticed a tunnel that led underground. Keeping in the shadows, I travelled down into it and as I went further down it opened up into a large area carved of stone - I had discovered a dungeon of some sort; home to who, or what, I had no way of knowing. As I moved along stealthily I caught sight of the shrouded figures I had seen on the surface, who were descending further into the bowels of the dungeon. There were a host of other dark, undead creatures scattered about - skeletons like the ones I had encountered in the cave, sentient balls of slime that oozed their way along the corridors and fuzzy green slug-like critters. One of the skeletons turned in my direction and I ducked into the shadowy corner, feeling sure it had seen me. It gave a quizzical look and began to approach where I was crouching. It was just metres away when a far off noise sounded, seemingly distracting it, with the bony figure making an abrupt turn and following the shrouded ones down the corridor, along with all the other creatures I had seen.

'Where were they all going?' I wondered. I had to find out and silently crept after the group of creatures, travelling ever deeper into the dank catacombs. Soon the corridors widened into a large open underground chamber as the smell of acrid smoke filled my nostrils. The minions had assembled in front of a makeshift dais; atop it was a giant demonic creature with pointed ears, dressed in a large cape, peering out with beady eyes over the horde of monsters at his feet. Behind him was a large crystal and inside it.. the figure of an unconscious girl, who seemed somehow frozen in time. I shivered, trying to remember what Zelda had told me about how the wizard had planned to send her here but then the terrifying figure on the platform began to speak.

'Soon, we shall see the dawning of a new age of darkness,' he declared, his voice not loud as I might have expected but instead he spoke in an almost refined and methodical manner that seemed oddly familiar. Yet why was he addressing creatures? How could they understand his words? The demon continued. 'The final preparations are underway and soon we shall open the gate to flood in and take Hyrule by force and everyone shall know the name of Ganon!' I turned cold. This was.. Ganondorf? The king of thieves that had disappeared from Hyrule long ago, the most feared man in the entire land. He had become something so twisted and horrible - the reflection of what is in your heart, I remembered the tree telling me. These minions before him, could they too be like him, like me - their physical forms altered so horribly by this world? As my mind raced, Ganon turned to face the crystal. 'Now, I shall draw upon the maiden's power and seal her in this dungeon. Once I have all seven descendants of the wise men sealed away, the barrier between these worlds will be destroyed!' The shrouded figures before him began to chant, to cast a spell, wizzrobes, the name came into my head. I had to do something but what? I sped forward through the shadows, behind the dais, floated up onto the stage and crashed into the crystal, shattering it on the floor as Ganon whirled around to see what had happened. The maiden inside had woken up and looked still in a daze.

'Run!' I urged her, as Ganon gave a cry of rage, lunging for me but I was too quick to be caught that way and dashed past the evil king. The girl had taken one look at Ganon and ran after me as fast as she could, bowling over a stupefied wizzrobe that had gotten in the way.

'Seal this place off! Begin the thunder magic, now!' Ganon roared at the shrouded wizards, as he ran after us. I could hear the wizards chanting feverishly behind us, over and over, Qa'ra velger, ayth aish meym, hashamyim, qa'ra velger, ayth aish meym, hashamyim! The world around me seemed to rumble violently as if there was an earthquake right above me. The girl clad in white behind me was moving as fast as she could, hurtling forward phrenetically.

'Keep moving, keep moving!' I urged her, leading the way. The rumbling was getting worse and the entire place seemed to be sinking. I saw the exit from the dungeon ahead of me and it was closing off as the entire dungeon sunk further into the marsh. Just as I was almost there, Ganon appeared right behind us. He seemed to hurtle a bolt of pure energy at the maiden, her face a mask of pain and surpise as she fell gently to the floor.

'No!!' I yelled in dismay and rage. There was no time to stick around though, the exit was now just a small gap and as Ganon threw another bolt of energy at me, I dived through the hole, the dungeon entrance disappearing from view just seconds later below the murky swamp. The rain was pelting down ferociously and the clap of thunder was now deafening as the storms around me grew in their intensity from the magic of the wizzrobes. I dashed back towards the safety of my cave - was that something following me from behind? I went even faster, my wings propelling me forward and soon I had made it, the dark shape that had been following behind had now disappeared. As I crept into my dwelling, my fur soaked, I recalled the last thing I had seen before dashing out of the marsh dungeon: the look of sheer hatred on the face of Ganon would haunt me forever.