Chapter 6: A New Mask and the Gate of Seals
Link and the others appeared just outside of the anti-teleportation barrier.
"Well," said Zinc. "Let's get walking." The trio set off toward the temple. "Oh, and watch out for darkborns."
"What's a darkborn?" asked Link.
"A mean little monster, born in darkness that feeds off of fear," said Zinc.
"Yeah, but what do they look like?" asked Link.
"They take the shape of what you fear most," said Zinc.
"What if you don't fear anything?" asked Link
"Then they won't bother you, so I guess they won't be much of a problem," said Zinc.
They continued walking until they reached the entrance to the Unnamed Temple. They entered the huge room at the front of the temple.
"So, where do we find the mask?" asked Zelda.
"I think I know where it is," said Zinc. "Follow me." He walked up to the west wall and started feeling it.
"Uh Zinc, that's a wall," said Link.
"No," Zinc pushed on the wall and a section of it swung back to reveal a passage, "it's not. This place is filled with secret passages." They walked through the dimly lit walkway beyond the door.
"I don't want to know why the ground is crunching beneath my feet," said Zelda.
"We're probably walking on bugs and decaying bodies," said Link.
"I told you I didn't want to know," said Zelda. She cringed at the sound made each time her foot touched the floor. Zinc pushed in a wall on the right side of the hall. In the room outside of the hall, there was a large treasure chest.
"That's the only chest here I can't open," said Zinc. "Try opening it, Zelda." Zelda walked up to the chest. When she laid her hands on it, an ethereal light surrounded her and the chest. She opened it. Inside were the Fierce Angel's mask and a scroll. The Fierce Angel's mask had only one marking, the blossom of a red rose and the right cheek, and its vines entwined with the eyes. The words on the scroll were written in an ancient language. Zinc took the scroll and looked at it."
"Those who hold the masks of magic should seek the Gate of Seals and what lies within," read Zinc.
"You read Ancient Hylain?" asked Zelda.
"Doesn't everybody?" asked Zinc. A beam of dark energy passed in front of Zinc's face.
"Darkania," Zinc turned to face the sorceress. "I knew you would show up eventually."
"Then you also knew, I'd do this," Darkania raised her hands and summoned a hoard of zombies.
"Oh yeah, let's see how they handle Din's Fire," as Link cast the spell a dome of orange fire mowed down several of the zombies, but more took their place.
"My turn," said Zinc. "Lightning Storm." Lightning snaked through the crowd of zombies destroying them. Again, the zombies reappeared. The zombies advanced on the brothers.
"Magic doesn't work," said Link. " It looks like we have to do this the old fashioned way." He drew his sword.
"No," said Zinc drawing his sword, "we have to do this the fun way." The zombies charged with a mighty battle cry. The brothers slashed in the hoard of zombies, but for every zombie that met its demise, another one took his place.
"Aw man! This is ridiculous!" exclaimed Link. "There are too many of them!" Just before the zombies closed in for the kill a beam of white light hit Darkania in the chest. The lapse in Darkania's energy caused the zombies to disappear.
"Leave my friends alone, Darkania," said Zelda. She was wearing the Fierce Angel's mask. In the transformation into Oni-Zelda only Zelda's eyes turned white; her hair remained the same blonde color it always was. The rose tattoo now appeared on her face. She now wore a steel breastplate. Her dress, which was now light blue, had an elaborate Triforce design on it. She threw another wave of energy. The blast hit Darkania in the shoulder.
"So, pretty, pretty princess wants to play rough!" said Darkania. She threw a wave of dark energy. Oni-Zelda made an energy shield, which reflected the blast back at Darkania.
"We'll finish this another time, Zelda," said Darkania. She disappeared in a flash of energy. Oni-Zelda Took off the Fierce Angel's Mask and put it in the pouch that hung from her belt.
"Hey Zinc, what did that scroll say?" asked Link.
"It told us to look for the Gate of Seals," said Zinc.
"Where is that?" asked Link.
"Everywhere, at any given time it could be anywhere in Hyrule," said Zinc.
"You mean it moves around?" asked Link. "How can we find it then?"
"We find out where it is and get there before it shifts places at midnight," said Zinc.
"Maybe we can use the Book of Mudora to find it," said Link.
"See Link, you can come up with a good idea if you try," said Zinc.
"Do you have to insult my intelligence?" asked Link.
"No, but it wouldn't be as much fun if I didn't," said Zinc. Let's get back to Hyrule Castle. Gather 'round everyone." Zinc used the Fire Teleport to take them away from the Unnamed Temple.
They arrived a few moments later just outside of Hyrule Castle.
"The Book of Mudora is in a hidden part of the castle library," said Zelda. "We should be quiet. My father likes to spend time there." They entered the castle and found the library. The king was sitting a long wooden table. He was looking over some scrolls.
"Greetings, Daughter, Link," said the king looking up from his scrolls. "How was the ceremony? I give my deepest regrets on not being able to attend." He stood up and walked over to them, not yet noticing Zinc. The king was a large man, both tall and wide, but he wasn't fat. His black hair had several streaks of gray giving it a silver tint. He wore lavish deep blue robes, and a gold crown bearing the mark of the Triforce.
"It barely got started," said Zelda, "then unexpected events caused us to postpone it"
"Link, did you get cold feet?" the king let out a deep, hearty laugh.
"Actually," said Zinc stepping forward, "the delay was my fault."
"And just who are you?" asked the king.
"I am Zinc, Lord of Sky Castle and the Guardian of Time. I am also Link's twin brother."
"I see," said the king. "Well, if you're family of Link's, then by Din, you're family of mine." The king gave Zinc a big pat on the back; Zinc stumbled from the force, but retained his balance.
"Thank you, sir," said Zinc.
"What brings you here, Lord of Sky Castle?" asked the king.
"Well," said Zinc, "in a nutshell, Ganondorf and my arch-nemesis, Scythe, have joined forces to resurrect Khimena, and we believe a clue as to beating them may lie in the Gate of Seals. In order to find the Gate of Seals we need the Book of Mudora."
"Ganondorf's back!" exclaimed the king. "This is a matter of kingdom wide importance. Come; let's get the Book of Mudora." The king pulled a book off a shelf, opening a secret passage. The passage descended into a long dimly lit spiral staircase.
"What is it with spiral staircases?" asked Link. "They're so annoying."
"Well Link, think logically," said Zinc. "Spiral staircases allow you to have innumerable steps in a relatively small area. They also create a tense atmospheric mood."
"Do you actually know the meaning to most of the words you use?" asked Link. Zinc let out a sigh and continued down the staircase. When they reached the bottom, they entered a large room. At the center of the far wall an altar stood, with a large brazier on either side of it. Sitting on the altar was the ancient book that recorded history as it happened, the Book of Mudora.
"This is it," said the king. "There is a large map of Hyrule at the back of the book. Now, I must return to my scroll. And Zinc, I do hope your next visit is on better terms." The king turned around and went back up stairs." Link went up the Book of Mudora and opened it to the very back. The map was in uncanny detail showing even the tiniest blade of grass. One would have thought they were looking actually staring down at a miniature world, not just a two-dimensional map.
"Nothing is labeled on this map," said Link. "How are we supposed to find the Gate of Seals, on here?" Seemingly in answer to Link's question, the words "The Gate of Seals" appeared under a cave on Death Mountain.
"Apparently, if someone says the name of a place the book points it out," said Zinc, "how convenient. Now that we know where it is, we can teleport there before it shifts places. Zelda, would you care to do the honors?"