Revelations

Link quietly entered the Temple of Time and found Kariah standing quietly and patiently on the raised platform. Kariah gave a warm smile as Link came up to her. "Lady Kariah, I have been able to find the Ruby, but I must ask why I saw a four year old version of myself," Link asked, still slightly spooked by the revelation. Kariah hesitated before answering, "Hero, it would seem that you had association with the castle at that time," Kariah said guardedly. Link's eyes grew suspicious.

"You know more," Link said quietly. Kariah raised an eyebrow and then gave in.

"Yes, Link, I do know more, but I'm not the one to tell it to you," she said gently. Link didn't like the answer but knew better than to push the goddess.

"What is the next step, I would assume we have to start time again," Link said, changing the subject. Kariah smiled and nodded in agreement. "Ok Hero, walk up to the altar and read to me what it says," Kariah instructed, pointing at the altar behind her. Link nodded and walked around the platform and then onto the plush red carpet that led up to the altar.

The altar had black marble on the top about three inches thick that started flat and then angled up to a twenty-degree angle. The marble sat on a brick like wall that was made of the same limestone as the rest of the temple. Beyond the altar, the wall rose to the heights of the temple but in the middle of the wall the door held a curious symbol within a single square block that was four inches higher than Link's height.

"The inscription reads Stand here in front of the altar of time with the gemstones of the goddesses and the Ocarina of Time and play the melody of Time," Link read, turning to look back at Kariah.

"Link, come for my ocarina. You will need it," Kariah said, holding out her precious instrument. Link returned to her, puzzlement written across his face. "You know my song, now play it in front of the altar after you place the gemstones in their places," Kariah said gently, placing the ocarina in Link's hands.

Link looked at the instrument in his hands and then turned back to the altar. He couldn't explain how he knew what to do, but it was all clear to him. He gently placed Farore's Emerald, Din's Ruby and Nayru's Sapphire into their places, and then he brought the ocarina to his lips.

The haunting melody of the Song of Time once again filled the Temple of Time and time outside returned to normal. The guards could hear the sound of the song coming from within the temple, but following it was a low rumble.

The Door of Time had yielded its guard and Link, lowered the ocarina. He glanced at Kariah, and she nodded towards the door. Link nodded back and he dislodged the gemstones and then he quickly went through the closing door.

Kariah's form immediately changed from that of a goddess to a teenage Hylian girl. Silver hair was replaced by bronze and her pale blue eyes became violet. The guard's came into the temple and were very confused to see a girl instead of the thief. She violet eyes flashed angrily at seeing military in the temple.

"Get out of this temple. Soldiers aren't allowed armed!" she shouted. The guards looked at her and then noticed the priest that came up behind her. "Our apologies, but we are on the search for a thief and we wanted to see if he was in here…" he was interrupted by Kariah, "Even if he was in here, you can't arrest him on this sacred ground, now out!"

The guards politely bowed their heads and then quickly exited the temple. Kariah watched them go and then turned to the priest. He raised a white eyebrow at Kariah, and she just looked him boldly in the eye. "You're quite the character Goddess Kariah. Those guards were trembling in fear," the priest chuckled. "They should know the law," Kariah retorted, "Besides, that felt good, Goddesses don't often get the chance to snap like that," she said, chuckling slightly.

Zelda entered the castle, hoping that the boy had made it to safety somewhere. She sought out Impa but strangely couldn't find her. 'Odd, Impa doesn't usually leave the castle unless she heads out to the village to the East of the city,' Zelda mused to herself while she changed her clothes. After she finished dressing, she sought out her father and found him down in the throne room.

"Father, what are you doing?" She asked, finding that her father was engrossed in a scroll. He quickly rolled the scroll up and stuffed it in his robe and then turned icy eyes on his daughter.

"What is it!" he snapped. Zelda flinched and gave him a confused look. He had never snapped at her and wasn't looking like he was about to apologize. "Father, I was wondering if you would give me permission to go to the Temple of Time," Zelda had to dodge a goblet that was suddenly thrown at her. She quickly left the room and ran to her chambers. Once there she cried, 'what happened to him? He never acts like that!'

After she cried herself dry, Zelda's stubborn personality took over. She had already left the castle unattended, why not do it again? She quietly went out into her courtyard where Libby was resting. Zelda went to the window that looked into the throne room. There she saw her father yell at a maiden servant.

She also noticed that Ganondorf was in there talking to him. She couldn't hear what they were saying, but she had a sneaking suspicion that Ganondorf was poisoning her father's mind. There was no other reason for the behaviour. Zelda looked at Libby and decided that she needed to find help.

"Libby, do you think you're up to the ride down to the temple?" Zelda murmured to the horse. Libby gave a low wicker in reply. Zelda smiled softly than swung herself onto Libby's back.

Once again, Zelda used her secret exit and they galloped through the thickly treed parts of the meadows to avoid guards. Soon, they made it to the temple, and Zelda dismounted her horse to land on the ground. Libby stood and patiently waited for Zelda to come back out of the Temple of Time.

Zelda entered and the heavy doors closed behind her.

Link could hear Kariah tell the guards off on the other side of the closed door and chuckled quietly to himself. He looked at the sword that was partially imbedded in a limestone pedestal.

The pedestal sat on a hexagonal platform, which was raised again by another hexagonal platform. All made of limestone. Link ascended the stairs and paused for a moment to look at the circular patterns on the first raised platform. Each circle had its own pattern. He was curious about them but he knew that they wouldn't present their identity to him so Link climbed the last of the steps.

On the top of this platform, the Triforce was engraved with the pedestal sitting in the centre of it. The Master Sword's blade shined in the sunlight that filtered in from a high window. Link approached the blade and carefully put his hands on the hilt. Link paused and hesitated for only a moment before he gave a good pull.

To his surprise the sword came out of the pedestal easily. "That wasn't so bad,' Link thought, skilfully twirling the blade. Suddenly a hurricane of wind whistled and the Triforce beneath his feet filled with blue light and then that light shot to the ceiling of the Temple of Time. Link felt himself pulled up and he gave a shout of alarm and then…

Zelda came out of the Temple of Time much more calmly than she went in. She still had feelings of dread, but the Goddess of Time had given her hope for the future of her land. It was all up to one man to save them all. Zelda mounted Libby and they rode back to the castle to wait for the unsuspecting Hero.