The peak of the Eldin volcano was awe-inspiring. It reached up to touch the clouds and emitted such powerful heat and energy that it was almost unbearable to be near. Zelda had reached the base of the mountain, dawning the new white gown Hylia had given her at Skyview Temple. She felt so graceful and pure wearing it. That said, it did little to conceal her against the red earth of the mountain, so she opted to travel by night. The Goddess had warned her sternly that the enemy was now in pursuit of her. Hylia had also sworn to send a protector at just the right moment. Until then, she was to proceed with utmost vigilance. Ever since she encountered the Goddess at Skyview, Zelda had felt a sense of power coursing through her veins. She did not know what it was exactly, though it certainly gave her a sense of confidence as she journeyed through this strange new world all on her own.

She often thought of her father, her Loftwing, and the community she left behind yet loved so dearly. Most of all, she thought of Link. Her heart ached when she thought of him and how worried he must be not knowing where she was. Her eyes welled with tears at night as she longed for her home... and for him. Still, she pressed on. She was surrounded by scorching lava lakes. They illuminated the path before her, allowing for her to travel along the mountain base under the security of the night sky. In Faron Woods, Zelda had been led to the spring in Skyview by an inner voice, the same voice that had been calling to her from Skyloft. She learned it had been the Goddess Hylia herself all along. She had also been aided by the Kikwis and their leader, Bucha. In Eldin, however, she heard no voice, felt no direction, and had yet to find any aide. She felt truly alone. Little did she know, she was far from it.

She drew near to a camp of sleeping Bokoblin. Seeing no other way up the mountain pass, she had no choice but to go around the encampment. As quietly as possible, she navigated her way past it, holding her breath tighter and tighter with each tip-toed step. But then, suddenly, several rocks above began to tumble, stirring the Bokoblin. Zelda froze, praying to be spared. Alas, she was spotted. The Bokoblin charged her, raising their weapons like bloodthirsty barbarians. Zelda threw her hands over her head and let out a short, scared cry. But then… nothing happened. The red monsters ceased their shrieking, and she never felt a strike from their blades. She opened her eyes and was perplexed to see that they were studying her intently. One even sniffed her dress. Perhaps a little too boldly, Zelda slapped its snout. It drew back with a low growl but failed to retaliate. Instead of hurting her (or worse) they bound her hands in chains and began leading her further up the mountain. Zelda focused on her breathing to maintain composure, though deep down she felt almost sickened with worry. Where were they taking her, and what would they do to her?

Would the Goddess' protector come?

They crossed a land bridge, beneath which was a roaring river of scorching lava. She wiped the sweat from her brow with her wrist when suddenly, the chain binding her was pulled. A yelp of pain escaped her lips as the thick metal clamped down on her arm. She wanted to cry, though she wouldn't dare give her captors the satisfaction of seeing it. Upon reaching the other side of the land bridge, Zelda, very abruptly, began to feel the same way she had in Faron Woods. An image of yet another spring flashed in her mind, as if before her very eyes, and remnants of the Goddess' glorious voice spoke to her softly, assuring her that she was drawing nearer to the next spring. Knowing this, Zelda gathered her courage and continued on with her captors. Perhaps she could somehow use this to her advantage. They eventually came to another camp, this one far more daunting. There was a large yet flimsy-looking watchtower with an ominous light at the top, and plenty of weapons strewn about, albeit, a bit lazily. Zelda was placed in a cell carved into the mountain and her chains were fastened to the wall above her head. She tried to pull free, but to no avail. Closing her eyes, she focused her power and sensed the spring was near. For now, she would have to be patient.

The red menaces left her alone. Zelda sighed.

"Oh, protector," she prayed, "when will you come?"

At that moment, she felt the ground beneath her moving. In the darkness, she thought she saw the earth beside her beginning to rise. She held her breath as she waited to see what would come next. Then, from the earth, emerged a furry creature with a long, pointed snout and sharp teeth. Zelda held back a shriek of fright.

"Shhh, shhh, shhh!" the creature hushed. "I'm not gonna hurt ya, little lass."

Zelda heard the sincerity in his voice and felt a sense of calm and security returning. His toothy smile soothed her.

"The name's Cobal," he whispered. "What's yours?"

"I'm Zelda," she replied, bowing her head.

"I saw those creeps take you captive," he said. "I was trying to mind my own business, y'see, but I knocked some rocks down while I was digging, and I think that's how they spotted you." He nervously scratched the back of his head and shrugged sheepishly. "I feel just awful about the whole thing. It was obvious you were trying to get past 'em, and I don't blame ya. They're mean and smelly."

Zelda smiled, pursing her lips to hold in a laugh. She could see that Cobal was a kind creature.

"Anyway, since I helped get you into this mess, I thought maybe I could help get you out of it."

"You'd really do that for me?" she asked excitedly.

"Of course! Anything to thwart these jerks. They've made it almost impossible for us Mogmas to dig for treasure. Any enemy of theirs is a friend of mine."

He quietly came forth from his hole, revealing stumpy legs, small feet, and a cute tail. He gnawed on the chain with his sharp teeth, but the strong metal did not give way.

"Drat, I can't get through this," he sighed. "You don't happen to have the key, do ya?"

"No. However, there is something I can try."

She recalled meeting Hylia at the Skyview spring. Hylia had explained to her that, as she progressed through her destiny, purifying herself at each of the sacred springs, she would begin to harness some of the Goddess' power as a blessing to aid her. From that moment, Zelda had felt it coursing through her, though she did not know how to use it. Still, she closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the power. Seeing the intense strain on her face, Cobal frowned.

"Say there... what are you-"

He fell silent. Something about her expression told him she shouldn't be interrupted. A small noise came from the back of her throat. Cobal wondered if she was perhaps about to cry or scream. Instead, with a burst of beautiful, golden light, her binds severed, freeing her.

"Whoa! Not sure how you managed that, but it was way cooler than a boring ol' key," Cobal said, trying to stay quiet. "Now, stay here and wait for my signal."

Cobal jumped back into his hole and burrowed away. Zelda lost sight of him and waited with bated breath. Her attention was briefly drawn back to her hands. She thumbed her wrists to work out the pain left over from the binding, though her gaze fell to her palms and fingers. She could still sense the warm buzzing of the Goddess' energy still nipping at her fingertips. It was difficult to believe she had really just used it. After pondering for a moment, she turned her attention back to the area beyond her. Just when it seemed nothing would happen, the ground beneath the wooden watchtower started to move. Then, as the ground shifted more and more, the whole tower began to sway. The Bokoblin on top shrieked in fear, alerting the others. Then, before their eyes, the tower fell, becoming nothing more than a pile of broken sticks. The nearby Bokoblin flooded to it to investigate. Off in the distance, Zelda saw Cobal burrow up from the ground and signal for her to follow. She ran as quickly (and quietly) as she could until they were out of sight and earshot of the red fiends.

"Wow, what a rush! I didn't think that would actually work," Cobal admitted shamelessly.

"You were so brave. My life is in debt to you."

Zelda reached down and wrapped the Mogma in a warm embrace. He all but melted in her arms.

"Say, where're ya headed, anyway?" he inquired. "I've never seen one of your kind... whatever you are... around here before."

"I don't know, exactly," she admitted. "I believe I'm looking for a sacred temple."

"Oh yeah, I know one of those," he said, nodding enthusiastically. "We dig for treasure in there all the time."

"Do you know if there is a spring inside of it?"

"Well, I've never seen it with my own eyes," Cobal replied. "Our elder says it's off-limits to us. But that has to mean that it exists, right? You trying to get to it?"

"Yes, it is critical that I get to it quickly."

"If you'll have me, I'll take you there. It'd be my honor."

"Cobal, you are truly the noblest Mogma I've ever met."

"... Ain't I the only one?"

Zelda playfully rolled her eyes and waited.

"Oh, I get it," he finally chuckled. "That's a joke. Wow, you're pretty and funny, too?"

He led her further up the mountain. By the time the sun was beginning to rise, Zelda was feeling rather unwell from a night void of sleep and the exhausting ascent of the unforgiving mountain. Alas, she stayed determined and never complained. They finally arrived at dawn. It was common practice for the Mogmas to hide the temple key somewhere underground (though they used their own tunnels to access the temple). Cobal dug it up for Zelda and guided her through the temple (it had not yet been filled with monsters.) Cobal didn't seem to mind, but the intense heat wore on Zelda as they navigated the long, lava-filled space. At last, they came to the room which led to the sacred spring. Zelda could almost taste the crisp, refreshing water.

"You'll have to go on without me from here," Cobal said, a hint of sadness in his voice.

"That's right... I forgot," Zelda sighed, her gaze turning downward.

Cobal offered her a big, toothy grin. Zelda thanked him for his help, wrapped her arms around him, and gave him a gentle kiss on the snout.

"You be safe now, y'hear?" he said with his usual spunk.

With that, Cobal tunneled away. Zelda slowly approached the large, glowing door, behind which was the spring where she hoped to meet with Hylia once more. The closer she drew to the door, the more connected she felt with her newly imparted power. Just before she opened the door, she heard a sound behind her.

"Cobal?" she called out, looking back for the Mogma.

He was not there. Her brow furrowed suspiciously. Then, as she turned back to the door, she found herself staring into a pair of big, black eyes. Zelda gasped and recoiled. The hairs on the back of her neck rose stiffly. Before her stood a pale white figure with strange markings under his eyes and over his skin. He smiled, though it did not appear friendly.

"Don't be frightened, little dear," he said. "I'm not here to hurt you."

"Who are you?" Zelda demanded.

"Oh, me?" he replied, endeared by her question. "I'm just a humble servant. You may call me Ghirahim, if you would like." He bowed. "You must be the spirit maiden, Zelda."

He put his hands on his boney hips and leaned forward, as if he were talking to a child. Though Zelda did not appreciate this, she nodded, cautiously.

"Goodie, goodie," He said, clapping his hands. "I've finally found you. You see, my master sent me to find you and-"

"Are you the protector sent by the Goddess?"

Ghirahim's brow raised and his body froze, his dark eyes darting to the side as if he was in sudden, deep thought. Zelda swallowed dryly, feeling uneasy as she observed Ghirahim's odd behavior.

"Y- yes, Your Grace," he stuttered before clearing his throat. "I am here to protect and guide you."

He reached out a gangly hand to Zelda.

"Come," he beckoned, "my master is waiting."

Zelda hesitated. Something in her heart told her not to trust him. But Hylia had promised to send a protector, and Zelda trusted Hylia, so much so she that was willing to be kept from her home and loved ones to pursue Hylia's destiny for her. She drew in a deep breath and held it before finally extending her hand to Ghirahim. Before their hands could touch, another unfamiliar voice rang out, startling them both.

"No, Your Grace!"

In a blink of an eye, a tall, dark figure collided with Ghirahim, dropping him to the hard floor. The figure in black turned to look at Zelda. She was a tall woman with beautiful, tan skin and the fiercest eyes Zelda had ever seen. She had markings painted on her face and arms, and Zelda was immediately taken by her beauty and poise.

"Are you alright?" she asked, her tone of voice deep and caring.

Before Zelda could respond, Ghirahim, now armed with a black sword, charged at the woman. There was nowhere to hide in the room. Zelda got as far away from the intense fight as she could and watched in horror as the two struggled against each other. Both were skilled with the blade and both seemed to possess their own otherworldly powers. Ghirahim could disappear and reappear at will, and he could block the woman's blade with nothing more than his hand! The woman moved with jaw-dropping speed, and a brilliant blue light shielded her from Ghirahim's attacks. After intense back-and-forth, the woman finally struck Ghirahim's side with her sword. It was not a lethal strike. However, he drew back considerably.

"You will rue this day," he growled and spat savagely. "Filthy, Sheikah. You are nothing more than Hylia's puppet. She has you positioned on the wrong side of fate. And you..." he growled, turning his attention to Zelda, "... you won't outrun me much longer. You won't be so lucky next time."

Snapping his fingers, Ghirahim vanished in a cloud of malice. The woman composed herself and joined Zelda, sheathing her weapon.

"You must be the protector Hylia promised," Zelda exclaimed, gladly.

The woman bowed her head.

"I am Impa of the Sheikah," she said. "Our tribe has been in sworn servitude to the Goddess for many generations." A small, gentle smile crossed her lips. "I am honored to be given the most important assignment yet: protecting you."

"Thank you, Impa," Zelda bowed. "I feel truly safe in your capable hands. Now, let us make haste to the spring."

Before Zelda could move, Impa placed a hand on her shoulder. She suddenly appeared troubled, sad, even.

"There is something you should know first," she said in a low tone. "You are about to be tested, Your Grace. Tell me, are you able to manage even your strongest desires?"