"Woo-hoo!" Linkle shouted, running past the horse at an impossible speed, her winged boots kicking up dust as she sped down the road.

Link shook his head. Ever since his sister had obtained those Pegasus Boots, she'd been unable to stop herself from using them as often as possible. Granted, they had come in handy three nights ago during the Blood Moon, as had his new magical boomerang. Between him and his sister, they had managed to slay a great number of undead monsters, which had allowed them to secure a hefty reward back in the village of Mabe.

"Yeah!" Linkle ran past him again, running in the other direction this time.

"Elle, get back here," Link called half-heartedly.

He heard her screams getting louder as she ran back towards him, then felt her hop onto the horse behind him. "Here!" she declared, drumming on her brother's back with her fists to let him know she was there.

Link grunted, tapping the horse with his foot to get it to go a bit faster. "You're certainly not lacking for energy today."

"Ugh, sorry," she said, rocking back and forth on the back of the saddle. "I'm just so excited! We're gonna meet our next sage!"

After rescuing the youngest princess on the road outside of Mabe Village, the siblings had ended up having an encounter with the Sage of Light as well. The princess and her bodyguard had gotten separated from him and the rest of their party when the Bulblins attacked. The siblings had only ended up speaking with him very briefly as they passed each other, but he had praised them for rescuing the princess and sent them away with his blessing. It wasn't much, but with Sage Aurun being the second sage they'd met, Linkle was getting excited to meet their third and fourth ones as well.

"If she's there," Link reminded his sister. She'd been pretty disappointed when they visited the Light Temple only to find that the Sage of Light was not there at the moment. Even though they'd ended up meeting him by coincidence later, he didn't want her to get her hopes up too much.

"I bet she'll have a quest for us," Linkle said, ignoring Link's words. "Destiny sent us to her. And now that a new demon has arisen, Hyrule needs its Hero more than ever."

Link and Linkle had been out in Hyrule Field during the Blood Moon. However, when they'd returned to Mabe the following morning, word had spread of the events that had transpired in the capital. Apparently, some sort of gigantic, headless, shadow demon had appeared, killing not only the Sage of Light, but even the Patron of Light herself. And if that wasn't bad enough, the king had also been killed in the chaos when a swarm of undead appeared in the city.

Thank the gods I listened to Linkle.

Ironically, the decision to leave the apparent safety of the capital in order to fight monsters during the night of the Blood Moon had prevented the two of them from being present during those events, possibly saving their lives. Linkle had been supremely disappointed, feeling that she had missed her opportunity to prove her heroism by slaying the Headless Demon.

"We're here!" Linkle announced, gasping as the next town came into view. Their actual destination, the Temple of Time, was atop the Great Plateau, which had been in sight for some time. However, the only way up to the plateau that was available to the public lay within the town of Gatepost.

"Okay, just reminding you, do not use your new boots in town unless you have to," Link warned her. "You'll get robbed in a second."

"How can I get robbed if they can't even catch me?" Linkle pointed out.

"Probably by outsmarting you somehow. That's how everyone else beats you at anything."

Linkle kicked him in the back of the leg with the tip of her new boot. "Rude."

Regardless, she seemed to heed Link's warning and stayed upon the horse as they entered the town, then proceeded to walk normally after they dropped Arion off at the stable.

"Where are you going?" Link asked, seeing his sister strolling into the center of town, away from the Great Plateau.

"I wanna check the quest board," she insisted.

"What?" Link didn't like the idea of picking up more random, dangerous monster hunts on a whim. "I thought we were just here to visit the Temple of Time."

"I know," she replied, drawing her crossbow and idly tapping it against her shoulder, as if attempting to look more like an adventurer. "I just wanna look is all. Who knows? Part of my destiny could be on there."

"The gods don't post flyers on public notice boards, Elle."

"How do you know? Chronodormi lives right up there," Linkle said, pausing to point up towards the top of the Great Plateau. "I'm sure she and her sage give out quests to adventurers all the time."

"Hm. I guess. Maybe," Link admitted. After their dealings with the Sage of Shadow, it was believable that the Nine Sages treated it as one of their duties to enlist the aid of the adventurers who roamed through their territory.

"Make way!"

The sound of clanking feet and a captain calling out orders drew the siblings' attention. Before they could reach the notice board in the town square, their path became cut off by a line of marching soldiers. They seemed to be streaming in from the same entrance Link and Linkle had used to enter Gatepost, but they were heading towards the west exit.

"Whoa. What's going on?" Link asked, grabbing Linkle by the shoulder to pull her away from the soldiers.

"I dunno," Linkle replied.

"Must be from Kolomo Garrison," Link said. Just outside of town, they had passed by a military base on Lake Kolomo. Link wasn't sure why so many of the soldiers were marching through the town now, but he figured that's where they must have been stationed.

"Think they're here to help with the leftover undead tonight?" Linkle asked. While the night of the Blood Moon was always the worst, the undead that arose during that night tended to linger. It would probably be an entire year before one could walk outside at night without a guarantee of running into a Stalcreature of some sort.

"Maybe they're just going to the Coliseum," Link suggested. Having never left Necluda before now, the siblings had never been to the famous arena on Aquame Lake. However, Link knew it was only a short distance west of Gatepost. "Perhaps they need more guards to keep watch over the prisoners and monsters they keep there."

Linkle whipped her head around, searching for something. Spotting a guard who was watching the soldiers pass, she walked right up to him. "Hey! Where are they going?" she asked, pointing to the line of marching soldiers.

"The Coliseum," the guard replied.

"Hm." Linkle looked back at her brother, tilting her head in acknowledgement of his accurate guess. "What for?" she asked, turning back to the guard.

The man furrowed his brow for a moment, but he must have realized Linkle was a traveler who had just arrived in town. "They were summoned by Princess Zelda. The Gerudo are invading as we speak."

Linkle gasped. Without a word of thanks for the information, she left the guard, running back to her brother. "Did you hear that?"

The hair stood up on the back of Link's neck. "Elle, don't get any crazy ideas," he told her, knowing she would want to instantly rush off to save another princess.

We are not here to enlist in the army and fight some war.

"But Princess Zelda needs us!" Linkle insisted.

"She has them," Link argued, pointing at the column of soldiers still marching towards the princess's position. "Besides, we've already been tasked with a quest by the Sage of Shadow, right? What kind of heroes would we be if we shirked that responsibility?"

Linkle looked conflicted. Her gaze jumped back and forth between the soldiers and the Great Plateau, trying to decide which potential sacred destiny to follow. Frustrated, she kicked the dirt in annoyance. "Ugh! Fine. I guess you're right…"

"Of course I am. I'm always right. Now, let's go."


The entryway to the Great Plateau was at the south end of Gatepost's town square. A great arch decorated with hourglasses and other such symbols was carved into the cliffside, through which there was a great staircase leading upwards through a tunnel. Presumably, it would emerge somewhere atop the plateau, closer to the Temple of Time.

"Oh, jeez," Link complained as he took his first step and saw the climb that was in store for him. "What is it with sages and stairs? Between this and the Shadow Temple, I'm starting to notice a pattern."

"I wonder if I can use these boots to run up the stairs really fast…" Linkle wondered aloud, looking down at her feet as she climbed the steps.

"Don't try it," Link warned her. "You'll just trip and land face-first."

In response, Linkle stuck her leg out in front of her brother's path. He tripped and fell forward, only managing to catch himself at the last moment.

"Ouch!" he complained, the palm of his hand scraping against the edge of the stairs.

"Oh, shit," Linkle said, concern appearing on her face. "I just meant to- You okay?"

"Yeah, yeah…" Link said, dusting himself off as he stood back up.

"Good. Sorry. Um. Well, watch your step, brother," Linkle said with a guilty laugh, beginning to climb faster to put some distance between them.

Link caught up fairly quickly, and soon, the two of them emerged from the tunnel and stepped out onto the Great Plateau.

"Whoa…" Linkle said in wonder, gazing out at the land surrounding them. There were peaceful fields of grass, a small forest and some buildings in the distance, and the sight of mountains far to the southwest. Linkle turned around and kicked her Pegasus Boots against the ground, charging over to the edge of the cliff. "Woooow!" she called back, apparently amazed by how much of Hyrule they could see from up there.

Figuring she'd catch up on her own time, Link ignored her and set off for the temple.

The Great Plateau was massive, and it had much more than just the Temple of Time on it. In addition to the forest and the mountains, there were several small bodies of water and a wide-open field. Small houses were set up in some places as well, which likely belonged to the farmers Link could see tending to the fields. There was also another abbey set up along the eastern cliffside, which likely housed some of the priests who ran the temple.

They were obviously not the only pilgrims who came to visit the Temple of Time. Given the well-worn pathway that led from the plateau's entrance all the way to the temple itself, this was probably a frequent occurrence for the area. Link wondered how many others from Necluda had traveled this far.

Just as Link approached the stairs leading up to the temple upon the hill, he could hear the rapid footsteps of Linkle coming from behind him. Skidding to a halt, she slid right past him. "Whoa, whoa, whoa!" she called as she lost her balance, eventually tripping on the first step and landing face-first on the stairs. "Ow."

"Told ya," Link said, not missing the opportunity to rub it in his sister's face. "Be careful with that nonsense here," Link warned her, casually climbing the stairs past her. "This is a sacred place. We don't wanna piss anyone off."

"Understood," Linkle said, saluting from position down on the ground. She then hopped to her feet and continued alongside him.

The Temple of Time was a very impressive piece of architecture. It reminded Link of the Temple of Light back in the capital. That wasn't all that surprising, since Linkle had informed him that the Light Temple was a former Time Temple. However, the fact that this building was not in a city, and thus was by far the largest building in sight, made it all the more imposing.

"Wow…" Linkle muttered in awe, staring up at the front archway.

"Pretty impressive," Link remarked. "Let's see if the sage is home."

However, before the two of them could enter the temple, someone emerged from the entryway. The figure was over seven feet tall, clad in black armor that appeared foreign in design. Behind him, he was followed by several women with spears and swords. All of them had flaming red hair.

Gerudo? Here?

For some reason, Link felt as though time had slowed down. He could hear every footstep the Gerudo warriors took echoing inside his head alongside his own heartbeat. The sky seemed to dim ever so slightly, and the temperature seemed to rise. His heart rate rose, and his hair stood on end. Link had never felt such a fight-or-flight response before. Even ignoring all the armor and weaponry, something about the giant man seemed dangerous. The stern look on his face seemed to conceal an endless rage and hatred, as if it were fighting to get out.

Glancing at his sister, he could see she was similarly stunned and frightened. She stared up at the Gerudo man with terror and awe. As he and the women behind him came closer, Linkle eventually broke free of the spell, reaching behind her back to pull out her sword and shield.

Elle, no!

Upon spotting Linkle drawing her weapons, two of the Gerudo women attempted to step in front of the man, readying their spears. However, the man held out his hands, signaling for them to halt. Link did the same to Linkle, preventing her from advancing any closer towards them.

"'iinahum yaqsidun muhajamatak ya 'amiri," one of the Gerudo women said to the man, speaking in a tongue Link did not understand.

"antazir. daeni ataeamil mae dhalik," the man told her, calmly stepping forward. He turned his gaze down onto the siblings, which caused them both to shrink back in fear. "Hello," he said in slightly accented Hylian.

"Stay back!" Linkle demanded, keeping her weapon raised.

"Elle. Please," Link said nervously.

The Gerudo man had a shield and a trident on his back, but he drew neither of them. Instead, he raised his hands disarmingly. "I did not come here to fight," he explained.

"Yeah, right," Linkle spat back. "We heard the Gerudo had invaded. And what do we find? The Gerudo prince desecrating our temple!"

Link hadn't thought about it, but since there was only supposed to be a single male Gerudo, the man in front of them must have been their prince. He also noticed an obvious tinge of anger in his sister's voice. Oddly enough, Link felt angry, too. He glared at the Gerudo prince. For some reason, he felt as though the prince intended to harm his sister.

Stay the fuck back, you monster.

"What did you do to the sage? Answer me!" Linkle shouted.

"Nothing," the Gerudo prince said firmly. He gestured to the temple's entrance behind him. "Go inside. Ask her yourself."

"Liar!" Without warning, Linkle lunged forward, attempting to stab at the much taller man. The Gerudo prince was surprised, but he acted quickly. A pillar of shadow rapidly emerged from the ground, solidifying to block Linkle's blow. She pulled back and attempted to slash at him from the side, but he grabbed her sword arm by the wrist with one hand, then backhanded her with the other, knocking her roughly to the ground.

"Don't you touch her!" Unable to think straight, Link pulled out his sword and charged the prince as well. When Link swung, the Gerudo blocked the blow with his armored forearm. He then put his hand on Link's arm. The young Hylian felt a surge of pain shoot through him, as if he'd been struck by lightning. His muscles tightened and he couldn't even scream. It only lasted a few moments before the Gerudo man shoved him backwards. He landed on the ground beside his sister.

"Brother!" Linkle sat in a crouched position, her nose bleeding. She put one hand on Link and used her other to raise her sword against the Gerudo, feebly threatening him.

The prince glared down at the two of them, still appearing to be holding back unfathomable rage. However, he did not move to attack them. "yati. nahn mughadiruna." He turned and left down the staircase. His guards hurried after him, shooting dirty looks at the Hylian siblings as they passed.

When the pain stopped and his muscles loosened, Link sat up, putting an arm around his sister as they watched the Gerudo leave together. He felt his heart beating extremely fast, but he could feel himself calming down with every step the Gerudo took away from them.

"You okay?" Link asked his sister.

Panting, she nodded. "Yeah. You?"

"I think so," he replied. "You're bleeding."

Linkle dabbed at her nose, seeing the blood. "It's nothing," she insisted, pushing against Link's shoulder to help herself stand. Then she held out her hand and pulled Link to his feet. They stood there for another moment, watching the Gerudo shuffle off into the distance, heading for the forest.

"What… was that?" Linkle asked, putting her hand to her head.

Link had felt it, too. "I don't know. That guy just… really pissed me off, for some reason."

"Yeah. Me, too," Linkle agreed with a confused nod. "Some sort of magic? He shocked you with lightning, so he must've been some sort of sorcerer."

"Maybe." Link turned back towards the temple's entrance, suddenly remembering the Gerudo had been inside. "We should make sure everyone in the temple is okay," he suggested.

"Yeah. Good idea. Let's go inside."


It was uncanny how similar the Temple of Time was to the Temple of Light on the inside. Everything from the walls, to the pillars, to the ceiling was nearly identical. It was almost as if they had been transported back to the capital. The only obvious differences were the stained glass windows, which depicted different religious symbols and figures.

Despite the siblings' concerns, it appeared as though the Gerudo prince had been telling the truth after all. There were very few people within the temple, likely because many had fled upon the arrival of the Gerudo, but there were no bodies, no blood, and no signs of a struggle of any kind.

As Link and Linkle entered the nave, most of those in sight disappeared behind pillars or through the room's other exits. Link figured they were still in panic mode, and the sight of two more newcomers armed with weapons had frightened them again.

However, one person remained, either because she did not notice or did not fear them. Standing at the altar with her back to them was a tall woman holding a scepter. Link and Linkle exchanged a look, silently agreeing that she must have been the sage. Together, they approached her.

"Excuse me, great sage?" Linkle asked, trying to get the woman's attention.

"Yes, my child?"

When she turned around, Link was rather stunned by the sage's appearance. For one, she certainly didn't dress the way he expected a holy woman would. Her dark violet dress, while ostensibly a priestess's robe, was elegant, expensive-looking, and exceptionally revealing. It had a plunging neckline and a slit up the left leg, with the only things covering her left arm and leg being gold jewelry and glowing, magical tattoos. Her choker was decorated with red and black feathers, and a two-pointed headdress fitted with red jewels adorned her head. In addition to her odd clothing, the woman had skin almost as dark as a Gerudo's and hair almost as white as a Sheikah's. Link assumed she was a Hylian, but he couldn't quite tell.

Shooting a quizzical look to Linkle, Link saw his sister was openly staring at the woman, mouth agape in awe and confusion. He quickly elbowed her to snap her back to reality, hoping their reaction so far hadn't offended the sage. However, the woman's ruby red lips curled into a smile, and she lightly chuckled under her breath.

"Um, great sage," Link began. "My name is Link, and this is my sister Linkle."

"Greetings, Link and Linkle. I am Lucrezia." The sage held her scepter to the side and gave them a bow, which the siblings returned.

"We, uh, sort of ran into the Gerudo prince and a bunch of his guards on the way in," Linkle said, getting right to the point. "They didn't harm anyone here, did they?"

Sage Lucrezia shook her head. "No, thank the gods."

"I see. That's odd. We heard in town that the Gerudo were invading," Link explained. "What was the Gerudo prince doing here, if not to attack?"

The sage gave him a mysterious smile, climbing down the steps from the altar to approach him. Up close, it became clear just how tall she was. Link shrunk under her gaze, unsure how to react to the oddly attractive holy woman. He turned to his sister for help, but she'd gone back to staring at the sage.

"He claimed he wished to help me," Lucrezia explained.

"Help you?" Link asked, taking a step back to regain some personal space. "With what?"

Lucrezia put a hand to her chin and turned away slightly. "How best to explain…" she mused. "Monsters have been attacking the sage temples recently, you see. Mine was attacked several weeks ago. Tarua's has been attacked several times as well. And Prince Harun claimed the Spirit Temple was attacked by Bulblins who were attempting to steal a mirror shield that had once belonged to a Gerudo queen."

Linkle snapped out of it at those words. "Mirror shield?"

"That's right," Lucrezia confirmed.

"Some monsters stole the Hero of the Minish's mirror shield from Mabe," Linkle explained. "They also stole the Ocarina of Wind. Is the Ocarina of Time still here?"

The sage gave her an intrigued look. "Yes, it is," she confirmed.

"Really?" Linkle asked. "Did the Gerudo prince want it?"

"Perhaps," Lucrezia replied. "He asked if there was anything important in this temple that the monsters had stolen, or tried to steal. I did not trust him, of course, so I told him there was no such thing here."

"You think the Gerudo are after the keys, too?" Link asked his sister.

"It sure sounds like it. Them and the monsters both," Linkle said, nodding to her own words.

"Keys?" the sage asked. "May I ask what you two are talking about?"

Link suddenly became embarrassed. "Uh. Sorry, Sage. I guess we haven't fully explained why we're here yet."

"Yeah," Linkle agreed. "We have traveled far at the request of Sage Impa."

"You have been sent by my fellow sage from Kakariko? How very interesting." The Sage of Time regarded her with renewed curiosity. "Might I ask what she has tasked the two of you with?"

"Sure!" Linkle said, practically knocking Link out of her way so she could step closer to the elegantly-dressed woman. She seemed excited to explain the details of their quest. "Sage Lucrezia, Sage Impa wishes for us to obtain objects of great importance. There are monsters scouring the kingdom in search of them as we speak. I, Hyrule's next chosen Hero, must obtain these objects before they do."

Lucrezia raised the back of her hand to her mouth and laughed haughtily. "I see. The Hero is in my presence, then, is she?"

"Indeed she is," Linkle declared confidently.

"Intriguing." Lucrezia looked back and forth between the two siblings. "So, tell me, what are these objects you seek?"

"Um. Well, one is a gift that was given to the late Princess Ruto by her fiancé, and the other is a sword belonging to the Sage of Forest's brother," Linkle explained. "However, since the monsters have stolen the Ocarina of Wind, we think they might be after the Ocarina of Time, too. One of them might be a key."

"You said you still have it?" Link asked, wondering why that might be.

"I do indeed," Sage Lucrezia repeated. "However, the monsters who attacked my temple not long ago took no interest in it."

Linkle furrowed her brow. "What? Why not?"

"Your guess is as good as mine, great Hero," the sage said, a hint of humor in her voice. "Would you like me to show it to you?"

Linkle gasped excitedly. "Yes, please!"


Lucrezia led them towards the back of the temple, taking them to a staircase leading down into some sort of vault or catacomb. Along the way, Link caught his sister staring again, so he elbowed her and gave her an imploring look. She raised her hands in a shrug and mouthed 'What?' but her poker face didn't fool Link.

"How long ago did the monsters attack here, exactly?" Link inquired.

"Three weeks, four days, and seven hours ago," Lucrezia replied as she reached the bottom of the staircase. She turned around and saw the looks on the siblings' faces. "Time is my domain, children."

Link supposed that made sense. "Where is the ocarina?" He asked, looking around the room. The underground chamber they'd been led into was filled with statues depicting several gods and other figures, most of whom Link did not recognize.

"Right this way." Lucrezia continued to lead them, taking the siblings down a line of statues, eventually arriving at a finely-crafted stone likeness of a Hylian woman wearing a regal dress and a crown.

"Who is this?" Link asked. "A member of the Royal Family?"

"Indeed," Lucrezia confirmed. "The daughter of Nohansen the Uniter." The stone woman held a small, blue instrument in her hands, clutching it against her chest as if she treasured it dearly.

"This is it?" Linkle asked hopefully, pointing to the ocarina.

"That is it."

"And the monsters had no interest in it?" Link asked for clarification, still confused.

"A few of the Bokoblins in the raiding party made their way down here," Lucrezia explained. "They stole a few things of value, and smashed some of the statues." The sage gestured to some of the other statues that appeared to have had pieces broken off of them. "They did not seem to care for the ocarina, if they took any notice of it."

Linkle turned to her brother. "What does this mean?"

"How should I know?" Link replied.

"Why would they steal the Ocarina of Wind, but not the Ocarina of Time?" Linkle pondered, putting her hand to her chin. "Did any incarnation of the Hero ever take this item into their possession?" she asked the sage.

"Not to my knowledge," Lucrezia answered. "It was an heirloom passed down by the Royal Family, until my Patron joined the Pantheon."

"Maybe that's why!" Linkle conjectured, snapping her fingers like she'd just figured it out. "All the other keys - the Hero of Twilight's bow, the things belonging to the Hero of the Minish - they all belonged to Heroes at some point. The monsters left this ocarina behind because no Hero had ever owned it."

"But Sage Impa told us the other two keys were owned by a Zora princess's fiancé and the Kokiri sage's brother," Link reminded her, casting doubt on his sister's theory. "And then there's that other mirror shield that was stolen from the Gerudo. What do any of those have to do with the Hero?"

"Hmm…" Linkle considered that, thinking deeply again. "Good point. Sage Lucrezia, do you know anything about these keys?"

"I'm afraid I do not," the sage answered. "Sage Impa has not informed me of this matter."

"Hmm." Linkle frowned, then groaned. "Curses! Just when I thought we were getting somewhere."

"Don't worry about it, Elle," Link said, placing a hand on his sister's shoulder. "We can focus on collecting the two keys Sage Impa told us about."

"I guess," Linkle replied. "Can we take the Ocarina of Time with us?" she asked the sage.

Lucrezia tilted her head curiously. "Why do you require it?"

"Yeah, Elle. This wasn't one of the keys," Link repeated, seeing no need to obtain more items they hadn't been hired to retrieve.

"I'm still not sure about that," Linkle said, shaking her head. "I just have this feeling like it's related to all of this somehow. It's like the gods are trying to tell me something. Besides, if it stays here, the Gerudo prince might come back for it once he realizes it's here. So, can we have it, great sage? To keep it safe from the monsters and the Gerudo? Please?"

Lucrezia stared at Linkle in amusement for a moment, perhaps impressed by her audacity. Link thought the sage would refuse, but then she smiled broadly. "Very well, Hero."

Link furrowed his brow in confusion. "Really? Just like that?" he asked. "Isn't this a priceless heirloom from the Royal Family?"

"I am but a servant of the gods," the sage replied, taking hold of the Ocarina of Time and lifting it out of the statue's hands. "If the gods wish me to aid the Hero on her journey, then I shall. Although, I feel I should inform you, this instrument no longer holds the power it once held." Bringing the instrument to her lips, the sage blew into it, covering select holes with her fingers. A beautiful sound emanated from it, but despite the instrument's supposed magical properties, nothing else of note occurred.

"Oh," Link replied.

Well, if it's useless, I guess it's as good in our hands as hers. And maybe that's why the monster's didn't want it.

Linkle's face lit up as Lucrezia handed her the ocarina. Having a sage acknowledge her as the Hero must have made her happier than anything in the world at that moment. "Wow! Thank you so much, great sage!"

"Guard it with your life, my children," the sage said in return. "Now, please, return to the upper level with me."

With the Ocarina of Time in hand, the siblings were brought back upstairs. Linkle tried to play her new instrument as they walked, but she had little success. Link wondered if the instrument was supposed to have had some magical time-altering properties, but given Linkle's low proficiency with magic and her lack of musical skill, he didn't think she would have been able to use it properly anyway.

"Thank you again, great sage!" Linkle said happily as they prepared to depart through the temple's entrance.

"Think nothing of it." Lucrezia gave them a strange smile. Link couldn't quite put his finger on it, but something about the look she gave them appeared somewhat devious, as if she'd just played some sort of practical joke on them. "Good luck on your journey, heroes."

"Thank you, sage," Link replied, still somewhat amazed they'd been allowed to take the ocarina in the first place. "We'll be off now."

Outside of the temple, Link and Linkle climbed down the stairs they'd climbed up on the way in. As soon as they were far enough away to be out of earshot, Linkle stopped fooling around with the ocarina, placing the instrument into her pocket. She glanced over her shoulder, as if checking to see if the sage was still watching them. "Brother. Did you see the size of her-" she began, holding her hands up in front of her chest.

"Elle, don't." Link cut her off. "That's… probably blasphemous, or something."

"I'm just saying, why do the gods gotta play favorites with their sages like that? I mean, come on. Save some for the rest of us!" she complained, tapping her hands against her chest.

Link sighed, then lightly chopped his sister on the head with the side of his hand.

"Ow."

"Come on," he said, deciding not to engage with his sister's statements any further. "We have another sage temple to visit next, don't we?"


Of the nine Sage Temples in Hyrule, no two were a shorter distance apart than the Temple of Time and the Temple of Water, not even the Goron-controlled Fire and Earth Temples. While the Temple of Time was located atop the Great Plateau, the Water Temple was located within Lake Hylia. If one were so inclined, one could dive off of the southeastern cliffs of the Great Plateau and land directly in the waters of Lake Hylia. So, given the close proximity of the two temples, Link and Linkle would be able to visit them both within the same day. Once the siblings left the Temple of Time, they climbed down from the Great Plateau via another great staircase located near the Eastern Abbey, which set them down on the ground level very close to Lake Hylia.

"Wow!" Linkle called out in amazement upon their arrival at the Bridge of Hylia. Lake Hylia was as large in area as the Great Plateau, and the great stone bridge spanned its entire length, connecting the southern tip of Central Hyrule to the Faron Province on the other side. Taking a few steps onto the bridge, Linkle leaned against the stone railing, looking out over the lake. "There's the temple!" she pointed out excitedly.

Link joined her on the bridge. He could see it, too. Out on the lake, a small stone structure stood upon the largest of a group of small islands. Link knew the structure itself was not the whole temple. Most of the Water Temple would be beneath the lake, and the structure atop the island would simply be an entrance designed for air-breathing guests. He imagined the Zora who ran the temple had easier ways of coming and going using entrances that lay hidden underwater.

Linkle hopped up onto the railing, looking like she was ready to dive in. "Well, let's get going," she suggested.

"Whoa, whoa, bad idea." Link grabbed her by the hem of her tunic. "You see how far that is? You'll never swim all that way. Besides, there's probably, like, a lake monster or something waiting to eat you."

"Well, how do you suggest we get there?" Linkle asked. As she spoke, she turned in place atop the stone railing, searching for an alternative.

"Oh, I don't know. How about we take that convenient ferry over there that seems to exist specifically for this purpose?" Link pointed over the edge of the bridge. Down at the bottom, along the shore of the lake, there was a small dock jutting out into the water with a few small boats tied to it. There was a small shack next to the dock, which Link assumed was to house the ferryman.

Linkle glanced down to her side and took notice of what her brother was pointing at. "Oh," she said. "Alright, then." Crossing her arms, she pulled her tunic over her head and dropped it on top of Link. "Meetcha down there!" she said cheerfully before diving off of the bridge.

"Elle!" Link shouted. He lunged forward to try to catch her, but he was too slow. After a long fall, she landed with a splash, but did not resurface immediately. "Elle!" Link shouted again. "Elle?"

However, Linkle did eventually emerge from beneath the surface of the lake. "Whoo!" she shouted, splashing the water around herself joyfully. "Come on, brother! Join me!"

Link sighed in relief. "Fuck that. I'm taking the long way." Stepping away from the edge, Link walked back to the north end of the bridge in search of a path leading down to the lake below.

It took him a few minutes to make the journey down to the lakeshore. When he arrived, he found his sister sitting on one of the support beams of the dock, wringing the water out of her undershirt. However, she was not alone. There were three other people with her. Two of them wore armor, having the appearance of town guards. The other wore simple peasant attire, likely a dockworker of some sort. At first, Link was worried that his sister was in trouble for diving into the lake like that. But then, Linkle said something that made them all laugh, and his fears subsided.

"I told you not to do that," was the first thing Link said upon joining the circle forming around her.

"What? I was fine." Linkle picked up one of her boots, held it upside down, and began tapping the sole of it to shake the water out.

"Is she with you?" one of the guards asked Link.

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Hey!"

"Alright. We'll leave her to you, then." The guard tapped his companion on the shoulder, then they both turned to leave.

"Bye, guys!" Linkle called, waving after them.

Before Linkle could finish drying off, Link tossed her tunic at her. While she fumbled with that, he turned to the other man who had stuck around. "Do you work here?" Link inquired.

The man nodded. "Yep. You folks need anything?"

"We're going to the Water Temple!" Linkle informed him happily.

"How much for a ride on the ferry?" Link asked.

"No ferry today," the dockworker replied. "You can rent a rowboat, though."

"That'll do." Link reached for his wallet.

While Link paid the dockworker, Linkle finished getting dressed after drying her clothes as best she could. Once they were ready, they climbed aboard a two-person rowboat and started paddling.

Although the island that housed the entrance to the Water Temple was in view throughout the whole journey, it still took quite a while to reach its shores. Link and Linkle both felt their arms getting sore from the constant rowing, and they ended up switching off for much of it. However, they soon came to a dock that was quite similar to the one they'd left, and a pair of dockworkers came to receive them. One helped them climb out of the boat while the other tied it to the dock. As they'd already paid before crossing the lake, they had no reason to hang around the shore for very long, so the siblings quickly set off down a dirt path leading to the entrance of the temple.


Something Link had not expected about the temple was that its entrance was surrounded by guards. They were not priests who could likely handle themselves in a fight due to their magic prowess, as he had encountered at the Shadow Temple. All around the perimeter, there were armed Zora guards wearing armor and carrying swords, spears, and bows.

"You think they'll let us in?" Link asked his sister quietly as they got closer to the entrance.

"Hm? Sure they will. Why wouldn't they?"

"Well, they wouldn't have all these guards if everyone was welcome," Link reasoned. "Plus, we came on a day where there apparently wasn't a ferry. Maybe that boat guy scammed us."

"You worry too much. Here, watch." Linkle picked up her pace a little, walking faster until she was right in front of the guards standing in the road. "Hi! I'm Linkle, the next Hero. I wish to speak with the Sage of Water."

The Zora guard quirked his face skeptically, but he made no move to ready his spear or block Linkle's path. "If you want to speak to the sage, she's down in the temple," the guard told her, sounding uninterested in her claim to heroics. "It's not the easiest place for air-breathers to navigate, so just take the above-water paths as much as you can, and if you do go in the water, try not to swim down any corridors you can't see the end of."

"Noted," Linkle replied, all smiles. "See? It's fine," she said to Link, sounding a little smug about being right. "Come on."

Link shrugged his shoulders, but kept a cautious eye on the guards as he walked past them.

Regardless, the siblings were allowed to pass through the archway of the temple's entrance without incident. The architecture of the temple resembled some of the buildings Link had seen while they were traveling through Lanayru. Smooth, sleek walls and columns carved from riverstone, ornately decorated with blue and violet jewels. Statues of sea dragons flanked the entryway, giving it the appearance of being guarded by ancient monsters.

There was not much other than that inside of the temple's entrance. The room was small and square, and almost completely barren aside from a door on the far wall. Two Zora women in blue and silver priestess robes stood on either side of the door, although they did not appear to be guarding it.

"Greetings, Hylians," the Zora priestess on the left said in heavily-accented Hylian. "Welcome to the Lakebed Temple. Would you care to delve deeper?"

"Yes, we would," Link confirmed.

"Absolutely. We must speak with your sage at once," Linkle added.

The priestesses exchanged looks. "What business do you have with Sage Tarua?"

"We were told to deliver a message from Sage Impa," Link said, deciding that should explain things well enough without needing to get into the details.

"I see." The priestess on the right pressed her hand against the wall. A small, rectangular section of it depressed beneath her hand. This caused the door to slide upwards, opening the way. "Please, come in. And watch your step."

Link saw what she meant immediately. Through the doorway was a large, square platform floating atop a body of water. The water appeared to be filling a long, vertical shaft. "Um," Link said, nervously stepping aboard the floating platform. "How does this work, exactly?"

"Ooh, neat!" Linkle commented, leaping onto the platform next to him, causing it to rock uneasily for a moment.

"No need to fear," the priestess told them, following them inside. The second priestess waved goodbye and shut the door. "This is merely an elevator. Wait just a moment and my companion will lower the water level."

There was silence for a brief moment, followed by a sound like a lever turning or gears creaking in the distance. Then, the water level began to lower, causing the platform they were standing on to descend slowly down the elevator shaft.

"Cool." Linkle sounded quite impressed. "So this is how Hylians can enter the temple without being able to breathe underwater."

"Yes, you will find a decent portion of the temple to be easily accessible to air-breathers," the priestess explained. "We are able to raise and lower the water level of the entire temple, as well as the individual chambers, if need be."

"Amazing!" Linkle said, looking upwards to watch the door they'd come in slowly disappear from sight as they delved deeper.

Eventually, the floating platform came to a stop. The shaft seemed to go on deeper below them, but they had arrived at another door. The priestess pressed another button on the wall, and the door opened. "Right this way," she said, gesturing through the doorway.

The inner chamber of the temple was massive. It was as if an underwater cave system had been hollowed out, creating a wide and vertically deep pit. The elevator shaft they had stepped out of was like a gigantic tower jutting up through the center of the pit. All around them, on the outer edges of the pit, Link could see doorways, windows, and sections of Zora-made walls constructed within the natural rock formations, as if the temple were some kind of labyrinthian city.

If the central elevator was a tower, then the square platform running around the outside of it was something like a balcony. However, the water level was currently just below the platform they stood upon, meaning the rest of the tower beneath them was completely submerged. The tower seemed to become wider towards the base, and more tunnels and doorways could be seen along the outside walls beneath the water as well.

"Wow," Link said under his breath. When he and Linkle had been brought further into the Shadow Temple the last time they spoke with Sage Impa, he had gotten the sense that the Shadow Temple was much larger than could be seen from the surface. If anything, the Water Temple seemed even larger.

"This place is huge," Linkle said, expressing Link's thoughts as well.

"Indeed. The main chamber is large enough for our Patron, Lord Jabu-Jabu, to swim through comfortably. He takes the form of a whale," the priestess explained. "He currently resides just outside of Ruta, however. Nevertheless, the sage carries out his will from here, and our temple serves many purposes for the Zora living in this part of Hyrule." Finished with her brief explanation, their guide began walking around to the other side of the tower. "This way, please."

With the water at its current level, there was a floating bridge, much like the platform within the elevator shaft, that connected the tower to a doorway at the far end of the main chamber. Link and Linkle followed the priestess across it. From there, they were led through a series of hallways and other chambers within the temple, most of which were significantly smaller than the main central chamber. At several places along the route, the water level within individual chambers needed to be raised or lowered for the Hylians' benefit, and Link got the distinct impression that they were taking the long way due to their inability to breathe underwater.

However, after a confusing trek through the labyrinthian structure of the Water Temple, they eventually arrived at their destination. It was a spacious chamber with a moat of water running along the edges of three of the walls. The moat connected to several pipes that must have led to other areas of the temple, which must have been quite useful for the Zora. The walls were also decorated with elaborate carvings of Lord Jabu-Jabu, members of the Zora Royal Family, some kind of sea dragon, and the Crest of Nayru.

An altar was set up in the center of the room. Many Zora were crowded around it, including other priests, guards, and those who appeared to have some sort of serving or administrative role. Most of them were waiting patiently, holding clay tablets with writing carved into them or other items of interest. They all seemed to be waiting their turn to talk to the Zora woman in the center, who must have been the sage.

Although she was a Zora, Link found the sage to be somewhat pretty. Lovely amethyst earrings hung from the fins on the sides of her head, matching her large, violet eyes. The fins that draped downwards from her arms blended perfectly with the dress she wore, giving it the appearance of an elaborate ball gown. Her smooth scales were white, silver, and light blue, which blended together into a lovely color gradient. If not for the distinctive Zora shape of her head, she might have been mistaken for a human woman.

"Sage Tarua seems quite busy," the priestess who had been escorting Link and Linkle told them. "Please wait here for a moment." After dismissing herself, the priestess approached the sage and stood with the others.


"So, what exactly are we going to ask her?" Link asked his sister as they waited by the entrance.

"Easy. We'll just ask her where Princess Ruto's engagement present is," Linkle replied.

"What if she doesn't know where it is? Or even what it is? Sage Impa and all the history books we read didn't seem to know," Link reminded her.

Linkle shrugged. "That's why we're asking her." Linkle gestured to the Sage of Water, who was currently bowing to one of her priestesses as she dismissed her. "Sage Impa knew it was in this temple, and no one would know the temple better than her. Hell, for all we know, Princess Ruto might have given it to Sage Tarua personally."

"Didn't the princess die, like, over a century ago?" Link squinted as he eyed the sage. She looked young, but then he remembered how long Zora were supposed to live. "Well, I guess she could've known her. But there was probably a different Sage of Water in those days."

"Quit worrying so much, Brother," Linkle said, eying the moat of water snaking around the room like she wanted to dive right into it. "Either she knows or she doesn't. Either way, we'll know in a minute."

Despite Linkle's optimism, they had to wait nearly half an hour before their escort was able to secure an audience with the sage. Link watched from a distance as the two of them talked, with the priestess presumably explaining the situation. After a moment, they were waved over to join them.

"Well, looks like she's ready for us," Link said, grabbing Linkle's arm to get her attention. "Let's head over, Elle."

"Here they are, Sage." The priestess who had guided gestured to Link and Linkle as they approached the altar. Link was quick to bow, and Linkle followed suit.

"Thanks, sweetie. I'll take it from here," Sage Tarua said, waving off the priestess. The other woman bowed and took her leave. The sage then directed her attention to the Hylian siblings. "Hey, you mind if I get off my feet for a second?" she asked, taking a seat in a smooth stone throne set up near her altar. "I've been standing all day over here."

Link raised an eyebrow. The Sage of Water looked every bit as elegant as the other sages and noblewomen he had met, yet she seemed to speak as casually as his sister did. "Um. Not at all, wise sage."

"Thanks. Oh, right. I'm Tarua, by the way," the Zora woman added, crossing her legs and leaning to one side to get comfortable. "And you are?"

"I'm Linkle, the next Hero," Linkle said, hopping forward. "And this is my brother, Link."

"Linkle and Link, huh? Geez, Hylian names always sound so weird to me," the sage said. "Anyway, I hear Ichika sent you. What's this about?"

"Ich-? Oh, right," Linkle replied, apparently forgetting the Sage of Shadow's given name for a moment. She cleared her throat. "Great sage, we have been tasked with an important mission. A new demon has risen, and its minions seek to obtain objects of great power, as do the Gerudo. We know one of these items is hidden here in the Water Temple, and we must secure it for Sage Impa before the monsters or the Gerudo are able to acquire it." Linkle had seamlessly slipped into her 'Hero' persona, describing their task with as much dramatic flair as she could.

"I heard about the Headless Demon that attacked the City of Hyrule," Sage Tarua replied. "Sounds like things are pretty serious. And I guess that explains the endless monster attacks we've been getting."

"Sage Lucrezia mentioned you've had some trouble with monsters lately," Link said, wishing to look further into that topic.

"Yeah, we've had Lizalfos swimming in with all sorts of aquatic monsters for weeks and weeks now," the sage explained. "We're well-prepared for monster raids, of course, but they've been much more frequent than usual. At least now we know why. So, what are those little bastards looking for?"

"Uh, well, we don't know exactly what it is," Link admitted, scratching the side of his head ashamedly. "But we know it was a present given to the late Princess Ruto by her fiancé."

"Princess Ruto?" Tarua's face lit up and she leaned forward in her chair.

Linkle smiled. "You knew her?"

"Yeah! Of course! She and I used to feed Jabu-Jabu together when we were kids." She chuckled a little to herself, then sighed somewhat melancholically. "Gods, I miss her. She would've made a better queen than her stepmother."

Link furrowed his brow. "How old are you?" he asked, knowing she would've had to have been about two hundred years old to have known Princess Ruto as a child.

Linkle elbowed him in the side. "Don't ask a woman her age, you dick."

"Alright, sorry."

The sage laughed, but she didn't seem offended.

"So, do you have any idea what this present from Princess Ruto's fiancé might have been?" Link continued.

Tarua shook her head. "Sorry, but no clue. I didn't even know she got engaged. Plus, I only became the Sage of Water thirty years ago. Lots of artifacts from before my time are stored here, and I don't know the history behind all of them."

"Damn," Linkle swore, no doubt hoping this would be just as easy as obtaining the Ocarina of Time had been. "Well, any idea where we might start looking?"

"Sure." Sage Tarua snapped her fingers, waving over three of her attendants. "Get these two some swimming gear and a map of the temple," she instructed.

"Yes, great sage."

"It's a big place, and we've got a few dedicated treasure holds," the sage explained. "Feel free to look around. If anyone gives you any trouble, just tell them I sent you. And if you find what you're looking for, just come and see me before you leave to let me know, okay?"

"Yes, of course," Link agreed, nodding along with his sister.

"Beautiful." Tarua stood up from her throne, stretching a little. Her attendants returned shortly. Two of them each held what appeared to be a set of scale armor and a helmet in their arms. The third attendant carried a map that was carved into a thin stone tablet rather than drawn on paper.

"Ah, perfect. Here, take a look at this." Tarua grabbed one of the sets of armor and held it up. It looked very finely crafted. The pieces of it were blue, brown, and silver, and it was designed in a way that resembled fish scales. The boots contained webbed flippers for swimming, and the smooth helmet had a design on it resembling big fish eyes.

Before the sage even explained what it was, Linkle got excited. "Neat! What's this for? Swimming?"

"Yeah. A lot of the temple isn't readily accessible to air-breathers, so these suits should help," Tarua explained. "When you dive underwater, the helmet creates an air bubble around your head. Should let you breathe for a good ten minutes or so. The flippers help you swim, and the whole thing should keep you nice and warm."

"Impressive," Link said as the sage handed him his gear.

"I get to breathe underwater?" Linkle looked so eager to try it out, she was practically bouncing up and down.

"Yep! Oh, and, uh, I don't know how long you two plan to be staying here, but come back later if you need a place for the night. I can set you up with some guest quarters," Tarua offered.

"Wow. Thank you so much for your generosity," Link said gratefully.

Tarua shrugged. "Well, if what you're doing will help stop a demon, it's probably my duty as a sage to help, right? Anyway, I should probably get back to work. Hyrule's waterways ain't gonna direct themselves. Good luck, you two."

"Thanks!" Linkle said cheerfully.

"Yes, thank you again." Link bowed, and he and his sister left.

Outside of the sage's audience chambers, Linkle was quick to pull off her gear and change into the zora armor she'd been given. "This is gonna be great!"

Link held up the map. "I don't know about that," he said. "This place is even bigger than I thought. It's practically a city. And the sage seems to think it'll take us more than a day to search all the treasure holds."

"That just means more time to explore," Linkle said optimistically, skipping ahead of him. "Come on, brother. This place is really cool. So let's get started!"