The Downfall Timeline
Book 1
Chapter 1: As Commanded by the Goddesses
July 17, 609 GK, The War of Imprisonment, Day 1
Within the Sacred Realm
As commanded by the Goddesses, the Triforce surrendered itself to the mortal who claimed it.
At once, Gannondorf's body was shrouded in darkness, as his form began to swell and writhe with his newfound power. Rauru - horrified by the sight of the Gerudo's victory - used what remained of his strength to throw Link, Navi, and the Master Sword back through the Door of Time.
"We must trap him here!" he desperately thought, as he commanded the door to close.
The holy light of the temple quickly faded into utter darkness as the entire sacred realm became flooded with the demon's evil soul.
When the sage turned back to face his enemy, he was terrified at what he beheld: The man's body had now grown to an immense size and remained shrouded behind a curtain of darkness. Yellow-green flames now burned about his feet and offered the only light by which to see his silhouette.
Ganon, the Demon King reborn, turned and stepped down from the Sacred Dais. "Now, all shall serve!" he cackled - his voice deep and venomous, bringing pain to all to who heard it.
Finding the Door of Time closing, Ganon was unconcerned. Instead, he looked down at the injured Rauru and smiled. His rule over creation would begin by crushing this little sage and bending him to his will. The monster lifted a claw and summoned a massive silver trident.
The Sage of Light slowly raised his own shaking, blood-covered hands and rapidly muttered a spell. The beast braced for the attack - gathering his own power to block, then to attack.
A flash of white light followed by a flutter of wings erupted from Rauru's hands and rushed past the Demon King's ear; snapping through the Door of Time just as it closed.
Enraged, Ganon now drove his trident through the sage's heart, "Come now little man... You shall be the first to serve your new god!"
The the great beast poured his evil power into Rauru's body, enslaving his mind and twisting him into a new champion of evil. "Go forth Agahnim, and claim this 'Sacred Realm' for your master!" he commanded triumphantly, after the shadow withdrew.
"Yes...my lord..." droned Agahnim as the corrupted wizard turned away.
His master now turned back to the sacred gateway. All around him he could feel the goddess' realm submitting to his authority - His evil spirit filled every corner of it and corrupted it utterly. Now, absolute victory would be his!
Raising his empty right claw, he commanded the Door of Time to open. A slight tremor rippled through the stonework of its frame, but it did not move. The sacred doorway had been created by Rauru and the Goddess Hylia; designing it to only open for the one who could draw the Master Sword from the Pedestal of Time. The Sage of Light had been granted authority to close the door, to protect the Triforce, but only the one who had drawn the sword could command it to open again.
Ganon's claw clenched into a shaking fist as his strength now began to strain against the power of the goddess. Small cracks quickly formed in the wall and framework surrounding the door - and in the tile beneath the demon's feet – yet still, the door would not yield to him.
The monster's fury increased ten-fold; he now possessed the greatest power in existence! He would not be denied!
With a shattering roar, Ganon called upon the power of the Triforce itself, which now shone out brilliantly from the back of his right hand.
A cataclysmic blast obliterated the back wall of the Temple of Light.
Beyond, he had expected to find the Chamber of the Sword and the Temple of Time. But only the churning maelstrom of his Dark World could be seen.
As the cloud of dust settled, the defiant Door of Time still stood within its fractured frame: the only portion of the wall that did not collapse. Ganon would have to break the door open himself.
With another furious roar, he lifted the trident with both claws and struck the gate at its center, cracking it and sending tremors rippling throughout the sacred realm.
Again, and again, he thrashed and raged against Hylia's Gate as the power of the Triforce burned brighter and brighter in his hand. With each blow, the cracks steadily widened and small fragments of stone fell at his feet.
The last marble pillars shivered and collapsed, destroying what remained of the Temple of Light behind him, but he took no notice. He was immune now to mortal perils.
Within the Temple of Time
"Link wake up! Please wake up! Something is happening!" squeaked Navi frantically.
Her urgent pleas drifted through the boy's clouded dreams, and slowly brought him to consciousness. A dull pain rolled through his head and his eyes stung at the light around him.
"W-where are we?" he groaned.
"Get up! Get up! We have to go NOW!" she shouted, as she flew rapid circles around his cap.
Sitting up and looking around himself, he found the familiar marble walls and stained-glass windows of the Temple of Time. He lay against the alter of the spiritual stones, with the Master Sword dropped upon the floor beside him, just outside of the Door of Time; which was now closed.
"I-I don't understand..." he began, when a sudden, echoing roar tore through the temple; followed by a powerful quake that shook the temple's foundation and cracked its roof.
"Get the sword and run!" shrieked the fairy, who turned away and flew for the gate.
Link quickly grabbed the Master Sword and lifted it. It was much too large and unwieldy for him to use properly, but he was amazed at how light it felt in his hands. Another menacing rumble sent him turning and running after Navi toward the gate.
"The Stones! Don't leave the Stones!" she called back to him.
He skidded to a halt and doubled-back. He quickly tucked the sword underneath one arm and grabbed each of the spiritual stones, dropping them into his pack. A third roar, much louder and closer to the chamber, followed by a very violent quake ripped through the temple as the Door of Time fractured and groaned.
Black smoke began to hiss through the cracks and flood outward, covering the door's threshold and quickly enveloping the alter. The sunlight from the windows began to dim and the sanctuary grew cold.
"Something Evil is coming! RUN LINK!" Screamed Navi.
For a moment, he could not move. The cold shadow that spread outward and around him seemed to wrap around his ankles and grip at his feet. An unfamiliar and terrifying new will appeared in his mind: commanding him to remain still and stare at the weakening door.
Link's already anxious mind began to slide into the ruinous depths of terror. Only moments before, he had opened that door and claimed the Master Sword. He was going to get the Triforce before Gannondorf and save the kingdom.
Now he was back in the Temple of Time and something evil was breaking through. "W-what is happening?" the boy mumbled faintly, as that dark will slowly took control of his mind.
With a sudden explosion, the head of a great silver trident shattered its way through the center of the door. Stone fragments and large pieces of rubble blasted outward - in every direction - as a fresh torrent of black smoke now poured into the temple like a great wave.
The young hero's body, shaking with adrenaline, urged him to flee… but his mind had fallen into a numb fog and he was barely able to think.
He seemed to be captured, or bound: able to feel everything within his body, yet unable to command it to move or to run. Fear became terror… and terror quickly rolled over to horror as the trident withdrew itself and two great burning eyes stared out of the darkness at him.
"BOY" a deep, booming voice echoed through the temple.
The child had never known fear this strong. The eyes quickly locked with his own and seemed to thrust their way directly into his mind. Every barrier was broken and every attempt at resistance was easily overcome. He knew what the boy knew… felt what he felt… and thought what he thought.
"Remain where you are!" it commanded. "Your master will come for you!"
The boy's heart pounded furiously against his chest as he struggled pitifully to think of what he should do. But it was useless. His entire body began to go limp and his arm began to loosen its hold on the Master Sword. He would collapse – fall to the floor like a corpse – and his master would decide whether or not to use him in his great army.
Navi, averting her eyes from the demon's gaze, streaked in front of her ward and pulled at a lock of his hair.
"Don't look into his eyes Link! Just RUN!" she cried.
The little warrior could barely hear her voice. It was far away and sounded like a muffled echo. But her brilliant blue light, cutting between him and the eyes in the darkness, managed to pierce through the fog that had trapped him.
He slowly turned his eyes to look at her. She was shouting something at him, with little tears streaking down her face.
"Navi doesn't yell... Navi doesn't cry... what is wrong?" he wondered dumbly - His mind struggling to form thoughts as the dark shadow cruelly resisted the fairy's light.
As the pair struggled within the temple; Ganon returned to his attack against the weakening doorway. Another quake, and violent explosion of stonework widened the hole – allowing more of his evil to pour in.
But now Link felt something against his side. Something hard… pressed against his ribs… but now it was sliding down the outside of his tunic, falling to the floor. Curious, he cupped his left hand and moved his arm slightly to catch it - just as the handle of the Master Sword fell within reach.
For a moment, the grip felt incredibly hot on his skin – as if he had grabbed a heated ingot from the smith's fire - but with a rapid shudder and flash of white light behind his eyes, the boy was freed from his prison.
As if awakened by a splash of freezing water, he suddenly gasped and staggered backward, gripping the Master Sword tightly in one hand.
"Run! NOW! Don't think just RUN!" shrieked Navi as she pulled Link's head around toward the gate.
Without looking back, the boy turned and ran as fast as he could through the temple's outer gates and into the capitol city.
With a triumphant roar and two thunderous crashes, Ganon finally threw down the ruined Door of Time.