Chapter 3 - Temple of Spirit I

The small canyon passage to the gorge where the Spirit Temple was located could be a treacherous route, even for riders familiar with the terrain.

But Link didn't care.

Epona's hooves beat against the sandy floor of the path, passing numerous rocks jutting from the walls of the already narrow canyon. The natural structures made it difficult to navigate in full daylight, to say nothing for traversing the passage at night. Riders refusing to watch their step were likely to be hit on the head and knocked off of their horse, but Link was well aware of the dangers, and used his knowledge of the paths ahead to guide him, only slowing down when necessary.

Thankfully, the sandstorm Nabooru mentioned raging around the temple wasn't present in the canyon, otherwise he might've had to wait until morning to make the attempt—not that he would. One way or the other, he was going to reach the temple as quickly as possible, continuing onward with a single thought in mind.

Zelda's safety.

Casting his gaze down at the canyon floor, he could just make out the tracks left behind by his shadow's stallion in the sand. The hoof prints served as yet another guide, and gave him a second reason to be grateful the storm wasn't affecting the canyon, making his task of tracking his enemy just a little easier.

Those tracks led directly to the canyon's exit where Link finally drew back on Epona's reins to make her stop. Now standing at the edge of the gorge where the temple's entrance was located, he exhaled low and sneered at the sight awaiting him. Instead of a wide open space beneath a blanket of glittering stars, there was nothing but a wall of sand and dust so thick it blotted everything out.

Despite the whipping winds carrying the debris through the air, the particles of sand seemed to be contained to one area, proving the storm wasn't naturally occurring—and he didn't need to question the cause.

Brows narrowing at the thought of Ganondorf's interference, he looked down at the horse tracks to see they led right into the turbulent clouds thirty yards ahead and wasted no time. Turning, he dismounted Epona, his boots thumping against the sand as he gently turned the horse to face the direction from which they'd come.

Once done, he told her with an affectionate pat on the nose, "You've taken me as far as you can, Epona. So go back to the valley where it's safe and I'll be along soon."

Reaching back, he lightly smacked her hind flanks, watching as Epona started riding away before turning around to face the darkness of the chaotic barrier engulfing the gorge and separating him from his destination.

Indeed, he felt tiny in comparison to the massive cloud of sand, but it didn't matter. With determined blue eyes set steadily ahead, Link tugged the mask of his protective cloak down over his face, only able to see through a square hole covered by a sheer, transparent mesh, then tied the strings at his neck to keep it secured.

Now only one problem remained, and he got started on fixing it while taking his first step toward the storm.

On the way, Link considered his dark half and the new abilities the shadow displayed while abducting Zelda. The orbs and the dark tethers he'd used to bind her were both abilities he'd never employed before, and the power fueling them reminded Link of an opposite form of the same power his mother had gifted him with as a baby.

Was it the same as the dark power of the Sacred Realm Dragmire summoned? Possibly, though it was hard to imagine the mage surrendering a portion of his abilities to another, and even harder to envision Ganondorf endowing Dark Link with it. Still, they were attempting to prevent the Hero of Legend from undoing their work, so perhaps the possibility wasn't so far fetched after all.

More importantly, if Dark Link could figure out new, inventive ways to use such power, Link could as well.

Getting closer and closer to the storm raging ahead, his cloak began lifting around his legs as he closed his eyes and focused, invoking the power Myriad had so lovingly gifted him. Concentrating, he could feel it welling up inside, and a light began to shine around him, illuminating the surrounding area as he finally broached the chaotic barrier of the storm.

Instantly, the roar of wind filled his ears along with a tapping from the constant barrage of sand pummeling his protective cloak. Yet, when his eyes opened once more, the light he'd invoked allowed him to see much more clearly than he would've been able to without it.

The discovery curved his lips into a triumphant smirk. Now, navigating through the storm wouldn't be as troublesome, and he thanked the person responsible. I love you, Mother.

Moving forward on foot, he pushed against the winds and sand, finding that he could see at least ten feet ahead without a problem. Sadly, there wasn't much to look at, though he kept his eyes open regardless if only because the storm was making too much noise to hear potential enemies approaching.

So for now, he had to rely on his other senses—and in doing so, he noticed a shift in the sand beneath his feet.

Throwing his gaze over his shoulder to see spikes jutting up from the ground, what emerged with them was a plantlike creature resembling a cactus, and the spikes attached to its head began spinning as it moved through the sand in Link's direction.

Thanks to the storm, he couldn't outrun the monster—so he didn't. Instead, he came to a stop and grasped the hilt of his sword, waiting until the sound of the creature's movements were actually audible in the howling winds, proving it was close enough to strike.

That's when he freed his blade and swung his arm backwards to bring the Master Sword around at an arc. As a result, the tip sliced through the leever's body, sending the spinning spikes flying as the monster retreated beneath the sand.

Yet it wasn't alone.

As soon as the first fled, Link heard another coming from the opposite direction. Because its movements were actually audible over the storm, he knew not to waste time looking and merely rolled out of its way. Coming to a crouch nearby, he lashed out with his blade once more, cutting the second in half before it could cause him harm.

Without care to regard the monster he'd just taken out, Link quickly glanced about in search of more enemies heading toward him, as well as to hopefully regain his bearings. After all, it would be far too easy to travel in the wrong direction and end up back at the canyon where he'd first arrived if he didn't watch his steps.

He also hoped the light helping him to see would last long enough to reach the temple—but the environment wasn't making his trip any easier.

As he moved, more leevers attacked him, forcing him to stop and fight, or struggle against the howling winds to evade. The darkness created by the sand clouds didn't provide him much time to make a decision on the matter either. Instead, enemies came out of seemingly nowhere, and leevers weren't the only problem.

During his attempts to watch the sand beneath his feet for the plantlike monsters, numerous rocks were being flung about in the storm, and despite their small size, they were being hurtled with enough force to cause damage.

Link used his shield to deflect some of the flying debris, but still took a few hits while attempting to combat the leevers following his path. At the same time, the winds continued to make each movement a struggle, and if that weren't bad enough, he soon noticed the light he'd cast using his mother's power beginning to slowly fade.

Once it did, everything would become completely dark, making it imperative to push ahead as swiftly as possible. So, after lifting his shield with another rock slamming into it, he mustered his strength and took off at a sprint. The temple couldn't be too far ahead, and he could only hope he'd managed to stay on the right track as he went. It has to be there. Just a little further.

A few more rocks flew by as he went, some missing by mere inches while a few leevers converged on his position only to end up trailing behind. Ignoring them, Link pressed on, moving against the wind which always seemed to be pushing him in the opposite direction no matter which way he turned. It was as if the storm itself was trying to contain him, and considering the source, he wouldn't be surprised to learn the assumption was true.

Yet he succeeded, finally coming to a stop in locating a visible structure—it simply wasn't the one he'd hoped to find.

Instead of the temple, Link found himself standing only a few feet away from a rock wall.

Chest heaving after his arduous run, he stared at the blank rock face in angered exhaustion, realizing he had indeed lost his way. There was simply no means of telling if the temple was to the left or right, and as he considered his new dilemma, the light finally went out.

Cursing under his breath, Link spun around so that his back was facing the rock wall to ensure nothing could attack him from behind and crouched down with his shield held protectively before his body while trying to figure out which way to go. For the moment, his magical abilities were exhausted and without any light, he could barely detect anything around him despite feeling a few hard thuds against his shield while considering the situation—and it was easily summed up in a few words.

Not good.

He was lost in the chaos of the storm, still crouching and exhausted when a leever slammed into his shield, which thankfully protected him from the blow as the creature then burrowed out of sight. Yet Link had no time to rest when the sand beneath his feet shifted again, forcing him to roll out of the way once more.

With no way to outrun it, he turned the Master Sword on the monster, successfully eliminating the threat—but not without taking two blows to the back from flying rocks.

Cringing, Link instantly turned his back to the wall again and held up his shield, deciding his only recourse was to follow the wall until he found the entrance—if he was even going the right way.

Still, as he made the effort, he glanced ahead to see a shadow in the cloud of sand around him, and drawing closer to it revealed a rock jutting up from the desert floor at an incline. As a result, the rock formed a natural path, and though it wouldn't protect him from the debris circulating in the storm, it would at least keep the leevers from tunneling up under his feet.

As soon as he had the thought, some of the sand beneath him began to sink again, prompting him to take off toward the rock floor as swiftly as possible.

With the unrelenting monster giving chase, he reached the rock and stepped up onto the slope just as one of the leever's spikes cut through the back of his robe. Glancing back from his new position in time to see the creature burrowing beneath the sand again with no way to pursue him, Link exhaled low and shook his head.

Perhaps now that he was protected from ground as well as the back, he could get a little rest and recast the light he'd been using from the start to have a better chance of making it to the temple sooner.

Turning his back to the rock wall, he raised his shield and crouched once again, closing his eyes while listening to the roar of the wind and the ping of rocks around him. Some hit his shield while others crashed into the wall at his back—and some of those impacts rang a bit hollow.

Brows narrowed, he turned his head and waited for another rock to strike the wall, listening closely to realize the sounds were empty, as if nothing existed on the opposing side. Curiously, he regarded the stone at his back more closely to see that he wasn't exactly leaning against a wall, but a collapse of rubble. What's more, in turning his gaze upwards, he could just make out a dim light shining through the cracks between the stones.

Realizing there was a cave which had been blocked off, either by the storm or perhaps in a natural rock slide occurring long before it, Link stood and balled a fist, using the power of his gauntlets to slam it into the debris. Chunks of the rock erupted as a result, causing several to topple down across the slope on which he stood. As a result, a hole was left within the obstruction big enough to crawl through, and Link did so before the storm had a chance to pummel him any further.

Slipping through the hole to crouch low as the winds continued howling outside, he ignored the storm in favor of examining his new surroundings—and there was enough light to make it easy. With the way it flickered in an orange hue, he could only assume the source was fire, and the soft glow was soothingly emanating from the end of a tunnel ahead.

It was also quiet with only the sound of the storm raging outside hitting his ears, suggesting the area was either devoid of life, or someone was lying in wait after hearing him punch his way through the collapse. Either way, he wasn't going back out into the storm unless he had no other choice, and moved forward with the Master Sword still clutched in his hand.

Drawing closer to the source revealed a few torches mounted at the top of columns surrounding a square pool on the floor. But instead of water, it was filled with sand, and at the front wall of the structure was the symbol of the Triforce.

It was a cavern identical to the fairy cave Nissa led them to near Lake Hylia.

Smiling over his fortuitous discovery, Link sheathed his blade and removed his protective mask while approaching the pool to place his hand atop the symbol and summon the Fairy Maiden who resided there. As his fingers made contact with it, he watched the sand begin glowing a golden hue radiating brighter and brighter. With it came a soft giggle as the particles rose up into the air, forming the shape of the Maiden's body.

Finally, the glow flashed as the Maiden fully appeared, her wings fluttering gracefully despite being made of such a coarse material.

Looking over and down at Link, she lowered herself to his height with the particles of sand forming her mouth curving into a smile as she exclaimed, "Oh, you must be Link! I've heard of you from my sister."

"I am, and your sister is the Maiden of Lake Hylia, right?"

"Yes," she confirmed, adding, "and I am the Fairy Maiden of the Gerudo Desert. Pleased to meet you!"

"Likewise," Link returned respectfully. "I was trying to navigate a sandstorm to the Temple of Spirit when my light failed, so I'm glad to have found you. Not to mention lucky."

"That's what I'm here for!" she announced with a giggle, flying toward him before folding her hands behind her back and leaning forward in midair to inspect him.

In turn, Link looked himself over, his thick brown cloak covered in sand and torn from his numerous engagements with the leevers, not to mention ripped in places after being hit by rocks. His face must've shown signs of fatigue as well because the Maiden suddenly announced, "You know, my sister was right. You are handsome, but you look so tired!"

Waving her hands, she asked as an afterthought, "And where's the Princess Zelda? I would very much so like to meet her."

At her mention of Zelda, Link's expression turned solemn. "She isn't here. One of the reasons I'm trying to reach the temple is that she was abducted by an evil copy of myself and taken there, but the sandstorm isn't natural, and it's hindering my progress."

"Abducted!" The Maiden gave a stern look with her exclamation, shoving her fists into her hips with her wings fluttering aggressively. "How rude! In that case, I can only ask that you bring her back here once you find her as I'd like to give her a gift. As for the storm, you're right that it's unnatural. I can sense the dark powers behind it, so if you've no objections, I'd like to replenish your strength and add to it so you'll have an easier time reaching the Princess before any harm comes to her."

"I have absolutely no objections," Link responded with a smile. "I'll need all the strength I can get if I'm going to make it through that storm."

Scoffing, the Maiden asked, "Through the storm? I'm not sending you back out into that!"

Without explanation, she lifted into the air and spun in a circle, waving her hands toward Link to send particles of energy out that would rejuvenate him. As a result, he could feel his strength returning to an extent that suggested he had even more energy now than when he'd first entered the storm.

Grateful to have it, he gave the disappearing Maiden a smile, but couldn't help wondering what she meant about not sending him back out into the storm.

Yet he didn't have to ask when she qualified before fading away, "Simply take the tunnel at the back of this cave to reach the temple. It's not free of danger, but it's safer than the storm, and once you arrive on a rock island, look right to find your destination."

Tunnel? As the Fairy Maiden disappeared with particles of sand falling down into the pool, Link stared at the back of the cavern in curiosity. There was no tunnel in sight, but moving in for a closer inspection revealed why. One of the side walls possessed an outcropping of rock that created an optical illusion, but rounding the corner proved she was right, and another passageway existed.

Smiling over the fact that he wouldn't need to worry with the sandstorm raging outside, Link drew his weapon with the Maiden's warning of danger in mind and started through the tunnel. Thankfully, the only thing he encountered came in the form of keese and a few piles of bones that decided to form into fully assembled skeletons and attack the moment he drew in close.

Otherwise, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as the leevers, which were an immense annoyance.

Because of this, he saved a great deal of valuable time, though the tunnel didn't lead to an exit. Instead, there was another collapse of rock Link had to decimate using the silver gauntlets—and once the path was clear, he found himself facing the storm once again.

Yet, as he donned his mask and stepped out onto a large rock jutting up from the sand, he found the circumstances much more agreeable. Instead of being engulfed in a massive cloud of flying debris, looking right as the Fairy Maiden directed revealed a bright glow of light, proving something significant was just beyond the edge of the storm.

What's more, the glow seemed brightest at three different points shaped in a triangular fashion, and he knew from his previous visit to the area that the source were large bowls of fire mounted on a carving of the Triforce above the Spirit Temple's entrance.

Smiling, he silently thanked the Fairy Maiden again. Not only was he right where he needed to be, he didn't have to recast any spells to help him see, allowing him to reserve his strength—and he had even more now than before.

Jumping down to the sand with the encouraging thoughts in mind, Link instantly rolled out of the way as a leever emerged at the exact spot where he'd landed. It was as if they simply knew he was coming, but it didn't matter. Wasting no time on the creatures, he sprinted toward the three lights, watching as the chaotic cloud of the sandstorm slowly faded to bring the Spirit Temple into view.

Housed within a towering wall of rock at the base of a mountain, the large carving of the Triforce stood out due to the firelight which hadn't been doused by the storm—further proof the occurrence was unnatural. In fact, the sandstorm seemed to be confined to an area of roughly ten feet from the temple's massive steps, allowing Link to climb them with ease once he emerged from the turbulent cloud.

And yet there was still the problem of the magic barrier sealing the doors.

Approaching it, Link drew to a stop within arm's reach and inspected the seal. It was questionable how his mimicry had gotten inside with such a ward in place, though, as he observed the swirling waves of dark energy, he was reminded of his suspicions over the source of the shadow's newfound abilities.

It was possible Dark Link was utilizing the dark powers of the Sacred Realm, and perhaps they allowed him to pass through the barrier because it was made of the same energy. There was only one person Link knew of who might possess an answer, and that was his mother—but her Stone was set at the entrance of the canyon he'd used to access the area.

Exhaling a sigh at the thought, he faced the seal alone with a distinct question—if the shadow could pass through it using his own abilities, did that mean his mother's power could break the barrier completely?

Only one way to find out.

Without hesitation, Link lifted his hand and summoned forth that power with Zelda's guidance in mind, focusing on breaking the barrier rather than willing his power to do what he wanted. In the process, his hand drew closer to the doors, and after a moment's worth of effort, he could feel the barrier starting to waver.

But it wasn't enough.

Gritting his teeth in the endeavor of both drawing forth more power while remaining focused on the task, he found it difficult to know just how much energy was needed. Yet the dark magics of the barrier once again wavered, pulsing as if weakening.

So he kept at it, eyes squeezing shut while exerting more effort until it finally emitted a low warble as the seal … dissipated.

Standing back, he lowered his hand to watch the doors of the temple coming into clear focus, and for a brief moment, his lips curved into a smile. Yet he had no time to dwell on his success, the thought of Zelda's situation prompting him to open the doors as soon as they were accessible, and he finally stepped foot into the entryway of a large atrium.

Columns and statues stood near the walls while the floor was decorated with crisscrossed tiling that looked to have once possessed an immaculate sheen but was now covered in a layer of sand and dust. High above was a narrow walkway stretching out as a bridge between two doors on the second floor, and there were no stairs or ladders available to reach it.

After scanning it to realize he'd have to find another way up, he removed his mask and untied his robe, letting the sand covered garment fall into a pile around his feet with the mask landing next to it.

"Nice outfit."

At the sound of his own voice, Link abruptly turned his head only to see that he was alone—until he looked up at the walkway above. There, he spied his mimicry stepping out of the shadows to casually lean against the railing with a smug smirk on his face.

"Was starting to wonder what was taking you so long, but I suppose that storm wasn't very accommodating for travel."

Ignoring the shadow's suggestion, Link demanded without hesitation, "Where's Zelda?"

Scoffing, Dark Link leaned his cheek against a fist and answered, "Safe of course, and we actually had a nice talk earlier which makes me think she's warming up to me. She told me some things about our past together, and even let me kiss her."

If possible, his smirk grew more annoying as he asked, "Jealous?"

Link wasn't certain he knew what the shadow meant by saying Zelda told him about our past together, but if she'd truly allowed him to kiss her, he realized she was only doing whatever she needed to survive—and the thought wasn't comforting whatsoever. Imagining her enduring such behavior just to escape a dangerous situation had anger boiling in the pit of his stomach the likes of which he wasn't certain he'd ever experienced.

Yet he needed to keep a clear head if he was going to ensure the mimicry paid for his crimes.

That aside, the shadow was likely to find amusement in any discomfort Link showed. So he merely took a step forward and asked, "Jealous? Of what? Since you're so superior to me, why don't you come down here and show me why I should be. Or do you want to just throw some more magic at me and run away—again," he added dully.

Sadly, his taunt only caused the mimicry to grin with a shrug of his shoulders. "As tempting as it is, I'd rather save my strength and go spend a little more time with Zelda while you're figuring out puzzles and fighting off whatever this temple throws at you. That way, I'm sure by the time you find us, I'll have her squealing. Whether it's in pleasure or pain though depends on how well she behaves."

With those words, he turned around to walk away with a mocking laugh.

And Link wasn't letting it go. Not this time.

Suffused with more anger than he cared to admit, he focused his energy without considering whether he could, and almost instantly, three orbs of light formed above him. They were nearly identical to the ones Dark Link had thrown at him in the valley save their white color—and he wasted no time utilizing them.

Swiftly sailing through the air, Dark Link's only warning of the impending attack was the loud whir the orbs made mere seconds before impacting the walkway. It wasn't enough time to counter, forcing him to dive out of the way as they slammed into the ceiling and walls nearby.

Link watched the explosion carefully in wait of an outcome, realizing as he did so that he'd just expended quite a bit of energy and would have to be careful of his magic usage now. But he didn't regret taking the chance to hurt the shadow, if not finish him off entirely, if only to show him he meant business.

Sadly, aside from a low grunt, it was hard to tell if the blast had truly done his mimicry any damage when he pulled himself back up and sent an annoyed look Link's way.

"I didn't think you'd figure out how to do that so quickly."

As he started the task of dusting his black jerkin off, Link took the opportunity to remind the shadow of what he'd said earlier. "You should know better than anyone what kinds of tricks we have up our sleeves, and you have yourself to thank for this one. I never would've considered it if you hadn't given me the idea back in the valley."

His comment put an irritating grin on the shadow's face as he responded.

"Point taken, and just remember, when you find Zelda and she's all warmed up to me, or I've been forced to hurt her again for not cooperating, you can thank yourself for that because you're the reason I want her so badly from the start."

Departing through the door to the right of the walkway with his words ringing out, Link scowled, moving several steps forward to follow him before realizing he had no means of reaching the mimicry. Balling his fists at the thought, he took a deep breath to abate his anger, and when it didn't work, he unleashed it by slamming one fist into the side of a column nearby. The surface cracked thanks to the silver gauntlets, though it didn't entirely alleviate his ire—and he knew there was only one thing that would.

Eliminating his twisted copy and returning Zelda to safety.

Taking a deep breath, he started for the large double doors at the back of the room with determination burning in his sapphire eyes. One way or the other, he was going to do just that, even if he had to tear the temple down using his fists.