Chapter Ten

Humming to herself quietly, Tuli's eyes scanned the pages of the volume sitting open on her lap, rapidly absorbing the information contained therein and searching for some hint of what she sought. On her arrival earlier in the day, she had thrown her spare horse blanket over the moss-covered stone of a knee-high section of one of the ruined walls of the Temple of Time and sat down to peruse one of the books she had brought with her from the Hyrule Castle library. She had been here for a number of hours now, leaving her seat only to stretch her legs occasionally, waiting for Link to arrive. She didn't dare open the door to the temple by herself, so she contented herself with performing some last-minute research on the Ocarina of Time. Delicately touching the tip of her index finger with her tongue, she used the moistened digit to gently turn the page of the aging tome and continued to read.

Etain stood nearby, cropping at the overgrown weeds that choked the ruins around them, her reins tied to a low hanging branch of one of the trees lining the edges of the clearing that the remains of the temple stood in. The gelding seemed content enough after their ride here, despite Tuli's awkward attempt at rubbing her down – the scholar had noticed that the few animals she had seen here all seemed much more peaceful than normal, as if the Sacred Grove exerted some sort of calming influence on them. Sitting there on her little perch reading her book, she could almost feel it herself, an inner tranquillity that overrode all other emotions and left her with just a simple sense of peace.

Tuli had slipped away from her guards at the castle easily enough – a new spell she had learned recently that allowed her to discorporate her body into a fine mist had served as a perfect method of slipping out of her room unseen, and a thump on the back of the head from one of her heavy tomes had ensured that the stablehand saw nothing when she collected her horse. The guards at the gate had been easily fooled by a glamour concealing her true features behind those of a wizened old woman riding a small donkey, and beyond that she had had a straightforward ride down through Hyrule Field to the place she had agreed to meet Link.

Luckily for Tuli, all of Princess Zelda's court wizzrobes had been slain in the Twilight Invasion, and suitable replacements had yet to be found, so there was no one in the castle who had been able to discern her spells. The princess seemed to believe that magic was just a hobby for the scholar and that she wasn't capable of much more than parlour tricks, but Tuli had had more than a little training in the Art by a master. The magic she had used to escape the castle had exhausted her, of course. She was only an apprentice-level wizzrobe, after all, but she still felt immensely satisfied that the princess's doubts regarding her abilities were misguided.

She continued to read even when she heard a horse approaching, right up until a shadow fell across her book, blocking the already failing sunlight she had been using to read by. "You took longer than I was expecting." The scholar said mildly, not looking up from the page. She reached into her robe and withdrew an ivory marker to place in between the pages so that she wouldn't lose her place before she finally closed the tome and glanced up to see Link standing over her, a pensive expression on his face. "Everything alright?"

Link sighed heavily and shook his head. "No, not really." Behind him, Tuli could see Ashei patting Epona on the nose and whispering gently – the adventurer looked frustrated, and she shot Tuli an annoyed glance before firmly turning her back, while continuing to pet the horse.

"I take it the princess caught up with you." Tuli stood, her eyes searching his face for some clue as to the events that transpired in her absence. "What happened?"

"It doesn't matter now. I have the ocarina." He patted one of the pouches on his belt with a gauntleted hand. "What have you got for me?"

"Well… like I said, I've managed to collect a heap of information regarding the ocarina and its past usage, but I'm not sure what is going to be useful and what's a waste of time. The ocarina needs to have a specially attuned magical melody played upon it to have any effect, and I've managed to scrounge up what I believe may be a few of these compositions." The scholar strode over to where Etain stood as she talked, removing her brown leather travelling case from the spacious cargo-bag she had affixed behind the mount's saddle. Unbuckling the clasps, she slid the tome she had been reading back inside and hefted it with one hand, displaying the manuscripts and parchment scrolls within briefly. "I'm not sure of their effects yet, or if there are other conditions that must be met for them to function correctly, but I believe that you will definitely need the Master Sword to maximise your chances of being successful."

The golden-haired warrior still had that same brooding expression on his face, as if he was in the midst of some sort of internal struggle over something. "What are the risks of using the ocarina?"

"Risks?" Tuli paused and looked at him closely. "It's hard to really predict what the outcome of any change you make in the past is going to be. Every day, the decisions you make and the actions you take ripple outwards to affect everything. This is similar. Ripples will spread outwards from anything you do in the past and affect the future."

Ashei sauntered over as the scholar spoke and walked past Link, turning to regard him with a cold eye. "We don't have time for this." She interrupted. "The princess and her soldiers could be here any second – let's get in, get the sword, then get out of here."

Link blinked and looked away, hesitating for a few moments before he responded. "You're right. We can talk about this later. The important thing right now is getting the sword."

"Right." Tuli nodded and slung the case over her shoulder. "Lead the way."

- - - - - -

Link lowered the Ocarina of Time from his cracked lips, gauging his location from a quick glance around as he made to stow it back into its usual pouch at his belt. From the golden, sun-kissed cliff next to him and the breathtakingly scenic view of Kakariko village below, it seemed he had been transported somewhere high on Death Mountain. Of course... Tuli would have picked a location close to the Shadow Temple so that he would be able to reach it quickly.

Cursing softly under his breath as he noted how low the sun hung on the horizon, he realised that the Shadow Temple was not the place he needed to be. "The Goddesses burn that accursed wizzrobe! I'm almost too late to do anything!" The sun setting signified that the moment when his past self would place his hand on the Master Sword drew near – he would need to move fast if he was to avert the disaster that was about to occur.

Bringing the ocarina back up to his mouth, he belted out a series of short, piercing blasts. The Minuet of Forest wasn't meant to be played at such a fast pace, but he was in a hurry and he knew that the notes were all that really mattered, not the beat or the speed at which they were played. A shimmer of green-tinged magical energy swirled around him, and a moment later he was gone.

- - - - - -

Link walked slowly through the ruins of the Temple of Time, looking around at the familiar, moss-covered stone masonry as he made his way towards a section of free-standing wall, mainly intact despite the condition of the ruins. Coming to a halt in front of the wall, Link studied the portal they were about to pass through. The Door of Time stood before them, with the symbol of Hyrule's Royal Family carved upon its ancient stone face. The former knight took a quick glance out of the corner of each eye to observe the companions that flanked him.

Ashei had been reserved and icy since not long after they had fled Kakariko village, likely annoyed at him because he had been ignoring her advances, but Link could almost feel the anticipation radiating off her in waves. A flush borne of excitement had crept into her cheeks, and he didn't blame her. Ashei seemed to live for adventure, and everything so far had given an indication that this was probably going to be one of the biggest adventures she would ever have the chance to participate in.

To his other side, Tuli was fiddling with the strap of the leather case she had slung over one shoulder – where Ashei was brimming with eagerness, the young scholar was trembling like a leaf. Link didn't think that she had ever really been out of Hyrule Castle Town much before her visit to him in Kakariko, and to his eye it didn't seem she would really be much help past this point. She had some magical abilities, but her inexperience made her the most vulnerable member of their group. Once he had retrieved the Master Sword, he would need to find a safe place for her to stay while he and Ashei continued on. Maybe Rusl would be able to take her in until everything blew over.

Shaking his head, Link reached out with a hand and gently touched the stylized stone phoenix in the middle of the Door of Time before stepping back smartly. Reacting to his touch, the twin doors started to move slowly, hinges groaning in protest from years of neglect as they swung ponderously outwards. The view through the archway was drastically different to what a normal person would have anticipated. As the doors shifted, they revealed a vision of the interior of the temple in a time prior to whatever calamity had caused it to fall into ruin, but the image was muted and grey, rippling like a pond of disturbed water as the trio watched in silence.

Without a word, Link strode confidently through the grey portal. A blinding white light filled his vision as he crossed the threshold, but he did not falter, stepping through to the top of the banister-lined flight of stairs that, eventually, led to the pedestal that held the magical blade that he had used to defeat the Dark Lord Ganondorf all those months ago. A quick look behind him revealed Ashei and Tuli stumbling through after him, blinking in surprise and alarm from the bright light that had illuminated their passage through to the time-locked temple.

The cavernous room they now found themselves in was a sharp contrast to the ruins outside. The vaulted ceiling rose higher above their heads than even the great audience halls of Hyrule Castle, and the light grey stone of the masoned walls, free from the lichen and dirt that clung to the remains outside, and the matching floors lent the temple an air of quiet grandeur. Massive windows, so high on the walls that it was impossible to see anything through them, bathed the entire chamber in a soft, welcoming, yellow light despite the fact that only moments ago the sun had been on the brink of setting. Intricate ironwork fitted along with the glass in the frames of the casements were polished until even they shone with the reflected sunlight, and equally elaborate designs were etched into the very stone of the balustrade that encircled the balcony they stood upon and flanked the stairs leading down. Near the opposite wall, a pair of large statues much like the ones Link had encountered months ago out in the Sacred Grove flanked an open archway leading to the sword chamber.

"Amazing..." Tuli breathed, her voice full of wonder as Link grinned at her. The nervousness that he had sensed in her outside the door had melted away, and the scholar was rapidly turning her head this way and that, examining the room from every angle as she slowly made her way up to stand beside him.

Link turned back away and slowly descended the steps before him, hearing his footsteps echo hollowly in the huge chamber. Behind him, the adventurer and the scholar followed suite, but lagged further and further behind as he picked up his pace, flying down the steps quickly and across the elaborate Triforce symbol that dominated the floor in the centre of the room. Passing between the statues and through the archway, a small flight of stairs led him up to a smaller but equally impressive chamber.

This room was similar to the last in design, but smaller and circular in design, structured around the stepped dais upon which the Master Sword stood. The glass in the windows of this room were stained, and depicted fabulous patterns and intricacies that would have taken a legion of glassblowers lifetimes to make. Standing where he had left it once Ganondorf had fallen, the Sword of Evil's Bane sparkled in the light that filtered into the chamber. It was held point-first by a small pedestal in the very centre of the dais that dominated the room, and Link slowed his step as he approached.

Standing directly in front of the pedestal, he could feel his companion's eyes on him as he took a deep breath and reached out to grasp the royal purple hilt of the Master Sword. Suddenly, he heard Ashei cry out his name and a split second later, before he had time to even turn around, the raven-haired adventurer's shoulder slammed into him from behind, sending them sprawling to the left of the dais in a tangle of limbs. In the same moment, he caught a glimpse of a glowing orange object just as it impacted the hilt of the sword he had been standing in front of. The object detonated as it struck, and the searing wave of heat that washed over Link and Ashei left them gasping for air as they struggled to get to their feet.

Link found himself patting at his clothes unconsciously as he looked back down the way they had came – even though the flash of heat had lasted no more than a second or two, he felt like he was on fire. Framed in the archway that led into the room was a lone figure, and Link had to fight to stop his jaw from dropping even as his eyes widened in recognition. Standing there, a familiar bow half-lowered in his hand and with a scowl on his face was... him.

Ashei's eyes were passing unbelievingly from him to the newcomer rapidly, and Tuli, who had retreated to the far side of the room in the confusion, had a look of pure shock on her face. The figure gave a snort of derision and shouldered his bow, striding casually into the room as Link watched. His first impression had been that the newcomer was identical to him, but as he came closer the former knight could make out differences.

They were both clad in identical tunics, with identical caps and identical boots and gauntlets, but the clothes worn by the newcomer were worn and faded, as if from years of being ill-cared for, and a light but noticeable shadow of facial hair was spread across his jawbone. His eyes were sunken, with black circles underneath them as thick as if he hadn't slept in a week, and he flesh was pale and sallow. His eyes were cold and calculating, and a finger-long white scar ran horizontally across his left cheek, seemingly from an old sword wound.

The newcomer regarded him with an appraising eye for a moment, and in the lull Link cautiously drew his sword from his back. Behind him, he heard Ashei do the same, and he took a deep breath before calling out to the sickly-looking imposter. "Who are you? Why did you try to kill me?"

The figure only shook his head, a smirk on his face. "I wasn't aiming to kill, only to subdue." He spread his hands in a gesture of peace. "Perhaps I was slightly hasty; we should not need to resort to violence. As for who I am... I'm you, and I've come to prevent you from making a terrible mistake. You cannot use the Ocarina of Time."

Link's eyes narrowed. "This has to be a trick. Why don't you want me to use the ocarina? Did the princess send you?"

The figure's face twitched when Link mentioned the princess, and he spat out his next words as if they left a bad taste in his mouth. "No, I'm not one of her lackeys – she will be here soon, though. You cannot go any further. Your plan is doomed to failure." He started to walk closer, but paused and scowled again when Link brandished his sword threateningly, seeming on the edge of drawing his own blade; unusually, the hilt poking out from behind his opponent's back was wrapped and padded in torn black swaddling.

"One step closer and I'll cut you down." The former knight assumed a fighting stance, bouncing lightly on the balls of his feet as he sized up his opponent. The pale doppelganger even carried himself the same way Link did, the former knight noted in disgust.

His hands tightly balled into fists, the newcomer snarled at him. "Listen to me, you fool! Don't just think with your damnable sword! This isn't going to work! You're never going to see Midna again if you keep going along this path! Zelda will be here any moment and then everything will go to hell!"

Link shook his head. Regardless of what he said, the monarch must have sent him to delay the former knight while she caught up. "I have to try! After everything I've put into this, I can't just give up for no reason!"

The newcomer growled, reaching back to clasp the hilt of the blade at his back. "So be it. If you won't listen, I'll just have to stop you myself." Drawing his blade, he pointed the tip directly at Link as a wicked grin spread across his face, and he started to walk slowly towards him. The former knight didn't notice his foe's expression, his gaze instead fixed incredulously on the weapon that the newcomer had drawn.

Though the hilt was wrapped with torn black material, Link recognised it instantly as the blade he had wielded almost a year ago in his quest to defeat Ganondorf, the blade he had come here to claim – the Master Sword. He risked a glance over his shoulder at the pedestal behind him – no, the Master Sword was still sitting there, undisturbed. The fake blade must be a part of the trick, he decided, inching closer to the approaching imposter, clearing his mind so that he would be able to focus on the battle. "Ashei, stay out of this." He called absently. "I'll deal with him myself."

Link dodged to the right as the sallow-skinned warrior lunged forward with incredible speed, the edge of his blade scraping along the former knight's chest light enough not to break the fabric of his black tunic as he twisted out of the way. His opponent adapted to the evasion almost instantly, changing his thrust into a horizontal swipe without losing his momentum and causing Link to overbalance and fall backwards in an attempt to evade the razor-sharp weapon.

He hit the hard stone floor hard enough to knock the wind for his lungs, but had no chance to recover before his opponent's blade arced downwards towards his face. Sliding one of his feet in between his opponent's legs, he twisted on the ground, narrowly managing to move in time for the sword to strike the stone floor instead of his head. His other leg snaked around and locked around the other warrior's ankle and he wrenched savagely, driving his foe to his knees and sending the tip of the doppelganger's sword skittering across the stone in a shower of sparks. Bringing up his own blade in a horizontal slash, he forced the sallow-skinned warrior to flip and roll out of the way.

As his opponent moved out of the way, Link brought his knees up to his chest and kicked up in a kip-up manoeuvre, landing agilely on his feet and regaining his balance as he brought his sword around in a wary motion, settling into a defensive stance as the other warrior flicked himself back up onto his feet just as easily and launched back into a powerful attack.

Despite his initial reaction that the blade that the other man carried could not be the Master Sword, it was very rapidly becoming apparent to Link that the shining blade the sallow-skinned warrior held, pulsing with an unmistakable power, was indeed the sword that the former knight had come here to claim – but what, then, was sitting in the blade's place in the Pedestal of Time?

Link struggled to deflect each slash as his opponent rained a merciless onslaught of blows down upon him, managing to get in few swings of his own as he was backed towards the wall behind him. Ducking low under an arcing swing that had been meant for his neck, he tucked into a ball and rolled around behind his foe, springing to his feet in time to lock blades with the imposter. Link's muscles bulged as he tried to force his opponent back with brute strength, and the a small smile of triumph ghosted across his face as an expression of pain lanced across the other man's face, sending the sickly-looking warrior staggering backwards as Link crouched back into an open stance.

His eyebrows knitted together when his opponent flexed his hand on his sword's hilt as if injured, but it only took a second before the other man had regained his composure and launched himself at the ex-knight again. Link cut the renewed assault short by countering with a rapid series of vicious sword strokes, culminating in a powerful thrust – his opponent parried the first few attacks, but ducked low under the thrust in an awkward motion that left the former knight's legs open to attack. A look of surprise spread across the doppelganger's face as Link purposefully fed the momentum of his thrust, overbalancing himself and flicking himself into a tight somersault over his foe's head.

As he tumbled he twisted his body to land facing the sallow-skinner warrior, bringing his sword down in an impromptu version of his Jump Strike skill, but his foe brought up his blade to block the attack, bracing the tip of his blade in his empty palm. Pushing savagely, the doppelganger managed to knock Link back and he lashed out again with his sword, the razor-sharp blade skimming across the former knight's collarbone. The injury wasn't deep, but it bled profusely as they continued to fight, soaking the front of Link's tunic in his own blood.

The sound of booted feet on the stone floor of the temple echoing from the entry hall drew their attention, and after a few moments a trio of figures joined the scene. Princess Zelda had managed to maintain her proud dignity even though she must have ridden her horse into the dirt to catch up with them this quickly, and her presence filled the room as she swept into the sword chamber. Flanking her were Talis and Bain – the Royal Knights both had their swords drawn and scanned the room quickly as they entered, obviously put on guard by the sounds of the battle. It seemed unlikely that they would be alone – it was likely that the princess had left the rest of her guard outside of the Sacred Grove so as not to overly disturb the holy site.

Ashei and Tuli shied away as the entourage entered the chamber, but a word and gesture from Zelda had the knights advancing on them. Link took the time to make a cautionary gesture at Ashei so that she wouldn't try anything stupid, but he was too absorbed by his fight to fully take in what was happening on the other side of the room. When next he looked over Talis had a hold of Tuli and Bain had managed to relieve Ashei of her sword, but he didn't let himself worry over it. The important thing was that Zelda was simply standing and watching the fight, and the knights had made no move to interfere either.

The princess's appearance was incredibly bad timing – once Link had finished with his current foe he would likely have to face Talis and Bain, and who knew if he'd get an opportunity to fulfil his reason for coming to the temple. Strangely, the other warrior's face had twisted into a mask of pure hatred at the sight of the Hyrulean monarch, and Link decided that he needed to take full advantage of the distraction. The Master Sword was the entire reason he had come here, and he refused to be foiled by the appearance of the mimic. If the sword in the pedestal was a fake, he would be able to tell as soon as he held it. Taking a few cursory swipes with his sword and feigning being distracted by the arrival of the princess and her knights, he seized the chance as soon as it presented itself.

Link dove towards the Pedestal of Time, tucking into a low roll across the dais that the pedestal stood upon and coming up on one knee right next to the supposed Master Sword. Tossing his current weapon up into the air and catching it with his off hand, he seized the hilt of the ensconced blade and stood in one smooth motion, pulling the sword free in time to use it to bat aside a fast strike from his opponent's blade. The identical swords smashed against each other in a dazzling burst of light and a deafening crackle of energy, and the familiar power that Link felt thrumming through his hand as he held the blade banished any doubts he had regarding its legitimacy. He had no idea how it was even possible, but it seemed as though there really was two Master Swords.

The two warriors circled each other warily for a few moments as Link experimentally hefted both of his weapons simultaneously, then a wicked smile spread across his face as he settled into a stance usually associated with fighting with a sword and shield before he launched himself at the other warrior. Though unused to fighting with two swords, he was still an expert with a blade and used the pair of weapons to slash at his opponent with a dizzying flurry of blows, not giving the other man a chance to do anything but block and parry. Each strike of Master Sword on Master Sword showered the floor of the temple in a rain of pure white energy as the magical forces collided. While earlier the sallow-skinned doppelganger had proven that he was easily a match for the former knight in einhander swordsmanship, now Link was the one who was forcing the other man to stumble backwards under an onslaught of blows.

The other occupants of the chamber stood and watched silently, seemingly enraptured by the display as the two warriors danced their deadly fandango. Link caught a glimpse of Tuli, Talis's hand still tightly on her shoulder, her brow furrowed and lips moving slightly, seemingly deep in thought as she concentrated on the heated battle that was raging between the former knight and his imitator. Shifting her weight from heel to heel irritably, Ashei seemed likely to try to take on her captors at any moment, but even she was intent on the two warriors. Princess Zelda stood with her arms folded – her gaze hard as she followed every move of the fight – and the two knights that had accompanied her into the temple both stood as impassively as their sovereign, their swords still in hand but loosely held.

Link whirled around in a doubled version of his signature Spin Attack, the Master Sword in his left hand thrumming through the air and the ordinary knight's blade following through in its wake – the magical blade glanced off the other warrior's identical sword, sending a shower of sparkling white light arcing through the air and a clap of thunder resounding throughout the chamber while the arc of his second sword slipped underneath his foe's defences. The pitch-black material of the doppelganger's tunic parted easily as the tip of the weapon gouged a thin line across his torso, and he staggered back, surprised by the ferocity of the attack. Link refused to let up his assault, pressing his advantage to the utmost as he took swipe after swipe at his foe.

The next attack caused the two Master Swords to strike each other dead on the edge with Link's full strength behind his, sending painful reverberations through the muscles of both combatants' arms and sending up another spray of white motes of energy. The doppelganger winced in pain as the blow struck, the strangely-swaddled hilt of his weapon thrust hard against his palm, and he almost lost his grip on the weapon. Link had taken note of these lapses in his opponent's form during the fight and was beginning to take advantage of them, assuming that the other man must have some sort of injury that was interfering with his ability.

Springing backwards to regain his balance, the sallow-skinned warrior danced away from Link's assault and licked his chapped lips. "Alright, you want to play rough?" He sneered, reaching into one of the leather pouches at his belt with his free hand. "That's fine by me."

Link eyes widened once again as he recognised the small, fist-sized object that the other man withdrew from the container. Hard as it was to believe, it seemed that this mimic had somehow gotten his hands on a spinner. Link had thought that the rideable spinning top he had discovered in the Arbiter's Grounds had been an irreplaceable Gerudo artifact, but apparently it wasn't as unique as he had previously imagined. As he watched, the warrior tossed the small object down to the ground between his feet in exactly the same way that Link had done countless times with his own spinner.

The magical containment field that kept the spinner shrunk to a manageable size ruptured from the sudden impact with the stone ground and it sprung up underneath the other warrior's feet, the main body of the top already revolving at high speed while the rideable platform that the mimic now stood on remained relatively stationary. Taking in the item with a trained eye, Link noted that while it was definitely a spinner, it was not exactly the same as the one he personally kept in the exact same pouch on his belt that the sallow-skinned doppelganger had taken his from.

While overall it bore the same dull red and grey colour scheme of his own spinner, the rotating, gear-like teeth that ran along the outer rim of the artifact were edged in black, and a faint red glow emanated from underneath the doppelganger's feet where his boots touched the metal. Link twisted out of the way and dove across the room as the sallow-skinned warrior tilted the platform he stood on and came flying towards him, attempting to catch the former knight with the spinning edge of the artifact as his feet worked the pedals inset into its surface to put on bursts of speed. Link had used the same tactic on enemies before, and knew that it would only take a second of contact for the teeth of the spinner to gouge a chunk of flesh from his bones.

The doppelganger sped after Link, leaning forward and trying to take a swipe at him with his sword as well as with the edge of the spinner, but luckily the added height from the artifact placed the former knight just out of his reach. Despite the fact that his opponent had him on the defensive now, Link knew the limits of his own spinner, which would hopefully give him the advantage in this fight. While it started off with a strong revolution speed, the artifact would gradually lose momentum if it wasn't locked into a spinner track – of which there were none in the temple – and it would revert back to its smaller form once it completely lost its speed, causing its rider to drop to the ground. With any luck, the small lapse once the spinner had run itself down would give him the opening he needed to finish this battle once and for all.

Rolling off to one side, Link made a break for the corridor that joined the sword chamber with the entry hall, hoping to use the smaller area to restrict his opponent's movements. His plan backfired as the doppelganger careened into the passageway walls and bounced from side to side, gaining momentum as he followed the former knight at high speed. Trapped against one wall, he panicked as the spinner bore down on him. Thrusting his regular sword tip-first against the ground and bracing it with the side of his boot, he attempted to block the spinner from reaching his body. Pain lanced up his arm and he had to bite his lip to stop from crying out as the teeth of the artifact ground against the blade with incredible force. The distance between them now closed, the doppelganger swung down low with his sword to try to hack at Link's unprotected head when suddenly the blade of the former knight's weapon snapped in half under the strain of deflecting the spinner.

Link narrowly managed to spring out of the way as the artifact slammed against the wall, but as he did so the deadly edge of the spinner caught his left leg, tearing at the soft flesh of his thigh. This time, he let out a yell of pain as he hit the ground and tumbled back to his feet. He didn't have time to inspect the wound, but his leg only wobbled slightly when he put his weight on it, so he would have to worry about it later. The spinner wasn't slowing down at all, he realised in dismay as he retreated out of the corridor and into the main hall of the temple. For some reason, his opponent hadn't lost any momentum whatsoever, and the artifact was still rotating at the same speed it had been when he had initially thrown it down. Coming to terms with this quickly, he realised he couldn't keep dodging forever – he would need to come up with an alternate plan if he was to survive this encounter, and quickly.

As he stumbled across the hall, keeping a careful eye on his advancing foe, he noticed Zelda and her two knights head down the corridor after them, leading Tuli and Ashei along with them. The group kept their distance, obviously not yet ready to involve themselves in the fight. Despite his initial annoyance that they had shown up so early, Link found himself desperately hoping that Bain or Talis would intervene – he was rapidly running out of other options and despite his cool exterior, inside he was starting to really panic. Diving off to the side as the spinner closed in on him, the bloody-smeared trail he left on the floor alerted him to the fact that his injured leg seemed to be hurt worse than he had originally thought – the pain was gone however, likely due to the massive amounts of adrenaline flooding his system.

Bringing himself up in a crouch; an idea suddenly occurred to him as he watched the gear-like edge of the spinner rotate. His right hand was locked in a death grip around the hilt of his broken sword and was still trembling from the effort of deflecting the earlier attack; he fumbled with one of the pouches at his belt with his left hand, awkwardly trying to reach inside with his fingers without letting go of the Master Sword. Feeling the digits close around the object he had been searching for, he flicked it out of the pouch so that it landed on the ground next to his feet just as the doppelganger closed in. His opponent jerked backwards in surprise as the teeth of Link's own spinner linked with his like a pair of gears, the rotation causing the former knight's spinner to twist around the perimeter of his at high speed. Link thrust an elbow out behind him just in time to catch the other warrior in the small of the back with a blow that separated the two spinners again and sent them careening in opposite directions.

The two warriors regained their balance relatively quickly and turned to face each other, eyeing each other off from atop their respective spinners. Link's breath was coming in short, shallow gasps now, and he was starting to feel slightly light-headed – blood still oozed from the cut along his collarbone and the deeper gash in his thigh. He needed to finish this quickly. Tilting the platform to make his spinner leap forward, he brought up his sword in a feint that the doppelganger moved to intercept, then reversed the direction of his swing as their artifacts snapped back together. The interlocked spinners rolled around each other, building off each others momentum and whirling the two warriors around each other with astonishing speed. They fought as they orbited each other, their blades weaving elaborate patterns around them as they constantly altered the direction of their attacks. Link used the snapped-off sword to block and parry the attacks directed at him as he slashed at his foe continually with the Master Sword. He had reached a point where he was just attacking wildly now, and his foe was repeatedly caught by surprise by an attack that came out of nowhere.

The doppelganger was bleeding now too, with several long gashes along his arms and torso from the former knight's reckless attacks, and he fought with an animal fury that was matched only by Link's own. Another barrage of powerful strikes left the sallow-skinned warrior reeling, and Link lashed out with a powerful kick that caught his opponent full in the gut, sending him flying. The doppelganger hit the ground hard and the back of his head cracked against the stone floor, his sword skittering out of his grasp and across the floor of the hall as Link tapped a small pad on his spinner with his heel to reactivate the magical containment field. The former knight bent down and scooped the miniaturized artifact up from the ground after it shrank as he staggered over to where his opponent had fallen. The other warrior's spinner staggered away to smack against the opposite wall of the chamber before toppling over and laying still, its own miniaturization process kicking in the moment it stopped moving.

The sallow-skinned warrior was obviously disoriented from his fall, his head lolling forward as he attempted to struggle to his feet. Link didn't give him the chance, placing his right foot squarely on the other man's chest and shoving him back down roughly, pinning him to the stone floor. The former knight levelled his blade at his foe's throat and glowered down at him, causing the doppelganger to freeze, eyes fixated on the tip of the sword.

Before he had a chance to begin questioning his opponent, Link's attention was drawn by the princess's voice behind him, though she was too far away for him to make out the words. Glancing over his shoulder, he saw Talis release Tuli's shoulder and begin to stride across the chamber towards him – Zelda must have decided that Link was sufficiently weakened for the knight to handle him alone. He looked back down to the warrior on the floor just in time to see black and purple energy flickering around the sallow-skinner doppelganger, and a change in mass beneath his foot combined with his exhaustion from the battle made him stumble backwards as he tried to steady himself. The mimic was gone – in his place was a massive grey and black wolf, and the animal was on its feet in an instant before springing up and slamming itself into the former knight.

Gasps of surprise and alarm sounded from the other end of the room, and out of the corner of his eye Link saw Ashei take advantage of the distraction, choosing that moment to drive her elbow deep into Bain's gut, knocking the air from his lungs, before pivoting her body around her arm and slamming the knuckles of her clenched fist into his face as he doubled over in pain. The knight fell backwards, crumpling to the ground like a dropped sack of potatoes even as the raven-haired adventurer snatched her sword back from his loosened grip. She unsheathed the blade with a flick of her wrist and ran over to interpose herself between Link and Talis.

Globules of fetid drool splashed down on Link's face as the wolf snapped its jaws, trying to latch onto his face – the Master Sword was pinned flat against the former knight's body, but the snapped-off blade of his second weapon was thrust against the beast's breast, digging through the matted fur and into tender flesh as the wolf's body weight and struggling crushed Link into the stone floor. He could barely breathe – the weight of the animal had forced the air from his lungs and green and purple spots began to dance in front of his eyes as he gasped for breath. A wave of dim panic swept through Link again as his arm, holding the blade that was keeping the beast from tearing his face off, began to give way.

Suddenly, the wolf let out a yelp of pain as something large and heavy slammed down onto its skull and the pressure on Link's chest was gone, the wolf having stumbled off of him. Wheezing as he sucked in a deep draft of air, the former knight stared blankly at the figure looming over him even as pieces of parchment fluttered down around him. Suddenly recognition sparked in his eyes. Tuli! She had smacked the wolf over the head with her leather case and was now looking over at where the doppelganger – changed back into his original form – was crawling away on all fours, clutching at his head. Link managed to choke out an indistinct word of thanks and started to try to struggle to his feet, but his legs gave way underneath him and he ended up flat on his chest on the cool stone of the temple floor, lying on top of the Master Sword.

Tuli was no longer paying him any attention, her eyes focused intently on the sallow-skinned warrior. Link had already forgotten her, his thoughts foggy and indistinct, a side effect of the combination of blood loss and lack of oxygen. Struggling up to his hands and knees, the broken blade lost and forgotten, he glanced around the rest of the room, trying to get his bearings. Talis and Ashei were locked in a stalemate, her thin blade repeatedly batted away by his shield as she nimbly avoided every one of his slower strokes. Zelda was on the other side of the room still, and as he looked over at her their eyes locked together and she started to glide across the floor towards him.

Something crunched under his hand and he looked down to see one of Tuli's parchments, covered in clearly marked musical notation carefully scribed in the scholar's elegant hand. Dimly he realised that it must be one of the melodies she had mentioned may have some effect when played on the Ocarina of Time. The ocarina… he looked up in panic. Zelda was still heading towards him – she was coming to take the ocarina away! He had to do something! Fumbling at one of the pouches at his belt, he withdrew the delicate instrument and concentrated on focusing his eyes enough to make out the notes on the page in front of him. He had only ever really played a few wind instruments before, but his fingers found the holes easily and he looked up again as he experimentally blew a single note.

Over to his right, the effect on the doppelganger was instantaneous, the sallow-skinned warrior whipping his head around, an expression of pure terror on his face. "No you fool! Not here!" He managed to croak as he tried to pull himself towards Link. Standing between them, a flash of sudden understanding passed over Tuli's face and she looked around the chamber as if seeing it for the first time. Twisting to face the former knight, her expression changed to one of horror as she realised what he was doing. Link ignored her; a single last glance up at the approaching monarch enough to make him squeeze his eyes shut and begin to play the tune on the parchment in front of him that had seared itself onto the back of his eyelids.

As the final note blared from the ocarina, Link felt a ripple pass through the air and he opened his eyes in time to see the world go mad. Reality shattered like a mirror around him, shards of the Temple of Time scattering out into darkness and piercing his mind and body from every side. He felt like he was being squeezed in a massive hand and torn apart at the same time, every fibre in his body crying out in anguish from the pain. A soul-rending roaring sound filled his ears, threatening to strike him deaf even as his eyes were blinded by a brilliant white light. Link felt the ocarina slip out of his numb fingers, and he began to scream.

- - - - - -

END OF PART ONE.

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A word from the author:

Wow that was a massive chapter! I'm going to be taking a small break from new content for a while. As you may have noticed, I don't actually go back over and proofread or edit my writing straight away, which is why a number of errors and inconsistencies have slipped in here and there. I'm going to be taking this opportunity to collate all of my chapters into a master document and do some editing work – this might take a while to complete, so I'm not sure when I'll have a more polished product to present. Once I do though, I'll replace the content on and I may even put it together into a PDF for download before I resume creating new chapters.

I thank everyone for their kind words and support – what started off as a small exercise for me to flex some mental muscles that hadn't been used in a while has sort of blown up into a fully-fledged project that I've sunk more than a few hours into. I would especially like to thank Exp.Fan.626, whose insight into the Zeldaverse and creative genius has inspired and guided me in this endeavour.

I don't get too much feedback on this story, but heaps of people have added me to their favourite authors / favourite stories / author alerts / story alerts without leaving any reviews (and I mean heaps). While normally I don't mind this that much, considering the story is going on hiatus for a little while I would be thrilled to hear from more of you, even if it's just a quick sentence saying that you're enjoying things so far. The more fuss that people kick up now that I'm stopping updating, the harder I will work and the faster I'll be in starting up again.

For now, I leave you for now with a small taste of things to come – the stage has been set, the heroes are assembled… but what of the villains? I'll see you all again once I've finished fixing up part one!

- myth

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Veran sighed softly to herself as her eyes cast lazily over the message before she folded the paper daintily in half. Her blue skin seemed to glimmer in the flickering light from the fireplace, and her long red hair hung loose, cascading down around her shoulders in a fiery waterfall.

The twili magic-user was reclining on her favourite couch, a luxurious affair of deep purple velvet and rare wood carved from a fallen branch of the Maku Tree of Labrynna, in the private comfort of her personal, lavishly-appointed suite in the palace. She did so love to bask in the beauteous extravagances of this World of Light, and it seemed as though she would have plenty of time to relax and enjoy her opulent surrounds, now that the next phase of her plans had to be abandoned.

She held up the small folded missive that her seneschal had brought her in her long, delicate fingers and a cold blue flame engulfed the paper, leaving nothing behind, not even ash. The directions from Kotake and Koume contained thereon had been quite explicit, and she had already committed them to memory. Though Veran had no clue as to what the Twinrova sisters were scheming now that this new development rendered their previous plans obsolete, she intended on continuing her cooperation with the Gerudo witches for as long as it proved to be profitable.

Even as she considered spending her newly gained free time simply relaxing in her palatial apartments, her perverse mind was examining the situation from every angle with a cold calculation that most would find terrifying, searching for any way to glean an advantage. "So the Dark Lord has risen without our assistance... I wonder..." The Sorceress of Shadows mused as she stretched languidly across the soft couch, her ample bosom seemingly on the verge of spilling out from her tight-fitting purple bodice. "What does this change?"

- - - - - -

Watching the Hyrulean monarch leave, Vaati smiled inwardly. His hands gripped the marble railing of the palace balcony lightly as he turned to look down at the miniature fields and villages of Hyrule, far below the floating city. Zelda was a fool. While she may see him as an untapped resource, a possible ally to incorporate into her own machinations, all he saw in her was the same thing he had always seen – a vessel filled with golden light, power that he would seize for his own.

Thanks to the princess, the former minish had taken his rightful place as the ruler of the City in the Sky, but his ambitions did not end there. The revelation that the Light Force within Princess Zelda was but one of three parts had come as a shock, but no more so than her coming to him for help. He had been quite amenable once she had put forward her proposal for an exchange of services, but what she didn't realise is that not only had she delivered him a base of operations, she was also handing him that golden light he so desperately craved on a silver platter.

Once he had secured Link, he would extract the Light Force from the fallen hero and absorb its power, then use the City in the Sky as a staging ground for his assault on Hyrule itself. With the Triforce of Courage in his possession, Zelda and the Triforce of Wisdom would be his next target. The next time he saw the Hyrulean monarch she would be on her knees, begging him for mercy.

"So blind you are, little princess." Baring his teeth in a sneer of contempt, the Duke of Winds flicked his long, purple cape ostentatiously over his shoulder as he cast his gaze out over the unsuspecting kingdom. "This changes nothing."

- - - - - -

The Dark Lord Ganondorf sat relaxed atop his obsidian throne, deep in the heart of Hyrule Castle, from which he ruled the grim empire he had forged from the ashes of the old kingdom. His sun-darkened features were smooth and impassive, and his blackened steel armor clinked softly as he shifted on his blood-soaked throne. Even at rest, he was an imposing sight – he seemed to loom over the room, suffocating it with his very presence. He was alone in the massive chamber, which was the way he liked it – to him, lesser beings were pawns at best, and distractions at worst.

Leaning back with one elbow resting upon the polished black stone, his hand paused mid-stroke on his chin, the gerudo sorcerer pondered the images that flashed across his vision, conjured forth by his spell of scrying. Powerful gerudo magic eddied invisibly around him as he deftly manipulated it with his mind, using the arts taught to him by the Twinrova witches to watch his enemies from afar as they bumbled about, unwittingly playing right into his hands.

The foundations of plans he had spent years preparing were crumbling away, but already the twisting pathways of his mind were hard at work using these developments to formulate new schemes and plots, his objectives adapting to the new circumstances. Ganondorf had fought his way up to where he was now with tooth and claw, sacrificing everything and committing heinous deeds for the sake of his ambitions – but new goals were slowly forming in his mind now as he realised there were still greater heights for him to strive towards.

The corner of Dark Lord's lips curved slightly in the ghost of a smirk as he spoke quietly to himself, his deep baritone thrumming with barely contained eagerness. "This changes everything."