Chapter 65: Wind Trials (Day 2)

After a good night's rest, Link met up with Naru on the outskirts of Nabooru Village. From there, they made their way to the Desert Ruins and back to the four doors. This time, Link played the Guaracha of the Southern Storm before the door with the green cloud on it. Once the door opened, Link went inside and found himself in a room with wooden bridges hanging over deep chasms that were attached to trees carved from stone. Knowing what to do, Link took out the Fairy Flower and used its extendable leaves to leap across bridges with significant holes between them. Along the way, he had to fight Keese and Bubbles that blocked his way. Eventually, Link came to the end of the maze where a cluster of bright green moss grew along the back wall.

"Where's the Gate Fragment?" Proxi asked. "It should be here."

"I don't know," Link said, examining the wall.

Then a glint of metal shining from underneath the moss caught Link's attention. Examining it closely, Link took out one of the miniaturized Gate Fragments he had for comparison. Immediately, the Gate Fragment Link held glowed along with the moss. It grew so bright that Link was forced to shield his eyes. When the glow died down, Link beheld another large Gate Fragment embedded into the wall where the moss used to be which contained the three crescents that represented the Goddess Farore.

"Well done, Hero of Infinite Possibilities."

Surprised, Link turned around. Instead of a person, the apparition was a small sapling with tiny branches and a happy smile on its face.

"What are you?" Link asked.

"Don't you recognize me?" said the sapling. "I'm the Deku Tree!"

Link raised an eyebrow. "Shouldn't you be bigger?"

"To be precise, I'm a fragment of the Deku Tree's soul that was left behind when he died," replied the sapling. "But thanks to you passing the Wind Trial, I can now be reborn as the new Deku Tree!"

The young Deku Tree's leaves glowed brightly and the Gate Fragment shrunk to fit into Link's hand. Placing this fragment along with the other back into his pouch, Link prepared himself as the young Deku Tree closed its beady eyes and transformed into a whirlwind of leaves that enveloped Link. Like before, Link found himself back at the entrance to the doors but was surprised when he didn't see Naru standing nearby. Instead, he found a note and read it:

If you wish to see the girl again, come to the Temple of the Ancients.

Yours Once,

Mayor Zelda

Tearing the note to shreds, Link was about to head out when Fi suddenly appeared before him.

"Do not act hastily, Master," Fi said calmly. "You must complete the last Wind Trial before confronting Zelda."

"But what about Naru?" Link said urgently.

"If there is a shred of the former Zelda left in the one who claims to be her, then she won't harm the girl right away."

Quickly, Link approached the door with the white snowflake and played the Conga of the Northern Blizzard on the Ocarina of Time. The door opened like the others, and Link stepped inside. Here, there was an icy floor with Blades and Freezards. Like at the Ice Caves, Link tricked the Freezards into freezing the Blades in place. This in turn caused the bars over a door to disappear. With the Ice Boots equipped, Link made his way over to the other side of the icy floor and into the door. On the other side was a wall covered in ice and beneath it was a Gate Fragment containing the other half of the swirls that made up Din's symbol.

"You must be the Hero of Infinite Possibilities if you've made it this far."

In the ice wall's reflection, Link could see a Goron apparition that looked similar to Darak only he was much more taller and wider.

"Let me guess," Link said without looking. "A relative of Darak's?"

"You would be correct to assume so," said the Goron proudly. "I was his elder brother, Daro, who was once the Sage of the North Wind and a freelance inventor. For instance, it was I who created the Ice Boots and the Zora Steam Propeller which you seem to have used quite frequently on your travels."

"Yes," Link answered. "They have been very helpful. Thank you."

"Ah," Daro responded. "All my life, I have wanted to hear such praise for my inventions. As a reward, I shall give you the last Gate Fragment for passing my trial. And as a bonus, I'll show you the way to the Temple of the Ancients where you will need to assemble the Gate of Time should you wish to use it."

"I would appreciate that, actually," Link said. "There's someone who may be in danger, and I fear for her life if I don't get there in time."

"Then it's a good thing you found me, then."

Daro's hands glowed for a second, and then he smashed the ice with his bare fists. To Link's surprise, the ice broke and the Gate Fragment was fully exposed. Then the Gate Fragment shrunk until it fit Link's hand. After he tucked it away, Link watched as Daro became a swirling blizzard which warped Link back to the room with the doors. But as Link watched the doors closely, the faces of the Sages he encountered emerged from them. They smiled for a brief moment and then the symbols on the doors glowed so brightly that they lit up the entire chamber. Link stepped back and watched through shielded eyes as the doors suddenly merged into one gigantic door which depicted the Triforce symbol with three primary figures on it.

The first one on the right Link automatically recognized as himself wielding the Master Sword and wearing the same green tunic. On the left, the second figure looked like Ganon but a more sinister version of him with long fiery hair and black robes. He too wielded a sword but it had a black hilt and was larger in size. As their swords clashed, Link noticed faint outlines that resembled Fi and Ghirahim who seemed to be emerging from the Master Sword and Ganon's sword respectfully. Then above them stood the third figure, who was clearly Zelda, with her arms stretched and the Triforce symbol between them.

"This is your destiny, Master," Fi said appearing next to Link. "Always has been, and always will be."

Before Link could ask, Fi vanished back into the hilt of the Master Sword. So without hesitation, Link opened the door with the Triforce symbol on it.

To be continued…