Dark watched me head for the door and sighed. "Well, that's that," he said with a note of regret. "I don't have any part in what happens next."

"You could carry on and come with me," I told him.

"What – to Skyloft? On what Loftwing, exactly? I case you've forgotten, I'm in your past – and was never meant to exist in the first place, if you hadn't ignored Fi's warnings." Dark shook his head and went on, "No, I'm not sticking around here. Maybe I'll run into you sometime, maybe not. I'm outta here."

And he disappeared. I had faint echoes through the link Fi had established, but nothing clear enough to make out what he was doing. Probably he was just climbing back up to head out. Strangely, even though he and I hadn't exactly got along, I actually missed his company.

I didn't really pay much attention to the base of this room on my way out, but I went back there once, and since people will have a go at me if I don't tell you what I saw there, it's a good thing I did. There were tracks there – not like the ones the carts ran on, but broadly spaced rail tracks, radiating out from what was clearly an old turntable. Each of the routes was blocked, whatever it was too worn and faded to tell what. Two areas had no rails however – where they would lead to the glowing golden door, and opposite it.

This door did not take me outside – given the heat out there, something I was grateful for. It lead instead into another part of the mining facility, an old cart and rail leading from the solid flagstones here, out over the depths of a pit so deep I couldn't even see the far side, much less the bottom. On either side of the pit were ornate basalt statues.

Hanging down from the ceiling was a small, inverted dome, much like the one in the room where I'd first caught up with Dark. It didn't take a genius to think of sending the Beetle up there to trigger the Timeshift stone I knew would be there.

This of course brought the room to the past. For a moment I half expected to see Dark reappear, but he'd definitely gone his own way. Instead the statues became brighter, painted, better defined, shown to be statues of the ancient robots. A bright blue glow suffused the room as the cart's rail extended over the pit to the far side. The cart would, I hoped, finally take me to the grandly named Temple of Time.

With that glow, I saw the far side of the long room, and the destination flagstones there. I could see even before I'd gone half way that the lines did not extend far past the open door frame at the end, showing a familiar sight of white stone steps leading up. And as I started up them, I heard a voice raised in song, a voice I'd heard only in Skyloft – Zelda. I wasn't late!

I emerged out into the bright sunlight in what looked like it was the remains of an old city, a grand, if old, stone bridge extending over a canyon to where the winged Triforce rose grandly, just behind a curious sight – a large, blue gear, separated into three segments with the Triforce at its centre. In the first area, a filled circle with two crescent-moons surrounding one side. The next, three circles separated by an intricate design. The last, three curved lines.

Impa stood protectively nearby as Zelda concluded her song on the harp. Say what you will – but she had a beautiful singing voice, and even I stopped to listen to the last of this rendition. I let them know I was there by applauding when she finished, briefly startling the both of them. Zelda almost ran to me – but Impa held her back.

For a moment I thought it was going to be a repeat of before, but instead she called, "Watch out!"

The rocks nearby, rocks that had been the sole reason for my having to detour, were hurled away with a violent blast, and an all too familiar laugh.

Some of the remains came at me with suspicious accuracy, but I simply braced myself and punched them away from me. The irritating Demon was not going to get me that easily! It did however serve it's purpose – it kept me firmly away from the bridge, and him the chance to land on it, with one swing of a sword creating a barrier of bright orange diamond particles to make sure I didn't interfere. He was really pushing me this time!

I could only watch as yet more rocks and rubble flew unerringly for me, diverting as much attention as I dared to see Ghirahim launch himself across the bridge – as did Impa, with an outcry from Zelda that was completely drowned out. As the two met near the middle, an intense azure barrier flashed into existence, first around Impa, and then extending outward to cover the entire bridge. Ghirahim's sword clashed loudly against it, and even over the other noise I heard the Demon grunting as he struggled against it. Even the rock assault broke off as he redirected his rage at her instead.

Impa stood calm, one palm extended with her narrowed eyes blazing at the raging Demon and simply called, "Your Grace – quickly, to the gate!"

Zelda started running, but she too paused – looked across the gulf to me and called out, "Knuckles! You'll need this where you're going!" The harp in her hands glowed brightly, turned to it's side and then thrown across to me. It should never have reached, but the glow became so bright even Ghirahim held up his free hand to shield himself from it, causing it to arc easily higher. I was moving for it even before I realized it, perhaps even guided by it, to snare it easily out of the air – and as I did so, the nearest part of Ghirahim's barrier drew back, forming a portal.

"Go, now!" Impa commanded, and Zelda ran for the cog. It was perhaps a command to me as well – with this allowing me to ignore the barrier, I also ran, seeing what Zelda blessedly had not. Deep grooves in the ancient stones of the bridge where Ghirahim had been pushing her back. Impa would not be able to hold out forever against him.

With the harp in one hand, my sword in the other, and my own temper flaring to a burning fury, I ran for Ghirahim's unprotected rear, not even deigning to make any kind of war-cry to make him acknowledge my assault. With one last strike he broke through Impa's barrier – she cried out, and Zelda stopped in shock.

Ghirahim started triumphantly for her as she fell, but I got there first and delivered a stunning blow to his back in passing, turning swiftly, kicking him in the head with one foot, and then stopping to bar him from going for Impa without going through me first.

"Go," I told Impa while Ghirahim stood in furious surprise.

"You have my thanks," Impa said, struggling to her feet. "I leave him to you, Knuckles. Only go to the old woman at the Sealed Grounds. Tell her what happened here, and she will tell you where you must go."

"Got it. Now move!"

I heard Impa's rapidly retreating footsteps, followed by, "This isn't good-bye, Knuckles! We'll meet again, I promise!" and then finally another detonation. I stood resolutely in Ghirahim's path, not letting any of this budge me in the slightest, not even the clear lack of sound that told me the gear was destroyed.

"You should have listened to me before, Demon," I told Ghirahim flatly. "I'm the Hero in these parts, and you... you're just a brain-sick little Demon with delusions of grandeur!"

Ghirahim instantly shook off his moment of surprise and attacked – but that first fight at the Skyview Temple, coupled with his rage, made him too easy to predict. He made several abortive attacks, only becoming more and more frenzied, while I just took each one and blocked it, not even trying to counterattack. As much as I hated him and wanted to slay him, somehow I knew that wasn't going to happen here.

"You've really done it now, monster boy," Ghirahim hissed when he finally got hold of himself well enough. "I shouldn't have been so soft on you before-"

"You? Not be soft?" I interrupted derisively. "You're so far from hard, you'd be better off as a cushion!"

I know, it wasn't the best retort. I was still furious at the time.

"You're lucky I have no time to waste on recreational pursuits like punishing you Knuckles, but next time..."

"Yeah, next time you'll try to beat me to a pulp. Shame getting savaged by you is like being attacked by feathers!"

Ghirahim snapped something in that harsh language of his and vanished. Apparently, I'd riled him up to the point there was just no coming back from that. But it made me feel so much better.

"Come back any time, Demon," I said to the empty air. "I'll be only too happy to deal with you."

After a few moments to finally get myself under some semblance of control and calmness, I turned to look at the wreckage of the gear where I knew Zelda and Impa had been, the 'gate' Impa had referred to. This was the Temple of Time, which meant their gate must have taken them elsewhere in time – where, I would probably find out in due course. Perhaps to the past, where they would encounter Dark... but then what would happen, I wondered?

"Master, I have information to report," Fi told me, appearing. "During the events which just transpired, I detected the forcible severing of the link that tied you to your counterpart. I am no long able to reach his sword or provide any indication of his likely location or intentions. Furthermore, I am no longer able to detect Zelda's aura. This occurred from the moment of the destruction of the gate, and as a result, I am no longer able to provide guidance for her location."

"Yeah... I kinda guessed that Fi. Thanks anyway though."

"Welcome as always, Master. Impa directed us to proceed to her namesake in the Sealed Grounds where you first made landfall. This corresponds with the records in my memory, and therefore propose that you conclude any business you may find in the sky before proceeding there."

I'd been a bit distracted, but when she said that I quickly gave Fi a look.

"Her namesake – I never even realized! Could- the gate... could it have taken them through time, and... and the Impa we saw before..."

"There is a seventy-four point two percent probability of this conjecture being accurate, Master. Only speaking with her, should she choose to answer, will confirm it for certain."

That pretty much sealed it. Once again, as I had each time before, I would handle all the side-quests I could handle in the sky, then follow Impa's command to meet... with Impa. Given the amount of 'coincidence' I'd seen already, I wondered if Fi's projections might have been off a bit. By about twenty-five point eight percent.

I didn't tell her that though.