A Link to the Past

Chapter Nineteen: Race to Sanctuary

The battle against that insect creature had really worn him out, so Link too his time in crossing the rope bridge back to the stairwell, and then took a bit more water from the supply level on his way down to the first floor. Now that he had the treasures of wisdom, courage, and power, all he had to do was get the Master Sword and then this whole nightmare would be over, the Kingdom saved and Agahnim defeated. The old man was still down there by the alter when the young man reached the bottom, pulling his silver sword from where it stuck in the floor, and uh… just leaving the broken shield where it was since it was broken, all while his companion from the cave just looked at the creature and other damage as if he were confused.

"Young man, this is a temple, not an arena." The old man scolded. "What in the world were you doing up there? Did you even find what you were looking for?"

"Yes, I certainly did." Link replied proudly, sheathing his sword. "I passed the challenge of power, and now I can claim the Master Sword. I'll defeat Agahnim, save Hyrule, and restore Princess Zelda to the throne… as soon as she tells me where it was hidden."

In response to this the older man just stood there for a few seconds as if he were confused again, but then he folded his arms over his chest and smirked… a smirk that slowly grew into a smile, and then laughter as if someone had just told him the world's funniest joke. Perhaps he thought that the Master Sword was just a fairy tale, so the young man tried to convince his companion from the cave that he was serious, detailing the other challenges that were faced in the dunes and the old Lord's castle, assuring him that the Master Sword was real and that he was going to claim it. Finally, the older man stopped laughing to take a breath, making Link happy that he was finally getting through to him, at least until a ball of flame erupted from the older man's hand, making the younger man gasp when it struck him in the chest.

Link was thrown backwards, crashing through the display and offerings of one of the small altars, before coming to a stop on the floor next to the wall. A large burn mark had formed on his green shirt, but that blue mail seemed to have protected him from being hurt, at least somewhat, but why was his companion from the cave attacking him? Dropping back down to avoid another fireball that came just as he was getting up, Link rolled behind one of the other altars, drawing his sword and then running out to try and disarm the older man, only to gasp again upon hearing the word hielo, when something cold struck him in the leg. It was ice, cold, terrible ice that spread all the way up and down the young man's leg, making him fall down several steps away from his enemy.

"The Master Sword?" The older man asked with a completely different voice as his body started to glow. "That's what you were trying to do with all the running around? And you don't even know where it is?!"

Momentarily distracted from the fact that his leg was going numb, Link could only watch in shock as the older man's body changed shape, getting bigger and stronger looking until the brilliant glow faded away, revealing none other than Agahnim the wizard standing there in his place. It took the young man's mind a moment or two before he could really take in what this all meant; that his companion from the cave had really been his greatest enemy this whole time, and now… and now Link had told him the whole plan for his own defeat. The young man tried to move, hacking at the ice around his leg with the sword, but it was so cold and so hardened that barely anything chipped away.

"What a foolish plan." The wizard said, stepping on Link's wrist so that he couldn't use the sword. "You know, I wanted to take Zelda back some time ago, but my curiosity got the better of me. If I had known what an idiot you were, I would've gone after her the moment you left her alone. It's not like you could stop me even if you got there first, but you'll still be here thawing out by the time Zelda's back in the dungeon. Farewell, boy."

The wizard laughed again as he vanished, leaving the young man alone in the now silent temple, but he had no intention of staying there or letting Agahnim take the Princess. Picking up the sword, Link began to hack and chop at the ice, breaking it off piece by piece until his leg was finally freed, and then he had to crawl toward the door since although freed, his leg was completely numb. The feeling slowly came back as he hobbled his way out the door and down the steps in front of the Temple of Hera, moving slightly better and better so that he was at almost a normal pace by the time he reached the cave that would take him back down to the foot of the mountains.

"Can't let him get Zelda." He panted, struggling to light one of the torches left for travelers. "Can't let him take her… gotta get there first."

It felt like the walk back down through the cave was taking forever, since every time Link tried to go faster he would start to slip on some loose gravel and need to stop to regain his balance. Eventually the cave ended, though, the young man's torch going out as soon as he stepped back into the falling rain, since he was back underneath the clouds again, and then he tripped over a rock, falling on his face in the grass just a few feet from the road. Looking back and forth to see if there were any guards around, luckily the road was clear, so he got up and started running toward the sanctuary as fast as he could, not daring to use the power of the glove incase it left him worn out when he really needed it.

The rain was coming down harder now, with wind and thunder acting as if they were trying to get in his way, but there was no time to stop or take shelter… he had to beat Agahnim to the temple and get Princess Zelda out of there before she got captured again. The rain was so heavy now that he almost didn't see the iron fence before running into it, with the wind causing him to need to hold onto the bars to keep from falling over, with lightning flashing brightly just as Link ran up the path toward the temple. The trees and monuments on the grounds gave him a little shelter until he ran up the short stairs and burst through the front door, slamming it shut again and then slipping in some of the water he brought in.

"Link?" The old Sage's voice asked from farther in. "Is that you? You shouldn't be out with the storm like that."

"No time!" He exclaimed, leaning on the wooden pews while stumbling toward them. "The Princess… Agahnim knows she's here! Have to go… where is the Master Sword?!"

Falling down to his hands and knees in front of them, coughing and wheezing to catch his breath, the Princess had a hundred questions about what he had been doing and if he found Sahasrahla, but the young man could only get out fragments of the challenges and how he needed the sword, repeating again that Agahnim knew where she was and was already on his way there. The good news was that yes, Zelda knew where the Master Sword had been hidden, since her grandfather, Façade I, had been there the last time that mighty weapon had been used to defeat Ganondorf.

"Our grandfathers wanted to keep the blade of evil's bane safe." She explained, urging him closer to the fire, even if it was only for a moment. "So they hid it in the deepest, darkest grove in the Lost Woods, just north of Kakariko Village, where only someone of true worth could ever find it… Link, you need to go. Forget about me, and go get the Master Sword before it's…

Suddenly there was a crash, but it wasn't thunder, it was the front door of the temple being forced open a second time, and then there was a heavy thump-thump-thump as armored guards began to enter the building; two, four, six, eight of them followed by the robed figure of Agahnim the wizard. The Princess gasped while Link drew his sword, and now the guards were spreading out to surround them and the old Sage, weapons drawn and leaving a path for their master to casually walk up the aisle between the pews.

"Stop!" The old Sage ordered, moving forward to meet him. "This temple is a sacred place, a sanctuary for anyone inside its walls, and not even the King has the power to…

"Take him… break his legs." The wizard ordered, moving right past the old man as two nearest guards grabbed his arms. "You know, Link, you really are just like your uncle, rushing into danger and believing anything you're told. I had no idea where you hid the Princess, but I figured if you thought I did, you might lead me right to her… who would have thought? And speaking of the Princess, put her in chains… tightly."

The old Sage screamed while a third guard stomped his knees with a metal foot while the other two held him, and now the other five were moving toward the frightened Princess, a set of prisoner's shackles in their hands. Link still had his sword, and he wasn't about to stand by and let this happen, so he moved forward and slashed upward, making the nearest guard cry out in agony when his arm was cut off at the elbow, and then the young man turned around and slashed again, making the next one cough and hold his throat, falling down after the silver blade went across his neck.

"Stay where you are!" Link ordered, holding his blade threateningly at the others. "I know you're all under Agahnim's spell, but I swear the next man who threatens the Princess will…

Suddenly his words were interrupted when Agahnim vanished, reappearing behind him right in front of Zelda, and then punching her in the face so hard that the Princess fell onto the nearby table and off the other side. After the shock of this wore off, the young man swung his blade at the wizard's head, only to hit air when Agahnim vanished once again, now grabbing Link from behind and holding him so that his own sword blade was up against the young man's throat. Instead of killing him, however, the wizard vanished again, now appearing in front so that he could kick Link in the stomach hard enough to make him fall down after stumbling backwards several steps.

"Beat the old man to death, and shackle the Princess." The wizard said as Link struggled to get up. "I will entertain the little hero, here. Come along, boy, show me what your uncle taught you."