Into the Dark


"Mister Sheik, are you in here?"

The creaking of a door and a femine voice alerted Sheik that he was no longer alone. He looked up, one hand resting on the end of his broken harp as he worked to restring it. It would need proper care later, but the least he could do is keep it from getting worse.

"Ah, the girl from the farm that just arrived. Malon, right?"

The young woman stepped inside. "Yes, that's me. I'm surprised you already know my name—you've been resting almost the entire time since I arrived."

"The potion maker mentioned you," Sheik answered. "She said you've been helping with the injured." He paused. "That's why you're here, isn't it?" In the dim lighting, he could see a bowl and washcloth balanced between Malon's arm and her hip.

"That's correct," Malon said, approaching. She leaned down to sit the bowl and cloth to the side. Unsurprisingly, it was filled with water. Sheik tensed, resisting the urge to sigh. He could already tell this was going to be a difficult conversation.

"Osei told me that you've refused to let her take a look at you," Malon continued with an edge to her voice. "You know taking potions without setting injuries is dangerous, don't you?"

"I do," Sheik answered. He knew it was unwise to treat his injuries with potions, as if they were common cuts and bruises. But the alternative put himself—and everyone else—in danger. The alternative was far worse.

"Well, I'm here to talk some sense into you." She put one hand on her hip and looked Sheik over. Sheik opened his mouth to reply, but Malon interrupted him. "I don't want to hear any excuses. You're hurt, and you could end up worse off if you don't take care of yourself. It isn't wise to let your wounds fester out of a sense of pride or whatever it is that's making you refuse treatment."

Sheik winced. He knew it was unwise. He knew all too well how unwise it was. And he knew he couldn't keep pretending. This girl… From the whispers he'd heard, she'd run from Ganondorf, defied his decree when she'd stolen his chosen horse and ran here. She could be trusted.

He sucked in a deep breath. "Fine. But… only if you can keep a secret."

Malon's expression shifted to worry. "If it makes you take care of yourself, I'm happy to do anything."

Relief washed over Sheik.

"Right. Where to begin…"


The return trip to the Temple of Time was quiet and uneventful. Link and Navi shared stories to pass the time. Useless little tales about their past that were meaningless to their current lives. Both avoided talking about the parting that was to come.

But now Link stood over the pedestal, staring at the Master Sword while Navi fluttered nearby.

Link looked at the fairy and opened his mouth to say something, but no words came to mind. He closed it again.

Navi, too, struggled to find her voice, but she was first to speak. "You really have to leave, don't you?"

For just a second, Link considered saying no, he could stay. They could go elsewhere, and wait for the right moment to strike. But he knew it would never work. The curse would continue to torment him until he gave in, and then he'd be trapped under Ganondorf's control with new knowledge of the future. He'd be able to plan around that, kill the new sages before they could awaken.

Hyrule would be lost. He couldn't let that happen.

He nodded. "They need me, back in the… the future. And besides that, I… can't stay here." He gestured to his cracked chest.

Navi fluttered a little closer, then sighed. "I wish it didn't have to be like this. Fate can be so cruel. But you are brave, Link. I know you'll succeed." She paused, bringing her hands to her chest as she averted her gaze. "I don't know what I'll do in the meantime. I can't just stay here doing nothing."

Link considered her comment. Navi wasn't at the temple when he woke up. In fact, the first time he had seen her, she'd been with Sheik. But where was he now? He had no clue how to find him.

But maybe he knew someone who might. Another Sheikah.

"You should look for Impa and Zelda," he said, turning to face her. "I saw them fleeing before…" He trailed off, unwilling to dwell on his mistake again. "They probably went towards Kakariko. We didn't see them there, but…"

"But it's a good place to start," Navi finished.

Link nodded. "Maybe you'll find Sheik—the one I was telling you about—maybe you'll find him, too. You were traveling with him in the future, so…" He trailed off again, looking at the ground. Nervous thoughts swirled in his head, but he pushed them away.

"So… I guess this is goodbye for now," he said, looking at Navi again.

She hesitated. Her wings stalled for just a second, and she dipped in the air before catching herself. "It is," Navi agreed. "But that's okay. It's not forever."

Navi was right, of course. He would see her again when he woke. But his heart ached, knowing things wouldn't be the same as they had been.

With a sigh, he nodded. "Yeah. I'll see you soon."

He turned back to the sword. His fingers trembled as he reached for the blade. Then, resolving himself, he reached out and pulled the blade free. At once, darkness enveloped him, and he felt his body fall to the ground.


Link awoke back on the center dias in the Sacred Realm, surrounded by the distant roaring of waterfalls. His eyes flickered as he climbed to his feet, his attention turning immediately to Saria. Intense guilt burned through his chest like fire, as he thought back to the conversation they'd had. For Saria, several years had passed, and he wondered how much Saria remembered of it. But for Link, the wound was fresh.

"Saria I–"

The kokiri held up a hand to stop him, shaking her head. A wistful smile played on her face. "You don't need to apologize, Link."

"But you died!" he blurted out. You died and it's all my fault.

"You did what you felt you had to." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. Then she stared at him with those brilliant blue eyes that he'd known for so long. "It was fated to happen this way. I realized that the moment I woke to my role as a sage. I could never blame you."

Then she closed her eyes and clasped her hands together in front of her, inviting no more debate.

Raru cleared his throat, dragging Link's attention away. "You've done an excellent job, Link," the sage began. "You showed courage in fighting against the curse, and in resisting the temptation to stay behind. But you were there for a reason. I trust you retrieved the Lens of Truth?"

Link shuddered involuntarily, thinking back to the bloody, many-handed monster. He wasn't certain it had been worth it. But it was in the past, and there was no changing that. With a nod, he reached into his bag and pulled out the purple lens.

After leaning forward for a quick inspection, Raru gave a satisfied nod. "Well done. You should be able to traverse the Shadow Temple now. And not a moment too soon. Hurry back to Kakariko. For our next sage, time is of the essence."

To his right, Darunia pumped a fist in the air. "You can do it, buddy!"

"You've done well so far," Ruto chimed in. "We're depending on you."

Saria said nothing as Link's vision began to fade. But she smiled and gave him an encouraging nod.


Thick clouds of dust swirled around Link as he stirred, face down on the once-pristine dais. As he pushed himself to his knees, he saw the Master Sword discarded an arm's length away. His gaze drifted about listlessly until he caught sight of Navi's glowing form. The fairy stared at him with a wistful smile, which told him everything he needed to know.

"You knew." When Navi didn't immediately reply, he continued. "You knew I was going to go knew everything that was going to happen." Why didn't you tell me?

"I did," Navi replied simply. She considered her next words carefully. "I… know this probably comes as a shock. And it probably hurts, knowing I didn't say anything. But… I couldn't risk influencing your decisions."

That made some sense, but it didn't make Link feel any better. "I understand, but…" His mouth hung open as he struggled to put his feelings to words.

Navi approached slowly, reaching a hand up to touch his face. "I never meant to make you feel like you were alone. And I'm sorry if I did. I care about you, Link. Please understand. Even if we're apart, I'll always be with you in spirit."

Her words should have been comforting. But it did little to lift his spirits. His eyes flickered out. It was so hard to accept. It made him want to run away back to the forest and forget everything that had happened. But he knew he couldn't do that. He had to be strong.

Nodding to the fairy, Link said, "We better get going. Sheik wanted us to hurry. Raru, too." Shifting his weight so he had better access to his bag, he fished inside until he felt the lens.

Then, with a nod, he picked up the Master Sword and walked away.


They arrived in Kakariko early the next morning, when the sunlight was still weak and a light mist rose from dew-laden grass. Sheik waited for them just inside the village, sitting on an old, damaged crate with his eyes fixed on the path. Nearby, Skully poked at something—probably a few bugs—in the grass.

Surprisingly, Malon was there, too, her mouth a thin line as she stood behind Sheik. As Link approached, she leaned forward and spoke to Sheik in a low, inaudible voice. He said something in response, but Link couldn't hear that either. Then Sheik stood, approaching Link while Malon stayed behind. Skull Kid finally noticed and scurried over, as well, a spring in his step.

"You're finally back," Skull Kid cheered. "Took long enough."

"Did you find the lens?" Sheik asked.

Link nodded and pulled it out long enough to show it off, then quickly returned it to the bag.

Sheik nodded. "Good. Keep it close. We'll need it in the temple at a moment's notice."

"We?" All eyes turned to Sheik at Link's question. Malon's expression was stiff.

"Yes, we," Sheik said with another nod. "I'm coming with you."

"Do you have to?" Skull Kid groaned, dramatically rolling his head back. He acted upset, but Link suspected he wasn't as annoyed as he acted.

Navi let out an alarmed jingle. "But what about your injuries?"

"They are better, in part thanks to Malon." He reached down and patted a spot on his ribs. "Not fully healed, of course, but I can travel. Time is of the essence, and I've been to the temple before. I should be able to avoid all the traps and take the quickest path to the depths."

The fairy fluttered in place for a moment, tapping her fingers together. But finally, let out a sigh. "Very well. I trust your judgment, Sheik. You wouldn't do this if you didn't have a good reason."

Link was less certain, though. Not too long ago, he'd heard the villagers gossiping about Sheik's mysterious origins. What did he really know about Sheik?

But Navi had known Sheik longer than he had. If Navi trusted Sheik, then he should be able to, too.

Sheik took a moment to check over his things, then walked away, gesturing for the others to follow. Shifting his gear into place, Link complied.

Malon called from behind, "Be careful, everyone!"

A few more steps, then Sheik paused. He turned back to give Malon a wave of reassurance, then kept walking. Soon she was no more but a speck in the mist.

He led the party through the village, past the well, a pen where a few cuccos slumbered, and then beyond the stone wall that separated the proper village from the graveyard.

Link gave the gravestones passing glances as they walked. "I wonder how Dampe's doing…"

"The old gravedigger?" Sheik asked without stopping. "He… died a few years back, actually. One of the local teens took up his job."

"Oh…" Link looked away, trying to process the statement. For Sheik, it probably wasn't a big deal. It had been years for him. But for Link, it felt like not that long ago that he'd awoken from a nasty shock in Dampe's little shack. Uncertain of how to process that, he pushed the thoughts away to focus on the task at hand.

After passing through the graveyard, Sheik led them to a well-hidden alcove. A set of stairs chiseled out of the cliff led up in a spiral, bringing them to a small patch of grass overlooking the graveyard. Behind it, another flight of stairs led down into a cave. With nowhere else to go, Link hurried down the steps.

Only daylight lit the cave, though Link could see dozens of unlit torches arranged in loose circles, following a painted pattern on the floor. At the far end of the room was a heavy stone door, carved with the same eye symbol that adorned Sheik's clothing, and that the Lens of Truth was modeled after. It was far too large for any of them to open.

Echoing footsteps alerted him to Sheik's presence. He turned, finding the Sheikah standing in the center of the room, pointing Link back to the stairs.

"Stand back," Sheik said. "Go up a few stairs. I will open the door."

Curiosity prickled beneath Link's bark, but he complied, scrambling back up the steps. From his vantage point, he could only see a thin sliver of the room due to the low ceiling. He heard Sheik utter a few words, then there was a roar and a whoosh of air and heat. A bright flash followed, then the crackling of flame.

The ground rumbled. Skull Kid yelped and scrambled to lean against the wall. Link dropped so that he was sitting on one step, his hands grabbing on either side.

Soon, the rumbling slowed to a stop. Carefully, Link climbed back to his feet, eyes flickering.

"It's safe now," Sheik called out. "Come on."

Link creeped back down the stairs, Skull Kid following with a sniff of the air. There was a faint whiff of smoke. And as they reached the cave again, Link could see the source. All the torches were lit now. Sheik stood at their center, holding a hand torch. Behind him, the door had opened.

With his free hand, Sheik gestured for them to follow then approached the entryway.

Skull Kid shuddered, following behind Link as he caught up with the Sheikah. "Do you have to bring the torch? I don't wanna become a Skull Kid-sized campfire."

"I don't see as well as you two in the dark," Sheik answered. Then he entered the doorway. "Now come along, please. We're wasting daylight."

Skull Kid grumbled and followed behind, keeping his distance from the fire. Link hurried to catch up.

Dancing firelight illuminated a dark, musty-smelling corridor, painting the stone walls in an orange glow. Link let one hand trail along the wall. There was a slight dampness that made the wall feel almost slimy. Link shuddered and pulled his hand away.

The group came to a stop when the hall reached a dead end. Link's eyes flickered and squinted, and he turned to look at the rest of the team. Odd drawings were carved into the wall, captioned with words that he could not read. There didn't seem to be any way forward, and they hadn't passed any offshoots of the hall along the way.

Skull Kid threw his hands in the air. "Well, that was anti-climatic. Guess we should go now."

Sheik shook his head and said, "Link, the lens."

Link nodded and pulled it from his bag by the handle. He raised it to one eye, and the wall disappeared. Light flashed in front of him as Navi peeked through the lens as well, then they both approached the wall and passed through it. Behind Link, Skull Kid yelped, and Sheik explained something to him in a quiet voice.

Six torches lit the room: one standard one and five atop poles with decorative skulls. At their center was a statue of a great bird atop a stand, wings spread wide as if taking off in flight. A thick handle stuck out in the direction the bird was facing—roughly in the direction Link had emerged from. Walking further into the room, he could see a place where the floor dropped away. Approaching revealed a dark abyss. And beyond it, he could just make out a small platform, and the darkness of a hall just beyond.

Skull Kid and Sheik came up on either side of him, and he felt the feather-light weight of Navi rest on his head.

"That's the way we have to go," Sheik said, gesturing across the gap. Shadows danced across his face as he turned away. "You two should be able to warp across. Normally, I'd be able to make a jump like that, but…" His hand gingerly touched his ribs, then dropped to his side.

"So what's the plan, then?" Navi asked.

"There are several artifacts scattered amongst the catacombs of the Temple." Sheik answered, walking back towards the center of the room. "The royal archives had a list of all those artifacts. But unfortunately, I suspect those were lost with the fall of Castle town. Fortunately, I happen to know a few, And I have an idea of where they are. But we'll need the lens to find the path to where they'd be stored."

Sheik nodded to Link, then raised a hand to point along the walls. In the torchlight, they could see a handful of carvings, just like the ones on the fake end of the hall.

At his gesture, Link held the lens up again and faced the way they'd come. The path they'd entered from was visible once again. But at the other end of the wall, he could see another hidden exit. Keeping the lens in hand, he walked towards it, the rest of the group following close behind.

The lens revealed a short hallway. Once Sheik brought the torchlight through the illusion, Link could see an iron door at the other end. Nothing changed when he lowered the lens, so he crossed the room and opened the door.

On the other side, another hall faded into darkness that the torchlight couldn't penetrate.

"Is it a pit?" Skull Kid asked, his eye lights darting about.

"Another illusion," Sheik answered flatly. He took the lead, stepping into the darkness. It swallowed him whole, leaving the skull kids and Navi in near-darkness.

"Well, guess we should follow him," Link mumbled.

As soon as he was on the other side, though, he froze.

The walls of this room were of a red, brittle-looking stone. Dirt and grit crunched underfoot as Skully entered and froze as well. Along the wall, spaced at even intervals, were small alcoves. Each one held a single human skull, stained slightly red by the dirt around them. Every so often, one of the skulls was stained blue, glowing with an ethereal light. Beneath these bones was another message that Link couldn't read, but they all seemed to say the same thing.

"Shadow Temple…" Navi mumbled as she approached one of the plaques and traced a hand across the words. "Here is gathered Hyrule's bloody history of greed and hatred."

"What?" Skull Kid yelped, dropping a skull he'd picked up. He stared at it as if it would bite him. " So these are some sorta Hylian prey or something? What kind of temple is this?"

"The kind Hyrule would like to forget," Sheik replied. He began to walk around the perimeter of the room, his free hand tracing the wall.

Link turned away from the plaque and followed his lead. "What do you mean?"

Sheik let out a long sigh, stopping at another one of the blue skulls. Without turning around, he replied, "Let me tell you a story. Seven years ago, the people of Hyrule were on the precipice of a peace treaty with the Gerudo. Their current king, Ganondorf, and Nabooru, his second-in-command, had come to discuss the possibility. It was all for naught."

He disappeared into the wall with the skull, prompting the others to follow behind.

"But this was coming off of the end of a bloody conflict between our people and theirs. The Gerudo had long ago been driven into the desert by the Hylians. This war was for land and for equal treatment." Sheik paused at another door and turned to face the others. "The Hyrule of today is the result of centuries of conflict, and not just with the Gerudo. Battles were fought against the Gorons and the Zora, as well."

Sheik raised his free hand to gesture around them. "And this temple? Though it's a temple now, it stands as a monument to what it once was: a place where prisoners, enemies of the royal family, were spirited away. There's a reason that there are few Shekiah left. We were the royal family's interrogators. We tortured their enemies for information, and killed those that were useless. Here, in what is now the Shadow Temple.

"When peace reigned, the temple was built over the old prison. The royal family would like it to be forgotten. But we Sheikah refuse to forget the bloody past." He glanced away and added lowly, "Those of us that remain, at least."

Skull Kid crossed his arms. "Pretty mean for pranks, even by my standards."

"They weren't pranks, Skull Kid," Navi answered quietly, turning her attention back to the door. "But I know what you're talking about, Sheik. The Great Deku Tree tells us of the interventions he made, to prevent the Hylians from invading the forest. The Lost Woods are one of the many defenses to protect forest dwellers."

Unease at Navi's statement made Link's fingers tingle. "Why did you tell us all this?" he asked, addressing both Navi and Sheik.

"So that you understand," Sheik began, placing his hand on the door. "As a result of what this used to be, there's all sorts of magical wards and traps, and not to mention the horrors you'll see. There's all sorts of awful things in this temple. Such as…"

He trailed off as he opened the door, shining a light for them all to see.

Loose bones piled high, yellowed with age. There was a horrible clattering noise as Sheik stepped into the room, knocking some bones away and crushing others. Finger bones and ribs, femurs and skulls, all tossed haphazardly about the room. Many were human, but there were signs of other species here and there. A rotting stench invaded Link's senses, filling his head, coating the roof of his mouth. These people were long dead, and yet the stench of death remained.

He took a couple uneasy steps back from the room. "Why did you bring us here," he asked in a hoarse whisper.

"Because sometimes, powerful artifacts were left with the discarded in places where normal people would never find them. And the one we need is here. You may wait at the door, if you wish."

"Good idea!" Skull Kid replied in a boisterous voice. But the way his eyes darted made it clear he was unsettled.

Despite his own unease, Link felt compelled to follow. If this was the land he was saving, he needed to face its darkness. He followed Sheik around the bone pile, kicking and stumbling over stray pieces. Ahead, he heard a clattering noise. A few steps up above him, Sheik scrambled, trying to balance as the remains slipped beneath him. A small zora skull rolled down and landed in front of Link, sending up a puff of dust.

"Almost… got it… there!" Sheik's exclamation was followed by a yelp. Link stumbled out of the way as bones, and then Sheik's torch slid into the spot where he'd just stood. Sheik slid down a moment later with a grunt. Clutched in his hands was a pair of boots. The toes and soles were covered in gold, and tiny metal wings sprouted from either side of the heel.

An ominous grinding sound followed. Both Link and Sheik glanced up to the bone pile. A couple of small bones clattered to the ground.

Sheik locked eyes with link and uttered a single, hoarse word: "Run."

Link took a couple alarmed steps back as Sheik climbed to his feet. The sheikah stumbled at first, then grabbed his torch and rushed to Link, pushing him towards the door before passing him, shouting that same command. "Run!"

More bones came loose as Link turned and gave chase, tripping over the scattered remains. From behind, the clattering was now a loud cacophony. He felt small fragments pelt the back of his legs as he stumbled on.

Ahead, he could see the light of Skull Kid and Navi, both of which stared in gaping horror.

Sheik reached them first, pushing past and ordering them to back up. Link stumbled through mere seconds later. As soon as he was through, Sheik slammed the door shut. A series of hollow, percussive thunks sounded from the door. Then all was still, save Sheik's heavy breathing.

Eventually, he spoke in between ragged breaths. "Everyone… okay? …Link… in one piece?"

Link nodded, gripping the strap of his bag tighter. A few steps slower and he could have been buried in the collapse. "You?"

"I'll be fine," Sheik replied. He coughed with his hands on his knees for a moment or two longer until he finally caught his breath enough to speak properly.

"If I had realized how unstable the pile was, I would have found a different approach. Been more careful." He shook his head. "But there's no use dwelling on that. I got what I needed." His gaze shifted to the boots. He placed them on the floor, stepping into them. They looked comically large against his form-fitting clothing.

Skull Kid's gaze darted over the boots. "Great!" He cheered before dropping into monotone. "What do they do?"

Sheik tapped the heels against the ground, making sure the wings touched. A low, almost inaudible hum filled the air. At first, it wasn't clear what had happened. Then Sheik walked forward. His feet seemed to slip in the air, like he had no traction, and it took him a moment to adjust. Suddenly, the humming stopped. Sheik was walking normally again.

"These boots allow me to hover in the air for a brief period," Sheik explained, "but not for long. It'll take a few minutes for it to recharge. By the time we return to the other room, it should be ready."

"All that work to fly for a few seconds? I could do that by lighting a bomb under ya!"

Navi gave Skully a stern glare, but Sheik was nonplussed. He said nothing more, gesturing for the group to follow.

Link went along quietly, his mind still dwelling on the bones. Was this what he was saving? A place, a people that did some of the same things Ganondof did?

No. Even if some things were bad, even if some of the most important people were bad, Ganondorf was hurting everyone, even the people that were uninvolved.

He hastened his pace, taking the lead as they wound back through the cavern of skulls, through the door, and into the first chamber. Once again, they stood before the incredibly deep chasm.

"I'll go first," Navi volunteered. She fluttered ahead, stopping as a bright speck against a barely visible wall. Skull Kid followed next, disappearing on a breeze and reappearing as two dots next to Navi.

"I'll go next," Sheik said. He paused for a moment to extinguish his flame—it was too dangerous to have it lit while crossing—then dashed towards the edge. At the last second, he tapped his heels against the ground. Momentum carried him forward, then he waved his legs in the air to get the last few inches he needed to land safely.

After the briefest of pauses, sparks danced in Sheik's hand, and then the torch was lit again.

Now only Link remained. In the fire light, he could just make out the platform he needed to land on, jutting out in front of another hall. It was too far to leap. But he knew he could do this.

His eyes flickered out as he focused on the magic. He pictured himself, standing on the edge. Then he pictured himself on the platform, safe and secure next to his team. Mentally, he took the magic and pulled.

There was a faint whoosh, and the tiniest stirring of something innate inside of him. And then nothing. The heat of fire radiated near his cheek. Letting his vision return, he came face to face with Skull Kid, who gave him a cheeky laugh.

"Great job, Link! You feel good?"

"Fine," Link answered. "Just want to get going."

"He's right," Sheik said. "There's no time to spare. Come along."


Their travel deeper into the temple passed in a blur. Sheik guided the way at a brisk pace, always keeping an eye out for traps. Few enemies impeded their advance; there was rarely more than a keese or two, which were easily dispatched. As they passed through chamber after chamber, each showed signs of their old use—stones with gouges and the faintest hint of old bloodstains, heavy chains that once held something in place, inactive deathtraps and all sorts of torture equipment. Tension hung in the air as they traveled in near silence; no one wanted to acknowledge their surroundings.

Eventually the narrow, winding corridors opened up into a dark cavern. From far below, there was a faint red glow, but it did little to fight against the oppressive, open darkness. Within the radius of light from Sheik's torch, they could see stairs carved from stone, descending deeper and out of sight. The ground dropped sharply away on either side, leaving only the gaping black.

"Be careful," Sheik warned as he took careful steps down the stairs. "There may be gaps where the stairs have broken away that we'll have to work around. And once we get to the bottom, there are illusory gaps in the walkways. Keep the lens at the ready at all times."

Link followed next, making sure he kept within the light at all times. He heard Skull Kid following behind him, grumbling a complaint under his breath.

At the bottom of the stairs the path opened up, wider than before. Just as Sheik had said, there were huge gaps where he had to use the lens to find safe ground. Sheik had his own form of true sight, apparently, as he was able to jump from safe spot to safe spot with the help of his boots. Link, however, always paused to make sure Skull Kid knew where he could go safely. It slowed down their progress considerably, but there was little they could do about it as they began descending towards another narrow path.

"We're making good time," Sheik said in a low tone. "There's not too much more after this. We—"

Something rumbled from below.

Sheik slowed to a stop, glancing back and forth before looking over the edge. Then he recoiled away, eyes bulging. The rumbling sounded again.

"Hurry!" Sheik's alarmed call made Link freeze. "Get to the end of the path!"

Sheik jumped over a gap where the stairs were damaged, stumbling down the steps. The rumbling sounded again, and Link paused to look over the edge.

There was nothing there.

"Link, come on!" Skull Kid's voice snapped him away. The ground shook beneath him, and he took that as a sign to follow.

There were no gaps in the path ahead, save for a few spots here and there where the ground had crumbled away. Sheik raced across with surprising speed, aided by his boots, while Skull Kid scampered behind with as much grace as he could muster. Navi darted about at the edge of the radius of light.

"Link, hurry!" She called out.

What were they rushing him for? Was there something they were seeing that he wasn't? As soon as the thought crossed his mind, he realized there probably was—at least, there was something Sheik, and perhaps Navi, could see. As he stumbled after them, he took a second to look behind him with the lens. And wished he hadn't.

Two hands, bluish and knobbly and covered in sores, gripped the edge of the path behind him. Behind them rose a serpentine neck with a similar appearance. Fleshy tentacles waved around the end, surrounding a single, red and yellow, glowing eye that took up the entire head. It rolled around in its shallow socket before focusing directly on Link.

With a yelp, he pulled the lens away and dashed after Sheik and Skull Kid. Though he had pulled the lens from his face, he could hear the stone behind him shifting and crumbling and groaning. The monster was giving pursuit.

Was this the beast that had attacked Kakariko? It had to be. But Link couldn't focus on that right now. He had to focus on escaping; these narrow pathways were no place to fight it.

He kept his eyes on the ground as he ran, making sure each step landed on solid ground. A glance ahead revealed a spot where the path switched back on itself. It was a bit wide, but if he could make the jump then he could keep his lead.

No time to think, just do it. With a burst of speed, he raced towards the edge, then leaped.

There was a loud crash behind him. Wind and dust buffeted him from behind, making him overshoot. He landed, skidding, on his bottom, and felt his legs go over the edge. Yelping, he turned, hands scrambling on the rough rock for purchase as he slid further, legs kicking in open air. He grabbed small, jagged extrusions along the edge, dangling as he kicked his legs in a vain attempt to pull himself to safety. His equipment weighed heavily on his back.

Was this it? Was this how he failed? He should have been afraid. But all he felt was disappointment in himself.

Two barky hands grabbed his right arm, and another hand grabbed his left. Three sets of wide eyes stared down at him. With a heave, he was pulled back onto the path. But it still wasn't safe. They couldn't stay here until they calmed down.

Sheik sprang back to his feet, throwing a knife into the darkness. Link heard a horrible shriek, like the grating of metal. But he still couldn't see the monster.

"MOVE!" Sheik bellowed, standing his ground for a few seconds longer. Link scrambled to his feet and continued running down the path, Skull Kid hot on his heels. Ahead, he could see Navi floating by the exit, showing them the way.

He darted past her and deep into the corridor, out of the monster's range. Then he spun, Skull Kid stumbling into him due to his sudden stop.

Sheik was almost to safety.

Then, with a pained yelp, he was swept off the path by invisible force.

Link screamed, dashing back to the entryway. He could see Sheik dangling high in the air, off the path, struggling in the monster's invisible grip. Link's eyes darted about as he stepped into the open, looking for some way, any way to help.

"No! Get Back!" Sheik's call made him stop. He froze, staring up with flickering eyes. Sheik continued to shout in a pained voice as he struggled. "I'll be alright for a while, but you need to get to the sage's chamber. Hurry. Find the boat! Take it! Find Impa!"

Something was glowing on the back of Sheik's hand. He jerked suddenly in midair, like it had drawn the monster's attention. Then he lurched and slipped down past the path and out of sight.

"Sheik, No!" Navi's scream snapped Link out of his stupor. Then something—Skull Kid—grabbed him, and he was yanked back into the safety of the corridor.

He stared into the dark cavern, numb with shock, aware only of Skull Kid's grip on one hand, and a faint tingling on his other that was fading fast.

All was silent and still

Sheik was gone, possibly in grave danger. And now they were deep within the Shadow Temple without a guide.