She spotted a bomb flower on the other side of the pool. She dashed over to the flower and picked it up, its fuse lighting as she yanked it from the plant. She dashed back over to the beam and chucked the bomb at the red-hot steel. It exploded, destroying the first beam and causing a groan to echo through the room as the metal shifted under the weight of the platform it was holding. Impa repeated the heating process of the steel with another beam and chucked another bomb flower at the beam, blowing the beam apart and causing the other two beams to bend. The Platform was now within throwing reach. She grabbed a bomb flower and waited till the bomb began to super-heat before she threw it at the platform, blowing the gears to shrapnel and snapping the cables.
She left this room, and went back to the main room. She found that a lever had risen from the center of the gear platform. She walked over to it and pulled it, causing the gears to groan, as they raised the platform to the ceiling.
***
Sheik walked through the door on the right, and stepped onto nothing. She fell through the air, flailing her arms and shrieking. She could see when she was facing the ground that she would plunge into Lava. She tried creating a barrier, but it wouldn't stick. She was only feet from the lava when she was caught in mid-air. Her body dangled limply in the arms of the stranger. But when she turned her head, she saw that it was Link.
"Hey, General," she said, trying to mask her relief. "Nice of you to catch me. Hey, um, where were you? And what exactly is holding you up?"
"Oh, I don't have a clue where I went, but I do know that I am attached to a rope," he said, tugging a rope that was slightly constricting his chest. He started kicking his legs, and Sheik copied his movements. Soon they were able to get a full swing going, and Link pulled a knife from his belt.
"Sheik, when I cut this rope, I need you to create a barrier between us and the lava."
"Okay, General," she said, and faced the palms of her hands toward the lava. A translucent blue shield appeared on the surface of the lava, and Link slashed the rope, dropping them onto the translucent blue shield. Sheik was pretty uncomfortable with their fall, as Link fell on top of her.
"Ummm…Link?" She asked, her cheeks reddening under her mask.
"Yes, Sheik?" He asked, and rolled off of her.
"Yeah, um, please think of something else next time."
"Some other way to fall? Okay, I guess I could. We should probably get off of this lava," he said, motioning toward a door in the distance. "Do you think you can stretch your shield so we can walk over there?"
"Yeah, I think I should be able to," she said and clenched her hands together, then she swung them apart, causing the translucent blue shield to stretch. Link placed his feet carefully and walked to the door. He pushed it open and stepped inside. He turned and grabbed Sheik’s hand and yanked her in, causing the shield to disappear.
They found themselves in a room with walls made from pure ruby, and the floor was paved with gold. Across from them was a golden gate, which kept them from entering a small alcove containing a golden chest adorned with rubies. They each took a step forward and were thrown back by an invisible force. They crashed into the door behind them, causing the door to lock shut, and the invisible force became clear. Standing before them was a Darknut with armor made purely of gold. They scrambled to their feet, and they readied their weapons, Link drawing his sword and shield, and Sheik pulling her two Kunai from her belt. The Darknut drew its sword, a gigantic golden Flamberge and its shield, which was round and made of gold, like its sword. Link lunged at the Darknut, slashing his sword upwards, knocking it off balance, and Sheik jumped in, flipped over its head, flinging her Kunai at the gaps in between its shoulder plates. Link brought his sword down on its shield, cracking it easily. He spun to dodge its sword strike, and Link clashed blades with the Darknut. Link began to get pushed back, and the Darknut knocked his sword from his hand, sending it flying across the room. It slashed its sword at Link with a downward chop, and Link rolled out of the way. Sheik picked up Link's sword and threw it at the Darknut like a javelin; it penetrated the armor straps on its back. It impaled itself in the monsters back, and the Darknut turned to dust, armor clattering to the ground. Sheik picked up her Kunai and handed Link the White Sword. They sheathed their weapons, and the gate opened.
Link approached the chest and cracked it open. In it were two golden gauntlets with three claws extending from the glove where the finger should be. Link handed one to Sheik, and they both slipped one of their hidden blade gauntlets off. Link put his on and closed his fingers, causing the claws to extend forth on a chain and reel back in when they hit the wall of the room.
"Whoa," Sheik said, and slipped hers on. She activated hers, and the claw shot out on the chain and reeled back in after it contacted the wall.
"It looks pretty cool," Link said. "But what is it for?"
"I don't know," Sheik said. "Maybe we could use it as a weapon?"
"That could be. These claws do look pretty nasty." Link said, and he perked up. He ran to the door and found that it was open. He opened it, and he aimed the claw upwards, toward the door they had come from. He activated the claw, and it shot out and hooked onto the doorknob, and before he knew it, he was being yanked through the air to the door. He slammed into it, and the door pushed open. He let up his grip, and the claw let go of the door. He hung his legs over the side, and yelled to Sheik. "Come on!"
She aimed her claw at the doorknob and fired it off. The claw missed its mark by a little bit, and she tried again after the chain reeled back in. That time the claw hooked to the doorknob, and Link rolled backwards. A moment later Sheik was hanging on the door. Link walked over to her and pulled her up. She let the claw go, and she pulled the gauntlet off.
"This is really useful," Sheik said, and handed it to Link.
He shook his head. "No, we should each have one in case we get stuck like that again."
"Okay, but after we leave here…"
"You are going to keep it on," he ordered, and she rolled her eyes. She turned and found Impa at the other door.
"Ready?" Impa asked.
"Ready," the two answered.
They walked to the door, and Impa pulled a big golden key from her belt. She stuck it into the lock of the golden door and twisted it. The lock fell apart, and the chains fell limp. The three entered the chamber.
***
Twelve minutes before…
Impa stood on the rising platform, her hand on her Naginata, in case she needed to grab it from her back on a moment's notice. The platform stopped, and the lever sunk back down into it. Impa looked around. She was in a circular chamber made of gold and ruby. At the wall in front of her, a golden gate blocked the path to a chest that was made of gold and adorned in rubies. She heard a thump behind her and turned to see what it was.
It was a Darknut, with armor made of gold and holding a round shield made of gold. It had a Flamberge made of gold, and the edges looked deadly sharp. It stepped forward, and Impa pulled her Naginata from her back. She rushed the Darknut, and they clashed their weapons, sparks flying everywhere. Impa ducked under the Darknut's legs, and stabbed it in the back with her Naginata. Its armor fell from it back, and it whirled around, swinging its sword in the process. Impa rolled out of the way and lunged forward, leaping over the Darknut and stabbing it dead center in the chest. It fell back as she landed, and she pulled the Naginata from its chest. She hooked it on her back, and the Darknut turned to dust. The gate opened, and Impa cracked the chest to see its treasure. She pulled a golden key from it; a ruby was imbedded in the handle. She turned, and the lever still hadn't risen from the platform. She frowned, and hooked the key to her belt. She walked to the center of the room and realized now why the lever hadn't risen; four Dinolfos now surrounded her, and the odds weren't looking good.
***
Cia shook with anticipation as she watched the Heroes enter the chamber.
She felt a presence behind her. She turned, and saw Wizzro.
&
nbsp; "Master," he hissed, “the plans are going well. The monster is ready, and Volga and I are ready to defeat these so-called 'Heroes'."
"Good," Cia said. "Then there is no reason for you to be here. Go now, and defeat these Heroes, Wizzro."
He vanished from her sight, and she looked back at the Heroes.
***
Seven minutes before…
Impa pulled her Naginata from her back once again and prepared for a brutal fight. The first Dinolfos lunged, and Impa side-stepped and impaled the monster. She pushed it off her blade, and it turned to dust. She then spun the Naginata, slicing the heads off two of the monsters; that left one, and the one who hadn't moved. Impa charged it, and her Naginata blade bounced right off of its leathery skin, which was tougher than the other monster’s skin. The monster contorted and grew triple its normal size. It yelped and lunged at Impa, who rolled underneath its legs. She tossed her Naginata, and it pinned the tail down to the floor. Impa, keen to take this chance, dashed up the back of the monster and pulled her dagger out. It was a two-foot-long steel blade with a leather-bound hilt. She wrapped her arms around the head of the monster and shoved the knife up through the bottom of its mouth. It wriggled for a moment and tossed her off. It reached for her, eyes menacing, and vaporized.
Impa collected her Naginata and dagger, and the lever rose from the platform. She pulled the lever, and the platform sank down to the lower level. She sprinted back to the main room to meet with Sheik and opened the door as Link barreled through their door.
***
The Trio entered the chamber and found that it was a simple thing, really. It was the size of the room where they had gotten the Claw Gloves. Two levers were attached to the ceiling.
Impa rolled her shoulders and went to jump, but Link put his hand on her shoulder.
"We got this," he assured her, and he and Sheik activated their Claw Gloves, which pulled the lever down, opening up a hole in the center of the room. Link and Sheik let the claw go, and the chain reeled in.
"Whoa," Impa said. "Those gloves—they are the Clawshots! The Chosen Hero used them before passing them down before he died. They have amazing uses."
Link and Sheik nodded, "Yeah," they both said. "We know."
Link hopped into the hole, and Sheik and Impa followed him.
They dropped down into a chamber a little bigger than the one in which Impa had fought Volvagia. Standing in the center of the room was Volga. His eyes glowed red, his mouth breathed out hot flames when he exhaled, and Wizzro floated along next to him.
"It seems," Volga began, "that the Heroes have finally arrived."
"We are here to claim the Triforce of Power, Volga," Impa said. "We have no need to fight you. Just let us go without a fight."
"Not a chance. See, when you defeated my dragon at the Fire Temple, I realized that I needed something more powerful than a pitiful beast. I needed a monster, a monster so fierce, even the most courageous…" He looked at Link "…among us would cower in fear, so I present unto you…" He stepped to the side, and Wizzro snapped his fingers, spawning a Demon.
The Demon stood three times the height of Volga. And Link did cower. The Demon was clothed in black and purple robes and had four arms, each hand endowed with a unique weapon of torture. A shadow axe the size of Link, talons, each as big as Link, a Shadow Sword that resembled the ones the Darknuts used but much bigger, and it was black, and a void of darkness. The head of the Demon was covered in a mask with spikes, and horns grew where ears should.
"…Death Sword!" Volga said, and whipped his pike form his back. He lunged at Impa, who whipped out her Naginata and blocked his attack. Link and Sheik went for the Demon, and Wizzro vanished from sight. Volga twirled his pike in front of him and shot a pillar of flame at Impa. She absorbed the flame with her Naginata, and they clashed weapons again.
Link slashed the Demon’s robe, and it howled in pain. It spun and grabbed Link with its talons. It picked him up and tossed him across the room. He slammed into the wall and fell on his back. Sheik jumped to avoid the Shadow Axe when the Demon tried to attack her. She spun and weaved her way through the mish-mash of the Demon’s hands and flicked darts at the Demon at every opportunity. She sliced it with her Kunai, and the Demon spun, leaving its back vulnerable to Link, who was on his feet now and running toward it. Link leapt into the air and plunged his sword into the back of the Demon’s robes. He slid down off of the Demon, slicing its robes even more. He spun his blade and slashed the robe of the Demon.
It roared and spun, whacking Link to the ground. Link scrambled to his feet, and the Demon brought his sword down on Link, who put his sword up in a futile attempt to protect himself. However, Link held the Demon off for a moment and then slashed the sword away from him. He ran and jumped up the Demon’s arm. He flipped off, slicing off the arm of the Demon as he did so. He landed roughly, rolled to his feet. Sheik was doing fine cutting down the talon arm. Before Link could get back to the battle, the Demon howled again as another arm was severed. The Demon slammed his axe into the ground and raised his other hand into the air, summoning a sphere of darkness. He swung it toward Link, who rolled out of the way, and the sphere exploded upon impact with the wall, sending cursed Bokoblins everywhere. They all crawled to their feet and then dragged slowly over to Link, who was busy cutting down other cursed Bokoblins. Link slashed the Bokoblins away and ran back to Death Sword.
Sheik flipped up onto the Demon’s axe arm and slashed it with her Kunai. She then dashed up to its head and flipped off of its shoulder to the ground, throwing her Kunai into the eye of the monster while she dropped. She landed lightly and aimed her Clawshot at the Demon's left horn. Link rushed up and shot his at the right horn. The claws hooked on, and the two Heroes pulled down with all their might. The mask of Death Sword fell off revealing a contorted skull with squishy purple ooze leaking out of it. Link leapt up on Death Sword's axe hand and severed it as he passed it. He then leapt into the air and slammed his sword into the Demon's skull, cracking it open and pouring the purple ooze everywhere. Death Sword howled once more and vaporized, dropping Link to the ground. He landed in a pile of ooze and rolled out of the sticky stuff. The ooze began crawling toward his head, and soon Link’s whole head was covered in a ball of the ooze. He shrieked, and Sheik came over and tried pulling the ooze off, but it only latched onto her hands. It crawled up her arms and snaked through her mask into her head.
Both Link and Sheik morphed into demonic versions of themselves, like Link had done at the plains.
Impa, meanwhile, was holding off Volga. He smacked her Naginata from her hands, and she was left weaponless and unallied, as Link and Sheik lunged at her. She put her hands up to protect herself, and her Triforce glowed, creating a barrier between her and them. She held her hand to the sky, and a golden beam shot from out of the center of the room. It reflected off the ceiling and shot into Impa's hand.
She had claimed the Triforce of Power.
Impa slammed her hand to the ground, smashing the three enemies down, and thrust her hand toward Link. A golden beam shot from it and hit him full-on in the chest, knocking him back and killing the darkness in him. She then shot Sheik with the beam, curing her of the darkness. She whirled to face Volga, who held his pike in front of him defensively. She clapped her hands together, and a golden sword appeared in her hand. She lunged at Volga, and he stepped back.
"I do not think so," he said, and morphed into his dragon version of himself. He flew into the air and dived at Impa, who held her blade forward. Volga flew into her, knocking her against the wall and impaling himself on her golden sword. He fell back and morphed back into his normal form.
A hole gaped wide open in his chest and his eyes widened before he vaporized.
Impa sighed. The battle was over…for now.
Ch.8.
The wind howled through the plains that connected Faron and Eldin, deafening the Trio. They had departed from The Temple of Power the day before and were struggling to make it through t
he windy plain. There was nothing to stop the wind in front of them for miles. Link gasped for air and tried speaking through the wind to Impa.
"How long…" He gasped. "…do you think…" Another gasp. "…we will be…" Gasp. "…till we get out of here?"
"I think it will be a while before we get out of the plains," she shouted to him. She didn't have that much trouble speaking in the wind. Ever since she had claimed the Triforce of Power, she didn't have trouble breathing or using abysmal amounts of strength whenever needed. She wasn't at all exhausted from their walking and hadn't slept the night before. She kept walking, and Link struggled to keep up with her. He put his hand on his cap and secured it in place on his scalp to ensure the wind didn't blow it off.
"How long…Do you think a while is?" he gasped.
"It may be an hour or so till we see anything to break the wind," she shouted to him. He was only feet from her, but one thing that her power couldn't control was their hearing through this wind.
She sighed as Link persisted with his questions.
***
Cia took a deep breath, facing her portal as she did so. She turned and found Wizzro floating above the blood-stained stone of her Fortress. She gritted her teeth, and the master of darkness and fear cowered.
"OH MY GODDESSES!" She shrieked, and Wizzro wrung his hands together, fearing his punishment. "HOW IN THE HELL DID THEY GET AWAY WITH THE TRIFORCE OF POWER?" She shrieked again and swung her scepter in front of her, pointing it at Wizzro, sending a giant purple shadow hand toward him, lifting him up, and squeezing him.