[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Overworld Chapter 17 - The Sewers

...in search of the entrance to the Temple of Time. In the dank air of the sewers, Link's light didn't go further than five feet in front of them. The smell blocked out Journey's and Yore's senses, making it even harder to prepare when monsters attacked, or find a route through the maze.

Monsters in the sewers were comprised mainly of keeses and rats. A few skulltulas had taken residence in the twisting maze, but mainly it was the rats. Massive rats with glowing red eyes.

The only reason Link had any concern for the rats was the fact that every time they appeared from the shadows, Zelda would panic, and fire ten or so arrows at random. The only grace to this was because Zelda's arrows were magical, they didn't need recollecting in the dark when one didn't return to her quiver. But it did make fighting more frantic than it needed to be.

This led to many side quests to find routes around rats' nests when they spotted them in order to keep Zelda from panicking. She insisted that she didn't have a problem with them, but her sudden screams usually prove otherwise.

They had been wandering for who knows long when Link finally stopped. He understood now what Queen Rasida meant by time is different for those in the dark. His lantern was about to flicker out. He looked back up at Zelda. "You have a light spell? The one you used in the Vault."

Zelda blushed. "Oh yes, right." She opened her palm and a bright golden orb appeared in her hand.

As they were about to start again, Endeavor stopped. "We have been going in circles this whole time. We need to figure out where we are before we go any further."

Link hung his lantern on his belt in case they needed it again as he looked back at Endeavor. They were right. They had no idea if they were getting any closer to the temple or not. Link paused, and then looked at Journey. He asked, "Can Journey smell magical scents?"

"What?" Endeavor asked.

"Well, I was thinking, Zelda and Hylia—" Link began.

Zelda finished, "Hylia is where my power comes from. I'm her descendent, after all. Maybe Journey can locate Hylia's temple through my magic." She glanced at Link. "Is that what you were thinking?" He nodded.

"It is possible," Endeavor said. "But it couldn't be that spell. Hylia is the Goddess of Time."

Zelda began to cast another spell, when she stopped all of a sudden. She put her bow away, and pounded her head. Link asked, "What's wrong?"

"Oh! Oh, I should have thought it!" Zelda shouted. Endeavor and Link looked at her with concern. Zelda said, "You're right. Hylia is the Goddess of Time. But we've been avoiding the obvious this whole time. Time's the answer for this. We just need to go back in time, to when the pathway was here. Something says that's the only way we're going to get in anyway, with that attack Ganondorf launched."

"How are we going to back in time?" Link asked.

"It would be a simple matter, if we had a timeshift stone," Endeavor said. "But the last of those stones were carved away long ago."

Zelda produced a harp from her pouch. Endeavor's face narrowed. "You have had the Goddess's Harp this whole time?"

"Of course I've had it," Zelda retorted quickly, not making eye contact. "It's an heirloom of my family. Now with this, I can send a special prayer to Hylia and maybe She'll grant us passage into the past. We'll need to find an open area though. Somewhere where we wouldn't get crushed by anything when we go back."

They wandered for a bit longer before they found a large, open room. A few keese fluttered around in it, but other than that, it seemed to meet Zelda's requirements. There was a pile of rubble near the back of the room. On the sides of the rubble stood two, broken statues of soldiers, with their sword in front of them. Link had a feeling they were in the right spot.

Zelda lifted her harp up, and began to strum it. Link stood a few steps back to listen as Zelda began to play, and then sing. He knew she was singing in ancient Hylian, but he still only understood snatches of it.

Before long, there was the sorrowful note of a violin. Link watched as Endeavor played the ballad on their violin. It gave the song a sharp, solemn tone, full of respect and mourning. And what Link found was that as they both sang, he began to understand the song more and more, though he couldn't say them in the common tongue. He simply...understood them.

Suddenly, Endeavor's violin picked up. The notes became faster, and livelier. Zelda struggled to keep up, be eventually stopped, and let Endeavor play alone. As the song came to an end, there was a flash of light.

The stone hummed. Link looked up, and saw light overhead. Zelda said, beaming, "She answered us."

They all sent a prayer to Hylia in thanks. They had to, for Her gifting in bringing them to this time.

As he finished, Link turned towards the pile of rubble. It now stood clear of stone, the statues at their prime. A marble path ventured further into the mountains, in a regal white and black pattern. No one of this time seemed to venture down here, though, even if it was Hylia's sacred temple.

Endeavor answered the question that must have been on his face, "No one wants to. There is no need. Nothing evil is at work." With that, they lowered their violin, and walked down the now opened path.

Zelda lowered her harp, and looked at Link. He managed, "That was beautiful."

She smiled back at him. "Thank you. I've practiced that song as long as I've owned this harp. I'm glad I learned it, and played it well enough to please Hylia."

"Hurry up!" Endeavor's voice echoed from down the hall.

Zelda huffed, before saying, "Well, we best not keep them waiting. I'd hate to them her in a worse mood because of their people, wouldn't you?" She pulled her bow back out, and went on down the passage.

Link glanced up at the city through the temple entrance. Hehoped they wouldn't need to go there for any reason. He didn't want to ruinanything in the past that may affect their future. So, he turned towards thetunnel, drew his sword, and headed after Zelda and Endeavor...