THE CHAMBER was very simple. It was circular with pillars against the walls. A shafts in the rock let light into the room, made in such a way that the beams hit the floor in the shape of the Triforce.

With the time of day they were in the room, one of the parts of Triforce was draped over an altar.

"I was kind of expecting this to be more of a labyrinth," Link said, "you know, with traps, and a maze of rooms..."

"Such things," Makar said, "are only to be found in the Codex. Those were chief among the temples of the ancient Hylian kingdom, while most were not a trial for the hero, but instead a place of meditation, for the common people."

"Can't you do that anywhere though?" Tetra asked.

"There are some things," Makar said, "that require places of higher sanctity. To that end, I would ask that all of you keep your voices soft while in this place, and keep reverent."

They all nodded in agreement.

"Is this really all there is of the temple of earth and wind though?" Link asked.

"I am confused," Makar said.

"That's what King Daphnes said, that it was the temple of earth and wind."

"Perhaps you misremember," Makar said, "or he misspoke. As I stated, in ancient Hyrule, only a few temples were built, dedicated to a specific divine attribute or manifestation - except for the temple of shadow of course. I know from the numerous times Nohansen has met with the great deku tree, that he also has a strong pension for riddles, and symbolism."

Makar stretched out his staff, pointing it at Medli.

"We are here in a holy place of the goddesses," he said, "and gathered here are two sages. One is of the forest, synonymous with Farore, and her green life upon the earth. Then we have a sage who of Nayru, and of the sky, the wind."

"I see," Link comprehended.

"Now," Makar said, "we shall begin. Remove the master sword from its sheath, and place it on the altar. Pointing the tip north please."

Link did as asked, as Makar pulled something off his back. A cello. Medli seemed to similarly understand, pulling out her harp.

"It will be important Medli," Makar said, "for us to keep time. The notes must ring in the exact correct fashion."

Keep time...

Link pulled out the wind waker, and displayed it to Makar.

"Ah yes," Makar said, "that will indeed work. Let us then begin."

Link did not know how to properly conduct. At least, he didn't until they started playing. Their notes mingled with faint drafts in the air, and Link slowly found his hand guided, moving in a bouncing triangular shape.

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The sound of Medli's harp and Makar's Cello began to flow together. It began to truly ring as Makar had said. It was that same melody that Medli had played to hold back the eruption at Dragon Roost - a flowing, beautiful song, with layered harmonies.

They had been playing for a while, when they began to falter somewhat.

It wasn't working.

Link kept his hand moving, even as he saw Medli and Makar looking similarly nervous. There was something missing.

And that was when Tetra revealed something hidden in the folds of cloth at her waist. A small panflute, painted with bright colors.

The moment she began blowing into it, the Melody reached a climactic brilliance, all mixing together in an impossibly sweet feeling, Tetra's higher notes accenting the lower ones below. Then the lower rolling notes deepened, as to Link's surprise, he watched as figures faded into view behind and around their two sages.

Behind Makar was a boy dressed in the garb of a forest dweller, playing on some kind of fiddle. Near Medli, the spirit of an ancient Zora, the water dwelling ancestors of the Rito, before they changed into the birdlike race they were now. She held a harp much like Medli's.

And further, Link saw more faded spirits. Of Gorons. Of Gerudo. Playing instruments, and forming a full orchestra, like those mentioned in the ancient texts.

Suddenly there was a dramatic fade. The spirits twinkled out of sight, and the three played a final slow, quiet strain.

When the final notes echoed into the silent chamber, Link lowered the wind waker. He looked to the others, seeing the awe in their faces, except for Makar of course. Link then turned his attention to the master sword.

It looked completely different.

Perhaps that wasn't accurate exactly. The hilt was the same indigo from before, the blade still looked much the same. But it was more than that. As Link grasped the sword, the glow of the light on it seemed to remain, even after he pulled it out of the shaft of sunlight, and into the shadow.

There was a sudden bursting, rushing sound. Link momentarily closed his eyes in surprise. When he opened them, he found... he found that the master sword now had a crossguard. A real one, emblematic of the ancient loftwing crest, and finally matching descriptions from ancient times.

It had finally returned.

And Ganondorf knew it too.

The quakes that had been quietly thundering in the background while on the island now shook with fury. They took no time, grabbing their things, Link sheathing the master sword, and they began running as fast as they could up the stairs.

In his mind, Link anxiously imagined gigantic cave-ins blocking their path, or falling right on top of them. But still, they kept running, and running.

They burst out into the sunlight.

A quake suddenly shook the ground violently again, and the sunlight darkened.

Ganondorf, it seemed, would not let them escape so easily.