The Goron was mindlessly rolling around the city. Snake needed to get its attention, but when he approached it, the Goron rolled on its way. He needed to find someway to do it, when he noticed bomb flowers sticking out of the ground. "Snake, you're not gonna...", Navi questioned. "He's a Goron. The kid's tough.", Snake responded confidently. He pulled out a bow. "Man, I gotta get used to this thing. It's nothing like a SOCOM." Snake fired the arrow skillfully, as his training with so many other weapons has paid off. The bomb was hit, and the Goron stopped rolling. "Fear me! I am Solid Snake, protector of Goron City!" The kid spoke in a heroic tone, but Snake responded with, "Hm. You've got quite a name, but that would happen to be mine." The Goron kid was shocked. "You? Are you the legendary Solid Snake? Wow! My daddy named me after you!" He was beside himself with happiness.

"I need you to tell me what happened to the Gorons in this area." When Snake asked the question, the Goron burst into tears. "They...were taken...to the Fire Temple...by Ganondorf. They're gonna...be eaten by...a mean dragon; Volvagia." "Volvagia?" "Yeah...I'm so scared. My daddy went to save them...but he's not back yet." Snake listened to him, but then asked, "So where can I find this Fire Temple?" "My daddy didn't want anyone to know, but I think you're okay. It's behind the stone statue in his room." "Alright. One more thing. Tell me about this dragon, Volvagia." The Goron was upset, but was still able to speak. "It's a mean dragon. Long ago, it ate Gorons, but then a hero with a big hammer killed it. My daddy...he's a descendant of the hero. But...Ganondorf revived the dragon, and now my daddy doesn't have the hammer." "Alright. I'll bring your father and your friends back." "Are you sure? You're kinda...old." Snake didn't know how to take this comment, but he responded with, "The oldest legends are always the most well-known." "Okay! I believe in you, Snake," said the Goron, who quickly changed his attitude. "Oh, and one more thing. Go by the shop. They have something that will resist the heat of the volcano." Snake headed into the shop. "Oh, hello there! I heard that you were going into the volcano! I can't take money from a hero to save my friends, so this Goron Suit is on the house." "Goron Suit?" "Yeah," said the merchant. "I think your clothes became popular around here. We used to sell tunics, but not anymore." "Alright." Snake took the new equipment and changed. "This red really gives me away." "Yeah, but you're going into a volcano, so you can still hide away," said Navi. "Good point." Snake moved the statue and went in. He crossed the bridge, and was met by the mysterious Sheik.
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"It is something that grows over time... a true friendship.A feeling in the heart that becomes stronger over time...The passion of friendship will soon blossom into a righteous power and through it, you will know which way to go...This song is dedicated to the power of the heart...Listen to the Bolero of Fire..." Sheik was to the point and pulled out her harp and played the song. Snake repeated the tune on the Ocarina and learned the Bolero of Fire. "Wait," Snake said. "Just who are you?" Sheik looked down for a minute and said, "Snake...you'll learn in time. I'll see you again." Sheik disappeared into thin air with a smoke bomb and Snake and Navi were alone.

Snake entered the temple. "Let's go there!" Navi pointed to a door. The two went in, and inside was a lava-filled room. But more importantly, at the other end, there was Darunia, the same leader of the Gorons from seven years ago. "Snake, it's been a long time, brother! I'd love to get caught up, but now's not the time. I need to take out Volvagia, but I don't have the hammer. Unfortunately, I have no choice. Till we meet again!" "Darunia!" Snake called out to him, as he expected the Goron would not survive the encounter, but it was too late. Darunia had already made his decision. Snake now realized that the fate of the Gorons was in his hands. He would have to search the Fire Temple's dreaded heat and track down the Megaton Hammer on his own.
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Snake went further into the Fire Temple. He knew that he'd have been burned away if he had not equipped the Goron Suit. However, it also gave him an edge in camoflauge, since Snake's red suit could blend in with the lava around. However, he still had to watch his back from Lizalfos coming from the ceiling, of which he could dispose of very easily. A Lizalfos would ambush him, he'd block the attack with its sword, break the creature's wrist, disarm it, and stab it with its own weapon, followed by using it as a projectile to fell the other two. It wasn't long, however, until Snake finally found something worth a battle; Fire Dancer.

The Fire Dancer came out of a pool of fire and began to spin around. Flames came from all around and Snake jumped out of the way. "Maybe you can remove it from its fiery clothes?", Navi suggested. Snake drew the hookshot and pulled the creature away from its fiery garb. The creature was helpless, and Snake attacked. The action was repeated once more before the Fire Dancer had no choice but to give in and unleash a desperate maneuver. "Navi, fly back!" The Fire Dancer self-destructed, but thankfully, no one was hurt. Minutes later, Snake found the Megaton Hammer, the legendary weapon used against the dragon Volvagia in the battle that was spoken by the son of Darunia. Snake traveled back towards the entrance and into the dragon's lair. "Darunia?" Snake called out. No answer. He walked onto a platform and a fiery dragon came out. "Volvagia!"

Snake figured that this would be the creature spoken of in legends, and he immediately drew his hammer. Snake still believed it would be much better if he had something more advanced. An M37, an AK-47, even a SOCOM or a Stinger would make life much easier for him. Alas, this is war, and on the battlefield, you don't get those options to your convenience.

Nevertheless, Snake did battle. The dragon would fly around and then retreat to a pit. It would appear, but Snake would smash its head, cracking the creature's skull. The dragon flew up to the ceiling of its lair and dropped boulders onto Snake, who would roll out of the way. Finally, it retreated and popped its head out, but it was too late. "Freeze!" Snake had the hammer raised, and before the creature could slash with its claws, its skull was shattered. The dragon burned away, and the battle was over. A blue light appeared, and Snake went inside. "This place...the Chamber of Sages?" "Yes, brother!" Darunia appeared above a red seal. "I am the Sage of Fire, Darunia. I thank you for waking me. Because of you, I can now help you. I grant to you the Medallion of Fire. Take it with pride. You and I are true borthers, now!" With that, Snake vanished from the chamber and returned to Death Mountain. "Look!" Navi flew above Snake's head, and in front of him, the volcano's dark cloud returned to normal. Before they could enjoy the victory, Snake had already asked, "Alright, where's the next sage?" "You sure don't like to celebrate after a battle, do you?" "Don't bother celebrating a victory when the war is far from over." "I see. Well, I felt a chill breeze from Zora's Domain. We should go there." Snake trekked Zora's River and noticed how cold it was. When he entered Zora's Domain, Snake could not believe what has happened to the area. Zora's Domain had been frozen over and not a single resident was present...
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Snake was surprised by the state of the Zora's Domain. What was once a lively place of the Zora race has become nothing more than a dead field of ice. "The King?" Snake went up to the top and discovered the fate of King Zora; he was nothing more than an ice statue. "Red ice?" Snake examined it. "Hmm..." Snake pulled out something. "Snake, what are you doing with a cigarette?", Navi asked. "Hold on." With that, he lit the cigarette and put it on the red block of ice on King Zora. Nothing happened.

[(oo)] [141.12] [('')]

Otacon: Snake, that's red ice. It's a magical form of ice that's protected against fire. Melting it conventionally won't do any good.
Snake: You propose that I just pour water on it, then?
Otacon: See, that's the trick. Blue ice melts with red fire. Could red ice melt with blue fire?
Snake: ...Blue fire?
Otacon: Remember, you're in a world you've never been in. After all that you've seen, I don't think you can just doubt it that easily.
Snake: Hmm...right.

Snake moved on outside to Zora's Fountain. "Wasn't there supposed to be a fish there?", Snake asked. "Jabu-Jabu's gone. This is bad", Navi remarked. "Brrr..." The fairy started to shake. "Hey, look at that! There's ice coming from the cavern over there!" Maybe the answer would lie in there. The pair traversed across the fountain and dove into the cave.
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Snake entered the cave. It was freezing, but thankfully, the sneaking suit helped keep him warm. As he progressed the cave, he had to be on the lookout for incoming stalactites and Ice Keese, the most annoying creatures that Snake has encountered in Hyrule. Not that it wasn't bad enough that Snake wasn't armed with a trusty SOCOM to knock them out, but if he missed with an arrow shot, they'd swoop down and freeze him. Snake realized that he needed to exit the area quickly.

It was here that he discovered the fabled Blue Fire. "Otacon was right." "Snake, you don't suppose you could take it with you...?" Navi's suggestion sounded baffling at first, but Snake complied. "Hmm...I suppose trying it once wouldn't hurt." Snake pulled out a bottle, and captured the flame. It almost seemed hard to believe, and yet, it was so simple. Snake would use the bottles to carry the Blue Flame to the red ice. Once he uncovered the rest of the area, he was ambushed by a White Wolfos. The creature was bigger than its forest-dwelling cousin, but went down twice as fast. Snake merely rolled into the creature, knocked it down, and then stabbed it in the back, killing it instantly. As soon as it died, a treasure chest appeared. Snake received the Iron Boots, and Sheik appeared.
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"We meet again, Snake... If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time..." Sheik had appeared behind Snake. "This is all there is...With one exception, the Zoras are all now sealed under this thick ice sheet... I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but... she left to head for the Water Temple...This ice is created by an evil curse... The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt....If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple. Time passes, people move....Like a river's flow, it never ends...A childish mind will turn to noble ambition... Young love will become deep affection... The clear water's surface reflects growth...Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself...." Snake wanted to question the mysterious Sheikah, but realized that now was not the time. As such, he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and repeated the song. "Snake, I shall see you again." And with that, Sheik left once more.

"Hmm..." Snake pulled out the Iron Boots and tried them on. "I wouldn't want to use these for a sneaking mission." He dove into the water and quickly moved to the surface. "If the Water Temple is like this...it won't do. Maybe the king's willing to help me once I defreeze him." Since he had the Blue Flame, Snake went back to Zora's Domain and defroze the king. "What happened to me?" The King sprung to life. "You were colder than most things I've seen in Alaska." "Thank you, so...Snake? Is that you? You look horrible." "I've been better, but old soldiers never die." "Well, if you're still fighting for your cause, then I suppose I must help you. Here, take this Zora Tunic. It's a lot better than those goons up in the mountains can do." Snake put it on. "With this, you can breathe underwater", said the King. "Thanks. Now I've got a princess to save...again." Snake left and entered the Zora River. "What the hell?" It was dried up with the exception of the center which was still flooded with water. Down below was the entrance to the Water Temple. "Hold your breath, kid." Snake and Navi dove into the water, and Snake, using his Iron Boots, held to the ground. He pulled out his Hookshot and knocked away the jewel, and the way opened.
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Inside the Water Temple, Snake took a look around. "I can see I'll be busy for a while. I can't see how something like this wouldn't bug the hell out of some people." "You said it!", said Navi. Snake started from the bottom of the temple. Inside the corridor, he saw none other than Princess Ruto. "Snake, i-is that you? You look terrible!" "You definitely take after your father", said Snake. "No, you're terrible!", Ruto said. "You kept me waiting for several long years!" "Sorry, kid. Got tied up in some business." "Well, whatever. Anywho, we need to save the Zoras! Some guy named Sheik saved me, but everyone else is trapped in the ice. Let's save them!" Ruto swam upward, and Snake followed, but when he reached the surface, there was no sign of the princess. "Ruto? RUTO!" She was gone, just like Saria, just like Darunia. Snake had no choice but to press on. He entered a doorway and inside were some monsters that were quickly dispatched. He took whatever he needed, and during this, he found an essential weapon, the Longshot. The Longshot would travel much farther than the Hookshot. After a while of rising and lowering water levels, Snake's voice started to crack. Being old wasn't good for him, but he never needed the Ocarina so much. Snake finally got to a room where there were platforms in a waterfall. Snake latched onto them and made his way upward. In the room after, there were platforms which Snake traveled through with his new Longshot. He made his way across and in a doorway.

The room aftewards was very plain with a small tree in the middle. Snake went to the other side of the room, but the door was locked. As soon as he went to the front of the door, a voice stopped him. "I've been waiting for you, Solid Snake!"...
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Snake noticed the figure looming behind him. "Who are you?" "I'm you! I'm your shadow!", responded the dark figure. "No...you're not Liquid." Snake noticed that he did not have an accent, and had already dismissed the possibility that it would be Liquid, given the fate of his body on Shadow Moses island. "Does it matter? I'm not an inferior, genetic clone like your brother. Now come. We do battle." Dark Snake, as he were to be called, immediately drew his version of the Master Sword out. Snake drew his weapon as well. Snake launched a thrust at the darker clone, but he merely managed to backflip onto the sword. He unleashed a fury of attacks, each one being blocked by Dark Snake for a minute, until Dark Snake finally went on the offensive.

The two fought an intense battle. Each countered the other's blows, and the battle raged on for at least half an hour, until finally, Snake had another idea. "Snake!", Navi called out, "your sword has no effect. Why not try another weapon?" Snake thought for a moment about what else he had while keeping his focus on dodging the other's attacks, "I have a Hookshot, but he can simply block it. Arrows won't do good, either, since he side-steps a lot. I have..." As he reached around his equipment, Snake finally felt something metallic. "The hammer?", he thought to himself. "It's worth a try." He withdrew the Master Sword. "Ha. Giving up already? As I figured, the legend isn't even a match for his own darkness. Pathetic. I'll destroy you!" Snake pulled out his Megaton Hammer. "What? That big thing? Are you kidding me? Go ahead. Try." Snake hit the Hammer down on Dark Snake's shield, and Dark Snake went sailing back, guard broken. "Wh-what?! NO! I...I'm the stronger of us!" "Guess again, copycat." Dark Snake approached Snake, who merely countered with the hammer. "Arrgh! Now you die!" He went on a flurry of slashes, all being dodged by Snake, until finally, Dark Snake made a cross mistake; he attempted a thrust, which Snake dodged by merely jumping onto the sword. "Noooo!" It was too late. Dark Snake's cry of despair was cut short by a devastating blow to the head. The battle was over, and the room became normal, losing the mist that surrounded it. "Snake, you beat...Snake." "Hm. I guess sometimes even "I'm" no match for the legend." The two laughed momentarily, and then decided to press on.

Cutting across the dungeon, they found switches to raise spouts of water that needed to be crossed, dodged more boulders from the ice temple, and before they knew it, they had the Boss Key and found themselves back at the entrance. Snake opened a door to find three Traps sliding back and force on an inclined slope. "There's no way you can cross through here!" "Guess you'll be the one to take on that boss, huh?" Snake said sarcastically. "Watch." Snake drew the Hookshot and crossed over the traps. "Wow, that was intense!" Navi was marveled at how easy it was. Snake unlocked the door and headed inside.

The room inside had four platforms. Snake jumped to one, and then to another. A gushing sound was heard, although a it was faint. Regardless, Snake turned around, and the gushing noise grew louder. The Giant Aquatic Amoeba, Morpha, extended the tentacle, attempting to grab Snake...
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Morpha, the boss of the Water Temple, attacked. "What is that thing?" Snake never saw something so twisted as this. It was an ameoba that controls the water and uses tentacles to attack. Snake saw four platforms around him. "I've seen better days when I was younger. I'm probably gonna hurt later, but..." Snake leaped over the platform to dodge the incoming tentacle. Morpha then followed Snake to the next platform and pointed its tentacle. Snake noticed the creature within the tentacle and drew his Hookshot at it to pull it out. Morpha was drawn out and Snake began to wrestle with the creature and stabbed it. However, it was too slippery to be kept out of the water for long. It returned to the water and began the attack again.

The battle went on and Snake would have to keep jumping platforms. Unfortunately, Snake had made a mistake and jumped back to a platform. The creature was there, and the tentacle had grabbed the soldier. Snake was trapped. "Snake, no!" Navi cried out. "Gggrrrggghh....." The life was being squeezed out of him. "Wh-what are you gonna do? Don't die on me!" "N-Navi, you dumb kid. You know me...better than that...already. I know of two ways to get out of this one. Now listen closely. I have a cigarette in my pocket. Fly...down there...and get it. Run the lighter, as well. Then take it, and burn it. Don't worry. You're not too small for it." "Okay!" Navi flew down to Snake's pocket, lit the cigarette, and moved it out. "You know what to do, kid". Navi noticed a part of the amoeba's body on the exterior of the tentacle. "Here goes!" Navi shoved the cigarette's lit end into it. The tentacle squiggled, and Morpha lost its grasp and threw Snake. The man then maneuvered into a backflip onto a platform, drew the Hookshot, and launched Morpha out. Master Sword in the other hand, he ran the creature straight through the sword. Morpha had been slain, and the water drained. "That was close. You owe me, Snake!" Navi said in a cheery voice. Snake merely responded with, "You seem to have forgotten when I saved you earlier, kid. You paid your debt back to me just now. Good job." "Aww...well, yeah.", said a slightly disappointed Navi. The blue light appeared at the floor of the now-drained room. Snake grabbed a Heart Piece, and moved on.

Inside the Chamber of Sages, Princess Ruto appeared. "I should have guessed that the man I chose to marry would be the one to free my people. I am the Sage of Water. Thank you for awakening me, Snake. Now take this. It's the Medallion of Water." Ruto gave her power to Snake and the two parted. "Thank Sheik for me, too!"

Back at Lake Hylia, the water rose. "Snake...you did it." Sheik was standing by a tree, the tree that Snake appeared by.
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Snake warped in and Sheik turned to him. "Did Ruto want to thank me?" "Yeah, but...she's...," responded Snake, "I see," said Sheik. "We have to return peace to Hyrule for her sake, too. Look over there, Snake. Together, you and Princess Ruto destroyed the monster and once again, the lake is filled with pure water. All is as it was here." Snake looked over at the results of his journey through the Water Temple. They were worth the effort, as peace returned to Lake Hylia. While Snake looked on, Sheik had already left before he could turn to see her again. "Hm, what's this?" Snake walked over to a sign. "When water fills the lake, shoot for the morning light." "Snake, look!" said Navi. It was dawn, and the morning sun had risen. "Shoot for the morning light? Hmm..." Snake pulled out the bow and shot at the sun. A fire arrow descended between two pillars. Snake swam across to get it and got the fire arrows.

"Where to now, kid?" Snake asked his fairy friend. "I dunno. Let's check out in the field." The two left for Hyrule Field, and then, as they were walking, they noticed smoke coming from Kakariko Village. "What the...? A fire?" The two rushed to the scene and the village was a blaze. "Damn!" Snake noticed Sheik by a well. "Get back, Snake." "Sheik?" Suddenly, a force grabbed the young Sheikah and threw her around, knocking her unconscious. A shadowy figure appeared and flew around the town before approaching the soldier. Snake drew out his CQC, but it was too late. The invisible creature had already charged him, knocking him out.
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Snake awoke with Sheik by his side, "Are you all right?" "I've been hit harder, trust me." Sheik had a serious look in her eye. "Snake, a terrible thing has happened. An evil spirit that was sealed away some time ago has been freed. Impa, one of the Sheikah, sealed thie creature long ago. Now it has returned." Snake got up, ready to take on his next challenge. "Impa is one of the six sages." "One of the six sages?", Snake asked. "Yes. The evil spirit escaped from the Bottom of the Well and now, Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it up again. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple. This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time. Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!!" Sheik pulled out her harp and began playing the song. Snake followed along with his Ocarina and learned the Nocturne of Shadow. "Very good," said Sheik, "now let me take care of the villagers. You save Impa. I'm counting on you."


[('')] 140.85 [('')]

Snake: Colonel, did you get that? Apparently, some sort of creature escaped from the bottom of the well in this village. I need to take care of that creature.
Campbell: Snake, the way you're equipped now, you won't stand a chance. What you need to do is go into the well to find what you can learn about it.

Snake looked into the Kakariko well. It was full of water. "Hmm...", Snake was thinking, "What is it, Snake?", asked Navi. "I have a hunch that we haven't done something yet..." "Really?" Snake noticed the house nearby, the one with the windmill. He went inside. "Oh, you again. Argh, I can't get over the tragedy of my windmill when that mean ocarina kid came in and played this song." Snake thought it might be a good idea to learn it. He pulled out his ocarina. "You have an ocarina? Just like that kid who played this song." The music box man played the song, and Snake repeated it. Suddenly, a crack of thunder was heard outside, the windmill began spinning, and it was pooring. Snake had learned the Song of Storms. "You crazy old coot, you played the Ocarina again, didn't you? Grrr!" Snake didn't know what to think of this, and didn't know which was worse, the man's temper or the "old man" insult. Either way, Snake left without a word. "Snake, the windmill!" Navi flew over to the windmill and Snake looked inside. "Dry? From this song?" Snake jumped inside, but the way was already sealed. "Damn!"
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[('')] 140.85 [('')]

Snake: Colonel, I've infiltrated the well, but apparently, it's been sealed.
Campbell: Snake, the well may not have been sealed off for too long.
Snake: But how can it be sealed if the creature escaped? It makes no sense.
Campbell: Think, Snake. The enemy wouldn't want anyone to find a trace of its weakness, would it?
Snake: I see.
Campbell: Also, we don't exactly when this Impa sealed the creature in the well. If it wasn't seven years ago, why don't you go back in time to find out? You need to go inside that well to find clues, then go inside the Shadow Temple and save Impa.
Snake: Right, Colonel. But back in time?
Campbell: Snake, trust me on this one.
Snake: After not telling me the circumstances?
Campbell: It's the only way we know of. Going back in time may prove rewarding for you.
Snake: Alright. I guess I'll be seeing you seven years before now, Colonel.
*both laugh*

Navi flew around. "Yay, we get to go back in time!" "Yeah, but how?" Snake ran to the Temple of Time. Sheik managed to be there. "You should have come sooner. You destroyed the wicked creatures that haunted the temples and awakened the Sages...But there are still other Sages who need your help. In order to awaken all the other Sages, you must become even more powerful. You must travel through time. If you want to return to your original time, return the Master Sword to the Pedestal of Time. By doing this, you will travel back in time seven years. The time will come when you will have to return here quickly. I will teach this to you for when that time comes. The song to return you to the Temple of Time...The Prelude of Light." Sheik and Snake played the song together. Now, Snake would be able to come back to the Temple of Time whenever he felt he needed to. "I have to finish helping everyone in Kakariko, but I knew you would be here, so I followed. Good luck." Sheik left. "Master Sword in the pedestal?" Snake put the sword through and a blue light flashed around him...