Snake woke up back in Hyrule Temple, seven years past. As he went down the stairs, he noticed that he could move faster. Solid Snake was now his younger self again. "Yes!" Snake moved his fist back and launched it up with a jump. "Feels good to be young again."

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

Snake: Colonel, this is Snake.
Campbell: Snake, did you retrieve the Master Sword?
Snake: It's good to hear that you're well.
Campbell: Snake, what are you talking about?
Snake: Time travel.
Campbell: Time travel?
Snake: When I pulled the Master Sword out, I went seven years into the future. In that time, I became a hairy old man.
Campbell: Seven years?
Snake: You didn't age well.
Campbell: Those wars do that to you. I probably had denchers.
Snake: Colonel, a mysterious warrior told me to go to the "Shadow Temple" to fight this creature. It's in Kakariko Village, but I can't enter the temple yet because I need something. I heard it was sealed away in the Bottom of the Well.
Otacon: Snake, you may learn something if you go there.
Snake: Yeah, I'm about to head there. I need something to fight it with, and then I'll go back into the future to enter the temple.
Otacon: You actually went into the future? This is incredible!
Snake: It's not incredible when you get into the shape that I was in.
Otacon: It's only seven years.
Snake: Seven years gave you some gray hairs.
Otacon: .......

As he headed out of the Temple of Time, Snake noticed the bustling activity of Castle Town. It's as if nothing had ever happened. No conspriacy, no ReDeads, everything was as it was. Snake headed out, but before that, he had a thought. "What ever happened to that little farm girl and her dad?"

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Not too far across the field was the Lon Lon Ranch. Navi pointed Snake to a sign and it showed him where it was. Snake headed out to there. Once there, Snake took a look around. Even though it was just a ranch, he knew never to let his guard down under any circumstance. Snake checked the door on the left. Inside, he saw the farmer, Talon. "Oh, hey! You're that guy from the other day. Thanks for waking me up. It took a little while, but I finally got Malon back in a good mood. Say, while you're here, you want to play a game?" Snake responded with, "Well, I'm on a mission. While you're on a mission, don't let things around you get in the way." Navi looked over and said, "Hey, Snake. It might be fun. Come on!" Of course, Snake had seven years, anyway, so he realized that he wasn't in a race against time like he was on Shadow Moses island. "I suppose so." "Great!", said Talon. "Okay, behind me, there are three Super Cuccos. You need to find them before the time runs out." Snake took a good look at them and then examined the rest of the Cuccos. "I'm gonna throw them out, now. Ready? GO!" The game started, and within 10 seconds, Snake had already gotten the three Cuccos. "Incredible, you're a genius! But...but how?" "It's a keen eye for detail. You need it when examining your enemy", responded Snake. "Say, are you a soldier?", asked Talon. "Something like that." "Well, Snake. Here. You can have this bottle with Lon Lon Milk, our pride and quality. It's on the house." Snake got a bottle. Truly, this would come in useful. "Say, Snake. When Malon gets a little older, how would you like to marry her?" Snake didn't know what to say. "Mm, sorry. I've already got a commitment." For the record, he wasn't engaged to Meryl, but it was the only answer he really had. "I was just kiddin'! Well, take a look around the ranch. You might find something you like!", Talon said.

Snake walked out and found a barn. Inside, a farmer was hard at work with the animals. "I am the great Ingo. Why do I have to be doing all this while that lazy Talon loafs around? I should be the leader of this ranch." Snake, having been the soldier he's been for all his years, could see where he was coming from. He knew what it was like doing the dirty work while someone sits in a comfortable chair. The difference is that Ingo wasn't being used like Snake was during Shadow Moses island when Jim Houseman had sent him in. Snake had no comment, anyway, and moved on. He walked outside, to the center area and saw the cute little girl from Castle Town. "Hey, it's the man with the fairy!" Snake didn't prefer this sort of comment, but it was a little girl, and no one was around, so he didn't mind. "Hey Snake, this is Epona. Isn't she cute?" Snake walked over to the horse, but it ran away. "Oh, she's shy of strangers. But she likes this song. My mother used to sing it for me when I was younger." Malon sang a relaxing melody, Epona's Song. Snake thought this would be a good time to learn a new song. Snake pulled the Ocarina out and played it. Epona quickly came over to Snake and seemed to have found a trust for him. "Aw, Epona likes you now!" Snake petted the horse, and then said, "I see you have a nice ranch. But I have something I need to take care of." "Oh, will we see you again?", asked Malon. "Someday". Snake left and waved a quick hand behind him. "Bye, Snake!"
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Snake headed back to his mission. From Lon Lon Ranch, he crossed Hyrule Field and ran to Kakariko Village. "It feels great to have a step in me again. Crossing the field isn't nearly as painful." Navi flew around. "Yeah. But when you have to go back to the future, how are you going to manage it?" "I've had to do some pretty long journeys before. But no one else is going to bring Ganondorf down." Snake entered the village. All was as it was before Snake drew the Master Sword. No fire, no bustling activity. It was just a peaceful village like when Snake was entering Death Mountain. Snake went to go check the well, and it was still full of water. Pulling the Ocarina out, Snake played the Song of Storms and drained the well. While he did that, he could hear a cry from the inside of the windmill that sounded like a "Noooooo!!!" With that, Snake and Navi went into the dark abyss, the Bottom of the Well...
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The Bottom of the Well was a dark and cursed place. No light existed on the inside and monsters roamed free. Ambushed by a Skulltula, Snake dispatched the creature. Behind it was a wall. "Snake, I can hear the spirits", Navi said. "They say you need the eye of truth." "Eye of truth?" "Yeah, something like that. But it's a dead end.", said Navi. Snake felt around the wall and put his hand through the one in front of them. "So that's what they mean." The two went through the wall and into the open area of the well. Inside, they saw Skulltulas and a flying Green Bubble. "Snake, that Green Bubble will remain invulnerable until its flame goes out." The two waited for the creature to pass by them, and then made their move. They went around until they found a Skulltula in the back. Snake took the creature out and saw the Royal Family Crest. Snake played Zelda's Lullabye and suddenly heard water gushing. The area that they passed that was sealed by water was now drained. The two headed back, but were confronted by the incoming Green Bubble. Snake drew the shield to block the creatures attacks and then fired off shots from his Slingshot, which was just as good as it had been.

After that, the two jumped in, crawled through, and Snake battled one last Skulltula before entering the room with with a sole, white arm sticking out of it. Snake examined it, but it tried to grab him. He dodged out of the way and attacked it with a slingshot. Suddenly, a grotesque creature emerged. Dead Hand, the creature with arms sticking out of the ground and a big white body would move towards Snake. It slouched over to put its face by Snake, but was met with a quick punch to the jaw. The creature would then submerge underground. "Hey, where'd you go?" Before Snake could check the area, he was attacked by a hand and it wouldn't let go. Dead Hand was inching closer to Snake and then was poised to attack. This time, Snake ended up kicking the creature hard in the chin. However, it wasn't through. It leaned back, ready to strike with a fierce blow. "Oh no, Snake!!!!' Navi was worried. However, Snake had already broken free and pulled the arm in Dead Hand's way. The creature had bit its own arm! With that, Snake attacked the creature with a fierce flurry of punches and kicks, and finsihed it by snapping its neck. The threat of this monster was finished. "Wow, incredible!", said Navi. "You didn't even use the Kokiri Dagger!" Snake responded with, "This little thing takes time to get back used to after using the big one for a while. Feeling like this again, it's good to be able to return to my basics. I'm not a big fan of blades, anyway. I use the Master Sword because it can banish evil and it's the weapon of choice I need for some of the larger creatures. But if given the oppurtunity, I feel a bit more at home with basic punches and kicks. And to be quite honest, I would prefer the Kokiri Sword over the Master Sword." Navi was shocked. "Why?!" "Well, you see, when you're attacking an enemy, you need an advantage. Some people use a long sword, some people like to use a knife. I never trained with a sword, but with a knife, I can effectively CQC my opponent and hold it to their throat with enough support to draw another weapon." "Ahh...okay." Navi sort of found where Snake was getting with this, but she still felt more accustomed to the way Snake has been handling himself with the Master Sword. "I know someone who's more accustomed to using these big blades, though. I just don't happen to be one of them." Snake was obviously referring to Jack, also known as Raiden, during the Big Shell incident, which took place two years after the Shadow Moses incident.
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A treasure chest had appeared after the defeat of Dead Hand. However, now was when Snake opened it. Inside was the Lens of Truth. "Lens of Truth?" "Snake, you can see invisible things, now! You can take that big monster that fled the place. We need to go to the Shadow Temple." Navi informed Snake, and he played the Prelude of Light and ended up in the Temple of Time. "Snake, why don't you go fight it while you're like this?" "Well," responded Snake, "the creature didn't flee to the Shadow Temple at this point. It did so in the future, so we need to head there." "But you'll be old and gray again." "You should give more credit to the elderly", joked Snake. He pulled the Master Sword out and traveled back seven years. Snake, now aged again, played the Nocturne of Shadow and headed to the Shadow Temple's entrance. "Torches?" Snake cast Din's Fire in the center to light them all at once, and the door opened. Snake now entered the abyss of the Shadow Temple...
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Snake entered the dark depths of the Shadow Temple. "This place reeks of a foul presence", commented Navi. "It's just like the Bottom of the Well. Seven years later, we end up back here." Snake noticed something talking to him. "Make my beak face the skull of truth. The alternative is descent into deep darkness." "Skull of truth?" Snake decided to pull out the Lens of Truth. Looking at the skull, he noticed the inconsistency of the flames. Snake pushed the statue towards it, and an ice block appeared. Snake was about to jump it, but stopped. "Snake, you can't jump it! It's too far!", commented the fairy. "Come to think of it," Snake said, "I noticed something else with the lens." Snake pulled it out again and found a door. He took it off and it was covered by a wall. "That's it." Snake went in. A familiar feature caught his attention immediately; the rising hands from the ground indicated the presence guarding the room was none other than a Dead Hand. Whether it was similar to its cousin seven years before or it was the same creature revived and back for revenge was a mystery. Snake engaged the creature. Not being as agile as before, he had to watch his step. The hands came up and got him. The creature came near him, ready to strike. Snake plunged a sword through it and then an arrow in each eye socket. Then he promted to finish it off with a final strike through its skull. The creature was dead once and for all, and in its place was a treasure chest. Snake opened it and received the Hover Boots. "Hmmm...I could get used to this." Snake went back to the statue room and glided over the ice block.
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Navi was beginning to get disturbed. "Please...let's get out of here. I hate this place." "Listen," said Snake, "I don't like this place anymore than you do. But you accept your mission without making any questions. Just do it and focus on getting through it." "Okay...", said Navi. Snake entered a room and a Gibdo was there. The Gibdo shrieked, but Snake was merely startled for a second and punched the mummy square in the face, stunning it, went around the creature, and snapped its neck. "Golly! I...I was scared!" Normal people would have been frozen with fear by the mere scream of the Gibdo, but Snake was able to pull himself together. "I've been attacked by a vulcan cannon. When you're looking down the insides of a barrel of a gun, you know what true fear is. The psychological pressure of having a gun pointed at your face begins to wear thin when it happens as many times as it's happened to me." "O-okay...", said Navi. "If it would have caught me from behind, then I don't know. I may have been frozen long enough to get attacked. But I could see this thing right before it made its attack."

Snake continued. He entered a room with two hooded creatures that resembled the grim reaper, each carrying a scythe. He ducked, hit the switch, and picked up the key he needed, then made his exit. He continued down a tunnel and used the Lens of Truth to cross otherwise invisible bridges. A Beamos attacked, but was between the two Bomb Flowers that Snake hit with his Bow & Arrow, and was destroyed. Snake entered another corridor and used the Iron Boots to keep his ground, got a key from another room, and noticed a fan and used the lens to see an invisible wall. The fan blew, and Snake was blown through as he used the Hover Boots to cross the gap. Snake continued until he found a ship. "A ship...in a temple?" Snake climbed up and saw the Triforce mark. He played Zelda's Lullabye on his Ocarina and the ship moved. "The ship have started to move!", said Navi. "I wish you would make more sense with your sentences," said Snake. Suddenly, two Stalfos appeared. Snake drew the Master Sword and his Shield, and then put his sword away. "Snake, what are you doing?" "Watch." The ship rocked, and the Stalfos were thrown off balanced. Snake lunged at one and pushed his shield in its face. The creature fell. Snake sweep-kicked another one and it fell on its rear and was also sent into the abyss. "Snake...you're so clever." "You need to know what's necessary for each battle. Sometimes there's no point to excessive force. Whether it's slitting your enemy's throat or putting them down for a few hours, there are different measures you need to take in each battle." The ship stopped, but then it began to sink. "Snake, jump off!" He jumped off, but hurt himself in the process. "Damn. I would have much rather just came here seven years prior, set some C4, and detonated it right now." "Snake, are you okay?" Snake was able to get up. "Give me a few minutes." Snake sat down and pulled out a cigarette. After enjoying his smoke, Snake was able to get up. "Wow...they must have magical healing properties," said Navi. "Oh yeah. They'll be selling them in Kakariko Town not too long from now." Snake entered a door and encountered Floormasters. He pulled out the lens and the walls became visible, as he couldn't just pass through them. He entered a door, fought off two creatures, and burned two incoming walls with Din's Fire. The Boss Key treasure chest appeared and Snake retrieved the key.
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Snake exited the room, killed off the two Floormasters with a couple of slashes, and got out of the wall room. He noticed a pillar and shot an arrow at the nearby Bomb Flowers. It detonated the bombs and the pillar fell. He was able to cross it as if it were a bridge and entered the next room. Inside, he needed to cross the platforms with the Lens of Truth and across from there was the Boss Room. Snake entered and fell through a hole. He landed on a soft floor. "Is this...a giant drum?" It began to shake, then shake again, like a quake. He saw two gigantic hands playing a beat and finally saw a giant red eye and then the boss itself. Snake engaged the phantom shadow, Bongo Bongo...
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The creature began beating its drum. Snake jumped to the left to avoid being hit by incoming hands. He pulled the bow out and hit both of them with an arrow, then the eye appeared. Snake had to shoot the creature, but he missed. The creature lunged at him and knocked Snake down. However, he promptly got up and knew he had to hit the creature's hands again. Only this time, the creature lunged at him and Snake pointed the sword towards the creature, wounding it. He would follow this with a barrage of strikes from the blade. The creature pulled back and beat so hard Snake flew upwards. It smacked him back down with its hands and then repeated.

"Snake! SNAAAAAAKE!!!" Navi grew very worried. Was this the end of the hero and all peace in Hyrule? This was what went through the fairy's mind, but Snake still held his sword in hand. The drums were soft enough to bounce...so Snake decided maybe he can counter this. He pointed the sword downward and stuck it through the drum. Bongo Bongo slammed the drum, but Snake did not bounce up. This gave him enough time to swing back around and out of the of an incoming hand, and launch an arrow at it. The next hand was so fast, Snake could not grab his sword in time, so he also ducked it and arrowed it. Unfortunately, he was out of arrows at that point. The creature's eye appeared, and Snake had once chance. It lunged towards him, but he kept his distance, leapt towards the sword, pulled it out, and flung it at the creature. It was just enough force to be jammed through its eye, completely blinding the creature. Snake proceeded to kick the sword in further, completely incapacitating the huge creature, before finally twisting it out and ending it with one final cross slash. The creature disappeared and was no more.

"S-Snake...are you...are you okay?" "Damn...I think I need a wheelchair," responded Snake. Instead, he was able to collect the Heart Piece, which refilled his health completely, and entered the blue light. Inside was the Impa, the very same Impa who was Zelda's attendant from seven years back. "You've aged. But you have aged into a great hero. I am Impa, Sage of the Shadow. Fear not, though. Zelda is still alive and you shall see her soon enough. I trust her safety to you, now. Take this medallion and save the last sage." Impa gave Snake the medallion and Snake was warped out. "Hey, Snake! One more Sage. What's Ganon been up to, lately? I heard that he lives in the east, in the Gerudo Valley. "Gerudo Valley? Asked Snake." "Yeah. So let's go there next." Snake headed east, but realized that it'd be too much of a toll on his body. "Say...what ever happened to that farmer Talon, anyway?" Timing was on Snake's side, as he was just passing by the Lon Lon Ranch. "Well, let's go see," said Navi. Snake entered the ranch but felt a dark presence. "It doesn't...feel the same." There, he noticed Ingo, dressed in a fancy outfit, and apparently the new owner of the ranch.
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"Who're you?!", Ingo asked in an arrogant-sounding voice."They say I cheated Ingo out of the ranch! But really, I was a hard worker and he was weak. The Great Ganondorf recognized my talent and gave this ranch to me." "Ganondorf?", replied Snake. "No. The great Ganondorf!", Ingo responded. "I kicked that lazy bum Talon off the ranch and now I'm in charge of this fine establishment! I will raise a fine horse and present it to the great Ganondorf!" Snake looked around. "This place doesn't feel as spritied as it used to, but that aside, nothing much as changed. He entered a stable and encountered a young woman who looked rather familiar. "Oh, a visitor! It's been so long since we've had one here. Ever since Ganondorf showed up, things have just been terrible. Mr. Ingo is using this ranch to gain Ganondorf's favor and even kicked dad out. If I disobey him, he'll treat the horses badly. *sigh* There's nothing I can do." Snake looked at her and said, "Well, there's been a lot of crap happening since Ganondorf rose to power. I think the best thing you can do now is, for the sake of your horses, just listen to the man for now. We all fight our battles differently and sometimes we don't just fight for ourselves. I...learned this long ago." "I see. Thanks for the advice", said the girl. "But there's something I'd like to ask. I need a horse to cross the Gerudo Valley." "Oh!?" "Yeah. I don't know if old farmer John's traitor is up to lending me one." "Well...I'll tell you a secret. He's been trying to tame Epona." "Epona? I recognize that name." "Yeah. He's been trying to tame it so he can give it to Ganondorf. But...maybe if you persuade her to go on your side, Ingo will decide to give up on trying to please Ganondorf." "I see."

Snake walked out and looked around the ranch. "These...are my fine horses!", Ingo proclaimed. "Go around and look. I'll even charge 10 rupees for you to ride one. But I don't see how an old coot like you would want to." Normally, Snake would have decked his lights out, but instead, decided to go with Malon's plan and paid up the 10 rupees. He noticed a lot of black-tailed horses and then quickly recognized Epona, now a full-grown horse. Snake drew close to her, but the horse moved away. So he pulled out the Ocarina of Time and played the melody taught to him by Malon seven years prior. Just as fast as she left, Epona quickly came back to Snake. He quickly mounted it and began riding it around for a short while before Ingo said, "Okay. That's enough. Snake finally proposed his plan.
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"This is a nice mare you've got here. You selling her to anyone?" Ingo grew a frown on his face, but then decided, "You know...you're not bad with that horse. Tell ya what. Let's make a little wager. 50 rupees." Ingo wanted to prove that Snake could not handle Epona and that he knew he'd never get the horse. "Sure. I'll go with it." Snake paid up 50 rupees and took Epona to the outside of the corral. The race started, and Ingo took a quick lead. Unfortunately for Ingo, his horse tripped on the 6th gap. "SHOOOOT!!!! NO, NO, NO!!" Snake quickly got the lead and beat Ingo in the race. "Shooot...if the great Ganondorf found out about this...hey you, old man. You want to race again? Tell ya what. If you win...you can keep that horse." "Go for it.," said Snake. The two raced again, and this time, Ingo stepped out far enough to get passed by Snake, who steered purposely steered in Ingo's way so he cold not pass. Snake won the race and Ingo grew furious. "Alright...you can keep the horse." But as he said that, he shut the gate. "But you'll never leave the ranch." Snake immediately drew his Bow and Arrow and said, "This better not be some sort of trap you have planned." Ingo quickly ran away in cowardice, but then Snake decided that, as opposed to dealing with Ingo, he would just escape the ranch. Snake took Epona and jumped the gap. The horse was now Snake's and he could cross the bridge in Gerudo Valley.

Snake took Epona on a running charge once inside the valley. The charge sent him over the bridge, where he saw a carpenter. "I am a master craftsman. The Gerudo thieves broke the bridge, so me and my boys went to fix it. But then they ditched me here and went to see the Gerudo Thieves because they said working as carpenters wasn't cool. If you're going over to the Gerudo's Fortress, would you mind seeing what my men are up to?

Snake rode Epona up to the Gerudo Valley when suddenly he saw Gerudo Thieves patrolling the area. "Oh yeah. This is what I do best!", Snake said. He got off of Epona and prepared for his first sneaking mission in a long time.
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*cue MGS theme*

Snake approached a wall and saw the Gerudo guards.

Call, Press
SELECT

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

Snake: This is Snake. I've infiltrated the Gerudo Valley, but it's crawling with Gerudo Guards.
Campbell: Snake, don't let them see you. Remember, you're now in the vicinity of a highly guarded area. Think back to all your missions and remember that this is a sneaking mission, now. If you let them see you, it could very well be over for you. Those Gerudo look like they are highly trained assassins.
Snake: Well, I have to find these four carpenters inside somehow.
Campbell: By the looks of it, I don't see them. They could have been taken prisoner, as it seems to be an all-woman squadron.
Snake: Looks like the frat boys didn't mix in well with the sorority.
Campbell: Snake, just be careful.

Snake looked around the rock and saw the guards' back turned. "I don't think I can just waltz past that many." Snake walked up close to her, and knocked on the wall. "What was that noise?" The Gerudo guard walked up, but Snake was able to throw her down on the ground, knocking her out. Snake walked by her and entered the building. He quietly walked in, checking his surroundings carefully. He looked up, just to make sure that there were no security cameras watching him. "No survelliance camera?" Fortunately, this was Hyrule, and it seemed that technology hasn't advanced that far yet. However, regardless of the area, Snake could not afford to take any chances. He walked in further and found a carpenter, locked up in a prison cell. "Hey, you. How did you get in here? You gotta have guts to try something like this. Well, I really want to get out, but I don't think there's a key around. Maybe a guard...has...one..." Snake saw the look in the carpenter's eye turn to horror. "BEHIND YOU!" Snake immediately rolled out of the way of an incoming Gerudo guard. "Dammit!" Snake's been discovered, but there were no other guards around, so he put his hands up ready to fight her. The Gerudo lunged herself at Snake, but Snake was able to quickly grab both of her hands, land a knee in her stomach, twist her body, break her arm, and send her away with a CQC throw. The assassin decided to retreat and dropped a key. Snake picked it up and opened the cell. "Thank you so much. We wanted to become thieves because being a carpenter really sucks, you know?" "You're better off doing a job you're good at than going to a place you're likely not welcome to," responded Snake. "Well, thanks. I'm going back!" The carpenter was free to go and Snake would continue his perilous sneaking mission.
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Snake entered the other way out of the building and would continue through. He snuck to the back of the fortress and saw some more Gerudo guards. Snake crept up to a wall beside one and when she came, Snake jumped out, grabbed her by the neck, and put her in a choke hold, making her pass out, and would continue moving forward until the next way inside. He moved in and saw a few Gerudo guards. Snake knocked on the wall and gained their attention. The guards moved in, but Snake saw that there was no other place to hide. The guards drew closer, and Snake was either going to exit or be seen and fight. But when the Gerudo guards showed up, they saw nothing except a wooden box...a box that Snake was hiding in. They moved forward anyway to check if he had tried to escape, but Snake moved, inside the wooden box, and went out. Another way was in front of him, so he moved inside and saw a cell. "Have you come to save me? Thanks! I was getting worried for...a...second...there..." The same emotion Snake saw in this carpenter's eyes led him to believe he was being ambushed yet again. This time, Snake turned around. "You won't be so lucky this time, old man!", The assassin had dropped down and engaged Snake. The guard struck at him with a blade, but Snake jumped back and dodged it. The Gerudo then proceeded to attempt a hilt strike, which actually caught Snake. However, the veteran soldier would not go down so easily, as she attempted to jump at him for a finishing blow, he ducked, gave her a leg sweep, grabbed her, turned her around, and punched the Gerudo hard enough in the stomach for her to go down. She got up and gave up the key, retreating in the process. "You're one sly old dog," said the carpenter. "Thanks. I'm going back." Two remained. So Snake left and made a quick turn, climbed some ivy, and entered the next door. Carpenter #3 was held inside. "Have you come to save me? Great, but don't let the...guards...see...you..." Snake knew what was coming, so he turned around and faced his next adversary. This one was the same as the last two he fought. She was a skilled assassin, but Snake fought much harder battles against deadlier assassins like Gray Fox. The warrior attacked, but Snake countered with the Master Sword, parrying her blow, and dropping a kick to her abdomen. She jumped back and rolled to the side, then sprang up with a spiraling strike. Snake blocked the attack with the shield, parrying the blow, and then proceeded to strike her in the face with it. However, unlike the other guards, this one was out cold. He got the key. "Thank you for saving me. One more of us remain. Hurry!" The carpenter was free and left the area.

Suddenly, a Gerudo guard walked in and saw her unconscios partner lying on the ground. Snake hid, but the guard walked back outside and yelled, "WE HAVE AN INTRUDER! DO NOT LET HIM ESCAPE!" The room Snake was in was quickly flooded with guards. They saw him and Snake proceeded to make his escape, as he was being tailed by incoming Gerudo soldiers.
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[ALERT]

Snake stormed out of the fortress with guards coming after him. He hid behind a wall, but a guard spotted him from the front. Snake quickly went inside of another room with a lone Gerudo Guard. He quickly apprehended her and put her in a choke hold. The other guards soon came in, but they stopped when they saw their fellow Gerudo put in a hostage position. Snake looked at them and said, "If you want her alive, release the carpenter." They just stood there, frozen, but not ready to give in. Snake dragged her behind a wall, out of their sight, and prompted to put her to sleep, then made his escape under another wooden box. The guards followed, but they saw their unconscious partner and no sign of their intruder.

Snake hid under the box while the Gerudo guards walked around. Finally, he heard a female voice go, "Attack team, come back at once! Guard team, stay alert!" The Gerudo guards gave up looking and Snake was free to go. In a twist of fortune, it happened to be the room with the last carpenter's cell. "Wow, you are one sneaky bastard!", said the carpenter, who was surprised. "I've faced goons with arms that put these spears to shame," responded Snake. "Well, I'm glad I can finally...go...free...now...uh-oh..." Snake turned aorund and the Gerudo assassin attacked. Finally, this process would be over. Snake promptly battled the ninja and simply rolled out of the way of an incoming attack and CQC slammed her. The ninja got up with a sword pointed at her face, retreated, and gave up the key. The final carpenter was free. "Yes...that's all of us. You're amazing. Now I'm going back to help my buds rebuild the bridge. Thank you again!" The carpenter was free to go. "You're pretty good to get past the Gerudo fortress here." Snake turned around and saw a Gerudo guard. However, she was not poised to attack, but was rather intrigued by Snake's skill. "I used to think all men were useless, but after that display, I'll have to rethink my opinion on you guys. Here, take this membership card. You can walk around here freely as a member of us." The Gerudo leader gave Snake the Gerudo Membership card. "The exalted Nabooru, our leader, put me in charge of this fortress. If you want to see her, she's at the end of this desert. Her headquarters are the Spirit Temple. But since you're now one of us, you're free to use the gates here." "You said the Spirit Temple is at the end of the desert?" "Yes. You can talk to the guard at the gate about it. But it's dangerous, so be careful." Snake walked out. While he refused to let his guard down, he noticed that the Gerudo walked around like nothing had happened. "You're pretty good, newcomer," said one impressed Gerudo. Snake walked to the gate and climbed up the ladder. "So you want to go to the desert?" "Yeah." "Okay. But you need to pass the two trials to get there. The first one is the River of Sand. You can't walk across the river, but when you get across, follow the flags we placed. The second is the Phantom Guide. Those without the eye of truth cannot see this guide. But if you insist on going, I won't stop you." The Gerudo clapped her hands and the gate opened up. "Good luck!" Snake climbed down the ladder and entered the Haunted Wasteland.
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Snake now entered the Haunted Wasteland. He needed to squint his eyes since it was so hot out there and the sand could blow in his eyes. He noticed some flags and then quicksand ahead of him. "Snake, don't move!" said the alerted Navi. Snaked looked at it and said, "You can't walk across it, but maybe..." He decided to equip the Hover Boots and preceded to cross the quicksand. "It's worth a shot". Snake made it without any effort and put his other boots back on. He saw flags ahead and decided to follow them. They were very hard to see, but they were the only other thing out there, anyway., so he would just have to follow the solid trail. Eventually, Snake noticed a fortress. "Let's chill here, Snake!" The fairy suggested a quick break. Snake walked in to sit for a moment. Suddenly, he heard a "whooshing" sound. "What the hell?" Snake looked outside and saw nothing. "Wait..." Snake put the Lens of Truth on and looked around and found a lone Poe sitting up there. Snake was ready to strike, but the Poe said, "Relax. I'm not here to fight. I'm the tour guide. Follow me and I'll take you to the Desert Colossus, but watch out. I won't stop for you, so you better keep up on those old, worn legs of yours." The ghosts comments were annoying, but not important, so Snake kept track of him. The ghost would go in various directions en route to the Desert Colossus. Leevers suddenly began to spring up from the ground. "No." Snake knew that these would only serve as a distraction and began to fight them off while keeping track of the Poe. "Wait, Snake!" Navi said. "They only have a one-track mind. You can just sidestep them." Snake knew this would make his trip easier and the Leevers were no longer a threat. Snake eventually made it to the Desert Colossus.

Once there, he looked around, hoping to find an oasis. Unfortunately, no such thing was in sight. Snake was running on the right side of the area, heading straight for the Spirit Temple, when Navi suddenly glowed green and flew to a wall. "Look, a crack!" Snake dropped a bomb and it blew the wall open. The two went inside and found a fairy fountain. "Wow, you don't see a lot of desert oasises like this." He saw the Hyrule crest and played the familiar Zelda's Lullabye, and suddenly, a Great Fairy sprung up. "Hello there, warrior. You must be tired of that long travel from the Geruo Valley. I'll fix you up!" The fairy healed Snake. "As a bonus, I'll also teach you this nice new spell! It's called Nayru's Love, and it makes you invincible for a short time." "Invincible?" "Yes. However, you can still be knocked back, but you won't take any damage." A glowing light surrounded Snake and suddenly he was able to cast a spell which created a blue diamond around his body. "Good luck on your travels. Use your spell wisely!" The fairy departed and the refreshed Snake made his way out. He once again headed for the Spirit Temple and made his way inside.

The Spirit Temple was a large, Egyptian-themed type of area. Snake walked up the stairs and saw some Armos. Snake approached them, but that's when they struck. Snake dispatched the creatures, but jumped back before they could self-destruct on him. WIth the knights taken care of, Snake was free to look around the temple. Unfortuntaely, all he could find was water flowing upwards and a small, narrow tunnel. "Damn!" Snake decided to leave for the time being to plan his next move. Upon leaving, a familiar face appeared. It was Sheik...
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"Past, present, future...The Master Sword is like a ship with which you can sail upstream and downstream through time's river...The port for that ship is in the Temple of Time...To restore the Desert Colossus and enter the Spirit Temple, you must travel back through time's flow... Listen to this Requiem of Spirit...This melody will lead a young man back to the desert." "I appreciate the compliment, although Colonel would disagree", replied Snake. The two pulled out their instruments and played the song. Sheik disappeared once more and Snake was left to finish his quest. He played the Prelude of Light and went back to the Temple of Time and placed the Master Sword back in. Now back in the past, Snake was young again. "Ah, feels good to put that damn thing back." Snake played the Requiem of Spirit and went back to the Desert Colossus, then entered the Spirit Temple. Inside, Snake ran up the stairs, only now, there was a young girl in the temple, probably in her late teens. As Snake approached the girl crouching over the vent, she stood up and faced. "Wow, what's a strong man like you doing here?", she asked. Snake decided to play it cool so she didn't get suspicious. "Nothing, really." Nabooru responded with, "You doing anything right now?" "Whoa," said Snake. "This isn't the time for asking me out, little lady. I have something I need to do, but here, I haven't a clue where to go right now." "I wasn't asking you out!", Nabooru giggled slightly and then continued. "But...if you're not doing anything else right now and your business is here...maybe you can help me...but just one thing." Nabooru cocked her eyebrow. "You're not a follower of Ganondorf, are you?" Snake replied, "Ganondorf? Nope. In fact, him and I have a little business to settle." "Alright!" Nabooru was glad. "You've got guts. I think I like you already!" Nabooru began to blush, but then continued. "I'm Nabooru, a Gerudo, and a lone wolf thief. But I'm not like Ganondorf, who murders others to gain his needs. An outsider like you may not know, but the Gerudo race consists entirely fo women. Only one man ever century is born, and according to Gerudo law, that man becomes the king of our race. But I would bever bow to that man." Nabooru was serious. Though they were the same race, Nabooru seemed to have more integrity than Ganondorf. "By the way, what's your name?" "Solid Snake". "Snake?" asked Nabooru. "What a weird name." "Well, where I'm from, real names don't matter anymore so they give you a name based on an animal." "I see."

"I want to ask you a favor", said Nabooru. "Will you go through this tiny hole and get the treasure that's inside?" Snake asked, "Why don't you? You're small enough to." "I would, but, well you see..." Nabooru was trying to make an excuse, but Snake stopped her. "Okay. I'll get them." "Great!", said Nabooru. "The treasure is the Silver Gauntlets. If you equip them, you can push and pull heavy things. But please let me have them. I'm sure a big, strong, soldier guy like you can more than manage heavy objects with your bare hands." Snake knew that Nabooru was hitting on him, but also got the message that maybe she wanted to be the one to accomplish her task and only needed assistance for getting them. "No problem." "Great. Ganondorf and his minions are using this place as their hideout. I want to go inside and screw up their plans! And if you get them back to me successfully...I'll do something great for you!" Nabooru began to blush again. "Alright. I'll be back shortly." Snake crawled through the hole and came to a room with two doors and another hole.
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Snake killed all the enemies in the room he had entered. Then he lit the torches and the bars on two doors. Snake chose to enter the left one. Inside, he saw a Stalfos and battled it. After killin the creature, he noticed a switch behind a metal grating. Snake threw the Boomerang and hit the switch, causing the device to fall. Snake entered the next room. In this room, he encountered a new enemy: Anubis. This creature would mirror Snake's moves; if he approached it, the creature would draw closer. If he backed away from it, the creature would retreat. Snake attacked it, but it merely spun around and hurled a blast of fire from its mouth. Snake jumped out of the way and noticed a switch. Snake activated it and flame walls came forth from the platforms. Snake tricked the creature into landing into the fire, kiliing it, and then approached the next door.

As Snake continued through the Spirit Temple, his thoughts returned. "Where is Zelda? Will I be meeting her soon, like that old attendant, Impa, says?" Snake returned his focus to the temple. Collecting Silver Rupees in this next room was easy. After he did that, he got the key and exited the room, which took him to the room he entered from the small space he crawled through. Snake crawled through the space between the doors and unlocked the next door that appeared. Proceedeing to kill the Skullwalltulas, Snake climbed a wall and did battle with a Lizalfos."Amateurs." Snake got into a CQCing position as the two rushed him. Snake dodged a blow, grabbed it in a chocke hold and held it hostage while the other Lizalfos ceased attacking. Snake threw his captive into its partner and then proceeded to slam their heads together, knocking them both unconscious. With them out of the picture, Snake hit a switch where a treasure chest fell. Inside was a new item; Bombchus. "Hmm...remote Bombs. C4 on wheels." Snake used them to hit the wall and detonate a weak structure. Sunlight shone forth and hit the sun decoration on the floor, causing the door to open.

Snake has now reached the main room. "Snake, take a look at that hideous thing. It must be the Desert Goddess. Its eyes are so evil!" Navi noticed the colossal statue in one part of room. Snake couldn't really find a comment on it, so he moved on and continued through the temple. Moving sun blocks in a later part of the room was an easy trial, as Snake would just find the right one, enter the next room, and be inside of a throne room, so to speak. Because inside was a red carpet leading to a brick seat with a suit of armor sitting there. "What the hell?" Snake looked inside the suit of armor, but found nothing. "Maybe iron man here has something to share with us." As Snake knocked on the suit's head, it suddenly started to move. "Get back, Snake!" Navi made a quick warning as the Iron Knuckle got up and struck.
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Snake backflipped away from its incoming attack with a huge axe, and proceeded to battle it. Armed with the primitive weapons of Hyrule, Snake felt that he was in for a rough battle. He drew the Kokiri Sword and attacked the creature, but it only served as a counter-attack for the incoming axe, which Snake ducked. Unfortunately, he noticed strands of hair fall to the floor while the Iron Knuckle's armor was unscathed. "Damn!" However, as Snake began to realize how powerful this new enemy was, he remembered something. Recalling back to his earlier trial, he remembered something he said: "C4 on wheels." Snake was very skilled with explosives, much more than the common Hyrulian weapons, and realized that this was his only shot. Snake pullled out a Bombchu and launched it at the Iron Knuckle. The Bombchu exploded and Snake noticed several dents in the creature's armor. Snake launched two more and soon after, the armor was off. Unfortunately, not only was Snake getting low on Bombchus, but the Iron Knuckle, having lost its armor, was now much faster. However, this left it open to attack. The creature swung its sword, but Snake rolled out of the way and put his Kokiri Sword through it. As the creature was incapacitated, Snake unleashed a combo of a few punches, a side-kick, and an elbow, and finally drew the dagger out of the creature's torso and snapped its neck. The Iron Knuckle fell into a heap and the door behind it was unlocked. "I think tin head here didn't get an oil change.", remarked Snake. Navi giggled, and the two entered the door. Inside was a large treasure chest containing the Silver Gauntlets. Snake had completed his quest for the item and now needed to finish the mission by returning them to Nabooru. Snake walked out and was greeted by the wise owl who he has seen many times in his journey.

"Hey Snake, what's up?" The owl was pleased to see Snake. "A long time in this world seems to be no matter to you, does it?" "My legs and back would strongly disagree.", replied Snake. "Oh ho ho. I see. But even I thought the legend of a hero traveling back and forth between time was merely a legend. Snake, you have become a great hero. From now on, the prosperity of Hyrule rests in your shoulders. It's not my time anymore, but I have one last bit of advice for you. This temple is inhabited by two witch sisters. In order to defeat them, turn their own magic against them. That's all from me, but I will continue to watch! Hoot hoot hoot!" With that, the wise owl flew away. Snake suddenly heard a woman's scream. He looked around and finally looked to the ground below and saw Nabooru being sucked into a dark vortex with two evil witches swirling around her. These witches could only be the ones the owl referred to. "Get away from her!" Snake drew the slingshot, but the witches continued. Snake thought to himself, "This is ridiculous without a SOCOM or a USP.", but then Nabooru cried out. "Snake, get away! Save yourself!" Snake wanted to save her, but unfortunately there was nothing he could do at this point. She was sucked away and the witches headed inside. Snake attempted to chase them, thought better of it, and returned to the Temple of Time to finish his duty in the future. He was not at all looking forward to battling two sorceresses nor was he looking forward to aging into an old man, but he had no choice, and drew the Master Sword from its pedestal...
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Snake was now an aged man again. He warped back to the Spirit Temple and entered the inside. He ran up the stairs and saw a giant block where the water geyser used to be. "That's a huge block. Will these Silver Gauntlets really do the trick?" Snake equipped the Silver Gauntlets and proceeded to move the block with ease. "Incredible!", Navi remarked. The block was sent into a hole. Perhaps during the seven years, the witches chose to drain the water and do remodeling. Or maybe it was a trap planned by Ganondorf all along. Whatever the case, it was not to stop the veteran soldier to think about it. He continued moving.

This was an entirely new area, so new traps were at the ready. Beamos in big rooms and Leevers coming out of sand were only the start of the problem. Snake would have to jump across platforms and play the Song of Time just to position a blue block correctly, or battle more dangerous creatures such as the deadly Dinolfos. When Snake made his way up the temple, he was forced to battle the creatures. They were like Lizalfos, only more deadly. The elite lizardmen of Ganon's army were tougher to take down, but not enough to do any damage to the legendary Solid Snake, who would engage them in battle sword and shield out, but would then sheathe them. The Dinolfos would come in for an attack, only to be hit with a surprise mortal strike when it least expected it. The other DInolfos took no chances and made a rush to Snake. Unfortunately, the creature met its end when Snake decided to sweep kick the creature, tripping it, and then finishing it with a stab through the heart. The creatures were dispatched and Snake had a feeling they were guarding something. Sure enough, the Mirror Shield was inside a nearby treasure chest. Snake would use his new equipment to reflect light onto the sun symbols.

Using this new ability, Snake was able to solve the puzzles ahead, which included obtaining the Boss Key. A run-in with a Wallmaster was only expected from so many sun targets in a room, but since Snake could quickly see the shadow, he merely shot an arrow through its palm before it could even land. But after the Mirror Shield, few tasks were left, one of these being at the top of the Spirit Temple. Inside the top room was a White Bubble, like the one Snake saw at the Bottom of the Well in Kakariko, except without a green flame, and some movable mirrors to reflect light from. Snake was Snake used his expert shooting skills to take the White Bubbles out from afar and proceeded to move the mirrors into position. "You need to light the switch, but with what?" Snake noticed the mirrors' position did not match to the light. "That is...unless you need one more mirror?" Snake took notice of his new shield and reflected the light from the mirror, which in turn, lit the sun symbol. The platform came down and light could shine forth. Snake took the platform down to the big central room of the Spirit Temple. "Look! It's that scary-looking desert goddess!" said Navi. "Then let's remove that ugly look on her face." Snake had a good idea that the light was pointing down for a reason. He shone the light forth and the face crumbled, revealing an opening. Snake used the Hookshot to enter the inside and opened the door. Inside, he found a lone Iron Knuckle. But...something was not right...
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We've made it all the way to the end of the Spirit Temple. Solid Snake must now confront the mysterious Iron Knuckle character. But...what's so strange about this one? The red parts around the armor? The unfamiliar movement for an Iron Knuckle?
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Solid Snake encountered an Iron Knuckle and two witches. Koume and Kotake. These are the same witches who sent Nabooru into a rift seven years before. "Look, Koume!" said Kotake, the ice sister. "We have a visitor.", said Koume, the fire sister. The two would talk after one another. "What an outrageous fellow." "Servant. Take care of this pest!" With that, the two sisters vanished, leaving Snake with the Iron Knuckle. The creature got up from its throne, but not with an axe in hand. Quickly realizing its mistake, the Iron Knuckle snapped its fingers and an axe appeared in its hands. Navi made a quick giggle, but then realized the seriousness of the situation. "Another one. Get ready." Snake began to lob Bombchus and Bombs at the Iron Knuckle, weakening its armor. The creature gave chase, but in one final blow, Snake lifted the armor off the creature with a mighty blow from the Master Sword. "Damn. I was better with the explosives."

In an ironic twist of events, the Iron Knuckle did not become merely faster, nor did it collapse. The helmet fell and soon did the armor afterwards, and underneath it all was a pretty woman, Nabooru. It was the same Nabooru who Snake planned to collaberate with on his first visit to the Spirit Temple. "Unnh...where am I?" Nabooru returned to normal. "Nabooru? What the hell did they do to you?" asked Snake. "Snake? Is that you?" Nabooru could only barely recognized the aged veteran, whose hair had become white like the clothes the Gerudo had worn, not the dark-haired mullet that she once was attracted to. "Well, Koume. Looks like she's back to normal." "Yes, Kotake. Perhaps we should brainwash her again and she shall work for Ganondorf once more!" The twin witches charged up a blast. Nabooru tried to escape, but was hit and vanished. "NABOORU!!!" Snake has seen this sort of thing before on Shadow Moses island, when he last met with Gray Fox. To think that a friend who was once long lost would appear once more only to be cast aside as dead. "Eee hee hee!" The sisters vanished into the next room. Snake went through the boss room and made his way tot he platform. "Look at that corny old man." The old man comments could wait. Snake had a death to avenge. "WIth my flame, I will burn him to the bone!" "With my frost, I will freeze him to his soul!" The sisters were now ready for battle. Twinrova, the twin sorceress' now swirled about Snake. Snake drew his weapon out, but then remembered the wise owl's words. "Turn their power back against them." Snake had the Mirror Shield. Taking elements into consideration, one would have to be weak to the other.
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Koume launched a blast of flame at Snake. He knew that this would hurt immenesly if he was hit, but instead chose to deflect the blast at the sorceress' sister. "Koume! Watch your aim, you old hag!" Kotake was furious and launched a blast of ice at Snake, who also deflected the blast at Koume. "You fool! Get your eyes checked!" The sisters began flustered at each other, then both realized that they would not win separately. "Argh. Our little tag-team won't do much good if we keep hitting each other. Maybe we'll just go at him directly!" "Koume and Kotake's Double Dynamite Attack!" As the sisters spun around, a magic aura surrounded them. Suddenly, what appeared to be a beautiful Gerudo witch appeared. But it was none other than Twinrova, the form the two sisters took when they fused together. "Snake, that power is enormous!" said Navi, who feared it. "Navi, just remember. The bigger they are, the harder they fall." "Watch your mouth, old coot!" said the now-fused sorceress. As she said that, she launched a bolt of fire at Snake. Snake absorbed the blast with the Mirror Shield. "Have some more!" She launched another blast, but Snake also absorbed it. "Think you're so smart, huh? Well, take this!" This time, Twinrova launched a blast of ice. However, Snake was smart enough as to not let the shield absorb it to cool the flames. "Grrr...he makes my blood boil!" Twinrova shot flame without thinking twice. "NO! THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!" Snake absorbed the blast and the 3x flame blast from the Mirror Shield came bursting forth, striking Twinrova down. "Now, Snake!" said Navi.

Snake dove to the platform and stuck the sword deep in Twinrova's chest. "AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!" A light burst forth and the sisters were separated again. "Grrr...this old man is fresh. Let's get serious, Kotake." But when she spoke this, the most strangest of occurances happened: Koume had a halo above her head!" "Hey Koume, what's that over your head?" "I don't know, Kotake, but you have one over your head, too." The witches were dead, but that did not stop them from their endless bickering. "I can't die! I'm only 400!" "And I'm only 380 years old!" "How can you be 380? We're twins!" "Have you gone senile?" "Who are you calling senile? *Is that how you treat your older sister?" "We're twins! How can you be older?" "Kyaaah! How can you be so heartles? " "Heartless? How can you be ungrateful?" "You heartless..." "You ungrateful..." It was times like this Snake was glad his old age's side effect of poor hearing would actually come in handy. Navi on the other hand couldn't help but continue laughing. The twins disappeared. Suddenly, a Heart Piece appeared along with a blue light. Snake grabbed the Heart Piece and moved into the blue light.
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Snake was again in the Chamber of Sages, where he met Nabooru. "Snake, you came. I can't believe how you've...aged." "It happens when you're an old soldier.", said Snake, even though it was not the true reason he suffered from accelerated aging. It was his genetic structure of being a clone that gave him the side-effect from accelerated aging. "Oh...before I forget, let me give you this. The Spirit Medallion is now yours. Take it, because I want to get Ganondorf back for what he did to me." Nabooru gave Snake the final medallion he needed. Snake left the area in a flash of light. As he did that, Nabooru's last words called out to him. "If only I'd have kept my promise a little sooner..."

Back outside of the Spirit Temple, Snake called up the Colonel.

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

Snake: Colonel, this is Snake. I've retrieved all seven medallions.
Campbell: Excellent work, Snake. Now head for Ganon's Castle. You'll need those medallions to cross the bridge!

But as Snake hung up the Codec, he was suddenly contacted by a telepathic power. It was Raoru. "Snake, the six sages have been awakened! The time has come to take the battle directly to Ganondorf. But first...you must meet the one who's been waiting for you. The final sage...the Sage of Light." "Sage of Light?", asked Snake. "Yes," said Raoru. "Meet her at the Temple of Time." Snake knew that this would be an important task first, since he could go directly to Ganondorf afterwards.