Tying Up Loose Ends

We have a few last things we need to do before we can wrap up the first part of the story.  Basically, before I enter the Temple of Time, I enjoy completing the Happy Mask trading quest (borrowing the Mask of Truth on a permanent basis), collecting skulltullas and doing a few other things that we can't do in our adulthood.  After all, we want to make sure there's nothing loose that we can do now that we can't do then.  After all this is done, we head to the Temple of Time...but before we even get there...

In front of the gates to Hyrule Castle we are confronted by Ganondorf for the first time as Zelda makes her escape with Impa.  This is an awesome scene as Link totally, and obviously, doesn't know what the hell is going on or what the hell he is doing but he obviously cares about what happens to Zelda as he gets in Ganondorf's way.  The villain, being the power-crazed fool he is, shows off, ignoring the Ocarina of Time that was just thrown into the moat behind him (hehe).  Now we have all the keys, after doing a little diving.

In the Temple of Time, we hear some of the most awesome music in the game.  I love the Song of Time, it's one of my favorites.  I do wish the Temple of Time was a dungeon in this game (later in the series, it will be, so I'm not too disappointed).  Anyway, we prepare for one of the most awesome cutscenes in the entire game and series: Link pulls the Master Sword from the pedestal.  It is not the first time he has done this, but this time, when he does so, he is transported to the Sacred Realm.

Apparently, Link's soul has been kept here in the Sacred Realm (which is the Light Temple) for seven years.  Now, he is the hero of legend, capable of weilding the Master Sword and fighting against Ganon.  This is what we are told by Rauru, the Sage of Light, and the only awakened sage.  It is now our quest (we completed our first one, remember, but it didn't save Hyrule...) to awaken the remaining sages and add their power to our own.  Sounds easy enough, right?  Yeah, sure.