Gate of Time

The Gates of Time are a pair of gates that appear in Skyward Sword. Each gate is capable of creating a portal through time to travel to the era just after Hylia's fight with Demise.

Features
The Gate of Time looks like a giant gear being spun by two smaller gears in either upper corner. It has 12 teeth and a symbol on each tooth, bearing resemblance to the hour indicators on a clock. The Triforce can be seen in the center of the gear surrounded by the symbols of Din, Nayru and Farore and what appears to be musical notation. When the gate is touched, a spiral of hollow, blue gear shapes appear to indicate that it is open, and the original glassy surface reappears when it is closed.

History
The first Gate of Time Link encounters is in the Temple of Time in the Lanayru Desert. Impa and Zelda are about to enter its threshold when Ghirahim appears and attacks. Link intervenes after Impa is overwhelmed by Ghirahim's power and Zelda entrusts the Goddess's Harp to him just before they both escape, destroying the Gate of Time behind them.

Link travels to the Sealed Grounds where the old woman reveals the existence of a second Gate of Time. Ghirahim learns about the second Gate of Time from a drawing in the Fire Sanctuary. To activate it, Link must temper the Goddess Sword into the Master Sword by obtaining the three Sacred Flames hidden in the Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru provinces. Eventually Link is successful in this endeavor, though his efforts necessitate resealing The Imprisoned on multiple occasions, and meets Zelda in the distant past. After she enters a deep slumber, Link uses the gate again to return to the future and quest after the Triforce. He uses the gate during this mission to plant the Life Tree Seedling in the past and recover the Life Tree Fruit in the present to revive Lanayru.

After Link wishes upon the Triforce for the destruction of Demise in the present, Ghirahim abducts Zelda and takes her through the gate in an attempt to revive Demise in the past. Link and Groose follow through the gate to rescue Zelda, and after they succeed, they use the gate a final time to return to the future.

Trivia

 * The pattern on the gate can be seen on the game's box art. On the boxart, the words "Wisdom", "Nehru", "Power", "Din" and "-rol" can be seen written in Twilight Princess Hylian. This text has been removed from active Gates of Time, but can be faintly seen on the broken gate in the Temple of Time.