Great Plateau: Night…

Link and Roxas stood across from the now dead King of Hyrule as he explained, mostly to Link, about the Great Calamity. "The Great Calamity was merciless. It devastated everything in its path a century ago, and it was during this time that my life was taken from me."

"I don't…" Link cleared his throat and licked his lips. "I don't understand. What is the calamity?"

"Perhaps hearing of it shall awaken something within you." The king stated. "To know Calamity Ganon's true form, one must know the story from an age long past. The demon king was born into this kingdom long ago. Legends speak of a man while others speak of a beast.

Either way, the legends always speak of terrible power and destruction left in its wake. The horror you see now is what is left of that being. He was transformed by Malice and an endless cycle of death and rebirth. Many in the kingdom had long since forgotten the truth of Ganon.

They were legends. Fairy tales. Then, when I was a younger man, there was a fortune teller who told me a prophecy. He told me that the signs of Ganon's resurrection were clear, and that the power to oppose him lied dormant under the ground."

The king turned to them. "I did not believe him at first, but there were… other things that convinced me of his legitimacy." He looked away. "He disappeared soon thereafter. I do not know what happened to him, nor where he came from.

Ultimately, we decided to heed the prophecy and began excavating large areas of land. It wasn't long before we discovered several ancient relics made by the hands of our distant ancestors. These relics, gods curse them, were giant machines piloted by warriors."

His expression darkened, and his ethereal hands clenched into tight fists. "We also discovered the Guardians. You likely saw them outside of the temple. These mechanical creations were autonomous soldiers created to fight Calamity Ganon eons ago.

Our legends spoke of these, and the learned among us knew there was some truth to be had. Those legends also spoke of a princess with a sacred power and her appointed knight chosen by the sword of evil's bane. Also known as the sword that would seal the darkness.

They alone had the power to battle and seal Ganon. One hundred years ago, there was a princess set to inherit that sacred power, and a skilled knight at her side," King Rhoam looked to Link, and the boy felt a shiver run down his spine.

"It was clear that we were to follow our ancestors' path, so we selected four skilled individuals from across Hyrule. They were tasked with the duty of piloting the Divine Beasts. Mipha, the Zora; Daruk, the Goron; Urbosa, the Gerudo; Revali, the Rito.

With the princess as their commander, we dubbed these pilots Champions. A name that would solidify their unique bond." King Rhoam looked back out at the castle wistfully. "The princess, her appointed knight, and the rest of the Champions were on the brink of sealing away Ganon.

They were so very close; however, Ganon was cunning and responded with a plan beyond our imagining. "He appeared from deep beneath Hyrule Castle before seizing control of the Divine Beasts and the Guardians turning them against us."

Something about hearing the Divine Beat being seized brought anger to Link's heart.

The king's expression grew bitter. "The Champions lost their lives. Most residing in the castle and the city around it did as well. The appointed knight was gravely wounded in defense of the princess."

This triggered more emotions within Link. Fear. Pain. Desperation… Resignation. He reached out a shaking hand and placed it against the jagged wall.

"And thus, the kingdom of Hyrule was destroyed. Devastated absolutely by Calamity Ganon." The king looked at Link and seemed to silently acknowledge what he was feeling. "Fortunately, the princess survived…"

Relief washed over the hero. It was like a sudden weight had lifted off Link's chest. He didn't know why, but it was imperative to him to know that this princess had survived.

"…And she faced Ganon alone." The King finished

Silence fell between them. Link didn't know what to say. What to ask. Deep down, he felt as though he knew this yet had nothing beyond a rush of emotions that had faded as quickly as they'd risen. Even though Roxas had heard this before, he had nothing to say either.

"That princess was my daughter, Zelda…" The King eventually continued. "…and the courageous knight who protected her right up until the very end… Well, I am sure that you have already determined the truth. That knight was you, Link."

Link exhaled slowly and tried to consider how he felt about receiving this news. If true, then it would explain his skills and abilities. That was comforting, in a way, to know that there was an explanation. He'd been a protector. A knight.

He suddenly stopped as there was something more. "I wasn't just a knight… I'd been chosen and tasked with defeating the creature currently inhabiting the castle."e"I O

"You fought valiantly, but your fate took an unfortunate turn." The King informed. "You were taken to the Shrine of Resurrection deep within the bedrock of the Great Plateau. Now, here you stand one hundred years later. Even now, Zelda works to restrain Ganon.

I fear that my daughter's power will soon be exhausted." His expression was grave. "Ganon appears to press and fight her control more than ever now, and it has been many years since I last heard her voice. Once her power is gone, Ganon will freely regenerate himself.

Then, I am certain that nothing will stop him from killing Zelda and consuming our land." The King bowed his head and both boys noticed the incredible pain in his expression. "Ultimately, I was unable to save my own kingdom. In fact, my mistakes may have contributed to its downfall.

I have no right to ask this of you, not after all that you have sacrificed already, but I am powerless here. Link, you must save my daughter. Roxas, I beg that you continue to aid the hero all the way until the end. Both of you, please annihilate Ganon."

The world seemed to spin around Link. He couldn't breathe. He could barely think. He'd just woken up. He didn't know who he was, where he was, or how he'd gotten here. Now this… task. This burden. Did the king know how absurd this sounded? Did he know how wrong this was?

But no, he wasn't even sure the king was paying attention to him now. The spirit's eyes had grown distant and his tone more commanding. He was no longer an old man or even a pleading father. He was a king giving an order he expected to be followed. That felt familiar.

Roxas could no longer remain silent, so he stepped up to Link's side getting the hero's attention. "I only know this plateau, and basically what you were told now. I don't really know what's out there, and I may one day have to leave you to fulfill my own goals.

What I can tell you now is that I've become committed to helping you end this. I'll stick with you for as long as I can. If that means fighting Calamity Ganon, then I'll join you in that fight." He shrugged. "I've had practice taking on big monsters anyways.

Link smiled gratefully. Honestly, to Roxas, this felt a lot like the time he'd spent with Axel. Sure, Link was a lot more put to together than the Nobody had been, but Roxas was coming to understand how Axel must have seen him before everything went downhill.

Over the few days they'd been together, Roxas wanted to be there for Link. Beyond that, he could understand having people rely on you. The difference is that this didn't seem to be like his situation. Roxas was certain the king wasn't like Xemnas.

"I would hold off on storming the castle right away." The King spoke up. "I know not whether Ganon still controls the Guardians that surround the castle, or if they even still function. I know less about the Divine Beasts, but I can say it'd be foolish to rush into something like this.

Preparations must be made." He pointed outward and the boys stepped up beside him to see he was pointing at a mountain that had been cleaved. "To the east, there is a village in the wilderness. The northbound road, beyond Dueling Peaks, will lead you to Kakariko Village.

There, you will find the elder, Impa, assuming she still lives. Like I, she was set to wait these last hundred years for your return, Link, and I believe she will be able to tell you more of the path that lies before you.

I know that this is a great deal for you to take in, my boy, and there is little I can say or do to make it any less so." The King looked to Roxas and smiled. "That said, I believe you have a steadfast ally at your side, so you hardly need me."

Link glanced at his partner before nodding with a smile. "It's good to know I'm not alone in this." He looked to the king. "How will I defeat Ganon?"

Link knew it was a foolish question. If the king had that answer, he would have already said as much. Perhaps even found another to enact the plan. Still, he felt the need to ask.

"I do not know," King Rhoam smiled sadly. "but I am confident Impa will have some thoughts on the matter. She was always among the craftiest of Sheikah, and if Zelda has begun to speak to you, then perhaps she has also discovered a weakness in Calamity Ganon."

"Do you at least know how I get off the plateau." Link pointed to Roxas. "I can't glide like him."

The king laughed and placed an ethereal hand on Link's shoulder. "My boy, that is something I can assist with." He turned and floated to a chest in the corner. "While I did not know how long you would slumber, I have been preparing for this day. Both of you, come here."

The boys stepped over to the chest and opened it. Link pulled out a warm doublet, a pair of gloves, and a length of rope. Roxas pulled out a rather sizable pouch which contained several multi-colored gems cut into hexagonal shapes.

Most of the gems were green, blue, or red. Though there were a few purples in there among one silver and even a gold gem. Roxas nodded as he'd been taught about the currency that had been used in this world, but Link looked at them in confusion.

"Rupees." Roxas replied. "Hylia says they're still the accepted form of currency around Hyrule."

"I spent years investigating the Great Plateau and looked where not even the Bokoblins would scrounging up as much as I could." The King added. "When all was said and done, that's seven hundred Rupees for the two of you."

Link nodded before looking at the final item which had been at the bottom of the chest. At first, it appeared to just be a brown cloth, but further inspection revealed a wooden frame around the cloth. The frame had been folded thanks to a few simple metal joints along the wood.

The hero unfolded the frame, locking the joints, and was surprised to find that it was larger than he initially thought. With the frame unfolded, the brown cloth stretched out to reveal a simple, yet stylized, image of a bird woven into the fabric.

"That, is my paraglider." The King stated proudly. "It is a special piece of equipment, and one that served me well for many years. It is no longer of any use to me, but I believe that you may benefit greatly from it considering the recent resurgence of those towers.

It was made with special Rito fabric that is extremely lightweight and particularly adept at catching even the slightest breeze. It will allow its user to glide off any height and slow any fall. It can be terrifying at first, but once you grow accustomed to it, the air will be open to you."

"What's happening to you?" Link asked.

King Rhoam began to grow translucent and only now noticed it. "Well, looks like my time has finally come." He smiled. "Roxas, you are a strong young man… please watch out for the hero on this journey."

Roxas nodded. "I promise."

"Link, seek out Impa, or whoever she entrusted with her knowledge if she has passed on. That is where you will find the information you seek." The King then looked him in the eyes. "Also, please take care of my daughter. She has waited all this time for you. Farewell."

They watched as the king's ethereal glow faded along with his body. Soon, he was gone leaving the partners alone within the Temple of Time's steeple.

"Hey Roxas, be honest with me." Link stated getting the Nobody's attention. "Think we can actually do this?"

"I don't know, but I am willing to try." Roxas stated.

"Yeah." Link looked out at the castle in the distance before nodding firmly. "Me too."

Night…

The partners had decided to make camp in the steeple and would glide out from it the next day as practice before heading for the edge of the plateau. After finishing off what was left of their earlier lunch, they were relaxing. The hero looked to the Nobody before deciding to speak up.

"Hey Roxas, I appreciate what you said with the King, but don't you have anyone out there waiting for you?" Link asked.

"Waiting for me…" Roxas mumbled.

He looked out the broken window and at the castle. Images of Axel and Xion played though his mind before it shifted to their last meetings.

"One day, I hope they will be waiting for me again." Roxas sighed as the last image to play through his mind was of them on the clock tower with their ice cream. "Right now, I'd say they're waiting on me to become stronger."

"Hm…" Link nodded. "Is one of them a girl you're crushing on?"

Roxas raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean by 'crushing on'?"

"Are you kidding me?" Link's eyes widened. "I don't even have that many memories, yet even I know what that is." Roxas merely shook his head. "You've never had a crush? You know when you like-like someone."

When he mentioned that, the hero felt a little warmth in his own chest, but without a memory of who he'd liked like that, it quickly faded.

"Like-like someone? Is that different from just liking someone?" Roxas asked. "I like you, so does that mean I have a crush on you?"

If Link couldn't tell Roxas was serious, he might have been embarrassed by such a question. As it stood, he ended up laughing which only made his partner frustrated.

"I'm sorry." Link collected himself. "I'm not laughing at you. I'm laughing at the idea of you genuinely not knowing this. Look, it's not the same. A crush means you want to be with that person romantically. Like on a date or something."

"Oh." Roxas uttered as he finally began to comprehend the term.

He knew what the dictionary definition of romance was; however, he had never felt the urge, nor did he understand the feeling per say. That might have been because he'd spent such a long time even grasping friendship.

"So, you've never had a crush?" Link asked in disbelief. "Someone you were close to?"

Roxas pondered that as his face scrunched in confusion. "I… I'm not sure."

"Did none of your friends ever get that close?" Link asked.

"What does he mean by that?" Roxas looked at his partner. "Is a crush a closer form of friendship?"

The question only brought about more questions. Just as he thought he had begun to understand the term, this new person threw in a comment that completely derailed his thinking. He had never connected friendship to romance.

As far as Roxas had known, romance was its own thing. If a crush was related to romance, and a friendship somehow related to a crush, did that mean that friendship had some sort of correlation to romance? Did he feel such a way for Axel or Xion?

"Well, it can be." Link chuckled. "Sometimes, a friend becomes a crush. Sometimes, it can be someone who doesn't even know you. I personally think it all depends on the person."

"This doesn't make sense to me." Roxas sighed as he laid back exasperated. "So, a crush can be anyone?"

"Pretty much." Link replied.

"Great, I'm totally confused." Roxas began trying to conclude why he wouldn't understand. "Does having a crush have anything to do with your heart?"

"Yeah, I'd say it does." Link replied. "I mean sure, you don't love the person yet, but feelings certainly start to appear."

"Oh." Just like that, Roxas felt much calmer as all the pieces fell into place. "That makes sense then."

Now, Link was the confused one. "Why?"

"It's not important you understand this." Roxas stood as again he didn't want to get into what being a Nobody meant. "I think I'm going to take a walk before bed."

Roxas left while Link just stared at his back. "You just keep raising more and more questions." He shifted his gaze to the floor. "What are you not telling me Roxas?"

Despite all that's happened between them since he woke up, Link knew Roxas wasn't obligated to share everything about himself. The more questions Roxas raised; the more Link wanted to get to the bottom of them.

With Link

He decided to focus on learning more about the runes. Sure, the shrines had been a good introduction, but it was never too early to start training with them. He got down from the steeple and held out the Sheikah Slate.

He brought up his runes and decided to mess around with the Telescope Rune since it was the easiest function to get down. He looked at his surroundings and messed with the zoom feature. While this wasn't useful in combat, he's seen how useful it could be with scouting.

He spent a bit more time messing with this rune before deciding he'd had enough. He already knew the answer when his eyes settled on the Cryonis Rune. When he first used it, he'd read how it was only useful around water, and the nearest body was a little further than he wanted to go.

Instead, he went onto the Stasis Rune which bathed the aera in a yellow light. A small cross symbol had also appeared in its center, and as this cross was drawn over various objects, they were highlighted with a brighter yellow light.

He highlighted a small stick on the ground and a beam of yellow light shot out from the Sheikah Slate striking it. Rather than now hit it, Link decided to really test how effectively the rune could freeze something. The hero approached and knelt before reaching to touch the stick.

He was surprised to find that it did not move at all from his touch. He attempted to pick it up, but it wouldn't budge. Eventually, he set the Sheikah Slate down and tried to use both hands. He could not get his fingers under the stick easily.

Link was amazed. "That is more than I thought it'd do." He noticed that the light around the stick began to pulse until the stick went flying into the air and spinning away a good distance. "So, anything can potentially give the object motion."

After finding this out, he successfully launched several objects into the night. That seemed like a good amount of practice, so he moved onto Magnesis. Per Roxas' suggestion, he used it on his weapons and began practicing better control over them.

Once he did this well enough with several of the metal weapons he had, Link moved onto the last two runes, the bombs. He summoned forth the spheres and cubes before throwing them away and detonating them.

With Roxas

Roxas ended up near the Shrine of Resurrection where he did much the same as Link. He worked through his new magic casting various Elemental Bombs, Magnet, Stop, and Aero. Despite how weird yet familiar Aero felt, he didn't slack on using it.

Aero cast the wind barrier around Roxas, but it didn't block much considering he wasn't facing an enemy. He used Magnet on some arrows in the area manipulating them with the small amount of time he hand. Stop was used on the fireflies and worked as it should.

Roxas would sprinkle in Aero, Fire, Thunder, and Blizzard Bombs between each spell. Eventually, he was out of magic for the night and decided to sit underneath the overhanging rock down the road. Roxas then spotted a nearby stick and decided to write in the dirt.

Day 361: Shrines

I met the hero of this world, and we've spent a few days together as partners. This has born fruit as I have gained access to four new spells. That's not even mentioning the Spirit Orbs which can be used to power us both up if we bring four of them to Goddess Statues.

The hero, Link, is curious about everything, and that unfortunately includes me. He only seems slightly frustrated at the lack of answers he has concerning me. Still, he is skilled in combat and cooking, so I can see why he is Hylia's chosen hero…

Writing about Hylia reminded Roxas of what she told him. "I have darkness within me, enough that she could notice it, but when I use my Limit, that results in light." Roxas summoned Oathkeeper and Oblivion. "Light… Darkness…"

When he thought about the light, it effortlessly encircled Oathkeeper and Oblivion. Roxas then ceased the light and looked to Oblivion. He tried to bring about the darkness that the goddess had seen within him. All he achieved was a faint, black glow around the handle before it dissipated.

"Light & Darkness." Roxas closed his eyes as images of his battle with Saix played through his mind. "I did manage to defeat Saix, but the battle was taxing. Unlike most members of Organization 13, he's mastered his Limit to the point that it has two stages.

The first can be activated at will while the second is all the stronger for it. Ultimately, I still overcame him, but that doesn't mean I can't learn anything from him." Roxas looked at his keyblades. "I should strive to reach Saix's control over my Limit while also improving it.

Light & Darkness. Two things that should oppose each other; however, they exist within me. While it may take extensive training, that's exactly why I escaped in the first place." He had his keyblades disappear. "I need to delve into my darkness before working to combine the two."

Morning…

The boys woke up to the sun beginning to rise just to the left of the distant Dueling Peaks. The sky was still dark to the west but lightened to shades of violet and pink the further east they looked. For a time, they simply watched the sunrise gradually bathing the land in its light.

It was a peaceful moment, but it had to end as the pair had to get moving. Link took out his paraglider and looked at it dubiously. Eventually, he stepped towards the busted-out section of the steeple. The plan was to glide here before making for the end of the plateau and gliding off it.

"The king said the paraglider would slow my fall." Link thought. "Will it work when jumping off of the Temple of Time?"

"Don't worry." Roxas spoke up. "If this doesn't work, I'll jump out and catch you."

Link nodded back at him before taking a deep breath. Before he could second guess himself, the hero jumped from the steeple. He gripped the glider tightly, and it slowed his decent as the air rushed in. Amazingly, he slowly floated down to the ground.

Roxas had jumped out after him and came to glide alongside the hero. When they touched down on the ground, Link did so just as gently as the Nobody. No broken legs. Not even as much as a bruised foot.

Link then folded the paraglider and put it away with a smile. "Alright, I think I'm ready to glide off the plateau."

Roxas nodded. "Then, let's get going."

As they walked, Link ended up picking off a few boars in the distance and scavenging whatever food he could. During this time, the pair expected to be attacked like the previous days, but no attack came.

"Maybe that string of bodies we left in our wake scared other Bokoblins off." Link stated.

"Considering they're all created from the calamity, it's possible they know we felled their allies." Roxas admitted. "Though, I wouldn't hold my breath on that."

"That's a fair point." Link admitted. "If they are all connected to Calamity Ganon, and he wants to cause devastation, I don't think them falling it battle would be enough."

Though Link did feel it'd have been enough at one point, but such memories eluded him. It didn't take long for the pair to reach the base of the Sheikah Tower. They ended up deciding that a section of the wall that had broken away was about as good a place as any to glide off.

The pair stared out at a beautiful field with rolling hills, large trees, and a surprising number of ruins. Not to mention a very large drop. A sudden gust of wind from behind nearly made Link stumble, and he quickly took a step back since he didn't want to accidentally fall off.

That drop would certainly be the death of him… unless Roxas saved him in time. Far below them were what looked like the ruins of an old outpost. Several large flagstaffs still rose; however, no trace of the old flags that once may have flown on them remained.

"I think we should aim for those ruins with the flagstaffs." Link voiced.

"Seems like as good a place as any to start our journey." Roxas shrugged before pausing as he knew the world out there had to be bigger than the Great Plateau. "Hey Link, before we leave, I wanted to tell you something… just in case we get separated or potentially meet them."

Link blinked in surprise since Roxas hadn't once offered to share anything about himself. He had to ask his partner, and even then, the Nobody was quite tight lipped about his past. The hero wasn't going to say anything that might ruin him gaining a piece of the puzzle.

"Yeah, I'm all ears." Link stated as they both stepped back.

"Link and I are going to be journeying together for some time." Roxas was contemplating this decision. "Should I reveal the Organization in full to him?" He ended up deciding to say what was only important. "You know this black coat I wear?"

"Yeah, you've worn it since we met." Link shrugged. "I have no idea what people wear, so I didn't think to question it."

"Look, there are people who wear coats exactly like this one." Roxas continued. "Any time you see someone, who isn't me, in a coat like this, know that they are not a friend. Mine or yours. In fact, I haven't seen any signs of them, but they could be chasing me."

Link nodded in understanding. "Roxas, does you wearing that coat mean at one point you were allies with these people now chasing you? Did these people do bad things? Is that why you are running away from them now?"

Roxas gave a sullen look before nodding. "Yeah."

"Did you… do bad things?" Link asked with a quiet voice.

Roxas lowed his head as he couldn't muster an answer. After several seconds of silence, the Nobody felt two arms on his shoulder.

"Roxas, I'm glad you are no longer part them." Link voiced. "You made an effort to leave them, and it matters to me who you are now rather than who you were." He let go of Roxas. "Right now, you are a good guy whose been helping me."

"It's not like I'm getting nothing out of this." Roxas stated.

"That doesn't matter to me." Link shook his head. "When I've needed you through these first few days, you've been there. Honestly, I'm frustrated by the lack of answers you've given, but that doesn't mean I'm not here for you whenever you need me. It's the least I can do."

"Thanks Link." Roxas smiled. "I can't tell you anything more right now, but If I want to later, I now know I can trust you with the information." He started walking to their jumping off point. "Come on, we have a journey to start."

The pair then jumped and glided down to the rest of Hyrule. Once they were gone, a figure wearing the black cloak, with their hood up, jumped down from a tree branch. He then walked to the place where the pair had jumped down from and stared after them.

"Looks like my crazy gamble paid off." The figure looked in the direction of the castle. "Still, acting hasty could have dire consequences, so I think I'll be keeping my distance until the opportune moment arises."

Hyrule Fields

Roxas and Link glided along over the ground. The former was prepared to land where they discussed until he noticed that the later didn't have the best control. That made sense, and it was a simple enough adjustment to keep going with him. Link quickly got over being unable to land.

In fact, he grinned and laughed as he suddenly felt free. They sailed over a small grove of trees and spotted a ruined building in their path. It would make a good place to set down. As they passed over a broken wall, the hero managed to adjust the angle of the paraglider.

This allowed both boys to slowly lower to the ground. They looked at the building only to see that the old, partially collapsed building's roof had long since rotted away. The cross beams that had once held it up were in a heap on the floor.

Several old beds lined one wall which told Link this must have been some sort of military barrack. He took a moment to examine the contents of the room, looking for anything that might have been useful before determining that it was a lost cause.

"Whatever had once been in here, has long since been picked clean." Link thought.

Roxas found the open doorway and they stepped out onto a wide stone road that was partially overgrown with grass. Several more buildings, like the one they landed in, lined the road. The feeling of elation that Link had felt while gliding was replaced with a growing sense of dread.

"Despite everything I heard, I had hoped that the Great Plateau was in the state it was by just being cut off from its caretakers." Link commented. "Now, there are more signs of destruction like that. How bad had things been before the princess sealed the beast?"

"Sorry Link." Roxas sighed and shook his head. "I didn't have much time to learn with Hylia, so everything, and I mean everything I knew, was used up on the Great Plateau."

"What do you mean by that?" Link asked curiously though he was doubtful he'd get an answer unless his partner wanted to give it. "Are you from Hyrule?"

"Like I've already said, I come from somewhere far away." Roxas before starting to walk on. "Anyways, we really should get a move on."

Link just added this to his rather large pile of questions before moving to walk with his partner. As they walked down the road, the pair found no signs of life outside of the occasional wildlife. Link was content to hunt them and scavenge what he could from destroyed guardians.

They eventually came upon an old stone bridge that was, thankfully, still standing. From this vantage point, the pair could see some Blue Bokoblins gathered around a fire in a nearby field with a larger creature. This one was twice the size of the Bokoblins, but it had similar features.

A long, pig-like snout, a single horn, and the same fashion sense consisting of wearing only a single tattered loincloth. It had long, hulking arms and short legs. The camp was out of the way from the road, but it served as a good reminder that they weren't any safer out here.

While they could fight every monster they saw, it was better to conserve energy for when they needed it. They kept a low profile while crossing the bridge and quickly left the immediate area. Suddenly, clouds covered the sun, and a light, cold rain began to fall.

"Come on, it was sunny not even a few minutes ago." Link mumbled before noticing Roxas seemed perfectly fine with it. "Come on Roxas, your coat must be soaked."

"Not really." Roxas remembered how it rained that day he fought the guy in the black coat. "The rain doesn't bother me."

"Then, you're lucky." Link groaned.

Link hoped the rain would cease quickly, but it ended up continuing for several hours before abating late in the afternoon. Fortunately, the sun came out and began to dry the two boys as they continued their trek. Eventually, they were approaching the Dueling Peaks.

As they approached the large split mountain, their eyes were drawn to another Sheikah Tower. It was in the center of a river that flowed through the center of the Dueling Peaks and impossible for Link to reach without going for a swim.

"I got this." Roxas held out his hand. "Let me see the Sheikah Slate."

Link looked at him. "Are you telling me you can walk on water now?"

"Nope, but I am going to be running on something." Roxas replied.

Link was interested to see where this would go, so he passed the slate to his partner. Roxas then took off running for the tower and ended up spotting some rocks that lead up to the mesh around the tower usually used for climbing.

He jumped on over to the one that literally sat at its base and kept running. Lin ran after his partner and now stopped as he observed Roxas running up the tower. A small part of him thought that Roxas couldn't do it, but the Nobody just kept going straight to the top.

"Every time I think I know what he's capable of, Roxas just keeps surprising me." Link thought with a sweat drop.

Roxas reached the top and looked out at the land around him. The Great Plateau was surprisingly far away. He could just barely make out its walls over the distant horizon. It seemed they'd gone farther than they realized.

From his vantage point, Roxas used the telescope function to get a lay of the land. He could see several pinpricks of light that signified campfires. Unfortunately, the nearest ones belonged to Bokoblins and more of those larger monsters.

"The monsters seem to be more numerous in this region." Roxas contemplated. "Though, it's understandable considering the Hylians that remained after the Calamity likely wouldn't have the means to drive them off."

Roxas frowned at that thought. One hundred years out, yet this land hadn't recovered. He knew he had a great deal of experience in fighting Heartless and Link was the hero of this land; however, he thought there'd be more out here.

Thus far, they had avoided confrontation with the Bokoblins, and the roads didn't seem that dangerous. Roxas eventually turned the telescope function towards every single shrine he could find. He then marked them with pins.

Once he'd marked all that he could see, he opened the map function and replaced them with a star stamp. He knew they were currently on their way to the stables, so it was best just to mark them for now.

With that job done, he walked back to the small pedestal at the center of the tower. Like the one before, it had a stalactite-like structure of black rock over the pedestal. Roxas placed the Sheikah Slate on it and watched as the blue runic characters appeared on the rock above it.

They gathered near its point and the drop of blue liquid fell onto the Sheikah Slate's surface. As this happened, the light of the tower turned blue like the previous tower. Roxas then took the Sheikah Slate and looked at it.

"Regional Map Extracted.

Sheikah Sensor… Functional."

"Sheikah Sensor." Roxas read. "A sensor that when active can direct you to the nearest shrine you have not visited… That'll be useful." He then glided down to Link before holding out the slate. "You got a new senor that will help us find shrines when we're ready to hunt for them."

"That will come in handy." Link nodded. "Did you spot anything else while you were up there?"

"More camps of monsters." Roxas replied. "Considering evening's approaching, I think we should head off to the left of the tower and make camp. I didn't see any monsters in the area over there, so it should be safe."

"Agreed." Link stated.

The pair found a decent tree with which to shelter under before Link set about making a small fire. They ate some cooked meat, baked apples, and mushrooms before settling down to sleep through the night.

Link's Mindscape

Link dreamt of a beautiful woman with blonde hair gazing at him from across a great distance. Her hair was pulled back away from her face and tucked behind two pointed ears. She wore a flowing white dress that reached all the way down to her ankles.

She seemed to be trying to tell him something. He could see her lips moving, but he was unable to hear anything. The hero started to approach her, but she did not seem to get any closer. He took several more steps before breaking into a run.

In that moment, he knew he had to reach her. He had to see her, hear her, and protect her. Darkness fell between them causing Link to stop abruptly. The woman was hidden from his view, but he thought he heard the faintest voice upon the wind.

"Link…"

Gritting his teeth, he tried pressing into the darkness. If he could just see her again…

Morning…

Link awoke with a start and noticed that Roxas was still out. Like water cupped in his hand, the dream quickly drained from his memory leaving him with a strange sense of desperation. He sighed before getting up and moving a fair distance away to do some light training.

Let me clear this up right away. Kingdom Hearts is a series with the potential for countless worlds to exist. I personally believe, in universe, that any world does exist out there. It's only the worlds we see that are important to the bad guy's plans. Out of universe its obviously because this is meant to be a Disney centered story. Out of the countless worlds the Organization can visit, I have to imagine that there are worlds they avoid for one reason or another.

All I'll say on this point, in as it pertains to this world, the Organization does not avoid it because they couldn't beat Ganon. Obviously, they couldn't kill, or seal Ganon given only certain objects and powers allow for that to happen; however, I believe that if the Organization really wanted to use Hyrule, they could do something with all their power to at least make Ganon a non-factor. The thing here is this. Trying to use this world was determined by Xemnas to be more trouble than it was worth.

You'll find out why that is in due time. As for Roxas, I don't see him as having light and darkness being out of the question. When Sora first created Roxas, he became a Heartless and would later gain a dark form. Roxas was a special Nobody in that while it caused problems, he could still exist at the same time as Sora before the events of KH3 fixed any issues. I think through Roxas' connection to Sora, he'd have gained a little darkness as well. Little being the key term.

Note: Remember, Roxas is not Sora or Ventus meaning he hasn't been told that the darkness is bad during his time as a keyblade wielder. Of course, such ideas do get iron out of Sora through Riku mastering his darkness. Speaking of Riku, as well as, Terra, we've seen that Darkness can be utilized positively. Here, Roxas has the darkness, and no one is around to try and corrupt him through it. Xhenort is still a non-issue at this time, and he wouldn't give Xemnas the time of day.

The path Roxas treads now, with light & darkness, is one that has no one influencing his use of them other than his own will to grow stronger.

ultima-owner: That's the beauty of a journey

DARKPHANTOM13: Exactly. It's like he gets this feeling, works at it, and knowledge slowly comes to mind. We'll see how Link and Roxas interact in these situations eventually. Yeah, Roxas isn't going to turn down a potential strength within him, so he'll definitely be working with his darkness. Right now, I view it as weak despite everything said above. After all, Ventus was separated from his darkness and Sora was very light oriented until the whole turning himself into a Heartless thing.