The Legend of Zelda: Glaive of Souls

by lavender phoenix

AU. Nothing was as it should be. That's what Del thought after her and her friends were suddenly transported to the land of Hyrule. Since day one she's running from bokoblins, arguing with heroes, pursued by an unseen force, and searching for a legendary weapon that doesn't even exist in the games. Everything she thought she knew about The Legend of Zelda will be put to the test.

16. The Lakebed Temple

Hello Everyone.

Well, it has certainly been a hot minute...

First, I'd like to PROFOUNDLY apologize for the wait this time around. (I think I should just change my name to ~apology phoenix~ as this seems to be an ongoing trend for me... - _ - ... ugh).

This year has been a rather tough one for me, dealing with a snowball of problems pretty much since the beginning of 2019. And it's a little embarrassing to say, but it's taken me this long to finally find some semblance of normalcy again. I'm truly sorry it took so long to get there.

Second, I want to thank you- Each. And. Every. One. Of. You! - for all the reads, and the follows, and the beautiful comments that I've received- and continued to receive- during this absence of mine. But most of all, I want to thank you for sticking with this story! I can't even describe how lucky I am to have you all! So, from the bottom of my heart, thank you.

-Now, for the pre-story AN: This is a temple chapter, but I tried to design it in a way that comes across as more "realistic". This chapter did take me a while to write, but I'm pretty happy (or, you know, delusional... hahaha) with how it turned out.

[Another AN: Also, I think I want to add titles to my chapters. I'm saying this here because I'm not sure if FF will bombard everyone with updates on chapters titles (?). If it does, I'm sorry...]

Alright, then. Shall we...?

Disclaimer: I don't own LoZ; just my OC's and plot.

---

Our voyage to Lake Hylia was thrilling in all sense of the word.

Link and I sat side-by-side on the middle bench of the little boat, happily enjoying the calm ride through the entrance hallway, when Phin pulled us sharply to the right and into a dimly lit waterway.

As we made our way down the narrow passage, a tiny circle of light flared up ahead, growing bigger and brighter the closer we got.

Then, with a blinding flash, we were suddenly outside; the current picking up speed as we sailed away from the domain on a river three times the size of the waterway.

My eyes squinted against the harsh noonday sun- only to open wide as I gazed at the sight before us.

"Link…" I said; my hand shaking as I pointed forward.

"I see it," his voice wavered as we both stared at the river ahead… and lack thereof just beyond.

"Hold on tight," Phin called from over his shoulder.

I looked at Link, my heart stopping mid beat. "To what?" I breathed.

Link suddenly grabbed my hand and pulled me to the bottom of the boat. "Brace your feet on the front bench and hook your left arm under the middle."

I did as he said; and he quickly did the same, but anchored his right arm so that he was facing me.

"Now, hold onto me," he said as his other arm encircled my shoulders.

Ensnaring his waist, I pressed myself tightly to his chest as I watched the tip of the boat jut out into empty space. Taking a shallow breath, I locked every joint in my body as we tipped vertically over the falls and dropped.

My stomach flew upwards as gravity dragged us down, and down, and down, until the river below rose to meet us, catching our landing with a bone jarring skid as the boat miraculously sailed onto its base.

"How you two doing back there?" we heard Phin call.

Link and I exhaled concurrent groans.

"Well, I'm pretty sure something broke. I just don't know if it was the boat or my tailbone," Link mumbled into my ear.

I laughed, knowing his pain.

Link and I untangled ourselves then started moving body parts to make sure nothing really was broken. We quickly determined that we were both stiff, and possibly bruised, but not harmed.

"We're fine," I called back to Phin.

"Okay, good! The ride isn't over just yet," he said before submerging under the water.

Link and I looked at each other.

"That doesn't sound good," I winced.

Suddenly the tow rope became taut, jerking the boat forward a few times before it started to pick up speed. And soon we were sailing faster than the current, cruising through the tall lush forest as we steadily descended down the emerald hills.

Not long after, we came to a wide bend in the river; and just as I was about to climb back onto the bench I stopped, seeing the bend straightening out to reveal an ominous mountain wall in our path.

The waters became choppy, and our little boat rocked from side-to-side as the river started to dip and swell, bringing us closer and closer to the rock face- and to a cavernous opening.

With the tow rope still taut, we were pulled into the cave. Rapid waters aggressively took hold of the boat, surging us up and down as we were swallowed up by the dark.

I knew nothing of our surroundings.

All I could see was black. All I could feel was the spray of chilly river water bombarding my face. All I could hear was the monstrous roar of the wind and rapids as they echoed off the stone walls.

Suddenly we were yanked hard to the left. So hard, in fact, that I slid across the bottom of the boat, smashing into the side as Link crashed into me.

"Are you okay?" Link yelled over the bluster.

I didn't get the chance to answer as our direction abruptly changed and I was sent crashing into him.

"What's going on?" I hollered as I scrambled back.

"I don't-"

But he didn't finish as the boat unexpectedly dipped forward, and we were suddenly sailing down an incline at a speed that I never thought this little boat could achieve.

I reached out to Link and anchored my arm around his as we continued to decline in a swift and steady manner- until the boat banked sharply to the right (which sent Link flying onto my lap) and we re-emerged into the world of light, like a cannonball being fired from a cannon.

Our boat landed with a deep and final bob atop a vast, serene lake.

A moment of stillness passed before Link asked, "Did we make it?"

I looked down to where Link's head was lying across my thigh. "I think so."

Then Phin's head broke through the surface of the water, catching my attention.

"Phew, that was rougher than I expected," I heard him mumble to himself. "And to think, I didn't hit the boat on a rock once…"

Eyes wide, I looked back down at Link. We started to chuckle.

"Guess we should count our blessings…" Link exhaled as he sat up. Then he turned to face me, his eyes soft. "Are you alright?"

I took a second to run a mental finger over my body; and when I felt no pain worth concerning myself over I nodded. "And you?" I asked.

Link rolled his shoulders then stretched his back, cracking a few joints as he did. "Yeah," he said, smiling in relief.

"Lord Hero! Lady Oracle!" a voice echoed.

Link and I looked in the direction of the voice and saw the Zora King bobbing in the middle of the lake, waving at us from under the looming shadow of the Bridge of Hylia.

Pulling the rope once more, Phin calmly towed us over to his sovereign.

"I take it your journey was a good one?" the king questioned with a toothy grin as we approached.

"Uh… it was… exciting," I answered as we sailed to a stop beside him.

"As all voyages by water are," the king confirmed. "Unfortunately that course is a bit too wild for unseasoned swimmers to traverse. But it is the fastest to the lake, hence…" and he patted the edge of the boat.

I wouldn't have minded the long way…

"Now, on to business," he declared as he lifted his other hand out of the water, holding a square of… something... and passing it to Link. "This is a map that will help guide you through the temple," he explained.

Link quickly unfolded the slick material to reveal the blueprints of the Lakebed Temple sketched neatly across it.

"The item that you seek should be found here, the Treasure Room." He pointed a garnet finger to a circular structure in the middle of the map. "And you will notice that it is on the main level of the temple and not obscurely hidden somewhere within. However, that doesn't mean you can access it easily. In fact, it is near impossible to do so unless you've raised the water that surrounds it."

I resisted the urge to sigh.

"To do that," King Sai continued, "you must open the waterways. There is one to the east, and one to the west." He pointed out both on the map. Then he pushed away from the boat, sailing back about ten feet before stopping. "You'll find the temple entrance straight below here. I have already informed the guards of your visit." He swam back to the boat. "Any questions?"

I thought for a moment. "Do we need any keys to enter certain rooms in the temple?" I asked.

"All rooms are accessible; the Treasure Room being the exception."

That'll make things easier!

"Anything else?" he asked.

I looked at Link to see if he had any questions but he shook his head.

"Very good. Now, if you'll please-"

"Oh, water bombs!" I blurted, cutting off the king. "We need water bombs, don't we?"

King Sai stared at me with shocked eyes. "Lady Oracle… Why in the world would you want to bring bombs into our temple?"

I blinked, confused. "In- in case we need to open a door that's been blocked, or create a walkway, or-"

A sharp huff cut me off, and I looked to see Phin crossing his arms. "You can be assured that we Zora's maintain the structural integrity of our Lakebed Temple rather regularly."

"Uh, yes, of- of course," I stammered, wishing I could sink into the wood of the boat. "I didn't mean-"

King Sai lifted a hand, and I closed my mouth.

"There is no offense taken, Lady Oracle," the king affirmed. "And no need for water bombs," he smiled sharply.

I gave him a sheepish smile in return- one which I kept as I could sense the look of exasperation on Link's face far before I turned my gaze to his.

Yup, there it is…

But I continued to smile sheepishly as I gave him a small "whoops-my-bad" shrug.

He looked away, shaking his head. But as he refolded the map I caught the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.

At least I knew he wasn't going to yell at me again.

"Are you both ready to take your first swim underwater?" the Zora King asked.

My heartbeat started to quicken- but from excitement or nerves, I couldn't tell. I watched as Link gave the king a confident nod, one that I copied despite the odd tingling sensation crawling along by body.

"Wonderful! Now if you both could please pull up your masks, then sit atop the edge of the boat, facing me," he said as he gripped both hands tightly onto the wooden rim.

Link was masked, fully equipped with his shield and sword, and sitting on the ledge within seconds. I, on the other hand, took an extra moment, making sure that I securely buckled Colin's sword around my hips, then adjusted my mask a few times so that it was in a comfortable place before adhering to my skin. After I felt the seal take, I took a wobbly step to the edge of the boat and sat down; the Zora King offsetting the shift in balance with the strength of his muscular arms.

"Ready?" the king grinned sharply, loosening his hold on the boat, causing it to tip slightly backwards- which elicited a short cry of panic from my lips- before he quickly took hold once more. "My apologies, Lady Oracle. Do you need more time?" he asked, trying to control his laughter.

"May- maybe just a minute, if that's alright?" I answered breathlessly as my heart slammed against my chest. Enchanted armor or not, as I stared at the steely waters below, I couldn't help but become acutely aware that what's supposed to stop my lungs from filling with liters of liquid was nothing but a thin piece of material.

"Don't worry, Del," I heard Link say lowly, close to my ear. "I'm nervous, too."

I turned my gaze to his, seeing his blue eyes dark with tension.

He held out his hand to me. "Together?"

My heart started to jackhammer (and I wanted to punch him for making my chest hurt). However, I didn't hesitate to take his hand; and the moment I did I felt better, the racing of my heart steadying as I started to feel calmer- safer- from his touch.

"Together," I smiled under my mask.

"The first submersion is always the hardest for land dwellers," King Sai said. "But it is nothing to be fearful of. My Zora Armor has never failed," he assured.

"Do you have any tips to make this easier?" I asked with a light chuckle.

"Just remember to keep calm, and to breathe. In fact," the Zora King grinned, "let us do a breathing exercise! Breathe in for a count of three and breathe out for a count of three. Breathe in…"

Link and I inhaled.

"Breathe out…"

Link and I exhaled.

"Breathe in…"

Inhale.

"Breathe out…"

Exhale.

"Breathe-" and the king tipped the boat right over; Link and I splashing backwards into the lake.

Upon hitting the water I was still in the process of taking a breath- and started panicking and spluttering as I tried to make my way to the surface. Both of my hands were free as I frantically stroked upwards, sloshing the water around me as I desperately clawed to the light above. But that light never got any closer…

I choked, and a coldness seared past my teeth and down my throat, causing me to gasp as my lungs filled with the burning chill of... dry air…

I stopped; floating motionless under the water, watching as tiny bubbles escape from my mask as I exhaled. Tentatively, I took a slow breath in, feeling the steady stream of chilly air filter through the enchanted material; the little bubbles returning as I exhaled.

Oh my god… I'm breathing underwater…

I felt something around my ankle and I looked below to see Phin. He started pulling me towards him; and I suddenly became aware as to why I never reached the surface. He was holding me down the entire time…

When we were at eye level he took hold of my shoulders to anchor me in place.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his voice smooth, unobstructed by the water.

"Yeah," I answered reflexively, blinking in shock as I heard my voice. It was comprehensible like Phin's, save for a small bubbly quiver that accompanied the word.

"See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?" Phin smiled, his large obsidian eyes squinting as he did.

I laughed bubbles. "Are you nuts? That was terrifying!"

Phin chuckled.

"Where's Link?" I asked as I looked around, my head moving languidly from side-to-side, but seeing nothing but the bright rays of sunlight piercing through the water.

"There," Phin pointed, directing my gaze to just below us, where Link was with King Sai. "Shall we?" he asked as he gestured towards them.

I nodded then followed behind Phin, dipping into a nosedive and reaching the others in three powerful strokes of my unfurled fins. I glided close to Link, then slowed myself down, pumping my arms to straighten out before floating in place next to him.

"You good?" I asked.

He nodded. "And you?"

"I'm good."

"Well done, the both of you," the Zora King beamed. "The hardest part is over."

I bit back a sarcastic laugh as Link and I still had a Water Temple to complete.

"Lord Hero, you still have the map?" the king asked.

Link nodded, pulling out the paper from a small pocket that was sewn into one of the panels of his skirt.

"Excellent," he said. Then his face turned somber. "Be careful inside our temple. Do not forget that it is a sacred place. Treat it with respect."

"Of course, your majesty. You have our word," Link bowed.

I followed suit.

King Sai nodded, accepting our promise. "Then go and retrieve your weapon!" And he swam off with a flourish.

"Good luck," Phin said before following after his king.

Link and I remained suspended in place, watching as the two Zora's disappeared into the navy darkness. Then Link turned to me.

"Ready?"

I looked below, into the depths of no light, and took a deep, chilling breath and nodded, ready to face the unknown.

Link gracefully bent his body and dove, gliding down at least ten feet with only two kicks of his powerful fins. It took me three to reach his side; and then the two of us were descending steadily through a liquid twilight.

Our journey underwater was the opposite of our journey above: uneventful. Our only encounter was with a small school of dull-coloured fish, who zipped into a frenzy as we sailed past them.

Further and further we swam, the light getting dimmer and dimmer until my water-enchanted eyes could see nothing in the murk. I reached out, finding Link's hand and taking it in mine so that I wouldn't lose him.

Hand in hand, we continue downward, the darkness and silence pressing in from all around- until something far below started to glow.

It was tiny at first- no bigger than that of a pencil. But as we got closer it started to grow, illuminating our path straight down into an underwater canyon, where we came upon a colossal facade of smooth stone.

Bordering both sides of the stone wall were giant crystal columns, lit from base to tip with a radiating luminescence that flooded the canyon floor with a bright blue light.

My eyes widened with awe and my heart became giddy with nerves as Link and I swam up to a dark hole in the middle of the wall- a hole that was guarded by three Zora's dressed in armor. They said nothing as we approached, and remained silent as Link and I stopped in front of them. The Zora guards stared us down as they moved out of the way, clearly not impressed that a human and a Hylian were about to enter their temple.

"So, do we just go in…?" Link asked lowly.

"I think so," I said. Letting go of Link's hand, I started towards the temple entrance, keeping my peripheral on the guard to my left. I felt his obsidian eyes trail me as I passed and decided to swim a little faster, kicking my fins hard and sailing headlong into the darkness.

However, the dark didn't last for long as small luminescent crystals dotted the cylindrical walls, illuminating the path through the cave in colours of blues, greens, and whites.

"Wow…" Link awed, eyes wide as he glided next to me.

I smiled under my mask, looking around myself. "It's really something, isn't it?"

Link nodded.

"It kind of reminds me of the lights we saw in the tree before falling into Hyrule," I mentioned, swimming ahead.

"Oh yeah?" Link questioned as he swam up beside me.

I nodded. "The wooden walls were covered in thousands of crystals, but they glowed as if lit by fire. Not bioluminescence, like these," I explained, trailing my fingers over a cluster of green ones.

"Sounds like it was quite the sight," Link said.

"The most beautiful, and most terrifying sight I've ever seen."

Link and I continued onward, the cave tunnel remaining straight- until the tunnel started to curve upwards. Up we went, ascending steadily some twenty feet before our heads finally broke through the surface of the water.

Looking around, I saw that we were floating in a small pool, which was situated at the far end of a large and circular room. The light was dim in here; the source coming from two torches that flickered beside an iron gate, which was set atop a raised platform with two curving staircases on either side.

"This looks familiar," I breathed as I swam to the pool's edge and pulled myself out; then watched with renewed fascination as each fin curled inward and settled into place on the tops of my boots.

I'm never going to get over how cool that is… I thought as I pinched the material from under my nose and removed my mask.

I heard a splash, and suddenly Link was next to me, tugging down his mask.

"Is this the temple?" he asked, scanning the room.

"Not quite," I answered. "There should be a couple rooms we have to go through first before getting there."

He nodded.

"Let's go," and I led him over to the right-side staircase and up the stairs, stopping in front of the iron gates.

Link pulled at the gates' handles, but they didn't budge. He pushed instead, but they didn't move. He rattled them a few times before he stopped.

"I thought the king said we didn't need any keys?"

"We don't," I said looking around, trying to jog my memory.

"Oh…! Are you searching for another Triforce symbol?" Link questioned, examining the area. "Is that how we open the gates?"

My eyes went to the ceiling and I smiled. "No, we don't need a symbol this time. But I like where your mind's at." I turned to face him. "You're thinking like a Zelda gamer."

His eyes flicked to mine as a crooked smile overtook his lips. "R- really?"

"Yeah."

His cheeks turned pink. "That's cool…" he said softly, almost as if to himself.

I allowed my heart to melt the slightest at his reaction… then snapped myself out of it and rubbed my hands together. "Alright, ready for the gates to open?"

Link eyed me curiously. "How…?"

Smiling wide, I started to bounce on the balls of my feet. "Ooh, I've always wanted to do this!"

"Do what?"

"This…" and I turned and ran to the edge of the platform and jumped, catching hold of a golden lever hanging from the ceiling. The lever slid downward under my weight, then clicked to a stop, triggering the iron gates to screech open. I let go, falling to the ground floor before running back up the right-side staircase. "Ta da!" I sang, opening my arms wide.

Link nodded, impressed. "So, I guess I'll have to look for ceiling levers now if I want to open a door," he joked.

I chuckled as we walked towards the first stone door. "Well, in that case, add wall levers. And wall buttons. And floor buttons; and lighting torches; and firing arrows at targets and objects; and-"

"How many ways are there to open doors in my world?" Link exclaimed.

I shrugged. "No clue. I'm just listing some of the different ways you can in the games."

We paused in front of the door.

"Is it too late to wish for keys?"

I laughed, then said, "I think we just need to push this one. On three: one, two, three-" and we pushed in; the stone door emitting a burst of freezing air as it shifted back, then slid up and out of sight.

We walked through the opening and entered into a loud, grotto-like room. The ceiling was dripping with rain, and thin waterfalls cascaded down the walls, collecting into overflowing pools that streamed down to a flooded floor. The entire room was covered with the same luminescent crystals as the tunnel, making the water sparkle and shimmer with an ethereal glow.

"Whoa…" Link and I said at the same time.

Entering further into the room, we came upon a rock footbridge. It spanned the length of the cavern, connecting the first temple door with a second. Link and I stepped onto the footbridge and made our way across, walking through a soft shower of glowing rainfall.

Once we reached the other side we walked up to the new door, pushed and watched as it shifted back and slid up and away. We entered through and found ourselves inside an even larger cavern and on another bridge. However, this bridge was wide, with high guard rails and a rushing river below; and a third door awaiting us on the other side.

Walking across, I stuck close to the rail, watching as the churning water frothed and foamed from beneath, sending up a warm mist that clung to the inside of my lungs every time I inhaled. I listened to the roar of the river, getting lost in its deep reverberations, when Link suddenly shouted.

"Don't move!"

I froze on the spot, staring wide-eyed as I saw a flash of green- followed by a flash of silver- pass beside, then behind me. A wet squelch sounded off to my right.

A beat passed.

"Can I move..?" I asked Link.

"You can move."

I turned around.

Lying on the ground was a giant spider-like creature. Its long legs twitched grotesquely on the floor as its severed body started oozing innards into a large puddle, which steamed and bubbled and hissed before disappearing into nothing.

I wrinkled my nose. "Eww…"

"Tektite," Link said.

I nodded, recognizing what it was. "How did you know it was there?" I asked as we continued on towards the door.

"I heard it."

"You heard it?" I spluttered. "Over the sound of the river?"

He gave me a crooked smile and shrugged. "I've trained myself to detect discrepancies in sounds."

I let out a low whistle of amazement. "I'm starting to think that you'll never cease to amaze me," I said as we reached the door. It was a different door than the others: double paneled, tall, and embellished with an aquatic-themed filigree.

Link's crooked smile grew. Then he cleared his throat. "Now, can I assume this one opens like a normal door?" he asked.

"Only one way to find out," I answered; and we each took a door knob and pulled. The doors swung open with ease, and we stepped inside the new room.

"Whoa…!" Link and I echoed together as we walked further in and looked around.

We stood inside a monolithic cylinder of gray and navy stone, its circular walls reaching far over a hundred feet high. A giant crystal chandelier, emitting a pale white light, hung halfway down from the ceiling, softly illuminating the room's two main floors. The bottom floor was a ground-level walkway, while the top floor was a ceilinged balcony- both of which circled the circumference of the walls.

In the middle of the room was a large staircase- one, which I knew, could spin around from side-to-side, connecting the top floor to the bottom in a puzzle-like manner.

I looked down over the railing from where Link and I stood on the balcony- trying to get a glimpse of the Treasure Room below- and immediately saw what the king meant about the room being inaccessible without raising the water level. First, the Treasure Room was damn near impossible to see (even though I knew it was right under the staircase); and second, the water that's supposed to encircle the room was so low that any attempt at jumping would be suicide.

As I continued to stare at the staircase a sudden rustling noise sounded beside me, and I looked up to see Link unfolding the temple map.

"So the king said the Treasure Room is supposed to be in the middle of this room…" he trailed, scanning the paper, then scanning the area. He stuck his head out over the railing, looked up, then down, then pulled his head back.

Smiling at his confused expression, I said, "It's under the staircase."

"Oh," he said, looking down once more, angling his body to try and get a better view. I watched his eyebrows draw together as his eyes became focused, studying the area below. After a moment he pulled back in again and nodded. "Smart. That room is basically unreachable. Even from the bottom floor, it would seem."

"Which is why we need to raise the water level, so we can swim across," I added, drawing a line over the chasm with my finger.

"Right," Link said, returning his gaze to the map. "The map shows that the two waterways are connected to this upper floor. Which means-" he started to walk to the right "-that that would be the door leading to the eastern waterway; and the one straight across would be to the western waterway. But… hmm…" he paused.

"But we have to get around the walls that are blocking the doors," I answered as I came up behind him.

He was standing in front of a lattice-like wall- one which reached from floor to ceiling, and wall to railing. He nodded then checked the map. "How do we get around…?"

"By moving the staircase," I said as I headed back the other way, then stopped at a gap within the balcony railing.

"What now?" Link asked as he joined me at the gap.

"The staircase spins, giving you access to specific doors depending on where you're standing and what floor you're on," I explained. "And you spin the stairs by pulling on these," I smiled, pointing up towards another ceiling lever.

"Do you know how to get to these upper doors, then?"

I shook my head. "I remember some rooms in this temple, but not how to get to them."

"Hmm," Link voiced as he looked back up to the lever, then looked at the map. His eyes widened. "Oh… If these marks are the levers, then these are…" he trailed as he stuck his head over the railing once more. "And then that would make these…" He paused. "Yeah… Okay, I think I got it."

"Got what?" I blinked.

"The way to the western door," he answered, pointing to the left.

"Oh yeah?"

Link nodded. "The top of the staircase is at the north end of the room, but if we pull this lever then I think it'll turn south, to us." Then he handed me the map. "Could you hold this for a second, please?"

"Sure, but what-"

Link turned and vaulted himself into the air, grabbing hold of the lever and pulling it down with his weight. It stopped with a loud click, and the staircase moved, grinding 180 degrees before stopping. Link let go of the lever and landed on top of the newly accessible stairs. He looked at me and smiled. "I get why you've always wanted to try that. That was pretty fun."

I chuckled as we made our way down the staircase. Once on the bottom level Link led us to the right, and we walked around until we came upon another ceiling lever, hanging at the eastern point of the monolithic room.

Link took a running jump at the lever, catching it with ease. It slid and clicked, spinning the staircase 90 degrees to the left. Link let go and landed on the bottom step.

"There. We can now get to the western door," he pointed.

I looked at Link, then up the staircase, then down to the map still in my hands, awed. My brows furrowed deeply as I tried to decipher all the lines and circles and arrows and symbols drawn on the ancient-looking paper.

I quickly gave up.

Rolling the map into a tube, I handed it to Link. "You should probably hold onto this."

"Sure..." he said; and we started to ascend the stairs.

"I can't read it," I said, answering the unasked question I saw in his eyes.

He smiled softly and nodded. "I'll hang onto it, then."

Once we were at the top of the staircase we were greeted by another door set deep within an arched alcove. We walked over to it and pushed, the stone slab sliding up to reveal the caverned river room from before.

We stepped past the threshold and onto another bridge- one which greatly resembled the first- and made our way across (tektite free) and up to another door.

Pushing it open, we entered into a space made up entirely of cobblestones. The walls, the ceilings, the decorative borders. Even the floor was cobbled together with tiny pebbles.

My dad, with his eye for design, would've called this place a "Nightmarish eyesore of epic proportions."

Walking into this new place, Link and I noticed that there was a water canal off to the side- one which ran down the length of the room before curving to the left and out of sight.

Link studied the map, then mentioned to follow him.

We made our way up the room, following alongside the canal before we veered away, heading down a wide corridor on the right, where we were abruptly stopped by a wall, set with a thin, gilded gate.

There was no need to search for a button or a symbol to open this one, as an obnoxiously large and filigreed lever was jutting out from the stones beside it.

Link did the honors and pulled the lever down, causing the gate to unlatch and slide into the floor with a metallic clang.

The hallway beyond was the same cobblestoned mess; which we followed until we came upon another stone door to our left.

We pushed the door and it slid up, opening to a room that had my and Link's jaws drop.

We stood on a small platform in another circular room, where the walls were covered in thick ropes of dark green ivy, that touched and tangled on the thin catwalk that surrounded a large hole in the floor. A cool mist swirled from the depths below, giving the place an almost rainforest-like feel.

However, the most mesmerizing component of this entire room was the decorative floor piece: a giant bronze gear, with teeth of black iron, that rotated languidly in the middle of the open floor.

The gaps between the platform and the gear were pretty wide; however, each of the gear's teeth acted as a small walkway, which would make crossing the rotating floor manageable.

I spotted a door at the opposite end of the room, and made a move to step onto the edge of a passing tooth, when Link shot out his arm, stopping me.

"Let me check that it's safe," he said, his tone leaving no room for argument.

I nodded, then watched as he waited for the next tooth to reach were we stood, before placing a tentative foot to the flat surface and pressing down. Nothing seemed to happen, so Link stepped completely onto the gear, then walked to the middle.

"Okay, looks pretty safe," he said, turning to face me.

I waited a beat for the next gear tooth to pass the platform, stepping onto it once it became flush with where I was standing, then jogged over to Link. We quickly cut across the gear to the door on the opposite side, stepping off a tooth onto another platform, and pushing the new door open.

Link pulled out the map as we entered into a cobbled corridor, then directed us to the left. After a few minutes of walking, we were met with a small incline and an architectural change, in which the walls went from blue cobblestone to ordinary brown and grey rock, as if we were going up into a mountain cave.

Once we reached the top of the incline, the corridor opened into a new room. It was wide and rough; and the water canal looked to continue into this one, cutting its way across the floor to the back of the room. A giant rectangular grate, made from thick pillars of blue stone, was set deep within the rock of the back wall; another room visible just beyond the slats.

"The waterway is through here," Link said, pointing at a door to the left of the grate.

We walked to the door, pushed it open, then entered into the western waterway.

The room was narrow, circular, and tall- like the turret of an old castle. A walled, stone watercourse spiraled from the ceiling; spinning down at least a hundred feet, where it stopped at the opposite end of a long and deep- and empty- reservoir.

"Now, to get over to that watercourse…" I said in thought, tapping my chin as I stared across the gap at the stone ramp.

Link stepped closer to the edge and looked down. "Well, there's good news, and bad news," he said. "The good news: there's ladders on both sides of the reservoir walls."

I stood next to the edge, seeing the two ladders.

"The bad news," he continued as he picked up a loose pebble and tossed it down the large hole, where it hit the bottom with an echoing ping. "Tektites," he said as five of the spider-like creatures skittered from the corners, screeching as they attacked the spot where the pebble landed.

"Great…" I wrinkled my nose.

Link unsheathed the Master Sword from his back. "Stay here. I'll take care of them."

"Whoa, wait a minute," I said, placing my hand onto his arm. "I want a shot at them."

Link paused, looking at me. Then he re-sheathed the Master Sword and nodded.

I smiled.

Taking a deep breath, I raised my right hand, lining up my palm to the back of the closest tektite. I ignited my magic, creating a bright white ball of concentrated energy before releasing it in a streak of blazing red.

The beam struck home, taking out two tektites with one shot.

"Alright!" I cheered.

"Nice!" Link said, impressed.

Grinning from ear to ear, I set my sights to the other three, now scurrying away from their charred comrades. I charged up another energy ball, followed a tektite with my palm, then fired.

The beam hit, turning the tektite to cinders.

I quickly charged another and fired- the shot hitting the other tektite at an angle that blasted it into fiery bits.

Come on, three for three…

I aimed my glowing palm at the last tektite, fired... and missed.

...damn.

Taking a breath to quell my chagrin, I ignited another ball (admittedly a little larger than the rest), waited a second, then shot. The thick, bright red beam hit, engulfing the last tektite and incinerating it to smoke.

"Yes…" I punched the air.

"Wow," Link said. "Looks like you're getting the hang of using your power."

I smiled. "Yeah, I think I am."

He smiled back, then gestured towards the reservoir.

One after another we descended the ladder, walked past the disappearing remains of the tektites, and climbed up the ladder on the other side. Once we stepped onto ground level we started our ascent up the spiraled watercourse.

It didn't take us long to get halfway to the top. However, it was after the halfway mark that I began to feel my legs and lungs start to burn.

But I kept pace with Link, taking even, steady breaths to stop from panting; refusing to slow when we were getting so close to the top.

Thankfully the end was in sight; the spiral waterway stopping just above us, around one last bend, where it connected to a railed footbridge that was anchored into the east-side of the room.

We passed under the footbridge and up the bend, then stopped in front of a rock archway, whose abutments were raised onto two-foot high platforms. A ladder was attached to the left side of the arch; and a golden lever hung off center from the ceiling.

"The lever should open that gate and release the water," I said, pointing through the arch to a blue-stoned floodgate that was set into a recess, deep within the wall.

Link nodded, then walked to the ladder and started to climb, with me following right behind. Reaching the top, we walked along the archway and stood under the lever. The handle hung a few feet above our heads; however, that didn't seem to be a problem for Link.

I watched as he crouched low (noticing the subtle tensing of his leg muscles through the snug material of his suit), then launched himself into the air, catching hold of the handle. The lever slid and clicked, opening the floodgate.

The room was suddenly filled with the sound of a rushing roar, echoing and reverberating off the stone walls as white, frothy water gushed across the footbridge, through the arch, and down the spiral watercourse.

"Woo, first waterway opened!" I cheered, raising my hand for a high five.

Link smiled and slapped my palm.

"Now to get back down," I said, walking to the ladder.

"How exactly do we get down?" Link asked as I descended the rungs.

"Slide," I answered, jumping the last two steps and landing on a dry part of the raised platform.

Link climbed down and turned to me, raising an eyebrow. "Slide?"

"Yup," I said as I pulled my mask up over my nose, feeling the material seal against my skin.

"Alright… We slide," and he pulled up his mask, too.

I counted to three and we both jumped in; the swell of the water cushioning our bodies as we were jetted from the archway. Spray and froth were spitting at my face as I picked up speed, spiraling downward so fast- and making it to the bottom in half the time it took to climb- before being shot off the end and falling a few feet into the filling reservoir.

I rose to the surface, laughing; watching as Link fell into the reservoir a couple seconds later.

He emerged from the water with a chuckle. "Whoa, that was fun!"

"I can't wait to do it again!" I giggled as I swam towards the ladder.

"There's another one?"

"Should be," I said as I quickly climbed the single rung that poked out of the filled reservoir. "In the eastern waterway."

Link exited the water (which was now spilling rapidly through the pillared grate), and pulled down his mask. "That's something to look forward to."

I nodded before removing my own. "Alright, eastern waterway, here we come!"

Link and I left the western waterway, making our way back to the staircase room by retracing our steps. We cut along the now rushing canal to the inclined hall, back across the gear room and into the cobblestone corridor, through the gilded gate, over the misty bridge, and back into the central room of the temple.

The sound of churning water filled the air; and I looked over the railing to see a heavy stream of water flowing into the chasm from the west side of the bottom floor.

"Well, that was easy," I smiled as I leaned back.

… Maybe a little too easy.

My smile fell. "Huh…"

Link turned to me. "What's wrong?"

"This was too easy."

"And that's a problem because…?"

"When it comes to the games, the Water Temples are always the most tedious to play. They can be pretty complicated and long to complete," I explained. "The fact that we opened the first waterway so fast is a little… unnerving."

Link looked away, as if in thought, then said, "Well… think about it. Besides making their Treasure Room basically inaccessible to intruders, why would the Zora's build a temple that was arduous for them to navigate?"

I paused, letting his words sink in. "You're right… There'd be no point in making a maze when they're pretty much the only ones who ever visit this place." I let out a short, embarrassed laugh. "Sorry…"

"For what?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"For not "thinking about it". I mean, that makes perfect sense why this temple is designed the way that it is…" I looked away, trailing off for a second before continuing. "I guess I'm just tired of my game knowledge being wrong."

"You're knowledge seems to have been right so far," Link said.

I gave him a small smile. "Let me rephrase that. I'm tired of making a fool of myself when my game knowledge is wrong."

"I think it's entertaining," Link said, scratching the side of his forehead just below his helmet.

My eyes widened. "Entertaining? I don't remember you laughing when I broke that pot!"

"True, but that doesn't mean I didn't find it amusing."

I glared, crossing my arms. "Glad to know my embarrassment amuses you…"

He gave me a cheeky smile; then he took out the map and started scanning the surface.

I looked away, trying to decide whether I wanted to huff or laugh. But I started to feel the corners of my mouth begin to rise, so I settled with a quiet giggle. When I finally turned back to Link, I saw that he was gazing at me. For a brief second I watched as his eyes softened with relief before he quickly lowered them back to the map.

Was he worried that I was mad…?

"Okay, I got it," Link said, suddenly. "This stair change is actually pretty simple."

We descended the staircase to the ground floor, turned right and walked to the south end of the room, stopping under another lever that hung from the ceiling.

It was my turn to rotate the stairs. Taking a few steps back, I ran towards the ledge and jumped, catching hold of the handle.

But nothing happened.

I tried bouncing my weight a little to see if that would slide the lever down, but it still didn't move.

"It's stuck," I said, dangling in place.

"Are you sure?"

I bounced a few more times with no result. "I'm sure."

"Can you move to the edge of the handle?" Link asked.

"Yeah…" I nodded, changing my grip so that I was facing down the length of the handle, then slid my hands back as far as they could go.

I looked past my arm to see Link take a few running steps before launching himself at the lever. He grabbed hold of the handle and yanked, but it didn't budge.

"It's really stuck," Link confirmed.

"Told ya," I said, readjusting my grip.

"Okay, on the count of three we pull. Hopefully our combined weight will get it to slide."

"And if it doesn't?"

Link's head tilted down, looking at the half-filled chasm below us. "Hope that the Zora's will realize we've been here too long and, uh... come fish us out?"

I snorted.

"Ready?" he asked.

I nodded and Link counted to three. We pulled on the handle with our weight. Nothing. We pulled again. Again, nothing. We pulled once more, yanking hard, and this time the lever moved. We yanked again, and again- the lever sliding slightly each time, until it finally released, clicking into place.

The staircase rotated 90 degrees, stopping at the north/ south points of the room.

Link and I quickly dropped to the base of the stairs, relieved.

"Thank the gods," Link sighed. "For a second there I really thought we'd have to drop."

"Same," I agreed as I rubbed the palms of my hands.

Side-by-side, Link and I quickly made our way up the stairs, where we turned to the right and walked around until we came upon the eastern door, which was set deep into an arched alcove, much like the one to the west.

We pushed the stone door, watched as it slid back and up, and walked into another (vermin free) bridge room. Once we crossed the bridge we opened the new door and stepped into a cobblestoned chamber, which greatly resembled the last. The only exceptions were the water canal- which ran parallel to the wall on the left- and the gilded gate- which was placed straight ahead.

Link pulled the large ornate lever, opening the gate; and we walked through and down another cobbled corridor until we came upon a door on our right.

Opening the door, we entered into another gear room.

This one was different than the first. The rainforest feel was gone as there were no vines or mist. Instead, the circular walls of this room were overflowing with thin streams of water, falling softly into luminescent pools of neon blue, far beneath the two bronze gears that were rotating slowly in the middle of the open floor.

The two of us walked across the gears (Link checking that they were safe, first), then over to the door on the other side of the room. Once through, Link quickly consulted the map. Then we turned to the left, following along a bland, rock-hewn hallway that widen the further we went.

This hallway felt longer than the rest- continuing straight, and straight, and straight, with little to no change in visuals. However, eventually the scenery did change as a large dead end became visible just up the way. And as we got closer, new objects started to emerge into my field of view: like a stone door; and then the first thick pillar of a giant, blue stoned grate.

We were at the eastern waterway.

As we were just about to pass the hallway threshold, a shiver ran over my skin.

A shiver that told me to stop.

"What is it?" Link asked, stopping beside me.

"I'm not sure…" I said, looking to the shadowed wall on my right. "But I feel like something is here…" I tentatively placed my hand to the wall, surprised to feel smooth stone beneath my fingers, as opposed to the rough-hewn rock that made up this hallway. As I moved my hand over the surface I started to feel grooves etched into the cold stone: deep grooves, like writing or a design. Eager to get a better look at what this was, I quickly ignited my power, which illuminated a large rectangular slab. And on this slab was an intricate carving of a beautiful, thick-trunked and lush-leafed tree. Directly beneath this tree was the carving of another. It hung upside down with its roots twisting and tangling into the roots of the one above. And as I took a closer look, I noticed that these two trees were mirrored opposites: the same in shape and size; however, the inverted tree looked almost malignant, with its gnarled wood and leafless branches.

"What do you think this is?" I asked, turning to Link.

Eyes still trained to the wall, he shook his head. "I'm not sure about the carving. But, I think this wall is actually a door…"

"What?"

He pointed to a small round protrusion sitting at elbow height.

I took hold of it and started to twist. It gave half an inch before it stuck. I tried again, with more force. It didn't budge.

I huffed.

"Guess the king forgot that this one is locked?" Link offered.

"It's possible," I agreed, dropping my light and taking hold of the knob with both hands.

Link chuckled. "Del, we don't have time for this."

"One more try…" I groaned as I put all my strength into one final twist. The knob cracked and gave way, releasing flakes of rock onto the floor as it turned completely. Suddenly, the stone door popped open with a force that jolted me back a couple steps.

I felt Link's hands brace my shoulders.

"You okay?"

I nodded. "Must've been a pressure change?" I shrugged as I pulled open the door, seeing nothing but darkness. I walked up to the threshold and ignited another ball of light, raising it high above my head. My magic reached far, casting light upon the walls of a rather broad room; one that looked empty, save for the thin layer of water that rested atop the surface of the floor.

"What a peculiar room…" I breathed as I moved my light around, trying to get a better look of the area.

I heard Link call my name.

"Just a sec," I said, lowering my eyes to the smooth water a few feet into the room.

Something sparkled.

I blinked, my eyes widening as I brought my light to my side.

There...! I thought as I saw the sparkle again: like two tiny rubies winking in the light.

"Hey, Link?" I called. "I think there are rupees in here."

I heard his footsteps come up beside me.

"Where?"

"There," I pointed, but then frowned when I didn't see them anymore. "Well, they were there…" I said looking around. "I'm going to see if I can find them."

I lifted a foot, ready to step into the room, when Link's hand pulled me back.

"Hey…!" I cried.

"I don't think it's a good idea to go in there."

"Why not?"

"There's something… off about this room," he said, eyes narrowing as he stared through the door. "Can't you feel it?"

I gazed back into the shadowy darkness and focused. Another shiver overtook my body as something panged in the pit of my stomach.

There was something off about this place. Something… strange.

And it was enough to get me to close the door; but not before I took one last sweeping look for the sparkling red rupees, before shutting it completely.

"Besides," Link continued in an airy tone as I pushed on the door to make sure it was secure, "you haven't set up the best track record when it comes to rupees."

I turned to him, crossing my arms. "So, what you're saying is that something would've gone wrong if I stepped into that room?"

"That's exactly what I'm saying."

I spluttered a laugh that ended in a groan. "You're not gonna let that one go, are you?"

His eyes glinted as the corners of his mouth rose. "That was probably the most ridiculous thing I've ever seen in my entire life. So, no."

"Great… Now I'll always be remembered as "The Girl Who Smashed a Pot," I said with a dramatic sigh.

Link let out a hearty laugh. "Come on. Let's get that last waterway open."

I nodded, and the two of us headed over to the stone door; pushing it open and stepping into the eastern waterway.

The layout was the exact same as the western waterway: a tall, narrow, cylindrical room, with a watercourse that spiraled about a hundred feet from ceiling to floor, and ending at a reservoir that was already a little over half full with water.

Stopping at the edge of the reservoir, we took a quick scan for skittery creatures (which there were none) before jumping in and swimming to the ladder on the opposite side. We climbed out of the water, then started the trek up the watercourse.

I made it a little further than halfway before I started to feel the burn take over my legs and lungs. But that burn was all but forgotten when we reached the three quarter mark.

As we approached, I noticed that there were cracks within the stone- deep cracks that spanned from one end of the course to the other, and up the wall.

But not thinking much about cracks in stone, I trudged on- only to abruptly stop with a yelp as the walk shifted under Link and I, dropping us forward about a foot before the edges caught and scraped to a halt.

I froze where I was, afraid to make a move- afraid to even breathe- lest the stone crumbled away, dropping us almost fifteen feet to the walk just below.

Link, on the other hand, sprung into action, deftly jumping over the uneven stone and back onto the solid walkway before reaching out to me. "Del?"

I extended my hand to his, but stopped once I heard the sound of pebbles smacking the ground beneath me.

"Del, take my hand." His voice was calm.

I took it and he guided me to the broken edge, pulling me towards him as I stepped up.

I stared at the slanted piece of walkway, concerned. "Think it'll be safe going back down?" I asked, lifting my eyes to him.

Link paused for a moment, then nodded. "We'll just have to slide cautiously around this part."

"Okay," I said. "Let's get this waterway open."

We quickly made our way to the top and walked over to the ladder, which was set onto the right-hand side of the stoned archway. We scaled the rungs, then stood under the golden lever. I watched (...okay, admired) as Link crouched once again, then leapt up, taking hold of the handle.

The lever clicked home- and all hell broke loose.

A monstrous wall of water surged from the floodgate, rushing over the footbridge and ramming headlong into the arch, cresting over the stone at all angles.

Link and I didn't even get the chance to pull up our masks before we were bulldozed off the top of the archway, the rapid current pulling us under and away; my back cracking and bouncing against the floor of the walk as I was being held down from the sheer weight of the water.

Somehow I managed to claw my way to the surface, desperately gasping for air as spray and froth entered my mouth and nose. I tried to find Link, to see if he was okay, when suddenly, something grabbed my wrist. Before I had a moment to react I felt my body plummet- only to be halted in mid-air. My left wrist and shoulder flared with pain as I dangled in place; a cascade of falling water at my back.

My eyes widened as they took in the sight below me. The spiraled watercourse was broken: three gaping holes three levels down, where on the last level rested multiple giant, crumbled slabs of stone walkway; which caused the newly created waterfall to spray and spurt in all different directions to the reservoir beneath.

I quickly looked above me and saw Link- who was grasping my wrist in one hand while clinging to the edge of the broken walkway with the other.

"I got you, De- Don't let go!" he choked as the water spilled relentlessly over his face. I felt him try to pull me up; my weight bouncing down when he couldn't.

"Don- don't let go! I can p- you up!" he shouted, spluttering for air as he tried again. And again I bounced down, my wrist panging with pain.

Oh god… He's going to drown trying to save me!

I looked around for a way out- a ledge, or something, that I could try and swing on to...

But there was nothing.

The holes within each level of the walkway were too wide. I'd never be able to catch onto one.

A beat passed as I stared at the almost fifty foot drop below; then snapped my head up as I heard Link gasp loudly.

I knew what I had to do.

It was the only thing I could do.

I had to drop.

"Link!" I called over the coursing waterfall. "You have to let me go!"

"What?!" he shrieked. "Are- insane? No!"

"If you don't let me go you'll drown! Without my weight you can pull yourself over the edge!

"I can- Don't let-"

"Link, let go! I'll be fine," I assured.

However, the assurance was more for my benefit than his, as Zelda's voice started echoing through my head.

Magic protects its own... Magic protects its own... Magic protects its own…

But will it for something like this…?

I didn't have time to dwell on that thought. I couldn't- because if I did I wouldn't let go of Link, and I'd risk hurting us both.

"Link, let-"

"NO!" he hollered, his grip becoming vice-like around my wrist.

"I'm not giving you a choice!" and I raised my right hand to his and ignited my power, burning the flesh of his fingers. With a yelp his death grip loosened and I pulled myself free.

Everything slowed as I fell. My heart; my breathing; even my hair streaming past the side of my face slowed.

In this moment I knew there was something I had to do, but the shock of gravity wiped it from my mind- until suddenly, the world picked up speed, rushing past me in a flurry of greys and frothing spray.

It was then that I remembered what needed to be done.

Taking my right arm, I placed it just passed the side of my leg and summoned my shield, extending it to its full height behind me.

Magic protects its own, magic protects its own, magic protects its own… I chanted as I watched, terrified, as I plummeted past the second hole. I prayed, with every fiber of my being, that my shield would hold up against the impact (and that I would somehow be able to walk away from this)- when I felt a gush of white hot energy surge into my palm. The edges of my shield began to expand past my body, rising up and encapsulating me within a sphere adorned with intricate swirling patterns.

Awed (and a little more hopeful than before) I turned my sights over my shoulder, watching as the broken slabs of walkway rushed up to meet me- and I braced for impact.

Within my shield I felt a pressure slam against my back, arching my spine as my neck whipped backwards toward my shoulders. Then I started rolling- rolling down and away from the crumbled mess like a hamster in a rampant hamster ball.

Some odd feet later I finally slowed- and I took that opportunity to drop my shield, landing face first into the cool, hard stone of the bottom tier of the watercourse.

My entire back side pulsed with pain; but I ignored it as I set my focus on more important things: moving my arms and legs.

I bent my left elbow, and wiggled my right fingers, then moved both my ankles from side-to-side.

Okay, I take it back… I never want to slide down a watercourse again… I thought, letting out a short laugh of sheer relief as I slowly and stiffly rolled onto my back.

My plan worked…

It actually worked! I fell almost fifty feet and came out of it with nothing more than whiplash and a bruised back. And Link-

Link!

I quickly snapped my eyes above me, searching for Link along the edges of the walkway, but not seeing him. A moment passed where my heart stopped, afraid that Link had fallen himself, and was hurt, or-

But just as I was about to sit up to look for him, I heard my name being called. I sighed, allowing my body to relax as the sound of heavy footfalls raced towards me.

Link was okay.

"Del!" Link said as he suddenly kneeled next to me. "Are you okay? Are you hurt?" His eyes were wide and scared as he scanned me over.

"I'm okay," I said, my voice sounding a little winded. "Are you okay?"

"Can you move?" he asked, ignoring my question.

"Yes. Link are you-"

He nodded his answer as he started to rummage in the pocket of his skirt.

I took this moment to scan him over. He looked fine as the only injury I could see were the angry burns I left on the fingers of his left hand- until I noticed that his right arm was hanging limply- and oddly- from his shoulder.

"Link, your shoulder is dislocated."

"Is it? Funny, I hadn't noticed," he quipped as he pulled out a small vial filled with a red liquid.

"You have Red Chu jelly?" I awed, temporarily allowing his snarky remark to pass in favour of my surprise.

"I always have Red Chu jelly with me," he said, his tone serious.

Mental note to self: Start carrying Red Chu jelly with you on all journeys…

"Open," he said as he quickly uncorked the vial and brought it to my lips, tilting the contents before I even opened my mouth.

I glared at him as I swallowed the majority of the jelly- feeling its healing effects rapidly take over my body. The second my back and neck no longer throbbed with pain I sat up so quick that I risked giving myself whiplash all over again.

"God dammit, Link!" I cried, wiping the unconsumed jelly from my face. "I know the sooner you take the jelly the better, but that was a bit excessive! What gives?"

He didn't say anything as he glared back.

I blinked in shock. "You're mad at me…? You're actually mad at m-"

"Golden Gods, Del, of course I'm mad at you!" he yelled.

"Why?" I yelled back.

He looked away and quickly stood up, wincing as the movement jolted his injured arm, then knelt back down.

He sighed. "It doesn't matter. Can you-"

"Doesn't matter, my ass! Why the hell are you mad at me?"

His eyes flicked to mine, his glare returning.

"Why-"

"You let go!"

My mouth visibly dropped. (For a moment, I actually thought he was going to say it was because I burned him).

Link rubbed the back of his neck, looking away again. "I could've- I should've been able to-" his voice faltered. "If- If anything would've happened to you, I don't… I could never forgive myself."

My mouth closed as his anger suddenly made sense: He was mad at himself for not being able to pull me up, more so than he was mad at me for letting go.

"And what makes you think that I'd be okay with letting anything happened to you?" I asked, trying not to melt into the floor as he turned his dark blue eyes, heavy with guilt, back to mine. "If I didn't let go then I'd run the risk of getting us both hurt, or worse. I'm okay with being the one that hurts me, but I'll be damned if I'm the reason that hurts you. Got it?"

"But-"

"No buts," I stated with a firm shake of my head. "I have an advantage over you as it is, Link. I have magic. If I held on, like you wanted me to, and we both fell, my magic would instinctively protect me; but I'm not sure if it would've protected you, too."

Link looked away for a second, then back at me. "Promise me you won't do anything reckless like that again."

A laugh bubbled up my throat. "Only if you promise me that you'll never do anything reckless."

He groaned as he wiped his left hand down his face. "You really like to make things complicated for me, don't you?"

I shrugged. "It's the small pleasures that make life worthwhile."

"Good gods…" he chuckled lowly.

I smirked, then sobered my attitude. "We need to set your shoulder."

Link's chuckle faded as he asked, "Can you?"

I nodded then stood up, walking behind Link and kneeling back down. "When we were young, Charlie liked to pretend he was a daredevil- doing stunts and stuff that only an idiot would do," I snorted. "Anyways, he dislocated his shoulder at my house one time, so my mom showed me how to set the bone back. It was a good thing she did because Charlie popped his shoulders out a few more times after that." I gingerly took hold of Link's upper arm, guiding it to his side and into position. "Uh… do you want to find something to bite down on, first?"

Link shook his head. "No. No, I should be good."

"Okay, on three then. One, two-" and I grasped his arm and pulled up, feeling- and hearing- the bone relocate back into the shoulder socket.

Link doubled over, inhaling and exhaling through his teeth.

"You okay...?" I asked, concerned.

"... fuck," he breathed as a tiny laugh escaped his lips. "What happened to "on three" ?"

"Figured "two" was the best option."

"Of course you did..."

I quickly slid to Link's other side, finding the pocket in his skirt and pulling out another vial. I uncorked it and handed it to him. He drank it quickly; and after a moment he started circling his shoulder.

"Better?" I asked.

Link smiled. "Yeah."

"Good," I smiled back. I took a quick glance at his left hand, seeing the burns no longer there. "Uh, sorry about burning you," I apologized.

Link looked at his fingers then back at me. "It's nothing," he said, then stood up, offering me a hand.

Once I was up I started to pull my hand away, but stopped when Link's grasp tightened. I looked up at him, my eyes curious.

"I'm really happy you're alright, Del."

I gave him a soft smile as I tightened my hand to his. "Same for you, Link."

I had to fight back the blazing smile that wanted to rise on my lips as Link's hand lingered in mine before he released his grip.

My hand fell listlessly back to my side; and I became inherently aware of how cold my fingers had now become.

"Come on, let's get to the Treasure Room," Link said.

Link and I jumped down about a foot into the reservoir, then swam quickly to the other side, pulling ourselves out and walking towards the door.

A sudden crack echoed through the air, and Link and I turned to see that another piece of walkway had broken away, tumbling down and smashing to the ground.

"Think we should tell Phin that the structural integrity of this temple isn't as perfect as he believes it to be?" I snorted.

Link chuckled. "Probably best if we didn't."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah, guess it'd be smart if we were someplace far away whenever he discovers it."

"Ohh yeah…" he agreed.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Link and I quickly made it back to the main room of the Lakebed Temple; seeing the chasm below now filled with water as we descended the stairs to the bottom floor. We took a left and stopped at the nearest opening.

"Ready?" Link asked, pulling up his mask.

"Yes," I breathed, my heart pounding with a mix of excitement and relief at being so close to obtaining the first piece of the glaive. The first piece of our way home.

I tugged up my mask and stepped to the edge of the opening, watching as the water spilled over the floor and lapped at the sides of my boots. I looked up at Link then nodded, and we both slipped feet first into the rippling waves.

Our powerful fins got us to the middle of the chasm in no time, sailing over to the wide ledge that surrounded the Treasure Room.

I pulled myself out of the water and scanned the area in awe. The revolving staircase looked massive from down here, giving off the illusion that it expanded the entire length of the chasm as it sat atop the roof of the small, cottage-sized Treasure Room.

The Treasure Room had an interesting design. It greatly resembled a spineless sea urchin: round and rather squat; its walls made from purple marble and black iron; and a giant slab of a stone door, standing sentinel before us, bearing the emblem of the Water Temple with pride.

Link and I walked up to the door and pushed. And pushed. And pushed, and pushed, until there was movement. With a final heave, the door slid and clicked back, then slowly started to grind up into the doorframe.

As the door rose we saw that it was pitch black inside. I ignited my magic; and when the door was halfway open, Link and I stepped in. However, the moment we did we were bombarded by light, as five torches flared with orange fire, causing the room to fill with a warm glow.

"Okay, let's find this blade," I said, dropping my magic.

Taking opposite ends of the circular room, Link and I respectfully rummaged through the Zora's treasure. I sifted through mounds of gleaming rupees, shuffled and reshuffled dozens of gold trinkets, lifted heavy lids of wooden treasure chests, and pawed through heaps of twinkling gems, but found no blade.

"Del, I don't think it's here," Link said, voicing my fear.

But I shook my head. "No, it has to be here. It has to be." I paused, looking around. "Check for any Triforce symbols along the walls, or a trap door in the floor," I said hastily.

Both of us searched, yo-yoing from the walls to the floor and back again. We covered every inch we could touch, but still found nothing.

"Maybe if we-"

"Del," Link called, patiently. "It's not here."

"How do you know for sure?"

"Because if it was, shouldn't we have felt it by now? It's magic?"

My heart sank. He was right- again.

With a dejected sigh, I made my way to the door; Link following close behind. The moment the both of us passed over the threshold, the giant door started to grind closed, sealing shut once more with a heavy thud.

"I don't get it…" I trailed as I walked to the end of the ledge and sat down, placing my boots into the water and watching as the coils unfurled into fins.

"Maybe Parker was wrong about the riddle?" Link said, sitting down next to me.

I nodded as the possibility of that being true was very likely. "But, it made sense. It made sense," I said, gesturing with my hands for emphasis. Then I chuckled lowly. "Thank you Mario! But your blade is in another temple."

"Who's Mario?" Link asked.

"Nobody," I laughed, not in the mood to explain. I looked around the circular room, then back at the Treasure Room and sighed. "I don't know, Link... The blade has to be here, somewhere."

"Think it's possible that the king doesn't know where the blade was put?" he offered.

I paused, then said, "Sure, it's possible. But if that's the case then I'm just surprised we didn't pick up on any feelings of magic while we were walking around-"

I stopped, my eyes wide, as an epiphany suddenly smacked me upside the head.

"Link, I know where the blade is."

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

Sweaty and a little winded, Link and I stood in front of the smooth-stoned door, staring at the shadowed engraving of the mirrored trees.

"Are you sure it's in there?" Link puffed.

I placed my hand onto the grooves of the carving, feeling its deep and intricate design under my fingers. Then I closed my eyes and tried to feel past it- feel past the tangible and focus on the intangible. Suddenly a shiver ran over my skin- the same as before- followed by an odd sensation in the pit of my stomach, alerting me that something strange lay just behind the door. Something magical.

"Yeah," I exhaled harshly as the stitch in my side panged.

It was Link this time who turned the knob, opening the door to pitch blackness.

The strange feeling was a bit stronger now; and I ignited my magic to light our way. Link and I took synchronized steps passed the threshold and started walking- slowly. Water sloshed under our boots, the sound echoing off the walls as we made our way to the middle of the room. And the closer we got, the more I started to realize that the room was getting lighter. With each step the brightness grew; the ceiling and walls becoming visible as the shadows began to recede into the corners. I dropped my magic, not needing it anymore as a grey hazy light illuminated the room.

A few more steps forward, and something materialized up ahead.

It looked to be a dirt mound: one which made me think of a mini island, with its beige coloured soil, surrounded by rippling water. And it only took a couple more steps for the island to be complete, as a tree suddenly appeared within the mound's center. It was a gorgeous tree: thick and lustrous with leaves that resembled emeralds.

However, as quick as the beautiful tree appeared, it disappeared- replaced by another that was gnarled and twisted and leafless.

I blinked as I realized that the carvings on the door were of this tree; although, the images weren't an exact copy, as this one had something protruding out of its trunk.

Another foot closer and I got a look at the protrusion.

I stopped.

"Link…"

"I know. I see it…"

There, jutting out from the warped bark of the tree, was a long, wide piece of what looked to be black iron- whose shape resembled that of a curved blade.

I smiled, elated.

There it is! The first part of the Glaive of Souls!

I took a step towards it, then paused.

"Uh- do I just grab it?" I asked Link.

He looked at me in thought. "I don't see why not?"

I nodded (thinking that it wouldn't hurt to be a little cautious) and took another step, only to pause again as something caught my attention.

Out of the corner of my eye I saw something sparkle; and I looked down to see my reflection in the rippling water.

I gazed at my reflection.

And my reflection smiled back… A wicked grin stretched wide across its lips as red eyes- like rubies- gleamed up at me.

My mouth went dry.

This can't be…

"Del…?" Link called, his voice wavering. "What is this?"

I tore my eyes away from the floor to look at him, seeing that he had turned around, his back now facing the tree.

"Not good…" I answered, bringing my eyes back down to the floor- and I froze.

My reflection was gone.

I quickly spun on my heel, looking frantically around me, when Link called my name again, making my head snap up.

I gasped.

Standing about twenty-feet away from us was a dark, shadow-like being. Garbed in a black tunic and hat, his eyes flashed red as a vicious smile grew on his lips as he removed a dark sword from his back.

"...Oh fuck," I breathed, barely more than a whisper. "Dark Link…"

"Dark what now? Who-"

But Link stopped talking when another dark figure suddenly appeared, as if out of thin air.

My breath hitched in my throat as I stared at the new arrival: a corporeal shadow who wore a black tunic with a knot on the left hip, light grey pants- and my face...

Dark- Del…? I thought, and almost snorted. It didn't sound right. But I wasn't given the chance to dwell on it's lameness as the two dark specters started walking towards us.

On cue, Link and I both readied ourselves: Link removing the Hylian Shield and Master Sword from his back, and I igniting my power into my shield.

"Del, what-?" Link started, but cut himself off as Dark Link took a step, then disappeared through the floor.

Crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap, crap...

Instinctively, Link and I started looking around us; but something in the back of my mind told me to look up. So I did.

My dark doppelganger was still stalking towards me- red eyes searing into mine as her right hand started to glow, creating a shield of murky grey energy. A shield that was a perverse shadow of my own.

Suddenly Link gasped, and I looked in time to see him spin around and clash swords with Dark Link; the two of them breaking away from me, skimming across the room as their weapons clanged with furor, the harsh sound ringing through the air.

Movement caught my eye, and I snapped my wide gaze to Dark Del.

Before I even had a chance to think of what I was going to do, Dark Del dropped her shield then fired a beam of black energy at me. I ducked behind my shield as the beam hit, which sent me flying off my feet and sliding over the water slick floor, dropping my magic as I came to a skidding stop far passed the gnarled tree.

Landing hard, stars burst behind my eyes as my head cracked against the inside of my Zora's helmet; my body wracked with pain as I coughed and wheezed as the air was knocked out of my lungs.

Eyes blurred and burning with tears, I shakily pushed myself up; only to gasp and splutter as Dark Del was suddenly standing over me. She smiled monstrously as she held up her hand, a large black orb, surrounded by tendrils of glinting grey, floating above her palm.

Her red eyes flared; and I had a split second to reignite my shield and tuck myself underneath before her beam hit me once more.

The pressure was incredible as she unleashed an unending stream of power upon me, its sheer force pushing me into the floor. My entire body hummed with a numbing vibration, and I felt my energy begin to slip. I looked up in fear as my shield started chipping away as my magic waned.

I needed help. And a part of me thought that if I could just stay where I was- if I could just hold out a little longer- then Link would come and save me.

But these thoughts were foolish and cowardly. I knew that Link was no better off fighting his own dark doppelganger than I was.

I had to save myself. Fight for myself.

And I had the means and the training to do so.

But that didn't mean I wasn't afraid.

Now desperate for a way out, my eyes searched madly around me for something- anything!- that could get me out of this.

My right shoulder and rib bones began to crack and pop as the pressure became overwhelming. I could feel myself start to panic.

But the panic subsided as I found my solution.

Dark Del's feet were within sight- and range- and I swooped my leg out, knocking her feet from under her, her black beam going wild as she slammed to the ground.

Ignoring the pain shaking through my body, I sprung up. Shield still in hand, I quickly changed it to a ball of roiling energy, ready to fire, when Dark Del vanished into the floor.

Shit! Fuck! Damn! Crap!

I brought my shield back once more, treading lightly- and shakily- as I began to search around me.

In the distance, the sounds of clashing metal and pain-filled grunts carried from somewhere far within the room.

I wanted terribly to check on Link, to make sure he was okay. But I couldn't. All I could do at the moment was to have faith that he was alright, that he wasn't hurt, because, right now, I had to be on the lookout for, well, me…

I took a few steps, then stopped as I felt something grip my ankles. I looked down and saw a pair of pale, dismembered hands wrapped around them- before being yanked forward and falling hard onto my stomach, my forearms slapping painfully onto the ground, my shield dispelling from the shock.

In an instant I was on my back, watching as my doppelganger rose out from the floor; her wicked smile gone, replaced by something sinister.

But I reacted quickly- quicker than I ever thought myself possible- and summoned my power, blasting her with a beam of pure red energy.

I watched as she sailed through the air, arching high and far before plummeting down to the floor- and phasing beneath the rippling water.

God dammit!

I jumped to my feet.

Shield up once more, my eyes darted from floor to open space to floor again, my heart pounding wildly waiting for the next attack- when my focus was shattered as I heard Link's shout of pain ring throughout the room.

I spun towards the direction of his voice and saw him down on one knee, the Master Sword bearing the brunt of his weight as he clutched his left side, a thin bloom of red visible under his fingers.

"Link!" I cried as I rushed over to him- only to skim to a halt as Dark Link looked my way, his crimson-coloured eyes piercing straight into mine as a wicked smile graced his lips. He shouldered his dark Master Sword; and I watched as a line of blood glistened along the blade.

My insides froze, and my power ceased flowing.

Just then, Dark Del was standing next to Dark Link.

Caught alarmingly off guard by her sudden appearance, I failed to notice that her hand was glowing before she fired another black beam at me. I was thrust backwards through the air as her shot hit me square in the chest; landing in a heap on the floor, water splashing high around me as I hissed in agony at the burning sensation above my breasts.

Needing to see the damage, I stiffly managed to lift my head- and whimpered. A large circular scorch mark smoked and sizzled in the middle of my chest, burning through my Zora Armor and charring my skin.

On impulse, I started splashing water onto my burn. The water helped- a little.

So much for this armor being fucking impervious!

I tried to sit up but my body wasn't having it, and I slumped back down as fear started to trickle like ice down my bruised spine. I rolled my head to the side and searched for Link; finding him still kneeling on the ground, and staring at me, panic written across his face.

Movement drew my attention away from Link, and I watched as Dark Link placed a hand on Dark Del's shoulder. She turned to him, and they stared at each other, silently. A look passed between them; and Dark Del set her ruby eyes on me and smiled.

The dark doppelganger started towards me. However, it wasn't my doppelganger…

Dark Link lowered his Master Sword to his side as he stalked toward me; the line of Link's blood beading down the blade and dripping into the water.

Eyes wide and heart pounding madly, I pulled my gaze from Dark Link to look at Dark Del, now turning and walking towards Link.

What the hell is going on? Why are they switching between us?

Gritting my teeth, I shakily pushed myself onto my elbows, trying to disregard the bodily pain that was screaming at me to stop as I attempted to move onto my hands.

Something dark overtook my peripheral; and I yelped as I looked up, seeing Dark Link suddenly beside me. In half a blink my upper body was slammed back to the ground, a shout of distress escaping my lips as he pressed his knee into my burned chest.

I clawed at his leg as I squirmed beneath it- but it didn't budge. I tried to summon my powers but I couldn't concentrate; the pain becoming so strong that it was paralyzing.

Dark Link's knee pressed down harder into my chest; and I became immobile, gasping for air.

Tears streaming from the corners of my eyes, I looked up into his pale, shadowed face.

He stared back.

His red eyes continued to gaze into mine as an odd expression flashed across his features- an expression that made him look as if he was intrigued. But then a cold, foreboding smile crept onto his lips.

He dug his knee deeper into my chest, and I froze; my pulse stopping as I watched him take his sword's handle in both hands, the tip of the blade hovering over my heart as he raised it high above his head. He arched his back, readying to thrust the blade down, when he suddenly went flying from my chest, crashing and rolling onto the ground.

Taking an agonizing breath of surprise and relief, I rolled my head to find the source of the hit- and found Link laying on his side some thirty feet away, staring over his shoulder at me as Dark Del stood over him, a look of pure shock on her face as her eyes went from her glowing hand to Dark Link now writhing on the floor.

Rage mangled Dark Del's face; and she fired another beam at Link.

"Link, watch-"

But my winded warning was cut short as Link sprung into action: Sitting up and placing the Hylian Shield in front of him seconds before the blast hit; the force sending him sliding over the water-slick floor, where he used the momentum to do a backwards shoulder roll onto his feet, then raced towards Dark Link.

Master Sword gripped tightly in his hand, Link took a running jump up to his doppelganger and plunged the blade deep within his chest.

Dark Link twitched, then faded into nothing.

Link stood with a flourish of his blade; then rushed over to me.

He slid his arms under my neck and shoulders, gently pulling me up. "Gods, Del. Are you alright?"

My lungs constricted at the movement, and I coughed as I sat up. "I've been better," I wheezed. "What about you?" and I looked to the patch of blood at his side.

"I'll-"

A scream suddenly filled the air, and Link and I looked to see that it was coming from Dark Del, her hands clutching her stomach as she gazed at the spot where Dark Link fell. She turned her blood-red eyes upon us and screamed again, the raging echo reverberating so strongly that the ceiling started to crack.

Link raised the Hylian Shield above our heads as some pebbles of debris fell over us; the pinging sound harsh against the metal.

The moment her cries stopped the room quit shaking; however, the water continued to ripple and roil across the surface of the floor. Small waves crested and slapped over my legs and back as I watched Dark Del, never taking my eyes off her as I looked her over.

I watched as her eyes blazed like burning coals as she conjured up another ball of black energy- significantly larger than the others- and began to swiftly stalk towards us. Hair swinging wildly behind her, and an expression that promised violence on her face, Dark Del suddenly halted in her tracks and unleashed her power upon us.

But this time, I was ready.

Blissfully thankful that my body was too numb to register pain, I slid onto my knees and ducked away from Link and his shield to ignite my own.

The blast hit hard; but I was prepared: pushing out my shield as far as I could manage to take the brunt of the blow. I locked my elbows as my shield snapped back towards me, using both my hands to keep it steady.

"Link?" I called, keeping my sights focused on her. "I have an idea, but I'm going to need your help."

"What do you need?" he asked, his body close to mine.

"I need you to help me stand up."

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw him make quick work of replacing his shield to his back; then felt him wrap his arms around my waist, hoisting me up. My knees buckled once, but with Link holding onto me my fall was barely more than a jerk. After a moment, I managed to find my balance and held my ground. Then I called back to Link again.

"I want you to stay behind me," I ordered.

"Del, that's-"

"Please…" I implored, looking over my shoulder at him.

His eyes widened at my plea, but nodded slowly.

My heart filled with confidence at his trust, and I gave him an appreciative smile. Then I returned my attention to the matter at hand.

While Dark Del continued with her onslaught, I took a second to look her over once more- and smiled with confirmation. There was something missing from her person. Something that I currently had in my possession, but that ultimately didn't belong to me; and as such, it wasn't something to be replicated by this shadow.

Heart beating with resolve, I continued to stand my ground; and Link continued to remain close behind me.

And it was because he did that a calmness overtook me.

My body may've been battered and bruised and burned, but none of that mattered as I had someone to protect- someone who I've come to care greatly about. And that thought alone was enough to keep my shield going strong. To keep it unbreakable.

And it wasn't long until I started to feel Dark Del's magic begin to lessen; watching through the red glow of my shield as her stamina was fading fast.

She finally relented; and that's when I made my move.

I dropped my shield, catching my magic in my palm and allowing a beat to pass before I sent my power back at her. Dark Del raised a shield, stopping my beam of brilliant red from hitting her- which was exactly what I wanted.

I gave my power a little more juice, thickening up the stream. Then I ran towards her; Link at my heels.

I closed the distance between us within seconds, never releasing my beam. When I was five feet from her I cut my power off.

I could feel Link tense behind me as I stood in front of her with no shield, and no magic.

Dark Del looked at me in surprise, but blinked it away as she started to summon her powers.

I smiled; and using a move that Nobu taught me, I struck: rushing forwards as I removed Colin's sword from my hip, swinging it up to slice off Dark Del's glowing hand before ramming the blade up under her ribs, all the way to the hilt.

Dark Del's eyes widened with confusion, looking from the hilt protruding from her body, to her missing hand, then up to my face.

And as quickly and silently as she appeared, she disappeared, fading into nothing.

… I did it…

My body hummed with adrenaline as I turned to face Link. "...I did it."

"You did..." he said, impressed (and perhaps a little shocked).

I started to laugh, ecstatic. "I did it!" I cried and jumped into Link's arms, wrapping mine tightly around his neck- before realizing what I did, and started to pull away, slightly embarrassed.

"...sorry, that wasn't smart-"

But his arms locked around my back, and he gently pressed me close once more.

We stood there for a while, wrapped in each others arms; and I took comfort in feeling his heart beat in time with mine- a sure sign that we were both okay.

Another few beats, then I loosened my arms. And as we both pulled away from one another, he gave me a crooked smile.

"Think the threat to our lives will stop at two?"

I chuckled, then winced, placing my hand to my chest as pain started to creep its way back into existence. "God I hope so. I don't think my body could take anymore abuse."

Suddenly, Link snapped into action, pulling out another vial of Red Chu jelly.

"Take it," he said, handing it to me.

"You don't have another one?" I asked.

He shook his head. "It fell- somewhere out there," he waved a hand around the room.

"Then you take it. You're the one who's bleeding." I gave it back but he gently pushed my hand away.

"And you could have internal bleeding," he said, his tone serious.

"And you don't?" I crossed my arms, immediately regretting the action.

"I wasn't tossed around like a rag doll," he pointed out.

I grimaced as I imagined what I probably looked like, flying all over the place. But I gave my head a firm shake, then said, "We'll split it."

Link sighed. "That won't heal us completely."

"True," I agreed, "but it'll hold us over until we can get real help. Hopefully from the Zora's…" and I uncorked the bottle, tilted the contents into my mouth, then bit down on the jelly, splitting it. I handed the vial to Link as I swallowed my portion.

"You gave me more!" he snapped.

"Just drink it!" I snapped back.

He groaned then dumped the jelly into his mouth and swallowed. "Happy?" he growled.

I smiled. "Yes."

Even with a little less than half the amount of jelly, it still worked some magic: filling me with a heat that healed the majority of my pain. Once the heat subsided, my body was left a little stiff, and my burn slightly achy- but like hell was I going to complain!

"Del? What- what were those?" Link asked.

I opened my mouth to answer but hesitated.

"You don't know?" Link said, surprised.

"No, I know. At least, I think I do…" I let out a small sigh. "I'm not so confident with my knowledge at the moment…"

"I don't think whether you're right or wrong matters at this point," Link smirked.

I exhaled a laugh. "Fair enough. Those shadow beings were us. Well, dark versions of us."

"Where did they come from?"

I thought about that, and remembered Parker telling me once that the origin of Dark Link was unclear, that there were many theories about him and his purpose. (None of which I paid much attention to...).

However, for some unexplained reason, my eyes found their way to the blade of the Glaive of Souls.

"I don't remember much about Dark Link- and now, I guess, Dark Del- but I do know that they are made from shadows. Maybe…" I paused, looking at the blade once more.

"It was the blade?" Link said, voicing my thoughts out loud.

I nodded. "The blade that cuts the darkness…" I recited. "Impaz said that the Sheikah used shadow magic to create the glaive. Maybe that kind of magic has a mind of its own? Creating these dark reflections of ourselves... that needed to be cut away?"

Link looked at the blade, then nodded slowly. "Seems possible." Then he paused in thought. "Think we'll be faced with something like this with the other pieces?"

I pursed my lips. "You know, I wouldn't be surprised if we were."

Every temple needs a boss fight, right...

I took a deep breath and turned to face the gnarled tree. I quickly cleared the short distance, stepping onto the mound of tightly packed dirt, and stopped in front of the obsidian-coloured blade.

I reached out and tentatively touched the cold metal, bracing myself for something to happen. But when I felt nothing I was a little surprised- and apprehensive. But I quickly told myself to relax; then grasped the blunt part at the top of the blade and pulled. It took me a bit to loosen it, wiggling it up and down until it released with a hollow sounding twang.

The blade was shockingly lightweight; and I held it up to the hazy grey light, watching in fascination as there were no reflections glinting off the metal.

When I was done with my examination, I brought the blade down in front of me, holding it in both hands as I looked to Link. I beamed. "One down. Two to go."

---

So, there it is...

I hope this chapter turned out okay; and that even though I dimmed down the temple's mechanics, I hope I was able to do it some justice. Or, at least, made it entertaining to read. Fingers crossed.

Also, I hope the action bits were enjoyable. I'm not sure if they're as epic as I wanted them to be (and I had to bend the "reality" rules once, or twice, to achieve what I needed), but I'm learning as I go, which means I can only get better from here!

Once again, thank you all so much for the constant reading of this story. It means the world to me!

Comment, follow, and fave if you like the story so far!

~lavender phoenix~