(Hey Everyone. I'm back with another chapter! And I apologize for the delay. But i've been busy with life among other things. Including a new relationship that's been rocky at best. Hopefully I can speed it along. Hopefully this makes up for it.)
"Link!?" Midna shrieks as Link hits the floor in a pile. He lays on the ground breathing heavily.
"Midna please... He's just tired." Ralis says calming looking him over.
"S-So he'll be fine right?" She frantically asks.
"Yes... Once we get him back to the entrance we'll let him rest a little till he's well enough to make the swim back out." Ralis nods and smiles.
"Wait! I can get us all out of here!" She says snapping her fingers as a swirling portal of darkness materializes on the stone floor.
"Is it safe?" He asks and tilts his head.
"Yes! Let's go!" She barks and steps over to pick up Link's motionless body. She steps into the portal as her and Link both demateralize into a series of dark fragments as they sink into the inky darkness. Ralis hesitates and slowly places a foot onto it as he slowly breaks down into fragments as well. A portal opens and slowly the fragments emerge from the portal as Midna holding Link slowly reform. She takes a few steps forward and turns waiting for Ralis to arrive. After a few brief seconds a second set of particles emerge from the portal and Ralis slowly reforms from the shards of darkness. He steps out of the portal and shivers a little.
"T-That was... V-Very strange..." He shakes his head a little to clear his vision.
"Yeah. They all say that their first time. Even Link was the same despite his resilience." She smiles a little.
"Oh yes... The throne room of Zora's Domain... But how did we get here from there?" He scratches his chin and looks back down at the portal on the floor as it fades and vanishes in a wisp of shadowy particles.
"Oh that? I just connected my portal to a distant portal I could tell was nearby. So I guess this is where we ended up."
She shrugs and gently lays Link down on the cold and slightly moist stone.
"Wait... You mean you didn't entirely know where we would end up?" He stares at her scowling a little.
"Oh don't worry about that. We would've ended up somewhere in the Zora's Domain. So you don't really need to worry." She smiles and chuckles placing her hand on Link's head.
"I already told you Midna. He's just exhausted from the trek, As are all of us I imagine. I can offer you two somewhere safe to rest in exchange for an in-depth explanation of that thing." He points to the softly thrumming key she holds locked in a dark sphere of her own making.
"You might just have yourself a deal Ralis." She smiles at him before returning her gaze to the still slowly breathing Link.
"Very well, I suppose I shall remain here for a while. At least it is warmer here then I was in the cave." He chuckles and yawn a little.
"I think it's best we all get some rest real quick." She lays down next to Link and quietly rests her arm on his chest and closes her eyes.
"It is rather late, So that may be a good idea. We shall converse in the morning then." He smiles and lays down and closes his eyes as well as the trio slowly fall asleep. She awakes moments later as she feels something move and her arm touch the cold stone floor. Her eyes fixate on the empty, damp, stone floor as she sits up.
"L-Link...?" She looks around for signs of him to no avail. She glances over at Ralis still asleep and climbs to her feet. She wanders around in the dim light of Zora Throne Room as she traveles donw the path out of the Throne Room. She leaves the tunnel only to bathed in moonlight by the full moon sitting high in the sky. She glances over and sees the fammilar tipped green cap floating in the gentle night breeze. She smiles and walks up to him as he sits near the waterfall on the ledge overlooking the Domain.
"Hopefully I didn't wake you up Midna." He continues to stare down into the foam of the waterfall below them.
"No. But I am curious what you're doing up. You really should be resting up." She chuckles.
"I should be yeah, But I really can't." He stares into the foam below almost blankly.
"Nightmares?" She smiles and leans against him as he seems to snap back to reality.
"Y-Yeah I suppose so." He furrows his eyebrows and glances over at her as her skin reflects the moonlight as she softly glistens from the spray of the waterfall.
"You know you can tell me about it right? It's not just you on this journey you know." She giggles a little and rests her head on his shoulder as she feels him tense up.
"Sorry if I made you panic by leaving... I just really needed some time to think for myself." He sighs casting his gaze towards the heavens.
"You're not regretting helping me are you? Or maybe you're questioning yourself again?" She giggles and sighs. He silently stares at the stars.
"Sometimes I wonder if i'm not just some kinda joke..." He stares up at the stars silently tracing lines from star to star.
"What do you mean Link?" She leans back up and turns her face towards his.
"Well. It seems like all I am is a pawn of fate. That the goddess's just play for fun..." He sighs and drops his arms to his side.
"Link... You don't honestly think that do you?" She slowly slides her hand towards his.
"Sometimes I have to wonder. Seems that way to me. Like the Goddess's themselves seem to find it funny." He grumbles and stares into the abyssal depths of the domain below him.
"Link... I've told you before. You really do mean something to all of Hyrule. Hyrule wouldn't even still be standing without your help..." She slides her hand closer to his.
"Because I get the feeling I could fling myself from this perch and i'd be just fine. The Goddess's wouldn't want to lose their precious pawn..." She finally inches within grabbing distance.
"Link. If you continue to think like that. Things are never going to improve..." She finally reaches for his hand as he slides back and stands up.
"I suppose you have a point. The sooner I get this done the sooner I can be free of this hero act once and for all hopefully." He sighs amd turns head back up the path towards the throne room. She sighs and slowly stares at her hand as she holds it.
"A-Almost..." She shakes her head and stares up at the stars and silently sends a prayer to the goddesses. She stands up after a few moments as a star silently falls from the heavens as she smiles. She heads down the tunnel to catch up with Link. She arrives only to find him already covered and asleep. She smiles and lays down nearby and closes her eyes quietly falling asleep. Distant Cuccos are heard echoing through the Domain as Din's Firey Sphere rises into the sky slowly. Golden rays spill out into the water as it turns gold bathed in the morning rays. Midna slowly opens her eyes squinting against the harsh sunlight. Link sits near the fire yawning softly with several fish skewered on sharpened pieces of driftwood. He picks one up and grabs a splintered section of driftwood and tosses it on the fire. A small pillar of embers and smoke rise from the small fire as he takes a bite. He stares at it for a bit as if deep in thought before nodding. She smiles a little as she sits up and covers her mouth yawning.
"Finally awake Princess?" He laughs and takes another bite.
"I see you made breakfast for us. Thank you." She nods at him with a smile as he pulls one from the fire and hands it to her.
"It's a little tough. But still pretty good. Had to wake up early to gather enough driftwood to make this fire." He motions to the small pile of wood next to him.
"I can see that. Must have been a pain. But you still pulled of a miracle Mr. Hero." She laughs and smiles a little as he shoots her a familiar smile that she loved so much. Ralis rolls over and grumbles as his eyes slowly open.
"M-Morning already it seems..." He winces a little after spotting the fire taking a quick breath to calm himself.
"Yes it is Prince Ralis." Midna nods and passes him a stick with a fire-roasted fish on it.
"Please. I owe you both my life. Such formalites are really unrequired." He nods back looking over at Link.
"Something bothering you Ralis? Breakfast not up to your prefrence?" He looks back up at Ralis and shoots him a sly grin. Ralis shakes his head and takes a bite.
"This Is impressivly good Link. Where did you learn to cook this good?" He takes another bite visually enjoying the meal.
"Oh this? Hena taught me. I used to visit there a lot on my downtime actually. Between working on the ranch and keeping my sword arm in shape. Oh! And training the kids." He chuckles and slaps his leg.
"Do you think those kids will be okay without you there to train them?" Midna asks after a few moments of silence.
"Oh it's fine, Rusl taught me. So I'm sure he won't mind teaching the kids a thing or two in my absence. Besides, It'll be good practice for them." He nods as Ralis glances over at Midna.
"So Midna you mentioned you would explain a little bit more about these keys?" He asks scratching his chin in curiosity.
"Come to think of it Midna. You never really told me about these Keys either. Only that there are a lot of them. And that they are important and quite dangerous."
"Well that's note entirely true Link. I did tell you what I need them for." She wags her finger at him playfully as he chuckles back at her.
"Well. That's true I suppose. But you could at least tell us how many more there are. And how they ended up here." Link glances over at Ralis for back up as he nods affirmingly.
"Yes. I'm very curious to know how they ended up in such a strange place." He glances at her.
"Well if you're all comfy I will be happy to give you both a good explanation this time. Assuming Link doesn't forget this time." She grins at him as he rubs the back of his head.
"Good. Then lets here it before my curiousity gets the best of me." Ralis leans back against the stone wall.
"Very well. The keys were created as a sort of back up. Allowing those who were outcast by the Royal Family of Twili to go on a sort of... Pilgrimage of repentence to gather all the keys. Once they did they would return to the gateway of shadows buried somewhere in Hyrule. The exact location has been lost to the sands of time. Neither human or Twili Scholar recall it's exact location."
"So it was a form of punishment? The Twili must have a very different culture to our own." Ralis nods and continues to follow along.
"Yes. Punishment I believe is the best way to describe them. So they were scattered across hyrule to ensure that not just anybody could freely pass between the realms. As for how many? I suppose there must be at least 8. And we've already gathered two."
"Jeez. You're telling me i've got to find half a dozen more of those things...?" Link grumbles to himself as he lays back on the cold metal flooring.
"Yes Link, WE need to find six more." She scowls at him.
"Alright, Alright. Just calm down and spit the rest out." He sighs and looks at the chambers room as Midna sighs and resumes.
"But with some clever manipulation I can perhaps use the keys natural resonance to be able to roughly triangulate the postions of future keys. As each key sort of 'calls out' for other keys."
"First good news in weeks actually." He laughs and rolls over to spot her still scowling at him.
"Yes. But with only two I can only hope to find the general location." She sighs and rubs her head.
"Do not be upset Midna. It may not be much. But all good adventures have to start somewhere right?" He smiles a little hoping to cheer them up.
"Long as it'll make things easier then just wandering around and getting lucky like we have been the last two times." Link sits up and rubs his head.
"Can you tell anything now Midna?" He asks finishing off the fish.
"Not now. I still need to figure out how to do it." She holds the two orbs in front of her as they hover suspended by Twili power.
"And what of this sealed Temple Midna?" Link glances over at her.
"Well. Not much is recorded, But it was built by the Interlopers after the loss of the Fused Shadow. They built it in an attempt to reclaim the lost power from the light spirits. Their attmept was thwarted again by the Aincient Hyilian's and the Light Spirits."
"So that would explain the locks... But the keys?" Ralis asked in response to her.
"That was the agreement the Light came to with the Twilight. That the portal would remain locked to the Light Dwellers. So that it may never fall into evil's hands."
"So that's why you won't let anyone else touch them right?" Link stares at them at the orbs softly hum and pulse with power.
"Yes Link. If it wasn't obvious enough. They contain unstable dark power. AS you've seen with what they've done to things. The magic is naturally unstable and causes it corrupt any Light Beings who touch it. Just an additional security measure." She smiles and sighs.
"So they're really that dangerous... No wonder they seem to be so well hidden. That kind of power could be deadly... So precautions must have been taken" Ralis nods in agreement with Midna.
"While i'm enjoying the history lesson. I'm more interested in finding out the location of the next key." Link rubs the sleep from his eyes.
"I'm doing my best Link. These things are fickle. So it may take a while... Plus they are difficult to work with in the light." She snaps her finger as they vanish.
"Well. Suppose we can head to Castle Town and stay there till you can figure it out. Maybe even see about locating that sealed temple you mentioned."
"That does sound like a plan to me Link." She nods in agreement.
"Well before you two leave would you be adverse to me lending you some supplies before you depart?"
"Oh not at all Ralis. We might actually need it. And what we can't use we can always sell for travel funds."
"Very well then Link. I'll have my guards prepare the supplies and meet at the river way into Hyrule Field."
"Sounds good to me Prince. Come on Midna. Let's go find that next key." She smiles at her as she smiles back as Link extinguishes the fire and packs his things readying for the next leg of his adventure.
(There we go. Sorry again for the long wait. Typing lately has been difficult between lack of motovation and many other things I don't feel like mentions. And big thanks to anyone who's still following me. Your support means a lot to me. Thank you all who are still following me. Hopefully I can speed things along in the future. Thank you again for reading and following.)