One more Time Emerald to go. Shade's determination grew as he got closer to Zora grounds. He swam through the strait, heading straight for the cave where a waterfall was preventing access for anyone to enter. Shade swam on forward,
"….." he grabbed onto a ledge and pulled himself out of the water. He dried himself off, and walked over to the waterfall.
"Now what?" he said to himself, he took a little moment to think. The symbol of the royal family was shown on the ground; he walked up close to it.
"Isn't this" he began,
"The symbol of the royal family?" he examined it. He looked at it, but all he had was the cloth and a song that was played for Princess Talim and Zelda. It popped in his head; he walked on top of it, took out his ocarina, and placed it next to his mouth. He began to blow the notes of Zelda's Lullaby. As soon as he was finished with the last note, the waves of the crashing waterfall began to slow down, and separate. Shade looked and both sides, turned and saw the sign that said;
"Do not Trespass, Those who are descendents of the royal family shall only enter. Those who ignore the warning shall be punished!"
Shade walked onward inside, with his sword strapped to him, he continued to walk.
(Zora Domain theme- Ocarina of Time)
Shade entered Zora Oasis, inside of a cavern where Zoras are swimming about in the calm waters. Shade slowly walked over the edge of a cliff, where he notices the swimming around and about. He gazes upon the inside waterfall, the hot steaming waters, and the natural water where the Zoras are currently.
"You must be a descendant of the royal family huh?" a voice asked. Shade turned himself around,
"Not really" he responded,
"Hmm…you must be the hero we've heard so much about"
"Shade was it?" he asked to get some clarification,
"Mhm that's right…who have you heard from?"
"From the Geos, we all have received word from them about your soon arrival for our Zora Aquamarine" he explained,
"Alright then"
"Mhm" the Zora nodded,
"Please follow me. There's something I need to show you" the Zora walked through the pathway to the right of the edge where the swimming Zoras were. Shade and the Zora walked through the little pathway, with little holes that showed the area of the Zora's. They arrived at the entrance of the king's throne, where two Zoras were guarding it by each door.
"This is the one called Shade, he has come for our sacred treasure, and for our help". Shade caught that in his ear, and looked at him.
"Please let us through" he said. The two guards their assigned doors, and allowed them to pass. They walked in, and Shade noticed the Zoras were surrounding the queen's throne, but only one missing thing, no king. The Zora looked at Shade,
"Our queen; Jabberah has been missing ever since he went down to our well correct the problem that was causing it not to run"
"Well?"
"Yes I'm afraid that the power of our well hasn't been working when that gerudo from the desert came from the forests and separated the operational spark orbs that made our water so fresh and run through Nebulas Castle, Lake Forest Village, and Dragon Peak."
"So you want me to find the queen, find these spark boxes, and put them back to their rightful places, and then you'll give me your precious jewel right?" he said for clarification,
"Man I see you get to the point. Yes, you shall receive our precious treasure if you save our king and reactivate our water supply" he said. Shade nodded,
"Alright then I'll do it!" he stood up to the plate,
"Excellent, Now I'll take you to.." before he could continue,
"Everyone! Everyone!" someone else called,
"Princess Sapphire has left her room, along with this note!" he showed it to everyone. It said;
"I'm sorry but I Princess Sapphire have decided to find my mother. After times I've been impatiently waited for someone who has the courage of a champion to find her, but no one seems to have it in their hearts. I'm sorry, but I can't just wait here and allow my mother to die while everyone else sits here and waits for someone to help.
Princess Sapphire" the Zora read.
"*Gasps!* MUTTER MUTTER" the Zoras talked amongst themselves. Shade walked up the Zora that led him there,
"Where should I go?" he asked. The Zora smiled,
"This way" he walked to the right side of the throne. Shade followed and led him to the end.
"Now beyond this passage, is Zorathiam's Aquarium; a very large, gigantic pool in which our sacred leader who founded all Zoras; Zorathiam can only swim as deep, and murky as it is. It is said that he is the only one who is able to dive that deep, no one in the whole world can get further than 800 ft underwater. Not even us Zoras are capable. But anyway, if you go beyond that you'll find the Great Fairy's Fountain. Pass that you'll see the well."
"Okay I understand he nodded"
"Now be careful, the murky waters down there is way too much for a human to take, you'll have to watch out for enemies who try to take you in the murky abyss" the Zora warned. Shade nodded his head, and ran to enter Zorathiam's Aquarium.
(Termina Field theme- Majora's Mask)
The birds that flew in through the noon air, the sun that shined on the waters of the deep pool of Zorathiam's Aquarium. Shade ran to the sign in which gave the direction of where to go, he saw the direction in which the well was located. He ran onward to the valley; he couldn't help but notice the large pool. It looked very murky and infested, like a small little parasites were living inside of it, he walked over to it, and saw a skeleton that really made his skin crawl. He pulled away and ran for the valley as fast as he could. He went on ahead, and stopped and found the odd looking the wall, it looked like crushed rock. He went close to it, and heard wind pushing against him through the rocks. He quickly took out a bomb and set it down, and rolled off.
*Boom!*
Shade walked inside, (Great Fairy Theme – Ocarina of Time and Majora's Mask)
He entered the fountain, and walked onward. He noticed the water pouring out of the large vase like fountains. He turned around back to the entrance,
"Oh don't be afraid, so off your courage young lad. You show a lot than anyone has ever seen" a voice giggled. He turned around, and saw a puddle of water, of where he thinks the voice came from. He then looked down and noticed the crest of the royal family was there. He took out his ocarina, placed it next to his mouth and began to blow the notes of Zelda's Lullaby. After that last note, he heard giggling, then all of a sudden. An adult female fairy came laughing out of the shrine puddle.
"Shade of the Hero of Time, You have came with a very courageous heart in search of the Time Emeralds. I assume you are on your way to help the Zoras find their beloved queen. Shade, warrior of the shadow, I shall give you this power so that you'll be able to hold your breath underwater for a very long time."
"Really?" he brightened. She flew backward a little bit, extended her arms and gave some of power, by raining down green material. He felt something different with his lungs, and his breathing method.
Shade received the Lung Gills. (An injection of the mixture of lungs and gill combined into something that extends the breathing time for Shade to breathe in water.)
"When battle has made you weary come visit me, and I'll heal your wounds" she winked and vanished back into the puddle. He turned, practiced breathing with his gills, and continued onward out of the fountain.
(Termina Field theme – Majora's Mask)
Back outside he continued on to the path of the well. Shade looked at the large brick building that was right in front of him.
"So this must be it" he walked closer to it, felt the texture of it.
"How do I get inside?" he said to himself. He noticed the jammed brick door that needed to be lifted in order to be opened. Shade put his hands where the gap was of the brick door. He began lifting it up, he slowly began lifting it up. He lifted it up all the way to his chest, and then had enough energy to hold it with both his hands. Then thrusts it in the air, and then jumped out of the way to let it fall.
(Great Bay Temple Theme- Majora's Mask)
He walked forward in that dome closed like area, with a square shaped hole on the ground. He walked closer to it, and fell down into a stream of water, in which he was flowing to a lower location of the well. He was forcefully pushed further and further and finally where the water was going into a drain. He landed onto it, and looked around to find where he was. He looked straight up, at the water that was pushing him left and right. He then looked ahead at the narrow passageway, and continued on ahead.
He ran on ahead, and then two Dinolfols appeared right in front of him. Shade took out his sword and waited for them to attack. He watched their patterns of movement with his eyes, one tried to swing its sword horizontally from behind, Shade quickly turned and horizontally deflected it with his sword, thrusts himself upward and punch its face, then crouch down kick its legs, knocking it down. The second one tried to jump slash Shade down, he rolled out of the way, then swung his horizontally twice; one to his left then right, spun around and kicked it to the wall. Then jumped and bashed it with his sword, then quickly slashes it twice, causing it to fall to the ground twice. The first charged and tried to stab him, Shade turned and slashes his face, making it lose its balance, and then to finish it off. Shade ran towards it, it finally regained balance, it swung at him vertically, Shade jumped crossed his arms, and was able to jump over it, with his arms crossed and him doing one slow twirl in the air upside down, and then slashing right through him.
Shade was on one knee with his sword on his right side pointing on that side. The Dinolfols fell to the ground dead. He turned, put his sword away and continued on running to the door. He opened it, and it closed behind him. In the room were three switches on the ground, a block, a staircase, water turbulences, and an upper part of the room. He walked closely to the switch on the right. He stepped on it, and it activated the water turbulence on the side of the wall. He began to think, he walked to the second one in the middle, and then he activated a turbulence that actually lifted to a higher distance. He walked onto the third one; it was located beside the one with furthest distance. He turned and noticed the block; he walked over to it, and then looked over to the staircase, that led to the turbulence on the side. He placed his hands on it and began pushing onto the staircase and putting right in front of the turbulence. He jumped down, and ran back over to the switch that activated it. He stepped on it, and it pushed the block, he quickly ran to the second one, and stepped on it. It pushed the block upward to the second floor, and he ran to the third one which pushed the block onto a platform on the second floor.
He ran back onto the stair case, and then walked over the bridge. He found a latter that lead to the second floor. He met up with the block that was up here, he then pulled it towards him, moved to a different angle and pushed it into a hole in which a switch was there. It unlocked the bars of the door in front of him, before he could open the door, he noticed another door was at his right but it too was locked. He ran over it, he looked down and noticed that the type of ground changed, it was very soft and easy to go through, but he just turned and went back to the door that was unlocked.
Back into the main room, where the waters were crashing through and being drained at the end of the brick way. Someone was there, showing a bit of fear. It was
"Princess Sapphire?" he asked for clarification,
"Yeah who wants to know?"
"I'm Shade; I believe you have heard of me"
"No not a clue! But look I don't have time to waste, I have to find my mother in this dark hole in the earth" she said,
"Okay okay I understand, I was sent to do so also" he said,
"Hmph! About time!"
"I guess I deserved that" he scratched the back of his head,
"Alright then, I'll join you. You'll help me find my mother, and the boy that was here also" she said,
"Wait there's another person here?" he asked,
"Yes I met him here, but then he told me to wait here, and never came back! I'm SO MAD" she crossed her arms and looked the other way. Shade walked up closer,
"Like you were saying we need to find both your mother and that boy". Shade touched her shoulder, she immediately blushed,
"Hey! Keep your hands to yourself. I am Princess Sapphire, partial ruler of the Zoras, and you are not allowed touch someone with such royalty!" she yelled,
"I'm sorry"
"Hmph!" she began walking over to another door. The only thing they didn't know was that they were being watched by someone or something. Shade realized when he senses its darkness, he ran over to her.
"Wait Sapphire!" he tried to catch her,
"What do you want!" she turned with a spoiled look on her face,
"You better have found something useful, and it better not be that ground digging tool I found earlier" but it was too late, a large slimy tentacle landed right on top of her.
"OH NO!" he pounded on the tentacle.
"What is that? EW this is disgusting…WHAAAA!" she screamed being sucked in by something. Shade tried to slice the tentacle, but it was stuck as he swung it. Eventually he was able to pull it out,
"Dang!". The tentacle broke through the wood of the revealing a room below.
"I got to go find all three of them quick!" he jumped into the hole. He ran to the door, opened it and then it locked as it hit the ground. He turned back, and then looked forward. A room that was surrounded by Tektites, jumping all about. He takes out his sword and prepares to start striking. They jumped at him; he slices one of them in half, and then strikes another twice. He holds his sword with one hand with the point of it facing behind him, he then spins around and kills the other two. Then after that the door unlocks; the bars go away, and he jumps into a puddle of water. He dives in, and swims under a wall to the other side. He then pulls his head out of the water, and climbs onto the ledge.
He notices an odd looking sphere on the other side of the room, but it's being guarded by a Like Like. He takes out his sword again, and tries to examine the Like Like. This is his first time facing it, so he doesn't know what it's capable of doing. Shade thought the right moment to attack was when it stretches its hole out to you. He runs after it, but then gets sucked it. He struggles to get out; he feels as if it sucking something out of him. Then it spits him back out. He picks himself up, feels his chest, and realizes that his Magma Brick Necklace was gone.
"AH! Crap!" he now knew what the Like Like was capable of. Instead of striking while it is attempting to suck, he can just attack from behind. Shade ran after it, it attempted to come close to him, as he began to strike its back. He continuously did it until finally it couldn't take any more hits, and then just shrank and vanished.
He put his sword back into its slot, turned to the sphere and picked it up.
Shade retrieved a Spark Orb. (One of the power battery type sphere that powers the well to cause the water to flow throughout the region. Only two more to go!)
He turned around, ran back to the puddle, and jumped inside. He dove underwater, and swam under the wall back to the previous room. He pulled himself onto the ledge, and went to the door on his left. He entered the Power Room. He walked over to a slot where the color of the sphere, matched the slots. He took it out and placed it where it belonged. That activated a gate to release water, and made it flow to another part of the well on the same floor. He ran out of the room, and exited the next one, and back onto the main room. He saw that it also activated a ramp that led the water that he recently activated to flow to another area of the room. He turned over to a flight of stairs, ran up them and slid down the water flow to the other area of the room. The flow was strong enough to push him the other ledge, he turned and watched the water flow down to the drain that was present there. He encountered a few Tektites but was able to run to the room, in which locked as he stepped in.
(Mini Boss theme – Ocarina of Time)
There was an odd feeling inside of the room, he looked at the fertile mud on the ground, but noticed that something was crawling through it. It crawled behind him, and then popped out of the mud. It was a monster of the fertile mud. It was a Dunbar.
(The mini boss of the Aqua Ring Well, its snake like slithering through can cause Shade to lose a lot of energy as well as health. It will continuously go through mud through mud trying to bring Shade down with it. Its fangs have a power grip that can bring down almost anything. Its weakness is for Shade to jump and bring its head down with his Goron Knuckles, and then do some damage)
The Dunbar began diving in and out of the mud. It was poised to just roar out at Shade. He began to think, he took a look at how it tries so hard to avoid bashing its head against the platform. Then the Dunbar popped his head out and grabbed Shade with its teeth, and pulled him in the mud.
"Ah…Ah! Uh! OW!...AHHH!" he yelled as he was spat back out of the mud. He slowly picked himself up,
It popped its head out again, Shade then jumped, grabbed its head and bashed it onto the hard ground. He took out his sword and began striking at its head. It then regains energy and thrusts it back into the mud. He sensed its rotation in the mud; he predicted where it was going to strike. Then it popped its head again behind him, and then Shade lifted his hands in the air, grabbed its head and bashed it onto the ground. He took out his sword and then thrusts it and then leaves it impaled in its head.
It began swirling out of control, and then it just laid onto the mud, and just never came back up again. Then a small feeling of rumbling occurred, and out popped his sword. He grabbed when it was still in the air.
He turned around and saw the treasure chest that appeared on the other side. He jumped over the mud, and slowly opened it, then pushes the lid. He hops in,
Shade retrieved the Ground Crawlers. (These strong claws can burrow through soft parts of the ground. It is also used for attacking certain enemies, plus it attaches with your Goron Knuckles, pretty convenient)
Shade turned and noticed that the mud had dried up. He could now walk onto the soft dirt. He walked but something grabbed his attention, he heard noises underground. He felt a faint amount of energy right below him. He stood his ground, then thrusts his hands to the ground and began digging out the unknown substance. He then sees a boy; he pulls him out of the dirt.
"*Cough Cough Cough*" he regains consciousness. Shade picks him up,
"Hey…how did you get here?",
"…." He was silent. Shade carried him out of the room and back into the main room.
"You okay?..."
"…" still nothing. It then hits him,
"Dehydration" Remembering that water there is nutritious; he carries him and puts him down next to a ramp of water. He dunks his head in there, to drink up as much water he could take.
"*Cough Cough Cough!*…..ow!" he responded.
"Glad to see you made it". The boy looked at Shade,
"Who are you?"
"I'm Shade; I'm on a mission to find you and two others",
"Shade…..why does that sound so familiar?" he asked to himself.
"I'm Lloyd I was asked to come here to find the problem that prevented water from coming to our land" he explained,
"That's one of the reasons why I'm also here". He picked himself up from the ground.
"Hmm would you mind asking me where are you from? Because your clothes look like you're not from here" he said,
"Green Forest Island" he responded,
"The land without a region. Okay then Shade, would you mind helping me find the source of this problem?" he asks,
"Of course" he agreed,
"Alright then! Where do we go next?" he asked. Shade took a moment to think, then it popped in his head that there was a soft piece of ground near a locked door.
"Follow me" Shade said. They ran down to the other ramp that led them back to where Shade last found Princess Sapphire. They reentered the room that lead form the 1st floor to the 2nd. He ran on to the door on his right, and found the soft piece of ground.
"Stand back" he ordered. Lloyd did ss. Shade thrusts his hands to the ground and began digging something up, it revealed a switch. Shade stepped onto it, and it unlocked the bars of the door in front of them. They entered the room, and they noticed a sphere that was present right in front of them. Then three Dinolfols appeared before them,
"Whoa! Dinolfols!" Lloyd warned. They jumped out of the way,
Shade took out his sword, and Lloyd took both his swords out and attacked the Dinolfols. The Dinolfols that attacked Shade, attempted to tab him numerous times. But thanks to his elusive ways, he was able to move his body around, and make successful slashes at it. The Dinolfols continued to attempt to slice him horizontally and vertically, Shade moved out of the way, and slashed its legs. Then made the finishing blow, and impaled the sword right through the head.
He turned over and noticed Lloyd had already finished the both of them off.
"Impressive" he kept his cool,
"Looks like you've been training yourself" Shade said,
"Yeah" *Whoosh Whoosh* He put his swords back in his slots.
Shade and Lloyd walked on ahead,
Shade retrieved a Spark Orb.
"Alright then now what?" Lloyd asked,
"Follow me" they ran outside of the room, and ran back into the main room. Shade then told Lloyd to stay put, so that he can put the orb back onto its rightful place. He did so, he fell through the hole, and reentered the door, he ran into the door on his right, and placed the orb back into the slot. Then he returned to Lloyd. That sphere that they returned activated a gate, and released the flow of water as well as a ramp that lead to a steel door.
"Hop on!" Shade jumped and slid through the flow of water, Lloyd followed. They were flowing on the water ramp, and ended up at the steel door.
"Alright Lloyd. This is it" They both entered through the steel door.
Inside the valve room,
They both looked around at the odd valves that were present. Then something caught Lloyd's eye,
"There it is! That's the last orb!" he shouted,
"Hold on!" Shade found Princess Sapphire next it,
"Well it's about time! Do you know how long I was waiting!" she said from a distance,
"We're coming to get you!" Shade ran on ahead, Lloyd followed.
"HAH?" Princess Sapphire felt something happening.
"HELP!" she was absorbed by the ground?
They stopped and looked around on the ground, Shade felt an unusual presence. Lloyd noticed and pushed Shade out of the way, as the substance began morphing itself together. Shade didn't take his eyes of it; it began to form to a monster. It turned into Parabeam, the parasitic morphing sea creature. (Boss Battle Theme #1 – Ocarina of Time)
They dived out of the way, avoiding its red membrane like substance.
"Now what Shade?" Lloyd asked,
"It's time to fight" he took out his sword, Lloyd did the same. Shade took a look closer and he say the queen, who had looks like is being absorbed by the parasite.
"Arrr! Shade!" Lloyd called,
"I know, she's being absorbed by it, his life energy is draining I can feel it!"
"H…!" she weakly called out.
"We have to take this thing out Lloyd and fast!" he pulls out his sword. Lloyd did the same,
*WAAAAAAAAAAAR* it gave out a loud so disgusting and so foul that it began to shake the entire well. It attached itself to the pipes of the valves, so it was able to gain more power.
Shade had an idea, but he needed Lloyd's help to do so. The parasite raised one of its tentacles, and attempted to slam it onto them. They both jumped out of the way, Lloyd charged at it.
"Wait no Lloyd that won't do any good!".
"Wait wha?" he stopped. Before he knew it, he was strangled by the parasite.
"AH!" it began crushing him. Shade ran over to it, jumped but then got bashed downward.
"Darn it!" he picks himself up,
"AHHH! EHH!" he tries to hold on. Shade quickly senses his life energy decreasing; the parasite is draining his life energy. He takes a few minutes to think,
"Ahhh!" he became weaker,
With his Ground Crawlers, he charged but this time, dodged its tentacle attacks. He ran towards, a tentacle came from behind, he jumped onto it. He continued to make his way to Lloyd. He jumped onto the next one, turned and looked to where Lloyd was. He jumped to the jumped to the similar tentacle; he took his sword and sliced it. He landed onto the tentacle; he made his way to him. Another tentacle attempted to swat him away. Shade quickly darted towards Lloyd; he ran and sliced him loose. He turned around and severed the tentacle. He dropped to the ground, Lloyd regain his energy and stood still on the ground.
"Now you know not to take it head on!" he said
"Yeah took me awhile to believe"
"Listen! His tentacles are the parasite's balance. If you cut down the tentacles used to remain stable, I can hurry and attack its weak point" he explained,
"Right! Sounds like I better idea than before!" Lloyd found an opening, he ran out under the parasite. Shade watched it, dodging left and right from its tentacle attacks. Lloyd on the other hand struck a stable tentacle, with its guard dropped, Shade ran over to its eye, and began slashing it. With pain it gave out another screech,
*WAAAAAAAAAAAR!*. He jumped backwards; Lloyd had to move around under the parasite. Shade dodged another heavy tentacle, he stumbled a little bit, but still tried to keep going strong. Lloyd struck another stable tentacle. It lost its balance, and guard. Shade came back to strike its eye some more, left and right its eye began to turn red. It gave out another painful screech, but this time blood was dripping rapidly. The parasite began to shake the place; water came crashing down onto the battle field.
Shade looked up and was bashed by the strong hard water. He picks himself up, but struggles to do so.
"Lloyd just a little longer!" he yelled. Lloyd sees the last stable tentacle, charges at it and then delivers the final swing, and cuts of the last tentacle, causing it to fall hard onto the ground. Shade quickly gain his shadow energy, and sliced the eye in half. Just then the parasite began screeching in deadly pain, and began twirling out of control. The eye spat out blood and then it began to build up something inside. It grew fatter and fatter,
"Lloyd get out of there!" Shade yelled. Lloyd ran to Shade, as quickly as possible. Then *BULCH!* (Boss Defeated theme – Ocarina of Time)
It blew up and died. Shade regain control of his body, and picked up Lloyd.
"Hey Lloyd. Get over to that blue shiny light, I'll be right back."
"What are you gonna do?" Shade ignored him and continued to walk on. Shade walked and walked he picked up the Heart Container, and felt the power coming back to him, and then some more.
Shade retrieved the Spark Orb.
Shade ran to the blue light and met up with the Queen and Princess.
"It's about time you two showed up! I was lonely with my mother for a very long time, stuck in that ugly disgusting beast. You know what…jus..Jus.. get my out of here!" she complained. The four of them were taken up high.
Shade was still in the well, the light had sent him to the operation room, where he placed the sphere to its rightful slot. That activated another gate to release water and a ramp. Now that all ramps are connected, it led outside flowing through all designated areas. Then Shade turned walked back into the blue light and was transported back to the surface.
End of Chapter