Chapter 24: Sunrise Bay

"Ten years ago, after Zant was overthrown, Midna sent me on a mission to put the Fused Shadow fragment in the Ralis Temple," the Zora explained. "Fortunately, she diminished the Fused Shadow's power enough to not affect anything that touched it, so I had no difficulty fulfilling the mission. But overtime, the Fused Shadow fragments have been growing stronger and so now if something that's not of the Twilight Realm were to touch them they become horrible monsters."

"Yeah, we noticed," Zelda said.

The Zora's eyes widened. "Then you've been to the other temples?"

"We were sent by Midna to collect the Fused Shadow fragments in exchange for a way out of Skyloft," Link answered.

"I see." The Zora pondered for a moment and then said, "Then I might be able to help you two. My name is Raoole."

After they introduced themselves, Link and Zelda waited inside a shack near the pier where an empty boat was docked while the Zora who called himself Raoole leapt back into the sea to retrieve some things that would help Link and Zelda breathe underwater more easily.

"So, Link, I've been thinking…" Zelda said, looking at her satchel nervously. "If the Fused Shadow fragments have enough power to turn innocent beings into monsters, can you imagine how powerful it would be if completed? Whoever tries to wield something like that would go insane for sure!"

"Then you're saying we shouldn't give the Fused Shadow fragments to Midna?" Link asked.

Zelda shook her head. "No, we've come too far to back out now. But if we find an alternative to leaving Skyloft that's safe, then we'll get rid of the Fused Shadow fragments."

"What about the Infinity Gauntlet?" Link said, pointing to it. "Can't we just use that?"

"I'd rather not," Zelda said putting the gauntlet-covered hand under her other arm. "I can't control where it would take us, and the Punctures don't last long enough for a person to step through. It needs more testing, and I think the only reason Ganon is after me is because he wants the gauntlet for himself."

"Well in that case, why not test it here? There's no one around except the two of us."

After a brief sigh, Zelda said, "Fine, if you insist."

So Zelda cleared a space inside the shack before charging the gauntlet up. Once it was fully powered, she punched into the air and created a blurry image which she called a 'Puncture'. The Puncture showed Impa and Lana sitting by a tree. Their lips moved, but neither Link nor Zelda could make out what they were saying. Then to Zelda's surprise, Impa and Lana turned their heads to face them and stood up with baffled looks. Zelda cautiously reached her hand toward the Puncture just as Impa did the same on the other side. The two touched hands, and they were both surprised by it. Smiling, Lana took Zelda's hand too and pushed her and Impa forward. They emerged through the Puncture as blurry shapes that steadily became more solid.

"It worked," Zelda, letting go of Impa and Lana's hands. "I was able to bring someone from another reality into this one!"

"That's because you're—

Lana's sentence was cut off as she and Impa faded away and vanished back into the Puncture which closed up. The only thing that remained was a crossbow and a pouch full of small arrows.

###

"What just happened?" Impa wondered after she and Lana had been transported back to the tree which stood at the entrance to Kakariko Village.

"I think Zelda tried to pull us through some kind of portal but it didn't work," Lana suggested, examining the spot where the strange hole had appeared earlier.

"How do you know it was her?" Impa asked.

"Because she looked like an older version of the girl we left behind," Lana said. "But what troubles me more is that thing she was wearing on her arm, which looked just like the device I saw in my vision."

"Then Ganon is probably looking for her as we speak," Impa said, looking up to the sky. "I wish we could go up to Skyloft and help her."

"I'd like to, but then that would get Cia's attention and she would definitely ruin our plans for sure, " Lana replied wearily.

###

"Impa was carrying these things when I met her," Link said picking up one of the arrows which was made of glass with clear liquid inside. "She used this to knock me out."

"What you have there is a Sleep Arrow," Zelda answered, taking the items from Link. "It's filled with a liquid poison that causes the victim to get knocked out for several hours, which is typically fired by a Crossbow. There are other arrows here too that can stun a person, make noise, or blast something, but why would these things remain and not Impa or Lana?"

"Maybe the gauntlet isn't powerful enough to bring living things through the Punctures," Link suggested.

"You might be right, but with enough tinkering I could get past that barrier," Zelda said, putting the Crossbow and arrows into her satchel.

A faint knocking caught Link and Zelda's attention. It was Raoole, and he was carrying two blue tunics with scale-like armor, gold helmets with pointy caps, and flippers.

"So this must be the Zora Armor you were talking about," Link noted, examining the tunic. "How does it work?"

"You put it on, and get into the water," Raoole said. "The armor will do the rest."

"Okay," Zelda said and went into the shack's bathroom to change.

###

Once Link had changed as well, he and Zelda walked onto the pier wearing the Zora Armor. They followed Raoole into the water and to their amazement they were able to breathe underwater without too much difficulty. Swimming along the artificial sea-floor, the two encountered several creatures that blocked their way including Skullfish, Octorok, and Desbreko. Swimming around them, they eventually came to a set of four stone pillars which ran all the way up to the surface of the water where a large stone building stood and the storm clouds seem to gather around.

"That's Ralis Temple," Raoole pointed. "It would be too dangerous for us to surface at the front entrance, given the severity of the storm, but I know another way in."

To be continued…