Author's Note: So this one is a day late, but over the weekend I was away and outside a lot, so lots of Pokemon Go, but not a lot of SoT. Either way, the chapter is here. To me it feels rather rushed in places, but having two major battles in one here was tough enough. Either way, please tell me what you thought of it, and now I can tell you that the last two Sages should be a lot better, especially Spirit for reasons that I won't mention here. Hopefully you can hang on until there. But either way, here it is. Enjoy! :)
"Sometimes, the biggest battles you need to fight are against yourself."
~Debby Ryan~
Shards of Time
An Ocarina of Time FanFiction
Chapter 24: Unda
When my vision returns to me, the chill of the Domain has long but faded, but has been replaced with sheer deafening silence instead. Lake Hylia has long since been drained of water, mainly because of Ganondorf's illegitimate taking of the throne, however it still holds a feeling of loneliness and desolation. We break away from one another and don't even allow ourselves to comment on how sad this place feels before Sheik speaks up. "There is a dark creature in the Water Temple at the depths of Lake Hylia, and if we defeat it then both the freezing of Zora's Domain and the emptiness of Lake Hylia will revert."
Ruto nods. "It better, otherwise we have no other way to save the Zora."
"There's the entrance to the Temple," says Navi, nodding over to a part of the Lake where the water has partially built up over the years, a small entrance visible through the dull waters. "Uh, I may have to jump into a bottle; I don't think Fairies are the best in water." She turns to her companion, who abides by her request, the Sheikah amongst us charming the bottle so that the Fairy can still breathe. As one we make our way down to the entrance, sliding down one of the mounds that usually are floating above the water. Ruto glides down and into the water, joyous to be back in the water again.
Gesturing for us to follow, I swallow thickly for a moment, then turn to Sheik. "Sheik, stay here."
Her eyes glisten with anger. "What, but—?!"
"She's right," Link steps in, momentarily worried that he cut in so bluntly. "Thank you for the help, Sheik, but I want as few people to go in there as possible. After both the Forest Temple and the Fire Temple, I don't want all of us to get hurt by whatever is in there."
She is hurt, we know that, but only I know why; she knows him more than he realises. "I understand, but there was four of us last time, and we all made it out."
"And Kakariko suffered along with the rest of us. None of us got out of there in perfect health." He sighs. "I'm sorry, Sheik. Come on, Ciren." He jumps into the water, too scared to wait for a response, and after a quick glance at an emotional Sheik, I leave her too. I try to forget about the idea of drowning and remind myself that I learnt how to swim years ago. She creates an orb of light that guides us through the murky depths. The entrance soon fades away, the world darkening so much that I can barely see Ruto's light as the tunnels twist and turn, random plants and tiny creatures drift past. I constantly have to shove my hair out of the way when it flies in front of my face, growing more and more agitated even when the tunnels begin to rise skyward and lead us into the Water Temple.
We help each other clamber out from the tunnels, a breeze hitting up so quickly that it gives me goosebumps. Standing beneath a small overhang, a few feet beneath us is the Temple itself, high arches rising tall above us, diving down to create numerous pillars that delve into the knee deep water around them. The sound of our breathing echoes around the chamber, trailing off into the distance and still sounding after many seconds.
"So this is where the Zora prayed?" Navi asks kindly, not insensitively.
The Zora Princess nods. "Yes, we would pray whenever we could, especially after Ganondorf's uprising. But over time it became more and more infested with monsters, and whenever we went in there they were drawn out into Lake Hylia, so to keep them from polluting the little water we had, we just... stopped coming." She sighs. "But they seem to have disappeared now; maybe a higher power has taken it?"
"That's what has happened with the other two Temples," I say. "So I guess we should see what it is this time." We silently agree and slip down from the platform, jumping into knee high water and creep along the large chamber. A large structure is ahead, three levels clearly evident but its only entrance at the bottom small and content. It is decorated highly with the symbol of Nayru and golden trinkets that sway in the slight breeze down here. Off to the left and right are parallel pathways, and when I glance over to Link I know exactly what he is thinking.
"So we'll each take a path and meet back here?" Link asks, his voice reflecting between the pillars and the water. Even though it would be bad to split up in a place that we don't entirely know, but I have heard that it can be a labyrinth for those who enter together all alone.
"Should we really leave you alone, love?" Ruto asks, and I have to turn away to snort. Link notices and sends a playful glare when I catch his eye, but he merely shrugs at Ruto.
"We don't really have much of a choice, and we'll cover more ground this way. We can meet back here too, so it isn't like we have to be long." Ruto seems disappointed, but listens to him. He nods to the right. "I'll go this way with Navi." I nod silently and nod to the left corridor whilst Ruto begins to saunter down the central path. When her shadow shrinks into the distance, he casts his gaze to me. "We'll be back before long."
I laugh. "Is the Hero of Time worried?"
He smirks. "We have a right to be after the past two Temples but no. The question is, are you?"
"You can take a Gerudo out of the desert, but you can never take the desert out of the Gerudo." His smile grows. "Look I've been spending too much time with your proverb-ing kind, so all I mean is I will hit you. Now lets go before I set Ruto on you." He rolls his eyes, but he knows that I am serious. He takes the right route, leaving me alone to take the left pathway.
I creep down the long corridor, scimitars outstretched in case anything comes for me in the darkness. For I a while I can hear the movement of others, but once the passage curves back in the same direction that Ruto took, their footfalls drift away. The water hugs my knees, the tiled ground at my feet still clear to see but almost unnaturally so. Almost stabbing the few fish that brush against my leg, I silently speed up, already hating this place.
Thankfully the long corridor ends with a spiralling staircase lined with golden torches. The water sloshes against the stone steps as I rise onto them, lapping over each other in small waves whilst I climb the stairs. I mutter curses as I go, knowing that this place is my least favourite even after the Forest and Fire Temples. "Goddess-damned water," I snap. "Why is there a Sage for every element? Gods, if I wasn't so reluctant to get closer to the Valley I would bail just as quickly." I sigh. "And now I'm talking to myself..."
The staircase ends with a simple stone door decorated with golden (assents) and coral. Surprised to see such a normal looking door, I sheathe one blade and twist its handle with apprehension, letting it groan open before slipping inside. Redrawing my weapon, I let the door close behind me and cast my eyes to the open room around me. I can't physically see the edges of the chamber due to the thick fog clinging to them and the ground, obscuring my analysis. I walk forward carefully, a thin layer of water beneath my feet barely disturbed by the movement.
Then I realise something.
My reflection is slightly distorted in the water.
And even stranger, I can see a translucent apparition of both Link and Navi in the reflection of the water. I try and disturb the water further to gain their attention, but it seems that they either can't see me, or they are just and illusion. Shaking my head, I carry on through the room and past a dead tree standing atop a small island, the other door locked tight.
"What is this?"
I blink once, then something rests against my neck.
Something that I can't see.
'Your nightmare.'
A voice, right in my ear, comes like a tone on the wind.
But I can't see who said it either.
I push my luck and swing my blade around, causing who or whatever this is to release their own blade and leap back, creating a ripple in the water. I whip around, blade ready, and meet awfully familiar eyes.
My eyes.
I take a hesitant step back, scolding myself for such hesitation, and call out when they disappear, "What are you? What do you want with me?"
A presence behind me sends me spinning around, and I manage to catch whatever is here in the chest, and by the time I stop again a figure has appear, by hit making it ever so slightly become more visible. My lips part at how much the figure resembles me, its voice even just like mine too. 'To end you,' is all it says, leaping at me with two scimitars outstretched. Our blades clash despite how little I can see theirs, and our faces lean in close. 'For seven years you have harboured the same loathing for him. You hate how the Goddesses smile upon him but not you. You hate how he has taken you from your duty to your Sisters. How can you stand at his side?'
"Lies!" I hiss, shoving it away. "You're just a shadow, nothing more. You know nothing about me!"
'I am not just a shadow,' it returns as we clash again. 'I am you. I am everything that you hate about yourself, everything about the world that you hate to despise.' I refuse to give it a name. Once I do it makes it reality, gives it a purpose, and forces me to believe that this thing has truth; none of those are true.
It is not above or below me, it merely exists.
So, as I shove it away from me, a furious shout bubbles up from my throat and tears itself out. It merely smiles at me more, pressing its blade against mine again. 'It infuriates you, doesn't it?' it demands of me. 'When you have no choice but to search for your own weaknesses and confront your inner darkness. After how long you have fought it, why don't you just accept that?' I say nothing for a while, feigning defensive manoeuvres in order to surprise it. Then, 'I know what you are doing.'
And yet, I'm not necessarily surprised.
"It doesn't matter what you know," I snap, swinging quickly; it blocks it. "Everyone has weaknesses, but if you really do know me then you know how well I can conceal those weaknesses." I thrust at its flank, but it parries it near effortlessly.
'Then you must also know how well I can do the same.' I manage to block its swing, but it comes to quickly that I backpedal. And it's not long I didn't expect the oncoming attack, however it appeared quicker than any human. A part of me, one that has grown soft from the constant Hylian interaction, wants to flee, but I shove it down and slowly back away; hoping that Din will guide me a swift victory so that I can return to helping the others that will clearly need help.
Unless this is what has been messing up the Water Temple.
But no, it can't be.
Because I can beat this without the Master Sword.
It stalks closer to me until my back suddenly hits the dead bark of the tree that I saw earlier, leaning in close and pressing its blade to my throat. 'Of course you don't need a relic to beat me, but you do need to accept the darkness within you to do so,' it bargains, breathing close to my neck. I make sure that I don't look into its eyes, causing it to laugh mockingly in response. 'See! Refuse the darkness all you want, child, for you won't be able to match a Shade with petty tricks like yours. Let the darkness consume you, and then we shall see if you will let it dominate your life or if you will prevail.'
Its blade tears across my arm, but I don't even feel it. I remember hearing about Shades before, and now it all makes sense. Ganondorf played, and still plays, in the Dark Arts, so it would be customary to stop us like this by facing our own "darkness," but they have to be created years in advance and can fail very easy in the early stages of magic; so I've heard. So, if that is true, then it will have no use of magic. Mine is weak at best, and Gerudo rarely have the capability to use magic in such a skilled way, but it could make this fight or break it.
It's only partially, though. It's not the Master Sword or any other relic that I need, it's my own strength and a "petty trick" or two.
Smirking, I release a cry of a spell and jerk my hand forward, my palm meeting its stomach as I release a bolt of lightning.
Strangely enough, the water beneath us does not react, however I press my body up against the tree anyway to save myself. The Shade is thrown bodily backwards, its blade slipping from its hands as it is momentarily stunned. Waiting until the reaction from the spell has almost faded, I quickly heal up my arm and jolt forwards, kneeling down and pushing my knees onto its now much more visible arms. Leaning in close, I sneer, "The darkness consumed me a long time ago, Shade, but I learned how to overcome it long before you spawned."
Its lips part, and I wink. "Thanks for the tip, though."
I plunge my blade straight into its chest.
Its cries echo at around the room, and I straighten just in time for it to dissolve into mere blackness and disappear completely.
The mist fades away from the area, leaving me back in a simple room made up of dark blue bricks decorated with gold much like other parts of the Temple, and I realise that this entire time I have been standing in an illusion; the distorted reflection, my companions in the water, the shadow that I fought, all of it. This also makes sense for why the water did not electrify. A part of me is a little disorientated at the concept, however I leave it all down to whatever creature has a hold on this place. I still have seen no sign of my companions or the creature residing here, but I have a feeling that it won't be much longer now.
Then I hear a scream.
"Ruto!"
I dart off immediately, forcing the now unlocked door and down another grand staircase moist with water, gripping onto the torches that line the walls again to help me go up further. A part of my mind screams that it could be a trap, however the adrenaline is rushing so fast that I pay no mind to it whatsoever. I climb these stairs much faster than the other one, images of worst case scenarios swimming through my brain no matter how much I tell myself not to act like such a Hylian. The end of the stairs come into my vision, and I force open the door to a strange sight.
I stand on a small platform overlooking a large arena, four main platforms in the center filled with water. A path outlines the edge of these platforms, spikes attached to the corners of the walls to prevent one from moving too far from the middle, and a large gilded door on one side that must have been where Ruto came through; the platform directly opposite me being where Link and Navi came in.
How would I know?
Because they are fighting right now.
A strange tentacle rises up from the water, a red nucleus swimming around within it, with Ruto held in its clutches. Link and Navi are trying to desperately help, but it seems rather fruitless; neither arrows of the Hookshot working. I ready my blades and leap down onto the furthest out platform, meeting up with my companions and surprising them. "You're here just in time, Ciren," says Navi with a deep sigh of relief. "We only just got here, and Ruto is in trouble. Apparently this is Morpha, Master of the Water Temple and has absolute control over the water here. We have to pull out its nucleus and attack it, but it keeps dodging us."
So this is what has been messing up the Water Temple.
I chew at my lip as another tentacle appears, trying to grab us without avail. I turn to Ruto. "Got any ideas, Princess?"
"What do you think?!" she spits, flailing about and struggling to conjure up any form of spell. "I can't use my magic here, your weapons won't work. If we have any way to drain the water then be my guest, but I know this Temple like the back of my hand and the only drain is—" She cuts herself off in time to realise something even as Morpha attempts to crush her. "I've got it!"
"Got what?" Link calls with a raised brow.
She points with wild enthusiasm up to the ceiling. "If Morpha lifts me high enough, then we may be able to drain the water here and then we may have a chance to beat it!"
"How are we going to do that?" Link demands over the din of water. "The spikes keep us close, and if we get too close then it'll either attack us or pull you further away from us."
"That's the point," she snaps in a "men are dense" tone. "You're the Hero of Time for heaven's sake; I'm sure you'll think of something. Just get me to that drain and we'll be golden!" Morpha flings her around more, at one point almost smashing her body against the ground, but she manages to stay alive. "Just do whatever you need to quickly!"
I glance over at him, not at all surprised at her tone, but he is thinking too much to register me. He says nothing for a while, partially infuriating Ruto as she fights Morpha's grasp. Then, after a pregnant silence he says, "We have to jump between those four platforms."
I go to ask why he asks such a stupid thing when I realise the logic behind it. It is the only way for us to get close to Morpha whilst still having room to dodge any attacks also. It should, in theory, keep Morpha at bay whilst also giving Ruto the correct height. I glance over to my ally, but he's already leaped off into the fray; leaving behind the person who learnt to fight long before he did.
How the Hell is he the Hero of Time again?
Shaking my head, I jump on after him and stand on the platform opposite him, awaiting Morpha's attack. It creates another two tentacles and reaches out to attack us, and we both jump onto opposite platforms so that we don't corner ourselves. It lifts Ruto high into the air, however her hand merely brushes the handle. Link sheathes his weapon and shoots a few arrows into its body, knowing fully well that they will dissolve on impact so Morpha's nucleus won't be harmed. Thankfully it catches Morpha's attention in time for it to hold the Zora Princess further away from us.
She is close enough to hold her hand around it, but she squeals, making it so her hand misses.
"Like the perfect damsel in distress..." I curse, leaping away when Morpha begins to attack more; throwing Ruto around like a helpless rag doll. Link and I pass each other numerous times as we dart between the platforms to evade the barrage of attacks being flung at us. "It's not working!" I shout, signalling for Link to shift back onto the main platforms. "One of us has to be caught by it and help out Ruto."
"I second that!" is the cry from above.
Then Navi floats forwards. "Unless I have a go." We both turn on her, confused. She is too small to be caught or to have an effect on it. "Guardian Fairies can make themselves brighter whenever they please in order to help those who they are protecting. If I can distract Morpha or at least blind it, then maybe Ruto will have a chance." I glance over at my ally, who clearly is reluctant to let his partner fall into such danger, but at a moment agrees. She nods back to us silently, then, "Get back onto the platforms."
We follow suit and leap back into the fray, instantly having to dodge the attacks that rain down from Morpha. Navi flies up close to where Ruto is, catching Morpha's attention long enough for it to raise a large tentacle in hopes of attacking her, however she generates such a bright light from her body that Morpha cowers away from it. This, in turn, causes Navi to fall and Ruto to rise. Link manages to catch her before she hits the water, placing her into the charmed bottle to help her recover faster. The Zora Princess is flung up, her body pressing against the ceiling so harshly that she curses the entire time.
Yet her hand finally catches the handle.
I roll my eyes. "I guess she has some uses."
The sounds of pipes clanking and machines whirring suddenly sparks, and within a matter of seconds does the water that Morpha had control over now slowly begins to drain away. Ruto is struggling less and less, however so is Morpha's grip on her. Its mass trickles away into mere drips, and as it throws the Zora Princess away and she lands in a perfect stance; looking somewhat disappointed that she wasn't caught. I take the Bow and knock back arrows over and over again, the nucleus mass that is left of Morpha jumping around the edge of the arena. I follow it all the way around, only a few arrows hitting the spikes around the room instead of Morpha.
When one arrow manages to stop its movements entirely, Link follows suit and slides the Master Sword straight through, causing it to shudder once before falling still.
And I realise that this has been the easiest yet.
So I know that it isn't even over.
"Oh Link!" Ruto cries, rushing over to embrace him. "I am so happy that you saved me! I am forever in your debt!"
I roll my eyes. "I shot arrows too," I mutter under my breath, ignoring his attempts to pry her away. Navi floats over to my side with a giggle as I nudge Morpha's nucleus with my shoe. "Something isn't quite right," I say to her. "I mean, I'm not complaining that we beat it rather quickly, but all we had to do was drain the water and hit it a few times. Ganondorf put Morpha in here for a reason, and not for it to be defeated so easily. He probably knows that something isn't right now that his Phantom, Volvagia, and now Morpha are gone; so what is he up to?"
"Hopefully not, Ciren, but maybe—"
A sudden rumble surprises us all, even a doting Ruto. We glance around, Morpha's remains dissolving into nothingness at my feet, and without warning the water begins to rise again from the base of the chamber. The Zora Princess rushes to the edge, her mouth dropping in fright. "Now that Morpha's control of the water here has faded, the water is ready to return to Lake Hylia. We must leave!" She grabs onto Link's hand without hesitation and promptly begins to leave, using her slowly returning magic to open the door ahead of us.
Not long after we have exited the arena does the water catch up to meet us. And of course it isn't too bad if it hits us, if anything it will help us get back to the entrance, yet if we don't get out in time then I'm worried that we'll finally show Link what drowning truly is.
We start wading through the ankle deep water, Ruto becoming quicker and quicker whilst we become slower and slower. Link grabs onto my arm, and as reluctant as it is we speed up together with Ruto's help. The water begins to ride even more, so much in fact that within less than a minute we are already swimming along the surface. As the ceiling grows closer and closer, the Zora Princess still shows no sign of worry. The current created becomes a lot stronger now, however we finally make it out into the main chamber filled with pillars, though because there was already a layer of water in here, both layers combine and start to cover up the exit.
"Come on!" Ruto commands.
Though she seems to forgotten that she's holding onto us.
I ignore it for now and speed up, our heads dropping beneath the water's surface numerous times as the entrance tunnel becomes more and more covered in water; meaning that we have less time to breathe before we swim back out. I take in one more lungful of air and overtake Link as we delve back into the tunnel. The Zora Princess creates a light to guide us back out, but already can I feel something inside of me sinking down despite how fast I am trying to swim. My strokes are becoming weaker, darkness eating at the edge of my vision. I keep going despite myself, tugging Link further on as he falls behind a little.
Then I see the literal light at the end of the tunnel.
We leap on with a renewed sense of speed, pressing onward and breaking out into the already mostly filled Lake Hylia, two out of three of us sputtering back into life when we leap onto the platform above. Link just about manages to break Navi free of the bottle, and the latter is overjoyed to see us well and to be out of there too. A puddle of water grows beneath us, Ruto prying herself from us and jumping back into the water, flipping in and out as if to mock us for not having gills. "How on Din's red earth was she going to marry you if she mocks us like that?" I mutter, but Link either chooses to ignore me or has no response.
When I look over, however, he's grinning.
"Well I know what you meant before about it being too easy, Ciren," the Guardian Fairy says after a moment, smoothing her hair back. "But I think you need to stop jinxing these things."
I lean back onto the grass, holding my hands behind my head. "Well," I say with a grin. "At least we didn't drown, huh?"
Link just swats my arm, and I laugh.
