CHAPTER 2

Into The Unknown

Dark leaned against the tall wooden frame marking the entrance to Lon Lon Ranch, trying his best to mask the anxiety rising up in him. It felt like an eternity since they had last made their way to the Temple of Light, and impatience gnawed at him as he waited for Link to join him. Yet worry nagged at the back of his mind - had the couple weeks since they had returned from their last adventure truly been enough time for him to recover? Though he was itching to get on with their search, he would gladly delay it if Link needed more time to free himself of the burdens that weighed on him.

"Well, finally," he muttered as he spied Link rounding the bend, pushing his thoughts aside. "I was beginning to think we would never leave."

"Sorry. I had to say goodbye to Malon and Epona." Link gave him a knowing smile as he did a last minute check of his various pockets and pouches to make sure he wasn't leaving anything behind. "You don't need to worry about me. I'll be fine."

"I'm not worried!" Dark shot back, his cheeks growing warm as a faint flush covered his face.

"Yes, you are." The words echoed in his head, and he glanced over to see Link with his hand over his speaking stone, part of a matched set they always wore around their necks. Though the stones apparently contained some greater potential than simply being used as a mere communication device, they had yet to figure out what that was, and so they continued to use them how they always had - as a way to talk without anyone overhearing them. "I think it's cute."

Dark glowered at him from his resting place, but he was secretly pleased at the words, and he felt his heart skip a beat as Link approached him, giving him a look that made him desperately wish they were behind closed doors.

"Well?" Link asked him, his voice smooth and captivating. "Are you ready to go, or are you planning on spending the rest of the day lounging about waiting to greet customers?"

Dark huffed at him, trying to maintain his facade of annoyance despite the smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "I've been ready," he retorted. "Let's go, already."

The path to the Temple of Light was one they had traveled down so many times before that their feet simply seemed to carry them to their destination. The familiar sight of Hyrule Field unfolded before them as they walked, yet they paid no attention to the sprawling green grass and gently rolling hills, nor to the small yellow wildflowers that dotted the landscape. Instead their focus remained on the large expanse of rock before them, and the well-worn trail that led there.

It was not long before they found themselves at an entrance that was so unassuming it would have been quite possible for them to overlook it if they didn't already know it was there. Nestled within the natural contours of the cliffside, the small wooden doorway blended in seamlessly with the brown rocks that separated the fields from the woodlands that lay just beyond it. Link stretched his hand out towards it and it responded to his touch by lighting up, a soft yellow glow running over the outline and illuminating the door. With a gentle push, he nudged it open, and they stepped inside.

No more was the Temple of Light so lifeless and devoid of energy as it once had been. As they traveled down the familiar hallway, doors of lands simply waiting to be explored flickered to life beside them, each one gleaming with a hint of the world beyond. Different colors flashed and shimmered as they passed by, highlighting different door shapes and various carvings adorning each one. Some even seemed to contain whispers from far-off areas, calling out to them and beckoning them with their secrets. Each one was a reminder of the spell they had worked so hard to undo, and that the magic they themselves had poured into the beating heart of the temple had restored it to its former glory; yet Dark found it a struggle to think of it as anything but the prison it had once been for him.

"It's your turn to choose," Link reminded him, pulling him out of his thoughts. "Did you have a doorway in mind?"

They had been alternating who chose the new world to visit each time, trading turns back and forth, each equally eager to discover what lay beyond the normal reaches of Hyrule. But unlike Link, who seemed to pick doors based on some intuition Dark could not hope to understand, his process for doing so was a little more involved.

"No," he replied, looking around the large center room of the temple with distaste. This was where Termina's door had been - a small door with an orange outline that seemed to shift between hues of gold and red; misshapen circles and stars drawn on its surface with deep, carved lines between them to connect the celestial fragments together. It stood there as innocently as the rest of them, giving no hints or clues to the destruction that had awaited them on the other side; its lights remaining steady with not even the slightest waver to show that the world behind it was slowly fading. It seemed almost to taunt him from the other side of the room, and he pushed back a surge of anger. "Let's go somewhere else."

As they ventured their way further into the maze that led to other rooms in the Temple of Light, Dark wondered if the distance a door was from Hyrule's own had any bearing on how far away the world was from them. It was possible, he supposed, that some places they had been to could be reached from Hyrule if they were to travel far enough outside the kingdom without using magical means - and yet, he was sure there were plenty of others they could not have gotten to on their own no matter how hard they tried. If so, Shadir would be in a land that was too far removed from Hyrule to have found his way back, he was sure of it.

The breathtaking sight of a room adorned with arrays of natural crystals made him pause, their multifaceted surfaces capturing and shimmering with light cast from the various doors around them. Everything seemed so alive there, fitting for the room which provided the sole source of water for the temple, and if there was even a chance the beauty in the room could be reflected in the worlds gathered around it then this was where he wanted to pick from.

He glanced over at the nearest door; its shimmering blue outline almost mirroring the color of the stream that was running parallel to it. The smooth metal door seemed almost to ripple like the water its surface was so reminiscent of, and for a moment he imagined a world of calm serenity. But even as he let tranquility wash over him, he knew he could not make his choice yet, not with so many other doors to look at.

Next to it was a brilliant gateway of white and silver lights sparkling like diamonds; a soft chiming sound accompanying their steady glow. On the other side was an emerald archway, the door beneath it made of a thick and gnarled wood. There were others too; a golden doorway exuding a soft and inviting radiance, a square door looking to be made of an iridescent black stone, and a fiery red door that seemed almost to crackle with the energy of a volcano. But none seemed to fit the vision he had in his mind perfectly, and he shifted his gaze to the corner of the room, wondering whether the most secluded spot might reveal one that was a better choice.

Waiting for him there was an ornate, heavy-looking door, its outline a bold, vibrant purple. It was not a color he saw often, and he took several steps towards it, somewhat enchanted by its amethyst glow. The vivid hue seemed almost to have a mystical energy swirling within it, and he would not have been surprised to learn a touch of magic that went beyond what the temple could provide lurked within its elegant frame.

He reached out, his fingertips grazing the surface of the door. Intricate carvings adorned its otherwise smooth exterior, weaving a tapestry of symbols that seemed to hint at the wonder they might find on the other side, and he traced over them carefully before pressing his palm against the door. A gentle warmth emanated from the surface, seeming almost to respond to his touch, and he closed his eyes, imagining how it might feel to step through to the world outside.

"This one," he breathed, withdrawing his hand and looking over at Link.

With a smile, Link stepped forward, taking his hand. They always passed through each door together in this manner, not wanting to take any risk of being separated. As their fingers intertwined, Dark tugged the door open, staring ahead into the portal that was behind it; a vortex of shimmering purple and silver lights. Then, with a deep breath he pushed ahead, letting himself be enveloped by the otherworldly spiral.

The misty surface of the portal felt like a cascading waterfall against his skin; its cool droplets enveloping him in a velvety embrace as he crossed the threshold into the world beyond. For just a moment he could feel a subtle shift around him; the air growing slightly more humid as they passed from the interior of the temple to a location he could already tell would be outside - and then a faint electrical pulse surged through his body, signaling their successful transition to the other side. He turned to see the portal close behind them as the doorway back to Hyrule was absorbed into the landscape, and then suddenly filled with purpose, he broke away from Link and began searching the wall and ground behind them.

Link's eyes roved over him as he inspected the area. "Anything?" he asked, his voice holding a hint of anticipation. He was familiar by now with the efforts Dark put into examining their entry into each world, hoping that his brother would have put some identifying mark there if he had ended up nearby.

"Nothing I can see." Disheartening as it was, he knew it meant nothing. In the nearly four years he and Shadir had been separated at this point it was entirely possible for written symbols or other clues to have washed away - though he was not quite sure they would have been there to begin with. "What about you?"

While Dark focused more on physical signs of previous activity at the portal, Link often attuned his senses to magical energy instead, sorting out the residual power from the doorway back to the Temple of Light from any spells that might be in place nearby. "There's magic everywhere," he said softly. "I can feel it closing in all around us. Not in a bad way," he assured him. "There's a sort of...gentleness, to it. It feels like a protective spell."

"But then...what is it protecting?" Dark's eyes narrowed; he scanned the environment around them and took note of the dense shroud of clouds that covered the sky, obscuring the sun's rays and casting a gray hue over the world. He did not see anything immediately worth protecting with such a powerful enchantment, but he did not need sensing magic of his own to know there was an unsettling air of mystery around them, as if there were hidden secrets waiting to be uncovered.

Link closed his eyes, lifting his head slightly as he reached out with his mind to explore the barrier. "The land," he said finally. "It's almost like the spell has been woven with the very essence of nature...like it's holding the entire world together."

Dark fought to keep the small burst of panic he felt out of his voice. "Are we going to be able to get back home?"

In response Link extended his hand towards the natural cliffside they had stepped out of, light streaming through his fingers as it illuminated the area. Slowly, a rim of yellow light spread out to form an archway, and after staring at it for a moment he withdrew his hand, the outline fading alongside his magic. "I think so. But..."

"But what?"

"Spells of this nature usually alert the caster if something unexpected breaks through. What we just did - passing through the portal - that would have opened a hole in their defensive shield. I would be very surprised if we didn't just set off some magical alarm bells."

Dark crossed his arms; he knew Link was waiting for him to make the call on whether they would stay here to face whatever the consequences of entering the magical forcefield might be or head back to the Temple of Light to make another selection. But it was rare that he opted to turn away once he had committed to a choice; only in cases where a world was bound for obvious destruction had he chosen to leave without at least looking around a bit first. "Let's see if we can find somewhere to hide out for a while. I don't feel like hanging around for someone to come looking for us."

And so with determination in their steps, they ventured further into the unknown as the unusually barren landscape unfolded before them. The view painted a picture of an environment struggling from a lack of sunlight, and yet several stunted and bent over trees managed to sprout out at random from occasional patches of dried out and yellowing grass that lined the path. Sparse foliage that seemed barely to reach above their heads hung off the twisted branches, casting faint, eerie shadows upon the desolate expanse.

The one touch of vibrancy amidst the blandness came in the form of wildflowers; their bright shades of purple emerging from all around them and forming a radiant glow among the otherwise gray terrain. Further ahead they could see a sloping hill that seemed to lead to a flourishing patchwork of the colorful blossoms, and they trudged towards it, their spirits lifting as they took in the captivating display.

As they approached the rolling terrain, a shaking sound from a nearby tangle of branches that could have been a bush at one point made them stop, hearts pounding in their chests. They stood there nervously, ready to stand and fight at the first sign of danger, but a moment later a lone bunny emerged, looking just as apprehensive of them as they were of it. Its coat blended in with the muted backdrop as it hopped across their path, but it showed more signs of energy than any of the plant life they had passed, and a shared laugh bubbled between them as they realized they had nothing to truly worry about. Whatever this new world might have been, it was not so different from Hyrule that they couldn't feel somewhat at ease, and the thought was mildly reassuring.

It was not long before they stumbled across possible shelter; a modest house nestled into the landscape that seemed almost to blend in with the bleak terrain. Dried out vines clung to its weathered walls, hinting that it had not been used in some time, and a single tall patch of withered grass had grown to meet the entryway. Though they could not confirm at first glance whether it was occupied, it seemed almost to beckon to them, promising momentary escape from whoever might come to investigate the breach in the protective spell.

"This might work," Link murmured, relief hovering at the edge of his voice. Cautiously, he approached the door, trying the handle and standing back as it creaked open immediately. Though their surroundings did not provide much light, he could still see a modest array of furniture in the main room; two wooden chairs were pushed against a table with what looked to be a thick layer of dust on it and cobweb-covered bookshelves lined the walls alongside paintings in ancient frames. A fireplace filled with ashes instead of logs sat dormant, completely devoid of warmth, adding to the melancholic air of the room.

Despite the somewhat gloomy atmosphere, the relics of life still felt oddly comforting, and they stepped inside the small house, closing the door softly behind them. "Doesn't look like anyone will be back soon," Dark guessed, looking critically at their surroundings.

"I wouldn't think so," Link agreed, coughing slightly as he ran his hand idly across the back of one of the chairs, causing a cloud of dust to rise up in his face.

Dark moved further into the small house, finding a room containing a worn bed and a cracked dresser. Just like the previous room, it bore signs of neglect, but it was a somewhat welcome sight all the same. "Looks like we'll have a place to rest," he called over his shoulder, and a moment later Link joined him, the floorboards creaking as he walked into the small bedroom.

"And a map," Link added, pointing at a piece of parchment that was tacked unceremoniously to the wall. He leaned in to inspect it, squinting at the scrawling writing towards the bottom. "Lorule," he read out loud, bringing his hand up to touch the arrow he assumed denoted their exact location. "Do you think that's the name of this world?"

Dark's expression grew determined, a spark of curiosity igniting in his eyes as he approached the map. "It could be," he agreed as he examined the hastily written label. "But there's only one way to find out."

IN CLOSING

It's recently come to my attention that email notifications are broken for certain users - while a lot of people report being able to get notifications again as of 6 months ago, some of us (me included!) are not getting them. So if I ignore you, it's not intentional. I'll try to be mindful of that and check back here a little more frequently right now.

Also, for those who prefer to read on other platforms, I am now publishing this story on Wattpad (with AO3 to come soon)! Chapters are out of sync at the moment, with the most recent still being published here, but I'll be using an accelerated publishing schedule on those sites to help them catch up.

Don't forget to check back for Chapter 3: Vanishing Act. Thank you for reading / following / favoriting / reviewing!