Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda Twilight Princess ❯ Lakebed Temple ( Chapter 19 )

A.N.- So I finished two chapters in one day, yippee for me. I just doomed myself to fail my classes, but it was worth it. I couldn’t have concentrated with this looming in front of me anyways. On a side note I would like to apologize for gipping anyone who might’ve been doubling this as a game guide. The Water Temple is such a pain in the ass just to play through that I didn’t want to spend the rest of my night typing out everything that you need to do in it.
I also apologize for leaving the chapter on such a cliffhanger, but it needed to be done. Don’t hate me, please!
I don’t own Legend of Zelda and I never will.

Dressed in the Zora armor Link dove into the waters of Lake Hylia and swam down to where the Zora’s were gathered. He drew many curious looks from them, but once they recognized what he was wearing they let him pass without incident. Down in the pit however the head Zora swam over to meet him.
“The place beyond this rock is sacred to my people,” he said, “It was once called the Zora Temple, but now it has been overrun by monsters…they are everywhere…All we could do was seal them in so they do not bring darkness to others.”
“I can handle the monsters,” Link said, able to speak and breath perfectly well thanks to the mask of the clothes he was wearing, “Will you please unseal the temple?’
“What could possibly be within there that you would risk such danger?” the Zora asked, eyeing him curiously.
“Something very important,” he said, his tone deathly serious, “And I have to get it at all costs.”
Seeing his resolve the Zora nodded and motioned for his subordinates to remove the boulder blocking the entrance. Link nodded his thanks and began to swim for it when the Zora once again stopped him.
Taking his full bomb bag he swapped it out with Link’s half-empty one. Link looked at him in confusion, not understanding.
“That bag is filled with a special kind of bomb,” he said, grinning a fishy grin, “Bombs that will explode even when wet or underwater. There aren’t that many in the bag, but we always have a few chests full of emergency supplies scattered here and there in the temple should you run out.”
“Thank you,” Link said, nodding gratefully and heading into the temple.

Inside Link pulled himself up out of the water and into a vast underwater cavern. Pulling down the mask that covered his nose and mouth he took a deep breath while looking around in wonder. Everything was cut out of the smooth stone and ornately decorated by a master Zora sculptor.
But he had little time to admire the artwork of the temple. He had to get the fused shadow as quickly as possible.

Inside of the temple was a labyrinth of pulleys, levers, water conducts and channels, underwater passages, and hidden mechanisms. So elaborate was it that it took Link 5 grueling hours of labor to navigate it all successfully.
Now he sat resting outside of the final door with the key to the lock held loosely in his left hand. The monsters of the temple had been even more savage than those in the Goron Mines, and even more difficult to fight because of the underwater environment they most often appeared in. Most trying of all to defeat had been the enormous toad that had cornered him in a locked room.
The acid the thing had spat at him had burned his sword arm badly and even the slightest movement caused it to throb painfully. But at least the toad had liquefied upon its defeat and left a treasure chest with a most useful tool behind.
Link looked down at the clawshot he held in his right hand. The useful device shot out a claw-tipped chain when he squeezed the handle tightly and latched onto whatever it was shot at if it was able. Then when he squeezed the handle again the chains would wind again, pulling him to where he wanted to be.
Sighing he tipped his head back and tried to ignore the throbbing in his injured arm. Next to him Ooacca and her son looked at him with concern.
“I’m fine,” he said, smiling at them, “But did you find what you came here looking for?”
“No,” Ooacca said, hanging her head, “It wasn’t here after all.”
“I see. You don’t have to stay with me, you know. You can leave.”
“But-!”
“It’ll likely be extremely dangerous past this door,” he said, standing up shakily, “I don’t want you to get hurt. So go on. I’ll be fine.”
Nodding Ooacca and her son left, though they did spare Link one last backwards glance.
Hoping that there was a fairy beyond the door Link unlocked it and stepped inside. Luck favored him, for inside there was a pot with a fairy inside. Sensing his wounds the little creature flew all around him, coating him with dust and sacrificing itself to hear him. Link’s breathing eased as the throbbing in his arm ceased and healed along with the minor nicks and cuts all over his body.
Sighing with relief Link looked down the circular hole in the floor. He couldn’t see anything down there, but he could hear water. Pulling the mask over his mouth and nose he dove down into the depths, noticing a strange glow towards the bottom.
Further he went until he could see a tentacle of some kind snaking up from a small pit. Sensing that the thing was anything but benevolent Link swam a little of to the side, out of its reach, and continued his descent.
He touched down softly on the lake bottom. At first the tentacle only flapped lazily, and Link wondered if it posed any real danger at all. Then the ground started to rumble and several more tentacles shot out of the ground along with a snapping maw. Out of the maw and into one of the tentacles oozed and eye that fixed Link with its glare.
Morpheel… he thought, glaring back at it, not noticing the tentacle sneaking up behind him.
Before he could react one of the tentacles reached around and grabbed him, crushing his arms to his sides while he struggled to free himself. The creature’s maw opened as if to eat him as the tentacle lowered him towards it. Frantically Link shot the clawshot at it. The claw hit and rebounded off on of the creature’s fearsome teeth, drawing forth a startled shriek and causing it to release him.
Link swam frantically out of reach before pausing to look back at the monstrosity. The eye had to be the weakness, he noted as the creature moved it rapidly from one tentacle to the other.
Drawing his sword he took aim with the clawshot and quickly ripped it out of the nearest tentacle. Once he had the eye near him he slashed at it repeatedly, drawing forth pained sheiks from the creature itself. The eyeball itself seemed to have a mind of its own however, and eventually squirmed free.
Not to be deterred Link repeated his last action, but the eyeball once again squirmed back to its owner. But once it had both the tentacles and the snapping maw retreated into the ground, making Link wonder if he had been victorious or not.
That notion was quickly swept away as the ground began to shake again and the dark beast fully revealed itself. Link could only stare in awe as the serpent-like monstrosity rose up out of the muddy bottom and began swimming around the area, crashing into and knocking over the surrounding pillars. He noticed though that the eye that was its weakness was no longer in one of the flowing tentacles, but firmly secured in its socket where it belonged.
With grim determination Link swam until he was alongside the creature. He took aim at the eye and let fly, the clawshot bringing him right on top of the creature. Holding tight to the clawshot that gripped firmly to the creature’s eyelid he held his sword like a dagger and stabbed it repeatedly until Morpheel shook him off, trailing black ooze from its injured eye.
“No you don’t!” he declared, swimming up to it and repeating his attack.
This time Morpheel succumbed to the pain, beginning to swim around the area erratically. Link pushed himself off the creature’s back and swam a safe distance away, not wanting to be caught in its death throws.
Morpheel swam here and there knocking into the remaining pillars before finally crashing, maw-first, into the wall of the underwater cavern. A large crack opened up and the water began to drain quite rapidly. Link touched down lightly as the last of the water drained away, grateful that Midna would be able to transport him safely outside again.
As he watched Morpheel shattered section by section until there was nothing left but a crystal heart container. Then the dark shards of its being came together and formed the last Fused Shadow which floated down to Link’s waiting hands.
“There it is! The last Fused Shadow…I’ll just take that, thanks!” Midna said, an anxious tone edging her voice, “Now, don’t resent me for all I’ve put you through. I NEED this thing!”
Link stood there and looked at her curiously. He didn’t resent her for the things she had put him through, getting pulled into the twilight realm in the first place was his own fault anyways. The only thing he slightly resented her for was her attitude and the way she had sometimes treated him.
“Besides we need to do something about Zant, the one who thinks he is the king of shadows…His power is a false one…” she said, seeming to forget that Link was there as she let loathing creep into her voice, “I’ll prove it using these!” She looked up at Link and smiled as she created a portal. “So…I’ve done everything I needed to. I’m sorry for dragging you all over the place with me…So…Shall we go?”
“In a moment,” he said, looking over to the fallen heart container, “I want to get that, and change into my normal clothes.”
“Oh, very well,” she huffed, taking note of his slight blush, “I won’t look.”
Nodding gratefully Link went and got the heart container, feeling strength flow into him as the aching in his ribs from Morpheel’s attack eased. Checking to make sure Midna wasn’t looking he changed into his green tunic and leather boots before returning to her.
“Ready?” she asked.
“Ready,” he said closing his eyes and stepping onto the portal.
He opened his eyes facing Lanaryu’s spring. The spirit didn’t say anything to him so he assumed that everything was right for the moment and nodded as he turned to leave.
Link immediately stopped short and gasped in surprise, looking up at the taller intimidating figure before him. He had never seen him in person before, but the shiver that ran up his spine told him that it could only be the one responsible for the horrible twilight that had covered Hyrule.
Zant, the King of Shadows.