[EDITING] The Legend of Zelda: Goddess of Secrecy

Overworld Chapter 37 - On the Shadow's Edge

...as they returned to the still marshy but clear waters outside of the Mire. Epona caught up with the other horses, still discontent with the murk clinging to her legs. Link pat her side, saying, "It's the beach next."

"At this point, I'd be fine with just jumping in a pond," Epona replied with a snort.

Link laughed to himself, and felt the action restoring him some after the intensity of waking up. Dominus glanced over his shoulder at Link, before continuing to lead them through the swamp. "Those charms will make you immune to the effects of the swamp. You can ride anywhere now, anywhere that your horse will take you at least, within this region of Hyrule."

Epona answered, "I'm not taking you anywhere in this Goddesses' forsaken swamp besides this temple and back out."

"That's rude," Mirum said, turning around on her Zol. The creature kept plodding on behind Dominus, content to follow. Mirum went on, "This place is wonderful when we aren't worrying about the Mirror Hall."

"You are always worrying about the Shadow Temple," Endeavor remarked. "Why do you think there was an outpost set up out here?"

Dominus commanded, "Enough." He turned to Endeavor. "There are things you should not speak of, and certainly not at a time like this."

Endeavor replied, "You do not mean to tell anyone then?" Dominus shook his head. "Very well."

Mirum looked back at Link, her brows down over her eyes. Link shrugged. He had didn't have any more of an idea than she did.

A wall rose on the horizon. It was made of tall stone pillars with the Twili markings all of them. Walls of twilight energy raced between the stones making the walls and floors. Twili stood along the walls. Two appeared on the edge of the wall. One exclaimed, "Dominus! We weren't expecting you."

"That was the idea," Dominus replied, pulling his horse to a halt. "Now, open the gate for us."

The two exchanged a glance. The first Twili answered, "We would, but..."

"We're under strict orders not to let anyone through," the second finished.

"And I'm telling you to open the gate," Dominus stated. "We need to pass. Who are you going to choose to listen to?"

Again, the Twili looked at each other. One motioned to the other, and they ran off. Moments later, the gate opened. A wall of darkness spanned in front of them. Link pulled Epona to a halt on the edge of the passage forward. "What is that?"

Dominus looked back, answering, "That is a pocket of the darkness that once took over Hyrule in a fragment of our past. But between that sword and those relics, I doubt it will have any effect on you once we go into it."

"You doubt?" Link inquired.

"Well, there hasn't been anything like this since the last time the darkness took of Hyrule," Dominus answered. "I have nothing that says if it will be different or not from then. But that relic prevented transformations when you went into the Dark World, and that sword allowed you to remain human when you went to the Twilight Realm. Together, I believe they should stop any true harm."

Endeavor asked, "What if it does not work?"

"Sitting here certainly doesn't answer any of those questions," Dominus replied. "If something goes wrong, I will pull Link back to this side, but it will mean that we cannot reach the temple."

Link rode up beside Dominus. "Alright."

The Twili turned his illusion horse and rode through the black wall. He beckoned to Mirum, and they vanished beyond the black expanse. Moments later, the wall turned a bright cyan. Endeavor asked Quicksilver on, and the two trotted through the wall.

Epona shuddered before bounding through. Link almost held his breath, but Epona raced through so quickly that he didn't have time to. He looked around as they walked into the smaller portion of the swamp. Twilight hung over their heads, the cloudy yellow sky fading most of the other colors around them. Most everything was turned black or into the golden yellows of the twilight. Except, fortunately, Link and Endeavor. The twilight hadn't affected them or their animal companions.

Mirum let out a sigh. "I wish this was real twilight, not a mimic."

Dominus smiled for a moment, resting a hand on her shoulder. "As do I."

Link turned to Endeavor. "Why can't it be a real one?"

"The Twili vowed that they would not create a twilight zone here in Hyrule when they joined the kingdom," Endeavor explained, Dominus nodding along sagely with them. "But that means the only true twilight left is the Twilight Realm, and the entrance to that world was destroyed. These Twili must remaining in Hyrule, without the comforts of their home."

"That doesn't...seem right," Link said. He didn't care for this pocket of darkness himself, but still. Home was home. He missed his constantly, he was starting to realize, but at least he could go back there one day.

Dominus answered, "It is the way it has to be. Though, perhaps if the ultimate darkness is destroyed, then a little twilight might one day be allowed. But as for today, we have something else to deal with." Dominus pointed ahead of them. "That is the Mirror Hall."

Ahead on the horizon sat a huge black building. It lacked detail on the outside, save the Twili markings once more. The cyan symbols shown across plain, though slowly the color was turning to dark red. Link figured he knew what would happen once they all turned red.

Endeavor said, "The Shadow Temple. It has seen better days."

"We've all seen better days," Dominus answered.

Link asked, "What will be in there?"

"Mostly creatures of the twilight," Endeavor said. "Many of the Twili secrets are in there, and Zeal will most likely have figured out how to create Zol and other twilight beings."

Dominus added, "Not to mention there will be something else we don't know enough about to name yet. Something guarding the temple where the medallion is hidden."

Mirum asked her Zol on. She didn't wait for them to finish, simply riding on as the task loomed ahead. Dominus said, "Very well then." He asked his horse on as well, and the two Twili led the way across the dark marsh towards the temple. Twilight creatures dove in the golden water, before disappearing to who know where.

Link pat Epona. He asked, "Are you ready to go in there?"

"I'm ready to get this over with," Epona replied. "But if I must be ready to go into there to leave, then yes, I'm ready."

Endeavor sat beside Link. "You two can talk later. We have work that needs to be done."

"Right," Link answered as Epona snorted at the Drex. He flicked the reins, and Epona started into a canter, quickly gaining on their companions. They crossed the span of marsh quickly, before the wall of the Mirror Hall towered over them. Link looked up at the huge door only briefly as they rode though...