So Different, Yet the Same - Linked Universe

Chapter 1: The Summoning Shrine - South

Soft strawberries, picked at the perfect time for consumption, warm honey melted over a glazed sugar crust. Scents this overpowering can only bring joy to Link's lips. His eyes are closed in a gentle rest, so he reaches forward dazed to wrap his arms around the one who smells so sweetly. Zelda always had a knack for hypnotizing him with her varieties of perfumes. Not too striking, but recognizable. His eyebrows scruff when his hands touch sharp, cold stone instead of a fluffy blanket.

"Ugh, Zel...da?" he blubbers, half awake. Link opens his eyes groggily, but snaps to his senses when he observes the darkness around him. Mouth agape, he stumbles back onto his palms. The inability to speak takes over as his words get caught in his throat. Where am I? The only words running through his mind.

Taking a moment, he manages to un-spiral his brain just enough to try and think of how he could have gotten here. Yet, no matter how hard he tries, he can't think of anything odd. He had just defeated Demise, scourge of the surface world, and had introduced the people of Skyloft to the ground which they hovered over.

"She... we were going to set out tomorrow," he reminds himself. "I took the sword back just in case-"

Cutting his own words off, Link reaches behind him and feels the familiar hold of the Master Sword. A sigh of relief escapes his lungs. Observing himself more closely, he sees that he is garbed in the very outfit he made to go on his adventure with Zelda. They planned on exploring the surface now that the monsters have all been obliterated, so he adorned a green tunic similar to the one he usually wore. Except, this one had a red wrap around his torso in order to remind him of his home. Zelda had remade his sailcloth into a cloak of sorts, which meant he had no need for his hat. The goddess shield is strapped to his back as well, and the question above all questions pops into his mind: How did I sleep with this equipment on my back?

Then again, if Zelda were here, she would respond quickly with, "Are you serious? Link, you can sleep through any condition whatsoever!"

He only rolls his eyes because he knows it's true. What can he say? He's a hero, and he's exhausted! Any opportunity to sleep is gladly appreciated.

He makes sure the other items in his inventory are still intact. Sacred bow, clawshots, whip... ah, his bomb bag. I was going to refill it when we crossed through Lanayru Desert. The empty sack hangs from his fist as if it's giving him a look of disappointment. He should have stopped by the shop on Skyloft, he knows, but why spend rupees when the ground gives bombs for free? The lack of monsters on the surface didn't strike the empty bag as an urgent problem needing to be fixed. And, he couldn't have possibly seen something like this coming.

Right, back to the matter at hand. Although the tinge of fear creeps into his chest, Link courageously gets to his feet. The first thing he should do is find a source of light. Light. Quickly, he holds the sword above his head, pointing the blade at the ceiling. It takes a moment, but the familiar blue of holy light washes over it, illuminating the stone around him.

It seems to be some sort of... catacombs. Link presses his teeth firmly behind his lips, not daring to stay in such a location for any longer. Covering his prominent features behind the white cloth of his cloak, he picks a hallway and follows it.

Something isn't right here. It's just a little off. After about twenty minutes of walking, Link's brain switches into dungeon mode. The fear in his gut is replaced with resilience, the feeling he only remembers from when he would enter a dungeon. He tries to keep a mental image of the layout, but this place is unlike any maze he has ever stepped foot in. I need a map, he thinks to himself.

At least with the other dungeons, he had a sense of what he was getting himself into. But, this? He never got to see the outside of this place. Here, there is no rhyme or reason. It's just cold, wet stone. That, and hallways, lots of them. He constantly needs to recharge the Master Sword so he can keep his light. Now that he thinks about it, he is very grateful that he took the blade out of the pedestal when he did. Imagining trying to explore this place without it sends a chill down his spine.