The Legend of Zelda: Restoration Age

Dungeon Chapter 5 - From a Distance

"It's not going to kill me?" Link pressed, uninterested in the Restoration's excitement. "That's all I want to know."

"It will not kill you, no," the Restoration added, disgruntled as being dismissed so quickly.

Pushing the chest open, Link found a red crystal similar to the one that had fallen out of the skulltula, a rupee, the Restoration had called it. Well, a variety of gems wouldn't hurt at a pawn shop, particularly not with the amount of trouble he was racking up the longer he was in here. He shoved it into his new, expanded wallet and stood back up.

"In the past, Heroes would travel with a companion. If you would prefer a more physical companion, I can materialize someone to travel with you." A few orbs and figures bobbed by Link, but he didn't pay attention as he walked down the left hallway. "Is there anyone you would like--"

"Dwarf," Link answered, scowling at the ceiling. "I'd like to adventure with Dwarf. That one going to work out for you?"

"You are not prepared to face your final encounter yet, Hero, but if you are sure you are ready to face Ganondorf Dragmire, I can prepare a teleportation to his location and expedite the changes to Hyrule."

"Changes to Hyrule? What are you doing to Hyrule?" Link asked. He looked down at the bag hanging over his shoulder, and his transformed wallet. Could changes like that be happening on a grander scale outside the temple? What kind of devastation would happen if the Restoration transformed the whole country like this in minutes? No one would have any warning about it, just "poof" and everyone was thrown back hundreds of years into the medieval era. "What do you mean by 'restore?' What were you programmed to do exactly?"

"I cannot answer that question, Link Sayre."

"What do you mean you can't? You're some kind of computer, you have a program you're running, what is it? You're supposed to help me with my quest, right? And I need to know what your objective is here." To save Hyrule in more ways than one it seemed, though Link doubted any of those was how the Restoration meant it.

There was silence for a long while. Link took the quiet to continue to the end of the hall. He was right; there was a switch beneath the pool's floor. One arrow sent it rocking back, and seconds later, Link could hear water pounding against the floor above him. A few drops of water managed to slip through, plopping into the murky pool that had already dropped in.

"I have an arrangement for you, Link Sayre."

"Is it like this one I'm already in?" Link asked, returning to the barracks. He didn't like the sound of any deals the Restoration might offer him.

"If you complete these dungeons, I will answer a classified question."

Link paused, holding on to the bow string as he thought about the offer. "What does that mean?"

"It means I will disclose to you information about my programming that was intended to remain secret," the Restoration explained. "It will take a little recoding on my part to allow for this, but if it will insure your co-operation, then I believe it is an agreeable arrangement and my creators would understand the reappropriation of information."

"What if I ask a question that isn't hidden behind your restrictions?" Link hung his bow back over his back. "Is that going to count against me?"

"I will provide a list of options for you when you reach the final chamber of each dungeon, if it will simplify the process, with questions based on your current interests that may contain restricted information.."

Link paced a few steps, thinking over the offer. He shouldn't accept it. If he did, it meant he would have to keep coming back into these temples. Link figured he had already be roped into that, between rescuing Dwarf and now the potential threat of the Restoration redesigning Hyrule entirely. But maybe if he could get answers out of the Restoration, he could help prevent some of the scope of the devastation it would do the country. Give the people some kind of warning about what was happening and how to prepare for it.

"Deal," Link replied as he returned to the barracks. He pulled himself to a halt as an arm extended itself from nowhere. It was almost a hologram, but the shape was actually touchable.

"Let's shake on it then, Hero."

Twisting his mouth for a minute, Link let out a frustrated huff before grappling the Restoration's projected hand. It was surprisingly warm for a concentrated form of light, but Link guessed that's what happened when you solidified light into a hard shape, like concentrating the pinprick of a magnifying glass. And as soon as Link let it go, the hand disappeared back into the tear in the world it had produced itself from.

"Do you have a body?" Link asked as he walked back into the barracks, backtracking again.

"I can create one if I need it," the Restoration answered. "I am glad to have your co-operation, Link Sayre. I was concerned that I would need to prepare a number of fail safes to finish my programming."

"I'm so glad you didn't have to brainwash me like you did my friend to get your job done," Link snarked, dropping down the ladder to the bottom of the pit. "Why don't you, actually? Why don't you mess with my head like you did Dwarf? If you clearly can do that kind of messed up shit, and you have right in front of me, what's stopping you from making me your happy little Hero and just solving all of your problems right here and now?"

Nothing. Link waited for any response, but nothing. No answer. Link rubbed his temples again, trying to wake up. Just get out of here alive, that's all he needed to worry about for now, not reasoning with a magic supercomputer with a weird set of morals that clearly wasn't interested in listening to him unless he was "co-operating" with them, even though Link barely knew what the co-operation would entail on his part.

As Link continued to climb up, he paused on the pool level. If he opened the bottom of that pool again, he wouldn't be able to get to that chest, which had been the whole point of his backtracking in the first place. Not wanting to add any more time to his dungeon delving, Link pushed the door open, and was greeted by a full pool of fresh water.

Leaning over the edge, Link cupped up a few mouthfuls of water. He drank his fill before splashing the rest over his face. "Breathe, Sayre, breathe." Link leaned over the pool for a few more minutes, just trying to let his breathing slow while also trying not to nod off. He was so tired at the point, he was surprised he wasn't snapping at the ceiling more, much less being able to fight these monsters the Restoration was throwing at him without taking serious injuries. Not that he was complaining about the latter, just that it surprised him.

Pushing himself off his knees to his feet, Link took one last deep breath. He was getting there, so close to being done. Turn on the water and open up the pools, that's all he had left. And that big plant monster, but he wasn't entirely sure he would have to worry about that with the trap door in the barracks. Part of him knew he would, but as long as he could push it away, Link would.

Link hopped onto the floating platform, which had raised to meet the water level. It now passed along at a high enough level that Link was able to grab onto the platform in the center of the room. Link pulled himself up and over the edge, rolling on his side as he threw himself up on top. Lying on his back, Link popped open the chest and fished out the key hidden inside.

"Duh da na na na," Link muttered to himself, sitting up as he shoved the key into his backpack. Now to open the pool's floor again and he wouldn't need to come back here.

Taking the ramp up and then the vines, Link returned to the lever at the top of the pit. He heard a loud "boom" as the water in the pool slapped down to to the stone below when the floor split open, but nothing else. Link sighed, wondering if even moving the grates would wake up the plant monster at this point. He highly doubted it, considering all the noise he had already made, but part of him knew it was going to happen anyway. Maybe that button was hooked up to some kind of gong.

A third of the temple complete, Link left the lever room...