[center][h3]The Under ~ Lightroot[/h3] [u][b]Shrine of Light[/b][/u]

[b]Starring:[/b] Ganondorf ([@Double]) and Rubick ([@Scarifar])
[b]Word Count:[/b] 4,031
[b]Exp +5[/b][/center]

So here the Seekers stood, staring up at what could only be the lightroot. It was like a circle of massive tree roots that snaked their way upward in a vaguely dome-like shape. They also appeared to glow and give off their own natural light, especially in the center of the roots where the light was at its brightest. It also looked like there was some kind of lift at the center of it. Where it led to, Ganondorf couldn’t say. But if that direction was upward, then maybe this was a way to get closer to reaching the surface? Only one way to find out. Without waiting for any input from Rubick or Jesse, the Gerudo marched right into the brightness of the lightroot and boarded the lift. Rubick outstretched a hand as he hurriedly ran after Ganondorf. “[color=limegreen]Hold on, now, friend! Wait for me![/color]” he said, barely making it into the lift with the Gerudo. The moment they did, the lift began to rise and take them into a blinding light.

[center][youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uNU2sE-SmrQ[/youtube][/center]

When they could see properly again, the Seekers found themselves transported into… [url=http://cdn.wikimg.net/en/zeldawiki/images/1/18/BotW_Kema_Zoos_Shrine_Interior.jpg?version=eb3bec7bfb47c4627f02357b8c89a0b3]somewhere[/url]. It didn’t look at all familiar to Ganondorf. Whatever the place was, the stone tiles that made up the floors and walls were cut smoothly. Very smoothly. In fact it almost looked as smooth as granite or marble. They were also covered in seemingly unfamiliar markings. Ganondorf had to admit the markings sort of reminded him of Hyrule, but he couldn’t be sure. Perhaps this was some form of Hylian architecture from ancient times? Or maybe it wasn’t and the similarities were just a coincidence? Either way, Ganondorf supposed that it didn’t really matter. Up above them the ceiling appeared to glow with a soft, bluish white light. It also appeared to bear the unfamiliar markings on the floor.

Directly in front was a small set of steps leading into a larger room. At the bottom of the steps on either side were ornate pedestals containing glowing blue gemstones that floated directly above them. Similar pedestals could be seen in the corners of the larger room as well. For a place located in the darkness of the Under, this… shrine or whatever it was certainly seemed to be surprisingly steeped in light. Ganondorf could practically sense as much coming from deeper inside. This fact did not please the King of Evil, but it looked like he had no choice but to proceed for the time being.

As the Seekers made their way down the entrance steps, Ganondorf caught sight of an object sitting almost directly in the center of the first room of the shrine. It was a chest, one shaped almost perfectly cubical in shape. And right next to the chest there was a wooden sign that someone had apparently left behind a message on. It read: [i]The pearls will take you where they fly.[/i] It was now that Ganondorf noticed that there did not appear to be any other exits from the room, except for where they had walked in from and a second one dead ahead that looked to be barred shut. 

Rubick vaguely recognized the shape of the chests from his time in Limsa Lomiscuttle Town. They were often used to store the potions he brewed. Flicking his staff upward, Rubick opened the chest with his magic, revealing a cluster of green pearls, as advertised on the sign. He gingerly picked one up and examined it, wondering what secrets it held within its shiny, blocky exterior.

At first, Ganondorf tried to use his blades and sheer strength to break through the barred exit by force. But he quickly realized that wouldn’t be possible. The barred gate was protected by powerful Light magic, and even with the Triforce his own power was simply too steeped in Darkness to overcome it. Rubick felt a similar revulsion at the Light energy, the Silitha instincts in him urging him away from the gate as fast as possible. Clearly, they were going to have to play by the rules. And as much as that annoyed him, Ganondorf was just going to have to swallow his pride and accept it.

Ganondorf returned his attention to the chest and the sign next to it. What those words meant and how that was supposed to be of any help, he had no idea. But he did at least open the chest to see what was inside it. He found a handful of [url=http://art.pixilart.com/cf2bfb7d3c10134.png]greenish pearls[/url], five of them to be exact. Ganondorf assumed these were the pearls the sign referred to, but he had no idea how they were supposed to help. He read the sign again and noted the wording: [i]where they fly.[/i] Well these certainly weren’t flying, unless… he was supposed to [i]make[/i] them fly? Just as a test, Ganon palmed one of the pearls and threw it to the floor in front of him next to the barred exit. And Ganondorf was taken aback when he instantly teleported to the spot the pearl landed on. There was no sign of the pearl, so it must have vanished or shattered when it hit the ground. Still, the fact that these things apparently just teleported the thrower to wherever they were aimed at was quite the surprise.

And that was when the solution to this room became clear. Ganondorf took the remaining 4 pearls from the chest and approached the barred exit. Earlier he hadn’t noticed the gap between the top of the gate and the ceiling - primarily because the gap was too narrow for a person to squeeze through. But it was certainly large enough for one of these pearls to fit through. Ganondorf took aim and carefully threw a pearl through the narrow gap where it would be able to land on the opposite side. Instantly the Gerudo was teleported to the other side of the barred gate. And then the gate itself opened as if in reaction to the puzzle being solved.

Rubick had been too distracted by his own musings to notice, and by the time he looked up, Ganondorf had already thrown the second pearl. Only after seeing the Gerudo King teleport to the other side did Rubick finally fit the pieces of the puzzle in his mind. “[color=limegreen]Oh, goodness no![/color]” Rubick cried out in frustration, throwing the Ender Pearl after Ganondorf. Reappearing on the other side of the gate next to him, his arms crossed, Rubick said, “[color=limegreen]To think I would act so slowly in a test of intelligence… my mind must be getting dull.[/color]”

[color=797979]”We just came from a hard fought battle in the Hive.”[/color] Ganondorf offered in response, [color=797979]”Could just be fatigue.”[/color] As he spoke, Ganondorf began making his way into what he assumed would be another room with a puzzle to solve. And that was exactly what it was, but not at all like anything the Gerudo King expected.

Unlike the first room which had been simple and modest in size and layout, this next room was much larger. There was also almost no floor to speak of, seemingly replaced instead by what could only be described as a bottomless pit. Instead there were platforms of various sizes and elevations that dotted the room. Some of these platforms were stationary, while others moved forward and backward, or left and right, and still others moved up and down vertically. On the far end was an opening that the Seekers could probably presume was the exit they needed to reach. But there was also a more [url=https://www.powerpyx.com/wp-content/uploads/Zelda-Tears-of-the-Kingdom-musanokir-chest.jpg]ornate looking treasure chest[/url] situated on a small platform that looked difficult to reach and would almost certainly require the Seekers to go out of their way to claim. A similar ornate chest could be spotted just beyond the room’s exit. Nearby almost directly next to the room’s entrance was another chest, this one twice as large as the previous and containing yet more Ender Pearls. Must have been around a couple dozen more, in fact. The objective here was ostensibly the same as in the previous room.

[color=797979]”Great,”[/color] Ganondorf grunted with slight annoyance, [color=797979]”more platforming.”[/color] He could never understand how people like the Mario Brothers could stand to do this sort of thing all the time. Personally, Ganondorf just found it to be tiresome. But if this room was anything like the previous, then it was a safe bet that any attempts to bypass the puzzle would probably be met with resistance thanks to the Shrine’s magic. And so with an irritated sigh, Ganondorf scooped up a handful of 10 Ender Pearls from the chest to add to the 3 he still carried from the previous room for a total of 13. Hopefully that would be enough.

Rubick took a couple full sets of 16 Ender Pearls, intent on securing the ornate chest that was away from the intended path. “[color=limegreen]I like to think of it as a challenge to my intellect. And I have no doubt we will be rewarded for our troubles,[/color]” Rubick said, casually tossing a pearl up into the air and catching it as it fell. It was a simple matter of calculating the correct timing of the moving platforms, the arc of the throw, and the margin of error for his hand-eye coordination. Sure, he could always just use his Blink Dagger or Weaver’s Warp to access the chest, but that would be boring. So he would proceed to throw the pearls, landing on platform after platform.

The platforming challenge, though dangerous due to the precarious nature of the floating platform, proved in the end to not be quite as daunting as it first appeared. With a bit of patience and observation, Ganondorf was able to realize that some of the moving platforms came within reasonable distances of one another, provided he was patient enough for the movement pattern to go just right. And so, while it was somewhat slow, the Gerudo King’s patience ultimately allowed him to reach the other side of the room with little incident. He did end up using the majority of his 13 Ender Pearls, but perhaps the next room wouldn’t be so reliant on them? He hoped so, by this time he had begun to notice a few aches and sores in his joints that appeared to be the result of using the Ender Pearls. If they were actually causing harm each time they were used, then he and Rubick would need to take care not to overdo it with them. He took a glance behind him to see how Rubick was faring.

Rubick teleported from platform to platform, casually tossing an Ender Pearl every time he did so. By now he had gotten the hang of using them, even to the point of throwing a Pearl as soon as he landed. It wasn’t long before he finally made it to the chest. “[color=limegreen]At last…[/color]” Rubick said, lifting the lid and claiming his prize.

[hider=For Rubick]
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/MKpFxC9.png]Totem of Casting[/url][/b] [i]All who are near this totem feel an invigorating aura around their artifacts. Boosts the effects of magical items (but not weapons) within an area[/i]
[/hider]

Rubick held it up and examined it for a brief period of time, noting its effects. Then he stored it away in his robes. Its effects may prove to be useful. He then checked his supply of Ender Pearls, noting that he had used more than half of them to reach this treasure. Fortunately, he didn’t have to travel too far to reach the end, so Rubick wasn’t worried and knew he would make it back.

Seeing that the magus was clearly trying for the chest nestled out of the way, Ganondorf figured he was handling himself well enough and instead turned his attention to the ornate chest next to the barred door that had now opened as soon as Ganondorf reached this side of the room. He knelt down and opened the chest, then pocketed its contents.

[hider=For Ganondorf]
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/I7WmvrC.png]The Last Laugh[/url][/b]
[i]Silver like moonlight. Gold like greed. Strange, distorted laughter seems to whisper from these menacing looking sickles. Their light weight and sharp edges suit fast, short-ranged attacks. Mobs killed by them may drop emeralds as a bonus[/i]
[/hider]

[color=797979]”I think those pearls might be causing a side effect.”[/color] Ganondorf noted to Rubick once the pair of Seekers were making their way into what they hoped would be the final room, [color=797979]”Did you start having any aches and pains as you made your way across the platforms too?”[/color]

“[color=limegreen]Ah, so you too experienced it. But not to worry, for I’m already prepared to handle that sort of minor discomfort,[/color]” Rubick replied, lifting a foot to reveal his Tranquil Boots, glowing green with restorative energy. “[color=limegreen]As long as I have these, I will be fine,[/color]” Rubick reassured Ganondorf, putting his foot back down.

When the two Seekers finally entered the third room, they found this one to be quite different. Rather than a large bottomless pit, it instead was like a wide corridor featuring water rushing down it and into a chasm at the starting end of the room. This canal had platforms floating atop its surface at various distances from the canal’s walls that all eventually went careening into the seemingly bottomless chasm. And yet, the platforms never stopped floating down the canal, as if some invisible force was simply conjuring new ones to replace the previous ones. The corridor itself appeared to stretch for at least a couple hundred meters or so, at which point a barred wall blocked all passage save for the canal and the platforms floating atop. The wall left a narrow gap above the water’s surface, just large enough for the platforms to float beneath it, but that was it. And so even if the Seekers reached it they would have to use an Ender Pearl throw to get themselves to the other side. Beyond the barred wall, the canal continued for another couple hundred meters until there was finally the opposite side of the room along with the room’s exit and an ornate chest on the ground next to it.

Near the room’s entrance was yet another double chest containing several stacks of Ender Pearls. Ganondorf couldn’t help but groan a bit, [color=797979]”So not only are we still doing platforms, but now we’ll have to race against the flow of a river that leads into a bottomless waterfall?”[/color] he asked somewhat incredulously as he peered down into the chasm that the waterfall fell into. But with a sigh he opened the double chest and pocketed two stacks of 16 Ender Pearls. Then he walked to the edge of the chasm, took aim, and threw a pearl at the surface of an approaching platform.

The challenge here was quite apparent. No longer could they just sit and wait for the platforms to move how you wanted them to like in the previous room. Now it was a race against the clock to either teleport their way down the canal to the room’s exit, or go tumbling down the waterfall to their doom. But when Ganondorf threw a Pearl and teleported to the next platform he was aiming for, another layer of the room’s challenge made its presence known. Ganondorf saw a humanoid shape seemingly appear out of nowhere within the water, and then watched as a green-skinned [url=http://static.wikia.nocookie.net/minecraft_gamepedia/images/5/57/Drowned.png/revision/latest?cb=20180626144030]zombie[/url] with ragged clothes and covered in seaweed or algae grabbed onto the platform’s edge and pulled itself up. And it wasn’t alone. A second watery zombie climbed up onto the platform from the opposite side, except this one was wielding a green trident.

But if they expected the Gerudo King to panic, what they actually got was quite the opposite. Instead he just grinned a wicked smile, as if relieved that all he had to worry about was defeating enemies rather than something more complicated or puzzling. Ganondorf decided to put his newest treasure to use and brandished the silver and gold sickles he had acquired in the previous room. Dispatching these creatures was simple enough. They seemed rather straightforward and dull in their attack pattern. But their purpose in this room was clear: to make getting from platform to platform a slower process than it otherwise would be. Not that Ganondorf was worried, he’d gladly just cut down whatever foes tried to attack him as he progressed and pocketed whatever they dropped as result of being killed.

“[color=limegreen]Well, it wouldn’t be a challenge if it were easy,[/color]” Rubick said, also replenishing his supply of Ender Pearls from the double chest. Rather than shirking away from the challenge, he relished it. He was about to join Ganondorf on a nearby platform when the Drowned emerged from the water’s surface and attacked. Rubick was surprised for a moment; clearly there was more to the challenge than it first appeared. Rubick quickly regained his composure and continued to progress through it. He would throw Pearl after Pearl onto the platforms, blasting away at the Drowned and looting what they dropped. Rubick laughed in delight; he felt it had been a while since he last received some entertaining mental stimulation, and he would be determined to spend every second of it wonderfully.

Ganondorf, on the other hand, was more eager to just get to the end of the room. So he tried to focus on throwing Pearls from platform to platform rather than let himself get distracted by the Drowned. This proved impossible at times, and he would occasionally be forced to fight off the abominations that managed to attack him before he could get away from a platform. As this happened every now and then, one of the Drowned dropped a green gemstone that he almost thought was a Rupee at first, but turned out to be emeralds upon closer inspection. Obviously he’d pocket those whenever they dropped along with anything else. He thought about taking their Spirits too, but decided against it because it seemed likely they’d just fade away before he could do anything useful with them. And then there was that barred wall at the halfway point. The Gerudo King knew he had to be quick there if he wanted to reach the other side without incident. He did, for the most part.

About five platforms and nearly ten more Drowned later, Ganondorf was finally - FINALLY - at the end of the canal. When he teleported off his last platform he breathed an exasperated sigh of relief. And he also muttered to himself that this had better be the final challenge. But still, the ornate chest awaited and so without any further ado, the Gerudo knelt and opened it.

[hider=For Ganondorf]
[b][url=https://i.imgur.com/irhbOC7.png]Phantom Familiar[/url][/b]
[i]For reasons unknown, this Phantom is friendly and can even fly around during the day! It's invincible, though attacks will pass right through it so it's not usable as a meat shield, and it can teleport to its owner if separated. While passive in nature and not very intelligent, it has a hunter's instincts and can provide basic tracking and guidance functions. In a pinch, it can even be grabbed in order to serve as a glider. What a great, if somewhat creepy, pet![/i]
[/hider]

He was not expecting a living creature to be in the chest. But then, was this flying creature even living at all? With its bony exo-skeleton and what appeared to be exposed muscle tissue it almost looked like it could be some form of undead. But more importantly, the creature didn’t appear to be hostile at all. The Phantom instead just slowly soared around Ganondorf in a gliding motion. Like some kind of pet falcon or the like.

Rubick popped into existence next to Ganondorf, the purple particles from the Ender Pearl coming off him. “[color=limegreen]Ah, I didn’t expect a companion to appear from the chest! How wonderful! Perhaps it can act as a Courier,[/color]" Rubick said.

[color=797979]”Perhaps.”[/color] replied Ganondorf. But he could study this creature another time. For now he just wanted to get out of this blasted temple. And so the two Seekers exited the canal room and entered the next. And this room was yet again quite different. It wasn’t large, nor was it long or wide. Instead it was closer to medium-sized. And at its center, a pair of [url=http://www.gameinformer.com/sites/default/files/styles/body_default/public/2023/06/03/392ef757/img_0050.jpg]unfamiliar statues[/url] appeared to stand atop a circular pedestal on an elevated platform, flanked on both sides by stone pillars.

Rubick stared at the two statues, pondering their purpose. The history of the room didn’t concern him so much as the secrets it held, though. And where there’s secrets, there’s knowledge to gain. He chuckled, anticipating more challenges to test their mettle. After all, knowledge is power, and Rubick was keen to wrest it out of here and into his hands.

Ganondorf stared at the two statues for what felt like a very long time. They weren’t familiar to him at all, and yet… somehow they [i]were[/i] familiar at the same time. The woman depicted was clearly a Hylian, confirming the Gerudo King’s suspicion that this Shrine was of Hylian origin. But the goat-like man? He didn’t look like any race or species Ganondorf had ever heard of. After that long moment of staring, Ganondorf finally spoke. [color=797979]”Odd. I’m sure I’ve never seen these people before.”[/color] he said in reference to the statues, [color=797979]”So why, then, do I get such a strong sense of deja vu from looking at them? There is no mistaking that this shrine originated from my world. The markings looked vaguely familiar to me and the woman is of a race of people that inhabit my world. But that alone doesn’t explain the striking sense of deja vu these statues give me.”[/color]

“[color=limegreen]Hmm… this is likely the result of the nature of this world,[/color]” Rubick theorized. “[color=limegreen]Galeem has pulled people and resources from many worlds, each with varying degrees of development in many different fields. As a result, time and space aren’t as linear in this world as in ours. Perhaps these statues come from your world’s future, and you’ve simply yet to experience it.[/color]”

Ganondorf offered no verbal response. But he [i]did[/i] make a mental note to himself. When all of this was said and done, he was going to make a point of investigating these Shrines further. Whatever secret they held could prove to be of use to him once he was able to return to his own agenda.

Without warning. The ancient Hylian markings began to glow a soft green and even became projected in the air all around. As if the magic of the Shrine was gathering and coalescing into this room. Then suddenly, the glowing symbols quickly converged into an orb of golden light that was slowly drawn and absorbed into Ganondorf’s right hand - the one bearing the Triforce. The pillars then sank down a short way, as if activating some kind of pressure switch. Walls slotted down from above around the statues, obscuring them from view. And then the spot the two Seekers stood glowed with a greenish ring that circled them and then lifted them up in a way nearly identical to how they first entered the Shrine. They were lifted up into a bright light only to find themselves transported away.

The sudden increase in activity brought Rubick into high alert, and he readied his staff in anticipation. As it turned out, however, there was no need for alarm just yet. A platform simply lifted him and Ganondorf into the air, presumably to tackle whatever this place had in store for them. However, the Seekers would find themselves not in another room of the Shrine. Instead they discovered that this was in fact the end of the Shrine and that they had now successfully cleared it. As a result: Ganondorf, Rubick, and even Jesse - who did not enter the Shrine with them - were transported elsewhere by the Shrine's power.

The sight that now greeted the Seekers was the warm, orange glow of a setting sun… for they were now finding themselves on the surface once more.