Alternate Reality—VII—Reclaiming Zora Isle

DragonKnight19

Back at the village, the Gorons insisted that Link stay the night, so they could hold the Brotherhood Ceremony in the morning. Just like back in Hyrule, Link had earned the respect of the Gorons by saving them from their enemy, the Mountain Dragon. He had also saved Darumo in the Skulltula Cave. In addition, he had renewed their hope, giving them the courage to make it through these dark times.

The next morning, a simple ceremony was performed in Link's honor, in which he was made an official Brother of the Gorons, the greatest honor bestowed by the Gorons upon those of other races. They tried to get him to stay longer, but he insisted that he had to continue his quest. Darumo told him that the Zoras, who lived on an island not far off shore, worshipped at Ruins located on the ocean floor. If he could earn their respect, they would be able to help him. Link thanked Darumo and headed off towards the ocean.

The next day, Link finally made it to the beach. He could see Zora Isle off on the horizon, but he had no way of getting there. He decided to walk farther down the beach, and hope that an opportunity presented itself. Luckily, one soon did. As Link was walking down the beach, the sun was slowly setting, making the ocean look like it was on fire. As he stared at it, the fire seemed to ripple, until Link realized that there was a group of something moving through the water, right towards him. Curious, he hid behind a boulder to wait for whatever it was to come out.

Their scales glistened orange in the sunset as three majestic Zoras strode out of the surf. They were armed to the teeth with weapons made of aquatic materials, such as fish bone and seashells. Link didn't want to startle them, since they would probably kill him on the spot, so he stayed hidden behind the boulder merely watched them. Unfortunately, they headed right for the boulder. He ducked behind the boulder and pulled his sword out, ready to defend himself from their attack, but it never came. Instead, they stopped in front of the boulder, said something in their fish language, and the boulder slid back, revealing a secret opening, and almost crushed Link in the process. The Zoras descended into the hole, and Link ducked in after them as the boulder slid back into place.

It took Link's eyes a few moments to adjust to the dim light. He found himself in some kind of tunnel. Luckily, the three Zoras were farther down the tunnel, and didn't notice that Link had followed them. He set off after them, determined to find out what they were up to. Before long, the tunnel opened into a vast underground grotto. The walls were decorated with materials of the sea, and in the center of the far wall was a throne. Upon the throne sat King Zora, but not as Link remembered him from Hyrule. This King was not fat and naïve, merely a figurehead like the one in Hyrule. This king looked more like a warlord. He was fit and muscular, and looked very dangerous. He was holding a meeting with a dozen warriors, who were listening to the report of the three scouts Link had followed in.

As soon as they were finished, King Zora nodded and said, "Very good. Now I want somebody to bring me the intruder who has been listening to our entire conversation." Link realized that he was talking about him, and he pulled out his sword, ready to fight them off. However, realizing that he was outnumbered twelve to one, he sheathed his sword and allowed himself to be brought before the king.

"What have we here?" asked the king, as he looked Link over. "A spy of the Evil King, no doubt. I don't know how or why you have found this place, but we cannot afford for you to leave with the knowledge you have gained here. Do you have any last words?"

"Yes, I do," Link replied. "If you kill me, you will be making a big mistake. I am an ally of King Zora of Hyrule, and the beloved of his daughter, Princess Ruto."

One of the warriors stepped forward and regarded Link coolly. "You honestly expect us to believe that story? A Zora princess in love with a human? No Zora would stoop that low."

"That's enough, Darko," King Zora said. "While I am suspicious of his story, we cannot afford to assume that he is lying. If he speaks the truth, and we kill him, the consequences for us will be severe, and the dishonor will be great. If the princess truly does love you, human, then there must be more to you than meets the eye. Keep talking, if you wish to postpone your death."

Link proceeded to tell the Zoras his tale. "My name is Link, and I am the hero of Hyrule. Time and Time again, I have protected my kingdom from the clutches of evil, and now I have come to end the oppressive reign of the Evil King. But first, I need your permission to enter the Ocean Ruins and obtain the Shard of the Master Sword which resides there."

The king thought for a moment, and then with a wave of his hand, released Link. "I don't know if your story is true, but there is one way to decide. You shall participate in a duel. If you win, we will believe you. If you lose, you die."

Link pulled out his sword. "Very well, is that's how it has to be. Who shall I fight? Is it you, King Zora?"

"How dare you!" shouted Darko. His earlier cool exterior had given way to a fiery temper. Very few things could get under his skin, but insulting the king was one of them. "The king, fight you? Why should he sink to your level? I shall fight you! I will teach you to respect the king." He pulled out a long, sharp blade made from the sword of a swordfish. "Let's get this over with."

The other warriors cleared out to the edge of the room to leave plenty of space for the duel. The combatants started at opposite ends of the room, facing each other. When the bell sounded, both fighters rushed forward and met at the middle. Link was immediately surprised by the ferocity of his opponent. He had figured that Darko would be vengeful, but cool and deliberate. Instead, he was almost in a rage. Link used Darko's anger to his advantage, taking a passive role, and letting Darko make hasty mistakes, leaving room for Link to retaliate. Within a minute, both fighters had landed considerable blows, but Link obviously had the upper hand. A slash across the cheek narrowly missed gouging out his eye, and Link's temper flared as well. He deflected Darko's next attack, and raised his sword over his head, prepared to strike. Darko brought his own sword up to block, but Link's finely tempered, steel Hero Sword sliced right through the Zora's sword, which was made of bone and cartilage, snapping it right in two.

Darko dropped to his knees in defeat. "The battle is over," he said, "and you are victorious. I only ask that you make my death swift and honorable."

Link sheathed his sword. "Why should I kill you?"

"To the victor go the spoils, and to the loser, death," replied Darko. "That's the way it's always been, and that's the way it always will be. Now finish me off!"

"No," Link said. "I have no vendetta against you, and no reason to kill you. I have accomplished what I needed to do, and there is no need for further bloodshed."

Darko rose to his feet and faced Link. "You are quite the strange one, human. There must truly be more to you than meets the eye. I shall help you in you quest, and earn your respect."

King Zora then made a deal with Link. He would help Link reach the Ocean Ruins, if he would help the Zoras with their mission. A gang of rebellious Zoras, calling themselves the Barracudas, had pledged their allegiance to the Evil King, and he granted them the power to control ice. With this power, they usurped the throne and almost killed King Zora. The king and twelve faithful warriors managed to escape, but most of the Zoras were caught by the Barracudas, and were being tortured or coerced into support of the Barracudas. Now King Zora and his followers planned to stage an assault on Zora Isle to recapture the throne and rescue their people. They asked Link to help them, and he agreed.

Once night fell, Link and the Zoras set their plan into motion. Under the cover of darkness, they slipped into the waters of the bay, and silently made their way towards Zora Isle. The Zoras had given Link a Blue Tunic which allowed him to breathe normally underwater, so he was able to sneak in underwater with the rest of the Zoras. The only obstacles they met along the way were a few Skullfish, which they easily finished off without a problem.

They made it onto the island without being noticed, and took out the two guards who were slacking off at the back entrance. Link's Zora companions tied up the unconscious Zora guards, but did not kill them, because Darko identified them as warriors who were still loyal to the king, but had been coerced into service for the Barracuda gang. They snuck inside the Zora Palace and made their way closer to the throne room.

Once inside, Link got an idea and stopped his comrades. "Wait a minute," he said, coming to a halt. "If this is supposed to be a covert operation, we can't have all thirteen of us wandering around in a group. We should split up and clear out the whole palace, and then converge on the throne room. That way, there won't be any surprise reinforcements to stop us."

"That's a good idea," Darko agreed. Since the King had stayed behind and put Darko in charge, the other Zoras had to obey his command. "Link and I will be one team. You-" he pointed to one of the warriors- "go inform the king of our change in plans. The rest of you, pair up, then spread out and cover the whole palace. Once the island is secure, we will confront the leader of the Barracudas in the throne room. Now move out!"

As the one Zora warrior left to inform the King, the other warriors paired off, until there were six teams of two. Three teams went down the corridor to the left, and the other three went right, and they spread out across the palace, using the shadows and moving as silently as ghosts. They systematically checked each room and took out any opposition along the way. Link and Darko headed towards the stairs, and made their way to the top of the palace, where the Zoras operated a huge lighthouse. If the lighthouse was left in the hands of the Barracudas, they could signal for the scouting parties to return from their search for King Zora. But if Link and company managed to disable it, the scouts wouldn't know to come back and fight.

The temperature inside the palace was frigid. There was ice everywhere, a sure sign of the Barracuda's power. In addition to slick spots on the floor, which made the going very slippery, there were also icy patches on the walls where it appeared that someone had narrowly avoided becoming a Zorasicle. Perhaps there was dissention among the Barracuda gang. Link stored that thought away, hoping that it would come in handy later.

They eventually found the stairs without seeing anybody along the way. They proceeded to the second floor, where they were immediately greeted by two Barracuda warriors. Link and Darko dove out of the way as the Barracudas started hurling blasts of ice at them. The magical attacks were being thrown so furiously that Link and Darko couldn't do anything but constantly avoid them.

All of a sudden, Link got an idea. As he dodged an attack, he pulled out the Fire Whip, and using his magic, lit it up in flames. When the next icy attack came at him, Link flicked the Fire Whip at it, melting it in midair. The Zora who had summoned it just stood there, dumbstruck, not expecting that somebody could counter his icy magic. Link took this hesitation to his advantage, and quickly struck back. Remembering King Zora's warning that most of them had been coerced, and weren't really his enemies, Link struck with the flat of his blade, knocking the warrior unconscious. He then turned to the other Barracuda, who was busy trying to hit Darko. Link tapped him on the shoulder, and when he turned around, Link punched him right in the face, sending him sprawling. Darko leapt on his foe, tied him up and gagged him. Then, ignoring the other two doors in the room for now, they proceeded to the third floor.

Link and Darko stepped out into the dark, moonless night. The third floor was just a small balcony right outside the lighthouse. There were two Barracudas guarding the lighthouse, and when they saw Link and Darko, they came running over with swords drawn. Link quickly defeated his opponent, who sank to the floor, unconscious. The other stopped and summoned a blast of ice, and hurled it at Darko. He dove, but was too slow. The magical attack caught him in the legs, and they became frozen together. The Zora descended upon Darko, intent on finishing him off. He was about to do it, when Link jumped in the way, brandishing the Hero Sword and Fire Whip. The Zora hurled a blast of ice at him, then turned and ran down the stairs. Link diffused the attack with his Fire Whip, and then turned to care for his fallen partner. "Are you okay?" he asked Darko.

"I'm fine," Darko replied through chattering teeth. His legs from the knees down were fused together in a solid block of ice. He was starting to turn an even deeper shade of blue.

"Hang on," Link told him. He wrapped the Whip around Darko's legs, and then increased the intensity of the fire. All of a sudden, ten Barracudas came rushing up the stairs. Obviously the Zora who had escaped had gotten reinforcements. Link stood up and brandished the Hero Sword and Fire Whip. If he was going to be beaten, he was going to go down fighting.

Before any of the Barracudas could react, Link made the first move. He lashed out with the Fire Whip, caught one of the warriors around the legs, and pulled his feet out from under him, and knocking over another in the process. Immediately, four blasts of ice retaliated, but Link swung the Fire Whip with one hand, melting al four in midair, and swung the Hero Sword with the other hand, taking out another Barracuda. Two more came at him from behind, but Link did a backflip over their heads, and then smashed their heads together, knocking them unconscious. Another blast of ice narrowly missed his sword arm, and Link spun around and punched the culprit right in the face, sending him flying.

A few moments into the battle and each of their attacks had failed, Link remained untouched, and five of the Zoras lay sprawled around him, unconscious. The remaining five Barracudas gathered into a group and focused all their energy into a single attack. A huge blast of ice came rocketing at Link, and he had just enough time to raise his shield. Link was sent flying and his shield became too cold to hold, but that was the least of his worries, because the force of the blast had knocked him over the edge of the balcony.

Link plummeted through the air as the ground rose up to meet him. Acting quickly, he pulled out his Whip and launched it at a flagpole jutting out of the wall. It caught, and Link's vertical descent turned into a horizontal swing. He landed on a balcony on the second floor, and then rushed inside to rejoin the battle.

Link found himself in some sort of training facility. Two Barracudas were in there practicing their swordplay, and when they noticed Link, they decided to put their skills to the test. They advanced on him, holding their swords cautiously but confidently.

Link sighed. He didn't have time to deal with these two. Who knew what could be happening to Darko at that very moment. He did a Hurricane Spin Attack, throwing both Zoras into nearby walls, and knocking them out. "Keep practicing, boys," he said as he rushed out of the room and back up the stairs to the third floor.

"You shall not win, usurpers," Link heard Darko inform the Barracudas as he ascended the last few stairs. He found that Darko had pulled himself into a standing position and was holding the Barracudas at bay with his sword, but Link saw one preparing an ice attack. Link threw himself into the fray, tackling the one who was about to attack. The other four froze in surprise, either at Link's sudden reappearance, or simply at the fact that he had survived his fall. Link attacked them in their momentary pacifism, and quickly disposed of them. They slumped to the floor, out cold, and Link turned to tend to his frozen friend.

"I'm glad to see you survived," Darko said as Link used the Fire Whip to melt the ice around Darko's legs. "To be honest, I thought for sure that your fall had done you in. You truly are remarkable, human."

"Thanks, Darko," Link replied. "Coming from you, that means so much to me." He grinned. "There, all done." Link stood up and stepped back, giving Darko room to stretch his newly freed legs. "How does it feel?"

Darko took a few uneasy steps and replied, "A little numb, but I can still go on."

"Good," Link answered. "Now let's shut off this lighthouse." He turned and looked at the rotating light. Half the tower was covered in ice, and Link couldn't see any way to shut it off. Suddenly, inside one of the blocks of ice, Link noticed the faint outline of a switch. He powered up the Fire Whip and struck with it, melting through the ice and flipping the switch underneath. The spotlight went out, and Link and Darko were plunged into complete darkness. The only light came from the stars far above their heads. Using the Fire Whip as a torch, they found their way back to the stairs and headed back down.

Back on the ground floor, they stopped in front of the closed throne room doors. Link pressed his ear to the door, and heard a loud voice barking orders. It sounded like there were about a dozen or more people in there. "This is it," Darko said as Link stood up. "Once we dethrone their leader, our mission is complete. All we have to do is wait for the signal, and then we'll go in and confront him."

"What's the signal?" Link asked.

"The cry of a seagull, three times," Darko replied. "That's the signal that the other teams are in place. Then we go in, and end this."

They sat around for a while, waiting for the signal. The other teams came by, one by one, to let them know that they were ready. Finally, they were waiting for just the last team, who would give the signal once they secured the perimeter. While they were waiting, Darko tried to start up a conversation. "So tell me about your quest," he asked.

Figuring that it couldn't hurt, and they had some time to kill, Link began his tale. "I am originally from Hyrule, where I am the Hero of Time. I protect Hyrule from the forces of evil. A few days ago, I was sent here by the Triforce. I was told that Rehyul was suffering without hope under a ruthless tyrant, and that only I could save you.

"I arrived in a forest, and found a young woman staring at me. Her name was Trinity. She took me back to a safe house she ran, and while I was there, the Evil King's minions attacked it. I fought them off, but they managed to kidnap Trinity. I found this in the basement." He pulled out the Angel's Ocarina and showed it to Darko. "When I picked it up, an angel appeared and told me that I had to reforge the broken Shards of the Master Sword and use it at the Temple of Time. To enter the Evil Realm, save Trinity, and defeat the Evil King.

"I already have two of the three Shards. I found the hilt in the Forest Ruins, located in the Kokiri Forest. While I was there, I brought a little hope back to the melancholy Kokiri, who used to be so full of life, but were sad and depressed.

"The second piece I received after surviving a volcanic eruption and defeating the Mountain Dragon atop Goron Mountain. While I was up there, I saved the Goron elder, Darumo, from the curse of the Golden Skulltulas. Now the only piece I need is in the Ocean Ruins, and once our mission here is finished, I can go get it."

Darko sat back, amazement breaking through his cool, reserved nature. This human has done so much, and with no personal gain of any sort. He had repeatedly risked his life for an entire kingdom of complete strangers. Even he, the greatest warrior of the Zora race, paled in comparison to this man. "You are truly remarkable, Link," Darko said finally. "I wish you the best of luck in the rest of your journey, and I shall assist you in any way I can."

Link was about to thank him when they heard the cry of a seagull three times, giving the signal to move in on the final objective of their mission. Link and Darko drew their swords, then threw open the doors to the throne room.

"Your reign here has ended, usurper," Darko shouted as they marched through the door. The leader of the Barracuda gang looked up in surprise. Link and Darko marched right up to the throne and confronted the surprised Zora. "We have come to relieve you of your leadership obligations," Darko said coolly.

The gang leader shot Darko an icy stare and replied, "That may have been your intent, but you seem to be outnumbered." Link looked around the room and saw twelve Barracuda warriors forming a circle around them, blocking off any escape.

Despite this, Darko merely grinned. "That's what you think." He snapped his fingers and the four side doors burst open, and the other members of Darko's group came rushing in, leveling the playing field. "Look's like the numbers are even, rebel. Now in the name of the rightful King, I challenge you to a battle."

"Stop! No man, Zora or human, is to touch the usurper!"

All present turned to see who had spoken, and saw King Zora standing at the main entrance. "No one is to harm the one who has stolen my throne," the king repeated. "That responsibility lies with me."

The Barracuda leader smirked. "You're going to fight me, King Zora? Need I remind you that I have the support of the Evil King, who has granted me certain, special advantages..." He formed a ball of ice between his hands and threw it at King Zora, who dodged it with amazing agility.

"Your dirty methods of fighting will not give you enough advantage to beat me," King Zora goaded. "If you think it will serve you, then accept my challenge. Winner takes the throne, and the other's life. Or are you a coward?"

"Nobody insults me in front of my men!" the Barracuda leader shouted, getting up from the throne. I shall kill you and give your head to the Evil King as a gift!"

Link and the other Zoras cleared out to the edges of the room to give their two leaders enough room to fight. King Zora wielded a magnificent blade made of fused Great White Shark's teeth, and no shield. The Barracuda leader had a swordfish blade similar to Darko's, and a shield made from the shell of a sea turtle. They backed up to opposite sides of the room, and at the signal from Link, the battle for the throne began.

As soon as Link gave the signal, both combatants leapt forward, intent on landing the first blow. That honor went to the Barracuda leader, who blocked King Zora's attack and slashed him across the arm. At the sight of his opponent's blood, the gang leader grinned. "Looks like I drew first blood, your highness, he said scornfully.

Though his arm was bleeding, it didn't faze King Zora. "First blood isn't as important as last blood," he replied coolly. He rushed at the gang leader again, and this time nimbly dodged to the side at the last moment and cut a huge slash across the Barracuda's back.

The gang leader gritted his teeth in pain, but didn't let on that he was suffering. Now with vengeance added to his vendetta, he came at the king with newfound vigor. King Zora kept his cool and used his enemy's anger to his advantage, allowing the Barracuda to make hasty mistakes, and then strike back.

Soon it was quite obvious that the gang leader was no match for the king. He had landed a few more blows after his first strike, but he himself was bleeding profusely from several cuts all over his body. He threw down his shield and turned to his backup plan. He raised his hand and pointed it right at the king. An enormous blast of ice shot right towards the king, who jumped out of the way.

The gang leader growled in frustration, and attacked again. Again, the king barely escaped the attack. The usurper kept hurling attack after attack with increasing intensity. Finally, the king stopped dodging and threw his sword at the Barracuda leader. With amazing accuracy, the sword lodged itself in the rebel's gut.

He just stood there for a moment, staring dumbfounded at the sword buried in his stomach. Then he fell to the ground, defeated. King Zora came over and stood over his fallen foe. "That's what happens when you defy the King of the Zoras," he said coldly.

Despite the sword in his gut, the leader of the Barracudas managed to laugh. "You may have defeated me, King Zora, but you didn't win." With his dying breath, he summoned a huge ball of ice and hurled it at King Zora at point-blank range. Catching him completely off guard, it struck him in the chest and slowly spread until the king's entire body was encased in ice.

"NOOOOOO!" Darko shouted, and ran over. He tried to break the ice, but when he realized he couldn't, he began to brutally hack the Barracuda leader's dead body to pieces. It was the first time since they had met that Link had seen Darko lose his cool. After slashing the Barracuda's corpse to pieces, he Darko turned to Link and said, "Quick, use your Fire Whip to save him, like you did for me."

"Alright, I'll try," Link replied. Just like before, he pulled out his Fire Whip and wrapped it around King Zora's frozen body. However, the spell was so strong that the flames did nothing. "I'm sorry," Link said sadly as he put the Fire Whip away. "There's nothing I can do for him."

Darko marched up to Link and said, "So that's it? I'm just supposed to give up and do nothing? He's my king. I would give my life for him, if it came to that. I will stop at nothing to restore him."

All of a sudden, Link got an idea. "Well, back in Hyrule, when Zora's Domain was frozen over, the ice melted after I defeated the monster in the local temple. Maybe, once I get through the Ocean Ruins, the spell will be broken."

"Then what are we waiting for?" Darko replied in a calmer manner. "Let's go to the Ocean Ruins."

After securing all the prisoners, the Zoras gave Link a Blue Tunic and Iron Boots to help him get to the Ocean Ruins, located at the bottom of the sea. Darko led Link out into the ocean and under the water. They walked on for a while, further and further out to sea, while Link admired the beautiful scenery of the reefs. Finally, Link spotted a large cavern up ahead.

"There's the ruins," Darko said, his voice muffled by being under water. "I'll be waiting for you when you are finished. Good Luck."

Link took one look back at the underwater world all around him, then descended into the Ocean Ruins.

Be sure to check out my map of Zora Isle on my website,