A/N: Well, we've come to a mini dungeon, so now's as good a time as any to ask what your favorite Zelda dungeon is. In OoT, I like the Spirit Temple most, but in TP I prefer either Arbiter's Grounds or Snowpeak Ruins.
Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.
Chapter Twenty
Ice Cavern
Much to the Hero of Twilight's delight, Link wouldn't discover him trotting around and scouring the Domain as a beast, though the move was risky to say the least. No, because Link wasn't such a wuss that he would back down from a challenge because of a little water. He was the Hero of Time, a youth whose destiny it was to save the world. He could endure any trial, overcome any obstacle, traverse any dungeon, master any item, and was all around just pure awesomeness.
He was also stuck. And not even for good reason.
Link had been casually smashing through several icicles with his sword and narrowly avoiding being impaled by some hanging from the ceiling, which came screaming down to kill him as if they were alive or had known he was coming. He had followed the twists and turns of the Cavern, crunching over snow and stomping over frigid stone. He had even found himself locked in combat with some glassy monsters that shot breath so cold it had turned him to ice.
He skated, he avoided Blade Traps, he trudged through more snow and cut down additional ice; he scampered around and ducked beneath a gigantic spinning blade manned by no one but out for blood nonetheless; he collected silver rupees that mysteriously unlocked a door—by whatever odd logic existed in this goddess-forsaken Cavern; he maneuvered around some icy jets of air that came from Hyrule-knows-where, and he shot down some vicious Ice Keese that he could swear did more damage than Fire Keese.
And now he was sitting in front of a chest that was completely covered in that mysterious red ice. He had attempted to melt it into a puddle with Din's Fire, but that didn't work. He had assaulted it with the sphere he acquired from his friend—which apparently was referred to as the Ball and Chain. He tried the Megaton Hammer, before resorting to bombs. He even shot his arrows through the mysterious blue fire blazing behind him and attempted to strike the chest, but every attempt seemed in vain. He knew there had to be some sort of secret to the chest, but whatever it could be was eluding him.
Link had even abandoned the treasure, proceeding on with his quest, only to circle back due to his inability to progress; all that lay ahead was more of that red ice. Navi was muttering something about taking the fire with him, but how was he supposed to accomplish that? Deku Sticks burned up too easily, and he inexplicably couldn't use them as an adult anyway.
He was simply stuck here.
"Why not try a bottle?" Navi suggested.
"Fire can't survive without oxygen," Link answered.
"This isn't natural fire, Link."
"Never would have guessed," he said sarcastically, "seeing as it's blue and all."
"You were doing so well!" Navi said. "You made so much progress, even without help. You were adventuring with your old spirit!"
Link licked the ice.
"What are you doing?" Navi sighed.
"Trying every option."
"Try capturing that fire to take it with you."
"Sure. My hat should be a nice thing to set on fire."
"Well, would you rather go back and ask Link if he's got anything you can use to break this?"
Link rose to his feet and spun around. "No." He trudged back to the fire, rifling through his inventory for any sort of object that might be able to withstand the flames. Could he possibly stick Din's Fire in there and turn it blue? Would that work? There was nothing else in his items selection that could possibly be of any use. Did he just not have the right weapon for this?
Fire can't survive in a bottle, he told himself as he dropped Din's Fire into the flames. Other than the stark contrast between the hot orange and the cold blue, nothing was interesting about it. I guess I need to retrieve my crystal… Link was only half thinking as he reached into the fire and retrieved the diamond. He stuffed it back into his inventory absentmindedly, only to realize that he had just stuck his hand in fire.
That thought stirred him back to his senses, causing him to look to his hand in horror. He almost flung his fingerless gauntlet off, but neglected to do so when he noticed that his fingers were perfectly fine. He had not been burned…
Fire? Link wondered. Despite how stupid he knew it was, he grudgingly reached into his pouch, retrieving one of his seven bottles and swiping his hand straight through the flames. He immediately corked the glass, watching the blue flames flicker but not sputter out. He cocked his head to the side, peering through the glass carefully.
"I told you," Navi said snidely.
Link marched over to the treasure chest, uncorking the bottle and dumping the fire onto the ice.
As Navi had predicted, the fire ate through the ice, engulfing the bottom of the encasement and causing it to steam and hiss. Link frowned, but reached into the chest regardless and pulled out a dungeon map.
I hate it when she's right, he thought, pocketing the nifty device and darting back over to the Blue Fire, acquiring several more bottles full so he wouldn't have to return here again. I can stand to be wrong, but being right goes to her head. He trotted forward, leaping off the raised platform and skidding across the ice below. He then ascended some snowy stairs, turning left and then right before sliding over another icy floor.
Link scarcely escaped being sliced open by a Blade Trap, only to crash into one of those evil frosty monsters with frigid breath; Navi called them Freezards. Link was impressed by the fact that he could stab them and they would make some sort of bestial noise, despite not possessing any kind of internal organs. He quickly dispatched it with his sword, lopping off its head and then causing it to melt into a puddle. He then proceeded to bypass a second Blade Trap and dart down a winding snowy path.
Having already explored the room he was about to drop into, Link didn't even bother to look around as he jumped down. He ducked beneath the massive rotating Ice Blade before heading straight to the left, dumping out another bottle of fire on the wall of ice.
"It's kind of strange that fire is normally red and ice is normally blue, yet when the ice is red, it can only be overcome by blue fire," Link observed offhandedly.
"The fire is cold, too," Navi said. "As evidenced by the Keese that used it to ignite their bodies to freeze you. And you licked the ice without your tongue getting stuck, which tells me that's warm."
"Ganondorf needs to stop toying with hot and cold; fire should be scalding, and ice should be freezing, not the other way around."
"Too bad your friend couldn't complain about the cold fire as well."
Link didn't mind the Hero of Twilight's absence too much. His mood was gradually beginning to improve anyway, now that he could once again progress. He wasn't even disappointed to run down another snow passage and find himself in a circular room with no other exits, filled only with icy stalagmites and stalactites.
He spotted another torch bearing Blue Fire directly ahead, barricaded by fragile spikes of frost. He dashed forward, deciding to refill his bottles, just in case. Overhead, the stalactites rattled dangerously, several detaching from the ceiling and screaming to the ground. Link twisted slightly, allowing them to explode around him as he slammed his blade into the stalagmites. Fragments of ice flew everywhere, glittering as they raced around him and reflected the cool blue of the flames.
A single Keese rested patiently in front of the fire, staring at Link dully and flapping its wings. He didn't give it time to recognize his presence, instead prodding it with his sword and watching it go up in a flame of its own. He then ascended the raised dais and refilled the two bottles he had used up, quickly glancing at his inventory as he put them away. Apparently, he had four bottles of arctic fire. Would that be enough?
Link's keen Hylian ears allowed him to perceive the distinct sounds of scratching associated with a Gold Skulltula, coming from his eight o'clock. He turned around to see it, only to spot a solid block of red ice shaped like a three-dimensional upright pentagon. Contained within the transparent sheen, a Heart Piece could be seen rotating unhindered.
The Skulltula can wait, Link thought, breaking through the other stalagmites and dumping a bottle of frigid flames onto the red ice. As the scarlet hissed and puffed, he reached into the remains and rescued the Heart Piece, holding it over his head triumphantly; he just needed one more and he would have a full Heart Container.
The Skulltula continued scratching somewhere nearby, causing him to spin in a circle and scour the walls. Link then directed his attention upward to a column of ice that seemed to be supporting the ceiling, much more stable than the pathetic stalagmites and stalactites he had been obliterating on his journey. As he suspected, a Gold Skulltula was aimlessly spinning in circles, lost or something.
Link wasted no time in shooting it with his Hookshot, claiming its token, and turning to see what else lay hidden in this room. The only area left to explore there was directly ahead of him now, also barricaded by more fragile stalagmites, with two columns of solid ice on either side. He dashed forward, knocking aside the brittle spikes and raising his Hookshot once again.
Navi fluttered up to target the two Keese Link had spotted clinging to the wall just above another massive treasure chest, so she turned yellow and began encircling the one on the lower right. Once he had eliminated that, she switched her focus to the upper left, before returning to her Hylian's side as he approached the chest with his nifty Blue Fire and dumped it on the treasure.
"I bet it's a compass," Link said as the ice hissed all around him. "I've been through enough dungeons to know the routine." He opened the chest, golden light shining in his face as he reached into the box. As he had predicted, a large blue compass waited patiently for him. "I still don't understand why they need these large treasure chests for such miniature objects."
"Maybe it's for the aesthetic?" Navi suggested as Link pocketed the item and headed to the fire to refill his bottles.
Link shrugged his response as he captured the flames, before turning to the exit and racing back out. The sooner he could leave this icy nightmare, the better. He heard a series of crashes behind him, which told him that more stalactites had learned he was leaving and were doing their best to prevent that; he ignored them and instead glanced at his compass to learn where he needed to go next.
Since the small room had only one exit, he found himself back in the location with the gigantic Ice Blade. Across from him, he could see another wall of red ice waiting to be melted, so he followed the twisting scythe to avoid getting cut open by it as he skated over the floor toward the next room. A suicidal or possibly possessed pot out for revenge for its fallen brethren whizzed past him as he skidded into the wall. Link watched it shatter just off to his left, but he disregarded it and whipped out another bottle of Blue Fire.
With the translucent wall of red now hissing and steaming at his feet, the Hero of Time sprang into the new section of the cave, following the twisting snowy path to the right and stopping in front of more stalagmites. He slipped over the ice coating some of the snow, only to get hit in the head by one of the sneaky stalactites; it looked like they finally succeeded in harming him.
So be it, Link thought, brushing ice crystals off himself and taking off his hat to shake it clean. He plopped it back on his head, then proceeded to run the rest of the tunnel, stopping only as the next room came into view.
It did not look fun at all. The entirety of the floor was made of extremely slick ice, with large square holes cut into the four corners of the room. Fog shrouded the surface, disguising the absences in the ground and making them harder to locate. A flattened square cube rested on the floor ahead, with several cracks tracing their way from the ice block. At the opposite end of the room, an indent in the wall was illuminated by the torch of Blue Fire blazing beautifully within it. The right wall contained a silver rupee frozen in red, and the left led to another path blocked by bars.
Link frowned, watching three Ice Keese flit sporadically through the air, maneuvering around four other silver rupees glittering throughout the room. Three were on columns too high for him to climb, but the fourth seemed easy enough to acquire on its pedestal.
Link leapt down from his place, holding out his Hookshot to strike down the Keese first; he did not want to get turned back into a Popsicle. The first of the bats was stupid enough to fly straight toward him, so he dispatched it quickly enough. He then spent several moments scrambling around on the slippery floor and trying not to hit anything as he chased after the other two enemies. He only managed to kill one after he crashed into a column, and the second he slew after it caught sight of his new location and charged after him.
"Good work!" Navi encouraged. "You're getting better."
"Thanks," Link replied, turning to face the column. As he previously suspected, it was just a touch too high to ascend without assistance, so he skittered over to the lowest pillar and leapt onto it. He snatched the rotating silver rupee out of the air before he darted over to the flattened square block. He almost slid right past it, so he reached out and seized the side of it, pushing hard.
Because he imagined that the ice would be frozen to the floor, Link wasn't expecting his support to slide free. A small yelp escaped him as he slipped completely onto the ground, staring somewhat irritatedly as the cube crashed into the pillar ahead. With a snort, he shot to his feet, carefully stepping over the frozen ground and grabbing the block once again so he wouldn't lose his footing.
It was only as he held the ice that Link realized he had just made the perfect path to grab the silver rupee atop the rock pillar. He smirked and jumped onto the cube, tentatively marching toward the fractured column and climbing it also.
Ah, so that's how this works, Link thought, turning to face the rest of the puzzle. He took a step forward, not really considering the size of his platform. That was evident as his boot slid off the side, causing him to gasp and catch the edge of the pillar before he could completely fall to the ground. Seeing that the drop was nothing worthwhile, he released the stone and skirted the ice cube so he could push it toward the next rupee.
Link almost had a heart attack when his boots refused to grip the ground and he found himself veering dangerously close to one of the holes in the ground. He sucked in a long breath as he did his best to stumble backwards, but his forward momentum did not cease.
If I have to do this entire puzzle again…! was all he managed to think before his boots stuck to the ground, his toes hanging over the edge and his arms extended for balance so he wouldn't plummet into the abyss. Shakily, Link backed away and let out his breath, kicking the block forward in frustration and watching it slide to the next column.
Link quickly darted away from the void, still not having learned his lesson about skating without the proper footwear. He crashed into the block with a small grunt before hefting himself onto it and further onto the next column. He pocketed the next silver rupee, dropping down from the column and carefully sidling along the edge of the hole in the bottom left half of the floor. He pushed the block away from the abyss, not wanting his convenient platform to disappear forever.
I bet the other Link has some nifty way of collecting these rupee triggers without so much energy and effort, the Hero of Time thought as he moved the ice once again, sending it into the next pillar and climbing onto that as well.
"The door's still not unlocked," Navi observed as Link acquired his next rupee.
"Yes," Link agreed as he pushed the cube toward the northern half of the room. "Because I still haven't melted the final rupee out of its icy—" He cut himself short as he sent the block to the right, forgetting that there was nothing to stop it from dropping into one of the four holes. "MY ICE!"
Navi seemed just as urgent, flying as fast as her glassy wings would take her. She hovered over the void, daring to float just a little lower so she could get a better look into the darkness. Her body could only illuminate so much, even as she fluttered lower and lower to see where the cube had went.
Link sank to his knees near the hole, staring down into the infinite blackness with a look of abject horror on his face. "What have I done?"
Navi sped back over to him and landed on his shoulder. "It's gone, Link."
The Hero of Time remained in his place, peering into the darkness as if expecting the cube to magically float back up. "Gone…?"
"Gone…" Navi confirmed.
Link pushed himself away from the edge, looking at the ceiling shrouded in shadows. Was there another cube up there that needed to be knocked down? Was there some other way to climb up the high parts of the room? Surely this wasn't a puzzle he only received one chance to get right.
"I have to jump into the abyss," Link murmured.
"What?!" Navi demanded, springing up and down on his shoulder. "It's not that bad, Link!"
"There's no other way out of this room. Everything's too high; I need the block. Either it's down there and I can retrieve it, or I'll die and the goddesses will set me back at the beginning of this Cavern for me to try again. No matter what, I have to jump down."
"Oh, sure, just haul a solid chunk of ice out of the bottom of an endless void. How will you get back out?"
"Farore's Wind."
"Why don't you just whack one of those columns down with your Megaton Hammer and use it instead?"
As Link turned to look at her to explain that the Hammer couldn't break something that wasn't brittle, he spotted something strange. Behind her, resting before the path he had used to enter the room, a flat square block waited patiently.
"It's back!" Link exclaimed, launching to his feet and skating across the floor towards the ice platform.
"What?!" Navi herself also whirled around to see, instantly spying the blue cube. "How?"
"Hyrulian magic," Link cheered, placing his hands against it and pushing it forward. He darted to its left, nearly skidded straight past, and proceeded to kick it toward the niche containing the red ice. Blue fire engulfed the base as he uncorked his bottle, and he seized the final silver rupee. Behind him, on the opposite wall, the bars retracted into the ceiling, allowing passage to what his map told him was one of the final locations within the Cavern.
Link dropped down from the niche and tried to pull the block towards him so he could ascend the new pathway, but the ice wouldn't budge. Confused, he looked left, then right, searching for any other place he could slide the cube towards. Unfortunately, there was only a bottomless pit on either side.
"Hyrulian magic, don't fail me now," Link uttered under his breath as he pushed the ice to the left hole. He watched with disappointment as the ice fell into abyss. Anxiety began building within him as he skated over to the area he had retrieved his footstool from the last time, Navi herself completely silent with anticipation as she rested on his shoulder.
Much to the duo's surprise, the ice at their feet began to rise, forming a block perfectly identical to the one that had plummeted into infinite blackness seconds earlier. Link grinned and forced it southward, then kicked it right, and then pushed it toward the west half of the room. He leapt onto it before crawling over to the brazier of Blue Fire.
"Just in case," Link explained to Navi as he captured more flames in his emptied bottles. He then leapt down and pushed the block toward the east end of the room, where it slammed into another incomplete column. He proceeded to send it skidding across the floor to the final passage, which he promptly ascended and raced down.
We're nearing the end! Link thought, glancing at his map for a split second before he turned right. He crunched to a halt, snow caking the soles of his leather boots as he found himself in front of another Freezard, which blew a breath of frigid ice directly at him. Once again, Link became his own Popsicle, suspended in ice so thick he could hardly see through it. Why did the Hero of Twilight simply turn into a statue, whereas Link himself became his own personal iceberg?
Link tensed, pulling down against the ice and shattering it completely off his body. He then impaled the Freezard, whacked several stalagmites out of his path, maneuvered around falling stalactites, and proceeded to kill a second Freezard that had been hiding around the bend.
A wall of red icebergs blocked the rest of his path, but Link had four filled bottles of Blue Fire. The ice melted into a hissing puddle at his feet, and the Hero of Time began smashing the two pots he had just released.
Link turned to face the rest of the path, only to find nothing but a blank wall. He pulled out his map for a moment, staring at it just to confirm that he had indeed traveled the right direction. According to his item, there was a small entrance here.
Is…is it part of the wall? Link wondered, approaching the ice and resting his hand against a coarser section. To his surprise, a perfectly shaped door slid into the ceiling, allowing access to the final room of the Cavern. Throwing caution to the wind, the Hero of Time leisurely strolled inside, allowing the door to slide shut behind him.
Iron bars slammed down with it.
Link risked a glimpse back at the door, only to whirl around and face the new room once again. His eyes passed over the glittering walls, studying the multitudes of perfect crystalline figures that formed the surface. Several icy stalagmites jutted out of the ground, but these were not sharp or jagged. Light was reflected off every crystal face, illuminating the room in a vivid and beautiful blue.
The only thing that ruined the enchanting feeling of the Ice Cavern's most exquisite room was the tortured howl of a Wolfos. Link stared stonily as the beast rose from the ground, its coat vibrant white like the snow it was assembled from. It spread its disproportionate arms to the side dramatically as it called into the cavern, as if intending to shake loose the ice crystals hanging from the ceiling by its voice alone. The beast then lowered its head, glowing red eyes locked maliciously on the Hero of Time.
Link shot back as the beast attempted to shred him with its massive claws, his Hylian Shield raised defensively as the monster began to race around him. The Wolfos seemed larger than its warmer counterparts from the Forest Temple, but it drooled an equal amount and moved in the same clumsy manner. It was hunched so far over that Link couldn't fathom how it still managed to run. He lashed out at it, blade crashing into its thick fur that was stronger than armor as it raised its forelegs over its head protectively.
The Wolfos growled at him and raked its claws across his shield, leaving a small opening in the beast's defenses. Link seized the brief window of opportunity and jabbed it under the ribs with his sword, causing it to cry out and curl up, shielding itself with its armor-like forelegs once again.
A short game of Ring Around the Rosie later, Link decided to think like a Wolfos. He pounced forward, his blade scraping down the beast's chest. The monster let out a pained howl once again, trying in vain to defend itself whilst simultaneously attempting to shred the Hero of Time.
"Hey," Navi called as Link raised his Shield, sparks flying across the metal as the claws rang out against it. "Do you suppose that black wolf from Death Mountain Crater can communicate with the Wolfos?"
"Navi…" Link struck the beast again, sending it reeling and spitting. "What even do you think about when you target foes?"
"I'm just wondering if it could talk these canines into backing off, seeing as it's the only feral beast that hasn't been out to eat you so far."
Link was silent, considering the notion himself as the Wolfos regained its senses and charged him again. "That is worth some observation…" he agreed, thrusting his sword at the beast and lodging the tool into the monster's ribs.
A final wail of agony escaped the Wolfos, its body shuddering uncontrollably as its last breath escaped with the crackle of pale blue flames that seemed quite different than Link's Blue Fire. Its form was reduced to nothingness instantaneously, and the bars restricting the exit were raised back into the ceiling with the final echo of its howl.
At the far end of the room, a golden light whirled around a section of the floor directly in front of an oddly square puddle Link didn't remember seeing earlier. His attention was drawn away from the liquid as a chest shimmered into existence, its wooden surface equally as large as the ones he found maps or compasses within.
"Item!" Link celebrated, sprinting over the snow and immediately throwing the lid open. A blinding light escaped the treasure chest, but he ignored it as he reached inside and pulled out Hyrule's latest fashion trend.
"Steel-toed boots?" Navi inquired.
"I got the Iron Boots!" Link said, turning around and holding them over his head—a dangerous move, considering their weight. They looked identical to his current shoes, except for the crucial detail of being covered in dark grey metal at the bottom.
So heavy, I can't run, he added mentally. So heavy, I can't float. He pocketed the Boots, slipping them into his magical pouch that inexplicably made all his items weightless and easily transportable.
Link was about to consider casually meandering about the cavern to continue his search for the Zoras, or possibly just try to lick the crystals and see if they were truly made of ice. However, before he could even carefully contemplate his next plan of action, he spotted something quite familiar yet unexpected. Out of reflex, he flinched, his eyes widening and his mouth dropping open.
"We meet again, Link…" Sheik said, standing in front of the exit.
Navi fluttered over to the male, which the Hero of Time took as an excuse to approach the individual. Though Link couldn't see much of his face, he was certain that the Sheikah's curious expression meant the male was expecting something; his single visible red eye was searching the room, skimming the walls and passing over the snow to locate any traces of the Hero of Time's absent double.
Even when he wasn't present, the Hero of Twilight was causing mischief. Way to go, other Link.
Sheik's visible eye narrowed gleefully; he had not detected this second Hero, which meant that the other Link wasn't there. Maybe for once he could get his message along without any interruptions.
"If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time…" the Sheikah began, his voice sounding infinitely more mysterious, while his words turned the Hero's blood to ice. "This is all there is…"
Link could feel shivers tracing down his spine, his eyes widening as his mind processed this information. Something truly tragic has happened to the Zoras, he realized. He could feel sorrow rising within him, his gaze falling to the ground and his expression saddening. The final piece of Hyrule he remembered so clearly from seven years ago—this Zora's Domain—had been reduced to a wasteland, just like the rest of Hyrule. Everything about it, the entirety of its majesty and beauty, was now stolen away, down to its very last inhabitant.
"With one exception, the Zoras are now sealed under this thick ice sheet…" Sheik explained.
"And this exception is…?" Link inquired, hoping for any traces of the former world he remembered, any indication that at least one thing remained. However, he only grew paler as the Sheikah proceeded with, "I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but…"
Oh no, Ruto's here! Link panicked, temporarily distracted from his other thoughts as he strained every fiber of his being to resist the urge to look around and see if she had somehow snuck into the Cavern without him noticing.
"She left to head for the Water Temple…"
Oh, sweet, Ruto's not here, Link celebrated internally. Another day he could spend not worrying about fiancées, marriage, crazy fish-girls… Wait! I'm an adult now! I'm going to have to marry her now that I've grown up!
Link had gone as white as a Zora while Sheik continued with, "This ice is created by an evil curse… The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse. Unless you shut off the source, this ice will never melt…. If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, I will teach you the melody that leads to the temple."
"I have the courage," Link agreed.
"Time passes, people move…. Like a river's flow, it never ends… A childish mind will turn to noble ambition…"
Ha, no it won't.
"Young love will become deep affection…"
IF I FALL IN LOVE WITH RUTO, I'LL JUMP BACK INTO JABU-JABU'S BELLY! Link internally vowed, turning from white to red.
"The clear water's surface reflects growth… Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself…." Sheik reached into his secret hidden stash and retrieved his harp, gently pulling several strings so that his melody started off low and gradually raised in pitch, with the third and fourth notes sounding identical before lightening for the fifth and final note. As was tradition, he repeated the notes for the Hero of Time to copy.
Link whipped out his Ocarina before he could forget the melody, closing his eyes to aid his memory. Fortunately, this song wasn't nearly as convoluted as the Bolero of Fire, so he rattled off the notes with ease. Navi began excitedly bouncing up and down, celebrating that he nailed it on his first try.
The notes reflected off the perfect crystal faces, echoing beautifully off the walls as if repeated by an unseen symphony, yet the only two instrumentalists present were the harpist and the flutist. As the sounds faded to silence, Link opened his eyes and noticed the strange sparkling glow emitting from his Ocarina.
I have learned the Serenade of Water! he thought as he examined his instrument.
Sheik pocketed his harp. "Link…"
Link looked up.
"I'll see you again…" He took two steps back, causing Link to flinch and run towards him.
"Wait!" the Hero of Time called, but he only scarcely managed to raise his hand to shield his eyes before the world was washed in blinding white. He looked around, yet the Sheikah was nowhere to be found, as usual.
Teach me your ways, Link thought. My Deku Nuts are lame. He remained where he stood for several moments, before finally speaking aloud, "So…we searched this place to find a solution for King Zora to inquire where his inhabitants have vanished… And the Zoras are all frozen."
"Yes," Navi confirmed. "As with everything in this Hyrule, it's become a dystopian land, devoid of all things that made it meaningful. Ganondorf has laid waste to everything." She could see the change of expression on her Hylian's face, so she quickly added, "That's why we're going to stop him, Link!"
Is there even anything left to protect…? Link wondered. Anywhere we could preserve if we "stop" him?
"That's why we have to save the Zoras!"
The Kokiri Forest, the Lost Woods, Kakariko Village, Goron City, Hyrule Castle, Castle Town, Hyrule Field, Lon Lon Ranch, and even Zora's Domain… There's not a single place left to protect anymore. If I had been sealed into the Temple of Time for even a year longer, there wouldn't be a Hyrule to return to; the Gorons would be devoured, and the soldiers are already completely obliterated. The Zoras are inaccessible and potentially would never be recovered.
Navi was still bouncing around in front of Link, trying to get his attention so they could continue adventuring.
Is it wrong…to want to go back? Is it cowardly…to want the nightmare to never exist? Link balled his fists. The goddesses sealed me away for seven years because I was too young to wield the Master Sword, but I've only physically aged; my mind is still that of the child who wanted to save Hyrule from an evil I scarcely knew was coming. Is it wrong to wish I was still a kid, protecting a world that was almost completely safe?
"Link?"
Everything I know about Hyrule…is gone. He turned away from the door, trudging towards the puddle at the far end of the room instead, Navi energetically zipping after him and returning to her usual mood as Link seemingly regained himself. He temporarily ignored her in favor of considering the water, knowing there had to be something special about it since no puddles were naturally square.
"Hmm," Navi murmured as Link examined the water and deduced that it was not a puddle, but instead an extra passageway. "I guess it's a good thing Link didn't come with us after all." Her words were somewhat lacking emotion, which was a clear indication that she had begun to resent allowing the other Hero to not accompany them. This little puddle would have been the one thing he couldn't plunge into; the rest of the dungeon could have been easily traversed by him.
Link, eager to try out his new item, quickly kicked off his Kokiri boots and tugged on his Iron Boots. He took three steps forward, holding his breath before he fell much faster into the icy water than he was expecting. He flailed his arms, only to continue slipping into the depths as if he wasn't struggling at all. His boots touched solid ground, and he swung his feet forward to conquer this new weight.
Though the chill stung his eyes, Link kept them open and marched to the door he could clearly see through the transparent blue. It slid into the ceiling to allow him access to the rest of the room, which he did his best to scurry into despite his heavy fashion statement.
"You can't breathe underwater!" Navi snapped at Link as he scrambled to the top of a snowy hill, darting out of said water. "If you start choking, take off those boots!"
"Your advice was a bit late," he told her, removing the shoes and returning them to his inventory for later use. He fished out his other boots and did his best to put them on quickly, before he got to his feet and began wringing out the bottom of his tunic as he trudged through the snow. He approached the edge of the tunnel he had entered, peering down at the ice below and spotting a Blade Trap whizzing in a circle at high speeds. "I suppose we've reentered the first room of this Cavern."
"So Link could have come along after all," Navi murmured.
"Don't forget it was you who wouldn't let me bring him along despite his protests," Link reminded her, dropping back down into the main part of the Cavern and rolling to the left. He weaved around several ice stalagmites, crunching over the thinning snow and back onto the cold stony surface near the cave's exit.
"He made a good point!" Navi argued as Link bypassed a single red iceberg enclosing absolutely nothing.
"But you can't pester him for not joining, when you yourself are the reason he didn't join." Link darted over more stone, his eyes catching sight of the pale white light at the end of the cave. He rolled toward it, leaping out of the Cavern and plunging back into the frigid waters. As his head dipped below the surface, his eyes caught sight of something sparkling at the bottom, and he found himself reaching into his pouch as he swam for the largest ice floe.
Navi didn't notice what Link was up to until his head sank completely beneath the water once again, and she quickly chased after him. She caught sight of his Iron Boots gleaming wickedly in the water, his green form sinking into the depths of the Fountain.
"Link!" she snapped.
Link waved at her, bubbles floating from his mouth and his hand.
"Choking!" Navi reminded him.
Link waved dismissively: I'll be fine, I'll be fine.
"Link!" Navi hissed, tugging futilely on the end of his hat and causing it to stick straight up.
Link ignored her and simply held his hat to his head, more bubbles floating from his mouth as his air escaped him. He probably only had about forty-five seconds left before he would drown, but he could clearly see what had caught his attention earlier.
His boots touched the ground, and he bent down to retrieve the final Piece of Heart necessary to complete his twelfth Heart Container. The second he pocketed the Piece, he removed his Iron Boots and settled into his Kokiri ones instead. He immediately began to float, with Navi still angrily tugging on the tip of his hat. Link smiled, then paddled toward a steep hill he was going to use to increase his upward movement.
Seconds later, he broke the surface of the lake and shook his head, his hair slicked to his face and falling into his eyes. He spat out some of the water before pulling himself out of the frigid lake, turning left and heading for the entrance to Zora's Domain.
"You could have drowned!" Navi protested as Link splashed through the several inches of water that had filled the entryway.
"I had plenty of air left," he assured her, reaching into his pouch to retrieve one of his bottles of Blue Fire so he could unfreeze the king.
Link stopped dead in his tracks, hand buried in his inventory as his eyes remained fixed on the far end of the room. He remained completely still, scarcely daring to breathe as Navi flitted all around him, nagging like an angry mother.
"Plenty of air?" she demanded. "You're not a fish! You—!"
Link raised his hand, knocking into her ever-so-slightly before gently catching her tiny self and holding onto her squirming form. "Shh…" he whispered, but it was the fact that he didn't look at her when he made the command that truly shut her up. Navi ceased to struggle against his fingers, instead turning to see what he was so fixed on.
Beneath the blazing torch to the right of the stairs, a lone wolf lay curled in a ball, fast asleep…
A lone wolf that looked very familiar…
A/N: Yes, an Ocarina is also a flute. I did not know this before I googled it, but apparently that's what it is. So, since there's no such thing as an "ocarinist", Link is a "flutist". And while we're on the topic of that nice little instrument, what's your favorite Ocarina song? Mine is the Requiem of Spirit, but the Song of Storms comes close.