Tatl shook some water out of her hair, dress and wings. "Well, it certainly beats getting your wings singed off in a volcano... but that doesn't mean I like getting soaked like this, you hear me?"
The others were wading out of the little pond in which the teleporter back to the Lost Woods was situated. "Don't complain," Navi said while wringing out her wet hair. "We're not here on a pleasure cruise, we're here to save Ranma's family."
Ranma - or rather Ranko, as he had changed into his female Zora form - was already running up the slope until she stood in front of the big waterfall behind which her home was situated.
Ukyo opened her palm. A tiny snowflake came floating down from above and melted in her hand. "Say, old man... has it always been this cold here?"
"No," Genma murmured as he looked around. "No, never! What's going on here? It's so cold..."
Link was already pulling out the Ocarina of Time to play Zelda's Lullaby. By using the magical powers of the song, he wanted to tell the waters to let them through.
"That's not necessary," Ranko said and held out her hand. The waters parted, and revealed the entrance to Zora's Domain.
A breeze of even colder air blew past them, making them shiver. Ranko was getting more and more worried.
"Airen, you all right?" Shampoo asked her currently female fiance.
Ranko didn't reply. "I have a bad feeling about this..." she murmured. "And I mean a REALLY bad feeling!"
Link looked at the entrance and back to Ranko. The Zora princess was still hesitating.
"Maybe we should..." he started.
"No!" Ranko then suddenly said. "The water... it's not flowing anymore..."
Ukyo looked at the waterfall. "Uh, Ranma, what are you talking about? If you can't see, the water is still flowing down into the river and..."
"Not that water!" Ranko shouted. "And call me Ranko when I'm in this form! I'm talking about the water in the cavern... and Zora's Spring!" She gasped. "Something must have happened to Lord Jabu-Jabu! Quick, follow me!"
She leapt right through the waterfall, followed by Shampoo. Ukyo and Link looked at each other, shrugged and followed them, their fairies buzzing right behind them. Genma gave off a sigh and jumped in as well.
They met up with the two girls in the great main cavern of Zora's Domain. Ranko just stood there and stared down at the emptiness of the cave.
And the thick layer of ice that was covering everything. The frozen waterfall inside the cavern... and the Zora that were trapped underneath the ice.
"No..." Ranko mumbled. Her legs felt shaky. "No... this can't be..."
"Oh, Airen..." Shampoo subbed while hugging her fiance. "Shampoo so sorry for what happened..."
"Holy shit..." Ukyo murmured while letting her gaze sweep across the ice. She had never been here before, but she could recognize a scenario of horror when she saw one. Genma was just as horrified as she.
Link slid down onto the hard surface of the cavern pond and walked up to the frozen waterfall. He saw the frozen image of a young Zora boy who looked like he had tried to get out of there when the ice came. His hands were raised as if he was pleading for help. Link held up his hand and pressed his palm against the hand of the boy. But the thick ice still separated each other.
"What happened here?" he wondered, horrified by what he was seeing. He had been horrified when he heard what Volvagia wanted to do to the Gorons. He had been horrified when Saria's life was in danger. But this... never could he have imagined something like this.
Ukyo walked up next to him. "How... how could he?" she whispered. A tear was running down her face when she looked at the trapped child. "Ganondorf... he has gone too far!" Her sadness was replaced by anger. "This... this is genocide!"
"No..." Navi said softly. Link and Ukyo looked at the blue-haired fairy in surprise. Navi was touching the ice as well. Her eyes were closed. "I can still feel their life energy... even if it's very weak."
"They are alive?" Ranko shouted in surprise. She jumped down onto the frozen pond, nearly slipping on the slick ice. "Are you serious?"
"Yes," Navi nodded. "They are alive, but they are trapped. For them, it must be like living through an endless nightmare..."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Ranko yelled in an agitated voice. "We need hot water! Fire! An ice pick! Anything!" She ran up to Link and rummaged through his bag.
"H-hey!" Link protested, but the upset Zora princess did not listen. She took all of their Deku Sticks and knelt down in front of the waterfall, where she piled them up. She took two of the wooden sticks and rubbed them against each other feverishly. But not even a single spark was produced.
"It's no use, boy..." Genma said sadly. "It's too cold to make a fire..."
"No, no, NO!" Ranko yelled and continued rubbing the Deku Sticks until her scaly hands were getting raw. With an angry sob, she dropped the useless sticks. "Damn you, Ganondorf!" she screamed. "Damn you to hell!"
Suddenly, Shampoo gasped. "Airen! The king and queen..."
Ranko froze. Her heart felt as if it was turning to ice, just like all of the water in Zora's Domain. "No..." she whispered.
She jumped to her feet and ran off, leaving her friends behind. "Ranko!" Link shouted. They followed her as she ran through the cavern, up the slopes and past the frozen entrance of the Zora vendor, until they arrived in the throne room.
When they arrived, Ranko was standing on top of the same platform she had been standing on when she came here for the first time. Back then, she had been welcomed by her mother and her new husband, the king...
Queen Nodoka and her husband, King Zora, were staring out of the ice they were trapped in. Nodoka's hand was reaching out for her child, as if she knew Ranko was here.
Genma sunk down to his knees. "Oh no..." he murmured. "Oh, No-chan..."
Ranko felt as if her frozen heart would shatter in thousands of pieces. "Mom..." she murmured. She stumbled off the platform and walked across the chamber, until she arrived at the huge ice block the king and queen were trapped in. Her hands brushed over the smooth, cold surface. The ice was giving off a strange, red sheen. Ranko leaned against the ice and closed her eyes. The tears that came out of her eyes instantly froze into tiny shards of ice that fell down to the floor, where they shattered.
"Ranko..." Ukyo said.
Ranko didn't open her eyes. "What do you want?" she whispered. "I lost everything... leave me alone..."
Ukyo walked up to the Zora princess and put her arm around her shoulder. Ranko did not react.
"Ranchan..." she said softly. "I am sorry... I am so sorry for what I said to you. I admit, I hated you... I hated you because I blamed you for what happened on that day. But never... never did I want you to live through the same thing. Never!" She gave the Zora girl a hug from behind. "Ranchan... I am so sorry... and I am sorry for your mother..."
Ranko was silent for a moment. "Ucchan..." she finally murmured. "Do you really mean that? Do you really forgive me?"
"Yes, I do," Ukyo sobbed. "And if there was any way to save your mother and all of your people, I would do it right away!"
That made Ranko sniffle again. "But... but what can we do?" she cried. "We can't free them... we can't even make a fire! There is nothing we can do..." Her shoulders shook while Ukyo was still holding her. "Nothing at all..."
"Actually..." Navi spoke up.
Everyone looked at the blue fairy. "Yes?" Link asked.
Navi raised her finger. "There might still be a way to save the Zora. Have you ever heard of the legend of the 'Blue Fire'?"
"Can't say I have!" Link shook his head. Tatl and Shampoo were confused as well.
Genma then stood up. "A blue flame that never goes out, capable of melting any ice, no matter how cold... even magical ice..." he muttered.
"You heard about it?" Navi asked in surprise.
Genma walked up next to his son-currently-daughter and touched the red ice. "This looks like a black spell was used to create it..." he murmured. "And if I am correct, there are only two ways of making this ice melt: Either the sorcerer who created it lifts the spell by himself, or it must be exposed to Blue Fire."
"How do you two know that?" Link wondered.
Navi smiled. "The Great Deku Tree told me many legends when I was a child..."
"I heard the legend from my wife," Genma explained. "And she learned it from her husband... her new husband, I mean."
Ranko looked into the eyes of her frozen mother. "You said she is still alive, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm sure of that," Navi nodded.
"Did your legend also say where to find this Blue Fire?" Ukyo asked.
"Well, they say that Din gave it to Nayru as a present... and the goddess told her most trusted servant to hide it well."
"And which servant would that be?"
"Don't tell me..." Ranko looked up at the fairy. "Lord Jabu-Jabu?"
Navi nodded. "Yes, Lord Jabu-Jabu!"
Ranko slapped her forehead. "I knew I forgot something!" she cursed and ran past the red ice block.
"And here she goes again..." Ukyo sighed, following her childhood friend.
The air over the spring was as cold as the inside of the cavern, but only a part of the spring pond was covered with ice. Ice floes were floating in the freezing water.
And Lord Jabu-Jabu... was gone!
By now, Ranko was shaking like a leaf. "That... that can't be..." she stuttered. "Where is he? Where... WHERE IS HE? He can't be gone!"
Link looked at his fairy companion with an inquiring look. But Navi shook her head. "I'm sorry... I can't feel his life force anywhere."
When Ukyo carefully took Ranko's hand, the princess turned around and collapsed in the arms of her friend. With the protector of the Zora gone... what hope was left?
Shampoo felt hopeless as well. She wanted to console her Airen, but she didn't know how she could do that. Genma was shaken by what happened to his wife, and the fairies were as stunned as their friends.
Suddenly, a comforting melody filled the chilly air. Ranko looked up from her friend's shoulder. It was like the sweet melody was warming her heart, consoling her and filling her with hope.
Shampoo looked around and blinked when suddenly, a feather landed in front of her feet. She took it and looked up. She gasped and gestured at one of the pillars that were standing around Jabu-Jabu's former resting place.
Sheik was standing there, playing a wonderful tune on her harp, filling their hearts with confidence. Not even Tatl didn't have a snappy remark in mind.
Sheik stopped playing and looked down at them.
"Time passes, people move... Like a river's flow, it never ends... A childish mind will turn into noble ambition... Young love will become deep affection... The clear water's surface reflects growth. The song you just heard was the Serenade of Water - use it to reflect upon yourselves."
Sheik put her harp away.
Ranko swallowed. "Do you... do you know what happened? Did you see what caused this?"
"I am sorry, princess of the Zora..." Sheik said while lowering his head. "When I came here, most of your people were already trapped. I managed to rescue your younger sister in time, but... she left for the Water Temple."
"WHAT?" Ranko yelled. "So Ruto's all right? But... whatever is she doing there?"
"This ice is created by an evil curse," Sheik explained. "The monster in the Water Temple is the source of the curse." She gestured to her left, where they could see the entrance to a cave. "If you seek the Blue Fire, it is hidden in there. But it alone will not be enough to free all of the Zora. Unless you shut off the source, all of this ice will never melt... If you have courage enough to confront the danger and save the Zoras, there is still hope. The melody I just taught you will bring you to the temple..."
Link pulled out his ocarina. Yes, this song really was something special... it had driven away the cold for a while. He would never forget it.
"Please..." Ranko stepped forward. "Tell me: My sister... is she all right?"
Sheik didn't reply immediately. "If you hurry, you can still save her," the mysterious warrior finally replied. "For now, I'll have to bid you farewell."
She looked at Link and Ukyo. "Heroes of Time... I'll see you again."
And then she vanished in the bright flash of a thrown Deku Nut.
"We have to save Ruto," Ranko said in a determined voice. "But first, I need to get into that cave... I want to see if I can find some Blue Fire. At least Mom and the king should be unfrozen."
'I'm sorry, sis, but try to hold on just a bit longer, okay?' she thought to herself.
"Sounds good to me," Link said. "But how should we get across that cold lake?"
"That easy," Shampoo said and walked up to the edge of the lake. She then skipped onto one of the ice floes that were drifting on the lake's surface.
"Well, if she can do it, so can I..." Ukyo murmured and hopped after the Gerudo.
"Hey, wait for me!" Link shouted. The floe the two girls were on had already drifted farther away, so he jumped on the next one that came past him.
Ranko turned around to face her father. "Pops... please, stay with Mom and the other Zora and make sure that nothing happens to them. I don't think Ganondorf would do anything, now that they are frozen, but who knows what dirty trick he's up to... and even though you said that red ice could not be destroyed, I want to be on the safe side. I never asked you for something... but now, I beg you, please protect Mom!"
Genma looked into the eyes of his transformed son and finally nodded. The person in front of him might be a beautiful Zora princess right now, but he knew that inside, she was still his son. Besides, he still loved Nodoka, no matter if they were married or not.
"You have my promise, son! Now you promise to hurry and find that fire. I won't let anyone go near Nodoka or the other Zora as long as I'm around."
Ranko smiled. "Good. I knew you'd be good for something, ya big ol' flying bear..."
Genma rubbed his face with his sleeve. "I must have something in my eye..." he muttered. "Now why are you still standing here? Go on and don't you come back without that fire!"
Ranko nodded. "You got it, Pops!" And she elegantly dove down into the freezing cold water.
By now, the two ice floes had floated across the lake and reached the other side, where the cavern was waiting. Shampoo and Ukyo skillfully jumped over into the entrance tunnel. As soon as his own floe was next to the entrance, Link wanted to jump as well, but he slipped and nearly fell down. Ukyo managed to grab his arm just in time.
"Hey, be more careful there," she scolded. "We don't want you to turn into a Hylian popsicle."
Link rubbed his head. "Sorry, Ukyo, but I have never seen so much ice before. Back in the forest, the winters were cold, but not this cold. And the only ice we saw was the tiny pond in front of the item shop."
"Yeah, I know," Ukyo smirked. "Tael used to ice-skate on the frozen pond, do you remember, Tatl?"
Tatl sneezed. "I only know that I always hated that time of the year," she sniffed.
Like a living torpedo, Ranko came bursting forth from the water. She gracefully landed next to her friends.
"What are you waiting for, let's go!" she insisted and ran ahead into the Ice Cave.
----
General Onox and Veran, Sorceress of Shadows, walked up to Ganondorf's throne and knelt down. In the general's hands, he was holding an old and rusty sword, which he was offering to his master.
Ganondorf took the blade and smiled. "Well done, my loyal vassals! Good to see that you are devoted to my cause after all."
"My lord, I would never betray you," Onox said. "Being able to serve you is an honor that can only be repaid with loyalty."
"Well said. And what about you, Veran? Does knowing about your past hinder you from being an obedient subject?"
"N-no, of course not, my lord!" Veran quickly assured him.
Ganondorf took the blade and walked across the room, where he carefully put it on a table. "Listen, this sword once belonged to one of the defenders of this castle," he spoke. "He has passed on long ago, but his vengeful spirit has been haunting the ruins of Hyrule Castle for a long time. When I found him, he told me who was responsible for his death. He had been able to cling onto his feeble existence because he possessed his mortal enemy's shadow... and using the Triforce of Power, I granted him his only wish: He desired to have a body, so he could take vengeance on his killer. Thus, he became a creature of darkness, a copy of the boy whose actions caused the soldier's death. And now he is waiting inside the Water Temple for his time... still, he never pledged loyalty to me, so I needed his own blade to tie his dark soul to mine. This way, I can make sure that he will serve me in all eternity."
"You aren't talking about... Dark Link, my master?" Veran asked in surprise.
"The very same," Ganondorf said.
"But... if he possessed his killer's shadow, then... does that mean... the man... no, the boy who killed him was..."
Ganondorf turned around and nodded. "Yes. It is none other than our so-called 'Hero of Time', the boy who grew up to be a man... Link!"