A/N: Sorry I haven't updated in a while. I've had a lot of crap to deal with, what with finals coming up and family stuff… Anyways, here it is. Chapter 7. Hope you like it. My apologies again for the lack of updates lately.

Also, to answer the question that Ri2 had. I'll put an intro in the front of this chapter for people who want to know how the guy in Kakariko got the Ocarina of Time. If you don't care, you don't have to read it.

Intro: After Link defeated Ganondorf, he was sent back in time to his past, and Zelda kept the Ocarina. One day, a thief got into Hyrule Castle and stole the Ocarina, along with many other valuable artifacts in the castle. In his haste to leave the castle, he dropped a few things, including the Ocarina. The man from Kakariko had gone to the castle that day (he needed to talk to Impa about the progress the builders had made on the archery range), and he found the Ocarina and took it home.

When the king discovered it gone, he didn't know what he should do. He summoned his High Priest to pray to the goddesses for an answer, and in three days time, a solution was found. The priest told the king not to worry, that the goddesses said to let fate handle the situation. So the Ocarina of Time became the heirloom of a simple carpenter's household, until seven years had passed. The rest you know.

Chapter 7: The Zora's Sapphire - A Test of Valor

Dusk was falling as Dark and Shadowmane made their way towards Zora's Domain, the location of the Spiritual Stone of Water. The thought of being around so much water made Dark uncomfortable, but his eagerness to obtain the Zora's Sapphire pushed his fear from his mind. He urged his horse forward, readying himself for any challenges that may lie ahead.

It wasn't long before he found something amiss; as he rounded the top of a large hill in Hyrule Field, he saw that below him were two creatures, seemingly discussing something. Upon closer inspection, he saw that they were Moblins, pig-like monsters that stood on two legs and wore armor. One carried a large spear, while the other hefted a bow, and both seemed more than capable of using their weapons. Dark would have to act quickly and quietly.

The too Moblins were arguing over something unimportant, but were distracted as Shadowmane cantered by them, riderless. Dark snuck up behind the one with the bow and stole one of its arrows, then drove it into the beast's neck. The monster howled in pain and sank to the ground, and Dark snatched up its bow just as the other looked around. In one fluid movement, he nocked his arrow, took aim, and fired it right into the enemy's forehead. He took another arrow from the quiver and finished off the first Moblin, which was still moving, then stood over the bodies, looking at them.

What were Moblins doing in Hyrule Field? They usually hid in the furthest depths of the Lost Woods, driven into hiding with the banishment of their master. And they would never enter the Field in such small groups, since it made then vulnerable. Dark got an uncomfortable feeling in his stomach, but he knew he could do nothing simply standing there staring. He whistled for his horse, who trotted over, then took the quiver from the dead Moblin and slung it over his back, along with the creature's longbow. He was sure that he would need them eventually. Swinging up unto Shadowmane's back, he rode off east, towards the entrance to Zora's River.

When Dark finally reached Zora's River, he made his way along the riverbank, being careful not to let his eyes drift to the water rushing by his feet. He had left his horse back at the mouth of the river, knowing that there wasn't enough room for both of them. He pulled his cloak tighter about him despite the heat of the day, eager for a small sense of security as he urged himself on. Every step was reluctant, his nagging fear making his legs feel like jelly. He focused on going strait forward, and not looking anywhere but on the ground in front of his feet. The springy turf bended under his swift footsteps, and he forced himself to ignore the sound of rushing water nearby.

He'd soon reached the entrance to Zora's domain, which was simply a plaque with the symbol of the Triforce on it in front of a large waterfall. Dark stood on the Triforce symbol and pulled out the Ocarina of Time, then brought it to his lips and played the sacred melody of the Royal Family; Zelda's Lullaby. The music seemed to fill the whole canyon, vibrating in the air in such perfect tone that it brought shame to the singing of birds. When the song was finished, the waterfall slowed enough for Dark to see the entrance to a tunnel.

Dark froze. He'd have to jump that fearful gap. He began to look down, but stopped himself, and drew in a deep breath. Gathering the remainder of his tattered courage, he backed up a few steps, and then jumped off the platform. After a second of being suspended in midair, he landed inside the tunnel, and the curtain of water closed behind him. He let out a sigh of relief, and then headed into Zora's Domain.

Zora's Domain was a watery paradise, home of the mysterious Zoras. These fish-people were a friendly race, and were on good terms with the other races of Hyrule, especially the Hylians themselves. Which was why Dark was surprised when two Zoras wearing chain mail and wielding pikes ran up to him as he entered. More guards? he thought, remembering his trip to Death Mountain. They crossed their pikes in front of him, blocking his way, and one of them said, "What business brings you to Zora's Domain?"

"I wish to speak with King Zora," explained Dark.

The guards looked at each other with confused expressions, then the guard said, "King Zora has been dead for several years. There was a huge funeral and all of Hyrule heard about it."

"Well, I didn't," Dark replied. "Who's in charge, then?"

"The current King is too young to rule, so Queen Ruto is acting as regent," explained the other guard.

The first guard then said to Dark, "If you wish to see the Queen, we will escort you to her." He and the other guard stood on either side of Dark and marched him through the dwelling of the Zoras, keeping their weapons close to hand. They soon reached the Throne Room and saw that Ruto was seated there with her son. They both looked up as Dark entered, and the young Zora grew frightened at the sight of the unwelcome guest, and hid the best he could behind his mother. Ruto looked at Dark with an expression of shock, which was swiftly replaced with an angry glare. "He asked to see you, Your Majesty," explained one of the guards.

"You should have turned him away," Ruto replied, annoyed. She stood and motioned to
Dark. "Stand there," she said, pointing to the pedestal in front of the throne. "Show the proper respect due to a Queen." Dark obeyed, not knowing what to expect. Ruto looked at him for a moment, then said, "I know what you are. You're that shadow fiend that escaped the Water Temple a couple days ago. I received a message from the Royal Family that said you weren't a danger, and that you may go about Hyrule as you please. It did not say, however, that you could simply enter into my kingdom and demand to see me! Even if it had, I would have had you thrown out anyway. I have learned from my father's mistakes, and I will not let people like you and Ganondorf run rampant, and have all the possible opportunities to cause trouble." Dark felt his face growing hot. He was sick of people making assumptions about him. He didn't want to take over Zora's Domain, and he was pissed that she'd put him on the same level as Ganondorf.

"I beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty," began Dark, careful to conceal the annoyance in his voice, "but I mean you and your people no harm. I come here on a quest." He reached into his pack and pulled out the Goron's Ruby, then held it out for her inspection. "Already I have won the approval of Darunia, leader of the Gorons, and he gave me this."

Ruto sneered at him. "And I'm guessing you want the Zora's Sapphire, is that it? Darunia must've been a fool to give you that, if you didn't steal it. I am not a fool. I will never give you the stone." She nodded to her guards. "Escort him out."

Dark bristled as the guards led him out of the Domain at the point of their pikes. They forced him to jump through the waterfall to the platform in Zora's River, and Dark stood there, dripping and shuddering, as they walked back into the Domain. He glared after them, and then moved over to a spot where he could lean against the wall of the canyon and think. There was no way to convince Ruto to give him the Stone, so what should he do? He had to get it; he'd come too far to give up now. He had to steal it.

He also had to find a way to get into Zora's Domain. A few options popped into his head: 1) he could sneak inside at night, 2) he could enter through the underwater tunnel from Lake Hylia 3) he could enter from Zora's Fountain, which was above the waterfall. Option 1 seemed far too simple to work, and Ruto had probably increased the number of guards watching the entrance anyway. Option 2 would probably work, but there was no way Dark could make himself get in the water and swim through an underwater tunnel. The last option seemed least likely, and would be the least guarded, but it would require him climbing up the waterfall to get there.

Dark looked at the waterfall. All that water cascading into the river below, splashing over rocks, continuously falling… just thinking about it made his stomach churn. He shivered, and looked away. He wished that there was another way, but there wasn't. He stood and shed his cloak, then forced himself to look again. He saw that he would need to climb close to the canyon wall, where the current was weakest. The rocks were wet and slippery, so he would need some extra support. There was a gate at the top of the waterfall, and it gave him an idea. He dug once more into his pack and pulled out his hook-on-a-rope, his gift from Farore herself, and swung it in circles above his head. When he let go, it soared to the top of the waterfall, catching on to the gate at the top of the arc. Dark was suddenly certain that the gadget had been blessed. There was no way his aim could be that good.

Now came the hard part. Dark numbly tied the other end of the rope around his waist, body tense with the thought of what he was about to attempt. He dropped his pack next to his cloak, but kept his bow and arrow with him in case he encountered any trouble; his run-in with the Moblins had made him wary, and he didn't feel like taking any chances. Taking a deep breath, he studied the rough stone for a foothold, checked that the rope was taught, and jumped.

When he reached the wall, the rope held, and he found a foothold and handholds, but he couldn't move. The freezing water poured down on him and over him, shocking him and knocking the wind from his lungs. His gripped the stone so hard his knuckles turned white. His nerves were jumping all over the place. I hate water, I hate water, he found himself thinking over and over. Then he forced himself to move, and he reached up and found another handhold. He began to make his way very slowly up the waterfall, hand over hand, foot by foot, thinking of nothing except getting to the top. When he finally reached the gate, he vaulted over it, stopping only to unhook his gadget before running over to the platform nearby. He fell onto the cool stones there, breathing heavily and staring at the stars that now lit up the sky. It was wonderful to be on dry ground again.

After a while, he forced himself to sit up and look around. Zora's Fountain was little more than a large lake, fed by a hidden spring. Lord Jabu-Jabu, a giant fish said to be the patron god of the Zoras, had dwelt here when Link first came on his quest to save Hyrule, but was no longer floating in the fountain's tranquil waters. As Dark was wondering at this, there came the sound of footsteps in the water, and he looked around to see a small figure making its way toward him. He sat still with his head down, hoping the figure wouldn't notice, but if the Zora did see him, it ignored him. It walked into the middle of the platform and held a glowing object out in its hands. That's Ruto's kid, thought Dark. And that's the Sapphire he's holding! It was true. But what was he doing?

Then Dark sensed something coming from the middle of the lake. He looked and saw that the darkness above the surface was moving, as though it had taken on a life of its own. It formed into a tentacle and began to drift toward the platform, or more specifically, toward the boy. Dark knew that it was an enemy at once, and pulled out his bow. He shot an arrow at the spot where it was most condensed, and it passed right through, landing with a "plunk" in the water. The tentacle turned and surged at him, ploughing into him. It grated at his skin like sand, and it was all Dark could do to stay on his feet. Then it retracted back into a sphere that hovered over the water for a moment, before falling down into it without a noise.

Dark stood for a moment, recovering, then looked over at the boy. The young Zora hadn't even blinked throughout the entire thing. He just stood there, staring into space, as though in a trance. Dark was about to walk over and shake him, just to make sure he was alive, when there was an enormous splash from the middle of the lake. The thing had come back out of the water and had made a layer of water around itself. A bulge appeared in the layer, and it grew and took form until it looked like the head of a giant snake. The snake grew a body that was thick as a tree trunk and getting steadily longer, all made of water controlled by the dark blob.

The snake surged toward the boy, and Dark suddenly knew that the snake wanted the Sapphire. Even though the thing scared him stiff, he knew he had to protect the boy. He drew an arrow and took aim, but froze as he saw a second snake sprout from the orb and surge toward him. The Zora boy screamed as the first snake bit down over his hands, not harming the boy, since it was made of water, but causing him to drop the stone. The stone traveled through the snake's body to the orb, and there was a surge of power. The enemy itself left the safety of the water orb and stood on top of it in a form that was almost human, but Dark didn't have time to look.

The snake, made solid by the power of the stone, wrapped itself around Dark and lifted him into the air, pinning his arms to his side and causing him to drop his bow. It lifted him high over the platform, and then moved so that he was suspended above the water. It squeezed tight, and then it plunged him down into the lake.

Dark hadn't had time to take a breath before he went under. He struggled frantically against the snake's grip, desperate for air, but it only squeezed him tighter. Black dots began to form at the edge of his vision, and still he forced himself to resist the instinct to gasp for air. His body went limp, and his vision slowly began to fade. Damn… he thought. Damn…

All of a sudden, the snake let go and gave a violent lurch, launching him up. Dark gasped as he broke the surface, coughing violently and trying to tread water at the same time. He looked around for the snake, and saw that the Zora kid had dove in and attacked it, and was putting up a good fight. But the other snake was closing in, and Dark knew the kid couldn't fight both alone. He swam as quick as he could to the platform and grabbed up his bow, turning around just as the second snake got to the kid and swallowed him. Dark stared in horror as the boy's limp body traveled through the snake, headed for the orb of water, and then had to jump out of the way as the other snake attacked, its jaws closing inches from his ear.

This was the moment of truth. It was do or die now. Dark shot the nearest snake in the head with an arrow, then did the same to the other as it came in for the kill. Then he aimed and shot the figure controlling the snakes, which writhed in pain, making the snakes shake wildly. Dark jumped onto the head of one of the snakes with an arrow in each hand, which aided him in holding on to the snake as he ran down its back. He fired a last arrow into the enemy as he neared it, then jumped at the stone, which was suspended in the water orb. His hand closed around it, and he passed through the orb and landed in the lake behind. When he resurfaced, he looked back, and the enemy was gone.

He saw that Ruto's kid was sinking, so he stuffed the stone in his boot, swam over and pulled him up to the surface. He helped the kid back to the platform, where they both collapsed, exhausted. Dark struggled into a sitting position, and then remembered that the stone was in his boot. He pulled it out and handed it to the kid, saying, "Here. This is yours."

The kid sat up and smiled, shaking his head. "You keep it. You saved my life."

"You saved mine. You're a good fighter, kid."

"Thank you, but keep it. I insist." The kid looked at him closely. "Something's different about you. You look different."

"What?" Dark moved over to where he could see his reflection in the water. In the light of the moon, he saw that he did look different. He didn't look like a shadow anymore, but instead he looked more like a Hylian, with his brown hair and eyes and his pale skin. His voice sounded different as well, less hollow and deep. He had a cut on his face that was bleeding, and when he touched it, the blood on his hand was red, not black. It was almost like he was a completely different person. How did this happen? he wondered.

The boy looked at him for a moment, then shrugged and stood up. "Maybe it's just my imagination," he said. "I should go inside. Mom will be worried if she finds me gone." He turned and began to leave.

"Wait!" Dark called, and the boy turned back. Dark paused a moment, wondering why he called him back, then asked, "What's your name, kid?"

The kid smiled, and then said, "It's Link." Then he turned around and walked back into Zora's Domain.

Dark stared after him. No way. She named him Link? He wasn't sure whether he should be disgusted or amused. He shook his head, then stood up stiffly and looked around. Now that he had the Sapphire, the wisest course of action would be to leave. But he couldn't leave through Zora's Domain, and that meant… suddenly, he smiled. He wasn't afraid of the water anymore. In fact, he kind of liked it. After facing that monster with the snakes, the waterfall was just like any other landform.

Then he got an idea. The idea and the fact that the very thought of it made his heart race was definite proof that he had changed. He was going to jump off the waterfall.

The plunge pool below was deep enough, and it wasn't all that high. He ran over to the gate at the top of the falls and tossed down his hook and his bow and arrows so that they landed next to his pack. Then he got up onto the gate, closed his eyes, and let himself fall. The wind whistled past his ears, and his stomach dropped to his toes, and after what seemed like forever, he hit the water at the bottom. He tumbled over and over as the water from above mixed with the water below, and then he popped up and broke the surface. He swam over to the bank and scrambled up, and two thoughts immediately entered his head: the first, That was definitely the stupidest thing I've ever done, and the second, That was $&ing awesome!

When he had recovered, he gathered up his things and headed back down the river, laughing at himself and splashing in the shallows as if to say, "How could I ever have been afraid of water?"

A/N: Yay! I love ending chapters on a high note! I'm really sorry it took so dang long to get this thing posted, really I am, I just hit a wall. A really big wall. With clowns painted on it. I hate clowns. And now to respond to my reviewers!

Ri2 – See intro

Steeple333 – Sorry 'bout the eyes! I'll probably write another fic where he has red eyes the whole time!

Oni-Gil – You said more, so here is more! Hope you liked it. I'll try and update sooner, my bad.

Yeah, cool! This chapter seems a little short, I'm not sure why… I feel like I could've done better on this, so if anything comes to mind, let me know! I love constructive criticism!