A/N: Ok, Mudora apologizes for his OC chapter, but I had several reasons for inserting young Kauyo. One was for a reasonable way to bring in the boomerang. As Ri2 put it, it makes more sense to get it from a friend than from inside a whale's belly. Another big reason was that I never identified with the Zoras until Majora's Mask. They didn't seem connectable. This boy is very human, even though he is also a fish. None of the Zoras had names but Ruto. Even the king was just known as "King Zora". While very few other races had many names either, there were more than one major character from each of the other races. Anyway, Kauyo's been left at Lake Hylia, and Link will now meet another Zora...
A Hero's Path
Chapter 16: A Fish and a Princess
They flew all the way across Hyrule Field, over a vast forest, and up Zora's River as the sun began its descent behind the west mountains. Link shouted a question to Kaepora Gaebora on the way up.
"Can you take us to Zora's Fountain?"
"If I were to do that, I would have to pay my respects to Lord Jabu-Jabu, and maybe speak with King Zora... I've got places to be, Link!" Link wondered for a moment how the big cucco knew the great leaders of the fish-men, but shook it off and responded.
"Lord Jabu-Jabu's not himself, cucco-man!" Link felt a thud on the top of his head, and remembered Navi was in his hat. "He's acting strange, and eating Zoras..."
"Eating Zoras!"
"Well, just one, but it's the princess. I think she has the last Spiritual Stone!"
"Then you need to get in there and save her!"
"Save her? How? I thought I'd just speak with the god one-on-one!"
"You can't do that, Link. He doesn't normally speak to even the Zoras. He just watches over them. I'm almost sure he's been cursed."
"A god? Cursed?"
"How is it much different than the curse of the Great Deku Tree?"
"I'm almost sure it has something to do with Ganondorf, too! The Zoras said he was in the Domain a few days back."
"Oh. Then you must get inside and save Lord Jabu-Jabu!"
"But if he's cursed like the Great Deku Tree..."
"If there's even a chance you can save his life, and the Zoras', you must do it! You're a hero, Link!"
After this, Kaepora Gaebora flew Link up the waterfall. At the top was a fence that the owl flew over. Beyond the fence was a large pond. Close to the waterfall it was shallow, and there was a cave entrance leading down into Zora's Domain. The shallow area led to a stone platform with an altar. Touching the altar was the nose of the biggest fish Link had ever seen. It was atleast the size of the Dodongo fossil in the mine on Death Mountain. Large and grey, it wore jewels and fine cloth on its back, attached around its large side fins. It was propped up on the platform and its rear flipper was dipping far into the deepest section of the pond. It was breathing heavily and it was looking slightly green (around the gills? I know, bad pun...).
The owl dropped Link on the platform and landed beside him. It was strange to see a bird as big as Link was waddle up to the large creature. "Jabu-Jabu! What has happened to you?" The large fish moaned loud and deep.
"He has been cursed, Link," Kaepora said. He took to the air and flew around the pond for a moment. He dove down and dipped his talons into the water, then brought them back up with a large fish, about three feet long.
"Whoa! What's in this water!" Link said. The owl dropped the fish next to Link.
"The act of feeding Lord Jabu-Jabu a fish is ceremonious, and a peace offering. Perhaps he'll reason with you, hoot! I must now go to Hyrule Castle Town. I leave the Great Water Spirit in your care, Link! Good luck!""
"Great Water Spirit? Link said. Inside he was really wondering what kind of business a giant cucco had in Hyrule Castle Town.
"Lord Jabu-Jabu!" navi said coming out of the hat. "He's the Great Water Spirit! Remember, the Zoras worship him at the lake temple?"
"Oh. I didn't know that was him..."
"Of course it is. There's really sort of a religious heirarchy. You have sages, followed by the Great Fairy, then gods or spirits, then the great goddesses. Each one is a higher level of worship than the last. Sages aren't really worshipped so much as admired and trusted to carry out the tasks of the peoples of Hyrule."
"Oh. That's good to know."
"Yep! Now feed him that fish. Step up to the altar."
Link grabbed the fish and ,with a little effort, placed it on the altar. Lord Jabu-Jabu struggled to reach up and eat it. Then Link got an "idea". He pulled the fish back as the god of the Zoras touched it with the baleen in his mouth. Then, Link clutched the fish and lay on the altar with it. This was a hard task, as the fish was flopping all around.
"Link, what are you doing?" Navi asked exasperatedly. Link reached and bagged her in his hat.
"You're comin' too! We're gonna save the princess!" Lord Jabu-Jabu reached up again for the fish. He hesitated when he smelled something else with it. But he was hungry. He didn't care. He was sick. Dying. Whatever went in his body might help...
When next Link opened his eyes, he was laying on the tongue of the large fish-god. The flailing fish in his hands was causing him to slip down the creature's throat.
"Link! What have you done!" Navi shouted.
"I'm saving the princess!" He clutched at the creature's massive tongue to keep from falling. It was a long way down.
"You're INSIDE a living CREATURE! And you brought me with you! Any plans for getting out of here?"
"Umm... I didn't get that far..."
"I know! Now we're in a mess!"
"No. I'll just knock on his teeth and tell him it was a big misunderstanding."
"I don't think he'll listen to dinner!"
They heard a loud moan surround them and the entire body they were inside shook. Link slipped down the tongue and into the throat. Here, he was squeezed down the throat. He held Navi to keep her from getting squished. After several minutes of the uncomfortable pushing, they fell into a large "cavern". Relatively large, anyway. It could fit about five people if it needed too, though Link hoped it wouldn't anytime soon. Currently, however, it contained a foot of liquid, some fish flopping around in it, and two people. Link, and a white and blue child. A Zora.
The Zora had small fins and everything, the only difference was that the child had no head flipper. Where it should have been, its head was larger.
"Who are you!" the Zora asked in a snobby, feminine voice.
"Uh... My name's Link. Are you...?"
"I am Ruto, princess of the Zoras."
"You're Princess Ruto? I'm here to rescue you!"
"Rescue me! Why would you do that?"
"Don't you remember a certain message in a bottle?"
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Everyone's looking for you!"
"I don't care! Anyway, I can't go home right now. And you, get out of here! Understand?"
"I'm here to rescue you!"
"I don't need rescuing! I told you to go away!"
"But don't you need help?"
"I'm fine. I've been going inside Lord Jabu-Jabu's Belly since I was little..." Link and Navi stared at her like she was from looney-world, where all the crazy fish people and cuccos live. "...but Lord Jabu-Jabu is very strange today. Plus, my precious stone was..."
"The Spiritual Stone?"
"What? No. It's called the Zora's Sapphire if you must know, but that's really none of your business."
"What about your stone?"
"I'm not saying. Go home now! Understand?"
"Stop saying, 'understand', like that," Link said. "It's getting really annoying. I think we need to get you out of here..."
"And into the nut-house," Navi muttered so only Link could hear. Link swatted at her.
"I'm not leaving. But if you're that worried about me, I'll give you the honor of being my escort."
"That doesn't mean you get to sit on my head does it? Cause last time Mido said that..."
"No. You just protect me like a good knight would. Usually I have Kauyo following me around, but since he doesn't know about this..."
"Your strange attraction to dark, slobbery places?" Navi said.
"Anyway," Ruto said, ignoring Navi, "I'm not leaving until I find the thing I'm looking for. You'd better believe me!"
"I believe you!" Link said.
"Good." Now sit and wait here with me."
"Where are we?"
"I believe this is his stomach," Ruto answered. "Watch."
After a few moments, Ruto pointed at the ceiling of the "cavern". There was a small bump in it. "See?"
"It's a lump."
"It wasn't there before though!" Ruto insisted.
"Navi, maybe you're right..." But sure enough, the bump started growing, until it stuck out of the ceiling and started dangling like a worm.
"It's some sort of tentacle," Ruto said. "If we could follow it to its source, we could probably heal Lord Jabu-Jabu."
"Easier said than done," Link said. As the tentacle came further down, it revealed a narrower part of it close to the ceiling. The tip of the tentacle touched the water and made a sucking sound. Slowly, the "room" began to drain of the fluid in it. The fish were sucked into the tentacle as well.
"It's feeding," Ruto said eerily.
"Link, do something!" Navi said. He pulled out his slingshot and shot at the narrow point. The seed bounced right off.
"That won't work!" Navi said. "Use the boomerang!"
Link pulled out the stick Kauyo had given him, ran up to the tentacle and started beating it with it.
"That's not how you use it!" Navi said.
"Oh, and I suppose you know all about Zora weapons?" Link remarked. Suddenly, he slipped under the water. The tentacle drew up with Link's foot in its orifice. Link was screaming like a little girl, pulling at his leg, and the tentacle appeared to be choking. The boomerang appeared, floating on the water.
Ruto ran over and picked it up, then threw it at the tentacle. It made impact at the narrow point, sliced through, and returned to Ruto's hand. Link fell to the ground and pulled his boot out of the hole in the tentacle.
"Was that magic?" Link asked.
"No. Just skill. Some escort you turned out to be!"
"Show me how you did that!" Link said. To the dismay of Lord Jabu-Jabu's stomach, Ruto proceeded to show Link how to properly throw a Zora-patented boomerang.
"I'd better not have to save you next time," Ruto said.
"Shut up. I'll have you know I killed the evil Gohma and put an end to an infestation of Dodongos!"
"I thought Gohma was a legend and Dodongos were extinct."
"Would it help if I said I fought an army of skeletons?"
"No, probably not."
"Well I saved the Great Deku Tree from a curse brought about by the man that did this to Lord Jabu-Jabu."
"Really? And he's all better now?"
Link looked up at the spot where the tentacle had emerged from the ceiling. The ceiling was completely intact.
"Where do you think it came from?" Link said.
"Hmm..." Ruto said. "Follow me." She reached out and touched a spot in the wall of the stomach. It swallowed her arm. She climbed right in, and Link followed with Navi. They went shooting through a tube, until Ruto stuck her arm in a spot in the tube wall and grabbed Link. They came out in another cavernous area.
"You really know your way around, huh?" Link said.
"Of course!"
"So where are we now?" The room had some liquid on the floor, but not as much as the stomach. Link saw a twinkle of blue for a moment in the corner of his eye. Apparently Ruto saw the same, because they both looked over in the direction and saw a blue stone get sucked through the ceiling.
"That's it!" Ruto said. "That's my mother's stone! Throw me up there!"
"What?" Link said.
"Throw me up there. I'm getting my stone back!"
Link threw Ruto up to the ceiling and she was sucked through.
"Keeyah!" he heard her scream. "An octopus!"
Suddenly, something came back out of the hole in the ceiling. It wasn't Ruto. Whatever it was, it reminded Link of the creature he shot in the eye in Zora's River earlier that day. Just much bigger. It was big, purple, and spiny. It had large, round eyes and a funnel-like nose or mouth that was squishing in and out. It supported its huge, round body on dozens of little, skinny tentacles that wiggled to charge toward Link.
Link might have laughed at the creature had it not been drooling out its funnel and rushing toward him.
He jumped aside as the creature charged into the wall. Then Link saw something odd. A strangely colored lump on its rear side just above its tentacles. The creature turned to face Link and started to charge again. He chucked the boomerang past the creature.
"Good shot, Link!" Navi said sarcastically. The boomerang came back andhit the back of the creature. The object made a loud sound like, "THWACK!" and fell to the ground. All the creature's tentacles reached back and grabbed its wounded backside, causing it to fall flat.
Link ran up, removed his sword from its sheath, and in one swift movement came down on the creature full force. He slashed its side and blood oozed out, then he slashed off several tentacles in one stroke, and stabbed it countless times until its nose stopped making that annoying squelching sound.
"I've gotta go get Ruto!" Link said.
"Sure," Navi said. Link climbed the creature and jumped to the ceiling, the spot where Ruto exited the room. He came up in another cavernous space, but Ruto wasn't there. Instead, Link found a strange thing in the middle of the room. It looked almost plant-like, but was obviously some sort of creature. It was breathing. It was green and blue and pink in some places. It had some sort of brain-like substance on its top, and tentacles extending to each of the walls in the "room". There were narrow points right against the wall on each of them.
"Is this it?" Link asked.
"It looks like," Navi said. "I think I know what it is."
"Well then what is it?"
"According to legend, the evil witch Twinrova, creator of everything wicked, gave birth to several children. One was her daughter, Gohma. Another was Volvagia the dragon, whose descendants are supposedly the Dodongos. And the third was Barinade, the giant anemone."
"What's a nemomy?"
"An anemone is a sea creature who co-exists with fish who feed it. This anemone, however, co-exists with the Biri. Barinade is a parasite, who feeds himself and the Biri that protect his defenseless form."
"And what are Biri?"
"Large jellyfish that will sting you if you get close."
"Okay. So it's feeding off of Lord Jabu-Jabu with those tentacles?" Link said.
"Yes."
"Okay. Lucky left arm, don't fail me now!" He threw the boomerang as hard as he possibly could, toward the wall. It curved and slashed a tentcle at the narrow point, and continued around the room doing that, until it finally returned to Link, who caught it and cleaned it as the anemone roared and wailed. The blue parts of the creature tore off and began circling wildly around it. They were jellyfish, floating in the air.
"Link! Get them before they get you!"
He threw his boomerang at one. It went straight through, slicing the creature in half to lay bleeding as two on the floor. On the boomerang's return, it did the same to a second one. Link continued throwing the boomerang at the creatures as they began circling him and drawing closer, and closer. Finally, there was one on either side of him, both within two feet. He threw the boomerang at one and the other lunged forward and attatched a tentacle to him.
He felt a surge of energy burst through him and sap his own. He cried out in pain and smacked the creature. That only added to the energy running through. He was shaking violently. The boomerang was coming back. Link couldn't catch it, but his reflexes were enough to duck. Too bad the couldn't be said of the Biri attatched to Link, as it quickly became two halves of an unattatched Biri.
Link pulled himself up and limped to his boomerang. He finished off the Biri and turned back to the defenseless anemone.
"You're done," Link said, unsheathing his sword. He walked right up to the creature, who revealed a small tentacle on its body, with which it stabbed Link in the stomach. Link sliced off the tentacle and jabbed his sword deep into the body of the creature. It cried out and started shaking wildly. Link pulled the tentacle out and jumped to slash the brainy thing on top several times. After a moment, the entire top half of the creature exploded into green slime that covered the room.
Ruto came out of one of the walls, holding the blue stone.
"You're late! What took you so long?" she said. "You're useless! Remind me never to ask you to be my escort again!"
She ran up to Link, giggling, while he dropped to the ground and supported himself on his hands.
She hugged him around the neck, and then drew back, saying, "You stink! But you looked cool!"
"You... saw me?" He hadn't even seen her in the room. She must've just peeked out.
"Cooler than I thought you would, anyway... Just a little!" She giggled again. "I never expected to see an Octorok in here! That thing was huge!" Suddenly, Jabu-Jabu's body started quaking.
"What's going on!" Link said.
"Oh. Lord Jabu-Jabu must be feeling better already! He's swimming around!" The room started to fill with water. Pretty soon, Link and Ruto were floating in the water. Ruto came up to him, dunked him, then pulled him back up.
"That should make this a whole lot easier," she said. She held him close, and said, "Grab your fairy." He snatched her up in his hat.
"Stop doing that!" Navi's muffled voice said.
The next thing Link knew, they were flying through the air and landing with a splash in the Zora's Fountain. He gained his senses as Lord Jabu-Jabu's tail crashed into the water.
"What happened?" Link asked as Ruto swam back up next to him.
"Lord Jabu-Jabu blew us out of his blowhole! I'm sure if he talked he'd say, 'Thank you!'" She put her arms around his neck. "Well, anyway, I guess you saved me, so I guess I'll reward you. I'll give you whatever you wish..." She put her face just an inch away from his. He was getting scared.
"Um..." He put his hands on her shoulders and pushed her away gently. "I... uh... I just..."
"Yes?" she said coming in close again.
"The stone. Can I have the stone?"
"You mean the Zora's Sapphire?" She pulled her arms back, holding the stone near his face now.
"Yeah. The Spiritual Stone."
"My mom said that it's been passed down the royal line of Zoras since it was made. She gave it to me and said I should give it only to the man who will be my husband. You might call it the Zora's Engagement Ring!"
"What does all that mean?"
"Here, take it," Ruto said. Link took it out of her hands. "Why did you want it?"
"You know, the whole gagement thing." He didn't want to tell her where he was going next, because he didn't want her trailing along with her arms around him. That's sissy, girly, gross stuff, after all.
"Good!"
"I have to... go... some place..."
"Link!" Link's hat came flying up to him and for the first time he realized he wasn't wearing it since he flew out of Jabu-Jabu. It landed right on his head and Navi flew out of it. "Oh, you got the Stone. Good. We need to go. Come on!"
"Where are you going?" Ruto asked as Link left, following Navi through the tunnel into Zora's Domain. They now had all the Spiritual Stones. Now they needed to take them back to Princess Zelda.