A/N: Disclaimer: I do not own the Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.

A Pair of Time

Chapter 44- Serenade of Water, Part 1

House of Skulltula; Day

"A Giant Wallet?" Malon holds the very large bag in her hands. "And… you said how much does it carry?"

"500 Rupees!" the curse-broken son exclaims.

"… Do we really need to carry that much?" Link mutters. "Anyway, we're sorry about you waiting for seven years before your curse is broken."

"No need to apologize. As long as I am free, that's all that matters."

"Finding these Golden Skulltulas are difficult," Malon comments. "I'm not sure that we'll get all of them."

"Just keeping trying! Help my other brothers free themselves, too!"

Zora's Domain

Navi insisted that they should go check on the Zoras next. She feels an arctic wind from their river, and so, with this threat in mind, our heroes traveled upstream through the majestic Zora River. As they continued to approach the waterfall, they too felt the cold air. Worse, snow was sighted falling around them.

But, the most bizarre thing they've seen today is that Zora's Domain is frozen over. Totally ice solid.

"Check it out!" Navi shouts, her voice echoing in the icy cave. "I knew something was wrong here!"

"Looks like Ganondorf caused trouble here, too," Malon said.

Link examines the cave thoroughly. "Where are all the Zoras?"

"You don't think that maybe… they're stuck under the ice?"

A quick glance through the frozen lake below disavows that theory.

"So, what should we do?" Malon asks. "Melt the ice?"

"It looks too thick to even do that," Navi disagrees.

"We should find out if anybody's still here…" Link suggests.

The only Zora that still is living here (as far as they could possibly search) is none other than King Zora himself. The problem is, is that he's frozen too, but in red ice.

"Red Ice…" Navi said in a marveled tone. "Interesting. I thought they only exist in the Ice Cavern."

"We gotta thaw him!" Malon declares.

"But, how?" Link questions.

"A Blue Fire," Navi proposes. "Regular fire won't do a thing, because a Red Ice is actually hot. So, you need to cool it, but still need to make a fire at the cold temperature to melt the ice part."

"Blue Fire?" Malon repeats. "But… that means we have to go back to Kakariko and pay 300 Rupees just for one flame!"

"Not really," Link said. "I got one right here." He pulls out a Bottle containing the pinkish-blue, glowing fire. It radiates a cool air instead of a hot one.

"What? When did you buy one?"

"When you were busy in the Shooting Gallery getting us those two large quivers. Well, actually, since we had an Adult Wallet back then, I had to pay in two separate payments of 150 Rupees."

Malon gawks at him. "You made PAYMENTS?"

"Yeah. I thought a Blue Fire would come in handy back then, so I negotiated a deal with the Potion Shop owner. What's the problem?"

"… Nothing. Nothing at all… Just melt the ice already."

Link dumps the fire out of the Bottle and lets it land on the ice. The red solid begins to evaporate, disappearing in large vapors. Soon, King Zora is free from the ruby-colored, cold prison.

"Oh, I've come back to life!" he exclaims. "Who has thawed me from that horrible ice?"

"Us, Your Majesty," Malon answers as soon as she and Link reach the audience's platform.

"Oh, you and you? I thank you for your kind act."

"Your Majesty, where are all the Zoras?" Link questions.

"My people? They have all been taken to the Ice Cavern. I'm afraid I can't do much to help them… even for my daughter, Ruto."

"Ice Cavern? Then… we should head over there right now. C'mon, Link!"

"Oh, wait! I do have something for you. Being Hylians as you are, it looks like you have a hard time breathing underwater. As an expression of my gratitude, I grant you this tunic and dress. With this, you won't choke underwater."

Struggling for a moment, King Zora manages to pull the raiment from behind his cape. They are a deep color of blue, like that of the properties they have. Because of the short arms King Zora has, Link has to lean over the edge to just even touch the garments.

"Your Majesty, where would this Ice Cavern be?"

"Right next to Zora's Fountain. It should be located at the north, accessible by an entrance."

Zora's Fountain

Things haven't been the same ever since Ganondorf ruled, that's a known factor. The fountain is a frosty shade of what it used to be. Snow falls very intensely here, and ice blocks are seen floating in the clean fountain. And the giant fish, Lord Jabu-Jabu, is nowhere to be found.

"Must have been too cold for Lord Jabu-Jabu," Link figures.

"Either that, or Ganondorf got rid of him. It would explain why with no god around, things are going bad here," Malon points out. "This Zora Dress feels nice. What's it made of?"

"'Finest material,' they said."

"Well, at least we didn't waste… 600 Rupees on these."

"Do you think they really can help us breathe underwater?"

"Why don't you try and dive over there?"

"… Oh, ha ha. Right. The water's freezing cold, and you want me to test it out over there?"

"Well, you did want to see if it works…"

Treading softly, but quickly on the floating islands of ice, they jump across without any problems, besides some annoying Octorocks and the fact that ice is slippery. Finding the entrance of the Ice Cavern, they head on over to the place.

Ice Cavern

"Hot, then cold…" Malon grimaces with an extreme shiver. "Could being a heroine be any worse?"

"Do you want to stand outside and wait for me?"

"Oh, no, fairy boy. Let's say you froze to death in here and I'm not there to help you."

"Well, that's unlikely, me being frozen first. You're the one always complaining about the cold. I wouldn't be surprised if you froze right on the spot."

"Now, you're just being mean."

"Not really."

"Forget it. I can stand this. Let's just get a move on…"

Ice, ice, and more ice. In fact, all kinds of ice decorate the inside of the cavern. From the classical permafrost to the cold tiled floor to falling icicles. They even got ice monsters, Freezzards. Ice, ice, and more ice. And all of them slippery, cold, and dangerous. It's not much of a problem. Aside from the fact that the unnatural Blue Fire geysers around provide no heat, they push through the dungeon just fine.

Until the ice blocks, that is.

"I told you, push it over THERE!" Malon demands.

"That will lead it to nowhere, Mal!"

"Yes, it would!"

"No, it wouldn't! Can't you see that if you pushed it over there, the only way left is to fall into the pits?"

"Well, where does your route lead!"

"Right over THERE! To that last silver Rupee!"

"Well, Mister Smarty-Pants, why didn't you say so sooner!"

"Because you weren't listening!"

"That's because you weren't listening!"

"What do you mean! I was listening!"

"No, you weren't!"

"Yes, I was!"

"No, you weren't!"

"Yes, I was!"

"Well, you certainly didn't when I asked you to get some Blue Fire!"

"You didn't tell me!"

"Fairy boy, are you deaf, or are you just plain dumb! I remember EXACTLY that I told you to get it!"

"You… never… told… me… to… get it!"

"URGH! You're impossible!"

"It's not like you are, either!"

"WHAT?"

SLAP!

"OW! WHAT THE-"

Oh, this is going to take a LONG time… Navi quietly groans to herself in Link's far corner of his mind.

After many complications (and some forgive and forgets), Malon and Link finally enter a room where, on the Dungeon Map, the cavern's main treasure would be. The floor is a sheet of pure, thick ice, with some blue crystals sticking out. The walls, clear and black, are of a strange pattern. Blue stars are shown through, as if ice is embedded in the wall itself.

"Okay, the Compass shows us the treasure is here…" Link mumbles, "but I don't see it…"

"Guess we gotta find that trigger or whatever."

A White Wolfos suddenly appears from the ice underneath and meets them on the surface.

"There's your trigger."

"You want to take care of it, Link?"

"Sure, fine…"

It didn't take much; the White Wolfos strikes at Link and misses, exposing its weak back. A Jump Attack soon finishes it off. With that done, the chest they've been searching for reveals itself. Link opens it, and pulls out with difficulty a pair of boots. Attached to these boots seems to be metal weights.

"Iron Boots…" Malon comes up next to him. "For what?"

Navi flies out to explain. "Sinking. And makes a good item when you're in a windy situation."

"Where's my pair?"

"In there," Link answers. "It weighs like a ton."

"Then give me yours."

Link sighs. "… Fine." He hands the boots over carefully.

"Goddess!" Malon exclaims when she bends over to the weight. "And I thought the Hylian Shield was heavy…"

"Urgh…!" Link grunts as he takes out the second pair. "I wonder how we're going to walk in them when they're this heavy… Malon?"

"Uh… look behind you."

Turning around, Link sees Sheik standing next to the door they had just entered earlier. With a thought, he couldn't figure out why he hasn't sense Sheik's presence before. Maybe the coldness…

"Sheik…"

"We meet again, Link and Malon…" he greets, then crosses his arms. "If you came here to meet the Zoras, you wasted your time… This is all there is…"

"We came all the way here for nothing?" Malon said.

"Not entirely true. The Zoras are here, but with one exception. They are now sealed under this thick ice sheet…"

"… This one? The very one we're standing on?"

"Yes… I managed to rescue the Zora princess from under the ice, but… she left to head for the Water Temple…"

"Why?"

"This ice… This impenetrable, freezing barrier… 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."

"Please, then, continue," Link said.

Sheik makes a sound, almost like a satisfied scoff. "Time passes, people move… Like a river's flow, it never ends… A childish mind will turn to noble ambition… Young love will become deep affection… The clear water's surface reflects growth… Now listen to the Serenade of Water to reflect upon yourself…"

Pulling out his golden harp, Sheik plucks the strings without hesitation. A soothing song is played as each note follows the one before in ascension. The serenade flows gently, but in a steady flow, like a river never ending. Malon and Link follow, repeating the melody over to express its lull. Ice seems to sparkle with each sound resonating through its crystalloid bodies. Like how it started, the song ends with a flow into fadedness.

"Link, Malon…" Sheik withdraws his harp and prepares his getaway, "I'll see you again…"

"ARGH! No!" Malon shouts.

Malon dives in, and almost came close to grabbing Sheik, but he throws down a Deku Nut just in time and disappears right before Malon comes in contact with his stomach.

"Malon, it's obvious that Sheik wants us to do this by ourselves," Link directs. "Every temple, if I'm not mistaken."

"I know!" Malon said as she gets up. "But, I might be grateful if he could just help us out THIS ONCE!"

Link sighs. "Why don't you take that up with him when we're done…?"

"Ganondorf, Sages, temples, Sheikah… AAAHHH! Why can't I get a break!"

"Maybe being so crazy all the time is the reason why…" Link mutters quietly to himself.