Chapter 11: King Zora's Tale

"Dang…" was all Link could utter as the tearful Kelli finished reading Judo's lone diary entry. Link wanted to say more, to say something that might console his distraught partner, yet words failed him. He hadn't even met Judo, yet he could clearly see why Kelli was crying her heart out over him. It was undeniable that the friendship they shared had been invaluable to both of them and that nothing would keep them apart forever; especially not if Link had anything to say about it. Link might only know Judo through Kelli's anecdotes and from the rather meager information from the diary, but Link was already convinced that Judo was a man of honor. Compassionate, brave, loyal and eager to make good on the faith others placed in him. He and Kelli, it seemed, needed each other as much as Link and Navi needed one another, and perhaps even as much as Link and Zelda as well. Kelli sniffled moments later, though her tears did not stop.

"Kel… I'm sorry," Link spoke up, his own eyes misting.

"Oh, Link…" Kelli uttered, and, startling them both in doing so, vaulting upright and throwing herself into his arms. "I just have to find Judo! I can't stand being away from him anymore!"

"It's alright. We'll find him," Link replied, returning Kelli's hug and stroking her back. "At the very least, we'll find out where he is so you can meet him."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Link! I can't tell you how much this means to me…"

"Indeed. I bet seeing you again means a lot to Judo too. Frankly, I'd like to meet him as well."

"I'm sure he'd love to meet you. It's been seven long years since I've seen him, but we both promised we'd see each other again someday. I only regret not looking for him sooner. I returned from Mayia only a couple months ago."

"Oh? How come you didn't search then?"

"I'd been…busy. I was on my own, after all, and I needed ways to earn money to feed myself. I'd either work odd jobs here and there, like cleaning or cooking, or fight off bandits or thieves for the locals, since I was a freelancer rather than part of Hyrule's military. I know I could have gone back to Judo's house, but it wouldn't have felt right. I mean really, a grown woman like me relying on my best friend's mother for food and shelter?"

"Yeah, that would be awkward."

"Exactly. And as much as I wanted to visit, things only got more and more complicated. I eliminated so many bandits and thieves that the more powerful bandit leaders and thugs put a bounty on my head. More and more of them attempted to defeat me. Of course, none ever succeeded, but they were persistent and they always seemed to be able to find me. If I'd gone to Judo's house at that time, I'd be putting him and his mother in danger if the ruffians found me. I should've just come back here in the beginning… If I had, I probably would've found Judo before he left on his trip. And I bet the 'big day' he's talking about in this diary entry refers to that journey."

"Well, I'm sure he'd understand," Link assured with a smile. "Besides, maybe he was busy as well. I highly doubt he's still relying on his mother."

"Yeah, true. I think the bandits have given up as well. I haven't seen them in over a week. But then again, they could just be waiting until I'm away from all the trouble going on here. Aside from us, not many would wade through these enhanced monsters without a death wish."

"That's probably true. I should leave now, by the way. It wouldn't help his majesty if I put off investigating Zora's Domain for too much longer."

"Oh, right. I'd almost forgotten about that. You get going then. I'll try to get this place closed back up after you leave. I doubt there's more clues in here and, if Judo and his mother do come back, I think they'll have enough problems without thinking someone broke in."

"Okey dokey."

With that, Link headed back downstairs and out through the front door of the house. As he made his exit, a curious realization struck him. The last time he'd been in the village, as a child, he could have sworn that that building in which Judo had lived was going to become a shop. What's more, it had actually been a shop in the dark future. The potion shop in Hyrule Castle Town had relocated there after Ganondorf had seized the throne and destroyed the city. Link had suspected that some things in this new future would be different, but that still didn't explain why Judo's house had been a vacant potion shop at some point in Link's childhood. As he reached the stairway leading into the lower portion of the village, however, something caught his eye. A sign had been posted above the door on the building right across from Judo's house. During Link's childhood, or at least, the one he'd had just before the dark future, it had been home to a mother and her son who, for whatever reason, wanted to be like Dampe the gravekeeper. During the dark future, the bazaar from Hyrule Castle Town had relocated there. Now, it seemed the building had changed hands yet again, for the sign read that an emporium would soon be open for business there and would sell goods that Link found in Castle Town's bazaar and the potion shop. Link regarded the ever-changing building dubiously, as it seemed a rather small space for such an operation. And, when he was a child, weren't the carpenters developing the village planning on turning the building which had been Judo's home into a potion shop? This seemed rather peculiar, but Link knew that the situation in Zora's Domain was far more important.

Vira and Navi were waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Link quickly approached the pair, hoping that Navi had gotten a hold of herself.

"Hey, Navi! I hope you've calmed down, because we're leaving now," Link spoke up. "We've got work to do."

"Don't worry, I'm okay now. Let's get out of here," Navi replied.

"Good luck at Zora's Domain!" Vira offered encouragingly. "And don't come back in a grumpy mood this time, Nav."

"I know, I know…"

"Well, we'll be back as soon as we can," Link promised.

Vira nodded as the two headed for the stairs leading out of the village.

About halfway down, Link suddenly felt that something was wrong. For a moment, Link thought it might've just been the strain of the day but, when he reached the base of the stairs, he discovered that his instincts had not played him false. Epona and Sunfire had been waiting at the base of the staircase the last time Link had seen them but now, they were both gone. All that remained where they once stood were a few splotches of blood. Few they might have been, but Link had a very ominous premonition about where they might have come from.

"What the—? Where'd the horses go?" Link frantically wondered as his eyes darted in all directions. Unfortunately, he couldn't see nor hear either steed.

"I don't know, but try the song!" Navi suggested. "Maybe they just chased some monsters away."

"Yeah, let's hope so."

Link then hurriedly whipped out the Ocarina of Time. He had learned the song a long time before from Malon in the events that led up to the dark future. Whenever he'd played in during that dire time, Epona would seemingly burst out of nowhere to reach his side. Link knew from prior experience, in Termina and seemingly, everywhere else, that the song could still summon Epona. Perhaps, if Sunfire liked the melody or simply followed her fellow steed, the song would bring her back as well. Link's heart raced as he played the tune, only endless practice preventing the notes from wavering or his hands shaking, and then he waited. Before, when he played the song, Epona would appear so instantly that, at times, Link found himself wondering if there might be a bit of magic in her as well as there was in much else that he'd encountered. Now, after several minutes had passed, he realized with growing alarm that neither horse had appeared.

"Blast! Malon's going to kill me if she finds out about this…!" Link grumbled as he raced back up the stairs, trying to keep his fear for his beloved steed from whipping him into a panic. He considered setting out immediately to search for the horses, but then considered whether or not he should find Kelli first. She'd want to know if her horse could be in trouble. But, then again, would taking Kelli be wise? Her discovery at Judo's house had clearly upset her, and if her head wasn't on straight, she might overlook a vital clue or distract Link from the search. After a moment's deliberation, Link decided that he had no choice in the matter. Crossing Hyrule Field on foot at its widest point would take nearly a week. Between the sheer distance and the horses' speed, finding either of them while searching alone would be all but impossible. Two searchers wouldn't improve those odds by much, but it was Link's only option.

"KELLI! Where are you?" Link called, nearly tripping as he raced back into the village and towards Judo's house, assuming the female warrior was still there. Thankfully, Link soon spotted her descending the stairs that led to Death Mountain.

"Link!" Kelli called back as she headed towards him. "What are you doing back here? You're supposed to be—"

"I know, but we've got a big problem!"

"What now?"

"Our horses are gone! And there's blood in the grass where they were standing!"

"What?"

"I'm not kidding! Come see for yourself!"

Kelli offered no objection and quickly followed as Link led her to the base of the main staircase. She gasped when she laid eyes upon the blood staining the grass below. Droplets of still more blood formed a faint trail leading out onto Hyrule Field, over the small bridge spanning the river and then further into the vast expanse of grasslands. Link dapped experimentally at one of the blood drops and found that they were dry, which could only mean that whatever had happened occurred at least several hours ago. But stranger still, neither of the two warriors could make out any hoof prints. And, that meant...Link didn't know what it meant. He rather doubted the horses had bolted off on their own, for they would've returned when they heard the song. More likely, they had been taken but how did the culprits managed to conceal the horses' trail? And, for that matter, did they also leave that blood trail? Link had quite a few questions, though only one of them truly mattered. How were he and Kelli going to get their steeds back?

"This…This is terrible…" Kelli uttered with a sniffle. "I promised Zelda I'd take good care of Sunfire… If I don't get her back…"

"I feel your pain. I promised Malon I'd be good to Epona too," Link replied. "She'll be making saddles out of my hide if I don't find her. But standing around worrying won't bring the horses back. We have to go look for them."

"Not so fast, fairy boy," Kelli warned. "Take a look, and tell me what you see."

Puzzled, Link let his eyes roam over the landscape. He saw...well, not much, actually.

"Looks kinda quiet," he opined.

"Exactly. Hyrule Field hasn't been this quiet in months, and that bothers me. Also, there's no trace of where Epona and Sunfire went except that blood trail. Whoever took the horses was able to hide their hoof prints, but left a blood trail. Doesn't that strike you as a little odd?"

"Now that you mention it, yeah. But then again, we don't know whether or not that blood came from whoever took the horses. It might have been an oversight."

"Or bait. Whoever took Epona and Sunfire probably wants us to follow."

"And, that would leave the village defenseless."

"Wouldn't surprise me if there were monsters about, waiting for us to take the bait."

"Blast… You're right. But I don't see what else we can do. We won't get much further without our horses, especially if we have to cross Hyrule Field. Doing that on foot could take days, not to mentioning getting through all the monsters."

"I know. But, I can stay right out here and keep watch in case I'm wrong and they do come back. I'd have to let Vira and his majesty know first, but even so. And I could keep trying to use Epona's Song."

"You know that melody?"

"Yeah, Malon taught it to me because Sunfire liked it too."

"Oh, you know Malon?"

"Everybody knows Malon these days, but everyone knows me too."

"Gee, I feel so left out."

"Oh, muzzle it. Anyhow, up until the troubles here began, Malon was doing quite well for herself. She'd made quite a name, and a small fortune, as the foremost horse breeder and a saddle and tack maker."

Here, Kelli's expression turned coy.

"She'd quite the eligible bachelorette if you're interested," she suggested.

Although Link was relieved that Kelli seemed to be feeling better, he wasn't too fond of the direction this conversation was taking. And, it didn't help much when Navi cut in.

"Oh, he's already taken," she blurted out. "Link is ever so head-over-heels for—"

Before Navi could reveal her suspicion, a blur of green engulfed her. Link, his hat in hand, held it tight against Navi's struggled from within.

"Okay, let's get back to business," he decided as he put his hat back on. "You stay here and guard the village. While you're doing that, I'll figure out what's happening with the waterfall in Zora's River. Once that's done, I'll start looking for the horses afterward. Finding Epona and Sunfire could take days and, by then, the waterfall may stop flowing."

"True that. You have to hurry, though! Who knows what kind of trouble our poor steeds might be in?"

"Don't worry, I plan on it. But wait here for a minute, I want to check something out."

"Alright, but hurry."

"Of course."

Link then quickly followed the blood trail, even though the darkening Hyrulean skies made it difficult. It led him across the bridge spanning the river and out towards the ransacked Lon Lon Ranch. When the hero approached the ranch, however, he noticed the blood continued on past. The trail meandered through the lands between Gerudo Valley and Lake Hylia, but eventually disappeared. Link growled in annoyance, as the trail couldn't tell him whether it had been leading to the valley, the lake, or even somewhere else completely. Whoever abducted Epona and Sunfire might have reconsidered their course and turned elsewhere, met up with others of their ilk, at which point the captive horses had changed hands, or this trail was simply meant to lead him and Kelli away so that Kakariko would be unguarded. And of course, that was assuming that this trail was even that of the thieves. There were a lot of possibilities, though none of which would help him in the rescue. Now more concerned than ever, Link returned to Kelli as fast as his legs would carry him. His futile search had taken him much further away than he'd intended and it had also cost him the night hours. Both a lack of results and a lack of sleep left him in a decidedly unpleasant mood.

"That blood trail leads past the ranch, but then it disappears," he reported upon approaching Kelli once more. "I was hoping I could follow it further after I finished my errand at Zora's Domain, but… I'm sorry."

"Blast…" Kelli worriedly groused. "I'll report to his majesty at once. We can't waste anymore time, you have to head to Zora's Domain now!"

"Right."

With that, Link quickly raced towards Zora's River while Kelli hurried back up the stairs into Kakariko. Once Kelli was a good distance away, Link let Navi out of inside his hat. The fairy had been rather indignant but, to Link's dismay, she took this as yet another sign that her suspicions were correct. Trying vainly to ignore her, Link continued his journey. Luckily, the entrance to Zora's River was only a few hours away. Link decided that his first task would be reaching King Zora which, given the Zora King's rather sedentary nature, would likely not be difficult. Once there, he'd see about learning more about what was happening to the waterfall. Even if he didn't find Ruto in the process, Link promised himself he'd search for the horses after restoring the waterfall's flow. Kelli was worried and frustrated enough about Judo's disappearance; the last thing she needed was another loved one in danger. What's more, aside from neither Zelda nor Malon being pleased if something terrible happened to the horses, Link rather doubted he'd be able to accomplish his quest if he had to cross Hyrule Field on foot when it was swarming with enhanced monsters. Without Epona to help him outrun the enemy, any monsters lurking in the field would be able to surround Link and tear him to pieces. As he arrived in Zora's River, Link was still trying to shake off whatever frightening thoughts entered his mind regarding the fate of his loyal steed.

"Please be alright, Epona… Sunfire…" he uttered as he traversed the path up the river.

It didn't take Link long to see that the situation was as serious as King Daphnes made it out to be, and worse. Zora's River usually ran deep and swift and, during his prior visits as a child, could've swept him away like a twig if he fell in. Now, the water didn't even reach his waist and its once mighty flow had slowed nearly to a halt. After a long moment of looking at the river's state in shocked silence, Link broke into a run.

After jumping across cliffs, dashing through ominously shallow water, and climbing sloped pathways, Link found himself standing before the waterfall itself and the entrance to Zora's Domain. And, just when he thought the situation here couldn't get any worse, it did just that. The fierce torrent that had shielded Zora's Domain from all but those acting upon the authority of the Royal Family had been reduced to a feeble trickle and the entrance to Zora's Domain was wide open. And then, as if via some malicious finishing touch by fate, just as Link was about to jump across the gap and enter, however, the water stopped completely.

"…Oh no," was all Link could utter, his eyes widening with fear. "King Zora is not going to like this…"

Though he was loathe to frighten the Zora king any more than he probably already was, Link knew he could not keep such an emergency from him. The enemy had already penetrated Kakariko Village at least several times, and would surely lose no time doing the same here. He immediately raced inside and hurried to King Zora's throne room as quickly as his legs could carry him. Several wary Zoras took notice of his arrival, some friendly and other simply relieved that he wasn't an enemy, but Link raced right past them. He rushed up the stairs above the Zora shop and burst into the throne room. As Link had expected, King Zora sat upon his throne staring somberly at the still water below him. In fact, as Link's gaze roamed the chamber, he could swear that the water was slightly shallower than he remembered it. Knowing this to be a bad sign, Link quickly rushed to the raised platform before King Zora.

"Your majesty, I'm here! I apologize if I've delayed too long," Link spoke up, somewhat breathless from his frantic trek.

"Oh, you must be Link, then! I'm so relieved you arrived safely!" King Zora replied, perking his head in surprise at Link's appearance. "…You look troubled, if you'll pardon my saying so."

"Well, to tell you the truth…" Link began, looking away.

"The waterfall has stopped flowing completely, hasn't it?"

Link's eyes widened in disbelief.

"…H-How did you—?"

"…We could feel it," King Zora explained. "The waterfall is connected to our domain by the fountain where Lord Jabu-Jabu dwells. If it stops flowing, the water stops flowing in here as well."

"Oh… I'm so sorry. I should have come sooner."

"Please, don't worry about that. I know there are other troubles in Hyrule that you and Kelli must attend to. Too many to count, I've heard tell. With all of the evil that's arisen in our afflicted land, I'm surprised that you've come at all."

"I'll do better than that, your majesty. I'll start investigating the waterfall immediately, but first, can you tell me how all of this began? When did the waterfall's flow begin failing? When did Princess Ruto first disappear?"

"Ah, well, the trouble began not long after my dear sweet Ruto departed for the Water Temple several days ago. A contingent of Zora guards had accompanied her under my orders. While they were away, another of my guards reported that the waterfall was thinning."

"I see. None of them could find the cause of this?"

"Unfortunately, no. However, while the guard was giving his report to me, we heard a terrible sound. It was loud and screechy, though it almost sounded like a roar, and it echoed to us from outside. A guard went to investigate, but he saw nothing. However, just before he was about to come back inside, he heard it again. He told us that it sounded like it was coming from the sky."

"That's unusual…"

"Indeed. I can't imagine at all what it could've been, but whatever it was, even its echoes paralyzed us with fear. Several hours later, one of the Zora guards from the contingent accompanying my daughter returned. He returned with grievous wounds and had to be rushed to our healers immediately. Once he was well enough to talk, he reported that he and the other two guards had met with disaster. Some fell magic caused the guards to black out and when they awoke, Ruto was gone, vanished. Before they could begin looking for her, however, a small group of monsters attacked them. We may not look like it, but some of our tribe are quite competent in the arts of battle, though we Zoras generally dislike fighting."

"I know. I discovered that when I met your tribe's cousins in Termina."

"That is a tale I wish I had time to hear. To continue, the Zora guards managed to win the battle, but they were lucky to come away with their lives."

"Whoa… What happened to the other two…?"

"Unfortunately, I don't know how they fare. The guard that returned here reported that they stayed behind to search for Ruto. But I fear the worst may have befallen them."

"Oh…"

"But that's not all," King Zora continued. "Link, if the waterfall is not restored, this entire domain, along with the fountain and the river, will eventually dry up. And neither my people nor any other in Hyrule can survive long without water! What's more, now that the entrance is no longer concealed, those monsters are free to enter and we are all but defenseless! I'm begging you to help us by any means necessary as quickly as possible!"

For a stretching second, Link eyed the Zora king with growing, albeit concealed, concern. King Zora looked, as he himself would probably say, rather green around the gills. His breathing was labored, his eyes were weary and careworn, his hands, or at least, his manipulative extremities, trembled and most shocking of all, he'd lost weight. Though Link had no idea how old King Zora was, nor did he have any idea how to ascertain a Zora's health, but he could clearly see that his situation was hardly different from what Daphnes was going through. Between his daughter's disappearance and the growing crisis of the waterfall's decline, King Zora's health was surely suffering. Link was suddenly reminded of the sickly, despondent Hylian King and how he fearfully wondered if the monarch would live to see Hyrule restored. Angrily, he clenched his fists, knowing that this simply could not stand.

"Don't worry, I'll have this situation figured out. I'll do whatever it takes!" he proclaimed.

"Oh, thank you so much! You should start by investigating the fountain. All of the water comes from there. I suspect it's where you'll find the answer."

"Then that's what I'll do. Where do you suspect Ruto may be though?"

"Well, I can only speculate at this point. I do have a thought though. You may not know this, but we Zora did not always live in this domain. Long ago, we once lived in the depths of Lake Hylia. But during a fierce war many years ago, the Gerudo attacked us and our home was destroyed. So, we moved here. Our former home has been in ruins for ages, but we can still find it easily enough and I have little doubt Ruto would try to hide there. Sadly, that course of action seems to have been the least wise. The Zora guard told us that he suspect it's where the monsters came from. More curious still, a frigid wind has been blowing from inside for the past few weeks. I fear it's become a very dangerous place. In fact, we've begun calling it the Fortress of Ice."

"I see. I'll go check it out when I'm done here."

"Alas, that may prove impossible. The guard also told me that as he was leaving, a thick fog enveloped the entire lake and has not dispersed. We have confirmed that the fog is still there and, from what the guard told us, it was impossible for him to see anything past the fences at the entrance. If you go any further than that, you may as well be blind."

"Blast… What am I supposed to do then?"

"Well, there is a tale that I've heard. I usually don't put much stock in such things but, in all candor, we are desperate. These tales told of a sacred jewel possessing the power to control the wind. Supposedly, it is hidden somewhere near here, but I know not if this is true."

The Jewel of Wind, Link realized.

"Actually, that might be just what we need!" Link exclaimed, noting King Zora's puzzlement. "The jewel you're talking about is part of a set, and I've already found two of them. If they're real, this one has to be as well. And a gust of wind would be more than enough to blow the fog away. I'll look for the jewel and if I don't find it, I'll find some other way to explore the lake and rescue Ruto."

"Alright. I wish you good luck. And more than that, good speed."

Link merely responded with a nod, conscious that the Zoras, and perhaps, all of Hyrule, were living on borrowed time now that the water had stopped flowing. Thankfully, King Zora seemed to appreciate this fact as well and, rather than spend five minutes scooting over to allow access to the passage leading to Zora's Fountain, he had already moved aside. Perhaps the Zora king had tried let in as much water as possible or maybe he had anticipated Link's arrival and decided to give him a head start, but he couldn't be certain. Either way, Link quickly raced up the ramp rising on either side of the Zora king's throne and ran through the small tributary that once flowed into the chamber. The water within had always been shallow, but now bare rock rose above the pitiable flow. Link continued forward, already worried about the state of the fountain, and his fears were swiftly confirmed. The fountain had once been an immense basin of water, even deeper than Lake Hylia, but now it looked to be half empty. Link's gaze quickly found Lord Jabu-Jabu, the immense leviathan who was the Zora tribe's guardian god, forlornly beached upon an expansive outcropping of bare rock. The beached leviathan was calling out, bellowing in helpless agony and, despite his less-than-pleasant memories of the Zora tribe's guardian god, Link could feel his eyes misting at the poor creature's misery. Link had never discovered Jabu-Jabu's fate in the dark future, though he'd suspected that Jabu-Jabu had either been killed by Ganondorf or had found some means to migrate away from the desecrated kingdom. The Zoras' guardian god was still alive at least, but for how long? Out of the water, he surely would not survive long.

"I know we ought to help him, but goddesses forbid I ever have to go inside that fish again…" Link mumbled under his breath. He recalled how, as a child in the events leading up to the dark future, he'd been collecting the three Spiritual Stones. These three enchanted jewels were the keys to opening the Door of Time in the Temple of Time and retrieving the Master Sword. Retrieving the Spiritual Stone of Water, also known as Zora's Sapphire, had meant slogging through Jabu-Jabu's stomach to find both it and Ruto, both of which had been swallowed by Jabu-Jabu. That particularly unpleasant trek had involved fish guts, parasitic tentacles and, worst of the worst, Ruto. Running a close second to the Zora Princess had been the boss, which had been something Link could not even identify. Whatever it was, it had had a slimy, multi-armed body that discharged electrical energy with killing power. Link might be willing to go in there again, if he had to in order to keep Jabu-Jabu from dying, but he desperately hoped for an alternative.

"'Help him?'" Navi repeated in stupefaction. "Are you nuts? I mean, it's a sad picture but, unless you want to leave me here with the ocarina to play the Song of Storms for the next four months, which, by the way, is so not happening, I don't see what we can do."

"Well," Link said with a shrug, "I'm just firing blind here, but, I can see that there's still a good bit of water in the lower part of the basin. If we can push Jabu-Jabu off of this outcropping, then he'll land in that water and be okay."

"Great. So, where is the small army of Link clones equipped with Golden Gauntlets that's going to make this happen?"

"You're not helping. Still, I have a thought. You remember how the Elemental Jewels can summon their respective elements? Well, call me crazy, but maybe the Jewel of Wind could create enough wind to push Jabu-Jabu off of the outcropping and into the water."

There was a very long, very awkward pause during which Navi stared at Link as if he'd lost his mind.

"Yup, you're crazy."

Link was about to retort when Navi darted towards the edge of the cliff and began frantically bobbing up and down.

"Hey, check out the water back here!"

"Holy…"

When Link's eyes followed Navi's gesture, they nearly popped out of his head. Upon the bottom of the lake, at the opposite end of the fountain, were several boulders stacked on top of each other.

"Well, there's our answer," Link finally uttered moments later, though his tone was skeptical. "But how did the Zoras miss this?"

"Well, they were probably afraid to go outside after hearing that monstrous roar. Or, maybe they just couldn't stand seeing their guardian god like this. Or both."

"That makes sense. Still, how are we going to get rid of those boulders? Even if I still had the Golden Gauntlets and my Zora Tunic, I doubt I could move them while they're underwater. And, using bombs is out of the question."

"Good question…" Navi conceded, trailing off in contemplation until a realization hit her. "Wait! Link, remember what you did with that one bomb in the Magma Cavern during the fight against the Flare Dancers?"

"Huh? Oh! I shot an unlit bomb with an arrow to set it off!" Link recalled. "Of course!"

With that, he immediately produced another bomb. Carefully, he knotted the fuse so that it would be shortened and would prevent the water from getting in and soaking the explosive powder inside. Then, he dropped it into the water without lighting it. After it sank and came to rest atop of the boulders, Link whipped out his bow, charged an arrow, and released. The arrow tore into the water, the magic of the bow allowing it to cut through the water without losing speed, and struck the bomb. The arrow grazing the rocks and the bomb's casing produced a hail of brief sparks, one of which ignited the explosive in the fraction of a second before the water could snuff it out. There was a distant flash of light, a muffled explosion and the boulders were shattered to pieces. Link had been expected torrents of liberated water to come pouring out into the drained fountain. Unfortunately, the water level did not change.

"What? Alright, something funny is going on here!" Link opined in annoyance.

"Wait, look! There's a cave entrance down there!" Navi pointed out.

"…Huh, so there is," Link replied, noticing the opening in the wall under the water. "As I always say, time to check it out."

With that, Link navigated as close to the tunnel as he could via the land and, when he traveled as far as he could, dove into the water. Since he had neither the Zora Tunic nor the Golden Scale, the latter which allowed him to hold his breath longer than normal, he knew he would only have so much time to get down, get in, and find a place to come up for air...if there was one. Thankfully, the cave entrance hadn't been too far down and luckier still, he was able to surface again moments later. What he saw, however, didn't surprise him in the slightest. It was a small grotto, its walls damp and water dripping from above in a light, but endless rain. Straight ahead, at the top of a small rocky staircase, was a large, rough hewn stone door. Stalactites and stalagmites thrust from the ceiling and floor like jaws, ready to bite any interloping heroes in half.

Well, interloping is what I do best, Link mused.

"An undead forest, a cavern full of magma, and now this. Swell," Link commented and shivered a little. "It's chilly in here too."

"Yeah, but I don't think this is the only place connected to the Zoras' problems," Navi replied. "I do sense evil in here, but a lot less than in the Magma Cavern or Death Forest. If it were otherwise, I'd think other people besides us would know about it."

"Agreed. But, I do think that this is the place where we'll find the Jewel of Wind and whatever's causing the water levels to drop."

"I second that. But perhaps the Jewel of Wind is connected to the cause?"

"You know, you could be right. I hadn't thought of that before, and we already found curses on two of the jewels. It wouldn't surprise me if the rest were as well."

"Still want to use the Jewel to help Jabu-Jabu?" Navi inquired, snickering. "I can't picture it doing him any good, and even Ruto's crush might not help you if the jewel's curse hurts him."

"You are never going to let me live that down, are you?"

Rather than answer directly, Navi began buzzing around the grotto singing a goddess-awful song that might've been an imitation of a sea chantey; a terrible sea chantey.

"Oh, blow the fish down, bullies blow the fish down! Way, hey, blow the fish down! Oh, blow the fish down, bullies blow the fish down! Give me some time to blow the fish down!"

"Remind me, is it river salmon or frogs that are known to try and eat fairies on occasion?"

"You wouldn't dare."

A few more good natured barbs passed between the two and, within a few minutes, both were laughing too hard to taunt the other any further. That had proven a refreshing distraction from their rather dire situation and, in many ways, made Link glad that the Great Deku Tree had sent Navi to him, and gladder still that he'd found her again.

"Well, let's go, we're wasting enough time already."

"Yeah, better hurry before Malon finds Epona first…"

"AAAH!" Link exclaimed, shuddering and bolting through the door instantly. He had, of course, not forgotten that his beloved steed was missing but, despite it being rather doubtful that Malon would discover Epona before he could, Link could not suppress a shudder at the idea. Malon was a strong willed young woman and, though Link was an excellent warrior, an angry woman was somehow more terrifying to him than Ganondorf. Then again, there was also the question of how Ruto would react when Link had to explain to her where he'd been for seven years. He had been too young, and much too stupid, to know what she'd made of him accepting the Zora's Sapphire. After all, having grown up amongst the never-aging Kokiri, engagement and marriage weren't exactly things Link had been exposed to before. Not that Ruto was likely to understand, of course. It seemed as though, no matter what happened, Link would have a woman biting his head off.

"Navi, don't ever scare me like that!" Link blurted after the door closed. "Just pray that Epona's where Malon won't find her! And besides, I've got a feeling that Sunfire is with Epona. If Malon found both of them, maybe she'll decide it's not completely my fault."

"Oh yeah, she'd be mad at Kelli too. Hehe."

Link shot Navi a glare before responding.

"Not what I meant."

"Hmph."

"Hey, I know you don't like her, we'll be working together with her for a long time. And we're going to have to work together if we want to win this thing."

"Link, look…"

"I mean it, Navi! Don't you remember—"

"No, I mean look ahead, you idiot!"

"Huh? WHOA!"

As Link turned, he beheld a streak of blue flying straight at him. Even as he dove out of the way, he knew already that it was an Ice Keese...and that, where there was one, there were many. He whipped out his bow, aiming carefully when he brought an arrow to the bowstring. After successfully striking the dangerous bat down, Link sighed with relief.

"That was too close…" he uttered. "One hit from those things and that would mean big trouble."

Ice Keese were deadlier than their normal and flaming brethren, as their frigid auras were capable of freezing their targets in solid ice. Link didn't have a chance to see if the Ice Keese might have been enhanced, but he wasn't too keen on finding out what new tricks these creatures might have learned.

"Yeah, but don't forget those other two fluttering about," Navi pointed out. "Best to get out. You see that pool of water? I can see the next door on the other side, and I think now's a good time to go through."

"Aw man…" Link groaned when he noticed the other two Ice Keese flying about the room, wheeling in the air to bear down on him. Still, as Navi had hinted, the next door was open, though it was on the other side of a pool of water. Link jumped in and swam across as fast as he could, nervously eyeing the Ice Keese. They were getting close but thankfully, Link had had a head start. He clambered out of the water and bolted through the door before either Keese could could touch him.

Unfortunately, as was often the case, Link's relief was short lived. The new chamber he had entered was a circular room which seemed to be some sort of nexus for this dungeon. In addition to the one he came through, there were seven more doors awaiting him. The door directly across from him was more ornate than the others, as the frame was ornamented with radiant silver. However, it also had bars sealing it shut. The other six doors looked the same as the one Link had come through, and interestingly, above each one was an unlit brazier. All seven doors, however, bore a curious symbol. It depicted what looked like two gusts of wind, each moving in the opposite direction of the other. Link merely froze where he stood for several moments, as there was only one explanation he could think of for this.

"Navi, I've a feeling we've got a fight ahead of us," he spoke up. "I'm assuming those braziers will ignite whenever we clear the rooms behind those doors. And I bet anything that we'll find the Jewel of Wind behind that ornantel door afterwards."

"And the answer to the problem with the waterfall," Navi added.

"That too. Let's get started."

With that, Link chose to proceed through the door on his right. What he discovered inside, however, made him shake his head in disbelief. Sitting on an immense chair carved from stone on the other side of the room, clad in white armor from head to toe and carrying a massive double-bladed axe, was none other than a familiar foe he remembered meeting in the Spirit Temple during the dark future.

"…You have got to be kidding me," Link blurted, staring at the creature in shock. "An Iron Knuckle?"