Chapter 12: Two Birds With One Stone
Link was not alone in his shock at seeing the Iron Knuckle. When Navi laid eyes on the armored giant, she nearly fell out of the air.
"What the—!" she blurted, stupefied. "I thought we'd seen the last of these things since Ganondorf's influence among the Gerudo was broken."
"I guess not," Link grimly replied. "I thought that the Iron Knuckles we met here might've been enslaved Gerudo or just empty armor animated by Koume and Kotake's magic. But I fought Iron Knuckles in Termina as well, and they weren't Gerudo. From here or there."
Link gulped audibly, and for a good reason. He had confronted Iron Knuckles before in the dark future and, even though he was a seasoned warrior by then, they had proven to be formidable adversaries, the most powerful of which had been the Spirit Sage, Nabooru, who had been turned into an Iron Knuckle by Ganondorf's surrogate mothers, the witches Koume and Kotake. Iron Knuckles were slow and cumbersome, but their massive axes could send Link flying across the room…or cut him clean in half. Link gulped once more as he drew his sword and slowly approached the Iron Knuckle, which seemed to taunt him with its unnatural stillness.
"Oh come on, don't tell me you're scared!" Navi opined, though she sounded nervous herself.
"Hey, even heroes have fears!" Link retorted, his tone suggesting that Iron Knuckles ranked high amongst his own fears.
"Well, you sure were able to handle these metal heads in the dark future."
"That's because I wasn't afraid of them until I faced one in Termina! And I was still a kid then!"
"Um, Link…" Navi uttered as a large shadow rose over the two.
"I'm serious! It came just inches away from cleaving me in half!"
"LINK!" Navi shouted as the Iron Knuckle, which was no longer tauntingly still, loomed over the distracted hero and raised its axe.
"YIKES!" Link yelped when he turned around and saw the huge blades descending towards his head. He quickly rolled out of the way to avoid being decapitated, and succeeded by a close margin. Link sprang to his feet and brought his sword and shield to the ready. As he did so, Link watched as the Iron Knuckle tore its axe free from the floor where the errant blow had landed. Then, with an eerily impassive air, it slowly turned and approached him again. Link felt his palms begin to sweat. Normally, these creatures were passive, only rising to life when struck. However, Link now could see that this new incarnation could sense intruders on its own and react with startling speed. The gap between the two began to narrow once more and still, the green-clad hero could barely move. As courageous and brave as Link naturally was, Iron Knuckles were the one thing he did fear. It had been a long time since he'd last battled one of these creatures, during his adventures in Termina years ago, and Link had no idea how to defeat this one.
Although Link, being far lighter and more agile than the hulking Iron Knuckle, was able to avoid his foe's attacks fairly easily, sweat began to break out along his temples. And, his whole face turned slick when the Iron Knuckle, embedding its axe in the floor and seeming to give Link an opening to strike, wrenched it free in an instant and whirled to strike in the same breath. The shadowy helm made it impossible for Link to see if the Iron Knuckle's eyes glowed, or if the Iron Knuckle even had eyes, but he already suspected that this Iron Knuckle was enhanced. And, that realization made his stomach drop.
What am I going to do? Link thought to himself as his body trembled. I was frightened enough by a normal Iron Knuckle… How am I going to beat a stronger one? Link grimaced as the Iron Knuckle's axe struck his shield and the force of the blow bore him to the floor. As the hero's strength waned before the relentless onslaught, the notion flew through Link's mind that his time had come.
"Come on, Link! Fight back! What would Hyrule think if they heard that their greatest hero got himself killed just because he panicked in a fight?" Navi shouted from nearby.
Link opened his eyes upon hearing the fairy's words, and dawning comprehension struck him ever harder than the Iron Knuckle had. I'd be letting everyone down… Kelli, his majesty King Daphnes, the Sages…and Zelda. No way! I can't let that happen! I have to conquer this fear, for everyone's sake! For Zelda!
"You're right, Navi! It's time I stopped acting like a coward! There are people counting on me!" Link proclaimed. He braced himself and pushed against his foe as hard as he could. The Iron Knuckle's axe, which had been inching ever closer to Link, began to slow and then to halt, but the Iron Knuckle was far too strong for Link to overpower. Thinking quickly, Link angled his blade and thrust at the creature's armor, sending fragments clattering to the ground and causing the Iron Knuckle to recoil. This allowed Link to slip out of his foe's grasp, but he still knew, however, that if the axe were to hit him at all, he'd be dead. Link was still confident that he could outmaneuver his foe, but attacking the Iron Knuckle proved to be no less difficult than escaping its deadly grip. The Iron Knuckle's axe was longer than Link was tall and the long haft seemed to be harder than a Goron's hide. Many a time, Link's strikes were deflected by the axe and Link found himself scrambling to avoid a counterstrike.
"Dang… Oh, wait! Why didn't I think of this before?" Link realized suddenly.
With that, he maneuvered towards the Iron Knuckled again. But this time, he did not strike. Instead, he allowed the Iron Knuckle to draw back its axe for an overhead chop…which was exactly what Link wanted. The moment the axe was drawn up and away, the green-clad hero darted to the inside and thrust his shield forward, knocking the Iron Knuckle off balance. In that same instant, Link followed up with several more slashes at the creature's torso, sending more fragments of armor clattering to the floor. It was then that Link realized why he hadn't thought of using any of the techniques Kelli taught him. Between seeing one of the dreaded Iron Knuckles after so long and being caught off guard by this one seizing the initiative from him, he had been too frightened to do much thinking at all. Now, however, the hero had regained both his focus and confidence. Although Link still wasn't certain if this Iron Knuckle might be enhanced, he considered trying to defeat it with a Sun Arrow. Then again, would that really be wise? There was a chance it would fail, after all, if the Iron Knuckle was a Sun creature. And, Link wouldn't be able to use his shield while taking the shot. No, it's too risky, Link decided. Besides that, if I'm going to be strong enough to defeat the toughest enemies Kelli and I will face, I have to prove that I can beat one of these things strength-for-strength.
With that, Link continued clashing with the Iron Knuckle. This creature could take a lot of punishment before being defeated, but Link continued to weave in and out of range of the Iron Knuckle and strike it with the shield attack. Gradually, the creature began to weaken and one of Link's stabs sent the Iron Knuckle sprawling to the floor. Not wanting to give his foe a chance to recover, Link leapt into the air with his blade angled downward for the kill. The ending blow technique, another of Kelli's tricks, served him well and his blade sank deep into the Iron Knuckle's chest…assuming there was one under the armor.
"Thank the goddesses that's over," Link opined after back flipping off of the corpse.
"Hey, don't forget you might face more of these guys later on," Navi pointed out.
"Aw man…" Link groaned. "Why do you have to be right so often?"
"Because my job was originally to guide you, remember? Why else would the Great Deku Tree have sent me to you?"
"Oh yeah… Hey, I was right! The brazier above the door ignited."
"Then let's go clear the other rooms as quickly as possible. The Zoras are living on borrowed time."
Link nodded and raced to the central chamber. There were five more rooms to conquer, and Link didn't doubt for a minute that they'd be dangerous, but he knew it had to be done if he was to find the Jewel of Wind. Link headed through another one of the doors, but before he could take little more than a few steps inside, the door slammed shut behind him and bars shot downward to seal him in. Link then spied the bones scattered upon the floor and, sure enough, a Stalfos rose from the scattered remains, blue fire blazing in its empty eye sockets. The hero had not forgotten his last encounter with one of these creatures, and knew that this fight would be no easier than the one with the Iron Knuckle. However, Link did have an advantage. He now knew what the enhanced Stalfos were capable of since he'd fought one once before. And, even better, this Stalfos didn't have a pair of enhanced Stalchildren to help him. This time, Link was prepared, and drew his blade.
As Link battled the Stalfos, remaining wary of any attempt by his foe to swing around to his back, he began to think that if each room housed only one enemy, perhaps solving this puzzle wouldn't be as hard as he had originally thought. Unfortunately, the hero discovered the opposite when he finally entered the third room sometime later. Instead of a single opponent, there were two Lizalfos standing before him, and then a pair of Dinolfos awaited him in the fourth room. This small dungeon, it seemed, was getting more dangerous than Link had foreseen, so he proceeded cautiously. However, he soon discerned a pattern to these chambers. In the first two rooms, he had faced a single enemy while the third and fourth held two enemies each. The first two each had a single enemy while the third and fourth rooms both had two enemies. This left Link with only one possible, but unsettling notion as to what awaited him in the fifth and sixth rooms. Soon enough, and to his displeasure, this surmise was swiftly confirmed.
Within each chamber was a trio of enemies. The fifth served as lair to three Armosaurs while the final chamber held a trio of the ever-cunning Lizalfos Knights, which Link had to acknowledge as the strongest of the more common opponents he'd ever faced so far aside from the Iron Knuckle. As he engaged the Lizalfos Knights, Link found himself wondering why the Iron Knuckle had been first. Perhaps it was meant to be a warning that greater challenges still lay ahead? This was likely and hardly surprising. After all, Link still had no idea what creature the Zoras had heard earlier…or what creature had destroyed the bridge in the Lost Woods…or what creature had dropped off the Dinolfos whom had captured Daphnes. Could those creatures be one and the same, or at least, one of the same species? Whatever the case, Link couldn't help but have the feeling that he'd encounter that creature sooner or later…and it would prove to be very deadly.
By the time the Lizalfos Knights had been vanquished and the final brazier had ignited, Link was exhausted. The green-clad hero, barely able to stand, was panting with cuts and scrapes all over his face, arms, and legs while sweat trickled down the sides of his head. Luckily, he remembered that a fairy fountain was located somewhere along Zora's River, and decided it was best that he go there before heading to Lake Hylia. Hopefully, the fountain had not been affected by the waterfall running dry.
"Come on, Link! The more time we waste in here, the less time we have to save the Zoras!" Navi coaxed moments later.
"Alright, alright, fine…"
With that, Link sheathed his sword, slung his shield across his back, and returned to the central chamber. Just as he had suspected, the ignition of all the braziers caused the bars on the ornate door to rise, allowing the hero access to the room beyond it. Hoping he'd find what he sought within, Link hurried through the door.
Beyond the threshold was a small altar, above which hovered a small dark cloud. As Link approached it, a light pulsed from within the darkness and the cloud evaporated. Revealed beneath was a glowing pink jewel that took the same shape as the symbol on the doors. It was the Jewel of Wind, cleansed of its curse.
"Ah! Three down, six to go!" Link chimed as he snatched the jewel from its resting place.
Link had been wondering who might be conjured by his acquisition of this jewel. After all, there were nine jewels but only seven sages. His question was answered when a sphere of luminous energy burst out of the jewel and took on the form of a fairy. This fairy, however, was unlike any Link had ever seen. She was not one of the Great Fairies, as she did not giggle like a lunatic or appear unclothed, but she was definitely not one of the tiny healing or guardian fairies either. She had to be the same size as Link when he had been a child. Protruding from her back were large, pink wings whose fringes swirled at the tips, much like her braided hair of the same color. She was clothed in a long gown which, unsurprisingly, was also pink and looked as soft and silken as her wings.
"Oh, great hero," the fairy greeted. "I thank you for freeing me from my prison within that cloud of darkness. I am known as the Fairy of Winds."
"The Fairy of Winds? I've heard that name before," Navi replied. "My sister told me that there were legends about you, but no one had ever seen you."
"Yes, that is true. I had been living in secrecy for many years," the Fairy of Winds continued. "You see, long ago, there were other fairies like myself that possessed powers much like those of the jewels you seek. We had been born from the very essence of the jewels themselves, and it was our duty to aid the Sky Guardians in protecting them. When the time of the last generation of Sky Guardians had passed on, we fairies patiently awaited the next chosen heroes who would take up the sacred blades of the sun and the moon. Unfortunately, they never appeared. As you may know, the gods and the ancient sages feared that the Sky Guardians were extinguished forever, and had chosen to forge one blade of evil's bane to be taken up by a hero at a time of greatest need."
"That sounds a lot like what Kelli told us," Link replied. "That blade was the Master Sword, I take it?"
"That is correct. I had been secretly watching over both you and Kelli since the very day each of you was born," the Fairy of Winds revealed. "I had foreseen that you two would take up the legacy of the Sky Guardians and I have been eagerly awaiting your arrival for quite some time. Well, as your kind measures time, at least. When the Master Sword was forged, the other fairies and I still continued to guard the Elemental Jewels as was our sacred charge. There was much excitement among our kind when we determined that new Sky Guardians would soon come into being. Sadly, this anticipation blinded us to danger. The evil beings that now threaten this land had begun to grow deadlier over time, and before any of us suspected it, the creatures attacked again. With the Sky Guardians gone, there was little we could do to protect ourselves. Our strength was greatly outmatched. Eventually, only I remained. My powers over the wind can allow me to fly much faster than the other fairies, and so I escaped. I then went into hiding, to await the return of the Sky Guardians, and have been doing so for the past century. Until this moment."
"Wow, fairies do live an awfully long time," Link commented. "But please continue."
"Of course. As I have said, my brethren and I could sense that new Sky Guardians would soon arise. When you and Kelli had been born, I could sense that the two of you were fated to herald the return of the Sky Guardians from their long slumber on the edge of dreams and legend. However, no more than a few days ago, my powers had begun to wane and fail. I knew something must have befallen the Jewel of Wind. If any of the jewels were ever in danger, the powers my fallen sisters and I possess would begin to fade. When I investigated the jewel's resting place, I was entrapped in the darkness that surrounded it, which you have just dispelled."
"Wow, I see. I'm glad I could help you out."
"And I thank you once more. Young hero, take the jewel with you, and guard it in my stead. I must return to hiding and await the day I may help a future hero. May the winds of fortune always blow with you."
With that, the Fairy of Winds vanished into thin air. Before Link could exit the chamber, however, the Jewel of Wind glowed once more. Seconds later, a booming noise echoed from another chamber followed by a cacophony of dull roaring punctuated by thunder.
"What the—?" Link blurted as the ground shook slightly, though he looked far from distressed. "Was that what I think it was?"
"It's got to be!" Navi replied as the two hurried back to the entrance of the small dungeon, diving into the water and swimming back towards the fountain beyond. As soon as Link dove in, however, he became all too aware that the once stagnant water was now flowing with tremendous strength, enough so that the current was literally carrying him along. After a few near misses and some rather painful collisions with the cavern walls, Link was literally hurled out of the current and into the air as if he had been expelled through Jabu-Jabu's blowhole. Link's skyward ascent was followed by an earthward plunge into the water of the fountain, the impact nearly knocking Link senseless. The green-clad hero soon recovered his wits and swam back to Jabu-Jabu's altar, groaning in pain from bouncing around in the cavern and his hard landing in the water.
"If Hylians were meant to fly—" Navi began teasingly, before Link cut her off.
"Oh, shut up," he groused. "I need a vacation."
As the pain subsided, Link turned his gaze back to the fountain. Just as he had guessed, the water was now flowing freely into the immense basin. The once half-empty lake was now rising fast, raising the beached Jabu-Jabu from his miserable perch and then overflowing to restore the waterfall at the entrance of Zora's Domain.
"We did it!" Navi cheered.
"It was all worth it," Link heartily agreed, his ribs aching from his enthusiasm. "I think."
Jabu-Jabu, apparently happy as well, opened his immense mouth and let out what sounding like a strange roar…along with a blast of air laced with the eye watering stench of thousands upon thousands of dead fish, leaving Link turning as green as his tunic.
"Ah, he's saying 'thank you,'" Navi chimed irritatingly.
"You want to thank me, do something about your breath," Link replied to the leviathan. "Well, now that the fountain is back to normal it's time to rescue Ruto and the horses!"
"Yeah!" Navi agreed.
"Oh, I nearly forgot! I should tell Kelli we found another jewel first!"
"I suppose…"
Ignoring Navi's less-than-pleased tone, Link whipped out the Ocarina of Time and played the notes of Kelli's telepathic melody. Within moments, her voice filled the air. However, it also sounded desperate.
"Oh, Link!" she cried, her tone quavering with anxiety.
"Kel, I found the Jewel of Wind while I was over here!" Link reported. "There was a curse on it which caused the waterfall at Zora's Domain to stop flowing. The curse has been broken, so the Zoras should be fine now. I also met the Fairy of Winds."
"The…Fairy of Winds? She's alive?"
"Yeah. She said she's the only one left of her kind, though. She was imprisoned within the dark cloud that was enveloping the jewel."
"Oh, I see. I learned of her and the other elemental fairies on my quest in Mayia, after I learned I was a Sky Guardian. I was researching the jewels and how the fairies guarded them, but I never would've guessed that one of them survived."
"I'll bet. She explained a lot to me, so I understand our situation a little better now."
"That's great! Oh, but Link, I'm so glad you played my song!" Kelli continued, her voice growing fearful. "I finally have some news for you."
"Really? What did you find?"
"Not long after you left, I was about to return to Kakariko when I spotted something we hadn't noticed before. It was a small piece of parchment that had been nailed to the back of the sign at the base of the stairs. It looked like an ultimatum!"
"Are you serious? What did it say?"
"It said that if we want to see our horses again, we have to go to Lake Hylia! Oh, Link, I'm so worried now! I can't leave Kakariko unguarded. Can you handle this by yourself?"
"Lake Hylia? No way! This is excellent!"
"What? What do you mean 'excellent,' you buffoon? Those monsters might kill our horses if you don't get your butt over there!"
"Hey, I realize that! Just listen! I was heading to Lake Hylia anyway because that's where Ruto was last seen. I'm betting I'll find her and the next jewel over there as well in the Zora tribe's former home. I'll find the horses when I get there, I promise."
"Oh, I see now! Thank you so much, Link. I wish you good luck! Don't worry about Sunfire once you rescue her, though. If I play Epona's Song, she'll come right back to me."
"Gotcha."
"Ah, one more thing. Come back here real quick before you head to Lake Hylia. I think I should teach you another one of my sword techniques just to be on the safe side."
"Good idea. I'll be there soon."
With that, the pair's telepathic connection fell silent.
"Geez, that girl really needs to chill out," Navi grumbled.
"Nav, not now. Let's just go," Link insisted.
"Whatever…"
Link considered arguing the point, but knew from prior experience that it would be pointless. Instead, Link quickly returned to King Zora's throne room. The revived fountain's waters were already flowing into the domain, forcing Link to mind his footing on the way back. As the hero had expected, the Zora king looked profoundly relieved to see water flowing through his domain once again. Of course, he wasn't completely at ease with his daughter missing and in danger. Ruto still needed to be rescued, and Link had a strong feeling that finding her would be an even more difficult task than retrieving the Jewel of Wind.
After all, this was Ruto they were talking about.
"Ah, Link, it eases my heavy heart to see that you've succeeded in restoring the waterfall and saving our domain," King Zora spoke up when Link reached the raised platform below.
"Yeah, now nobody has to worry about dying of thirst," Link replied. "I think you're right about where Ruto is, though. I didn't find her in the cavern where I discovered the Jewel of Wind, so she has to be in the Fortress of Ice. The next elemental jewel is probably there as well."
"I must agree. But tread cautiously when you enter our former home. I fear evil has despoiled it."
"Of course."
With that, Link quickly departed the throne room. After hastily bidding goodbye to the grateful Zoras, Link returned to the river. To his delight, it too had been revived and flowed swift and deep. He quickly sought out the fairy fountain he had thought of before, which was located on a cliff at the south side of the river, and had a fairy heal his wounds and then raced back to Hyrule Field as quickly as his legs would carry him. He briefly considered simply letting the currents of the river carry him to the entrance but, after bouncing around the cavern back in the fountain, that idea quickly struck him as highly unappealing. After following the riverbank for some distance and a brief hike through the field, Link was able to quickly make it back to Kakariko. As he had expected, Kelli awaited him at the base of the staircase, and her expression one of deep worry. At this, Link was not surprised given that both Kelli's best friend and beloved steed were missing and likely in great peril. Even for the most stout hearted, such was enough to cause terrible grief.
"Kel! Hey!" Link greeted as he approached the young heroine.
"Ah, Link!" Kelli replied. "I'm glad you made it here so quickly. I'll try to make this quick…wait, what is that smell?"
"Jabu-Jabu said 'thank you' for restoring Zora's Fountain," Link groused. "I swear, his breath is just terrible."
"…Okay then, I'm going to make this very quick."
"Alrighty, what technique are you going to teach me this time?"
"This one is called the back slice. It's a personal favorite of mine, and it's sure to come in handy. Watch me use it on this tree over here."
Link nodded as Kelli readied her sword and shield and approached a dead tree, which barely looked as if it had lived at all, that was mere yards away from the staircase. Link watched Kelli's eyes focus unblinkingly on the dead sapling and she took a few steps to the side. Afterwards, she jumped to the right, rolled sideways around the tree, and launched into a leaping spin, slashing the dead sapling into splinters.
"Wow, that does look pretty handy," Link commented.
"Yeah. The back slice can help you strike a foe whose front side is protected by armor or who's using a shield," Kelli explained. "Stalfos and Lizalfos Knights should be easy meat with this trick. The back slice can even penetrate armor strapped on their backs."
"Ah. So, I could swing around behind an enemy and hit them from the rear before they can react!" Link finished.
"Exactly! I've no doubt that you will face greater challenges ahead, so I feel this technique will help you overcome them."
"Yeah, no doubt about that. I'll give it a try now."
So saying, Link made his way towards a second dead tree, which looked as though it too did not live long beyond a sapling. He drew his blade, focused his mind and took a few steps to one side. Launching himself into a roll and a leap, he mimicked Kelli's maneuver as best as he could. However, to his surprise, he ended up facing away from the tree upon landing from his leaping spin.
"Great job!" Kelli complimented. "Though, it would probably help more if you faced your enemy when landing. That way you wouldn't have to turn around before striking again."
"Eh, heh, yeah…" Link agreed, scratching the back of his head in abashment. "I'll work on that. Thanks, though! I'll get going now. Lake Hylia is pretty far on foot."
"True. Good luck!"
"Thanks again!"
Even with the healing powers of the fairy from the fountain, it wasn't long before the trek had him breathing hard. Reaching Lake Hylia on foot would take at least another day and, to further complicate matters, it had been quite some time since he had last slept. Link considered finding a defensible area to take some rest, but he knew he couldn't. Aside from the likelihood that the enhanced monsters would sniff him out, Link would risk the lives of Ruto and the horses even further by falling asleep. Not to mention Ruto would accuse him of being lazy of all things. Link was already shuddering at the thought of how she'd react when he found her. Putting up with her delusions that he was her fiancé, again, was about as appealing as facing a half dozen Iron Knuckles. Instead, his thoughts went to the note Kelli had found.
Apparently, at least some of these monsters were intelligent enough to learn how to read or write the Hylian tongue. And, if they had indeed taken Epona and Sunfire, they were surely intelligent enough to know that Link and Kelli would be at a disadvantage without their steeds. So, Link took it as a given that his enemies might have a trap waiting for him, but he wondered just how far the monsters' new found intellect might extend. Could they be able to speak the Hylian tongue themselves? Or, for that matter, understand Hylian speech? That musing sparked another: could the monsters be using their ability to understand Hylian speech in order to plan their attacks? It would certainly explain how they had just "happened" to carry out their abduction of King Daphnes at the precise moment when Kelli was furthest away. Maybe the monsters had also understood about Link's plan to scale Death Mountain while Kelli sought clues regarding Judo, and realized they had more than enough time to make off with Epona and Sunfire? Link gulped at the idea, but pressed on nonetheless.
Hours later, as the next morning dawned, Link finally reached what was once the entrance to Lake Hylia. Just as King Zora had described, a cloud of fog enshrouded the lake in an impenetrable, opaque gloom. The fences that blocked the entrance were visible, barely, amidst the wispy fringes of mist which teased at the southern boundary of Hyrule Field. It was difficult to tell in the fog, but the fences themselves appeared to have been torn asunder, lying in pieces as if something large and powerful had smashed through them. Before Link could discern anything more, however, a bright pink glow erupted from his rucksack. He quickly produced the Jewel of Wind and watched as its power was unleashed. In an instant, a powerful gale raged to life and blew into the southerly lake, and nearly blowing Link right off his feet. As the wind blew into the fog, the opaque mass began to churn into an ivory tornado. Then, with a final explosion of elemental power, the cyclone of fog seemed to leap skyward and then scatter to the four winds. Once the fog vanished, Link shook his head in amazement at the spectacle of magic. The sight that greeted him, however, turned his amazement into worry. Just as he'd suspected, something had indeed smashed through the fences. Shattered fragments of iron littered the grass nearby while the jagged stumps of crossbeams thrust outward from the weathered pillars, looking ready to fall off at any moment.
"Dang…" Link uttered moments later. "Whatever did this must be powerful."
"Yeah, I'll bet you it was the same creature that tore down the bridge in the Lost Woods," Navi agreed.
"And maybe the same creature that kidnapped the horses as well. It might also be the same one that made off with King Daphnes."
"That too."
"Well then, let's go!"
Link then hurried through the shattered gates and into Lake Hylia, hoping he wasn't too late to find the horses. However, what he saw as he approached the lake shocked him even more than the fences right outside had. During the dark future, a terrible curse had befallen Lake Hylia, causing much of the lake to dry up. However, this time, it looked worse. Even in the dark future, the barest portion of the lake's pristine waters had remained. Now, there was not a single drop of water left in the bed of the lake. It was completely bone dry, all the way down to the entrance of the Water Temple. The temple's entrance itself was sealed off by two fallen pillars while Blue and Red Tektites, arachnid-like creatures who moved on four legs, swarmed the lakebed. The ancient tree that stood atop the island which concealed the temple had been cut down while the bridges which had connected the island to the mainland had collapsed. The only place that appeared to be untouched was the fishing pond on the east side of the lake, though Link sincerely doubted that it was open for business. The Lakeside Laboratory near the entrance also looked relatively unscathed, but the windows were dark and boarded up and the wooden door had been replaced with a solid looking metal door. As with the fishing pond, Link rather doubted any familiar faces were lingering within. As Link's horrified gaze slowly scanned the entire area, his eyes widened with dispair.
"I…I can't believe this," he choked out. "The lake… I-It's in even worse shape than it was in the dark future… And I didn't think even that was possible."
"Yeah…" Navi agreed, the lake's state silencing her usual jibes. "And if the lake is completely dry…then the river in Gerudo Valley must be as well."
"This is bad…" was all Link could say in reply.
Moments later, Navi shot upward.
"…Hey! Look! Look over there!"
Link turned to follow Navi's gaze, and what he spied made his jaw drop. Sitting at the edge of the cliff overlooked the Gerudo river was a large metal cage which contained both Epona and Sunfire.
"The horses!" Link exclaimed and began to hurry over to them.
"Link, wait! It could be some kind of trap!" Navi protested.
"Yeah, but I'm not going to just leave them in there!" Link retorted and continued towards the cage.
Epona and Sunfire began to whinny as they spotted the hero rushing towards them. As Link approached their cage, however, he spied bloody claw marks along the sides of both mares, who continued to whinny in pain from their wounds. Link worriedly scrambled up to the cage to release the imprisoned mares, lest those wounds become infected. But as he arrived, he noticed another parchment note which had been tied to the cage's door.
"Sigh… Now what?" Link rhetorically wondered in aggravation as he plucked the note off the bars and unfolded it. As he tore the parchment free, he thought he heard a tiny ringing sound, but was too frustrated to care. He then read it aloud for Navi to hear.
I must commend you on finding your precious steeds so quickly! It is, however, most unfortunate that we have no use for them. My minions have been instructed to begin be pushing this cage over the cliff when they receive the signal. What signal, you ask? Why, they will be signaled by the ringing of the bell tied to this note which, undoubtedly, you carelessly jangled while tearing this note free. We will see if your combat prowess makes up for your lack of foresight. As for the aforementioned minions, if you can stop them, then the horses are yours. However, if you fail, they will be lost and I needn't elaborate upon the implications of that.
Link's fist tightened to crumple the parchment which, sure enough, trailed a length of twine tied to a small bell. The minions whom the note mentioned, undoubtedly, could not be far away.
"This is madness! IF IT'S A FIGHT YOU WANT, THEN COME AT ME!" Link yelled in rage.
Before Navi could voice her agreement, however, a skeletal fist suddenly burst out of the ground. A second fist followed and then another as a trio of Stalfos clambered out of their shallow graves and onto the cliff, surrounding Link. All three bore golden eyes, which meant the Sun Arrows would do little to harm them. Link grimaced in frustration as the beasts eyed him and readied his sword and shield. Before he could make a move, however, the Stalfos suddenly charged towards him, angling their own blades for the kill. Thinking quickly, Link darted out of the Stalfos' path, causing the trio to collide with one another and topple to the ground. Not giving his foes a chance to recover, Link then back flipped to put some distance between him and his assailants. As the Stalfos were rising back to their feet, but were still entangled with one another, Link rolled towards them and launched into a spinning roll attack, making sure his blade struck all three of his foes. Two of them had been knocked into the cage while the other landed right in front of it.
Unfortunately, by the time Link realized his mistake, the two Stalfos that had collided with the cage were in motion. They immediately stood up and began working together to shove the cage over the cliff. The third Stalfos positioned himself between Link and the cage, no doubt to run interference. Link, seeing through the ploy, attempted to run past the Stalfos but the skeletal knight drove its foot into his side as he passed, sending the hero sprawling to the turf. However, Link shook off the blow and scrambled to his feet angrily. His snarl became a smirk, however, when he noticed how close together the trio of Stalfos was. He focused his mind, angled his blade and performed the back slice Kelli had taught him. Despite the rather embarrassing practice session, Link managed a near perfect execution this time. He managed to hit both the Stalfos running interference and one of the pair which had been pushing the cage. The remaining Stalfos avoided Link's wrath but, when it tried to continue pushing the cage, it was unable to budge it. Realizing that the horses were safe for the time being, Link pressed his advantage. While the first two Stalfos were down, Link hacked away at the remaining enemy, shattering the skeletal knight into hail.
"Link!" Navi shouted as one of the three creatures fell. "Don't forget that if you don't beat the other two fast enough, the Stalfos you just beat will resurrect itself!"
"Yeah, I know!" Link replied, though the thought irritated him.
Link was too worried, and angry, to allow any of the Stalfos to get the better of him. With the new techniques he'd learned from Kelli, such as shield attacks, roll attacks, and back slices, he easily overcame the final two Stalfos. Though the creatures had once again attempted to use some of Kelli's techniques as well, such as the charged jump attack the one from the Lost Woods had performed, Link had seen it coming and turned the tables by rolling under the Stalfos while there were in mid-flight. When the last Stalfos went down, a sparkling silver key dropped from its body. Link let out a gasp of relief and gingerly inspected his side. It was still painful from the Stalfos's kick, but he could tell that nothing was broken. So, he snatched the key up from the ground and made for the cage.
"Don't worry, guys, you're going to be alright!" Link assured the horses as he unlocked the cage door. Sunfire rushed out first, followed by Epona. Sunfire, quite exuberant at her newfound freedom, nuzzled Link's cheek.
"Aw, shucks," he uttered in response and patted her neck. "You should return to Kelli though. She'll treat your wounds."
As if she understood Link's words, Sunfire neighed happily and galloped off towards the exit to Hyrule Field. Link smiled as he watched her disappear. Hopefully, Sunfire wouldn't run into anymore monsters on the way to Kakariko.
After the palomino horse disappeared from sight, Link felt Epona making her presence known as she gave him the same thanks Sunfire had. Link smiled once more, stroking Epona's head, and produced a white cloth from his rucksack.
"Good thing I keep this on-hand for emergencies," he opined as he took Epona by the reins. He led her to the edge of the dry lake near where the fishing pond was located.
"Stay here, girl. I'll be right back," Link spoke gently. "Just hang in there, alright?"
Epona neighed softly in return, though whether it was in concern or relief, Link wasn't sure. Nonetheless, he produced the Grappleshot and launched himself over to the fishing pond. There had always been water there, even in the dark future, and the monsters always seemed to ignore it. Of course, Link had no problem with this as he rushed through the door. The owner as Link had suspected, was nowhere to be seen. He likely had fled the lake to seek safety and, in any case, he'd never been fond of Link. The pond owner had held the record for catching the biggest fish, which had weighed seven pounds and it was doubtful that he'd appreciated Link breaking his record by catching a twenty-four pound fish. Add in Link using the pole to remove the owner's cap after and...well...all has been said. Though this had occurred in the dark future, Link wouldn't mind pulling the same prank again sometime. The green clad hero then shrugged, snickered at the recollection, and then dipped his cloth into the water until it was soaked. He then rushed back to Epona, who had waited for him patiently as usual.
"Okay, this might hurt a little," Link warned as he approached Epona's right flank and rang out the cloth until it was fairly damp. He then gently laid the cloth on Epona's skin and began to rub down her wounds. She had whinnied for a moment in pain, but relaxed soon after. Link remembered such a simple treatment having been performed on him a few times before, and thought it would come in handy in the future. After doing the same to the wounds on the opposite side of Epona's body, Link wrung out the cloth again and put it away.
"Alright, I have to go do something important," he said. "I don't know how long I'll be this time, but I'll return as soon as I can."
Link could sense Epona's unease, especially considering what happened the last time Link left her alone for too long, but she remained as loyal as they day they'd met. Link then stroked Epona's neck and fed her a carrot. Afterwards, he clambered onto the dry lakebed and readied his sword and shield in case any of the Tektites attacked him. Now that the horses were safe, Link could focus on finding the entrance to the Fortress of Ice. At first, however, the sand and rocks of the lakebed all looked alike…except for a sheet of ice on the southwestern wall. Surely the fortress lay just beyond, but Link had nothing that could melt or destroy the ice. Link continued searching, in case there might be another entrance to the Zora tribe's former home but, aside from the tunnel that led to Zora's Domain, all he found were rocks and sand.
"Ugh, this is more difficult than I expected," he opined minutes later.
"I agree. How about we split up?" Navi suggested.
"Alright, but be careful."
"But of course. I say the same thing to you rather often, don't I?"
"Oh stuff it."
Navi merely giggled as she flew off. Link ignored it as he walked in the opposite direction. Not having any better ideas, Link continued to search the lakebed while fending off Tektites in the process. Some of the soil might be covering another entrance, so Link kept his eyes open for disturbed sand or dislodged rocks. Given Ruto's impatience, he was already bracing himself for yet another unpleasant meeting with the Zora Princess, so he hurried as best he could. Within the next few minutes, as he approached the southernmost point of the lake, Link spotted what appeared to be large cracks in the rock.
"Hey! Navi!" he called excitedly. "I think I found something!"
Navi quickly flew back over to her partner and examined his discovery.
"Ah, I bet you can bomb this open!" she commented.
"Only one way to find out."
Link then produced a bomb, lit the fuse, and set it in front of the cracked rock. After he rushed a few yards away and plugged his ears, the bomb detonated, revealing yet another cave entrance. However, the walls on the inside of this one were mirror smooth and very nearly reflective. It was clearly not a naturally dug tunnel, which meant only one thing.
"If this isn't what we're looking for, then I don't know what is," Link commented as he walked inside.
"I agree. This tunnel is clearly man-made," Navi replied. "Or in this case, Zora-made."
As they journeyed deeper into the tunnel, however, the air grew colder, and the mirror smooth walls gave way to equally smooth ones made of ice. Stalagmites and stalactites, also made of ice, thrust outward from the ceiling and floors while frigid droplets cascaded downward.
"Dang, it's freezing in here," Link opined through chattering teeth. "This is definitely the Fortress of Ice. I just thought of something though. How could the monsters that attacked Ruto's escorts come from this place if the entrance was sealed up?"
"Hmm. The ice we saw outside might be blocking another entrance, right? Maybe the ice got there after Ruto was brought in here," Navi suggested.
"Yeah, that must be it. They could've frozen the entrance shut after the attack. But if that's the case, then that raises another question. Why are there two entrances?"
