Chapter 16: A Deadly Crisis

With every step she took towards Lake Hylia, Kelli's heart pounded a bit harder. She recalled Link's chilling description of Dark Kelli, as well as how the former Hero of Time had only barely prevailed against her, and the young Sky Guardian wondered if the creature she would face in the Fortress of Ice would be as formidable as her evil counterpart. It was already clear that the monsters she and Link now fought were far deadlier than any they had battled before, and whatever creature guarded the Jewel of Water would surely be no different. Still, Kelli recalled as well Link's warning of the monsters that were capable of using her own special techniques. Whoever was behind these creatures must therefore be someone who knew her well; perhaps too well. Kelli paused, jerking Sunfire to a halt until the blood thundering in her ears grew quiet, and considered who might be at the heart of Hyrule's misfortunes. Kelli had made quite a few enemies, in Hyrule, Mayia and elsewhere, but who amongst them had the means and the patience to investigate her techniques meticulously enough to duplicate them? Notu, whom Kelli had faced in Mayia, seemed like a very likely candidate. Kelli had beaten him soundly and, though his fate was unknown, she knew that, if he had escaped death during their last encounter, he did so only very narrowly. Even if he had survived, she couldn't imagine how he could possibly recover and attack again so quickly. Besides, there was no shortage of other suspects. Dorath Riptide, the pirate lord of the Med Sea, had worked with Notu often enough to know of the young Sky Guardian, and he hadn't been pleased when Kelli had sent his flagship to the bottom.

I forget, did he go down with the ship, or not? Kelli wondered.

Kelli couldn't remember, as she'd been rather busy at the time making sure she herself didn't pass into a watery grave. Still, if Riptide had survived, he would surely seek revenge. Kelli also couldn't rule out Achren, an assassin referred to as "Bloodwing" for her ability to seemingly fly through the treetops. Of the various outlaws and villains who had sought the Guardian of the Sun's life, Bloodwing had dogged Kelli's steps the longest. And, from Kelli's encounters with Bloodwing, all quite unpleasant and several nearly proving fatal, she knew that the assassin had the skill to perform the techniques the monsters now practiced. However, Kelli had not caught wind of Bloodwing's pursuit in nearly two years.

More suspects, too many more, sprang to mind and Kelli was forced to cease her musings. There were simply too many and, in the case of at least half, she could not be certain if they were alive or dead. Of course, it was highly unlikely that a simple bandit or pirate could ever attain this kind of power, but at this point, Kelli feared that anything was possible.

Having nothing to show for her contemplations, save for a headache, she resumed her trek. When she reached what used to be the fenced off entrance to Lake Hylia, Kelli was astonished to find the iron gates smashed to bits. Still, she knew she could waste no time pondering what could have inflicted such damage to the stout iron gates, and could inflict upon her as well, so she spurred Sunfire to leap over the debris and take her to the lake. Her trepidation became dismay, however, when she saw Lake Hylia's dismal state. Much like Link, she had hoped that restoring the Zora's Domain waterfall might help the lake, but when Kelli brought Sunfire to a screeching halt at the lake's edge, she and Vira could only stare in utter shock. Not only was the lake still no more than a bone dry crater, but a trail of blood drops wound a wavering, staggering path across the lakebed and over the lip of the maw. Kelli had no doubt that the blood was from Link's desperate flight from the Fortress of Ice. The trail meandered to the side of the Lakeside Laboratory, where it had pooled, and then ended abruptly. Likely, the blood had become a puddle there when Link had remounted Epona and rode off. Kelli felt her stomach turn as she tried, vainly, to gauge just how much blood Link had lost. She quickly realized he was incredibly lucky not to have fallen from the saddle and bled to death.

"This… This is terrible," Vira spoke up.

Kelli felt her stomach lurch, and she could barely form a reply.

"Yeah… Link lost…all that blood… I can't imagine how hard, how painful, it must have been for him to climb out of the lakebed and leave in the state he was in, much less ride all the way back to Kakariko…" she said.

As she gazed upon the lake, dry save for the blood from what might be Link's death wound, Kelli couldn't prevent tears from building up in her eyes yet again.

"…If only I had trained him more!" she cried as she crumbled to the ground and buried her face in her hands.

"Kel…" Vira uttered. "None of this is your fault."

"Oh, Vira! I know, but I just don't know what to do anymore! Even if I manage to find Ruto and restore Lake Hylia, Link is still dying as we speak! And Judo is still missing, and King Daphnes is ill, and…!"

Her words were soon choked away by sobs. Vira merely sighed, even though she understood what her friend was going through.

"Oh come on! Pull yourself together! You certainly won't succeed acting like this!" the fairy chastised.

"But…"

"I've known you a long time, Kelli; long enough to know you're better than this! The Kelli I know is strong, fearless, and would take on any challenge she came across. She wouldn't let anything stop her! She's relentless; indomitable, even."

"…Really?"

"Yeah. I still remember that time you sank Riptide's flagship. You evaded his guards, shimmied through the bilges and planted a whole sack of bombs to blow the hull apart at the seams."

"I was just thinking about that, actually. Good goddesses, that was not one of my better ideas. Oh, sure, it worked great. But, I came out smelling like the whole crew had leaked on me."

"Yeah, but the look on ol' Riptide's face when his favorite boat went belly up and sank with him aboard was worth it. Seriously though, I know we've never faced a challenge like this before, especially with such close friends in danger. But, we've been in plenty of other tight-spots and we've made it through. If we prevail here, it will only mean we'd have grown stronger! And believe me, that's saying something."

"That's true. And nobody wants a weak Sky Guardian."

"Exactly. Now stand up and dry your eyes. You can't help save Hyrule by crying."

"You're right! Link and the others are counting on us. I'd be giving the Sky Guardians a bad name if I broke down in the middle of a quest."

"That's the spirit. Now let's go! We have lives to save!"

"Right!"

With that, Kelli clambered down onto the lakebed and began looking for the entrance to the Fortress of Ice. It wasn't long, however, before she and Vira spotted two cave entrances at the far side of the lakebed. Kelli regarded the two openings with concern. Link hadn't mentioned there being two entrances, but then again, he had been too weak to say much at all. Still, if she chose the wrong entrance, the delay might cost Link's life. Kelli then produced the map Link had given her, in hopes that she could figure out which entrance to take quickly. From what she could make out, one entrance led to a section of the Fortress containing many more rooms than there were behind the other entrance. Kelli knew that she needed to take the one leading to the larger half of the fortress and, after gauging the positions of two entrances before her in relation to the map, she decided that the cave opening on right side of the lakebed was the one she sought. She took a deep breath and headed inside.

As she and Vira traversed the tunnel through which they entered, Kelli had expected the area to grow colder. The place was called the Fortress of Ice, after all. Much to her surprise, however, the exact opposite seemed to be occurring. As Kelli approached the first chamber, she was quite astonished to find that the temperature was actually rising. Her perplexity did not end there, however, as water flowed freely throughout the first room and, where she had expected sheets of ice, there were instead clouds of steam. Kelli and Vira merely halted where they were as they observed this peculiar surprise.

"…This is odd," Kelli spoke up. "Why isn't it cold in here?"

"Yeah, I'm wondering the same thing," Vira replied.

Kelli tentatively dipped a finger into the water, snatching it back almost immediately and letting out a brief cry of pain.

"Ouch!" she exclaimed, putting the reddening finger in her mouth. "It's as hot as a boiling stew pot! But, it can't have gotten this way on its own; and, whatever heated it up must've been powerful. It probably happened recently too, for it to still be so hot. Maybe Link did this while he was here? It's the only possible explanation I can think of."

"I agree. Though that Flame Staff doesn't seem nearly powerful enough to do the job. At least, not by itself. If Link did do this, he had to have used something else."

"Yeah. But we can't worry about that now. We have a Sage and jewel to find."

"Ah, right."

With that, Kelli scrutinized the map once more, seeking the path to the chamber of the dungeon's master. It was apparently located in the back of the fortress, with many rooms standing between it and Kelli. Kelli had feared that, in order to reach it, she might have to seek out and use whatever means Link had discovered to change the dungeon's temperature. Such would be a delay that she, and Link, could ill-afford; but, luckily, the route was open and clear. However, the chamber which held the entrance to her destination was one Link had not yet visited. Whatever lay within, be it a puzzle or monsters, Kelli would have to deal with it quickly if she was going to save him. And of course, she would do so; and she'd finish the entire fortress for him as well.

Kelli had heard a few horror stories about Ruto and, if she was imprisoned here, the Sun Guardian decided to spare Link the added displeasure of meeting the Zora princess yet again.

As Kelli quickly made her way through the rooms Link had already cleared, her pace was brisk but she kept wary nonetheless. The heroine had only detected relatively scant traces of the presence of monsters, but this only made her more uneasy. Had Dark Kelli grown overconfident, or had she anticipated her arrival and had laid a trap? Suspecting the latter, Kelli kept her sword at the ready when she at last reached the final room before the dungeon master's chamber.

Beyond the portal, Kelli found herself standing on a tiny platform which rose on frighteningly slender pillars that descended into a seemingly bottomless chasm. Ahead, a long canal spanned the abyss and vanished into an opening in the rock on the far side of the room. Some distance within was a large, cracked wall. A quick glance at the map indicated that Kelli's destination was behind that wall. However, the distance was too great for her to toss a bomb and, even if that wasn't a problem, the water was too deep and the bomb would sink. So, Kelli decided that the only way she'd break through the wall was by ramming into it using the Pegasus Boots. She then slipped them onto her feet and dashed across the surface of the water. Just as she hoped, the Pegasus Boots worked as the Fairy of Winds had promised, and the heroine slammed into the wall hard enough to shatter it. The wall crumbled, revealing an expansive chamber where platforms rose at various intervals and elevation. The large, ornate door leading to the chamber of the dungeon's master stood on the far side. However, the force of the impact had knocked Kelli backwards and sent her into the water. Before she could climb out, a trio of navy-eyed Lizalfos dropped from the ceiling onto the various other platforms dotting the room. Kelli quickly scrambled out of the water and leapt atop the platform which held the door to the dungeon master's chamber. With her back to the wall, and where even the slippery Lizalfos could not swing behind here, she brought up her blade. The Lizalfos, as she expected, bounded over to her using their superior jumping abilities. As they drew nearer, however, Kelli realized that these weren't ordinary Lizalfos. Unlike normal Lizalfos, these three wore armor, making them akin to Armosaurs, but not quite.

Almost like… Oh no!

"Eek!" Vira gasped, apparently reaching the same conclusion as Kelli.

"Blast!" Kelli exclaimed. "These are Armozards!"

"H-How are we going to fend off three of them at once?" Vira stammered, her tiny eyes widening with fright. "I remember that their weak point is their tails, but…"

"Don't worry, Vira. These are moon-aligned Armozards, so I should be able to handle them easily."

"I hope so."

"Watch me."

As the Armozards drew nearer, Kelli seemed to relax her stance. Rising to her full height, she sheathed her sword and spread her hands as though presenting herself to the bloodthirsty lizards. More than a few combatants might have considered her actions to have been madness but, rather than shrieking for her friend to arm herself, Vira simply snickered. She knew exactly what her friend was up to, and that the first Armozard who thought Kelli to be easy pickings would be in for a nasty surprise. As one Armozard approached Kelli, the heroine seemed to move like lightning. Her hand swiftly darted to the hilt of her sword and, in a single blur of motion, she drew the blade and then launched herself into a whirling slash. The blow struck with such might that it knocked the creature to the ground.

"I'm going to teach Link that move next," Kelli decided and then finished the stunned Armozard off with an ending blow. "I know he'll need it. …If he lives…"

"Yeah, I've no doubt about that," Vira agreed as her friend turned her attention to the two remaining Armozards. Kelli's grief and fear had begun to return as she recalled Link's injuries and fever, and that every passing moment brought him closer to death. Kelli knew she had to finish this bout quickly but, thankfully, the two remaining Armozards seemed happy to oblige and approached her eagerly. Kelli's fear, by then, had turned to anger. As tears formed in her eyes again, Kelli grimaced, as though in the midst of a great exertion. She angled her sword behind her, drew back a few steps, and focused power in her blade. The Armozards, realizing her intent, drew back and whirled to either side of the young Sky Guardian, thinking themselves safely beyond the range of the coming attack.

They were wrong. Dead wrong.

Kelli unleashed the power she had gathered in a ferocious spin attack, but one whose range and strength surpassed that of a normal spin attack. The two Armozards , realizing too late that they hadn't drawn back far enough, were struck by the liberated energy of the heroine's blade and sent flying. One flew into the wall with bone crushing force while the other slammed head-first into one of the other platforms, a sickening crack emanating from his skull. Both then fell to the floor, and neither got back up. That was for you, Link, Kelli thought to herself as she sheathed her sword and slung her shield across her back. Now to take care of business here, once and for all.

At that, Kelli approached the large door and slid the boss key into the golden lock. The imposing lock and chains fell away almost immediately, allowing her to enter. As Kelli cautiously stepped inside, however, she suddenly realized that she was freezing. Whatever Link had done to warm the fortress, this chamber had apparently not been affected. It was chillier than the Mayian mountains in winter, and by a sizable margin.

"Holy c-cuccos!" Kelli exclaimed, wrapping her arms around her torso. "It's freezing in here!"

"Y-You're not kidding!" Vira replied, flapping her wings furiously and shedding tiny icicles. "W-whatever Link did to w-warm the fortress must not have reached this room. Or, maybe the m-monster is keeping it f-frozen."

"Well, I-I'd say—WAAAH!" Kelli's sentence ended in a scream as she suddenly slipped on the icy ground. She soon found herself plunging down an icy slide that spiraled all the way down to the bottom of the gigantic circular chamber. Vira, muttering something to the effect of "here we go again," quickly followed, struggling to keep up as ice continued to gather on her wings.

"Uhn!" Kelli yelped when she finally landed in a heap at the base of the slide. As she slowly stood up, the heroine realized she had landed in the middle of a large, circular stone platform, nearly as big as Death Mountain's summit, that rose out of a massive body of water. Vira fluttered to Kelli's side, no doubt to make some agitated remark about the heroine's tendency to walk right into trouble, but the sound of water rippling began to echo throughout the room.

"W-What's that?" Vira stammered, hiding behind Kelli.

"I'm not s-sure," Kelli replied, trying hard to ignore a chill running up and down her spine which had nothing to do with the cold.

The water began to foam and roil several meters away and, suddenly, an immense form erupted from the water in a gigantic splash. Almost faster than Kelli's eyes could follow, a massive reptilian beast leaped from the waves and landed with a crash on the platform. Its powerful body was covered in rough, icy blue scales while each of its webbed feet bore five sharp claws. Its body seemed have been formed of ice, with alternating shades of blue scales which bristled with shards of ice, vaguely resembling the quills of a porcupine, and a shiny blue jewel gleamed at the tip of its tail. Water dripped from its long, spiny tail, the sharp teeth of its powerful jaws, and the rest of its very large and muscular body. Its navy blue eyes stared at Kelli and Vira with hunger and bloodlust.

"EEEK!" Vira yelped, darting behind Kelli's shoulder and trembling fearfully. "W-What is that thing?"

"…I have absolutely no idea," Kelli replied, slowly backing away a few steps and readying her sword and shield again. The giant lizard, whom was known as Arcquaos, the Demonic Ice Nothosaur, drew in a breath of the frigid air and let it out in a roar that blasted into Kelli's face with a wave of hot, foul smelling vapor. Kelli forcibly swallowed a fit of coughs and quickly brought up her shield in an attempt to ward off the Nothosaur's foul breath.

"I know you're as good as dead since you're tangling with us, but do you have to smell like it?" Vira retorted, clinging to Kelli's shoulder so she wouldn't be blown across the room.

As if he understood the fairy's taunt, Arcquaos suddenly lunged at the two, his jaws snapping at Kelli to bite her in half. The Sky Guardian continued to back away, darting from side to side to evade the creature's fangs and countering with her sword when she could. Yet, the creature drew back and was ready to strike again before Kelli could do more than scratch its scales.

"Vira, stay behind me!" Kelli ordered after the creature's jaws had nearly clamped down on the small fairy.

"Already planning on it!" Vira replied shakily, seeming to tremble in the air.

Kelli could hardly blame the tiny fairy for being frightened, for Kelli was trembling herself after Arcquaos' fangs missed her head by a narrow margin. Arcquaos followed this latest attack with powerful swipes of his forearms, seeking to disembowel the heroine with his claws. Kelli quickly brought up her shield, but even though it spared her from being gutted, the sheer force of the blow sent her hurtling through the air. She flew over the edge of the platform and plunged into the freezing cold water behind her. In an instant, she felt the frigid waters begin to numb her limbs, and she knew that she was as good as dead if she didn't escape quickly. She began to furiously tread water to keep her legs from freezing while her arms, searing from exertion in the freezing water, guided her sword into its sheath and slung her shield over her back. Her frostbitten body now flaming with agony, Kelli quickly swam to the surface. Her mind felt a bit sluggish from her dunking, but she knew she couldn't rest yet. If frostbite set in, she might very well lose a limb or two. And, if the icy water she was soaked with froze, then Arcquaos would, literally, have her for dessert. She turned in the direction of the platform but, to her horror, she saw Vira frozen in terror as Arcquaos loomed over her.

As Kelli broke the surface, however, Arcquaos turned his baleful gaze upon the Sun Guardian. The creature raised its head high atop its long neck and then expelled a gale of heavy, icy wind. His long neck swung his head in all directions, sending blasts of icy breath throughout the chamber, gradually freezing the water solid. Kelli gasped as she saw the wave of ice approaching and forced her nearly spent form toward the edge of the platform. She just barely managed to climb out before the wave of ice could envelope her. The sound of Kelli clambering out of the water finally snapped Vira out of her trance, and the fairy darted away from a second blast of Arcquaos's icy breath. As she did so, however, she noticed that the jewel on Arcquaos's tail was now glowing much brighter and when the gale died down, so too did the glow.

"Kelli! I think I'm on to something! You see the jewel on that thing's tail? I'll be that's its weakness! Look how brightly it's glowing!" the purple fairy shouted, though her excitement became tinged with fear when she noticed the wicked spines on that same tail.

"…Yeah! I bet you're right!" Kelli agreed. She quickly produced her bow in hopes of getting a clear shot at the jewel using a Sun Arrow while Arcquaos's attention was still focused on freezing the water. However, Arcquaos's tail snapped and swung about the chamber which such speed that this seemed impossible. Worse still, within the next few moments, the creature's frigid breath had turned the entire pool of water into an ice sheet. Kelli realized that the beast would soon return his attention to her and, sure enough, the blue scaled head turned in her direction and the creature's jaw parted in anticipation of the kill.

"…Blast," Kelli opined in frustration as the creature snapped at her with its massive jaws. Kelli leapt away but, before she had even regained her feet, Arcquaos suddenly whirled around and swung his powerful tail at the heroine. Kelli soon realized, much to her consternation, that Arquoas was every bit as agile on land as he likely was under the water. The creature would launch himself into short, twisting hops that brought his tail whistling at Kelli's skull, and she was just barely able to back-flip high enough or crouch low enough to evade these blows. They came in an unbroken, deadly rhythm, but then Arquaos abruptly halted the assault. The creature staggered from one side to the other, his head lolling and its eyes spinning almost as much as the rest of him had been moments ago. The creature was dazed by its own attack. A split second later, a flash of inspiration flared in Kelli's mind.

"Hey! Fish Breath!" she shouted, regaining the beast's slightly addled attention. She then launched an arrow right into his forehead.

Kelli's triumphant grin, however, turned upside-down when the creature seemed to recover from the blow almost immediately and struck again with its tail. One of the spines caught Kelli across the leg, and she fell. The Flame Staff clattered to the ground next to her and, upon seeing it, Arcquaos seemed to draw back a pace.

This caught Kelli's attention; so, when she got another opening to fire an arrow, she also swung the Flame Staff and sent a fireball hurtling at the creature's face.

Arcquaos, being a creature of the cold, screeched in pain and, his head flailed wildly. Soon, he stumbled on the slippery ice behind him and toppled over. He came crashing down upon the newly created ice sheet, the impact sending a spider web of cracks shooting through the frozen water.

"Kelli! Now's your chance!" Vira shouted. "Hurry, before the ice breaks up completely!"

"Right!" Kelli agreed and rushed across to Arcquaos's tail. Luckily, one of the spines had become lodged in the ice and, with Arcquaos too dazed to pull it free, she hacked away at the vulnerable jewel. With each blow, the beast's roars of pain echoed throughout the chamber. The cracks in the ice, however, continued to spread and, no more than a heartbeat later, to widen. When the ice sheet she was standing on suddenly split in half, and each half seemed determined to make off with one of her legs, Kelli was forced to retreat back to the platform. Arquaos, meanwhile, has recovered and his bloodthirsty eyes fixed upon her again. Water and saliva dripping from its sharp teeth, he advanced on the Sky Guardian.

Arcquaos's attacks came even swifter this time around, but Kelli once again managed to evade the creature's whipping tail strikes until the creature's own assault left it dazed and vulnerable. After another counter-attack against the creature's tail, Kelli decided to use this tactic for the time being, though she expected her foe to eventually employ a new strategy sooner or later. The creatures that lorded over the dungeons were intelligent enough to recognize when a particular approach wasn't working and to employ another, and the creatures which now terrorized Hyrule were clearly very intelligent, relentless, and deadly. What's more, it was already clear that they were quite familiar with Kelli herself given Link's discovery that at least some of them could use her techniques as well as the existence of Dark Kelli. Despite that, the heroine managed to repeat her earlier success and struck Arcquaos's tail twice more. Kelli, though she realized she was winning, kept her guard up and watched the beast carefully. With Link in the state that he was in, she could not afford to make a single mistake. Kelli was the last hope Hyrule had until the ailing hero recovered…if he recovered.

After Kelli's fourth assault on Arcquaos, the beast let out a terrifying shriek that forced Kelli to clap her hands over her ears. She watched warily but, to her surprise, the creature did not attempt to swing his tail or use his icy breath. Instead, it continued to roar and, as Kelli watched, she realized that the icicles on Arquoas body where growing. The set he'd had when their battle began were becoming longer, thicker, and sharper. What's more, as Arcquaos stood there, more sharp icicles rose from all over his body, including his legs, neck, torso, and head. A split second later, the beast went into a lurching roll that sent these icicles hurtling in every direction. Kelli quickly brought up her arms and shield over her face, several of the frozen missiles rebounding upon impact, but others slashing into her exposed arms and legs.

"AAAGH!" she yelped as blood began flowing down her injured limbs.

"Kelli!" Vira shouted worriedly, then snapping her fingers as an idea came to her. "Try using the shield attack next time! You might be able to deflect those icicles back at it!"

"W-What? But didn't you see the way that thing moves? I'm nowhere good enough to hit something that agile!" Kelli protested, trying to ignore the pain in her frostbitten and slashed sword arm.

"Come on! You can do it!"

"But… I don't know! My shield arm feels ready to fall off after that icy water!"

"Kel, you have to! Do it for Link! He'd want you to!"

"…Yeah, you're right. I'll give it my best shot for him! I just need to remember what he taught me about using a shield…"

You just need to practice keeping a firm grip on it, Link had said. While the creature turned its freezing breath on the water again, Kelli furiously worked to revive her shield arm. When a sheet of ice covered the water again, Arcquaos roared piercingly. The icicles then began to grow until his body bristled with icy spikes once more.

"Keep a firm grip on it…" Kelli repeated, hoping her half frozen fingers were up to the task. Within a split second, Arcquaos scattered his icicles once again. Just before they could strike her flesh, Kelli thrust her shield forward, knocking them right back at their owner. The shield did not wobble at all, nor did it ever slip from Kelli's arm. More astonishing still, the reflected projectile had struck its mark.

"You did it!" Vira cheered.

"…I did!" Kelli replied, a large smile forming on her face. "I did do it! Haha! Time to finish this beast!"

With that, Kelli felt excitement crackle through her body, not unlike the incendiary power of the Staff, for the first time in hours. She had finally performed a perfect shield attack, something she'd struggled to accomplish since the technique was first shared with her in Mayia. Now, if she could keep this up, she'd be able to finish off Arcquaos for good. When his own icicles struck him, the beast had been stunned. The following attack with the Flame Staff was enough to throw it off balance, and once again, it toppled onto the ice, allowing Kelli to deal more blows to his tail. Arcquaos seemed almost panicked by this reversal of fortune, perhaps not expecting Kelli to be able to counter his strategy so quickly, for its next assault became an erratic mix of attacks. Even so, Kelli kept Link's advice in mind and, much to her delight, she successfully repeated her earlier success with the shield attack. She followed these with blasts from the Flame Staff and then dealt several more blows to Arcquaos's tail. By this time, the beast was clearly weakening from wounds and weariness, but he continued to attack Kelli mercilessly. Yet, with the momentum of the battle on her side, Kelli wasn't giving up either.

Still, Kelli's elation was short lived. Both exhaustion and her own wounds had begun taking their toll on the heroine as well. She began to pant after striking Arcquaos's tail twice more. Between escaping the freezing water, dodging the beast's ice breath, deflecting his razor sharp icicles, and avoiding his tail and claws, Kelli was left breathing hard and her vision swimming. What's more, she also knew she had to staunch her wounds and thaw her frostbitten limbs, while they were still attached. Thankfully, Arcquaos was the worse off of the two combatants, as Kelli had dealt him grievous wounds by this time. Thankfully, the heroine's next strike upon the creature's tail proved to be the last. At Kelli's final thrust, Arcquaos roared in deafening agony while the jewel on his tail sparked, cracked, and then shattered. The beast stumbled and then collapsed into the water, vanishing beneath the icy surface.

"Ha… Ha…" Kelli panted as she heard a clanking and whooshing sound and watched as the water began to drain away. She had to admit, this had been one of the toughest battles she had ever fought. Even Bloodwing had not pressed the Sky Guardian to her limits as Arcquaos had, and this had only been her first clash with the new dungeon lords in Hyrule. She doubted it would be her last, and suspected that the next might be even deadlier.

After the pool of water had completely drained away, a stone door was revealed beneath Kelli on the east side of the room. Once her battle-heady blood had settled, Kelli was forcibly reminded of the damage done to her by Arcquaos's ice missiles and her dunking in the frozen water. She wanted to treat her wounds and the frostbite, and fast, but in her alarm at seeing Link's condition and her desperate haste to save him, she had forgotten to buy more potions in Kakariko. If her legs weren't in so much pain, she would've kicked herself. All she could do was carefully jump down from the platform , a decision she promptly regretted, and limp through the newly opened door.

As Kelli expected, the newly revealed door led to a tiny chamber that contained an altar, above which floated a small, shadowy sphere. Suddenly, a light pulsed within the shadows and the darkness was dispelled. Revealed was the shiny blue Jewel of Water, the very treasure Link had likely been seeking. A blue warp portal also shimmered into existence at the other end of the chamber. The Jewel of Water then glowed brightly and another, larger figure soon appeared from within the light. Once the light faded away, the figure's identity became clear. As Kelli had hoped, it was Princess Ruto. Thankfully, she appeared to be safe and unharmed. There was not a scratch on her blue fins and scales, though her eyes did roam the chamber as though seeking something she could not find.

"Link?" she called. "Link, are you here?"

"Sorry, no," Kelli replied, rolling her eyes at the Zora princess's obsession over the green-clad hero.

"Oh! Kelli! Am I glad to see you!" Ruto greeted upon noticing her savior. "I was afraid I'd be trapped inside that jewel forever."

"I bet. I'm glad to see you safe and sound myself," Kelli replied with a smile. "I'm sure your father will be relieved too."

"I'm sure, he always gets in such a state when I disappear," Ruto admitted, her tone a little too cheerful for Kelli's tastes. "That one time I got swallowed by Lord Jabu-Jabu, I didn't think he'd let me see the light of day again."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Kelli replied, still wondering how Ruto had ever become the Sage of Water.

"Indeed. Oh, no offense intended, but I was hoping Link would be the one to save me," Ruto admitted disappointedly. "Has he not returned to Hyrule yet?"

"Yeah, I thought as much," Kelli said with a chuckle. "And as a matter of fact, he did come home not long ago. He's already rescued Saria and Darunia, and cleansed the Kokiri Forest, Death Mountain, and Zora's Domain of evil."

"Oh, that's wonderful. I'm glad to know that he came back after so long! But…how come he couldn't come find me?"

Kelli's smile abruptly faded and she could no longer meet the Zora princess's gaze. Kelli did not bear the Sage of Water any personal fondness, but she did know that the Zora princess cared for Link…in her own clingy, irritating fashion. If she told Ruto what had happened, the Zora princess would surely be horrified, but Kelli also knew that it would be wrong of her to keep such news secret from her.

"Well… You see, Link was here looking for you and the jewel," Kelli began, each word demanding effort. "But, he was gravely wounded in battle. He managed to make it back to Kakariko, but he was in no condition to return here, so I came in his place."

Ruto's expression, by this time, was aghast and her eyes bulged with shock. Kelli immediately regretted her words and gnashed her teeth together to keep from revealing anything else. There was no way Kelli would tell Ruto how bad Link's wounds truly were. It would utterly destroy Ruto to learn that Link's life hung by a thread, and Kelli simply could not break Ruto's heart, no matter how un-sagely the Zora princess could be at times.

"Oh… I see…" Ruto replied, frowning. "The poor dear…"

Kelli then found herself smiling again as a notion, a mildly insane notion, occurred to her.

"But hey, you'd have been proud to have seen him in action. I swear, I think he's gotten even better than he was the last time the two of you met. He had those monsters begging for mercy for trapping you in here, and I was hard pressed to talk him into letting me return in his place. He was so worried about you," she embellished while, nearby, Vira mouthed "you're out of your mind."

"…Really?"

"You'd better believe it! He really went through a lot just to try to rescue you."

"Wow… Then he really does care about me!"

"I'd say so! Hee hee."

Ruto's cheeks colored in what, Kelli supposed, was the Zora equivalent of a blush. Kelli couldn't quite be sure of the truth in all of her words, and was quite certain she'd stretched the truth in quite a few places, and she suspected that Link would give her an earful if he found out what she had told Ruto. Yet, this tale had done much to lighten Ruto's spirits, and thinking about the look on Link's face when he and Ruto met again lightened Kelli's mood as well.

"Then, I must go visit him! After all, Link got injured while trying to save me, so it's only the right thing to do. Where is he at now?"

Me and my big mouth.

"He's resting in Kakariko, but I'm not sure that's a good idea," Kelli warned. "You, uh…need to let your father know you're safe!"

"…Well, that's true. I'll go do that first then. I'll meet you at the village later!"

With that, Ruto rushed for the warp portal.

"W-Wait, Ruto! Hold on!" Kelli protested.

"Don't worry, I'll be fine!" Ruto assured as she entered the portal and vanished. Kelli brought up one hand and gave her face a loud slap.

"Blast," she uttered.

"Well, you tried," Vira replied, snickering under her breath. "Let's get the jewel and get out of here."

"Alright…"

Kelli then took a deep breath and grabbed the Jewel of Water from its resting place. As she did so, a peculiar warmth stole over her. It was as though she'd been plunged into a pool of warm water…except she now felt dry. Almost as though the jewel was draining away the cold of her dunking, she now felt warm and dry, and the frostbite induced pain in her limbs faded. Nodding gamely, she entered the warp portal after, relieved to leave behind the cold dungeon and its frigid perils.

The portal briefly blinded Kelli and, when her vision returned, she found herself gently descending to the small island beneath which rested the Water Temple. She noticed that the Jewel of Water was glowing again and, realizing what this might mean, she watched the dry lake expectantly. Sure enough, water erupted from the two entrances to the Fortress of Ice, the GerudoValley River, the passage to Zora's Domain, and the entrance to the Water Temple. Higher and higher the water level rose, until the once bone dry crater brimmed over with clear, beautiful water. Kelli was relieved, elated even, to see this, though it did not provide as much relief as she would have liked. After all, the battle to save Hyrule was far from over. The heroine also knew that Link was still in grave danger…if he was even still alive.

"Hey! Kelli, look over there!" Vira exclaimed as Kelli was cleaning her wounds. Kelli turned to follow her fairy friend's gaze and spotted a pair of blue Lizalfos standing at the river's edge. She had never seen blue Lizalfos before and, more curious still, this pair had clearly noticed her, but made no move to attack.

"Hey, that's weird…" she commented.

Before she could make sense of this oddity, a bright glow enveloped the creatures. Kelli averted her eyes from the glare and, when she turned back, she saw instead a pair of Zoras.

"I don't believe it," Kelli uttered, her eyes wide with shock. She quickly raced across the rope bridges leading back to the mainland.

"Neither do I!" Vira agreed.

Once they arrived at the other side of the lake, Kelli quickly approached the Zoras. They were apparently aware of their reversion, for they were studying their newly regained fins with delight. As Kelli drew nearer, they soon noticed her, the delight on their faces seeming to grow.

"Ah, you must be Kelli," one said. "We thank you deeply for returning us to normal!"

"Yes, now we can finally go home!" the second Zora added.

"Yes, I'm Kelli. And I see," Kelli replied. "But what happened to you two?"

"We came here a few days ago, searching for Princess Ruto. We had just fought off an attack by monsters emerging from the Fortress of Ice. Since we suspected Princess Ruto to have been inside the fortress, one of our number returned to Zora's Domain to tell the king what we had discovered," the first Zora explained. "Soon thereafter, a shadowy figure appeared, along with a shrouded man with glowing eyes. The shadowy figure directed the shrouded man to cast a spell and, when we regained our sense, we found that we had been transformed into those hideous lizards."

"And that figure looked exactly like you!" the second added. "Only, she was dark with evil; so much so my scales crawled just looking at her. She was like some sort of twisted shadow of yourself. After we were transformed, she and the shrouded man just laughed at our misfortune and left. We couldn't go back home looking the way we did; nor could we hope to overcome the Fortress of Ice. We lingered here at the lake, hoping someone who could break the curse might come along. We saw Link, our princess's paramour, not long ago, but we were feared he would take us for the enemy. So we ran away."

"We hoped he would destroy the monsters in our former home, find Princess Ruto, and return this place to normal, but then we saw him emerge later with those awful wounds," the first Zora finished. "He rode off on his horse, and we feared he wouldn't survive the journey."

"Dark Kelli…" Kelli growled angrily, a grimace twisting her features. Her hands clenched into fists.

"You know of her as well?" the first Zora wondered.

"Yes, but there's no time to explain," Kelli replied. "I have to return to Kakariko Village at once. Link made it there, but he'll need help if he is to survive. You both should report to King Zora that the fortress has been cleansed and Ruto is safe. I'm sure he'll be relieved by this news, and to see that you're safe."

"Ah, yes, of course. And again, many thanks!"

With that, the trio went their separate ways. Kelli quickly mounted Sunfire, who had been grazing contently on the newly revived grass, and she immediately spurred the horse into a gallop. The young Sky Guardian raced out of Lake Hylia, leaping over the debris, and thundered onto Hyrule Field. On the way back to Kakariko, however, Kelli's earlier fears returned with a vengeance. Apparently, Dark Kelli was every bit as ruthless as Link's grievous wounds would suggest, and then some. More than a formidable enemy, Dark Kelli also seemed only too eager to inflict pain upon anyone who got in her way. Her dark counterpart, as far as Kelli could see, had nothing to gain from afflicting the two Zoras…except satiating a lust for sadistic pleasures, and now Kelli could see why Link had suffered so horribly at her dark counterpart's hands. What the two Zora guards had said made her wonder, however. Could Dark Kelli be the one behind the evil that now threatened to consume Hyrule? And, if so, what could her aim be? Or was Dark Kelli in the service of an even greater villain, perhaps Notu, Bloodwing, Riptide, or somebody else entirely? Whatever the case, Kelli knew her dark counterpart would inevitably strike again. The only question was where, and when. And Kelli could only hope that either she or Link, or better yet, both, would be there to stop her.

This train of thought soon took an even darker turn. The Sky Guardian had half expected her dark counterpart to be lying in wait within the Fortress of Ice, ready to ensnare Hyrule's lone remaining defender. Yet, Dark Kelli had not done so. With Link near death, eliminating Kelli was surely the wisest move…unless Dark Kelli had something else in mind. What if, instead, Dark Kelli was planning to raid Kakariko Village while it was undefended? If such were to happen now, with Link near death and Kelli absent, any chance of rebuilding Hyrule would surely be lost. Kelli spurred Sunfire, urging all speed from her mount. Yet, even as those dire thoughts roiled in her gut, more appeared.

Could Judo have crossed paths with Dark Kelli…and lost? Kelli then shook her head to banish these thoughts, unable to bear them. Even so, if Dark Kelli took both Link and Judo's lives, Kelli vowed that she would make her evil counterpart pay very dearly…or that she would die trying. Judo was her best friend, the boy who had been at her side, through times both good and bad, when they were children. They played with each other every day. They had warded off bullies, cared for one another when they were sick or hurt, and protected one another from danger whenever they could. Link was Kelli's partner and a newfound friend. It wasn't just the fact that he was destined to be the second Sky Guardian and the Guardian of the Moon either. Somehow, despite that she had only met him days before, Kelli still felt a bond with Link. It was a bond of a very different sort than the one she shared with Judo, for she worried about and cared for him as her best friend, as she always had. She considered Link to be a good friend, but when he was in danger, she feared for him like she would for a brother or cousin.

That musing caused perplexity to chase out some of Kelli's anxiety. Where had that musing come from? She had no family. She knew nothing of her parents, or if they were even alive. Kelli wasn't even sure if she was actually Hyrulean. All she knew was that she was an orphaned Hylian girl who spent some of her childhood with Saria in the Kokiri Forest, much like Link had. When she left behind the forest of children, she met and quickly befriended Judo. Two years later, she journeyed onward to Mayia, where she grew into both womanhood and her role as the Guardian of the Sun. Though Kelli had lived amongst the Kokiri, she had long since known that she herself was not one of the forever young forest children, not the smallest clue being that she survived leaving the forest when no Kokiri could, however, her true origins remained a mystery. I just don't understand… Kelli thought to herself. I hope I find out someday.

Sometime later, Kelli finally approached the stone stairs leading up to Kakariko Village. Epona remained tethered and gloomy as ever without her master, as she had been when Kelli first departed. However, Kelli also noticed that the mare's saddle and reins had been cleaned. The blood that had stained them was gone, and the leather had been freshly oiled and repaired. Perplexed, but relieved that Dark Kelli hadn't attacked the village in her absence, Kelli quickly dismounted Sunfire and hurried up the stairs into the village. Much to her surprise, the simple wooden fence had been replaced with a partially built stone barrier and a stout iron gate. As she drew nearer, a shout made her jump.

"Who goes there?"

Several figures rose from atop the wall; Kelli could distinguish at least a dozen hylian soldiers armed with bows and arrows and at least as many Gorons brandishing what looked like some sort of sling-like weapon for hurtling huge rocks. When the armed guards recognized her, however, they lowered their weapons and beckoned her to approach. Kelli, more than a little startled by these changes, mechanically strode through the gate as it creaked open. Still, she could not suppress a flutter of excitement as she realized what might be happening.

Upon entering the village, the heroine's suspicions were confirmed. Kakariko was now an armed camp. A number of villagers had set up improvised forges and were hammering out swords, spears, shields and suits of armor, while others were carving bows and arrows. Many new soldiers, fresh recruits, Kelli suspected, were being trained by more experienced warriors. Gorons were delivering loads of iron ore to the forges while oxen carried heavy stones for the new wall's construction. Kelli was briefly flabbergasted at the whirlwind of activity, but quickly realized its meaning.

Link had saved the people of Hyrule before, in the dark future which only a chosen few recalled, and by exposing Ganondorf upon returning from the future, and, with him near death and Hyrule besieged by evil, the people had only themselves to rely upon.

Apparently, they were managing well enough.

The next time the enemy visited Kakariko, they'd be in for a nasty surprise.

Though she was relieved that Kakariko was now well defended, Kelli was still worried. She hadn't yet found a means to heal Link's affliction, and there was also the question of how Daphnes was coping with the ongoing crisis. In addition to his kingdom being ravaged by an unknown evil and his daughter's disappearance, he might very well have just lost his best chance to rectify the situation, and Kelli knew what such news could do to the king's already deteriorating health. She quickly bolted for Impa's house, dodging between the traffic of armed men and praying silently for both Daphnes and Link.

Within moments, Kelli barged through the front door. Daphnes already stood at the entrance, probably expecting her.

"Ah, Kelli," he greeted. "It does my heavy heart good to see that you've returned safely."

"I'm glad you're alright as well, your majesty," Kelli replied through a fearful pant. "Please tell me, how is Link? Will he be alright?"

Daphnes sighed before replying.

"I desperately wish I had an answer to that. I sent for a doctor as soon as I learned of Link's condition, but this affliction is one unknown to him. Even so, the doctor has treated Link as best as he can for now. You should go speak with him. He can explain the situation better than I."

"Alright. They're upstairs, I'm guessing?"

"Correct. Link also has a visitor, by the way. I think you may know her as well."

Could Ruto have gotten here that fast? Kelli wondered to herself.

"I see. I'll go see them immediately," she said.

Kelli then rushed up the staircase. The second floor of Impa's home was a large, single room which was neatly furnished with three beds as well as end tables, wardrobes, and a modest seating area for entertaining guests. Two beds were arranged against the right wall while the other stood upon the left. Link occupied the latter bed, and Kelli's breath seemed to catch in her throat when she saw him. His eyes were closed, one of which seemingly swollen shut by a massive bruise that was covered with a bandage, and his breathing was labored and shallow. His tunic, hat, and undershirt had been removed while his left arm and torso were bandaged. The blood that matted his hair and stained his body had been washed away. However, the hero lay motionless upon the bed; his skin deathly pale and his body dripping with sweat. If not for Link feverish shivering, one might have believed he was already dead. However, Kelli feared that she knew what the doctor was about to tell her.

"Ah, Lady Kelli," he greeted. "I'm glad you've come. It is an honor to meet you, though I dearly wish it were under better circumstances."

The doctor was a middle-aged man, his brown hair streaked with gray and his hazel eyes somewhat blurry from strain but still sharp with intellect. He wore a white robe and a leather satchel hung from his belt, likely containing his supplies. Kelli was about to reply when she noticed the visitor Daphnes had mentioned standing next to him. But it wasn't Ruto as she had suspected. It was Malon, and her facial expression was no less troubled than Kelli's.

"Likewise," Kelli replied. "And Malon, what are you doing here? I thought you'd be helping your father look after the ranch."

"I know, but he and I both agreed that it would be best if I came here to help Link," Malon replied. "We were told what had happened when one of the guards came by and asked if we had any milk left. The doctor said it may help later. Thankfully, we did have one last bottle and we decided that Link needed it the most. When I saw the blood on Epona's reins and saddle, I nearly screamed. I'm so worried…"

Malon sniffled and then approached Link's bedside. She knelt to his level to gently stroke the bangs of his hair as a tear graced her cheek.

"Indeed," the doctor confirmed. "I did what I could, but I fear it wasn't enough."

"What do you mean?" Kelli wondered nervously, struggling to get the words past a lump in her throat.

"I was able to clean and bandage his wounds easily enough, but Link was attacked quite brutally. There were deep cuts and terrible bruises all over him. He also lost a grave amount of blood due to the deep wound in his stomach. I was able to stop the bleeding, but he's been infected with some sort of illness. It is unlike anything I have ever seen before, and both it and the blood loss have caused him to fall into a coma. What's more, he is also running a very high fever. I'm afraid that unless we find a way to at least remedy this illness, then he will likely not survive."

"Oh no…"

Malon gasped fearfully.

"But-But what about a potion?" she stammered. "Surely a blue one is powerful enough."

"You'd think so, but unfortunately, Link's condition has deteriorated too severely even for that to suffice," the doctor somberly reported. "As things stand now, his final hour draws near."

"W-What?" a familiar voice interrupted. The trio turned to see Ruto standing at the top of the staircase, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Oh… Ruto," Kelli uttered.

"Kelli… You didn't tell me Link was…" Ruto began, unable to finish. She then covered her face with her hands and began bawling.

"…I know. I'm so sorry. I just…I just didn't want to scare you," Kelli admitted shamefacedly.

Malon then approached Ruto and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"So you're Princess Ruto of the Zoras," she greeted. "I know this is hard. Link was…is a good friend of mine as well, and the thought of…losing him… It's more than I can bear."

"Yeah… But you're not the one who…had feelings for him," Ruto pointed out shyly.

"That's true. But, we all loved him dearly, in one way or another. He's done so much for his friends, and all of Hyrule."

"Malon is right, Ruto," Kelli stepped in, approaching the two girls. "And, Link isn't just my friend, he's my partner. Believe me, I'll do anything I can to save him."

"I know…" Ruto admitted, her eyes turning red. "But, this is so heartbreaking. I just heard of what Link had done in Kokiri Forest, Goron City and for my people, and it gave me hope that these troubles might finally be ending. But now, it's as though everything looks darker than ever. But, I can't just go home; I feel as though I'll lose my mind if I don't do something. If you've no objections, I wouldn't mind helping out here. My father didn't want me to be gone long, but he'll just have to deal with it. I'm not leaving Link like this, especially not after what he went through to try to save me."

"Link has probably gone through a lot of trouble trying to find the ranch's missing tools as well," Malon added. "It's only right for me to try to help him too. I've already brought our last bottle of milk and cleaned up Epona."

"I can see why you girls are Link's friends," the doctor put in. "If any of this makes you feel better, all of the townsfolk are doing what they can. Soldiers are training hard to make certain the enemy cannot penetrate this town again, and many more are in training. The Gorons have brought iron ore from Death Mountain, and we are working day and night to make weapons and armor, as well as to fortify the village entrance. If we cannot save Link, we will do what he would have done. We will protect Hyrule; for it is only right after everything he's already done for us."

"Wow…" Kelli uttered. "I knew Link was well-respected, but I never expected all of that. I saw a good bit of it on the way in, and I had a hard time believing it. Still, I'm so glad to hear this. Ruto, Malon, of course you both can help! I'm going to go exploring and see if I can find anything that can help Link myself."

"Great! As for what we'll do…" Malon contemplated. "Um… I know! Since the soldiers are preoccupied with their training and holding the village entrance while the wall is being built, Ruto and I can climb the tower near the entrance to Death Mountain and serve as lookouts. We'll be able to spot monsters easily from up there."

"Hey, that's a wonderful idea!" Ruto agreed. "We can see any monsters coming for miles around from up there, and we can sound the alarm so that the soldiers will be ready for any enemies!"

"Sounds good to me," Kelli replied with a smile. "Malon, you remember my song, right? Use it if any of you need to get ahold of me right away."

"Of course," Malon agreed. "Good luck!"

"Thanks!"

With that, Kelli departed the house. She wasn't sure where to begin her search, but suspected that one place would likely serve as well as another. She could only hope that she found something soon, for Link may not have long to live otherwise. And if he passed away, Hyrule would lose a potential Sky Guardian…and would surely be doomed.