Chapter 5: Dark Days in Lake Hylia
Hyrule Castle-Nightfall
King Daltus observes from the castle as the drawbridge is raised. Zelda approaches from the left to join her father on the balcony.
"Is everything alright, father?"
"For the time being." Daltus answers. "I hope King Alm can prevail in this task. I fear it was unwise to send him with only one other companion."
"Sheik was chosen specifically by Impa at my suggestion; I trust her judgment." Zelda retorts. "I have faith that everything will go the way it needs to. Not today, nor tomorrow, but everything will be brought to order once again. King Alm will return home to his kingdom and Link will return to us."
"You mean the Triforce of Courage will return to us." Daltus corrects.
"…Yes, of course."
Lon Lon Ranch
Talon (Malon's father) and Mr. Ingo (the ranch hand) close up the gate as Malon, Alm and Sheik enter.
"Where'd you find these two?" Talon asks. "Is he soldier?"
"Nah, his armor is all wrong. He's not from around here." Ingo adds. "And who's the blondie?"
"Everyone, this is Alm and Sheik." Malon states as she hangs her robe nearby, revealing a white short sleeved shirt, yellow scarf, long lavender skirt and brown leather apron and boots. "They were outside tangling with monsters, I bailed them out."
"Malon! I told you not to go out there like that!" Talon scolds.
"What was I supposed to do, dad? Let them get hurt?" Malon retorts in an annoyed tone.
"Kid's right, Talon; you know how bad it is out there. Someone had to do that much at least." Ingo adds. "Good on ya'."
"Great. Give the girl a bow and she's suddenly a warrior woman." Talon exasperatedly states.
"With all due respect, sir, I think Miss Malon showing up when she did was the best that could've happened to us." Alm declares.
"I concur with Sir Alm. The numbers kept piling on and exhaustion was closing in on us." Sheik adds before bowing. "The lady has our thanks."
"Oh, stop." Malon quietly states, trying to hide her blush.
Sighing, Talon throws his hands up in resignation. "Oh forget it. We're going to go feed the animals for the night, so you are in charge of the guests. Come on, Ingo."
"Yup." Ingo follows Talon to the stables as Malon leads Alm and Sheik to the house. Once inside, Malon has Alm help her set up another two beds across from Ingo's bed. Once finished, Malon leaves them to their own devices as she ascends the stairs to the second floor. Removing his armor and leaving only his black clothing, Alm sits down on one of the beds and exhales deeply.
"Sir, are you feeling alright?" Sheik asks, sitting on his own bed.
"Just running through all of what happened today. A day passed and we still didn't make any progress."
"It's probably too much to ask for any progress on day one. Perhaps we should consider where we should go first." Sheik recommends.
"Well, I'm a stranger here; where would you recommend we start first?"
Nodding, Sheik pulls out a map rolled up in a small pack hanging from his left shoulder, spreading it on one of the beds. "Very well, here we are in Lon Lon Ranch, to the northeast is Kakariko Village and further up it is Death Mountain; I don't recommend going there yet due to heavy monster encroachment. Below that is Zora's Domain, however we haven't had any contact with the Zora's, perhaps we should go there first, I'll let you decide after I show you all the directions. To the east is Kokiri Forest and the Lost Woods, we need to go there to speak to the Deku Tree, but unfortunately the spirits have become restless as of late, we will need a new strategy before even considering going there. South is Lake Hylia, an unusual storm has made it very dangerous to head there, but I think we'll be up to the challenge. Finally, west is Gerudo Desert; a heavy wind storm has been making progress for our forces slow. We may need the help of a Gerudo to traverse it."
"Alright then, I'll mull it over tonight and give you my opinion tomorrow morning. For now, we should get some rest." Alm states.
"Agreed." Sheik complies before lying down on his bed, then he decides to press further. "Sir?"
"Yes, Sheik?"
"Did you see anything in the Lost Woods?"
"Why do you ask?" Alm looks to the side from his bed.
"You seemed to be in a trance during that monster attack; you were looking towards the woods." Sheik explains.
Alm thinks before answering, feeling cornered. "You caught me; I saw my wife." Alm lied. "Why though? She shouldn't be there."
"The forest spirits have caused hallucinations visible to anyone from your memories. But, that is all they are; hallucinations. Nothing more."
"I see…well, if they're just hallucinations, then I should just ignore it. Thank you, Sheik."
"Sir." Sheik calls out in a more serious tone.
"Yes?"
"…Never go there without me. Understand?"
Alm looks back to Sheik and sees him staring intently at him. "I understand."
With their plans in order, Alm and Sheik slowly drift off to sleep. Roughly a few hours later, Alm awakens to the sounds of loud snoring; revealed to be coming from Ingo. Sitting up, he looks at Ingo before looking at Sheik, the latter of whom is sound asleep.
"How can you not hear that…?" Alm quietly states before standing up and heading outside. Now alone and quiet, Alm's thoughts wander to the Lost Woods, specifically what he actually saw; that bearded man. Why? Why did he have to appear? This was supposed to be buried in the back of his thoughts… Soon, his thinking is interrupted by what sounds like someone singing. Getting closer, the singing becomes louder as he sees Malon in the middle of the corral; the one responsible for the melody. Alm couldn't bring himself to interrupt her as the song was so soothing. Upon closer inspection, Malon was not alone; that chestnut mare, Epona, was standing to her left side and almost swaying her head to the melody. Unintentionally, Alm's shoulder hits the entrance to the corral as he moves closer, alerting Malon to his presence.
"Uh oh."
Gasping, Malon turns around. "Alm?"
"I'm sorry, Miss Malon; I didn't want to disturb you." Alm explains. "It was a nice tune."
"That's fine; and it's just Malon." Malon responds with a smile. "Oh! Did I wake you up?"
"No. Don't worry, Miss- I mean Malon. I just couldn't sleep, so I stepped out for some air. I'll leave you alone now, sorry for disrupting you."
"No, come on over; I need some company and Epona doesn't have much to say." Malon quips and Epona sputters at this. Still wide awake, Alm concedes and walks over to the two.
"So, what are you doing out here so late?"
"I couldn't sleep either. So, I came out here to sing my mother's song. It helps to remind me of better days before all of this happened." Malon explains.
"Well, it's lovely. I think Epona feels the same way." Alm comments while petting Epona's mane, the latter nickering contentedly.
"She's a special horse. Hey Alm."
"Yes?"
"Have you met someone by the name of Link?"
Pausing, Alm thinks it through before answering. "Y-yes."
"Oh!" Malon ecstatically exclaims. "Really?"
"Yes. He…He sent me a message days ago." Alm states, fabricating a story.
"Then you both know each other?"
Feeling guilty, Alm decides to continue fibbing so as to not confuse Malon with where Link actually is. "We met a long time ago. He sent me that message telling me what was happening in Hyrule, so I came to help out."
"And where is Link now?"
"Uh…he's following a lead as to what's going on. So, he told me to stay behind while he looks it over." Alm pauses, trying to keep up his lie. "Don't worry; he can take care of himself."
"No, I know." Malon half heartedly states. "It's good to know that he has friends in other places."
"Yeah…"
"Anyway, where are you from?"
"Oh. It's a land far, far way from here; Valentia."
"Valentia? Never heard of it."
"I'm sure. It's not very well known, even the King of Hyrule doesn't know of it." Alm comments and Malon looks at him in surprise.
"You…you've met the king?"
"Yes. He's…strict, to say the least."
"Hmm." Malon's mood sours as she hears this. "So, you've met Zelda too?"
"I have. And she helped me stop that monster attacking the town earlier today. She's very different from the king; she was more concerned with stopping that monster than turning tail and running. I appreciate that in a person." Alm fondly states.
"Hmph, I guess she's not totally useless then…" Malon pouts, crossing her arms and leaning on Epona.
"…What does that mean?" Alm, surprised by this remark, asks.
Malon walks a few inches before continuing. "Link's a great guy. We've been friends since we were kids, he tamed Epona when no else, besides me, could. He lights up the room when he shows up." Malon fondly explains. "I even had the pleasure of meeting Zelda some days when he snuck her out of the castle and we had fun together. Then, last year came…"
"What happened last year?"
"That's just it; I don't know. He rode back on Epona, and he was bloody…"
Lon Lon Ranch, a year ago
"Alright, out you go you little scamps!" Malon shouts, shooing the cucco's out of their coop to roam on the grass by the house. It was late afternoon and Malon was catching up on her chores. Soon, she hears Epona's recognizable neighing and looks towards the entrance; Link had returned from his venture in Lake Hylia and Malon happily receives them both. "Hey, fairy boy! Did you have fun?"
"Hi Malon, I came to drop off Epona." Link comments, wearing a hood.
"Well, I'm sure she could use a rest. How about you help me out a bit while Mr. Ingo gives her something to eat?"
"Sure."
"And take that hood off. What are you, a ghost?" Malon jokes as she reaches to pull it down.
"Malon wait!" Link shouts, too late to grab his hood; revealing his bruised and cut face, much to Malon's shock.
"Link! What happened?!" Malon exclaims, dropping her bucket of cucco feed.
"It's ok; it's not as bad as it looks." Link hurriedly comments, lowering Malon's hands from his face.
"Not as bad?! Your left eye is barely open!"
"Malon, just calm down…"
"What's all the ruckus-" Talon walks out of the stable, unsettled by Malon's shouting. "Whoa! Who did this to you, boy?"
"Precisely what I want to know, dad." Malon states, clearly upset.
"Ok, ok; I got into a fight with some thugs." Link explains, trying to calm everyone down. "They showed up trying to rob us, so I fought them off and I took Zelda back to the castle and then I came here. That's all."
"And those thugs, what happened to them?" Malon asks.
"The knights came and apprehended them. Zelda was still shaken, so I took her back; the knights gave us an escort back and now, here I am."
"Well, I guess that's that then." Talon says, breathing a sigh of relief. "But boy, they did a number on you. Malon, get him cleaned up while I get some stew ready, I think our champion has earned a good meal."
"Ok…" Malon agrees and leads Link to the second floor of their house. Sitting down at the table, Malon brings out a box of medical supplies to tend to Link's wounds. Getting a cloth with water, Malon wipes off the dried blood from Link's face, minding his reactions to the wounds.
"Thanks Malon." Link quietly says.
"No problem. You can pay me back by telling me the truth." Malon answers, clearly not impressed with Link.
"What are you talking about?"
Frustrated, Malon throws the cloth down and faces Link. "You know, we've been friends for almost seven years now. We've spent almost every day doing things together, you even taught me how to use the bow, so I pride myself in knowing when you or Zelda are lying; and you are." Malon leans back on her chair, folds her arms in and crosses her legs, expecting Link to answer her. "So, what is going on?"
Feeling cornered, Link looks to the side but Malon makes him face her again, clearly not letting him escape this line of questioning.
"Did Zelda do this to you?"
"NO. No, she didn't." Link immediately answers. "But, it's complicated, Malon. She simply couldn't get involved, so I had to take the-"
"Wait." Malon, in wide eyed realization, cuts him off before he could continue. "Zelda stood by and let this happen to you?! Even as the princess, she could've stopped it?!"
"No, that's not what I-"
"I don't believe it! How could she do this?!"
"Malon, please; it's more complicated than you think." Link states, trying to calm his irate friend. "But, I can't tell you."
"Why not?"
"It's bigger than the two of us. That's all I can say, I'm sorry."
Still frustrated, Malon stands up and moves to exit the room.
"Wait, where are you going?"
"To get…another cloth. Wait here." Malon walks off in a huff, leaving Link alone to sulk in silence.
"So, did he say what happened?" Alm asks, now intrigued.
"No, he didn't. To this day, I have no idea." Malon answers, now less upset. "You know what the worse part is? Zelda never came around after that day and Link avoids any questions about her. I know it has to do with her and I know she's responsible for what happened to Link; she splintered us."
"Malon, understand that she's the princess, perhaps she can't make a stand." Alm tries to make an argument, understanding the subject of how sovereigns work. Malon, however, only becomes more agitated.
"I hate this…and I hate her!" Malon shouts, though immediately relents. "No, no; I don't hate her. She's a good person, I know. But, she has to fix this, whatever it is."
Deciding not to press further, Alm converses with Malon about different topics, wanting to diffuse the tension. After a few minutes, both return to the house to finally get some sleep before the sun rises. With Malon going upstairs, Alm returns to his bed and reflects on what she had told him; what exactly happened to Link a year ago? Bearing that in mind, would Valentia be alright with him roaming there? Perhaps Sheik would know more…
Lon Lon Ranch, Morning
Waking up bright and early, Alm and Sheik get ready to move out to their next destination.
"Have you thought of where we should head first, Sir?" Sheik asks, straightening out his turban and face mask
"Yes, I do." Alm answers, buckling his armor in place. "I want to go to Lake Hylia. I think it would be a good starting point to see what is going on and it seems like the most accessible at the moment."
"Very well. It isn't very far, so reaching it within the hour should not be troublesome. We should thank Malon and the others before heading off."
"I agree. Hey, Sheik?"
"Yes?"
"I don't know if you've got any ideas, but do you know if something happened to Link a year ago?" Alm asks and Sheik's eyes widen slightly. "Something involving the Princess?"
"…What do you mean?" Sheik asks as he turns around.
"Well, according to Malon, Link got into some kind of altercation and it involved her. You wouldn't happen to know something about that, would you?"
Standing in uncomfortable silence, Sheik inhales before speaking. "I'm…afraid not, Sir. I am not allowed to know about the goings on involving the Royal Family, unlike others. My apologies."
"I see. Well, I'm sure it's just a misunderstanding. From what the Princess told me, it seems that Link is a good person. Sorry for holding you up."
"No, it's quite alright. But, I can assure you; Link is a good man."
"I'll take your word for it. Now then, we shouldn't wait any longer. Let's get Malon and tell her we're going." Alm declares.
"Yes Sir." Sheik complies and they both exit the house. As they exit, Talon and Ingo had two glass of the ranches famous Lon Lon milk for them, which immediately reinvigorated them. Thanking them for it, Malon rides up with Epona and two other horses (both light brown with dark manes), complete with saddles. Waving goodbye to Talon and Ingo, the two (plus Malon) ride off towards the southern end of Hyrule Field, avoiding the scattered monsters. Upon reaching it, the three stop at the entrance.
"You can already feel the strong winds, can't you?" Malon asks, calming a spooked Epona.
"I can. It's so strong." Alm answers.
"Well, this is as far as I go. Promise me you'll come back in one piece?"
"We will, Miss Malon. Thank you." Sheik answers, bowing his head slightly.
"Take care of those horses. It beats walking with all those monsters around, but you've got to keep them safe." Malon mounts Epona. "Alright, good luck you two." Malon rides off towards the ranch as the pair trot towards the lake.
Lake Hylia
Entering, they are bombarded by heavy rain and strong winds; the storm was worse than they thought. Pointing to the house nearby, Alm leads Sheik towards it. Reaching the house, they tie the horse's reigns under a shade to at least keep the horses dry before knocking on the door.
"Who is it? Do you not see the storm?" An elderly man answers, wearing a white gown and a blue open vest that reaches down to the gown with a matching blue cap.
"Hello, we came to, hopefully, fix this! Can we please come in?!" Alm shouts, trying to drown out the rain.
"Goodness, well come on in then." The old man moves aside to let them get out of the rain. "First off, I'm Dr. Mizumi. Secondly, how do you plan to fix this crazy weather?"
"Well, how exactly did this happen?" Sheik asks, drying himself off while Alm follows his lead.
"You've got me there, boy; I wanted to have a look for myself, but these old bones of mine…" Dr. Mizumi says, sitting down at the table nearby. "Well, I'm not as young as I used to be."
"It's alright, Doctor. We can't exactly wait for the rain to stop, not that it will, so we're going to have to investigate." Alm states. "Can you maybe tell us anything you might have seen from here?"
"Hmm….Well, I have been hearing some loud splashing lately, like something was dropping on the lake itself. But, with the dark clouds, I couldn't see what it could've been." Dr. Mizumi claims. "I can't think of anything else-"
"Excuse me, gentlemen." Sheik cuts in. "I sense a dark power coming from outside and it is close by."
Getting up from his seat, Alm draws his sword. "Stay here Dr. Mizumi; don't come out unless we say."
"Uy, you don't have to tell me twice!" Dr. Mizumi fearfully hides behind a shelf as the other two cautiously walk outside. They become shocked as the rain has stopped falling on their position, yet it's still pouring everywhere else.
"What is this?" Sheik asks aloud. "What is causing this phenomenon? Sir?"
"No…" Alm whispers in disbelief, looking at a figure standing a few feet away from them. This man was dressed in an intricate dark robe, with red accents, a bright red cloth with gold designs hanging from both shoulders, a spine like necklace draped on his chest, a brown fan like decoration behind his head, sickly purple skin, white hair and black eyes with white irises. "Jedah?!"
"Well, well…The King of Valentia graces me with his presence." Jedah sinisterly states, smiling as he does so.
"You know this individual, Sir?" Sheik asks, following Alm's lead and arming himself.
"More than I care to admit." Alm seethes. "I thought we finished you off!"
"As did I, King Alm. But, with the power given to me by Lord Duma, I have been given a second chance to right Valentia's wrongs." Jedah declares.
"I swear Jedah, if you go anywhere near Celica, I'll-"
"Peace, boy." Jedah holds up his hand to halt Alm. "You will be happy to know that I have no interest in Queen Anthiese anymore. I have another goal in mind; the Triforce."
"How do you know about it?" Alm inquires.
"Never you mind. Needless to say, it can grant any wish one desires. I just so happen to have one in mind; the revival of Lord Duma."
"Blasphemer!" Sheik throws three kunai at Jedah, which shatter before reaching him.
"You want to bring our home to ruin again?!" Alm angrily shouts.
"No, I come with good intentions; Lord Duma's power allowed me to live once again, when I should've died. Is that not proof enough that he is necessary for Valentia's growth? You would be unwise to deny such blessings from him."
"I won't let you." Alm determinedly declares, gripping the Royal Sword tightly.
"If I had the time, I'd remind you of how hollow that threat of yours is." Jedah states in a low voice. "But, my time in Hyrule is running short. I had hoped that the Princess wouldn't be so heavily guarded, so I'll have to think of a strategy to lure her out of her castle. However, the Hero of Time is roaming freely with Anthiese."
"He's with Celica?" Alm asks in surprise.
"Yes. He dared to defy the Duma Faithful; he's slowly bringing false hope to the land. But, that is at an end…" Jedah states before bringing his arms out and summons two portals behind him. From the portals, two young women step out. "You are familiar with my daughters, King Alm? Marla and Hestia."
"It has been a while, King Alm." Hestia (a young woman with light purple skin, black eyes with white irises, short purple hair in a pixie cut, a silver choker, a dark purple, form fitting dress, with magenta accents and gloves, thigh high dark brown boots, a short cape that reaches her waist and a fan like decoration behind her head) quietly greets.
"You have certainly grown into a fine king, boy." Marla (a young woman with light purple skin, black eyes with white irises, long purple hair in a knot top with wavy bangs framing her face, a silver choker, a dark purple, form fitting dress, with dark purple accents and gloves, thigh high dark brown boots, a short cape that reaches her waist and a fan like decoration behind her head) teasingly states.
"They will find the Hero of Time." Jedah states with a malicious grin. "It's only a matter of when and how."
"Don't you touch him!" Sheik angrily shouts, a fact that catches Alm's attention. Usually, Sheik is a calm and collected individual, where did this fit come from?
"Temper, temper." Marla quips before flicking her wrist at Sheik, pushing him back towards the house.
"Sheik!" Alm rushes over to help Sheik back on his feet.
"I'm afraid that is no longer up to you, my daughters will keep him company." Jedah states, causing Hestia and Marla to giggle maliciously. "You two, on the other hand, can entertain him." Jedah sends a wave of dark magic at Alm and Sheik, sending them flying into the agitated lake.
"Oh, the poor dears." Hestia quips.
"Naughty children need to be taught their manners, sister." Marla adds.
"Alright now girls; you are to stand by until Koume and Kotake return. After which, you are to return to Valentia.
"We will start at the base camp?" Marla asks.
"Yes. From there, you will both begin tracking the Hero of Time. Kill Anthiese if she gets in your way." Jedah commands.
"Understood, father." Hestia and Marla answer at the same time, bowing their heads.
"Excellent. I will see you shortly." Jedah disappears in a sphere of light, returning to Valentia. Hestia and Marla head off to an unknown location, awaiting for Koume and Kotake's return.
Falling into the lake, Alm and Sheik descend deep inside before quickly swimming to the surface.
"Sheik! Where are you?!" Alm shouts, trying to stay afloat in the turbulent waters while looking around for his partner. From behind him, Sheik emerges while coughing up water.
"Sir!"
Turning around, Alm breathes a sigh of relief as he regroups with Sheik. "Are you ok?!"
"I'm fine! Who were those people?!"
"That was Jedah; he's the leader of the Duma Faithful!"
"How does he know about the Triforce?!"
"I don't know, but I need to know where it-" Alm is cut off abruptly. "Whoa!"
"What's wrong?!" Sheik asks.
"Something just brushed my leg!" Alm holds his breath and looks down into the water, but is unable to see anything in the darkness and emerges. "I can't see a thing!"
"Forget it! Swim for shore!" Sheik points to a nearby island with a tree and the stone pad depicting the Triforce and the symbol of the Water Temple. Swimming against the agitated water, they are mere inches away as an unknown creature of massive size emerges behind them before retreating, separating them. Recomposing himself, Alm searches for Sheik once again, only now alert to the mystery creatures presence. Spotting Sheik some distance away, Alm swims towards him as the former tries to shout something that he can't hear past the wind and rain. Finally, Alm gets close enough for Sheik to throw kunai at what he was pointing out; a gapping maw with two rows of bumpy teeth. Alm looks behind as the creature roars in discomfort before diving again.
"What is that?!" Alm shouts in alarm.
Before Sheik can answer, the creature emerges and jumps over them; it is revealed to be a massive fish like creature with grey scales, a greyish blue dorsal area, deep red eyes, an intricate headdress on its forehead and three tentacles protruding from its body (red on its back, blue on its right side and green on its left side).
"Is that…?" Sheik wonders aloud as the creature emerges to face them; roaring as the water unexpectedly shakes and seemingly forms tentacles before dropping. "Lord Jabu-Jabu!"
"Get back!" Alm shouts as Jabu-Jabu rushes them, grabbing Alm by the leg and taking him under.
"ALM!" Sheik shouts in alarm, managing to grab Jabu-Jabu's tail fin. Underwater, Alm struggles to get his leg loose before stabbing at Jabu-Jabu's mouth. Sheik uses his kunai to bring himself over to Jabu-Jabu's head, digging them into his hide. Eventually, Alm manages to cut the lip, forcing Jabu-Jabu to release him. Swimming up, Alm surfaces and sees Jabu-Jabu rushing back towards him with his mouth wide open. Sheik, now free from the water, runs towards Jabu-Jabu's head and drives a dagger in it, deviating him away from Alm. Angered, Jabu-Jabu brings his back tentacle on an unsuspecting Sheik, electrocuting and dropping him in the lake.
"Sheik, no!" Alm swims over to a paralyzed Sheik, grabbing him and doing his best to keep Sheik's head above water though he weighs Alm down. Doing his best effort to swim with one hand, Alm slowly tries to reach shore. His desperation begins to catch up as the water brings them back out and Jabu-Jabu begins closing in on them from the other side of the lake. "Help! Can anybody hear me?!" Alm shouts in despair as their foe charges at them both. "Hello, anyone?!" Alm struggles to keep Sheik afloat as Jabu-Jabu is roughly twelve feet away. Looking back, Alm sees Jabu-Jabu close to colliding with them and decides to shield Sheik from the incoming impact as he rams them, sending the two flying before hitting the water again. Shell-shocked, Alm sinks down into the depths with Sheik too far to reach. As his consciousness begins to fade, Alm can just barely make out a humanoid figure swimming towards and reaching out to him before fading.
Alm awakens to the sound of a crackling flame, revealed to be a small fire next to him and noticing that he's not wearing his armor, but rather his pants and a blue tunic. Coming to his senses, Alm immediately stands up.
"Sheik? Sheik?!" Alm calls out before noticing his location, a room made of smooth stone and what appears to be a stall with wares for sale. "Where am I now?" As he wonders this, someone approaches from outside and Alm grabs a nearby pole and readies himself.
"What's all the commotion in here?" A slender figure looks inside and Alm hits them in the stomach with the pole, winding them. Dropping to their knees in discomfort, Alm takes the chance to run outside. "Ah! Wait!"
Leaving the room, Alm is dumbfounded by what he sees; a cavern like city with a large body of water illuminated by luminous rocks. Before he can look into it further, he is immediately surrounded by many humanoid creatures with light blue skin, dark blue eyes, webbed feet, slender physiques, short fins on their waists and long fins on their arms and a fish like tail on the back of their heads. Panicking, Alm tries to figure out how to escape his situation, until…
"Stand down, everyone! Stand down!" A feminine voice calls out and the others move aside to let this person through; it was another one like them, though with a more curvaceous figure, human like eyes with purple irises, a semi triangular head with eye like appendages on both ends and dark blue diamond shaped earrings. "It's ok, you're safe now."
"Where are we?" Alm asks, trying to calm down.
"Why, you're in Zora's Domain. We are the Zoras." The female Zora declares, extending her arms out to gesture everyone. "I got you out before you could drown and brought you here."
"That was you?" Alm finally relaxes. "Then, you have my gratitude, Miss…"
"Ah, I am Princess Ruto. Call me Ruto." Ruto extends her hand, with a wink and a smile. Acknowledging this, Alm takes her hand and, remembering how he's supposed to be around royalty, kisses it. Ruto gasps, before giggling with a blush. "Oh my!"
"Thank you for helping me, Prin- Ruto. I am Alm, King of Valentia." Alm formally gives his gratitude, bringing his right hand up to his chest and bowing his head slightly.
"Well, you're a very polite king and a handsome one at that." Ruto declares with her hands on her hips. "Alright everyone, show's over. Go on about your business, our guest and I have things to discuss."
Agreeing, the Zoras go back to their daily routines. Alm notices that one Zora he attacked limping back to the room he was in and he asks Ruto to give him a few seconds.
"Excuse me, sir. I'm sorry for hitting you, it was wrong of me." Alm says in repentance to the Zora.
"Oh, don't worry about it. You didn't even hit me that hard." The Zora shopkeeper dismisses, audibly wincing. "I run the shop here. If you need anything, come on by."
With that settled, Alm returns to Ruto and she leads him to the throne room. Alm swore he could see a light flashing as they ascend the stairs and when they reach the top, he is reunited with Sheik.
"Sir!" Sheik exclaims in surprise.
"Sheik! Are you alright?" Alm runs up and happily greets Sheik.
"Yes. The shock wore off not too long ago, I trust you are well?"
"Yeah, much better. Surprisingly." Alm answers, bringing up the fact that he's not as banged up as he thought.
"That would be our healing techniques at work, young man." A booming voice catches Alm's attention and he looks up at the throne and sees a large and corpulent Zora with small legs and arms with a red robe draped around him, an almost pufferfish like head with red irises and a small golden crown with a large red jewel. "That's why you're already on your feet from that beating."
"Ah, yes." Ruto states, running up from behind the others. "King Alm, this is King Zora; my father."
"King?" King Zora looks over to Alm in surprise. "So, you are a king. I've never seen one so young."
"I've been getting that a lot, Highness." Alm quips. "Anyway, I should thank your daughter for getting me and my friend out of that lake."
Ruto hurriedly tries to get Alm to hush, but King Zora heard it. "Ruto?! You were out there again?!"
"Father, if I hadn't gone, I would never had known they were even there. It's fortunate that I found them!" Ruto argues.
"I agree, but this is not the first time you've been out there! What do you hope to achieve by going after Lord Jabu-Jabu?!"
"More than just sitting here on our asses! While we're using spells to keep him out of the Domain, he's wreaking havoc in Lake Hylia! We have to do something!"
"Ruto…." King Zora rubs his forehead in frustration. "What exactly do you think you can do?"
"Excuse me." Alm cuts in. "Forgive the interruption, but what exactly is that thing in the lake?"
Putting aside the argument, King Zora is about to explain, but Ruto speaks in his stead. "That 'thing' is Lord Jabu-Jabu, our guardian deity."
Surprised, Alm speaks up. "No offense, but he doesn't exactly seem like a guardian."
"I know…He's been altered somehow. I've been going out to the lake these days to see what's happening to him. But, it's difficult, to say the least. We have spells to keep him out of the Domain, but his madness is plaguing the lake. If we don't stop him, I'm afraid someone will get hurt."
"That's why I spoke to the King." Sheik cuts in. "I think I may know how to stop Lord Jabu-Jabu's rampage. Those tentacles on his body are not his; we need to cut them off first. From there, we might see some results."
"You know what's possessing Lord Jabu-Jabu?" Alm asks.
"In a sense, Link is actually the one who knows how to do this. He taught the Princess about it and she gave me the instructions. However, it's slightly different than what he said; the tentacles were within him, not outside.
"Wait, within him? What does that mean?" Alm asks, pointing out the incongruity.
"Um…What I mean is that those tentacles are connected to the thing that's inside Lord Jabu-Jabu. My hypothesis is that if we cut them off, then maybe the creature will emerge." Sheik hesitantly states.
"…Alright then." Alm acknowledges. Though, his mind wanders to Sheik's earlier statements; did Link fight this thing while he was inside Jabu-Jabu? If he destroyed it, then why is it back? The same happened with King Dodongo, how does Link know all this?
"I may have some spells to reach Jabu-Jabu; we need to fight him on his turf." Sheik adds, bringing out his harp. "Sir Alm, these people need our help. You've already faced another monster that nearly destroyed Hyrule Castle Town, I ask you to face this menace and bring peace back to Lake Hylia and Zora's Domain."
Alm listens intently and looks at Ruto, King Zora and the Zoras waiting anxiously. Alm pauses briefly before speaking up. "Don't worry. We'll put a stop to Lord Jabu-Jabu's rampage. You can count on us."
The crowd clamors in anticipation while Sheik nods in acceptance. Before she forgets, Ruto orders one of the Zora's to retrieve Alm's armor. King Zora now addresses Alm.
"From one king to another, you have my thanks. All I can offer you is my blessing and hope that you will succeed. But, I personally don't see the eyes of a king in you; no, those are the eyes of a warrior. I think that's what you need now." King Zora declares.
"King Alm, here's your armor. We mended it for you while you were asleep; it's as good as new." Ruto states, gesturing to a pair of Zora bring in his armor. "Ah, one more thing; wear that tunic underneath it. It allows you to breathe underwater indefinitely, so long as you wear it."
"Got it. Thank you." Alm then takes back his armor and puts it back on, content to be back in it. "Oh, where is my sword?"
"It's over there, Sir." Sheik points to the wall nearby, the Royal Sword was leaning on it.
"It's a very peculiar weapon." King Zora comments. "We could lift it by the scabbard, but when we held it by the handle, it suddenly became very heavy. Why is that?"
Alm takes the sword off the wall and ties it back to his waist before drawing the sword. "It's a family secret, Highness." Alm states, much to King Zora's amusement. "Alright Sheik, I'm ready when you are."
"Yes Sir, now stand behind me. We're going to take a much quicker way back to the lake." Sheik states and, though confused, Alm stands back to back with Sheik. Everyone backs away and Sheik brings his harp up, playing the Serenade of Water (a smooth and relaxing melody) as they both disappear in a group of bright blue particles that phase through the walls. The Zoras go about their daily routines while Ruto stands by and remains pensive.
Lake Hylia
The blue particles collect on the stone pad on the lone island, forming Alm and Sheik.
"Ugh, that felt so strange." Alm comments, bringing his hands to his knees.
"You'll get used to it, Sir." Sheik states, keeping his harp out. "To think that it is late afternoon."
"You wouldn't be able to tell with all this rain and the storm clouds." Alm looks up at the sky, unable to make out the sky. "So, now what?"
Sheik plays an abbreviated version of the Serenade of Water, bringing up a small barrier of water swirling around them both. "This will allow you to walk on the water's surface without fear of falling through. However, it will dissipate if you receive any hits, so be careful. The only other problem is the turbulent waters; it'll be like ruining on bumpy ground."
"Alright then. So, how do we bring him out?" Alm asks and Sheik answers by throwing a stone at the water. Soon, Jabu-Jabu emerges from the water before retreating once again.
"Don't worry, he'll come to us."
Now determined, Alm walks over to the shore and draws his sword. "So, the idea is to cut off the tentacles and work from there, right?"
"That is the start, yes."
"Alright, then let's not waste any time." Alm turns the sword twice in hand and Sheik twirls a kunai in each hand as they prepare to face their gargantuan foe.
To be continued.
Author's Note: The plot deepens…. Believe it or not making the fights in this part is particularly tough for me because I don't want to make them all copy and paste of the boss fights in Ocarina of Time. So, I'll make a new spin on them to keep things fresh. Alright guys/girls, take care.