A/N: So if everything goes according to plan, I should be able to write this fanfiction and NOT abandon you guys AGAIN! (I am so sorry...) Anyway, before you complain about how bad TP Link handles chilled water, just remember that he literally never steps in cold water in Twilight Princess, without first getting frozen into a Popsicle. So he really is weak to ice. Just a fair warning. (Oh, and just a reminder for those who forgot: ". . . . ." indicates a perspective switch, and whichever one's perspective it currently is will predominantly be referred to as "Link", with the other being called by his titles of the Hero of Time or Twilight, the Hylian Hero, the other Hero, the other Link, etc.)
Ocarina of Time Link's Perspective.
Chapter Nineteen
Winter Not-so-Wonderland
It was Link's sincerest desire that the Hero of Twilight would adventure with him forever. He would be devastated if his companion mysteriously vanished off the face of Hyrule, his soul shaken by the fact that his only other remaining friend besides Navi had been decommissioned. As far as he was concerned, the Hylian Hero was never supposed to leave. They were designed to protect the beautiful land, and afterwards would permanently enjoy the peace they fought so determinedly to restore. They were meant to be allies until the end of time.
After all, who else was Link going to laugh at?
Though the two had long since departed Death Mountain and were now trekking undisturbed through Kakariko Village, he couldn't stop sniggering at his friend. The Hylian Hero had stopped talking completely, giving the evil eye every time Link so much as glanced at him and cracked a smile, but that didn't stop the Hero of Time from being obnoxious. He couldn't erase the mental image of his friend turning as red as Malon's hair; he hoped to take that ridiculous memory to him with his grave. Based on how much he was still snickering, he might die laughing, so getting his wish didn't seem quite so unfeasible.
The Hero of Twilight marched down the steps exiting Kakariko Village, greeted by the whinny of Epalon and Epona. Without even casting a backwards glance at Link, the other Hero climbed on his steed and turned him around, trotting off and leaving the Hero of Time in the dust.
Link sprang into Epona's saddle and spurred her after his escaping friend, pushing aside his amusement as the wind ripped through his hair and jolted him back into the reality that he still needed to save Hyrule. Laughing at his allies could wait until later…probably.
"Where does he think he's going?" Navi muttered irritatedly as the Hero of Twilight galloped off towards Gerudo Valley. "He acts like he's never explored Hyrule before."
With those skills, that's highly unlikely, Link thought, but he had to admit that it was somewhat confusing that his companion would head the wrong direction; they were supposed to go under a vast lake, and that was clearly not going to be in a desert.
"Hey!" Link called after the other Hero, nudging Epona to speed up so he could overtake his friend. "Where are you going?"
The Hero of Twilight didn't respond, instead galloping faster toward the Desert. Link could only slightly see a map in his hand, the paper rippling in the wind Epalon was causing. The Hero of Time would have questioned how anyone could read something that wouldn't stop crinkling with the strong gusts, but he himself had skimmed his map from Epona's back; it was difficult, but not impossible.
What is he thinking that has him heading to Gerudo Desert? Link wondered. What information did he acquire that we didn't…?
"Link!" he shouted again, causing his friend to stuff his map in his back pocket and glance back.
The Hero of Twilight, seeing Link's urgent expression, slowed his horse slightly to allow him to catch up with ease. He veered off ever so slightly, now galloping alongside past-Hyrule's Hero so they could communicate without yelling—they did enough shouting as it was.
"Yes?" the other Hero inquired.
"Where are—?" Link started, but he was interrupted midsentence by Navi demanding, "Why didn't you answer us?"
The Hero of Twilight, being a gentleman, decided to follow the tradition of "ladies first" by responding to Navi before Link. "I believed you were still giggling about my behavior regarding the Great Fairy, so I wasn't paying much attention to either of you. I instead chose to consult my map to learn where to go."
Link jumped back in before Navi could fight with the Hero of Twilight for ignoring her perfect self. "And where exactly were you going?
"Lake Hylia."
"Lake Hylia is south, not west!"
The Hero of Twilight considered that, his expression puzzled for several seconds. He slowed Epalon to a complete halt, causing Link to also rein Epona to a stop. Reaching into his back pocket, he retrieved his huge map of what appeared to be Hyrule at first glance.
Link caught a glimpse of some strange writing all over the document, but he didn't pay it much attention as his friend traced the paper and muttered some calculations under his breath. He could've sworn he heard the Hero of Twilight murmur, "I thought only Hyrule Castle had been moved…"
What…? Link wondered. He shook his head, then rubbed his ears. That couldn't be right…he had to have misinterpreted whatever his companion was mumbling.
The Hero of Twilight quickly stuffed his map back in his pocket, straightening on his horse. "It seems my document demands revision. It's suffered some damages throughout the duration of our quest. It has become unusable. Since you seem to recognize the proper path, I recommend you lead, Link."
"You aren't going to slip away while he does, are you?" Navi inquired skeptically as Link obliged and began to nudge Epona forward.
The Hero of Twilight waved passively. "Not this time."
"Shame," she said sarcastically, landing on Link's shoulder so she wouldn't have to try and keep up with his horse.
True to his word, the other Hero galloped after the Hero of Time, spurring Epalon as fast as the stallion would go. His horse wasn't as quick as Epona, but he managed to avoid falling behind as Link steered his own mount towards southernmost Hyrule Field.
The sun was beginning to set, washing the tall iron fence ahead of them in a sinister orange glow. All the two would have to do was jump the bars that barricaded the path to Lake Hylia, and they would be able to clear another dungeon in no time.
Well, at least that's what Link thought.
Epona cleared the tall fence with ease, then sprang over the second row of iron without hesitation. Her hooves slammed into the ground, and she thundered across the uneven terrain with the Hero of Twilight hot on their trail. It almost seemed like a race, which would have brought out Link's competitive skills, if he hadn't almost slipped off his mount in surprise.
They had entered Lake Hylia, the sun now sinking below the horizon and making it hard to see. Even so, the minimal light was not enough to prevent Link from noticing the unusual appearance of Hyrule's largest water source.
It wasn't a lake anymore. It was a puddle.
"What…?" Navi whispered, fluttering around what used to be the outer edge of the water's surface. She plopped to the ground, which was completely dry.
"Again?" the Hero of Twilight asked, a hint of irritation in his voice. He dismounted Epalon before scampering towards the cracked dirt that had been leached of its moisture.
"This has happened before?" Link inquired, also climbing off his horse and joining the other two.
The Hero of Twilight kicked the ground, apparently frustrated. "Yes. The monsters stopped the flow of water to the Lake, and it began to drain until it was almost nonexistent…though I will admit that it was filled more than this."
"With how small it's gotten, it could exist in Gerudo Desert…" Navi snorted.
Link trudged over to the place he remembered contained a secret passage to Zora's River. Surely if he went and spoke with King Zora, he would get an answer as to why this oddity had transpired. However, he was forced to stop in his tracks before he could ever enter the large square pathway.
"Just like the last time," the Hero of Twilight said, resting a hand on a wall of solid ice choking the passage. He reached into his pouch and hefted his massive Ball and Chain, allowing Link just enough time to step out of range before he swung it with all his strength toward the frozen barrier.
The sphere crashed noisily into the wall and slammed into the ground at the Hero of Twilight's feet, yet the barrier remained completely undamaged. The Hylian Hero swiftly tugged on the chain, yanking the orb back into his hands and placing it into his inventory once more.
"When Lake Hylia's water was reduced significantly, it was caused by damage to Zora's Domain, the true source of Hyrule's water," the Hero of Twilight explained, turning to Link. "If Zora's Domain is the origin of Lake Hylia's water presently, then we know where the problem is located, and we can travel there to undo the damage." He rapped his knuckles on the icy sheen. "And if things are truly the same, I can guarantee the entirety of the Domain is frozen."
"Then what are we waiting for?" Link demanded, spinning around and sprinting back towards his mount, with Navi trailing after him. "We need to get to Zora's Domain! Follow me!"
The Hero of Twilight didn't have to be told twice. He also got onto his horse, spurring the stallion after the Hero of Time and loping back towards the iron fences without a second thought.
"So this has happened before?" Navi asked, zipping over to the other Hero and landing on his shoulder so she wouldn't have to raise her voice. "The entirety of Lake Hylia…drained?"
The Hero of Twilight nodded, eyes fixed on the back of Link's head.
"When?" Navi persisted.
Link glanced back, only to slightly slow his mount. He wanted to know this information as well.
"I can assure you that it was before I was locked in the Temple of Time, though I cannot give a precise date," the Hylian Hero answered.
"So there's no way to know…" Navi commented, disappointed. "I wonder if there's a particular reason the goddesses have decided history must repeat…" She quickly changed topic, instead asking, "What caused the world to turn to ice last time?"
"A curse on the land of Hyrule."
"Ganondorf," Navi seethed.
"No, I don't believe so."
"Here we are," Link interjected, pulling Epona to a halt near a reasonably sized stream in the northeastern corner of Hyrule. He cocked his head to the side curiously. "If Zora's River is frozen…why is this water still flowing?"
A cold gust of wind ripped through their hair and sent Navi behind the Hero of Twilight to absorb his warmth and escape the frigid air.
"Shall we examine it?" the Hero of Twilight invited, once again dismounting his stallion. He waited for Link to join him at the water's edge before he sprang out over the stream and plunged into the liquid. His head bobbed to the top and he performed some strange sideways maneuver to reach the opposing bank. He then led the way along the edge before Link accompanied him toward a small field of grass located just in front of a stone fence lacking any kind of gate. The Hylian Hero swung his sword at the weeds almost subconsciously, allowing Link to overtake him.
The Hero of Time scampered along the left wall, glancing at the water pouring relentlessly from the stream to his right. Why was it still flowing so much if the Lake was almost completely empty? An Octorok glowered at him with beady green eyes, somehow not drifting away in the strong current of the river, and waiting patiently to launch some rocks at Link's innocent Hylian self.
The Cucco's gone…he realized as he darted past the circle of rocks where his feathered friend once strutted aimlessly. How will I cross the River now…?
His question was answered the moment he saw some strange looking plant thing growing out of the ground in front of the iron fence that had probably been moved from the stone wall to block the path further ahead. He remembered having planted one of those intriguing Magic Beans next to the even more unique individual who had sold him the item, the latter of which was missing without explanation.
"Excellent!" Link said with a grin, darting over to the plant. He waited for the Hero of Twilight to catch up, holding out his arm so his friend couldn't step on and activate the mysterious plant without him.
"Are you going to utilize this strange flying device to progress past the fence?" the Hero of Twilight inquired, raising an eyebrow skeptically at the green leaf.
"Nope," Link said, but his voice indicated that he was clearly planning something. "We're going to utilize it." Then, without further warning, he stepped onto the plant and yanked the Hero of Twilight on with him, just as the Octorok fired a large rock where they had once been standing. "Might as well go together, seeing as it's faster and all."
"I vehemently despise your ideas for time conservation," the Hero of Twilight seethed, apparently irritated that he had been hoisted into the air by a magic plant without his permission, and was now stuck on a leaf far too small for the both of them. It was roughly the same size as the elevator from the Forest Temple, and Link's friend clearly didn't appreciate having to hang onto him to avoid falling off.
"Would you rather have taken turns?" the Hero of Time asked.
"Yes."
"How would you have known where to go?"
"I would have figured it out!" he answered as they drifted over a large elevation of the ground, past the boulder surrounded by a ring of rocks. Below them, the river had split into multiple segments, and the plant was giving them a nice sightseeing tour of all of it. Part of the stream transitioned to a miniature waterfall, which the Hylian Hero glanced down at as Link held him steady.
"Oh this is so much easier than having to use the Cucco," Link celebrated as he saw the wooden bridge he once strived so hard to reach. Was the plant going to take them all the way to the main waterfall?
Unfortunately, it seemed like that was a no. The mysterious plant suddenly jerked to a halt before starting to zip in the opposite direction, the change in movement throwing the Hero of Twilight free and causing him to fall to the ground below.
"I'M GOING TO—!" he yelled angrily, but he wasn't able to complete the sentence before he hit the ground in front of the bridge and lay there in infuriated silence. A single snowflake fluttered from the sky and landed on his nose, causing him to snort his disapproval.
Link, seeing that he would have to traverse the rest of the way on foot, also leapt off the plant. He joined his friend, offering him a hand before he dared continue the journey.
The Hero of Twilight merely glared at him. It took him about five seconds of staring balefully before he finally accepted the gesture, growling, "Next time, we take turns."
Link snickered. "Never mind that. We're almost there!" He whirled around to face the wooden bridge anchored to a path connecting to the right wall and suspended over the seemingly endless river. A small rail prevented him from simply leaping off the side of the new pathway, even as the earth progressed upward and veered right before splitting into two disconnected natural arches.
He darted up the first arch, greeted by a strong gust of icy wind. More snowflakes drifted lazily past, getting thicker the farther he traveled. He chose to ignore them, springing onto the second path and coming to stand directly in front of the enormous waterfall he knew led to Zora's Domain.
The Hero of Twilight glanced at the inscription below Link's feet as the Hero of Time placed the Ocarina of Time to his lips and began to play the familiar melody of Zelda's Lullaby. The tune was kind of getting old, but Link didn't dare say that; at least he could play it without that strange echo his friend made when using Saria's Ocarina.
There was no earthquake, or any sort of dramatic indication that the melody had been effective. If the Hero of Twilight hadn't been paying attention to the endless torrent cascading down before them, he would have missed seeing the water mysteriously part to reveal a dark stone entrance.
Link didn't wait around for his friend to be surprised by the strange power possessed by the Ocarina of Time; he jumped the gap between the natural arch and the passage, scampering inside with footsteps echoing like thunder off the stone walls. He could hear the Hero of Twilight following dedicatedly behind him. For once, the two were actually traveling together, as opposed to wandering off and getting separated.
Their ambling was brought to an immediate halt as Link stopped dead in his tracks, staring wide-eyed at the unfamiliar environment that once was Zora's Domain. To their left, the ladder that would have allowed them to extricate themselves from the water if they fell in, was now submerged in ice. Somewhat in the distance, the frozen surface of the waterfall that led to the throne room could be seen contrasting against the frigid stone walls surrounding it. The stone path that bordered the right wall was still accessible, but there was nothing to see beyond it.
"Where are the Zoras?" Link wondered aloud, stepping forward and turning in a circle to get a good look at the wintery world they had entered. Several snowflakes drifted past him, and his breath was coming out as white mist. Despite the enclosed space, a strong breeze nipped at his face and clothes, and he rubbed his arms.
The Hero of Twilight began to follow the right path, slowing his pace and following the lower fork down to where the shopkeeper once resided. He vanished from Link's sight, so the Hero of Time chased after him to find him standing silently in front of a wall of reddish ice that covered the entryway to the store.
Seeing the obstacle, Link instead chose to run onto the icy sheen that used to be an indoor swimming area filled with fish. He skittered across the ground, his boots having difficulties gaining traction on the slick surface.
"Whoa!" Link exclaimed as he slid and crashed into the wall. He had seen snow and ice before, but never this much. Whenever the Kokiri Forest endured winter, the few puddles there were vaguely froze, and they were too fragile to step on. Yet, this sheet of solid ice was so thick he could probably pound on it with the Megaton Hammer and it wouldn't even crack.
It would have been fun to play around on, if it weren't for the fact that he knew the Zora's lived in this water. If it was now so sturdy his tools couldn't break it, what did that mean for them? Where had they gone? They thrived on water; they needed it. They couldn't exactly just leave.
So where were they?
Link tentatively poked the massive ice cube that used to be a waterfall, prodding it with his sword. He then placed a bomb right beside it and did his best to scramble away before the explosive could detonate.
As he had predicted, the ice was so thick that his most destructive weapon wasn't powerful enough to leave a scratch. He returned to the area, waving away the cloud of dust and ice he had disturbed, before he whipped out his Megaton Hammer. Once again, he struck the surface, yet the tool yielded the same result as the bombs. No damage was dealt.
"Link!" Link heard from somewhere above him. He spun around, noticing that the Hero of Twilight had vanished from sight.
"He's climbed to the top," Navi deduced. "He's gone to see King Zora."
"Yeah, I wanna see him too," Link agreed, returning his weapon to its place in his inventory and sliding across the ground toward a small area just below the fork in the paths. His feet touched the solid stone, allowing him to run easier as he darted past the sign pointing toward the throne room. He entered a more enclosed space, then turned left and dashed up a long flight of stairs, snow pounding his face.
Though he had been expecting to see King Zora and perhaps one or two of the other Zoras, what Link found instead was quite different. He skidded to a halt beside the Hero of Twilight, not even bothering to look at his friend as he caught sight of His Majesty sitting atop a frozen waterfall. However, unlike the pale blue ice all around him, the King himself was frozen in a red iceberg with a point so sharp they could probably impale Ganondorf on it.
Link stood there, eyes wide and mouth agape. He took a few tiny steps forward, ascending the small staircase that once allowed him to converse with the King. He looked around the room, hoping to see some other signs of life somewhere—anyone who could explain what had happened to this place. However, the only things that met his eyes were the sign pointing to the diving game where he had acquired the Silver Scale, now completely frozen over; the submerged Gossip Stone below him; and the elevated path that would allow him access to Jabu-Jabu.
Link sprang off the pedestal, not knowing what he was looking for as he raced down the curved path that used to be the diving game. He could hear the Hero of Twilight pursuing him wordlessly, but he pushed the thought out of his mind. Due to the ice, Link was now so high that his head almost touched the ceiling. He was also running across ground so slick that he nearly wasn't able to stop before he slipped off the top of the waterfall. It looked like such a massive drop from up here…
The Hero of Twilight himself almost skidded right off the frozen falls, but Link locked his fingers around the top of his friend's intricate Hylian Shield and yanked him back with a completely stony face. As he turned around to march back to the throne room, he spotted a Gold Skulltula, which he quickly shot down with his Hookshot before seizing its token.
Link proceeded back to the room at a more leisurely pace, not really concerned with running since there was a high chance he would slide into something and break his puny little Hylian neck. He began to walk up the path, passing by the blazing torch that should have at least done something to prevent this place from freezing over.
"What do you intend to do now?" the Hero of Twilight inquired as he joined Link at the top of King Zora's mini waterfall, both of them carefully bypassing His Highness.
"I'm going to figure out what's going on here, and then I'm going to melt the ice and save the Zoras," Link responded simply, marching past the diamond lattice rails and underneath a strange insignia suspended between two ropes. The chill in the air was getting stronger, yet he could clearly see the sheen of ice transition to frigid water. Without hesitation, he stepped into the liquid and continued trudging forward. He could feel the cold through his boots, but he didn't say a word.
He was stopped dead in his tracks by the cry of pain behind him.
Link spun around to see what had happened, unsheathing his weapons and hardening his expression. His eyes instantly locked on the most notable thing: the pale blue figure of ice leaning back ever-so-slightly, with his left arm at his side and his right subtly extended in defense. His eyes widened as he realized he was staring at his friend, now completely covered in ice and emanating a powerful chill.
"Are…" was all Link managed to say before his friend's frigid imprisonment shattered off him, and the Hero of Twilight flung himself back onto the sheen.
"Are you okay?" Navi finished, zipping over to the shuddering Hero, who patted himself off and examined the water.
"I suppose it's just too cold for me," the Hero of Twilight said.
"It's not that bad!" Link insisted, sheathing his weapons and splashing the water. "See?"
The Hylian Hero backed away, shaking his head. "I am unable to tolerate any form of immense chill."
"We can't just leave you!"
"What would you propose we do then?" the Hero of Twilight inquired, gesturing to the water. "I cannot set foot in there; I'll freeze."
Link studied the water, racking his brain to think of some sort of alternative. His friend would need to gain the power of flight to pass through the tunnel. There was nothing in Hyrule that would allow something like that…was there?
We've gone this far in the journey, Link began. Fought monsters, traversed dungeons, conquered monsters of incomparable status… And Link is about to be defeated…by ice water.
Navi floated around the Hero of Twilight's head, bombarding him with questions concerning how he knew his Ball and Chain could break ice despite the fact that he clearly was not capable of enduring a little cold water. Apparently, he had always had some way to cross frigid waters without ever having to set foot in them, but there seemed to be nothing of the sort here.
"Be grateful I could endure immense heat without complaint!" the Hero of Twilight fussed. "Doesn't it seem logical that my tolerance of volcanic temperatures would come at the expense of my durability regarding chill?"
"We have to find a way to get you across!" Navi protested.
Hold on a moment…Link thought, staring at the waters pooling around his feet. There was another…seven years ago.
"I would be delighted to know your brilliant strategy for such," the Hero of Twilight said irritably. "It was not a choice to be weak to frost."
She couldn't endure the challenges facing her…but she needed to continue…
The Hylian Hero and Navi's bickering came to an abrupt end as Link spoke up.
"I have an idea."
. . . . .
Zora's Fountain was a pretty place. The back wall allowed water to drain out through a fence of tall spiked poles, and the remaining sides were all cliff faces, which enclosed a lake roughly half the size of Lake Hylia. Some strange hill-like area was off to the right, as well as several barren trees, but they did not detract from the enchanting feeling the snowy world created. The vibrant frost, the dancing flakes, and the varying tones of blue-grey spoke volumes of the beauty of cold.
Four elaborately carved stone columns bordered a raised dais, the first two standing double the height of the latter, with the short connected to the tall by low rails. A snowy path jutted out over the crystal clear waters, allowing access to several bergs floating idly atop the surface. Some of them were spinning fast enough to make anyone dizzy, with others caught in a current that caused them to switch places at a fixed rhythm.
"Huh, I wonder where Jabu-Jabu went," the Hero of Time commented, standing on the snow ramp and peering down at the water. "He used to be here."
Navi drifted out over the empty space, examining the area where the huge fish once resided. She seemed to decide she didn't like the thought of drifting so high in the air, instead turning around and catching sight of Link resting against one of the larger columns, staring forward with an absent look in his eyes.
"Quit your skulking. It wasn't that bad," she said.
The Hero of Time snickered, not even bothering to look back at his friend to know that Link was clearly not impressed with the turn of events.
"Next time, I'm going to pick you up without your permission and then carry you over your own pathetic yet unintentional weaknesses," Link snarled, but he wasn't looking at them either. He instead remained pouting, arms folded and hiding the lower half of his face.
It wouldn't be so ridiculous if the Hero could just learn how to properly carry someone, he internally seethed. Who in the name of Hyrule carries someone over their head?
Even Midna was laughing at him, her near-silent giggle echoing in his ears as she used him to shield her from sight while she enjoyed her time in tangible form. Link couldn't even tell her to shut up without drawing attention to himself, so he forced himself to gaze at the boring stone surface directly ahead of him. He couldn't bring himself to meet her single visible eye, nor was he even going to cast a second glance at the other pair off to his right.
"I'm gonna explore it," the Hero of Time said, excitement evident in his voice. He spun around. "You coming, Link?"
"No."
"Oh come on! I didn't drag you up here for nothing!"
"You did."
Midna fell into Link's shadow just as the Hero of Time approached, but neither action caused the Hero of Twilight to look away from the wall. He was going to sit there until he became one with the frost, and even then he would wait.
The Hero of Time began shaking his shoulder. "Come on, Link!"
"No."
"Do I have to carry you over there, too? Because I can totally do that."
Link had quite perfected the evil wolf glare, even in his human form. He chose to use it against the Hero of Time, doing his best to impart a message of purest loathing. However, it seemed his friend was so dense he just couldn't fathom the notion that Link was not in the mood to do anything near him.
Even if it was the only way in the entire universe to save Hyrule, he began, there's no way I'll let him carry me. Hyrule can remain a barren wasteland until the end of time. Twilight can fall into oblivion. Zant can shroud the entirety of my homeland in perpetual Twilight. Zelda can remain locked in stasis. Ilia can… He trailed off and remained silent for several moments, before finally admitting, Perhaps for Ilia.
Link issued a long and irritated growl before he grudgingly got to his feet, staring daggers at the Hero of Time. He plodded over to the snow ramp, scowling down at the water. He could hear his friend approaching behind him, so he said in a low tone, "If you push me off, I will drown you."
"Wasn't going to, but that is an excellent idea," the Hero of Time cheered. He patted his companion on the back. "Are you ready to jump down on your own?"
Link wasn't happy about it, but he sprang off the raised snowdrift and fell a short distance to the floe below, only to immediately scamper forward as it trembled beneath him. He shot onto the next berg, scrambling up its slick surface as it threatened to tip back and toss him free.
"Why must these floes be so unstable?" Link snarled. "They were never this unbalanced last time."
"If you've dealt with frost before, why is it so hard for you to tolerate it this time?" Navi inquired as the Hero of Time plummeted to the first berg and darted onto the second.
"Everything was frozen, except one river," Link answered. "I didn't have to deal with any water. And even some of the ice was difficult to withstand."
The Hero of Time slid across the sheen and spotted a Heart Piece just four bergs away. He glanced back at Link. "Do you want a reward for making it this far?"
"Seize it yourself, and keep it to yourself," Link seethed.
"Nice." The Hero of Time darted left onto another notably sized floe before he struggled to retain traction and almost slipped off. He watched the two ahead of him consistently switch places, caught in some unknown current. He hopped onto one and rode it over to the berg where the Heart Piece stood proudly, snatching it up and raising it triumphantly above his head.
"Come on, Link!" the Hylian Hero called as he shot onto the next floe, facing a new one that was spinning endlessly.
With a sigh, Link leapt off his berg and slid across the next, also facing the rotating sheen. Though he wasted no time in pouncing on it, he didn't dare move once he had arrived. Instead, as he regained his footing, he found the world zipping past him at speeds he really didn't appreciate seeing.
The Hero of Time joined him on the floe, smirking as he ran against the twisting with eyes fixed on the next sheen. However, his smugness was short-lived, as he quickly became a perfect example of exactly what Link hoped wouldn't happen; the Hero of Time fell into the water.
"HOLY HYRULE THAT'S COLD!" the other Hero yelped, before he began to paddle over to the shore. He hadn't frozen into a solid block though, which was all that mattered to him as he ascended the snow ramp and prepared to do the entire process all over again.
Link sat down where he was and refused to budge. He had become so dizzy it was hard to see straight, and he wasn't going to turn himself into a Popsicle anytime soon. If Hyrule had been saved by the other Hero before, then surely he could overcome whatever dangers lay ahead in that small cave he was so intent on reaching. The Hero of Twilight wasn't necessary here.
"Get up, Link!" the Hero of Time called to him as he returned to the floe. He tugged on Link, but to no avail.
"I refuse to burden you," the Hero of Twilight responded.
"What?"
"You have been hindered by my reluctance long enough; I believe you must traverse the cave alone."
The Hero of Time stopped tugging, now confused.
"Consider this for just a moment: if I arrive in the cave with you, and there is a significant amount of water, then you will need to limit your own capabilities in order to ensure I may also continue. What of the danger? What if a quick escape is necessitated? How will you accomplish such without either leaving me behind, or inhibiting yourself for my own preservation? It is best to leave me here, to search for any and all clues regarding the Zoras and this mysterious Jabu-Jabu."
"But…but how will you get back?" the Hero of Time asked. "And what if there isn't any water? I need your help! We may not cooperate as a team, but we do get the job done in half the time, and it's significantly easier together."
"I am weak to ice. I am no good to you here."
"He has a point," Navi agreed. "We don't know what's in that cave. If there's any water in there at all, he can't follow, and he'd only slow us down. Sorry Link, but your double is absolutely correct; he can't accompany us here."
"But…" the Hero of Time protested.
"I do want to know how you'll return to Zora's Domain to search for clues, though," Navi continued.
Link looked up thoughtfully. "I suppose I'll play the Prelude of Light, then return to Zora's Domain."
Both Navi and the Hero of Time were completely silent, apparently thinking that over. It was the fairy who responded first with, "I never considered you might use Link's Ocarina."
"Indeed. So if either of you would like to proceed with the quest, then by all means," Link began, gesturing towards the cave.
"Wait," the Hero of Time said, holding up one finger. "If you're just going to leave me to quest alone, then you'd better lend me your assistance regardless." He extended his hand. "I want your bottles and your spiked sphere on a chain."
Link regarded him with a hint of suspicion before relenting and pulling out four bottles. He also whipped out his lantern, pouring his oil into it and turning the empty bottle over to his friend.
"Please do try not to use them; the purple one is very rare," he said as he surrendered the bottle of Fairy's Tears, a captured fairy, and another empty bottle that once contained red potion.
"Even the empty bottles?" Navi scoffed, only to be lightly swatted by her Hero.
"A bottle is the greatest prize in all of Hyrule," he said. "All of them could have been empty and I still would have accepted them; who knows what things we'll find in there that may necessitate storage?"
Link then reached into his pouch and pulled out the Ball and Chain. "Careful, it's heavy." He placed it in the other Hero's hands, watching his friend strain from the weight and struggle to raise it over his head in celebration. The Hylian Hero set it in his own inventory seconds later, before giving a short wave and doing his best to face the next floe.
"I'll meet you in the throne room," he said.
"And if you aren't there?" Link inquired.
"Then you're going to need to get over your inhibition regarding ice and you're going to have to magic your way inside the cavern."
"Agreed."
The Hero of Time gave a single nod before he fought the rotation of the floe and sprang onto the next one, changing direction and pouncing on the third. It wasn't twisting whatsoever, which he noticed as he stood at one end of it and caused the heavier end to dip into the water. He quickly dashed toward the mouth of the cave, leaping up and catching the ledge. He hoisted himself into the entrance, gave one final wave of farewell, and disappeared into the shadows.
"Just going to abandon him?" Midna inquired, disentangling herself from the ground and solidifying into a solid shape.
"He doesn't die," Link explained, pulling out the borrowed Ocarina. "And if he does, I'm certain he has plenty of fairies to fix that."
"I think you need to join him," Midna insisted, snapping her fingers and turning Link's item into small Twilit squares, which she summoned and seized in her tiny palms. "Saving Hyrule is no small task, Link; you of all people should know that."
"I'm getting sick on this iceberg, Midna," Link responded. "The goddesses chose him as the Hero of Time, selected specifically to save this Hyrule. That's proof that they believe he's capable of overcoming whatever challenges await him, with or without my help. Remember that in every dungeon he has caught up with us, using different resources to accomplish the same thing. He was designed to save this land; we are merely guests in his world."
Midna still didn't seem satisfied, her fingers continuing to play with the small squares as she met her Hylian's eyes, refusing to back down. She would need more convincing.
"Well, I suppose I could always climb back onto the uppermost section of the snow and attempt to cross the frigid waters back to Zora's Domain. Midna, transform into wolf."
She remained silent.
Link frowned at her, before an idea drifted into his mind. "You know, my bestial form has a lovely fur coat, and it's quite cold here. At the very least, you could allow me to become a wolf to keep warm."
The small squares that used to be an Ocarina had now completely vanished, and Midna's expression hadn't changed. She wasn't going to let him abandon his friend, no matter what.
"If you transform me into a wolf, I'll let you snuggle up into my fur," Link bribed.
It seemed he had gone too far. Midna's expression flashed with an emotion he didn't have time to identify, before she collided with him and pressed something sharp and hard into his palm. He found himself collapsing on the ground at her feet, before the world fractured off and left him seeing nothing but pure darkness.
Then, the next thing he knew, he was on his feet…all four of them. His eyesight was rebuilt as the Twilit squares reassembled his body in front of the stairs that led to the frozen King Zora, and behind them the two torches flickered. She had warped him out of there?
"I did this for the warmth," Midna said, tugging on Link's ears and forcing him to trot over to the flames. She slid off his side and huddled up near the torch, but the way her hair-hand shifted indicated that Link was going to need to sit down with her or she would crush him. Cautiously, he sat behind her and laid down, only to feel her tug on his left front paw and force him to curl around her.
As much as Link wanted to laugh at her, he had to admit that she was right about being cold; her skin was just as frigid as his had been when he turned to ice. He was the most effective source of heat, too; his fur kept him warm and maintained his temperature as if he had his own personal fire.
"No longer concerned about the Hero of Time?" Link asked her.
"I'm sure Link will be fine," Midna agreed.
"When do you suppose I may keep my word and seek out any and all traces of these absent Zoras?"
She gave him an unamused stare. "I was kind enough to warp you before you completed a dungeon, just so you could get out of there without getting your precious paws wet. And you're already looking to leave? We just sat down."
"Though I refused to explore the cold, I will not be inhibited from saving the world. We didn't thoroughly examine this place, and I intend to do so with the keen senses of a beast, especially more so that Link is not here to discover us."
Midna pressed tighter against his side, gathering his fur around her as if he were a coat. "I thought I made it clear that I did this for the warmth."
"If no traces of the Zoras can be located, then we shall return here to the flames. Will this be satisfactory?"
"What if he comes back early and sees us?"
"Midna," Link sniffed, poking her with his nose. "I am but a simple wolf, a monster in this world. Link seeks my human form, not this cursed bestial body. We need only return me to my human self in a different location than where he sighted my canine identity, and then proceed to head to the throne room as if I were never here at all."
Midna tapped his nose. "You've gotten quite sneaky. Don't tell me your little show up there was just one more way you could justify separation so you could sniff around?"
Link bared his fangs into a grin. "You know me well."
Midna rolled her eyes before her body passed straight through the floor, falling into Link's shadow and making her presence there quite known. He stared at her image in the ground, only for the shadowy form to fade out of existence completely, causing him to leap to his feet and sniff the floor.
She seized this opportunity to materialize above him and crash down onto his back. Link coughed, only to give her an annoyed growl and turn toward the small ramp leading to King Zora. He dashed up the path, tentatively sniffing the red ice for any intriguing smells that might help him locate where the Zoras had vanished.
Fortunately, there were plenty of scents to be found; Link did his special spin of celebration for learning a new smell, forgot the Goron's scent, and stood up to find several paths of red waiting for him. The trails were old, but that wasn't enough to prevent him from utilizing them. He leapt off the small frozen falls, chain clinking as he hit the ice below and turned to face the stairs leading down to the main section of Zora's Domain.
He only hoped he would not prematurely be discovered sniffing around.
. . . . .
A/N: And after revisiting this fanfiction and seeing how stupidly I named TP Link's horse, I thought for a moment how I should probably change it. I thought of how you can name your horse in Twilight Princess, and I was like, "Hey, I wonder what I named her? Maybe I can use it for the fanfiction."
No. I cannot. I named Epona ClopClop.
That's okay: my friend named her "horse" (lowercase and everything).
True creativity.
I think I'll just stick to Epalon. Or you guys can name the horse. What do you think I should call him?
