NOTE: The Ice Fairy's general origin comes from Link to the Past. Which explains the Ice Rod.

Chapter 15: A Sinister Spring

Epona galloped through Hyrule Castle Town in the dark of the newborn night. She carried two passengers, this time, Link and a Zola. Epona didn't let the weight of the Zola impede her as she feverishly rushed through the streets. Arriving in the square, she jumped over the fountain, making a beeline for the Castle gate. Link was holding the wrist of the inexplicably content Zola behind him, all the while maintaining a hold on Epona's neck so he didn't fall off. When the guard watching over the gate was in sight, Link let out a warning yell to open the gates. The guard was startled, jumping slightly, and quickly opened the barrier. Link was starting to think something was wrong; was the Gossip Stone trying to kill him? No, it seemed to be trying to inconvenience him. Or maybe it was trying to inconvenience the Gerudo... Link's eyelids were reaching their limit. What will happen to the Gerudo?

Epona quickly halted at the front door of the castle, making Link and the Zola jump off from the sudden stop. The castle was guarded by several soldiers that recognized Link. They were, however, suspicious of why he was in such a hurry. Epona breathed in a deep breath. I'd say I made pretty good time, there. Link ran through the hallways to the Zola's room, the odd twin in hand. Link finally found the old door. He tried the doorknob; it was locked. The Zola in Link's possession seemed to be less airheaded. It looked around and seemed to be thinking, its nostrils flaring every now and again. Link knocked on the door, trying to wait patiently. Stirring was heard on the other side of the worn wood. The door opened slightly and a glinting eye appeared behind the eyehole of a mask. It seemed to widen as it saw its guests. The door closed for a few seconds and reopened, revealing the Zola whose duplicate stood next to Link. He spoke in his slithering voice.
"Ah, you have retrieved him! Excellent! I am very grateful for this!" The Zola embraced Link, patting him on the back. Link was uncomfortable with the hug, but he somehow found it very familiar. Which was likely because he probably was friends with this person sometime or another. Link still couldn't really decide who it might be. Though he could see Romani in his mind dressing as a man and looking for him, (after all, Zelda did something similar) he couldn't see her being weirded out by a duplicate of herself. Romani would probably think it was cool.

The Zola walked to his counterpart slowly, still dressed in a cloak and the Kafei Mask. He examined the creature, who had once again descended into his state of empty-headedness. The cloaked Zola put his scaly hands to his chin and poked the opposite monster's cheek.
"So... How does this work?" Link was also expecting something a bit more interesting than the newly gained ally's odd breathing pattern again. The Zola looked Link in the eye. Link saw his glinting inhuman eyes behind the mask. "So I'm assuming you know what happened to me, right?" Link nodded. "So why won't I change back? Hmm..."

He turned around and started contemplating. Eventually the Zola turned around and started poking and prodding his doppelganger. Exhausting every possible way to combine, he eventually gave up. "Don't tell me... We have to go back and ask the fairy?" Link eased his pose a little and put his forehead in his hands. Oh well. He'd eventually have to face the fairy anyway. Why did it have to be tonight? Link gestured for them to follow him. They obliged. "Sorry for the unfortunate turn of events. I thought I'd just be back to normal like that." He made something that seemed to be a feeble attempt at a snap of the fingers, diluted and defeated by the unfortunate state he was in.

Each of them walked out of the front doors of the great Hyrule Castle, and the guards indeed beheld a very odd sight. Followed by the coveted hero of Hyrule was a cloaked man, and an oblivious non-hostile Zola. What's more odd is how each one of them mounted Epona. Epona snorted under the weight. Argh! I'm too tired to do this! Epona tilted her head down and Link patted her side. She refused to move. He jumped off Epona's back and searched his tunic. He grabbed a bottle of milk. Crossing his fingers, hoping it wasn't intoxicating, he offered it to Epona. He really should have labeled them... Epona sniffed the bottle and shifted, licking it. Link opened her mouth with one hand and poured the drink down her throat. Ah! That's much better! Epona had fire in her eyes. Her very breath seemed to be radiating energy. Link patted her jaw a couple times and smiled underneath his mask. The pair of Zolas merely spectated the event.

As Link mounted Epona, the guards got used to the oddity and merely stood alert as always. With a commanding shout, Link lead Epona out of Hyrule Castle's borders.

. . .

As Link and company arrived in Gerudo Valley, they noticed that the Gerudo Fortress was well lit and armed with what seemed to be the whole Gerudo race. There were ten women gathered on the other side of the canyon, each wielding spears that glinted in the moonlight. The Zora eyed the canyon's damage. "Woah, what happened here?" Link told him the story of the Gossip Stone and its cryptic advice. "Don't swing your sword at the obvious?" The Zola folded his arms in front of his chest and seemed to be trying to think. "I guess we'll know when we get there." When they reached the edge of the canyon, Link hopped off Epona and waved his arms at the Gerudo guards at the other side. They waved back, and the leader of the group tried communicating.
"How will you get over? We can't find anything that might help!" Link had thought of this, and judging by the damage caused, it would be impossible for Epona to jump. What other way was there? There obviously wasn't anything to use his Hookshot on; it didn't extend that far. In his contemplation, he was startled when the scaly hand of his ally touched his shoulder.
"Link, look. There's a tree over there. It's dying, but half its roots are exposed!" Link strained his eyes in the dark environment. Very faintly he could see the silhouette of the dying tree that he'd tethered his horse to. Epona likewise searched for it, and was very relieved to see it was intact even after the blast.

"You can't see it as clear as I can, but that thing's roots reach all the way down the canyon!" Link didn't get what he was saying. A thought came to his mind and his hand went into a satchel on his belt. Link withdrew four large nuts about the size of shooter marbles. Deku Nuts flashed with incredibly intense brightness when thrown, if just for a split second. Link chucked one at the opposite wall, and it collided with the rocky canyon. For a brief moment, he saw what he could possibly describe as one of the most deceiving trees in history. The dying tree definitely wasn't water depraved. Embedded and overhanging the rocky canyon were the roots of the impostor, which were large, long, and full of life. The roots dipped well past the river, which was now flowing over the many boulders and debris of the night's latest incident. The largest roots were the width of one of his arms, yet the tree itself was only about the size of his body, sporting leaves that combined, didn't seem to match the surface area of a small Gel. "Argh! Link, that really messed me up! I couldn't move or think; it really hurt my eyes!" The Zola on Epona's back even gave a reaction, covering its head with its arms, hissing slightly. Link apologized and told them to wait there.

The young Hylian again scoured his tunic for a valuable item... He withdrew the Zora Mask. Link looked to his Zola friend and turned around. He took the Keaton Mask off. He had both hands on the Zora Mask, and, taking a deep breath, placed it on his face. His vision failed; odd series of events and confused sounds engulfed him.

I couldn't save them... The eggs fell into their hands... What could I do? What happens to me now? Will I lie in this foul water forever? Peace, Gods, please. I don't deserve it live if I can't protect them...

The Zola with enough intelligence to know what was going on looked in horror at his companion. Link was writhing in pain, trying with difficulty just to stand up properly, all to keep a mask on his face. Not understanding what was going on, he dashed to the pained man.
"Link! Link, say something! Link, what's happening!?"

He was being pushed onto shore by an unknown youth. As he reached dry sand, he tried to walk forward, refusing to be defeated, but collapsed on his face. He turned around and looked the concerned youth in the eye. He could tell Courage burned in his soul. Now was his chance to give a last request. Standing up and taking his guitar out, he sang a lengthy song, explaining the severity of the events that were occurring. In the end, he sang his final words;

"Oh, somebody, somebody, please heal my soul."

"Link! Hey! Snap out of it!"

The youth looked at him, this helpless loser of a Zora, and offered comfort in the form of a song. Its mysterious tunes gripped something in his heart and seemed to switch something on. He knew he couldn't go on any longer. Why not enjoy a bit of music during his last living moments? He fell into a deep soothing state. Before he accepted defeat, he saw himself with his band; his family.

"Hey! Link! Can you hear me!?" The Zola gripped Link by the shoulders and turned him around. What he saw shocked him. The man in front of him had become blue. His arms grew fins, his hat became part of his body, and his eyes had become blank and dark. The Zola leapt back in confusion, but turning Link around knocked the hero off balance. He tripped on his cloak and fell into the canyon.

The Gerudo witnessed this event, and even though they didn't know what was going on, they all aimed their spears at the Zola, in throwing position. A guard edged forward, "Why'd you do that"
"I didn't mean to!"

Zora Link was now in freefall towards the Gerudo River. The frame-racking pain had subsided and he could grab hold of the situation. He unfolded the fins of his arms to right himself in midair, angled down in a perfect nosedive. The water approached, and Link slid under its surface, angling his fins perfectly without facing harm. He swam to the top of the water and waved a scaly hand upward, yelling a confirmation he was fine.
The Zola looked down at the water and pointed, "See, he's all right"
The Gerudo warriors lowered their spears. "You're lucky he didn't break something."

Epona turned to the Zola and hooved at the ground. Those masks were given to him by defeated souls. They allow him to use their being to achieve his means. He looked at Epona in confusion.

Link looked around, trying to find where the vines were. Swimming forward, his foot touched what felt like a boulder. Standing up on the rock mass, the amphibious hero felt his way around the dark canyon. At last a fin brushed against a fibrous tentacle, and he grabbed hold. On second thought, Link first took off the mask; the Gerudo weren't used to him as a fish. To his dismay, he found the soggy cloak much more noticeable. After wringing his cloak out, he proceeded up the steep wall, climbing along the hardy roots. When he reached the top he was greeted with the end of a spear, which just as quickly receded.
"Oh, sorry. Um. Welcome back." A hand reached out for him, which Link grabbed. The Gerudo woman pulled Link off the edge of the cliff into a standing position on solid ground. They were stronger than he'd expected. As Link brushed himself off and wrung out his cloak, the Zolas on the opposite edge accompanied by Epona were waiting. The Zola waved and shouted to him.
"Hey! Warn me next time before you start having a mental breakdown!"

Link flashed a thumbs-up at him and turned to the Gerudo group's leader, explaining that the two monsters would not merge into a single being.
"Ah, yes, that would be problematic indeed. Which would mean you'd have to defeat the Ice Fairy, correct?" Link nodded. "Well, let me take you to her."

The Gerudo grouped around Link and lead him to the Fortress, where the Training Grounds Instructor awaited him.
"You very well may need this. Good luck." Handing Link his bow and quiver, she made eye contact with him and patted his shoulder. "We're waiting on standby outside the entrance if you need any help." Nodding, the hero walked to the specified entrance they spoke of. It was in a rocky wall near the entrance to the Desert of Illusions. There, on the floor of the hollow stone room, was a hole descending into unknown depths. A soft blue light escaped the gap in the rocks. Link walked forward, questioning how he'd get down there, but his soggy cloak wrapped around his leg and tripped him. The Gerudo gasped as he fell head-first into the hole, and each tried to grab him before he fell. They all missed him, however, owing to the fact that ten people tried to occupy the same space at the same time, which caused many bumping of heads and many angry sentences to be born.

Link, however, was experiencing a somewhat more pleasant experience. He wasn't expecting the hole to be like the ones that rocks concealed. He floated slowly to the ground in a wide beam of light. Near the end of his descent, he'd almost completed righted himself, sitting in a somewhat cradled position, when the light dropped him on his backside. Link rolled over, trying to alleviate the pain in his behind. Voices called from above.
"Link! Are you all right?" The hero's pain could only allow him to yell a feeble confirmation.

As the aching youth stood up, he beheld a very beautiful sight. He was standing on a fine sand. It wasn't desert sand; it behaved like sand located on beaches. The surrounding cave was illuminated by a wondrous spring that glowed a mystifying sky blue. The smell of fresh fruit lingered in the air, stopping only to tease Link's nose. There wasn't a fairy anywhere, however, and he was starting to get suspicious. Link advanced, observing the spring at the back of the cave. Water trickled playfully through cracks in the walls, feeding the pool of water. It was likewise fed by an unknown source seemingly coming from even further underground; water spread outwards away from the center.

The translucent blue waters entranced Link. The spring seemed to be tempting him. Go on, the spring said to him, Splash around a bit... The hero's face was glazed over in a wanting expression. His clothes were soaked. The urge was strong, but it seemed to be interfered with. The urge swooped in and out of Link's mind haphazardly, as if it couldn't get through to him. Just the odd sense of being urged to do something on and off was enough to raise suspicions. Link threw away the idea of bathing in the spring, instead choosing to sit down in the sand and wring out his cloak a bit more.

A rumbling sound awakened from the walls of the cavern. The tremor seemed to reach above ground as well, as the Gerudo's orders and speech had become frantic outside. "Link! Are you OK down there? Respond immediately!" Link shouted back another confirmation, but the rumbling progressed further, gaining power. "LINK! Do you need help? What's happening down there!?" At the end of her words, something sounded like it was breaking. The Gerudo's yells were a sign they were running away. The entrance hollow had caved in, blocking out the beam of light that meant his exit. Eyes wide, Link stood and drew the Great Fairy's Sword, similarly equipping his Mirror Shield, facing the spring. The waters started to rise and become restless, waving up and down.

In the center of the spring was a hazy image, as if something was submerged there. The silhouette rose higher and higher, until it blasted up from the depths, spraying water everywhere as she spun to a stop. Link looked on in fascination, despite being annoyed at his newly wet cloak. In front of him was a beautiful fairy making a flashy intro, spreading her four transparent wings. She had delicate blue skin with bright white hair that went down to her knees, with a nicely proportioned face and a brilliant opal dress. She would have been quite the lovely sight to behold if there wasn't an abnormally large insect gripping the back of her head. The fairy lifted her eyelids, which revealed large eyes with blue irises. However magnificent she looked, her gaze was as chilled as ice. In her left hand she wielded a fearsome looking blue staff with a large translucent blue orb at the top.

The fairy cackled in a high pitched voice that sounded like it might have been soothing at one point. She folded her arms and crossed her legs in midair, and made eye contact.
"Well hello there, famed hero! I'm the ice fairy. You look familiar! I can't say that about many people, either!" Link scowled and raised his shield. "I would've finished you off, but for some reason, you're protected from the allure of my hot spring! Now why would that be, I wonder?" She winked one eye at him and flipped upside-down, matching eyes with Link. "You should really take a dip, though. You look cold." The orb at the head of the fairy's staff suddenly illuminated, casting a great blue light. The spring immediately turned into solid ice. The fairy started cackling again, holding her sides from the pain of her laughter. "I wish you would have jumped in! I'd hang the look on your face right on my wall!"

At this point, Link wondered why he always attracted the presence of insane women...

-Chapter End-