Still Water
"Navi? You... you're really here?" Link's voice came out in a hoarse whisper. Knees threatening to buckle beneath him, he stumbled towards the fairy, reaching out to touch her, as if to make sure she was real. His eyes flickered wildly, emotions swirling on his mind and making him unable to focus on anything but her. Last time, she'd left him behind with little more than a sad glance. But this time?
The fairy flitted down to rest on Link's hand. For a moment, the two stared silently at each other, neither able to speak their mind. Navi seemed hesitant to look him in the eye. Finally, after a minute or two, Link broke the silence.
"Where have you been? I... I saw you with Sheik before but..." He trailed off, struggling to find words to explain how he felt. "Are... have you been avoiding me?"
Navi's light dimmed slightly. "It's not... It's not like that. I… In a way I was, I suppose, but I promise I wasn't doing it to hurt you. I can't explain everything right now but..." She shook her head. "You deserve to know. As soon as we have the time to spare, I promise I'll tell you everything."
She paused before adding, "But... I really am sorry. I never wanted to hurt you."
Link stared at the fairy, letting silence hang in the air. The explanation was not satisfying. But at the same time, he could understand if she didn't want to be around him. He hadn't been himself. He was hurting people, and he could have hurt her.
He sighed and gave I slow shape of his head. "I... I understand. Thank you."
Navi brightened slightly. She took to the air and gave Link a pat on the cheek. "I'm back for now, and that's what matters, right?"
Link looked up. That's right, she was back. She was back, and now she could go with him as he finished his quest. Then they could return to the forest and return to their old, everyday lives.
Maybe. He hoped.
"Hey, Navi? This one still isn't waking up."
Link's attention was pulled back to the other people in the room. Ruto was standing over Skull Kid, looking him over with a pensive expression. The other forest spirit still had not gotten up and, as Link listened, he realized here could hear an occasional whimper.
Worry crept through him like ice. He stumbled towards Skull Kid, splashing through the shallow water. Now that he was close, he could tell Skull Kid was still unconscious; his eye sockets were empty, not even the faintest light flickering inside. Link dropped to his knees and began to shake him, but nothing happened.
Link whipped his head around to look at Navi, eyes flickering with fear. "What's wrong with him?"
Navi looked down towards Skully, then turned towards Ruto. "Did Sheik tell you more about this particular trap?"
Ruto shook her head. "I know as much as you. My best guess is that he's trapped in the vision."
Link's attention snapped to Ruto. "Explain," he said before adding in a strained tone. "Please. He's going to be ok, right?"
"He's going to be fine," Navi soothed. "He's just having a vision."
"It's part of the Water Temple's magical defenses," Ruto explained. This room is a trap. Anyone deemed an intruder will be afflicted by a nightmare where they face their fears. They have to overcome it or realize that it's all fake or be trapped in their own mind. Something of that sort." She closed her eyes and waved her hand in a small circle. "The details are lost on me. My father would probably know more, but he — and the rest of my people — are frozen by Ganondorf's curse."
That sounded awful! He thought back to his own vision, of facing the darkness within himself, of it coming alive to harm him. His hand briefly went to his sword, as if this was some sort of battle he could fight. "Well, what can I do?"
"Nothing, unfortunately," Navi answered. "He has to face his problems alone. Either he'll succeed and wake up, or he'll end up trapped until Ruto can get control of the temple and revoke the magic."
Link shook his head. Nothing? That couldn't be right. He couldn't just do nothing. Skull Kid couldn't be trapped like this! He shook his head and took a step back, staring down at his friend. This wasn't fair. They shouldn't have just been sent into a trap like this. They shouldn't have to be here. They should still be in the forest, living carefree as skull kids should.
Navi's voice shook Link out of his thoughts. She seemed to snap alert in midair. "Oh, that's right." She circled around Link's head so that she could look him in the eyes. "How are you feeling? Any pain? Lightheadedness?"
Link tilted his head. Now that she mentioned it, he felt pretty good. Perhaps better than he had in a while. When he relayed this, Navi let out a pleased jingle.
"Then coming here wasn't a waste of your time," she began, fluttering down to place a tiny hand on Link's chest. "In all likelihood, you facing your darkness should mean your curse can't control you anymore. What did you have a vision of Link?"
After a second of hesitation, Link began to describe his battle. His mind lingered on the dark version of him, and the finishing blow he'd dealt. As he spoke, frustration began to seep into his spirit. Was removing his curse really that simple? If so, why hadn't he come here first? And was it really necessary to go through that nightmare? Was it necessary for Skull Kid to be here, suffering against his own demons? A part of him felt like it was his fault - Skull Kid had followed him here. But another part felt anger towards everyone else; they could have guided him here and kept Skull Kid back.
"This is lovely and all," Ruto began when Link had finished telling his story, "but we really need to get going. "My people are on a time limit. Being trapped in that ice... it's going to kill them eventually. If not for the fact that the ice comes from magic, they would be dead already. I do not have time to spare."
"She's right," Navi admitted, drifting back from Link. "We should get going."
Link's gaze drifted down to his still-unconscious friend. "But Skull Kid-"
"Will have to fend for himself," Ruto finished in brusque tone. Her attention went to a small pouch slung over her shoulder, as if everything going on wasn't interesting. "He got this far by being strong, and he will have to be strong now. We cannot wait for him to wake up."
Shaking his head, Link took a step back. "I'm not leaving him behind." Skull Kid had been so hurt when he left the forest, and even more hurt when he hadn't returned. He couldn't just leave him when he was suffering like this!
"What if I stay behind with him?" Navi offered. "I don't need to go to the heart of the temple. There's little I can do to help you fight, And I'd only be able to offer limited advice along the way, anyways. If I stay here, I can explain what happened when he wakes up."
Link hesitated. He didn't like it. He didn't want to leave Skull Kid. But at the same time, he didn't know what else he could do. If he waited... who knew how long it would take, and if he caused more people to be hurt...
"Fine." That single word was tinged with more bitterness than Link realized he had.
"You're doing the right thing," Ruto insisted, her tone not all that sympathetic.
Navi leaned forward to give link a pat on the cheek. "It'll be ok, I promise. We'll be waiting for you to get back."
"See, nothing to worry about." With that, Ruto turned and left. Link gave Skull Kid one last look before following behind.
Link's footsteps echoed through the empty halls as he followed Ruto back through the temple. Ruto herself barely made a sound, walking lightly on dainty bare feet.
A part of Link wanted to make small talk, to fill the deafening silence with something other than his footsteps. But his mind was still stuck on Skull Kid, and wishing he was still with him, waiting for him to wake. And besides that, he... really didn't know what to say to Ruto. When he'd seen her last, when she was still a child, it was so much easier. But as an adult?
He clenched his hand tight around his bag strap. His other hand drifted to the bag itself. He rubbed the surface of the Ocarina of Time, his mind drifting to Saria. She would be so much easier to talk to. He was tempted to reach pull the ocarina out and play her song, seeking her gentle voice and reassurances.
He missed her. It hadn't been long since he last saw her. But the circumstances… He rubbed the ocarina again for reassurance. None of this should have happened. He should be in the forest, where he belonged, not saving the world just because someone said he had to. Maybe Saria could offer him some advice on dealing with these troubled thoughts.
"You know, it's funny." Before he could act on his impulse, Ruto's voice interrupted his thoughts. He turned his attention to her. She was still walking forward, and hadn't turned to face him, but he got the impression that she wasn't speaking to herself.
She continued. "In some ways, you're still the same kid I met seven years ago. You look the same. Sound the same, but you don't act the same. You act older. More world-weary, and less like a child."
Link didn't know what to say to that.
"It's kind of unfortunate now that I think about it. You have all this stuff, all these experiences you're going through, but you're never going to be more than a kid. It's kind of like a curse, in a way. to never be able to grow up or gain the emotional maturity to deal with your feelings."
There was a pause as Ruto thought about that, before she added, "You know, my father wasn't too happy to hear I gave you our sapphire." She continued in a light tone, as if making small talk. But her words made Link feel as if his gut was twisting in knots. "He said that spirits couldn't be trusted, that they were tricksters that would turn on you in an instant. Isn't that the silliest thing? I mean, it's not entirely wrong from what I heard, but you haven't been able to make choices for yourself lately, either."
Ruto took several more steps before realizing she no longer heard the echo of Link's footsteps. She turned back and found that he was no longer following, having stopped several paces back. His gaze was glued to the floor, and his hands were balled into fists.
"Um... Link?"
"Shut up..." he mumbled, clenching a fist tighter. "You don't know anything."
Ruto tilted her head. She gestured for Link to continue, a wry smile creeping on to her face. "What are you talking about, little ghost."
"You don't know anything about me!" Link snapped. His head snapped up to stare Ruto in the eye. His eyes were blazing with an intensity that was unfamiliar to him. "You don't know anything about what I've been through. I'm NOT just a kid. I don't get a happy ending. I can't just go back to my friends at the end of this and pretend nothing ever happened!"
He brought his hand up to his chest, clutching at the sticky resin. Ruto opened her mouth to say something, but Link wasn't done speaking. "I got this-" he gestured to the resin-encrusted wound that peeked out from under his tunic "-because I agreed to help everyone. I nearly died and then I killed someone I cared about because of this curse. If it wasn't for all this, Saria would still be alive!"
Link's voice echoed in the empty hall. His gaze dropped as emotion threatened to overwhelm him. He stared at the ground silent for a moment before saying in a quiet voice. "I can't ever go back to the way things were."
Ruto didn't respond at first, only staring dumbfounded at the distressed spirit. When she spoke, her tone was uncertain. "That's... I... It wasn't my intention to upset you. I was only trying to better understand you."
"You didn't have to be so mean about it," Link mumbled. He began walking again, passing Ruto. She stared at him for a moment more before hurrying forward to step in front of his path.
"Now hold on," she began, placing her hands on her hips. "Maybe you're right. Maybe you're not. You didn't have to be rude either, you know." Link frowned, and she realized her words weren't helping, so she quickly amended, "But that's beside the point. Either way, we must get along better if we want to get out of here, ok? We cannot face whatever is in the heart of the temple in such negative spirits."
She stooped down on one knee, so that she was on eyelevel with Link, and placed a hand on his shoulder as she gave him a stern look. "I don't need you to like me, I just need you to work with me. Can you do that"
Link didn't look up. He wanted to shrug her arm away and walk off. Leave. Let her - and everyone else – deal with their own problems. But he knew he couldn't. He was in too deep. Ganondorf would just come for his home eventually.
He sighed and nodded. "Fine."
Satisfied, Ruto stood up. She turned and began to make her way down the hall, Link following close behind. Neither tried to make small talk again.
Ruto pointed upwards, her voice nearly drowned out by the thunder of rushing water. "That must be the place"
Link followed Ruto's gesture up to a point above them. Just visible through the spray of a waterfall, he could see dry ground near the top. And on the other side of the water was an ornate set of double doors. If any place looked like the heart of the temple, it was there.
There was just one problem.
"How do we get up there?" He asked. His hand reached for the hookshot in his bag, but he couldn't see anything he could use it on. He could try warping, but as hard as it was to see the ground through the water, he'd be worried about missing and falling. Or worse, accidentally embedding himself in the ground.
Ruto shot him a coy look. "Never scaled a waterfall before?" she asked. Link shook his head, and she offered out a hand. "Well, don't worry about that. I have a solution for us."
Link hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. After their recent argument, he didn't really want her help. But at the same time, he didn't have any better solution.
Ruto steeped toward the edge of overlooking the water. The ledge jutted out a little way, providing a great spot to dive from.
But Ruto didn't dive at first. Instead, she held out her free hand and raised it into the air. She waved it to the side, then pulled it back. As she gestured, a spout of water broke away from the waterfall and came rushing towards her.
"I've learned a few things since we last met," she explained as she continued to gesture. "A bit of magic that should help us here." Water swirled around them before enveloping the duo in an orb. Her grip Tightened on Link's hand and then she launched forward. The water flew with her, sending them spiraling into the falls.
Link clung tightly as the torrent pounded against him, but Ruto's grip was firm as she began to swim upwards, kicking against gravity, forcing her way through the current. She crested, and the two of them went flying through the air before landing on solid ground with a wet splat.
Ruto landed gracefully. Link tumbled to a stop a few feet away. He groaned, then sat up and shook off as much of the water as he could. He was really starting to get tired of being soaked. Instead of asking, he gave Ruto a quizzical head tilt. She seemed to pick up on his unspoken question.
"Oh, that? It's a skill some of us zora have, to bend water to our will. Impressive, isn't it?"
Link nodded slowly before turning his attention to the door.
Before him was a set of large double doors. Ornate carvings decorated the stone depicting several different scenes of zoras. At the center, the familiar golden pattern of the Triforce surrounded an indentation. The same pattern was visible in a few of the scenes. For some reason he couldn't comprehend, Link felt compelled to stepped forward and placed a hand against the Triforce pattern.
"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ruto asked, bringing Link's attention back to her. She came up to stand beside him. "The carvings on this door represent some of the most important moments in zora history." She raised a hand and gestured to an image where a zora was holding up that golden triangle pattern. "This one is a particularly popular story; it's the story of the crowing of our first monarch, after she used the Triforce to wish for the skills needed to lead our people into prosperity."
Link stared at the image for a moment. It wasn't the first time he'd heard of the triforce, but it was still as mysterious as it had been before. Suspecting he wouldn't get much information on it, he focused his question on something else. "Did it really grant her that?"
Ruto nodded. "Indeed. The stories say that the Triforce found her pure of heart, and as such gave her the wisdom to lead fairly, the courage to face our enemies, and the power to protect our people. That was before we'd allied with the kingdom of Hyrule, and - hey, are you still paying attention?"
He was not. In fact, he was sorry he asked. Perhaps another time, the story would be interesting. But with everything that had happened thus far, he wasn't in the mood for the history lesson. As soon as he realized she was waiting for a response, he shook himself back to attention and said, "uh, well, maybe?"
Ruto sighed and shook her head. "I suppose I shouldn't expect an uncultured child- I mean, an outsider that isn't well-versed in the history of the land of Hyrule- to understand."
Link sighed and shook his head. He wasn't going to get into this again. It wasn't worth it. He turned his attention back to the doors. They were far too big to push open. "So... how do we get inside?" He asked.
"Ah, right. Right here." Ruto reached into her pouch. From inside, she pulled out a small squarish statue. She stepped forward, pushing it into the indentation. There was a small click, then several more, larger clicks. Then, finally, the sound of stone grinding against stone as the doors slowly began to part. A dark hall greeted them on the other side.
Link stole one more glance at Ruto before stepping into the darkness. It grew completely dark a few paces in. Or nearly, at least. A bright speck ahead signaled the end of the hallway. It grew steadily larger until they reached the end.
The pair found themselves in a large room, made of the same blue stone seen in the rest of the temple. Lining the wall were large, ovular, silver etchings depicting scenes similar to those on the door. Water rippled in a pool in front of them, a handful of platforms sticking out in the middle.
Ruto took a cautious step forward. Link followed close behind, drawing the Master Sword. His hand tingled as he touched the hilt, but the horrible pain from before was little more than a dull throb. If the situation had not been tense, he would have felt at ease.
"Keep your guard up," Ruto warned as she stepped forward. "I don't know where it's hiding, but one of Ganondorf's beasts is in here somewhere."
Link nodded and began to make his way around the pool, peering into its depths. Something about the way the water flowed felt... off. It seemed like it moved a bit more viscously, perhaps.
Ruto had lightly hopped over onto one of the platforms over the water. She held her hands in front of her, fingertips touching.
The water rippled quietly behind her. She turned, but there was nothing there.
"Look out!"
Ruto turned back at the sound of Link's warning. She sprang back just as a long tendril of water lashed at the spot she'd been in. A small, red orb circled near the base before disappearing back into the depths. The tendril fell apart, water splattering across the platform. Ruto pulled her hand back, and the splattered water returned to her.
But no sooner than she did so, another dozen tendrils of water erupted from the surface. Several whipped in Ruto's general direction, but a few launched themselves at Link. He drew his sword and slashed wildly at the tendrils, slicing away the tips. Ruto jumped out of the way of several of the tendrils, but one managed to grab hold of her waist and pulled her under water. She disappeared with a gasp. Then silence.
Link ran up to the water's edge, eyes darting as he looked for any sign of Ruto. The surface rippled wildly before she suddenly breached, landing on one of the platforms on her hands and knees. She coughed, then rolled out of the way of another tentacle strike, springing to her feet a second later.
"That red thing!" she shouted, pulling the stray water to her. "We must get it out of the water!" She spun, lashing out with her water and striking another tendril The severed water gathered around her arms and swirled, waiting for her command.
Link nodded, then leaped onto one of the platforms in the center. From here, he had a better vantage point on the water, and could get a better idea of what was happening. For just a second, he spotted a round shape dart through the water, then he lost it again.
"Behind you!" Ruto warned. Link spun, swinging his sword in a wide arc, and cut off the end of the tendril. Water splashed in his face. He spotted the orb just below the surface of the water and lunged, but it was out of reach.
Firm hands pulled him back and kept him from tumbling into the water. The orb darted away again.
"We need something with range," Ruto growled. "Neither of us are will reach it like this."
Range? Link could do that. He reached back for his bow and offered it to Ruto. She gave it a look and shook her head. "No good, the water will slow down the arrow and it just won't be as effective. Got anything else?"
"Got anything else?" Link repeated under his breath, stowing the bow back. He reached into his back and grabbed the hookshot. "This work?"
"It's probably the best we got," Ruto decided. "Now get out of the center and ready your weapon, I'll try to draw it out."
With that, she sprang to another platform, striking at a forming tendril as she passed over it. Link jumped in the opposite direction, getting to the outer edge before circling around to be closer to Ruto. He held his hand on the release and watched.
Several tendrils began to form around the zora, waving as they reached their full length. Link looked to each one in search of the red orb, watching as they lashed out before breaking apart.
There! at the base of one of the tendrils. Link fired the hookshot. It rattled as it shot through the air. Then, with a wet squelch, it embedded itself in the orb. He pulled it back, and the forming tendrils immediately fell apart. The orb squirmed and strained as he brought it to dry land, trying to pull itself free of the hookshot.
A noise sounded behind him, and then the hookshot was suddenly ripped from his hands as it was hit by a pressurized blast of water. It clattered to a stop a few feet away. He drew his sword, rushing towards the orb as it finally managed to pry itself free.
"No you don't!" Link shouted, pulling his sword. He thrust forward, skewering the orb on his blade, it writhed and twitched and squelched. As gross as it was, he couldn't help but laugh, his eyes flickering in some sort of sickening delightful glee. "Gotcha!"
Using his boot, he pushed the orb off of his blade, it immediately started to bounce and roll about unsteadily trying to get back into the water. But Ruto was waiting for it. She sprang upwards, striking it with a fin wreathed in water. Her blow knocked it back into the wall, and Link rushed forward with a battle cry. He brought his sword down and with another sickening squelch, sliced the orb in two.
The two sides twitched and squelched and rolled slightly, before finally going still. Link watched as they dissolved into a nasty red liquid, before said liquid disappeared into the water, leaving nothing behind.
"Is… is it over?" Link asked.
"I believe so," Ruto replied. She looked up, noting the calm that had fallen over the room. The two waited in silence for several moments, but nothing else happened. Once she was satisfied that they were in the clear, Ruto turned back to Link.
"I have to admit, you did good in a fight." she continued, looking down at Link. "Better than I expected, even."
Link didn't know what to say to that. He just nodded and turned to sheathe his blade.
"Now, I believe we have something to take care of, right?"
Oh, right. Link reached into his bag for the Ocarina. It was time to take care of this, wasn't it? He gave Ruto a nod before bringing the instrument to his mouth. A moment of silence passed as he recalled the song Sheik had taught him. The light, uniform, regal notes hang in the air as he played, before resolving gently. A song befitting of the zora in front of him. Or close enough, at least.
She listened silently, closing her eyes after a moment. Her breaths became deep, calm. Link stared wordlessly as he brought the ocarina down from his lips. She seemed so… peaceful. But now what was he supposed to do?
He heard the sound of movement behind him, words spoken in a language he did not understand. He thought he heard Sheik's voice. But before he could turn around, his vision flashed white, and he was once again back in Sacred Realm.
The darkness and distant sound of water was beginning to become familiar to him. Turning around, he saw Darunia, Saria, and Raru. But now Ruto was with them as well. Raru exchanged a nod with the zora, and she gestured for him to approach. Link hesitated, but Saria flashed him a gentle, encouraging smile.
"Despite everything, you did well," Ruto began as he stepped off the dais. She brought her hands together, forming a small orb of water between them. "Thanks to our combined efforts, the curse over my people is broken. Zora's Domain will soon return to its original state."
Slowly, she began to pull her arms apart, and the orb expanded. "I wish I could return back with you, oversee the healing of my people. But… when I listened to your song, it awakened something in me. And now I realize I need to take my place as the Sage of Water and guard the Water Temple. As for you… You're still looking for Princess Zelda, aren't you?" When Link nodded, she continued. "Well, I'm sure she's fine. I can feel it. So… worry about taking care of yourself!"
Suddenly the orb burst apart. And in its place was a small, blue medallion. Ruto leaned down and pressed it into Link's hands.
"I… Should apologize to you," she admitted, averting her gaze. "I was… rude. Didn't give you a fair chance. But when we fought as one… I could tell that noting will stop you in you quest for justice and peace. You wish for rest, but you understand what must be done. I pray to the goddesses that you'll find rest soon. But for now… take this medallion and continue your fight with Ganondorf. Show evil that it cannot use you anymore."
He looked down at the blue medallion in his hands, mind swirling. He didn't know what to make of Ruto's apology, but it felt like she meant well. He gave her a muted nod but didn't look her in the eye.
"Now, you ought to be off," Ruto said with a firm nod. "You still have two more sages to find. And besides, I believe your friends are waiting for you."
Navi and Skull Kid were waiting for him? That finally brought Link to attention. He nodded quickly, his mind racing with worry as he thought of how he'd last seen them. Was Skull Kid awake? Was he doing okay? Had Navi actually waited for him?
"Th-thank you," he stuttered, giving a half bow, before stepping back onto the dais.
"Be careful on your way out!" Ruto called out behind him. "And good luck on your journey! If you see Sheik again, give him my thanks, okay?"
