Chapter Three: The Fiery Road

With a thud, Link and Kage landed in the dark, hot cavern that was the home of King Dodongo. 
They were quick to regain their footing, since there were bones and rotting flesh scattered all 
around them. 

"Well, well! What have we here? Two tender little morsels from Hyrule? It is not often that I get 
such delicacies!" a hissing voice said, from the opposite end of the cavern. The two Kokiri turned 
abruptly to find that Dodongo was standing right behind them, in all his horrible monstrosity. 

"We didn’t come all this way to get eaten, Dodongo! We came here to free the Goron people 
from your reign of terror!" Link shouted, unsheathing his sword as he said so. Dodongo did his 
equivalent of raising an eyebrow.

"Is that so? We shall soon see who will die here, you impudent little scamp! Take this!" Dodongo 
said, then spit flames from his mouth at the two young warriors.

"Whoa!" Kage yelped, leaping to avoid getting hit with the flames. He quickly looked around to 
see if Link was all right and saw that Link was already figuring out a way to strike back at 
Dodongo. With tremendous courage, Link hurled bomb after bomb into Dodongo’s mouth, 
hoping that the blasts would stun him long enough for him to get close and deliver a deadly blow. 
Catching on to what Link was doing, Kage leaped in and attacked using his sword, mercilessly 
slashing the tough skin of the demonic lizard king with his tough little Kokiri blade. With yells 
that could have frozen blood, Link and Kage both drove their swords into the tender part of 
Dodongo’s neck, puncturing his windpipe and killing him almost instantly. When the evil king 
died, Link and Kage looked up as the second Spiritual Stone descended from above and landed 
squarely between them. 

"The Spiritual Stone of Fire……….at long last. Now to get the one of Water, then we’ll be able 
to open the Sacred Realm and become the heroes of legend." Kage said, with tears in his eyes, as 
he carefully handled the fire stone and tucked it away into Link’s pack.

"Yes. Soon we’ll fulfill our place in history." Link said, as he turned to start the long trek out of 
the cavern. When they finally emerged from the cavern, the entire kingdom of Goron City had 
turned out to give them a hero’s welcome back into the world of the light.

"You did it! You freed us! Thank you!" one person shouted, this one Link and Kage both 
recognized as the woman they had first talked to when they had first arrived in Goron City. For 
the first time since they had started on their long and difficult journey, Link felt a certain peace 
descend over him. He had actually made a difference. 

"Well done, you two! My people and I are very proud of you!" King Darunia said, with a pleased 
smile. Link and Kage smiled back. It pleased them to know that all their hard work had been 
appreciated. 

"Now you need to go get that Water stone. But first, you must visit the Great Fairy that resides on 
top of Death Mountain. She will teach you another skill that you will need to know in order to 
become heroes." Darunia said, seriously, yet still showing a smile. Link nodded in understanding. 
He knew that this was one more test to see whether he and his best friend had what it took to 
become the legendary heroes. As they turned in the direction of Death Mountain, the villagers, 
who were celebrating their liberation, led the way up the path to a wall ladder. 

"Thank you for your kindness, King Darunia." Link said, as he and Kage started climbing the 
ladder. All along the wall there were Skulltullas, but Link and Kage were prepared for them and 
took them out with relative ease. When they had arrived on top of the wall, they got a bomb from 
a bomb flower that grew there, and threw it at a door wall that blocked their way. When the dust 
had cleared, they walked into a cave and found what they weren’t expecting to find; the Triforce 
symbol!

"Are you sure we should be standing on this thing, Link?" Kage asked, remembering what had 
happened the last time when Link had found a Triforce symbol on the ground. 

"We have to stand on it, Kage. This might be the only way to contact the Great Fairy." Link said, 
matter of factly, much to the dismay of his friend. With a resolute look on his face, Link took out 
his ocarina and started playing Zelda’s Lullaby. After a second, Kage took his out and 
harmonized with Link’s ocarina. 

"What a beautiful melody! I have never heard the royal lullaby played like that before!" a strong, 
female voice said, as its owner appeared before the two startled boys and their fairies.

"You are the Great Fairy, am I right?" Link asked.

"Yes. And you two youths must be the heroes of legend. I must admit, I am a little surprised that 
a shadow elf has turned out to be one of the heroes." The Great Fairy said, getting an exasperated 
look from Kage.

"Great Fairy, I know I’m different……there’s no need to rub it in……." Kage said, with a look 
that made the fairy laugh.

"I apologize then, young warrior. You will have enough adversity in the future, I don’t need to 
add to it by insulting you. Now, are you ready to learn a new sword technique?" the Great Fairy 
asked, surprising the two young warriors.

"You mean you’re not going to make us learn a new song on these ocarinas? YES!! All right!" 
Kage whooped, happy that he didn’t have to learn a new song right away. 

"That is not the way to act in the presence of a Great Fairy, Kage!" Mizuu scolded.

"Well excuse me for even breathin’ Mizuu!" Kage snapped back, sparking an argument between 
them that was almost destined to be long winded, until the Great Fairy broke it up.

"That is quite enough, you two! It is no wonder why the Kokiri and their fairies are usually 
confined to their forest! Honestly!" the Great Fairy said, bringing the two down a couple of 
notches.

"Not all of them act like that, Great Fairy. Link is unusually mature for his age." Navi bragged, 
getting a blush from Link.

"I can tell by the way he holds himself and by the look in his eyes. He has borne all of his burdens 
well. Now, are you ready to learn?" the Great Fairy asked, patiently.

"Yes. We’re ready." Link said, speaking for himself and Kage, who stood sheepishly behind him.

"All right then. Watch closely." The Great Fairy said, as she unsheathed her sword and showed 
them the technique. After a few humorous tries by Kage and Link, they eventually got it down to 
an art. Before she departed, the Great Fairy bestowed on them one more gift: the ability to use the 
Magic Meter to their advantage.

"By the way, another Great Fairy lives close to the castle in Hyrule. When you visit her, tell her 
that the Great Fairy of Power said hello, would you? I haven’t seen her in ages!" the Great Fairy 
said, with a smile.

"Sure thing, Great Fairy! See you later!" Kage said, as he and Link walked off. As they exited the 
cave, they noticed that a huge owl now sat near the mouth of the cave.

"Excuse me!" Link called up to the bird.

"Hmm?" the owl asked, turning his great head and looking down on the two youths and their 
fairies.

"Would you mind giving us a ride down to Kakariko Village, please?" Link asked.

"Certainly! Be glad to! I’ve been meaning to take a trip in that direction anyway! Hop onto my 
back and we’ll be on our way!" the owl said, obviously very pleased with Link’s manners. Soon 
they were soaring high above the mountains and were heading back into familiar territory. When 
the owl touched down again, they were just outside of Kakariko Village.

"Thank you for the ride, sir. We’re grateful for your help." Link said, again displaying the 
politeness that Navi was so obviously proud of. 

"You’re very welcome, young man. Good luck on your journey." The owl said, before taking off 
again and disappearing from sight over the trees. 

"Where to now, Link?" Kage asked, as he turned to his friend.

"Lake Hylia. That’s probably where we will find the Spiritual Stone of Water. Let’s go." Link 
said, as he started to walk in that direction. With maturity that was finally starting to show after so 
many adventures, Kage silently followed after Link, knowing that a major part of their life’s 
journey was over and another was just beginning. The journey to Lake Hylia was fairly 
uneventful, as far as Kage was concerned. But now they didn’t go with the usual casual attitude 
about traveling. Link was now solidly fixed on finding the last stone, so he didn’t take the time to 
rest. Kage didn’t complain. He knew that they were closer to their final objective than ever 
before. After stopping at a merchant’s stand and buying some ‘magic’ beans, they headed straight 
for the waterfall that Lake Hylia was famous for. 

"Well? Where’s the door?" Kage asked, as he and Link crossed the water on the bridge that led 
behind the waterfall.

"Wait a moment. Let me try something. This worked in Goron City." Link said, as he took out his 
ocarina and played Zelda’s Lullaby. With a slight hiss, a door opened and they walked through it. 
A guard instantly confronted them.

"State your business." The guard said, calmly. 

"We need to speak to the king, please." Link said, getting over being startled by the guard’s 
appearance. 

"We? You mean that that shadow elf wants to speak to him too? Why?" the guard asked.

"He is also a hero of legend, sir." Mizuu said, speaking up for the first time.

"Heroes of legend, huh? You’re awfully small to be fulfilling that role, but come along anyway. 
Since you knew the Princess of Hyrule’s lullaby, I am sure that the king will want to speak to 
you. Come this way." The guard said, as he started leading the two youths to where the king was. 
As they walked along, Kage and Link gazed about them in wonder. 

"Sir, is this castle made out of coral?" Kage asked, as he ran a hand over the bumpy stone that 
made up the walls.

"Yes. Everything that you see here came from the water." The guard replied, as they approached 
the throne room.

"Guard, are these the ones that were spotted earlier at the merchant’s stand?" a voice asked from 
within the throne room.

"Yes, sire. The two youths request an audience with you, King Zora." The guard replied, 
respectfully.

"Then by all means, let them in. I have matters I would like to discuss with them." the king’s 
voice said, as the guard moved aside and let Link and his companions in. As they entered, they 
were awed by the natural pearl enclave that sheltered the main throne room from the limestone 
above. 

"Well, what brings you to my domain, young ones?" the king asked.

"We came, sire, in search of the Spiritual Stone of Water. We have the stones of Forest and Fire, 
all we need now is the Water stone." Kage said, quietly.

"I see. I know where the Stone of Water is, but I have a very pressing matter I want to discuss 
first." Zora said, as lines of worry lined his fishlike features.

"What is it, your Highness?" Link asked, noticing that something else was bothering the king.

"My daughter, Princess Ruto, has been missing for almost a week now. I think the great fish 
Jabu-Jabu got her while she was swimming. I wanted to ask you two if you would go and rescue 
her for me." Zora said, gloomily. Kage wrinkled his nose. Not only was he expected to learn 
songs on his ocarina, but also now he had to go rescue a princess?! Before he make too grotesque 
a face to be hidden by sheer willpower, Link elbowed him and gave him his ‘don’t start’ look.

"We’ll do it, your Highness." Link said, getting a completely abashed look from his friend.

"Wonderful! Now, you will need to learn how to dive deep, since it takes that to find Jabu-Jabu. 
The practice pool is over there. Collect all the coins that are on the bottom and I will give you 
both a Silver Scale." Zora said, obviously relieved that the two boys had agreed to help recover 
his daughter. 

"Excuse me, sire, but, what is a Silver Scale?" Kage asked.

"The Silver Scale will enable you to dive deeper than you would normally be able to." Zora 
replied. 

"Oh." Kage said, before heading off to the diving pool. Zora children and their instructors looked 
up when Kage and Link walked into the area. Mizuu knew there was going to be trouble when 
Kage got his usual impish grin on his face. 

Dashing past Link he shouted, "Last one in is a rotten ReDead!" With a loud whoop he leaped 
into the pool, sending a huge splash of water back at Link. The Zoras, who had been sedately 
sitting beside the pool, were quite refreshed by the sudden splash, but Link, who got the brunt of 
it, stood where he was in absolute shock, then he became a little bit angry.

"Kage! In case you haven’t noticed, we’re not on vacation here! We’re here to practice diving so 
we can navigate through this place!" Link shouted, as Kage swam over to the edge.

"Aw, c’mon Link! Lighten up! This might be the last chance we have to have some fun before we 
become heroes! I, for one, am going to enjoy this while I can! This pool is just like the one back 
home, only it is deeper and a little bit colder." Kage said, almost sounding wistful about the old 
forest pool where he used to spend many hours swimming or hiding from Mido. Before they 
could say anything else, a whistle blast signaled that everyone should get out of the water. 

"What’s going on?" Link asked.

"The Diving Game is about to begin. The king has signed you two boys up for it already, so go 
ahead and get to the diving platform." One Zora said, pointing out the platform to them.

"Thanks." Link said, as he and Kage walked over to the mentioned platform. The contest itself 
didn’t take long to master, and soon the two boys had their Silver Scales. To test out their new 
tools, they swam to Lake Hylia and looked around at the bottom. Kage found a note in a bottle 
and they both swam back to Zora’s Domain to rejoin their fairies and read the note. What they 
found on the note was disturbing. It proved that Princess Ruto was indeed inside of the fish Jabu-
Jabu!

"What now, Link? Do we go and rescue that girl?" Kage asked.

"Yes. If we don’t we might never find out where the last Spiritual Stone is. Once again it is either 
do or die." Link said, determinedly.

"Since it comes to a girl, I would rather die." Kage said, getting a disgusted look on his face.

"C’mon, Kage." Link said, with a smile, knowing that his friend did not like girls too much. With 
that said, they headed back to King Zora’s throne room.

"Well? Did you find any clues to my daughter’s whereabouts?" Zora asked, anxiously.

"Yes we did, sire, but it is not what you would want to hear. Kage found this letter at the bottom 
of Lake Hylia and it says that your daughter is indeed inside the belly of Jabu-Jabu." Link replied, 
grimly, as he handed the letter to King Zora.

"I see. It is as I’d feared. Here, take these empty bottles and capture some fish. You will need the 
fish in order to lure Jabu-Jabu out of hiding. Jabu-Jabu himself has taken up residence in the 
fountain in the room behind me. I wish you both good luck when you fight him." Zora said, as he 
watched the two boys bow and go out to catch some fish. After they had done so, they returned 
and walked through the door that led to the fountain. With a stroke of intuition, Kage got one of 
his bombs out and threw it at the wall between two differently colored rocks. When the dust 
cleared, Link and the rest could see another Great Fairy cave.

"Now that was brilliant, Kage." Mizuu said, pleased that Kage was finally getting the hang of 
being a hero-in-training. Once again the lullaby was played and once again a Great Fairy 
appeared. She was kind and pleasant to them as she taught them how to use a magical spell 
known as Farore’s Wind. 

Before they left the fairy, Kage called back to her, saying, "The Great Fairy of Power said hello!" 
The fairy smiled and nodded, waving as the two young heroes exited her cave and headed over to 
a platform that was over the fountain. As though it had sensed their presences, Jabu-Jabu 
suddenly burst out of the water, his huge mouth agape, ready to eat anything that came his way.

"Release the fish you caught!" Navi shouted, as a fierce wind suddenly started whipping around 
them. Link and Kage both nodded and released their fish, but, the moment they released their 
grips on whatever they were hanging on to, they too were swept into the hungry maw of Jabu-
Jabu. 

"I thought we were supposed to feed the FISH to Jabu-Jabu, not ourselves!" Kage shouted, as he 
and Link were swept straight into the fish’s mouth.

When Kage next opened his eyes, he saw that they had ended up somewhere that had light.

"Link? You all right?" Kage asked, as he slowly got into a sitting position.

"Yeah, I think so. Where do you think we are?" Link asked, as he rubbed the side of his head.

"I think we’re in the fish’s stomach. I wonder where Mizuu and Navi are?" Kage said, now 
worried when he didn’t see his guardian sprite anywhere.

"Let’s start walking, maybe we’ll find them deeper inside of this thing’s belly." Link suggested, 
as he stood up and led the way. Kage silently agreed and followed Link deeper into the fish’s 
innards, not knowing what they were going to find next. As they walked, they had to clear their 
path several times of the uvula that lined the fish’s stomach wall. As they walked even further, 
Link had to quell the rising panic that was starting to set in. He had not seen hide nor hair of the 
two sprites anywhere and he was starting to get very worried about Navi’s well being. As much 
as he was her responsibility, he felt it was his responsibility to make sure that no harm befell her. 
He felt certain that Kage felt the same way about Mizuu, even though they didn’t get along all the 
time. When they came to a room with holes in the floor (Kage nearly fell into one of them before 
he noticed) they noticed that two familiar balls of light now hovered over a young Zora girl.

"Hey!" Kage shouted, excitedly.

"Kage! Link!" the two sprites shouted, gleefully, as the two Kokiri rushed over to them.

"Boy, am I glad to see you!" Link said, as Navi snuggled against his face, then went and playfully 
tugged on his ear.

"I’m glad to see you too, Link! Sorry to have worried you! Mizuu and I got swept farther in than 
you two did. That was how we met up with Princess Ruto." Navi explained, turning to the shy 
Zora girl. 

"That’s Princess Ruto?! All right! This quest is almost over! Now all we have to do is get out of 
this giant mackerel and we’ll be able to start searching for the final Spiritual Stone!" Kage 
whooped, happily, but then sobered when Link shook his head.

"It’s not going to be as simple as that, Kage. We may have gotten in here without incident, but 
that doesn’t mean that we will be able to get out without a struggle. Our first priority right now is 
to get Princess Ruto out of here, safely. Then, after we are out of here, can we start searching for 
the Spiritual Stone of Water." Link said, speaking with wisdom that was beyond his years. Ruto 
was looking very closely at him, she knew that this boy was more than what he appeared to be on 
the outside. His friend, though excitable, also had a special aura around him that she couldn’t 
ignore. She had no knowledge of the legends of the heroes, but these boys, who had come to 
rescue her, were something very special indeed.

"I know of a path that might lead out." Ruto said, very quietly. The two boys immediately turned 
their attention to her. 

"Then why didn’t you try to use it?" Kage asked, making sure to keep his voice as calm as 
possible.

"I was too afraid to try it without someone else with me. There’s a giant octopus down there 
somewhere. I hear him pass under this chute every now and then." Ruto said, with a bit of fear in 
her eyes.

"Don’t worry. We’re here with you now. We’ll protect you." Link promised, trying to reassure 
the fearful princess. Ruto bit her lip and nodded, then took a deep breath and jumped down the 
chute that led to the path she’d mentioned. 

"Let’s go." Link said, as he jumped after her. Kage reluctantly followed, not liking the idea that 
he was rescuing a ‘damsel in distress’. Ruto was waiting anxiously for them at the bottom of the 
chute, her purple eyes showing her emotions clearly. Link made a perfect landing coming out of 
the chute……….Kage, on the other hand, landed on Link.

"Ah! Kage!" Link shouted, as the other Kokiri landed on top of him, knocking the wind out of 
him. Ruto and the two fairies stood stock still for a moment, surprised by what had happened, 
then they burst into giggles, as the two flustered boys pulled themselves to their feet. 

"Very funny." Kage grumbled, as he dusted himself off and stood up. 

"At least it wasn’t us that you’d landed on, Kage!" Navi chirped, as Link caught his breath and 
scowled at Kage.

"The least you could have done was warned me, Kage!" Link said, somewhat angrily.

"Well excuse me! You said for me to follow you, remember?" Kage retaliated.

"But I didn’t mean exactly right after I had started down the chute! And you could have called out 
while you were on your way down that you were coming!" Link argued.

"And thus they prove, once again, that they are still only children after all." Mizuu said, as the 
two boys argued and settled their differences between themselves (at least for the time being). 
Then, without warning, a rock impacted into Link’s shoulder with a loud crack, forcing an outcry 
of pain from him.

"Link!" Kage yelped, their argument quite forgotten. Link grimaced and held his right shoulder, 
that of which was cut and bleeding heavily. 

"An Octorok! Those things spit rocks at people that get too close to their territories! C’mon! we 
must find some cover from it!" Ruto shouted, as the squid-like creature spat another rock at them, 
this one deflected harmlessly with Kage’s Deku Shield. Following Ruto’s lead, they ran for a 
small alcove that was free of anything that would harm them. 

"Let me see your shoulder, Link." Kage said, as he reached into his pack (their metal shields were 
still in King Zora’s Domain) and brought out some bandages. Link winced as he removed his 
pack, shield, and swordbelt, and pulled down the top half of his tunic so Kage could see to the 
wound. Kage himself winced when he saw what he was dealing with. The wound was small, but 
deep, and was surrounded by a black and purple bruise that was even painful to look at. 

"I’m sorry, Link. If I hadn’t been so loud, this wouldn’t have happened." Kage said, gloomily, as 
he washed out the wound with some water from his canteen. Link gasped in pain and shook his 
head.

"It wasn’t your fault, Kage. I was wrong to yell at you. It’s in the past now, and there is nothing 
we can do about that." Link replied, wanting to get the point across that all was forgiven about 
what had happened just moments earlier. Ruto was amazed by how strong their friendship was 
and how much the two must have been through before arriving in her kingdom to come to her 
rescue. She wished she had had friends like that.

"Do you have any salve to put in the wound so it won’t get infected?" Navi asked, as she alighted 
on top of Link’s head. Kage shook his head.

"I know of something that will keep the wound from festering long enough till we get out of 
here." Ruto said, also feeling a little guilty about what had happened to Link. Without waiting for 
them to start asking, she took a little bit of some sea moss, put some in her mouth, chewed it, then 
applied it to Link’s wound. 

"Agh!" Link cried, as a burning sensation went through the wound. 

"Now bind it firmly with the bandages. The burning sensation will abate once the wound is 
wrapped up." Ruto directed. Kage did as he was told and wrapped the shoulder firmly in the 
bandages. After he had finished, Kage sat back and watched and Link pulled his tunic back up 
and tentatively put his belongings back on his back.

"Well? How does it feel?" Navi asked, watching as Link tested his injured limb. His face lit up 
with astonishment.

"It feels like I was never injured! How’d you know how to do that, Princess?!" Link asked, 
completely amazed. Ruto blushed and smiled shyly at him.

"I used to watch the healers do it when I was smaller. The elder healer in my father’s court taught 
me how to do that." Ruto said, happy that she was able to help him.

"You’d make a great healer, Princess Ruto." Link said, apparently pleased with the way his arm 
felt. Ruto merely smiled and blushed.

"Father would never allow that. He’s very protective of me; sometimes a little overprotective. 
Ever since Mother died he’s been like that. But, what can I say? I am the Crown Princess. By the 
way, why are you two after the Spiritual Stones?" Ruto said, out of curiosity. 

"We’re on a quest to save Hyrule from an approaching evil. Kage and I left our homes in the 
Kokiri Forest in order to find out where we fit in with destiny. The three stones are the keys to 
helping us find out. We have already gathered the Forest and Fire stones, all we need now is the 
Water stone." Link said, as Kage cautiously looked out of the alcove to see if the Octorok had 
gone. 

"All clear!" Kage whispered, motioning for them to move. With extreme caution, they all moved 
out of their safe haven and looked around. Indeed, the Octorok was nowhere to be seen. As they 
walked along, Kage noticed one of the stones on the ground looked a lot like the kind that were 
spat at them by the Octorok earlier. He also noticed that Link now eyed them with a look of 
disdain on his face. Octoroks were now officially on Link’s non-favorite animals’ list. The 
atmosphere inside of the giant fish was strange to the three youths and the two guardian sprites. 
There were levitating platforms everywhere! As they navigated the twisting halls and corridors of 
the fish’s belly, they wondered if they were ever going to find their way out. Finally they came 
upon a room that had two treasure chests inside.

"Now what? More stuff to carry?" Kage asked, in such an exasperated manner that Ruto just had 
to laugh. Ruto patted Kage’s head sympathetically, as Link moved towards one of the chests and 
tested the lock. 

"It’s rusted. I can’t unlock it." Link said, as he rubbed his rust covered hands on his tunic, not 
really worried about keeping clean, since it already had bloodstains on it. 

"Let me try something." Ruto said, as she flared out the fins on her arms, took a running start at 
the chests, then made a sweeping movement with her arms as she ran past. At first it looked as 
though nothing had happened to the locks, then, a split second later, they fell away, neatly sliced 
in two. Kage and Link looked in complete astonishment at the Zora Princess, who just grinned at 
them, innocently. 

"Princess Ruto, Healer and Locksmith." Kage muttered, as he walked over to his chest, shaking 
his head as he went. Ruto smiled in satisfaction. It wasn’t often that she got to impress someone 
by just being herself. She could tell that the two boys were starting to ease up around her. They 
were starting to consider her to be one of them, just an average child that was on an above 
average journey through life. She enjoyed their company. Kage was constantly bickering with 
Mizuu about something or other, but it was all in fun, since he was trying to get his own mind off 
of being lost in the innards of a giant fish. Link was calm and cool-headed, and he was always 
asking her if she was all right or if she was getting tired. Once he even offered to carry her; she 
considered it, then thought better of it when she thought of the wound on his shoulder. 

"No thanks. I think I’ll keep on walking. Besides, it would be best to keep as much weight off of 
that shoulder as you can, for the time being. When we get back to my father’s court, I’ll have the 
elder healer take care of your wound. Okay?" Ruto asked, hoping that the young warrior wasn’t 
offended. Instead he looked a little relieved. 

"Okay. Thank you, Princess." Link said, as he ruefully rubbed his shoulder. With little effort, the 
two chests were opened, and what they found within were not what they were expecting at all.

"What the heck is this?" Kage asked, as he picked up what appeared to be an oddly bent stick 
from the bottom of the chest. 

"It looks like a boomerang. Throw it and see what happens." Mizuu suggested, as Link, Navi, and 
Ruto stood back. Kage did as he was suggested and threw the boomerang. It soared a little ways 
away from him, then turned back and narrowly missed hitting his head.

"Whoa!" Kage yelped, ducking as the boomerang sailed over his head and crashed into a wall. 

"You’d better learn how to control that thing before you decide to use it in battle, Kage." Navi 
said, getting a scowl from the Kokiri while she was at it. After spending a little time in the room 
where they had found the boomerangs, they started walking again, only to find, to their dismay, 
that they had ended up where they had started.

"We’re back……………….in the room with the holes…………….This isn’t fair." Kage whined, 
frustrated that they had gone all that way just to end up where they had started. 

"Nothing in life is fair, Kage. But there is something different about this room….." Mizuu said, as 
she flitted over to where a tentacle blocked one of the holes.

"That tentacle! I didn’t see that before!" Link yelped, as he went over and inspected the thing, 
careful not to touch it with his hands, lest it was attached to something that would strike back.

"Try destroying it. Maybe that will open up a way to get out." Navi suggested, backing up as Link 
unsheathed his sword. Using the new sword technique that the Great Fairy of Power had shown 
him, Link made short work of the tentacle. 

"The way’s clear. Let’s get movin’. " Link said, as he led the way down the chute. This time 
Kage waited until he was sure that Link and Ruto had reached the bottom, then he started down. 
This time there was no pile up. As they went through a doorway, Ruto noticed that there was a 
blue light emanating from somewhere. She turned and looked; and there was the very thing the 
two boys had come to the Zora Kingdom for: the Spiritual Stone of Water! 

"Link! Kage! Look! It’s the Stone of Water! I found it!" Ruto shouted, excitedly. This 
immediately got the two boys’ attention and they watched as Ruto retrieved it for them.

"Yeah! All right, Princess! Are you sure that you’re not a legendary hero like us?" Kage asked, 
with one of his cheerful grins. Ruto giggled and shook her head.

"Can’t be. I’m a Princess, remember?" Ruto said, pleased that she had been able to help them in 
their quest. 

"Oh, yeah. Eheh." Kage replied, with an embarrassed laugh. Then, suddenly, the floor started 
shaking beneath them.

"What the………………?!" Kage yelped, as he fell on his backside, unable to keep his balance as 
the floor heaved out from under him. Link and Ruto were having the same problem. Then, to their 
horror, a huge octopus appeared. 

"That has got to be what I’d heard earlier!" Ruto murmured, frozen with fear. The octopus 
growled a watery growl, then struck out at them with its huge tentacles. Link and Kage leaped to 
avoid getting hit, but Ruto remained rooted to the spot, too afraid to move. 

"Princess! Move!" Kage shouted, as he picked her up and carried her out of striking range of the 
giant octopus. Ruto clung to him as he moved her, stunned that he had cared that much to move 
her out of harm’s way. 

"Thank you, Kage." Ruto murmured, as he set her down. 

"Don’t mention it. You stay here while Link and I make sushi out of this thing." Kage said, 
before going back to help Link (who had already started fighting the huge beast). With the 
courage of those who were more than half their age, Kage and Link moved quickly to avoid 
attacks and deal crippling blows to the octopus. Ruto watched from a safe distance, cheering the 
two boys on as they fought. With a yell, Kage finished the monster off and looked back at Ruto, 
signaling that it was now safe to continue on. As they took the floating platform up, they noticed 
that they could feel some fresh air coming in from somewhere.

"The way out must be somewhere nearby. I can smell fresh air from here." Link said, as he 
cautiously made his way into another room. 

"So do I. We must be close. I can’t wait to see sunlight again." Kage said, with a note of relief in 
his voice. Link and Ruto agreed, as they moved through the room. Then something alerted Link 
that there was another monster nearby. 

"Everyone! There’s something in this room!" Link shouted, as he unsheathed his sword and 
prepared himself for another fight. A low, watery laugh was heard as the three youths stood 
warily looking around as something moved in the shadows.

"You children have done well, to actually make it to my lair, but this is as far as you will go! You 
may have defeated Bigocto, but you will find that it will be harder to defeat me! Now die!" the 
voice snarled, as its owner emerged from the shadows and shot a stunning bolt of electricity at the 
youths. With a yell, the group leaped to avoid getting hit with the lightning bolt.

"Whoa! I’ll bet this fish is having a terrible case of indigestion right about now! What the heck is 
this thing, anyway?!" Kage asked, as he, Ruto, Link, Mizuu and Navi all ducked behind some 
rocks in order to avoid the monster’s attacks.

"I think it is a monster called Barinade. I had heard mention of him several times in my father's 
court. He’s a dangerous menace to my people and used to patrol the waters in the diving area. But 
then he found a way into the fountain and Jabu-Jabu had the misfortune to swallow him and now 
we’re stuck with this dilemma as to how to destroy this thing." Ruto said, as she peeked over the 
edge of the rocks to look at the monster, quickly ducking back down when another bolt was fired 
at her. 

"We? You mean you want to help fight this thing, Princess? How do you propose on doing that?" 
Kage asked, catching the ‘we’re’ in her statement.

"I can stun him using your boomerang and then you two can hit him with your swords when he is 
stunned. Besides, it’ll be much easier on you if we work together, right?" Ruto said, with a smile.

"All right. So long as you stay over here where you can duck down if he fires another bolt at 
you." Link said, as he tentatively started moving out from behind the rocks. 

"Right. I’ll give you the signal when I’m about to throw, then you move in after he’s down, got 
it?" Ruto asked.

"Got it." Kage whispered, unsheathing his sword as he started to approach the big jellyfish. When 
they were about halfway there, Ruto let out a low whistle, signaling that she was about to throw. 
Kage and Link ducked just as the boomerang soared past, watching as it hit it’s intended target 
and head back to the thrower. 

"Good shot, Ruto!" Kage shouted, forgetting formality and dashing into battle behind Link. With 
fierceness that was only attributed to older warriors, Kage and Link fought against their foe, with 
a little help from a friend. Ruto was proving to be a brave friend as she supported them from the 
sidelines, her skill with the boomerang proving invaluable as the two warriors fought for their 
lives. With little more than a groan, Barinade fell, proving that he was no match for the tenacity 
of the young heroes and princess. 

"Way to go, you three! You did it!" Mizuu and Navi cheered, as Barinade died and the three 
childish warriors regrouped. 

"That was great, Princess Ruto! Not only are you a healer and locksmith, you’re a warrior too!" 
Kage said, with a grin. Ruto merely smiled in satisfaction.

"Listen to the boy who can’t stand girls!" Mizuu muttered so only Navi and Link could hear.

"What was that, Mizuu?" Kage asked, giving his fairy a deadly look.

"Oh, nothing. Nothing at all." Mizuu replied, casually.

"I hate it when you say that, Mizuu. I know you said something." Kage grumbled, as his friends 
laughed at him. Then a loud rumbling sound suddenly shook them out of their argument. 

"Oh no! Don’t tell me that there is yet another monster to face!" Ruto shouted, over the noise.

"No, I think it is something else entirely." Navi said, matter-of-factly.

"What is that, Navi?" Link asked.

"I think this fish is about to throw up." Navi replied, simply. The three youths all looked at one 
another, exchanged a grossed out look, then let out a yell. They were soon running as fast as they 
possibly could for the mouth of the fish. Just as they reached the mouth, the fish retched and they 
were spewed out of the fish along with the rest of the fish’s lunch. 

"AW!!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS DISGUSTING! I’M COVERED IN FISH VOMIT!!!!!" Kage shouted, at 
the tops of his lungs, while Ruto and Link both covered their ears. 

"Ruto!! My daughter!" King Zora shouted, as he ran on spindly legs and caught his slightly 
bedraggled daughter into his arms and tearfully hugged her. 

"Father, Father!" Ruto cried, as though suddenly realizing that she was really and truly home. 
Link and Kage watched the tearful reunion with smiles on their faces. In some ways, this result 
was more worth it than the Water Stone. 

"Thank you so much for your help! How could I ever repay you?" King Zora asked.

"You could let them take the Sapphire, Father." Ruto suggested. The king appeared to think it 
over for a moment, then nodded his fish-like head vigorously. 

"Yes! I will permit them to take the Sapphire! It is what they originally came for, after all! But 
they had better take good care of it." King Zora said, as he gently set Ruto back on her feet.

"We will, sire. Now, before we leave, may I ask you something?" Link asked, as he stood up 
from where he’d landed, wincing somewhat because of his sore shoulder.

"Go right ahead. What is on your mind?" Zora asked.

"Do you have a place where Kage and I can get cleaned up and get my shoulder tended to?" Link 
asked, as he eyed his ruined tunic with an air of disgust.

"Oh! Certainly! Come this way, I have some healers here that will fix that shoulder right up, sure 
enough!" Zora said, as he led Link and Kage out of the fountain area, leaving it so the cleaning 
crew could get started. After they had been cleaned up and Link’s shoulder had been fully healed 
by the elder healer, they were ready to be on their way. The good-byes were painful for the two 
Kokiri and their royal friend. 

"Be careful on your way back to Hyrule Castle. Things are getting so much worse." Princess Ruto 
said, tearfully, as she hugged Kage and then Link. 

"I know. We’ll be as careful as we can, Princess. Take care of yourself." Link said. 

"I will. Come back and visit us someday." Ruto sniffled.

"Don’t worry. We’ll be back soon. Then you’ll have to think of a way to get rid of us, ne?" Kage 
said, with one of his usual grins. Ruto smiled tearfully back at him. 

"Yes. Good bye and good luck to you both." Ruto replied, as the two boys bowed and started 
walking away. The trek back to Hyrule Castle was much harder this time, as the landscape around 
them revealed the fact that the evil presence was close to, if not in, the vicinity. As Link and Kage 
neared the castle, the drawbridge lowered, striking the ground with an ear-splitting clang and a 
lone rider on horseback galloped across as the two boys watched. 

"Link! Kage!" Zelda cried as the rider rode past them, tossing something to them, but having it 
miss and land with a splash in the moat. The rider and the princess were shortly thereafter 
swallowed up by the darkness of the encroaching night. Then the sound of hoof-beats was heard 
again, as a second rider rode across the bridge. But this rider wasn’t a soldier of Hyrule; he had 
the same frightening presence of the darkness that threatened to send Hyrule into an endless 
night. The huge rider paused when he saw the two boys standing there and looked down at them. 
Kage shuddered as the man’s eyes scrutinized him; the eyes were like coals that had fallen out of 
a campfire. 

"Which way did they go?" the man asked, his voice deep and snarling. Link and Kage refused to 
answer.

"I asked you a question. Which way did they go?" the man asked again, quickly becoming angry. 
Still no reply. All he gets is the silence of two young boys. With a snarl, the man unleashed a 
powerful spell on them. Kage barely even had time to blink before terrible pain tore through him, 
taking his breath away. He could hear Link screaming in pain, but the sound itself sounded far 
away, as though miles and miles of empty land separated them. Before blacking out, Kage saw 
the face of the man and knew exactly who he was. He was Ganondorf, the King of the Gerudo.