The Flow of TIme

Chapter 13- The Clear Water’s Surface

Link always enjoyed the trip upriver. The water was soothing, something of which his mind was in desperate need. The dream was getting progressively worse. Now, when the Twilight Princess was shattered, Link would turn and see, not the beautiful Zelda, but Ganon’s twisted puppet version of Zelda, readying a strike at Link’s heart.

Unfortunately, the fastest route to Zora’s Domain forced him to cut off a large portion of that trip, but he knew he’d at least be able to use it on the way to Lake Hylia. He headed north past Eldin Bridge, noticing that the path had yet to be cleared of the bulblin archers that harassed travelers, and used the northern path through the mountains to reach Zora’s Domain.

Link entered the throne room of King Ralis with a bemused smile. It was still strange to call the young prince a King, but the Zora people had held his coronation shortly after Ganondorf’s defeat. And from what he had heard, the young Zora had done a good job so far.

Link was dressed in the Zora Armor, and he walked up to the throne with an easy confidence. He knelt before the Zora King and said, “It is an honor, Your Majesty.”

Ralis, for his part, was uncomfortable with Link’s gesture. The Zora motioned for him to stand. “It is we who are honored, Link.”

Link grinned. “Having fun being King?”

Ralis nearly flinched. “I’m not sure if fun is the appropriate word.”

Link tilted his head. “Yes, I suppose not.”

“So, Link, how is Ilia and the others?”

Link thought about Ordon Village. “They’re doing fine. Colin and Talo have been getting some crazy ideas in their head, but everyone is happy.” Link frowned slightly. “I would have brought greetings, but I sort of forgot to tell them I’d be coming here eventually.”

Ralis laughed, just a little. “I am sure they would have sent a message. And you may send salutations for me.” He looked at Link. “You said you were planning on coming here? I assume there was a specific reason.”

Link nodded. “I was wondering if you knew anything about a Sages’ Temple that is supposed to be at the bottom of Lake Hylia.”

Ralis looked at the hero. “My mother told me stories about the Temple, but I’m afraid the entrance was sealed.”

“Sealed?”

“Nothing elaborate. The entrance was simply covered and hidden. I’m sure some among the guard still remember the location, if it is truly your aim to enter the Temple.”

Link frowned. “Why was it sealed?”

“We were told that it concealed an important artifact and we were asked to hide the entrance.” Ralis smiled. “However, I am certain that a hero should be permitted to enter.”

“I thank you, King.”

The young ruler squirmed a bit and then he gave orders to a few of his soldiers. He turned back to Link. “Your guides shall meet you at Lake Hylia. Will that be acceptable?”

Link nodded. “Again, you have my thanks King Ralis.”

“It is the least I could do, Link.”

Link said goodbye and walked out of the throne room. He walked out to the tiny outcropping that jutted over the pool to the left of the waterfall. He took a long breath and then leapt out into the open space.


Link twirled so until his body was in a perfect dive position, and he slipped into the water with the barest of disruptions. He sunk deep into the pool and let his body relax as the water enveloped him. He hung there for a long moment, letting the water move around him.

Finally, he knew he had to move on, so he broke the surface and began to swim. The current carried him along until he reached the canoe rental place. He walked up to the business and his eye caught the door of the fishing hole. Link decided he wanted to take a break.

He strolled over to the watering hole and went inside. He entered the little shop and found Hena playing that crazy ball-rolling game. He closed the door behind him quietly, not wanting to disturb her. He pulled off the Zora helmet and stepped over to the counter.

“Having fun?” he asked softly.

Hena jumped and looked around. “Oh, it’s the Master Fisherman. You scared me half to death.”

“Sorry.”

“Aw, no biggie. Come to try and catch yourself another loach?”

Link smiled. “Not sure, but I need to take a break.”

Hena looked him up and down. “You look like you’re ready for a battle.”

“Something like that. You mind if I set my stuff over here?”

Hena gave him the go-ahead, and he put his weapons and gear off to the side. He pulled off the flippers and put on his brown boots. Link pointed at the blue boots. “The Zoras might make some nice armor, but they really don’t think about how you’re supposed to walk with these things on.”

Hena laughed. “By the way, I thought the hero got to have a vacation after the battle, but here you are, all suited up.”

Link sighed. “That’s what I was told, too.”

Hena put a hand to her mouth. “Oh, I’m sorry. You came to forget about all that stuff.” She smiled. “Well, you know the drill. Twenty rupees for a canoe rental.”

“Actually, I was hoping for some company.”

Hena looked at him. “You know there’s not much else I can teach you, right?”

“Er, I know, but I’m not really in the mood to be by myself. And you are running a business so I might as well make it worth your while.”

Hena grinned. “You know I don’t really get much business, right? The Zora don’t need me to catch fish and the Hylians don’t visit all that often.” She held up a hand. “Of course, things are much better now that Ganondorf is gone.”

“Which is why I’ll give you an orange rupee if you spend some time fishing with me.”

“Well, that sounds like a fair deal, although it doesn’t make me sound like a very good friend.”

“Just think of it as me being a good friend.”

“Okay, you win.”

Link helped her pull the canoe out into the lake and he pulled out his fishing rod and bait. He set them in the canoe and helped Hena into the boat. She smiled at him and blushed slightly.

He looked up at the clouds rolling in. “I think it’s going to rain soon.”

“Good weather for fishing, huh?”

The pair rowed out around the stone bridge and Link stopped near the waterfall. He pulled out his fishing rod and put a swimmer lure on. He cast his line and watched Hena do the same in the opposite direction.

They spent the rest of the day laughing and chatting. The rain started to fall, and Link pulled his green cap down a bit. He was glad he had grabbed it out of his effects before he went outside. After some time, he reeled in a Hyrule bass after a while, 25 inches. Hena congratulated him, and later she landed a 26 inch Hylian pike. They kept fishing, not really concerned about whether they caught anything or not.

Link looked back at Hena. “So, have you gotten a chance to take that boat of yours out?”

Hena looked at him, not understanding at first. Then she remembered her unguarded comment about using her boat with a boyfriend. When she realized what he meant, her face flushed slightly. “N, no, I haven’t.”

“Er, sorry, I guess that’s a private question.”

“No problem.” She frowned, but then her face brightened. “But there’s this group of guys that have been coming from Kakariko every week and one of them is this really nice guy that always talks to me a bunch while they fish.”

Link smiled. “It’s tough, isn’t it?” He felt the need to clarify. “The whole ‘relationships’ thing, I mean.”

Hena gave him a funny look, but she answered, “You’re telling me. I wish it didn’t get us so mixed up.”

“Me, too.” Link sighed. Wasn’t this little side-trip supposed to get his mind off the issues troubling him?

Hena looked at him. “Ooh, does the hero have somebody he’s crushing on?”

Link knew his face had to be turning an uncomfortable shade of red, even in the rain, and he mumbled, “Erm, sort of, I guess.”

“Oh, ya gotta spill the beans. This is just too delicious not to hear.”

Link looked at her. “Er, it’s sorta hard to explain.”

“Oh, c’mon. You are The Hero, you shouldn’t have any problem with this sort of thing.”

“Well, that’s kinda what makes it so difficult.”

Hena looked at him, and then she laughed. “Oh, I get it. There’s more than one girl with her hook in your jaw.”

Link wasn’t sure he wanted to be compared to a fish in a pond, but Hena did have a point. “That sounds about right.”

Hena gave a little smile. Under her breath, she murmured, “Not that I can blame them. He’s the Hylian loach of eligible bachelors.”

Link decided to ignore the fact that he could still hear her.

To him Hena said, “Well, I guess I don’t envy you. I wouldn’t want to have more than one guy knocking down my door.” She giggled. “Wait, yes I would.”

Link groaned. “Apparently I’m the only one that doesn’t want all the ‘blessings’ coming my way.”

Hena smiled at him. “Don’t worry. I’m sure you’ll figure it out. If you can fight off the bad guys from our bedtime stories, I think you can work this out.”

“I’m glad you think so. Unfortunately, I can’t use the same method on girls that I used on the bad guys.”

Hena giggled. “You mean you don’t carry all those weapons around to fend off adoring fans?”

Link laughed. “And here I thought nobody knew what I went through.”

Hena tipped her hat. “Hena, fishing guru and relationship expert, at your service.” As Link laughed, she added, “Although, something tells me that I should stick with the first part of that title.”

Link continued to chuckle. “And I think I should stay with the heroic part of my job.”

Hena waved an upturned hand. “We managed to do those aspects of our lives pretty well, doncha think? Why not the other ones, too?”

“Ambitious.”

“Honest.”

She was right. As Link turned back to his fishing, he grinned. Taking a break had helped. His dream, and his musings, could wait a bit longer, he thought.



Link stood on the shores of Lake Hylia, reminiscing about his last visit here. The Lakebed Temple had been annoying. He looked back up at the mouth of the river. The canoe ride down to the lake had been very entertaining, even if he had to put up with Iza teasing him about spending time with Hena.

He dove into the water, seeing that his guides were waiting for him below the surface. He swam up to them, and they motioned for him to follow. They swam down into the center of the lake, toward the Lakebed Temple.

Please tell me the entrance isn’t inside the Lakebed Temple, Link thought with a groan. Fortunately, the Zoras stopped next to a bubbling vent near the temple’s entrance. One of his guides pointed at bottom of the vent and said, “Can you place bombs on the vent?”

Link looked down at the vent. The bubbles would lift any bombs into the air. However, he looked at the area around the vent. It was right next to the wall of the hole that housed the temple. He could lodge bombs in between the wall and the vent.

Link got to work as his guides watched. He lit the fuses and swam away. The bombs went off, sending shockwaves through the water. Link swam back over and found a small tunnel with another vent at the bottom.

The hero put on his Iron Boots and he sank into the tunnel. The Zora had a better control of their swimming abilities and they followed him without much effort. Link clomped down the new pathway and found a rusted iron gate with a strange crystal above it.

His guides swam up to him and one of them said, “Use a projectile weapon to activate the crystal and the Sage’s Temple will be open to you.” Link pulled out a clawshot and did as he was told.

As the iron gate moved out of sight, the Zoras said goodbye to the hero and swam away. Link was left to his own devices. He walked into the temple and swam up into the first room.

Link climbed up and saw a flash of white. He saw himself running through a confusing maze of rising and falling water, Zelda’s Lullaby resonating in his mind. He saw a Zora woman, and a flash of irritation rose unbidden in his mind.

He saw himself go into a room on the left, climb an insane set of platforms that moved in and out of a waterfall. The next room had a red crystal in the center, and he used the switch to move statues, allowing him to traverse the room’s platforms. He continued along the path and it ended in a large room that contained a shallow lake.

The water was clear and reflected light like a mirror. It looked as smooth as glass. In the center of the room, a single barren tree grew out of a tiny island. Off to one side, a broken pillar sat forlorn in the midst of the serene waters. On the other side, a single rock broke an otherwise endless white horizon.

Another white flash and the memories faded. Link felt a calm wash over him. He knew that was where he needed to go. It was strange, though; the room didn’t have the feeling of a monster’s lair.

Link followed the path he had seen, his clawshot serving as more than a suitable substitute for the weapon the Hero used in his mind. It reminded him of his clawshot, but it didn’t seem quite as versatile. He reached the lake room quickly, and it looked just as he had seen.

He walked into the room, and bars came down behind him, blocking the exit. He saw similar metal poles covering the opposite door. Well, someone didn’t want him leaving right away.

He walked to the center of the room, noting the crystalline quality of the water around him. It was like he was walking across a giant mirror. When nothing happened, he crossed the tiny island in the center and walked over to the far door. Maybe there was a mechanism hidden in the archway.

“Boy, does this place bring back memories.”

Link whirled to find the Hero of Time leaning against the tree in the center of the white room.

The Hero laughed at him. “Don’t you hate it when your shadow sneaks up on you?”

“I’ve never had a stalker that could travel through time before.”

The Hero shot him a wounded expression. “You think I’m following you because I have nothing better to do? I’m hurt.”

Link spread his hands before him. “Then why are you here?”

The Hero of Time ignored him. “So, where did my memories leave you? Did you see what happened to me in this room?”

Link stared at him. “You’re… memories?”
His predecessor nodded. “You haven’t guessed? The Triforce of Courage is reacting to my presence.” He gave an apologetic gesture. “The reason is simply that I shouldn’t be here.”

“Why have you been helping me? Not that I don’t appreciate it, but…” Link trailed off. It seemed silly, accusing the Hero of Time of treachery or ulterior motives.

The Hero laughed. “I’m helping you because the Goddess of Time wants to show you something.”

Link gave him a confused look.

“Don’t ask me. She hasn’t told me either. All I know is that I’m here because she told me to be here.” He shrugged. “Not that I’m complaining, mind you. You’re the first person in a while I’ve actually gotten to interact with on a long-term basis.” He grinned. “Sides, I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.”

Link glared at him. “You look like you’re not a day over seventeen. I’m older than you.”

The Hero of Time wagged a finger at him. “Tsk, tsk.” He pointed at himself. “Avatar of the Goddess of Time, remember? I remain outside the timeline, therefore I do not age.”

Link frowned. “Okay then, why are you here now? Come to teach me another song?”

The grin on his face told Link he was in trouble. It reminded him a bit too much of the Twilight Princess. The Hero of Time unsheathed his weapon and shield.

“Actually, I’m here because I’m the caretaker of the Zora Sapphire.” He frowned into his reflection in the water. “I bet Ruto would get a kick out of that.”

“Wait, what?”

“You heard me.” He pointed at Link’s getup. “Please, throw on your other boots and hat. I don’t want you saying the fight was unfair because your clothes got in the way.” His grin widened. “When I beat you, I want you to know it was a fair fight.”

Link scowled at him and muttered, “Pretty free with the commands,” but he did as he was told. It made sense, annoying as it was. He left the majority of the Zora Armor on, though.

He pulled out his sword and shield and stepped toward the Hero of Time. “Ready?” Link asked as he twirled his sword.

The Hero of Time gave him a bemused look. “I was born ready.”

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