Ruto's Passion

'"The thing about happiness is that you only know you had it when it's gone."
"Ah, Ruto! How was Hyrule Castle? How is Queen Zelda?" My father welcomes me to the Water Temple.
"Father, what is going on here?" I notice the renovations. I had not been to the temple in a long while.
"Oh, you did not know? This is wonderful, Ruto. Progress is going swimmingly." My father laughs. "Here, I will show you."
My father guides me into the entrance to the temple. The central tower has been excavated. It looks crude. Flimsy metal bridges connect to caves cut into the walls.
"Forgive the mess, Ruto," my father says. "We are not yet finished. The bulk of the work is done. The most important features are in place."
We reach the bottom-most level of the temple. As we enter a room, a River Zora emerges from a pool.
"Father!" I shout, ready to protect him, but he simply laughs and stops me.
"Ruto!" He laughs, "Silly girl. This is one of the new guards! Wonderful, isn't it? Zoras and Zoras living in harmony. River and Ocean. I never did know, though: are they Zoras or Zolas? Isn't that strange that we are both called Zoras? Hundreds of thousands of available words and two get muddled and blended. Such a shame..."
I am horrified. The River Zora looks miserable. Unwell. Too sick to be angry. Something terribly wrong has happened.
"Father, he is ill," I say, too afraid to approach the River Zora.
"Hm? Oh, he's fine. Just getting used to the water. Come, Ruto, there is more to see! Back in, you!" He snaps at the River Zora, who winces and reluctantly returns to its pool.
"Father, I do not like this."
"Shh, Ruto. Behold!" He has taken me to another room. It is frigid. Mist flows through it. Ice hangs from the ceiling. The room has two pumps. One is active, the other is not. My father approaches the inactive pump. 
"Watch."
He turns the valve. The pump hisses. The mist grows thicker, the room colder.
"Father," I say, "What have you done?"
"Ruto, it's wonderful. This pump reroutes the magical liquid we use to power the forge, to give pressure. We made it colder! We put it under more pressure! It is the answer to our prayers. Nayru blesses us. We will survive this war. We will live through this!"
"Father..."
"Come, Ruto! I will show you." He pulls me to another cavern. Giant gears. An endless pit. Cells.
"This is our salvation, Ruto! We will save ourselves."
"Father, no..." I say, "This is terrible!"
"Ruto, this is what your mother needed. This would have saved her. Preserved her. And this is how I will always remember you; surrounded by winter, forever young, forever beautiful." He caresses my face. 
I tremble. Not from cold, but from fear. 
"I will...I will leave you to your work, father." I murmur.
"Ah, yes! Much work to be done!" He hurries away.
This needs to stop. 
How can we be so blind? What are we doing?
This needs to stop, but it cannot stop.
What have we become? I had always wished for this day: that the Ocean Zoras and River Zoras would make amends, that our monstrous relatives would see the light and join us in harmony.
But we are not harmonious. We tricked them, we enslaved them. What are they now? Where is their pride? Where is their dignity? We didn't need to enslave them to guard this horrible experiment. What do we seek from this? Why did we waste our time on trying to survive the apocalypse? How can we know that centuries from now, when civilization prospers, that our desecrated temple will have survived, let alone this profane construct we have made?
I cannot stay here any longer. My father will not listen to reason. We no longer have time for denial. I will meet with Queen Zelda.  As Sage of Water, I must represent my people. Perhaps Mipha and Ralis and Sidon will wish to join me. Something must be done.
Nayru help us.
==Location==
 can be found in the Water Temple.
From the bottom where the second elevator is resting, move along the spiral pathway upward and make a right, where a small alcove is at. The book is resting on the floor.
== Notes ==
King Zora references the death of his wife, Queen Rutela, who is also referenced in The Last Great War of Hyrule.
The book provides context for the presence of River Zoras in the Water Temple.
King Zora references the "Magic Liquid" that chills the Water Temple and powers the Zora Forge. Its nature is unknown.
Ralis, Mipha, and Sidon are referenced as is Ruto's sagehood. The presence of Ralis, Mipha, and Sidon is odd, as in Zelda canon, they exist in different times than Ruto.
==Background and Inspiration==
The opening quote is from Fallout 4, spoken by Conrad Kellogg. 
Generally speaking, the concept of sealing the Zoras is similar to the concept of vaults from Fallout.
"This is how I will always remember you; surrounded by winter, forever young, forever beautiful." Is a quote from Mr. Freeze in the episode "Heart of Ice" from Batman: The Animated Series.
==See Also==
Water Temple
Zora Forge
Ocean Soul
Acid Lakes
The Last Great War of Hyrule
Category: Books
Category:Lore