The Legend of Zelda: The Ocarina of Time

Inside Lord Jabu Jabu

The passage led out of the cavern that was Zora's Domain, and into a lake surrounded by jutting grey promontories soaring above the grassy hills that defined the region. The water that wasn't flowing into Zora's Domain spilled over an edge protected by timber pylons, which Link figured out, was the waterfall they had gone behind earlier.

"Zora's Lake: nearly all of Hyrule's fresh water," said Navi, "comes from this lake."

"The Royal Family must be very interested in keeping the Zora people happy," Link speculated. The Zora had their own monarchy, which the Hyrulean monarchy must have peacefully allowed in exchange for a supply of clean water. It was their princess he was saving, but he was still on a mission for Princess Zelda.

The one they called Lord Jabu-Jabu was resting at a stone pedestal that acted as a dock. He was enormous, as if he were a great big whale residing in Zora's Lake. His silver scales shimmered in the light of the full moon. His head and snout were decorated with an ornamental headdress, made of knitted fabric, boasting deep colors of maroon, gold, olive, and... sapphire. This blue was featured in a pattern of three circular shapes arranged in a triangle, not unlike the Triforce, situated about a Y-shape that connected them together. Link could tell that this must have been what the Zora Sapphire looked like... a proud sigil extravagantly displayed on their guardian fish.

Lord Jabu-Jabu did seem to have an ill demeanor about him. There was stillness in his eyes, and a pale green color that really did surround his gills, which were producing a saddening noise of belated breathing. It was clear at that point what the dead fish he had was for. Link carefully placed it on the pedestal in front of the great fish. The poor creature hardly noticed... or was disinterested.

Disappointed, he picked the fish back up, wondering what to do. Throwing it up in the air and catching it, he headed to return to King Zora...that is until it got sucked back behind him. Link turned around to see the inside of the great fish's mouth, rapidly sucking in the air around him to feed on the offering.

Link hesitated, but knew what he had to do. He sprung towards the creature's mouth. The whirlwind of air swept him off his feet like a twister, pulling him in with the food offering into the mouth of Lord Jabu-Jabu.

When Link and the fish hit Jabu-Jabu's tongue, it curled up, contracting and relaxing to swallow the fish whole. The throat closed in around him, lathering him with saliva as he was pushed through the tight red esophagus. Link had never expected to do anything like this, and was disgusted... at the feel, at the smell, and though it was pitch dark, at the sight he imagined.

Shortly thereafter, Link was greeted with the surprise of actual sight. He was released into a chamber lit by bioluminescent airborne jellyfish floating around what was surely the stomach. Their pink stingers flapped lazily underneath their translucent dome-shaped heads that shone a brilliant cyan.

"Those are Biri," said Navi, "they will electrocute you on contact."

Despite this caution, Link was impressed by their beauty. The blue light they produced reflected off the walls... and what appeared to be strange pulsating columnar organs throughout the stomach, spanning from floor to ceiling.

Now that Link was in the belly of the great fish, he wondered where the Zora princess ended up. He figured she would stay in this area; it was lit, there was plenty of air, and though it was sickening to think about, there was even food from the fish Jabu-Jabu swallowed whole. Sloshing through the stomach fluid, cautious of the Biri, he looked around the corners of the columnar organs for a Zora.