A/N: Hi everyone! Long time, no see! :D Mild word of warning, this sequel's gonna be pretty OC-heavy, and it's a bit darker than FFS, IBIY, plot-wise, but I promise it mainly has to do with Sidon and Link (because I'm definitely still obsessed with them lol)
To everyone who asked for a sequel to FFS, IBIY, thank you! I was actually planning this story out while I was writing the first one, it's just taken a while for me to have time to write it. Thanks for your patience! :D
Hope you enjoy!
'He's gone. They're gone. Sidon's—' Links thoughts cut short as he choked on the water. His lungs ached. Panicked hands clawed through the river. Legs thrashing, he propelled himself upward. Harder. Faster than he'd ever swam in his life. The submerged palace was deep below him now, and the surface so close – so tantalizingly close.
Within seconds, Link found himself gasping in real, open air, breaking the surface of the water and collapsing onto nearby stone. The stone was built as a path, leading over to a ladder that would let the hylian access the topside of Zora's Domain. Link panted on the shore, his lungs on fire.
'I did it,' he thought. He'd never made it from the submerged palace to the surface without Sidon before. But, the self-congratulations flitted away as quick as they'd come. He still felt half-asleep, torn from slumber by visions of Ganon. Of death, decay, and isolation.
Waking in Sidon's quarters was usually such a pleasant experience.
But Sidon was gone. The room was empty when Link woke. No Sidon. No guards patrolling the halls. Link heaved himself fully onto the stone pathway, still trying to get his breathing under control. He'd left his zora gear in Sidon's chambers, in his haste to find the prince. Or a guard. A citizen. Someone.
Anyone.
'Where is he?' the hylian questioned, looking around himself in a daze. His ears were ringing, hearing nothing beyond the roar of the river. No zora populated the area.
"Only a nightmare," Sidon would often tell him. Just a dream. It wasn't real. Ganon was sealed away. They were finally at peace.
So where the hell were the zora?
Link ran to the ladder and scrambled up the rungs. The rational side of him knew there had to be someone at the top. They couldn't have all been killed while he was asleep. He would have woken up. Sidon would have woken him up.
The rest of his mind taunted him with visions of Malice. Acid seeping through Domain. Everyone consumed in Ganon's wake.
Link grunted as he pulled himself up to the plaza, eyes wide.
"Oh, good morning, Link."
The hylian spun on his heel, spotting Dunma and her father stationed at the entrance of the Domain. 'People,' Link registered. 'Dunma. Dunma's here. The guards are still here.'
Dunma waved to him. "Are you looking for Prince Sidon? He was up and about earlier." She smirked at the hylian. "Didn't think you could get up this early."
At that, Link felt like he could finally breathe again. 'It's…early. It's early?' He looked up, and sure enough, the sun was still quite low in the sky. That was why no one was around. People weren't even awake, yet. He nodded to Dunma and turned, facing the plaza itself. Very few zora were milling about, but they were there. Alive. Safe and sound.
'Just a dream,' Link told himself. 'Just a stupid dream. Sidon's fine.' Dunma had seen him. The prince of the zora must have risen earlier, opting to let Link sleep in.
Leaving Link alone.
All at once, Link's panic melted into irritation. 'He knows I can't get out of the palace without him,' he mused with a grimace. 'He just…left?' Even after spending a better portion of his time at the Domain, Link wasn't a strong swimmer. Definitely not as strong as a zora. He could barely navigate the river below, let alone the rest of the palace. Sidon knew that.
And yet, the prince had left him to fend for himself.
The Hero of Hyrule stomped through Zora's Domain, his bare, wet feet slapping against the intricate scale-patterned walkways. Water dripped off his body. The wind held a chill, blowing hard against his bare chest. Link's underwear, his only clothing beyond opal earrings, clung uncomfortably to his legs as he walked. The champion flicked his wet bangs out of his eyes with an irritated huff.
'Where is he?'
A peaceful lull had settled over the Domain. Birds sang in the distance. Citizens chatted cheerfully as they meandered about, opening their shops and starting their work for the day. A few of these early-risers waved to the champion, all smiling as they went about their tasks. Link made his way up the stairs, toward the throne room. The sun, still just peeking over the mountaintops, reflected off wet stone. Link flinched, his tired eyes nearly blinded by the light.
'Where the hell is he?' the hylian groused. He reached the top of the stairs, looking toward the edge of the overhang. The space was empty. The whole top area was devoid of zora, save for the guards stationed outside the throne room. Link looked over the side of the railing, checking the river below. No one there, either.
He glared at the water.
Beneath the rushing Zora River, was the rest of the palace. A section remained above the Domain – the throne room, for King Dorephan to receive visitors of all races. The rest of the palace was completely submerged, meant to be accessible only to the zora themselves, and an exception.
That exception, of course, was Link.
The champion continued to fume silently at the water below. 'Damn this stupid river,' Link thought, rubbing his arms. The cold air against his soaked skin wasn't helping his mood in the slightest. 'Stupid damn river, stupid dreams, stupid Sidon—'
"Master Link!"
Link turned away from the railing, locking eyes with the closest guard.
The black-scaled guard, Tottika, regarded the hylian with surprise. "Good morning!"
Water dripped off the hylian's bangs, onto his nose. Link scowled.
"Or…Perhaps, not so good?" Tottika questioned, turning sheepish under the scornful gaze. "Are you looking for the prince?"
Link gave the guard a curt nod.
"He's in a meeting with the king," Tottika provided. "He should be out—"
"Link?"
The hylian snapped to attention, spotting Sidon exiting the throne room. The zora prince loomed over his guards, his red and white scales gleaming as bright as the grin on his face. His regalia sparkled in the sun, all silver and luminous stone, save for the topaz bracer on his right arm. Sidon bounded over to Link, scooping the small champion into his arms immediately. Link grunted as he was squeezed tightly to his lover's chest, cheek pressed against the silver along Sidon's collarbones.
"You got here on your own!" Sidon chirped, his eyes alight with pride. "Your swimming's improved immensely!"
Link was stiff in the prince's arms. The grimace he'd directed at Zora River returned, with Sidon as its newest target.
The prince's smile faltered at the angry expression. "What's…?" When Link's ire continued unabated, Sidon shot an awkward glance at his guards. They watched him and his tiny lover curiously. The prince cleared his throat.
Probably better to speak privately, with Link this angry.
Sidon flashed his trademark grin to the hylian. "Why don't we go for a walk?" He placed the hero back on the ground, and then offered his hand to Link.
Link snatched Sidon's hand and pulled, tugging the prince along with him to a more private section of the Domain. The prince trotted after him, a baffled expression on his face.
They didn't have to go far, with the Domain so empty. Link stopped on a small platform overlooking the northernmost waterfall. It didn't block the guards' view of them, but they were at least out of earshot.
"Link, my dearest," Sidon began, giving the hylian's hand a gentle squeeze. "Are you alright?"
"Where were you?" Link demanded, gesturing at the water below. "I woke up and you were gone!"
Sidon startled. "I…I'm sorry? Laflat came by this morning, with a letter from Gerald," he explained. "My father wanted my input, and you were sleeping so peacefully…" The zora reached for Link, brushing his thumb gently over the hylian's pointed ear. "I didn't wish to disturb you. I'd planned to come back as soon as I was done."
'…Okay, that's a good reason,' Link admitted to himself. Sidon had plenty of duties, as the crown prince. Plenty of reasons that would take him away at all hours. Not to mention the letter, from Gerald – King Gerald Reginald Doomsnarl, the Prime. Sidon had established a tenuous peace with the lizalfos king. Any correspondence between the kingdom and the Domain was of great importance.
Still, he'd left Link to fend for himself. Underwater.
"You know I can't get here from your room," Link muttered, an edge of annoyance still in his voice. His eyes flicked away from Sidon, glaring hard at the waterfall in the distance.
"But you did," Sidon countered, confused. "You made the trip today!" When Link only scoffed, the prince grew concerned. "Did something happen? Is that why you swam to the surface by yourself?"
Link felt his cheeks growing warmer. If he thought about it…nothing happened.
Nothing real, anyway.
Just a dream, terrorizing and ripping him from slumber, leaving him isolated and afraid in an empty room. Panic fueled his trip to the surface, not anger at Sidon. Now, talking to the prince, he realized just how ridiculous his reaction had been. Sidon couldn't have possibly known Link would need him when he woke up. It was perfectly reasonable to go speak with the king and come back later. Thoughtful even, trying to let Link sleep a little longer.
And here Link was, berating Sidon for nothing.
Link mumbled bitterly.
The prince knelt next to Link with a sigh. He cupped his lover's cheek with his hand, moving Link's head to face him properly. "Love, please. What's wrong?"
"…Nightmare," Link admitted, his blue eyes still avoiding Sidon's gold.
"A nightmare?" Sidon repeated with a frown. "Again?"
Link shuffled on his feet, his cheeks burning. A nightmare. Again. As usual. Situation: normal. He had even less reason to get so worked up about it, when it was such a regular occurrence.
"Do you want to discuss it?" Sidon asked, his claws running gently through the hair at the base of Link's neck. Soothing. Comforting.
The hylian's eyes finally met the zora's. "…It's dumb," he muttered.
At that, it was the prince's turn to scoff. "If it scared you enough to brave the river alone, then I doubt it's dumb, Link."
Link crossed his arms over himself, small goosebumps pebbling over his skin. He regretted not grabbing his gear before he'd jumped into the water. He'd panicked. Ran out of the room before he'd even had time to think.
Same way he did most things, really.
"…It was Ganon again," Link finally breathed. "I was stuck in a loop. I could beat him, but…" He shivered, though he wasn't sure if it was from the cold, or the memory. "I thought I was done. Thought I'd saved Zelda. Then it'd just…restart." The hylian bit the inside of lower lip, recalling the Calamity's Malice. Swirling. Dark. Choking. Ganon's attacks, pure hatred solidified through magic, burning like acid on his skin. Fiery lasers like the guardian stalkers that once chased him through Hyrule Field.
With no one to help him.
"I couldn't find anyone else," Link stated, his voice barely above a whisper. "The champions weren't helping me. Couldn't hear Zelda." He shivered again, directing wet eyes to Sidon. "…I couldn't find you."
Realization dawned on the prince. "…And then, I wasn't there when you woke."
Link nodded, his head drooping.
Sidon pulled the hylian into his arms, holding Link close. "I'm so sorry, my darling," he murmured, running his hand over the hero's back. "I hadn't meant to leave you alone for long, I—"
Link shook his head against Sidon's shoulder. "It's—You're fine, I just—" He rubbed at his eyes, annoyed at the tears that spilled across his knuckles. "…I feel like an idiot."
"Whatever for?" Sidon asked.
"It was just a stupid dream," Link clarified. "Shouldn't be getting mad at you over a dream."
Sidon hummed thoughtfully, running his fingers through Link's long, damp hair. "Still, that's an awful way to wake up. I'm sorry I wasn't back yet."
"I know you get busy," the hylian muttered. Since the prince had formed the alliance with the lizalfos, he was almost always busy. More and more lizalfos were swearing their loyalty to King Gerald, which meant more treaties to be drawn up. More orders to send. More political knots and clashes with the elder zora. Link couldn't expect Sidon to be available all the time. Sidon's hands still held him loosely, resting on the hero's shoulders. Link met the prince's gaze with a tired frown.
Sidon looked back at him, his golden eyes full of warmth, and worry.
Link rubbed at his own eyes again. They ached. He was so ready to go back to sleep, though the chances that he'd even fall asleep again were slim.
Sidon ran his thumb across Link's cheek. "You must be tired."
Link grunted in affirmation.
"You're cold, too," Sidon observed, clawed fingers trailing over the hylian's arms.
Link grunted again, huddling closer to the prince. Sidon's huge form blocked most of the wind. The air itself was still chilly, but like this, in Sidon's embrace, it wasn't nearly so bad.
"Do you need help getting back to my chambers?" Sidon questioned, resting his chin on the hero's head. "You managed to get to the surface on your own, so…"
"Not sure how I did it," Link said, pouting against the prince's chest. "…Might've been the adrenaline." Now that said adrenaline was wearing off, his body was beginning to catch on to his exhaustion. Everything ached. Just thinking about trying to dive to the palace again brought pangs of protest from his limbs.
"I'll take you back, then." Sidon directed Link to the side of the platform, to the railing.
The hylian shivered at the loss of his wind-breaker. He quickly hopped on top of the railing, preparing himself to jump to the river below. The water was cold too, but at least there would be no wind to rip through him. Link glanced to Sidon, who now wore a curious smirk on his face.
"…Are we competing, or simply diving?" the prince asked, an amused lilt in his voice.
'He's trying to cheer me up,' Link realized. The questioned sparked a sense of normalcy back into the hero's tired mind. His lips twitched into a sly smile. "…What do you think?"
Sidon's smirk widened to a grin. He turned, facing the throne room. "Tottika!" he called, waving his arm to grab the guard's attention. "We need you to be a judge!"
Tottika, to his credit, attempted to suppress his laugh. After a quick check of the surrounding area, he walked over to the edge of the overhang, to observe the pair. He smiled, hands on his hips. "Ready, your highness."
"Flashy or elegant?" Link asked.
"Elegant today, I think," Sidon answered. "Tottika, rate the best dive – a score of elegance out of ten, if you would." At his guard's nod, the prince leapt from the platform. Sidon managed a quick flip before straightening out, and his form speared the water with a small splash. When the prince resurfaced, he grinned upward expectantly.
Tottika brought his hand to his lip, thinking. "A six, sire!" he shouted.
Link barked a laugh.
"Six?" Sidon repeated, insulted. "Only a six?"
"Too much of a splash when you entered the water," Tottika explained. "I'm going by Gruve's standards."
Sidon pouted up at the Link, who stretched confidently on the railing. "You think you can do better, then?"
"Of course," Link taunted. "Only amateurs splash." He only waited long enough to hear Sidon's offended squawk. Then, he lightly sprang from the railing, smoothly bringing his arms out in front of his head.
The hero hit the water, barely making a ripple.
"A ten! That was perfect!" Tottika yelled once Link had resurfaced.
"Yes, thank you Tottika," Sidon grumbled. "You're dismissed."
"Happy to be of help, sire!" Tottika responded, disappearing from the edge.
Link treaded water with a grin. He swam closer to the pouting prince, and then wrapped his arms loosely over Sidon's broad shoulders. The prince instinctively moved to hold the hylian closer, smiling in spite of himself. Link canted his head to the side, smirking.
"Not a sore loser, are you?"
"One of these days, I'm going to out-dive you," Sidon promised, pinching the champion's cheek. "It will be the most elegant dive seen in the Domain in a thousand—no, ten thousand years!"
"You always win with flashy dives," Link countered with a laugh, batting the zora's hand away. "I deserve to win sometimes."
"You only say that because you want a prize," the prince argued, amused.
"I do," Link crooned, placing his hands along Sidon's jaw. He pulled himself closer, his lips ghosting over Sidon's. "I want a victory kiss."
Sidon chuckled, wrapping his arm around the hylian's waist. He pressed his lips to Link's, soft and affectionate. His free hand buried itself in the hero's hair, holding Link's head steady. Warmth bloomed in the hero's chest, the cold of the river distant, and forgotten.
Link hummed appreciatively, drawing back with a lazy smile. "Good."
"And a rather nice consolation prize, for the sore loser," Sidon added, nuzzling his cheek against the champion's. He shifted, twisting in the water so that his back was facing the other. "Come now, let's go get you dressed."
Link nodded, shifting to wrap his arms completely around Sidon's neck. Once in position, he drew a large breath, and held it.
Sidon dove beneath the river. With a speed Link could never hope to match, the zora propelled them into the deep. The water was clear, and the palace plainly visible – lit with constantly glowing luminous stones. Sidon bypassed the sprawling cavern entrances in the cliffside, beelining for the building below. Patterns of fish and shells, trailing around the submerged palace in intricate, spiraling designs, slipped by the pair as Sidon swam.
Within seconds, they were at the entrance. The frame of the doors resembled the mouth of a gigantic whale, wearing crown fitted with sapphires. The silver doors bore triangle patterns, and Link had the distinct impression that the edges were meant to be the whale's teeth. Even in his long journey all around Hyrule, he'd never seen a creature like it before.
As the pair approached, the two guards stationed on either side of the entrance greeted them.
"Link! Nice swimming!" The guard on the left cheered. "You zoomed right past us – I don't think I've ever seen you swim so fast."
The hylian felt heat rushing to his cheeks again.
Sidon nodded to the guards with a smile. Then, he slipped through the entrance to the palace, bringing Link up to the first air pocket. He let the hylian slip from his shoulders, landing on the blue and silver flooring.
"I'm gonna feel stupid all day," Link grumbled. "Could've asked a guard to bring me up."
Sidon pat the hylian's head in sympathy. "It's not so bad. I've watched you perform far more ridiculous stunts." With another pat, he added, "For reasons far more stupid."
"Thanks," Link shot back, sarcasm dripping off his tongue.
Sidon laughed, and began walking toward his chambers.
By the time they reached Sidon's chambers, Link was half-asleep again.
Once inside, Sidon knelt down, pressing a quick kiss to the hylian's head. "I'll bring you back to the surface, once you're ready." When the hylian blinked blearily at him in response, the zora gave Link a small push toward his things. "Go on," he chuckled. "We can get some food in you, too."
Link grumbled, half-tempted to collapse into the water bed next to Sidon's sleeping pool, but set about locating his zora gear. Sidon's room was immaculately tidy. Or, it was, until Link had all but moved in after defeating Ganon. An elegant dresser stood to the side of the water bed, which would have been useful if Link hadn't been in the habit of piling his clothes on the floor. Or on the bed. Or on top of the dresser. Or on Sidon's chair.
The hero dropped to his knees in front of the largest pile of clothes, digging through to find the right set.
Behind him, Sidon strode over to his desk. The prince looked over his bookshelf, a small frown on his lips. He trailed a finger along several of the spines, before stopping at an old, dusty tome.
Link tugged his head through the top of his zora gear, only to see that Sidon was completely engrossed. The hylian tilted his head, trying to see the title of the book. Lizal script. The hero pursed his lips, annoyed. He couldn't read it. Link went back to adjusting his gear, securing his armor before looking around for his pants. Once located, he shoved his legs into them. He glanced back up at Sidon.
…who was still reading.
"What's that?" the hero asked.
"Hm?" Sidon's gaze flicked from his book to the hylian. "Oh, this. It's a history of the zora." He flipped through a few of the pages. "I wanted to check it to see if…" he trailed off, flipping through a few more pages before narrowing his eyes. "…Damn, it doesn't seem to…"
"…Sidon."
The prince startled, shutting the book with a snap. He turned toward the hero, looking sheepish. "Ah, my apologies, Link, I'm a bit distracted." He waved a hand to the book. "Gerald's letter was somewhat…" Sidon's eyes narrowed again, pausing to direct a searching glance at his bookshelf. "…concerning."
Link walked over to the desk. "What's Gerald want?"
"His campaign to unite the lizalfos has hit a snag," Sidon explained. "Specifically, his troops were attacked off the coast of Akkala." At that, the prince grimaced. "…By zora, allegedly."
"That can't be right," Link stated, his brow furrowing in confusion. "All the zora know about the treaty."
"That's what we thought too," Sidon muttered. "Gerald mentioned that the sightings were confirmed by both General Tristram, and General Isolda." At the mention of Isolda, he scoffed. "Well, Isolda described their adversaries as looking 'freaky as hell,' but that's hardly much to go on."
Link snorted. "Sounds like her."
Sidon nodded to the other. "Unfortunately, with so little knowledge, we can't confirm who the lizalfos are fighting. Neither my father nor the elders are familiar with any zora moving to Akkala. Our people stay largely in, or around the Domain."
"Kapson's in Akkala," Link noted, recalling the old priest he'd befriended. "In Tarrey Town."
"Yes, but I hardly think Kapson is taking on the lizalfos army by himself," Sidon smirked. "Fiery as the old man is. I doubt Isolda would describe an old zora as 'freaky,' too. She knows what zora look like when they get older." He placed the history book back on the shelf. "I rather hoped we'd have something in our histories about odd-looking zora, but I don't think I'll find it in these."
Link directed a curious stare at the prince. "Gonna look in the library?"
"Laflat is there already, researching," Sidon shrugged. "Gerald will be here tomorrow, to speak with my father about it." The prince paused, suddenly, looking over the champion with a reluctant expression. At length, he sighed. "…In the meantime, I am to go to Akkala, with my guards. I'm going to confront these zora myself."
"Wait," Link gawked at the prince. "You're leaving? When?"
"In a few hours," Sidon stated. At Link's crestfallen face, the prince shot the champion a sympathetic smile. "I won't be gone long – only a couple of days, at the most."
Link crossed his arms over his chest, dissatisfied. "…Let me come with you."
"Love," Sidon murmured, brushing his thumb affectionately over Link's ear. "You're retired."
"So?" Link prodded. "I can still fight. What if something goes wrong?"
"No need to worry!" Sidon declared, pumping his fist with a confident grin. "It won't be dangerous. All these zora need is an explanation from the crown, and Gerald's assured me of General Tristram's cooperation."
"What about Isolda's?" Link hissed. The champion poked Sidon in the side, as if to drive the point into the zora with his finger. "She hates you."
"She's been called back to Lake Hylia. We won't even cross paths." Sidon crouched, and brought his hands to Link's face. "I'll be just fine, Link. You can relax."
The expression on Link's face told the prince that he would do no such thing.
Sidon huffed a laugh. "Link, please. It really won't take long." He brought the hylian's face closer, pecking Link's lips. "I'll be back before you know it." With a grin, he added, "You can show Gerald around the Domain. I'm certain he'd love to see you."
Link sulked in Sidon's hands. '…Damn stupid politics.' First it was Link's own duties keeping the pair of them apart. Calming the Divine Beasts. Stopping Calamity Ganon. Traveling around Hyrule to help it heal. All that time bopping in and out of Zora's Domain, and the hero had never once considered that it would be Sidon's duties preventing him from spending time with the prince. They hadn't spent every single hour with each other, since the Calamity's defeat – far from it. Still, Sidon was never far from the Domain. He was always there. Always within reach. But now, Sidon would be gone.
Link wasn't sure why the thought bothered him so much.
"Let's get breakfast, hm?" Sidon suggested, brushing a stray strand of hair out of Link's face.
"…Okay," Link relented. It wasn't like Sidon wouldn't be back, soon enough. Link would just have to settle for being a little lonely in the meantime.
He could be lonely, for a while.
He could handle Sidon being away – he would just find something else to do. Something to keep himself occupied while the prince was off fulfilling his own duty. Some little errand or another, before Gerald got to the Domain. He'd be fine on his own.
Watching Sidon's retreating form as the zora made for the door, Link faltered.
'I hardly ever see him now,' the hero thought, his eyes glued to Sidon's back. Link shook his head. 'No, he'll have more time once he's done with this. I'll see him after. It'll be fine.'
He followed Sidon.