All eyes looked their way. Yellow eyes, green eyes, bright as gemstones, even if their beholder did not stop to look, the eyes did.
The Champion and the Princess, back here, once again…
Not a single one of the Zora in the bustling plaza of Zora's Domain stopped to offer a greeting, or to enquire what business they might have in the Domain. Link understood; speaking could so hard, but looking was easy. Looking was as real as speaking, even if he knew he should do more.
From across the plaza, Link looked where his eyes took him; to the Princess, as she gazed up at an ethereal stone statue, though he himself could not bear to look upon it. Link already knew what the statue depicted; the lovely, and long dead, Champion of the Zora, Princess Mipha, rising out of the stone and standing triumphant, a beacon of both hope and grief. The memories of her were still raw, but with a hazy, niggling quality. In fact, all Link's memories were much this way - always there but still just out of reach. Certain things around him made them burn brighter: the smell of salt brought flashes of childhood summers spent in Zora's Domain; the sound of clanging steel from the smithy rendering images of the Hylian Academy and the haunting smiles of his fellow Knights; and the girl-shaped sunburst of yellow and blue standing by Mipha's likeness bringing Link's final days back with full clarity. Zelda noticed him staring at her, and gave him a weak smile and a curt wave. Instinctually, Link waved back, though he felt silly doing so, his normally assured hand now clumsy and limp. Don't be a fool, he thought. It's just Zelda.
Just Zelda. That wasn't right. She was so much more; an excess within his once quiet world. Sometimes it was too much, all the memories. It made him feel drunk on his own thoughts. Each new piece and each new fragment brought both pain and a never-ending dissatisfaction. But Link wanted more – wanted them all – despite how much it might hurt.
One of the King Dorephan's retainers approached, and Link moved to join Zelda by the statue. The retainer was an old Zora whose scales were dropped with age and whose solemn eyes regarded the Hylians with a skeptical squint. All the eyes were the same, Link had realised eventually; they all betrayed disbelief.
Link felt foolish for not thinking it earlier; in all his time spent working to free the Hylian Princess from that castle, he'd never once considered if anyone would believe that he did, or that the shining blonde Hylian he had brought to the Domain was actually her. At least the Zora were relatively easy to convince, given their lifespans. Many of them recognized her on sight, glad (and frankly somewhat surprised) to see the Princess alive. But even so, just as the first time Link had returned to Zora's Domain, the older Zora met the Princess with a cool standoffishness that bordered on impolite.
"King Dorephan is ready to see you now," the retainer said flatly.
Link knew that the Princess's presence opened wounds not yet fully healed, the triangle crest on her clothes all but representing the Calamity to those who could remember it. Yes, the Zora remembered her face, but they also remembered her people's misguided plan in unearthing the ancient technology that ultimately killed their Champion. The hesitant look on Zelda's face told Link that she sensed their hostility as well. All this aside, the mood was tense in Zora's Domain. Just the day before, something had happened to Divine Beast Vah Ruta, though the Zora were tight-lipped about it. Link and Zelda had not been permitted to enter Zora's Domain until the next morning and were forced to camp down by the river - despite the Princess's repeated and increasingly frustrated protests. But now that they were here, it seemed both Link and Zelda did not know what to expect from their audience with the Zora King.
Say something, Link told himself. Anything.
"Let's go," he said, and Zelda gave a small, resolute nod.
They bowed in unison before the towering King Dorephan. An assembly of Zora elders and denizens had gathered to observe the return of the supposed Hylian Princess, though Link noted with some concern that Prince Sidon was absent. The King sat in the centre of the audience chamber, perched on his watery throne and flanked by the members of the court. Link guessed from their increasingly ornate jewels that those who sat higher and closer to the King were of higher standing, though regardless of rank they all seemed to sneer down at them in the same way.
Dorephan bid them to rise. "There is no need," he said, his deep voice filling the chamber.
They stood. "It is good to see that you live, Princess," the King went on. "And that Link's efforts were not in vain."
"We are…we are all grateful for what Link has done," Zelda spoke calmly and confidently, but Link recognized that tone. He'd heard it somewhere, though the exact memory was hard to pin down, that sliver of self-doubt He wondered if the King had noticed. "And Hyrule is truly blessed to be free of Ganon at last," she continued.
The King nodded in agreement. "Though not without loss."
Link saw Zelda tense. "King Dorephan – I can never offer enough gratitude for Mipha's support, or enough condolences for your loss. I can never-"
A scowling dark green Zora cut her off, "Do you intend to try, Princess ?" He stood almost at the King's side, though his jewels were plain and subtle. Link recognised the old Zora, and remembered what he was; a confidant of the King, with no need to grandstand in order to maintain his position.
"Muzu," the King scolded, and the green Zora receded with a knowing grin.
The Princess stood firm. "Please understand I – I have little to nothing in the way of resources any longer."
Muzu scoffed. "Well, we all know why," There were twitters among the court - now laughs and sneers.
"Muzu – enough!" the King bellowed, and the whole court silenced. Link glared fiercely at the old Zora, with an intensity that he was sure would burn through skin.You changed your tune when I appeased Ruta, and now that Zelda is here you've changed it back . The anger flowed like molten lava through his veins. As if in response, he felt the sword on his back pulse with heat.
"My apologies," the King said. "Though I must preempt this discussion by saying that, as grateful as we are, we cannot offer much. I have heard that little of Hyrule remains. You, Princess, are welcome here. We will support you , and your well-being, but we cannot support a Hyrule that does not exist."
But it does; I've seen it, Link wanted to say. Hateno. Lurelin. Tarrey Town. They were all rebuilding, all surviving – they might not be much but they were there. If she could get them on her side, if she could convince them to help rebuild Castle Town….
"Thank you, but that is frankly not why I'm here," the Princess countered. "It's true. I have nothing to rebuild my home with, and no one to support me. But none of that matters while the Malice left behind by Calamity Ganon still swarms our land."
Zelda held up her Sheikah Slate, revealing a small translucent map of the Zora's Divine Beast. This sent a hush through the court, and Link saw the King's face darken.
"Remote readings from the my Sheikah Slate reveal that Divine Beast Vah Ruta is still plagued by the corruption. As are all the Divine Beasts. But as contained sites of contamination they are the perfect candidates for investigation into neutralizing the Malice." She took a deep breath. Link waited for the Zora to interrupt, but none did. The court seemed to bristle awkwardly. "All I ask for now is access to Vah Ruta. I'm…I'm seeing signs that she's in a low power state. That she may have stopped working. We heard the commotion yesterday. Can you tell me what might have happened to her?"
King Dorephan sighed, his face drawn and overcast with shadow. "Yes," he said solemnly. "My foolish son tried to board her, putting himself and the entire Domain at risk."
That alarmed them both. "Is he okay?" Zelda questioned.
The Zora King did not hesitate. "No," he said gravely. "Very far from it."
Prince Sidon did not notice them enter the infirmary, nor did he respond to any of Zelda's gentle greetings or questions. He barely even groaned when two nurses arrived to check and dress his wounds. Link had tugged on Zelda's arm then, beckoning her to leave so that she would not see, but she stood firm, as if she was mentally cataloguing the Prince's injuries.
"Tell me the truth," she said to the nurses as they were preparing to leave. "How is he?"
The two cerulean-scaled Zora exchanged a glance, and then looked to Zelda before averting their eyes. They both hesitated to speak. That's all we need to know, Link thought. The taller one spoke first, wringing her hands.
"He survives."
"But barely," added the other, her tone dismayed. "We...we are trying to remain hopeful."
Zelda gave a weak sob. "No," she murmured. "Oh, no."
"Be sure to let us know if he stirs, we ask that you do not remain long," one of the nurses said, and they both turned to leave. Their wet footfalls echoed in the watery hallways outside, fading and leaving Link and Zelda unaccompanied with the Zoran prince.
King Dorephan had explained that Sidon, seeing Calamity Ganon's defeat, must have felt a rush of valiance and pride, and sought to board Ruta. To pay his respects to Mipha, or to take control of the Divine Beast for himself – the King wasn't sure of his son's plan. Sidon was found later at the base of Vah Ruta, injured and near death, with the right side of his body tinged with an angry purple-red rot. He had been running fevers, his nurses had said, breathing shallowly and irregularly throughout the night. The Prince had yet to rouse.
"It's the Malice," Link stated once they were alone, looking over at Sidon.
"I assumed as much," Zelda agreed. "It forms when water is tainted by the Calamity, so I suppose the Zora would be susceptible to it."
She flopped unceremoniously into the stool placed by Sidon's bed, intertwining her fingers in one of Sidon's limp hands and studying his face intently. "We can't let him die. I won't let Ganon take Mipha's brother too."
Link grabbed another nearby stool and sat beside her. "We can think of something," he insisted optimistically, though he felt her despair creeping into his own thoughts. Sidon had felt like his only friend at times, with his unwavering faith that Link would succeed. And now the Calamity threatened to simply take him away. Just like Mipha. Just like all of them.
"Mipha…." Link recalled, suddenly inspired. Zelda looked at him wearily.
"What?"
Link looked down at his hands. "She gave me her power...but I've never tried with anyone else."
"Mipha's Grace," Zelda murmured her eyes lighting up as she realized what he was saying. Without another word, she stood and went to the door. "Alright," she nodded, the triangular crest on her right hand beginning to glow. "I'll make sure nobody disturbs you."
Link wheeled around. "Wait – are you sure?"
"No, but...these powers have proven more intuitive than intellectual. So I'm just going to go with my feeling on this one." She turned around and looked at him with pleading eyes. "Do you trust me?"
He couldn't deny her. Link nodded, and turned back to Sidon.
He held his hands out over the sleeping Prince, and thought of Mipha. In the past, when he'd taken a particularly bad blow, instinct had taken over and suddenly Mipha's likeness was there. He would see her smile and hear her sweet voice, and just like that he felt completely rejuvenated. But now he had to call on the power, and he simply didn't know how.
"Um, any advice?" he called out.
"Pardon?"
"How do you use your powers?"
Zelda looked at him thoughtfully, idle fingers adjusting her blouse as she considered his question. "I just do," she confessed.
"Well, what do you think about?"
"What I want- I mean" she seemed to catch herself, "what I want to happen. Or…or something that makes me feel confident. Happy, even."
Link turned back around, feeling like a fool with his hands still held out over Sidon.
What I want to happen. Something that makes me feel confident. Something that makes me happy. Link thought of Sidon's toothy grin, and his unbridled enthusiasm, and how the world needed the Prince's light in the same way that it had needed Mipha's. He pictured a restored kingdom and a happy people, and a smiling Princess at his side who could be at peace at last. He thought of his memories, the ones that brought him some level of contentment; such as sitting with Mipha atop Vah Ruta, relieved when she made his pain go away, and secretly hoping the afternoon could stretch on a little longer. And then his thoughts drifted over to his final memory of a past life, when he watched as the Princess saved him from the corrupted Guardians. He felt…joy, and pride, at seeing her unlock her powers. In that moment, it seemed she was the centre of the world.
"It's working!" Zelda's breathless cry snapped Link out of his daze. He almost startled from his chair.
Links hands were wreathed in a white and blue light, a faint hum emanating from them. He held them steady, and focused on Sidon. He could feel a slight pull all the way from his hands to his heart, and he swore that for an instant he heard Mipha's voice. A minute later the glow had receded and the Prince began to stir.
Zelda rushed over from the door and knelt beside the bed, her eyes alive with anticipation.
The Prince awoke, and flashed them a groggy smile. "Link!" he managed, his speech slurred. "You look well!"
Sidon caught sight of Zelda's beaming face beside him. "And you've brought the Goddess herself."
Zelda burst into laughter, swept up in her own relief. Twin tears had began to roll down her cheeks.
"Is everything okay?" the Prince asked, shifting awkwardly on his bed.
"Yes," Link answered, passing Zelda a small smile, finding himself quietly joyous when she smiled back. "It will be."