ATE: Oooh boy! How many times do I need to apologize for taking so long to update this story? Because I'm really really really sorry for taking so long! I basically took more than three months to get this finished, and it was more because I kept getting distracted (both at home and at work) and less procrastination. Other than this, I got no other excuses. Anyways, big thanks go out to Nakashima Hatsuharu, Maetrix, VIDEOGAMER, Guest, pandalover04, and LilyAllycia for their reviews so far and everyone still reading and have been patient when it comes to waiting for updates. I can't thank you all enough for the dedication since I find it very supportive.

Now, to address Guest Reviews:

Guest: Here's the next update!

Disclaimer: I don't own anything related to Legend of Zelda or Nintendo. I only own my OC.


~*~Chapter 7~*~

Ever since the Lynel incident Sophia was left bedridden due to her body being weak from blood loss. At first she had been okay with that, but eventually she got so bored and restless that she attempted to sneak out of her room.

Key word being 'attempted' since 1, she underestimated how weak her body truly was when she managed to get out of bed, and 2, she didn't even get close to the door before she had been caught by Mipha (who unironically came through the very door she had been approaching). Ever since then, she had been under strict order to stay in bed—she knew Mipha to be kind and all, so it came as a surprise when she realized her sweet words subtly hid an implied threat long after the Zora princess left the room; whether or not she would go through with her threat (whatever it may be), Sophia decided disobeying wasn't worth the risk.

Thankfully, she was finally allowed to get out of bed a week later, though she was told to take things easy since she was still recovering. She didn't mind this in the least bit since she was just glad she could leave her room and move around now.

Wearing a simple one-piece dress that Mipha gave her (which she had gotten for her while she'd been away from Zora's Domain), Sophia wandered around with no particular destination in mind, though she was forced to take frequent breaks whenever she felt winded. She thought nothing about it when she started, but now she was getting frustrated with her constant stop-and-go.

It was actually getting annoying!

Sophia sighed at this, proceeding to take another break as she sat down on a nearby stone bench. Despite her annoyance at her lack of stamina, there wasn't much she could do to fix the situation as a whole. She knew she was in such a state because she had protected Sidon from the Lynel and she ended up getting hit in the shoulder by a shock arrow as a result. One thing was for sure, if given the change to go back and redo things, she'd still make the same decision and take the hit again.

Thinking of the little Zora prince brought a smile to her face as she tugged on the silver chain around her neck, pulling out the pendant she had hidden underneath the collar of her dress. She really didn't understand Sidon's reasoning behind giving her the necklace in the first place, but she had a feeling that it wasn't just a simple trinket a child would give to just anyone.

So the question was…what was the significance of the necklace.

"There you are. I was wondering where you went."

Sophia jumped in surprise before her head shot up to find Mipha approaching her, and soon the Zora princess joined her on the bench she sat on.

"Mipha! You scared me!" Sophia exclaimed.

"My apologizes. It wasn't my intention to frighten you. What is that in your hand?"

At first she wondered what the Zora princess was referring to until she remembered the necklace she was still holding.

"Oh, this? It's a necklace your brother gave me after the Lynel incident."

"Let me see that!"

She didn't expect such a response from her friend but still handed the necklace over to her. As she observed Mipha looking over the necklace she couldn't help but wonder if something was wrong with her having it, though she didn't get far with that line of thought when the piece of jewelry was handed back to her.

"You must keep this hidden at all times." Mipha told her.

"Why?" She asked, tiling her head slightly in confusion. "Is something wrong?"

Mipha was quiet, looking as if she were contemplating her next words carefully before she spoke.

"Sophia… Even though you have only been in Zora's Domain—in this world—for a short time, I consider you a dear friend of mine. Despite how reckless it was, you chose to risk your life to protect Sidon." Mipha said. "He willingly gave it to you, and so I advise you to keep it hidden if you wear it. No one can know of it except for myself and Sidon."

"What about your father?"

The Zora princess shook her head.

"I cannot stress how important this truly is. You must promise to keep this a secret for the time being."

Sophia couldn't understand why Mipha wanted her to keep the necklace a secret, but if it was as important as she was making it out to be who was she to question her reasoning?

"Okay, I promise." She vowed, putting on the necklace before tucking the pendent underneath the collar of her dress.

A look of relief appeared on Mipha's face as well as a smile.

"Thank you. There was something I wanted to tell you as well." She then looked away, averting her gaze to the hands she had clasped in her lap before speaking in a quieter tone. "Do you remember the armor I was working on…?"

"…You mean the one you were working on for L-!"

"Yes!" Mipha's face became red at her sudden outburst, but eventually she managed to compose herself before continuing "Yes. After the Lynel attack, I had planned on giving the armor to him at sunset that day. However…I was unable to."

"Why?"

"I don't know. Perhaps it was because I was afraid. Most of his time is spent with the princess that…" Mipha fell silent before she stood up from the bench and turned to face the human. "Shall we go? I'm sure you wouldn't want to stay in one place for too long."

Despite the sudden change of subject, Sophia didn't need to think twice before getting up and walking alongside Mipha. The Zora princess exercised a tremendous amount of patience whenever she needed to stop a short while for rest, and eventually the two females came across a surprise (for Sophia) in the form of a certain Hylian, who was leaning over the balcony as he observed something below.

"Link." Mipha greeted kindly, a soft smile gracing her lips.

The Hylian swordsman glanced over in their direction before standing up straight, offering a smile of his own. He then turned to face Sophia, tilting his head to the side as his eyes expressed…curiosity? She was aware that he wasn't much of a talker, but how was she supposed to know what he was asking?

"I'm confused. Are you trying to ask me a question?" Sophia asked.

Link's eyes widened in realization which was followed by a sheepish look as Mipha giggled at the exchange. He managed to recover and opened his mouth to speak.

"How is your shoulder?" He asked.

Oh!

That's what he was trying to ask her.

"I'll be honest; it's still sore, and occasionally there's some throbbing. Other than that, it's not as bad as when I first got hit." She answered.

Link nodded, seeming satisfied by her response.

"What were you doing before we arrived?" Mipha asked.

Link turned towards the balcony before pointing to something below. Approaching the balcony, Sophia peered over the edge and was surprise by what she saw. Down below she could see Seggin facing off against Sidon, though the little Zora prince was struggling with the silver trident he was using; the trident itself dwarfed Sidon's small form and it looked as if he were struggling to use it as he wielded it with both of his tiny hands. She heard Mipha let out a small gasp of surprise from beside her, not having expected to see her little brother in the scenario he was currently in.

"How long has this been going on?" The Zora princess asked, her voice filled with concern.

"A little over an hour." Link answered, frowning as he continued to watch.

"An hour?!" Seggin isn't supposed to go over 30 minutes!"

"It was your brother's choice."

Mipha frowned at this before quietly turning back to observe and Sophia did so as well. She found herself sharing the same sentiments as the Zora princess as she continued to watch Sidon struggle with jabbing the trident while Seggin merely took a step to the side. Sidon made another attempt and quickly twisted around, only to trip over the long fishtail that was always dragging on the ground behind the little prince. She winced upon seeing him faceplant the floor (knowing it had to hurt), followed by seeing his trembling form trying to get up while the older Zora approached him; she couldn't make out the conversation that took place between the two, though it was soon concluded with the Demon Sergeant walking off. Sidon got to his feet and looked as if he was going to follow when he suddenly turned around and glanced up to where she, Mipha, and Link were, but what she didn't expect was for him to visibly wilt when his gaze fell on her as if he were ashamed of something, only to then turn around and hang his head.

Sophia couldn't help the confusion she felt at Sidon's behavior, finding it odd to see him looking so depressed or ashamed. What did he have to be ashamed about?

"I'll go talk to him." Mipha suddenly declared before walking off.

She watched as the Zora princess got farther away, leaving her with Link in the process. Growing tired from standing for so long she decided to sit down on the ground with her back leading against the railing. This caught the blonde swordsman's attention.

"Tired?" He asked.

"Yeah. It's been constant stop-and-go for me all day with how weak my body is after seven days of bedrest. I want my stamina back. Then again, that's what I get for risking my life to protect someone." She sighed, leaning against the balcony. "I don't regret my decision, you know? I'd do it again, though not in my current state for obvious reasons."

"I don't think Mipha would appreciate her efforts in helping your recovery to go to waste." Link chuckled, only to calm down a moment later. "But why do you say that?"

"Mipha has done so much for me since the moment I came to Hy—since I've come here!" She quickly corrected herself, hoping he hadn't noticed.

Sadly, that wasn't the case.

"You're not from Hyrule, are you?"

At this Sophia averted her eyes, turning her head away so she didn't have to see the look on his face. It was quiet between the two until Link spoke again.

"You don't need to say anything. Mipha explained your situation to me, though I was a bit skeptical at the time."

Eyes wide in surprise, she turned to face him.

"You…believe it?" She asked.

"It explains why there's suddenly a Human in Hyrule after years of them being extinct." He gave her a smile. "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me."

She let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank you. Back to what I was telling you earlier. Mipha has done a lot for me. In fact, I would've drowned if it wasn't for her saving me. The least I could do was keep her little brother safe."

"Even at the cost of your own life?"

Sophia opened her mouth to respond, only to stop herself.

To risk your life to protect someone was one thing, but to outright sacrifice said life was a completely different story. And it wasn't the kind of decision a person would easily make on a whim.

There was no easy answer for such a question.

"I don't know." She answered honestly. "Anyone could say they'd sacrifice their life, but the hard part is going through with it when the time comes. But if it was someone I cared about, like Mipha or Sidon, I think I could do it."

Link regarded her with a look she couldn't identify, only to look away a few moments later. This left her confused and she was tempted to ask him about it until he spoke up.

"What about your family? Tell me about them." He suddenly asked.

It sounded like Link was trying to change the subject, which would explain the look he gave her a minute ago. It was probably for the best so she decided to go along with it.

"My family?" That was an interesting subject to touch upon, though not an easy one to explain. She thought back to what her life was like when she was still with her family, and now that she thought about it, there were things she was forced to reconsidered. "It's…complicated."

"How so?"

"I guess the best word to describe it would be 'dysfunctional'. My family consists of both my parents and my younger brother, Nate." She groaned upon mentioning him. "My parents spoil him because he's the baby of the family and they let him get away with things. In fact, he's the reason why I almost drowned. I did nothing and yet my parents let him dump water on him, and then he shoved me into the deep end."

"So your brother shoved you into deep water, even though he and your parents knew you couldn't swim?"

"It certainly didn't stop him. I don't know how, but I somehow ended up in the deep in lake below Zora's Domain after I fell into the pool."

"But do you miss your family?" Link asked.

"I do, but at the same time I don't. I'm kind of conflicted when it comes to that. Maybe I do miss them more than I realize."

Link was quiet, likely letting her words sink in. Sophia took the time to twist her body around so that she could look down to the level below in time to see Mipha conversing with Sidon, though she couldn't tell what was being said. Observing this, she hoped that the Zora princess would be able to cheer her brother up.

"I have an idea!"

She turned to face Link, feeling confused by his sudden excitement. He glanced at her as a smile formed on his face.

"Are you able to walk?" He asked.

"I think so?" She guessed.

"That's okay. I can help you out if you get tired, but I could use your assistance for what I have planned."

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Mipha eventually made it to where Sidon was, his back turned to her as he hung his head, and seeing her brother in such a state left her heart aching in sympathy. She remembered her days when she trained under Sergeant Seggin as a child and how strict he could be at times, not even going easy on her regardless of considering her like his own daughter. Despite his teaching methods he had managed to train countless Zora into the knights and fighters they were to this day, and she presumed he'd continue to do so for a long time. In her opinion, Mipha thought Sidon was a little young to start training (hence why she had been surprised to see him training with Seggin in the first place) and she couldn't help but wonder why he desired to start so early.

Regardless, she was here to comfort him.

"Sidon." She called out to him, watching as he whipped around to face her upon hearing her voice. "Whatever is the matter?"

Sidon averted his eyes before he spoke.

"I'm a disappointment." He told her, his voice quiet.

"Why is that?"

"Because I tripped. I want to become stronger so Sophie won't have to get hurt again, but I can't use a trident without losing my balance or have trouble lifting it. And she saw me…"

Mipha's gaze softened, understanding the root of the problem as she approached her little brother, kneeling in front of him before placing a hand on his shoulder.

"We both know that isn't true." She stated, causing him to glance up as her. She smiled softly. "She may have seen you trip, but that does not mean she sees you as a disappointment. It is admirable how you want to become stronger, but you are still young with plenty of room to grow."

"But I promised to protect our home from harm if anything happened to you, just like you asked me to. How can I do that if I am not strong?"

"You did promise me, but at your age it is vital for you to pace yourself as oppose to pushing past your current limits. If it were so easy, everyone would become skilled warriors overnight."

Her words seemed to do the trick since Sidon's expression brightened up a bit (at least he no longer looked disappointed).

"So if I pace myself I'll be able to be as skilled as you someday?" He asked.

"Of course, especially if you set your mind to it. Also…" She leaned forward as if she were about to share a secret. "…I would suggest you start with a sword instead of a trident. It will help you build up your strength while you get used to the weight."

"If it helps me get stronger then I'll do it!"

Mipha was about to respond but the sound of someone calling out caused her to turn around in time to see who it was. She didn't expect to see Bazz running over to them looking as if he had rushed all the way here.

"Lady Mipha, Prince Sidon! I'm so glad I found you!" Bazz said one he got his breathing under control.

"What is wrong?" She asked.

"I was patrolling around the Domain when an arrow landed on the ground not far from me. The arrow had this note tied to it."

Mipha took the note Bazz held out to her, her gold eyes roaming across the page as she read through it, only to widen once she finished.

"Mipha? What's wrong? What does it say?" Sidon asked, having seen the expression on his older sister's face.

She took a deep breath and collected her thoughts before she spoke.

"It would appear…Sophia has been taken." She answered.

"Taken?! As in kidnapped?"

"That would be one way of putting it."

"We have to save her!"

Mipha was surprised by this. She had expected her brother to say that, but it was the way he said it with such conviction that she hadn't anticipated.

"Sidon?"

"She did the same for me not that long ago! I should be able to do the same for her!"

She regarded Sidon upon hearing this and eventually a smile graced her lips.

"It would seem no further discussion is required. Shall we go save Sophia?"

Sidon wasted no time as he rushed off, leaving Mipha and Bazz behind. The younger Zora turned to the princess before speaking.

"What are your orders, Lady Mipha?" He asked.

"Gather the members of your brigade to aid us in rescuing Sophia." She replied. "You did well to bring this to my attention, Bazz."

At this Bazz puffed out his chest in pride, but all the same he gave her an eager smile.

"The Big Bad Bazz Brigade is at your service!"

Mipha smiled before she and the younger Zora went their separate ways.

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Sophia had been expecting to help Link when he asked for her help. However, what she didn't expect was for things to take such a turn for the worse.

This was not what she was had in mind.

And it was not what she signed up for.

Especially when the situation she was involved her being stranded on top of a large rock surrounded by deep water. And to make matters worse she could easily slip off said rock if she wasn't careful!

If she were to slip off the rock in her current state…

Just the thought of that made her shudder in dread.

Sophia glanced over to the person who brought her to this place (and stranding her on the rock). She couldn't see much of his form due to the dark cloak he wore—though underneath he wore a strange outfit that made her think of a ninja—and the mask that covered his face was creepy looking in her opinion.

She huffed, not at all liking the situation she was in. She didn't want to be a damsel in distress, and she really didn't want to be stuck in the middle of a lake.

This just wasn't her day, was it?

The masked person shifted his body in the direction they had come from, which confused her. She didn't see or hear anything to warrant such a response and she opened her mouth to voice her thoughts.

Until she heard the voices in the distance as they got closer.

Sure enough, she spotted Mipha and Sidon approaching with Bazz, Rivan, and Gaddison following close behind. It wasn't until they made their way further in that the group spotted her and their eye's widened.

"Sophie!" Sidon exclaimed.

She watched as the little Zora started running over to where she was, only to stop short when the masked person stepped in and blocked his path. What she didn't expect was for Sidon to pull out a small silver sword, or the determined expression that appeared on his face.

"Let Sophie go!"

In response the masked person pulled out a sword of his own (though it wasn't as elegant as the one Sidon held) and upon seeing it Mipha gasped.

"Sidon!" The Zora princess cried, drawing her trident as she rushed over to defend her brother.

"Never fear, your Highnesses! We won't let you fight him alone!" Bazz declared as he and his group joined the fray with their own weapons.

Before she knew it the Zoras were fighting the masked person. Sidon wasn't struggling as much as he had been earlier when he'd been training with Seggin (which was likely thanks to the change of weapon) and seemed to be doing a decent job—though still somewhat clumsy—holding his own even with a few close calls.

Sophia was so absorbed in the battle taking place before her that she had forgotten her situation; it was when she shifted that she suddenly remembered and yelped as she slipped off the rock she was sitting on, though she managed to grab hold of the rock to stop herself from falling completely into the water, leaving her lower half submerged. Sadly, her action only served to prolong the inevitable plunge given her weaken state, but she tried her hardest to hold on as long as she could. She started to panic as she gradually lost what little strength she possessed to hold on and soon enough she sunk beneath the surface of the water, having no strength to keep her head above.

Watching the surface get farther and farther away she found herself relieving the memory of when she became afraid of being in deep water.

She had been 6 years old when she and her parents had gone with some friends to a lake for a boating trip. She remembered watching the other children having fun riding in tubes while the boat sped through the water and how they held on for as long as they could before they lost their grips and fell into the water. It had looked like a lot fun and she had wanted to try it out, and her parents let her, albeit reluctantly at first. She had gotten on the tube and held on to the handles as the boat started moving at a steady pace.

She was having the time of her life until she was flung off the tube due to the boat taking a sharp turn, and she had found herself a good few feet below the water. She remembered how scared she'd been as she helplessly tried to claw her way back to the surface. She had no clue how long she had struggled before she was eventually rescued by the others, but by then the damage had been done.

She hadn't learned to swim before this incident, and she had no desire ever since.

Her eyes closed as she knew there was nothing she could do now. Mipha was going to be disappointed, but she hoped she wouldn't feel bad about what happened to her. But she knew Sidon wouldn't take it well—

Suddenly her arm had been grabbed by something as it started tugging her upwards and before she knew it her head broke through the surface of the water, gasping for air now that she was able to breathe. She felt herself being dragged somewhere until she found herself being pulled out of the lake, and she couldn't help how glad she felt to be back on solid ground.

"Sophie! Are you okay?"

She turned towards the direction the voice came from to find Sidon at her side with water dripping off his tiny frame, and it was at that point that she put two and two together.

"…Did you…did you save me?" She asked.

"Of course I did!" Sidon answered. "I promised to keep you safe, remember?"

Sophia stared at the little Zora, unsure of how she should respond. She had thought he had been saying that because of the Lynel incident and to make her feel better, but he had actually save her from drowning! Soon enough she found herself hugging Sidon as she tried to hold back her tears.

"Thank you, little Sidon."

She had been scared when she had fallen into the lake but now she was grateful to have been rescued by him. Hopefully he would continue to remain so kind and chivalrous when he got older. But for all intents and purposes, he was the hero of today.

Sophia let go of Sidon as Mipha and the others approached with the masked person following closely behind, and she heard the Zora prince gasp when he removed his masked to reveal Link's face.

"Glad to finally remove that mask. It was starting to get stuffy." The blonde swordsman commented.

"It was you this whole time?!" Sidon exclaimed, shocked by the sudden reveal.

"Yeah. Sorry for deceiving you like that, but it was all part of the plan to cheer you up."

What she didn't expect was for Sidon to narrow his eyes at Link.

"Even the part where Sophia almost drowned?"

Uh oh…

Sidon used her actual name instead of her nickname.

She needed to fix this quick!

"That…part wasn't planned. At All." She mentioned, drawing the Zora prince's attention to herself. "But you saved me, and for that I will always be grateful. You're a hero."

Sidon glanced from her to Link, followed by Mipha and the Bazz's group before returning his gaze to her.

And then he gave his trademark pose, sparkling toothy smile and all.


ATE: Seeing as the Champions' Ballad came out before I started writing this chapter I was inclined to include references to it in this story. It also helped that we all finally got to see Sidon when he was little (too freaking cute for this world!). Thanks for reading and let me know what you all think! ;D