Volunteers of Zora warriors and Hylian knights patrolled the Woodland Stable. The injured were given warm beds, and the owner of the stable provided as much food as they could spare. Healers and herbalists gave medicine and mixes to ease the pain of their injuries, to help the distressed and wounded soldiers find sleep. Stable hands tended to the horses, providing them hay, water, and brushed them to offer solace from the traumatic day they endured.
Zelda walked from one bedside to the next, offering her condolences, praying with her people for the dead and the living, and others needed to hear her swear an oath to bring justice for the sacrifice of their brothers. Once the healers work was completed, and they were finally able to rest, Zelda turned her focus to King Sidon.
"Your majesty, have you had anything to eat yet?" the owner of the stable wondered, handing her a bowl of warm soup.
She smiled kindly, and accepted the bowl. "My mind has been in such disarray, I've forgotten to consider my appetite. Thank you for opening your inn to these poor souls. They have been through many hardships today," Zelda said graciously to the stable owner.
"I only wish we could do more. I am so sorry for the losses you suffered," he said solemnly.
"You have done more than enough. Please, you need some rest. The hour is late. We are fed and warm, that is all I can ask for. We will leave you in the morning," she replied.
"Good night, princess. You be sure to rest as well. You are exhausted."
Once the stable owner ascended the stairs to the third floor to turn in for the night, Zelda calmly approached the bed which Link refused to abandon. Ever since leaving Zora's Domain he seemed to be lost in thought, and quieter than usual. Not a single smile was offered to ease her troubles, and that was unlike Link. He was undoubtedly plagued by images that tortured his mind.
"It just burns me to think that despicable man is sitting in my throne at this moment," Sidon managed between raspy breaths. Pangs of guilt stabbed Zelda's heart to hear him exhaust such effort to speak. "What an underhanded move, to ambush us with the use of lightning arrows. Can you believe it?" A terrible cough followed, forcing blood from his chest wound. "I almost had her though, that woman, the Gerudo queen. Then, like a coward, she disappeared into thin air!" Sidon closed his eyes to rest after he waved at the Princess of Hyrule as she approached. "Ah, Princess Zelda," Sidon called weakly. "Perhaps you can help with this matter."
"King Sidon, you must rest. You must not carry on in this way," she ordered, but her voice lacked authority. The Zora King lay with blood soaked bandages wrapped around his torso. His chest rose and fell in calm breaths, until suddenly his breathing quickened with a spike of pain. She sensed the angry aura surrounding him.
"Perhaps you are right, my lady," Sidon admitted. "But how can I rest when my best friend refuses to speak his mind. If he keeps this bottled up it is sure to spoil him!" The Zora tried to laugh, but he was overtaken by another bout of coughs.
Zelda timidly sat in a chair beside Link, and watched to see if he acknowledged her arrival. His eyes were focused on the hearth burning with a warm fire. The orange flames changed his tender blue eyes to something fierce and unknown. "What happened, Link?" she wondered softly.
"This is all my fault," Link said with suppressed anger.
"There is no point in blaming yourself," Sidon said, keeping positive. "Anyway, don't give yourself that much credit."
"Unorthodox, but Sidon is right. The only one responsible for a crime is the evil one who committed it. Ganondorf and those loyal to him will be held responsible," she promised.
"Din, his daughter, she came to the forest looking for me. She wanted to kill me. Now, the forest is gone," he explained, his voice tight. "I went back, after I chased them out of the forest. I ran straight for the Deku Tree. I could already hear the screams of the Koroks as the merciless fire burned them alive. It sounded like the tortured cries of innocent children!" Link squeezed his hands into fists, tightening the leather gauntlets around his bulging knuckles. "I tried to save them, to help them out of the forest, but the smoke was so heavy it burned my eyes. The Deku Tree begged me to escape because there was nothing that could be done to save them. He said they cannot leave the forest. The fire raged out of control!. I could hear his dying voice in my head, encouraging me to save myself because I'm the only one who can save Hyrule! I rushed out of there like a coward, dodging falling trees, crawling below the thickest smoke."
"Oh, Link," Zelda whimpered, holding back tears of sorrow. "You did all that you could. I promise that Ganondorf will be given the retribution he deserves," she said sincerely, her voice strained.
Sidon frowned. "Had you waited any longer to join us in battle, that Lynel might have torn us all apart. We are all grateful that you showed up when you did," he said, his voice frail and his sincere eyes glassy from fever.
Link quietly accepted the truth in his words.
"Yes. Without your intervention, Din might have taken my life," Zelda added gratefully.
"There is one thing I don't understand. The Yiga that defended Din, also came to the forest to retrieve her. He made it seem as if she came after me against Ganondorf's orders," Link pointed out.
Zelda stared at him intensely. "Ganondorf is a cruel man, and he wishes a fate worse than death for us."
"Then we will prove that our wills do not break so easily," Sidon interjected He tried to raise his fist in the air, but it fell back at his side.
"Yes. The real battle is about to take place. We continue with Riju's plan. We cannot sit and wait for them to fall apart, we must divide them. It has always held true that the hero, with his companions, have always proven stronger than Ganon who fought alone. That is no longer the case. Their victories so far prove that together they are mighty."
"Your letter mentioned that," Sidon recalled, but his word were nothing more than a mumble. "How do you plan to separate them?"
"I have given the mission to the best there is, Paya of the Sheikah," Zelda said proudly. "The Gorons should arrive tomorrow so that we can all review plans. We must be a step ahead, and we need to be cautious. The Triforce will be our enemy's primary goal. It is the only way I can seal Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm. If we lose that, and he acquires its power, we will have no chance at victory."
"Let's not forget, there will be more than just Yiga and Gerudo to contend with," Link added. "I imagine Lynel is only the beginning of the monsters that will be conjured."
"Most certainly."
"Zelda, do you remember how you said Dora was sustaining Ganondorf's energy? How is that possible?" he inquired.
"Excellent question, my friend," Sidon mumbled, rolling his eyes lazily from Zelda to Link..
"It does not seem possible, does it? That dark magic would have the ability to do anything but destroy. I'm not sure if you can sense energy in the way I can, but what was most curious is that their energy held no differences, as if it was similar in identity, or the exact same magic," Zelda explained.
"I don't understand," Link admitted, staring quizzically at her.
"Most people who wield magic have a different magical signature. Those sensitive to those energies can feel that. It's the same as a fingerprint," she explained patiently. "There are similarities, but not every one is the same. Ganondorf, and his queen, their magic is identical. I fear that because of this, they may be able to heal each other, and feed from each other continuously. It could be the reason their escape from the Sacred Realm was so swift," Zelda reasoned.
"Well, can we use that to our advantage?" the hero wondered.
Zelda placed her gloved thumb and index finger against her chin thoughtfully. "I may be able to do some research to confirm, but there is a possibility this could mean an unintended condition."
"Princess, please be plain," Sidon requested with a cough. "There is no time for research. If you have a suggestion, we must hear it immediately."
"Of course, you're right. There's so much to be done. We have ballistas to craft, catapults, underground traps, battle strategies to arrange, and medicine to prepare. If my theory is right, there is a chance that killing just one will also bring death to the other. Dark magic, or any magic, used for malicious purposes, always has a negative side effect," Zelda sighed, frustrated. "No. Ganondorf would never put himself at risk like that."
"Can you be so sure?" Link asked, watching the princess. She stared directly back.
"I agree with my friend. He seemed intent on defending her during our battle," Sidon explained, and licked his dry lips. "It might be worth exploiting this weakness."
"I agree, it should remain an option, but all other strategies must be observed," Zelda reminded. "It would be foolish to assume the King of Evil was unaware of the consequences before sharing his power. It makes no sense why he would do that."
"How long do we have before Hyrule is attacked?" Link asked with dread.
"We need three days, but I do not believe we will be given that much time," Zelda whispered, and then tipped back her bowl to finish off the broth from the soup.
Sidon coughed violently again, but did not cease as before. Zelda immediately rushed to his bedside and placed her hands over his torso to offer some of her pure magic to ease his suffering. Sidon swiped her arms away, and clenched a hand over the left side of his chest. The coughing fit brought blood up from his lungs. The Zora King suddenly grasped Link's hand in a brotherly grip and pulled the hero close. "Link," he managed, staring into his companion's eyes.
Link stood to his feet and leaned closer to his friend. He held tightly to Sidon's hand to support him, a guiding hand to a quick death. "Please forgive me," the hero pleaded. His blue eyes filled with tears as he watched the life in Sidon's fade.
"Bring peace," the Zora choked. "For me. For Mipha," he grunted.
"Sidon," Zelda whispered, tears tumbling over her long, blonde lashes. "Please. You have suffered enough."
Link's grip never faltered, holding on while Sidon convulsed and fell to shock. Not only was there a great amount of blood lost, but his pierced lung filled to the brim. Link felt as if he were sucked into a nightmare, watching his best friend die in a most horrific way. All that held him to reality was Sidon's grasp that begged for consolation as he tried to escape death. Finally, Sidon's yellow eyes froze open and the body became a corpse. "Goodbye, brother," Link said, easing Sidon's body to rest peacefully on the bloody bed.
Zelda held her hands over her mouth that was wide open in terror.
"That's just like you, Sidon, to fight to the bitter end with all the energy you possess," Link whispered, his voice tight.
The Hylian Princess cautiously moved behind Link and rested her gentle hands on his shoulders. "I am so sorry."
"I will not allow his death to be in vain. I will bring peace to Hyrule. For Sidon, and his sister, for all who have suffered, I will bring an end to Ganon's resurrection. I will destroy him," Link promised.