Link awoke the next morning to Revali's irritated shouting. "No! Get out! He'll come to you when he's ready, damnit!" Which inevitably drew Link's attention to the seventeen other ghosts that were in his room. He yelped a bit as he tumbled from the Hylian bed that the Zora had in their inn, drawing the attention of both the ghosts and the innkeeper.
"You okay, there, Link?" The innkeeper asked, and he just nodded, face going red. "Ah. Is there someone here?"
Right. Dorephan had informed the other Zora about his ability. "Y-yeah. Like, a dozen someones."
Mipha looked a tad cross, which was likely why he hadn't awoken to several ghosts leaning over him. He honestly wasn't sure if he would've been able to keep himself from attacking if that had been the case. Thus far, Echo and—oddly enough—Daruk were the only ones who could wake him up without meeting the business end of his fist.
"You can see us, right?" One of the younger ghosts, a Zora who looked no older than twelve, was looking at him with hopeful eyes. "You really can, can't you?"
The ghosts all shifted as they awaited his answer. He gave her a smile and nodded, gently patting her head on some old brotherly instinct that'd never been fully erased. She looked up at him with awe, hand latching onto his wrist just as Sidon's had the night before. "You can… you can touch us!"
"But I thought only ghosts could touch…" An older Zora's eyes widened as he realized what this meant. "Sonny… are you… are you dead?"
Link looked at the wizened ghost and nodded. "Yeah."
The innkeeper was watching him with wide eyes. He was sure she could only see and hear half the conversation, but the fact that she knew he was talking to spirits made him more than a little self-conscious.
"I see." The ghost nodded. "My name is Thames. That innkeeper there is my daughter. If you could, could you pass on my message?"
The other ghosts respectfully stepped aside so Link and Thames could properly speak. "Okay." He looked at the innkeeper, feeling more than a little awkward. "I have someone here who wants me to pass on a message to you. He says his name is Thames."
The innkeeper gasped. "F-father?" She looked in the direction of the spirit, but it was painfully obvious that she could not see him. "So… you can really…?" Her eyes watered a bit as she looked at Link with a whole new light.
"I can see them. And hear them." Link nodded, and Thames gently placed a hand on Link's arm.
"Tell her this for me, please…"
"I'm going to repeat his words, okay?" Link waited for her to nod before he continued. "I quote, 'My beautiful daughter. I'm so proud of you and the path you have chosen. I know you have struggled with personal choices and… preferences in your mate these last few years. Know that I love you. I grant you my blessing to marry her. Be happy, my sparkling diamond. And never let anyone shame you for who you are. I will wait for you on the other side.'"
Thames and Link both fell silent as the innkeeper wept. "Thank you." She cried, falling to her knees. Link was by her side a moment later, but he wasn't sure what he could do to comfort her. "Thank you, Hero Link. I… Thank you."
"Thank you, lad." Thames smiled softly. "I think I can finally… pass on, now." He glowed in a strange greenish light—much like the ghost flames that Link had become scarily accustomed to. And with a soft flash, he vanished.
The other ghosts stared at where Thames had been in awe, and seemed all the more excited to have their turn with Link. Some of them went to crowd him, but Daruk stepped between them. Link had never been more grateful for the Goron's massive size.
"Hey! Back off. Link will help you all, but he needs some space. He's a person, too!" Daruk defended. Urbosa stepped up beside Daruk, a light frown on her face, but it was ultimately Mipha who drew their attention.
"Honestly, have you all lost your manners as well as your lives?"
"Lady Mipha!"
Mipha placed her hands on her hips as she spoke. "You will wait your turn. You've been waiting long enough, haven't you? What's another day or two? Link will get to you when he's ready. He's still very new to all of this, and is still recovering from his battle with Calamity Ganon."
Several spirits flinched at the mention of the great horror that had stained Hyrule in blood for a century. "R-right." One of the spirits nodded, and Link zeroed in on the little girl.
"What's your name?" He asked her, causing the child to look up at him with sparkling red eyes.
"Tanya." She answered, causing Mipha to gasp.
"Oh, you're Muzu's granddaughter."
"I am, Lady Mipha. You used to watch me and Sidon when we were kids."
"Where are your parents?" Mipha frowned.
"They died in the Calamity." Tanya explained. "I was still alive then, and some of the older ghosts told me that they moved on pretty quickly. They trusted Muzu to raise me, but…" She looked down. "When Ruta rampaged, she changed the currents. The hatchery wasn't safe anymore, and all the eggs and guppies started getting washed downriver towards the rapids. I tried to save as many as I could, but… I didn't make it."
Mipha looked pained. "Because I wasn't strong enough…"
"No, Lady Mipha!" Several Zora spoke up. "This wasn't your fault! You did your best, and we're sure whatever happened on that day, was in no way your fault!" Mipha just smiled softly at them as she urged Tanya to speak again.
"I wasn't even supposed to be near the guppy pool that day, but they also never found my body. Granda has no idea what happened to me. Can you… can you please tell him? He deserves that closure." Tanya continued, and Link pulled the small ghost into a hug. She was very quick to hug him back. "You're so warm." She whispered out in awe.
"Come on. Let's go find your grandfather." Link nodded towards her.
The first thing he noticed when he left the inn, was that the Zora he passed kept looking at him with awe—the living and the dead alike. Several times, he had to shift out of the way of ghosts who were either too surprised by his eye contact to move, or just not paying attention. This, in turn, seemed to draw even more attention towards him.
He really wasn't sure he liked it, but he supposed they weren't bad looks… just curious ones. The whispers, however, he could do without. His ears kept twitching, and he was quite sure that that stupid Shrine had enhanced his auditory capabilities because these Zora really didn't seem to know he could hear them. Clearly.
Finally, he found the person he was looking for. "Muzu?" He questioned, causing the aged Zora to turn around. There was a look in his eye that Link couldn't quite define, but that air of animosity was almost completely gone, now.
"Ah, it's you. What is it, hero?" He turned back towards the water.
"The hatchery used to be down there." Mipha explained softly as Tanya gently grabbed ahold of Link's sleeve. He smiled down at her in what he hoped was a reassuring manner.
"I have someone here who wants to speak with you." He was quite sure he'd be getting very tired of saying that rather quickly.
"Oh?" Muzu turned his attention back towards Link.
"Her name is Tanya."
Muzu startled badly, and for a moment, he looked almost furious. Link abruptly realized that he must've been holding out hope that his granddaughter was still alive somewhere. "And… you are certain?"
"She says she is your granddaughter." Link nodded apologetically. Had he known that Muzu had yet to accept her death, he would've found a way to phrase things better. Now he felt like a tactless jerk. "I'm sorry."
"So my little Tanya…" A solitary tear fell from Muzu's eye, and Link felt a twinge of guilt.
"I'm going to repeat after her word for word." He waited for Muzu's nod before he began. "I quote, 'I'm sorry, Granda. I know you told me not to swim in the rivers until we knew the currents better, but… I didn't listen. I was near the hatchery when Ruta went on another rampage. I… I tried to save as many guppies and eggs as I could… I tried to be brave like Lady Mipha always was. You always looked so proud of her, and I… I wanted you to look at me that way, too. But the currents were too strong, and… I got swept away. I hit the rapids and the next thing I knew, I was a ghost. I'm so sorry… I should've listened, but… but I'll wait for you, Granda. Don't worry, we can go through the Gates together. I'll watch over you as best I can. Don't feel guilty or anything, okay?'"
Muzu had tears running down his face as he carefully brought up a wizened hand to cover his face. A shuddering breath held the echo of a sob that he refused to let escape, and he clutched the railing tightly enough that Link heard the Luminescent stone crack.
"Tanya… You sweet, beloved fool. I was proud of Lady Mipha… but I was even more proud of you. You, Tanya, you are my pride and joy. More than anything… more than anyone… I taught Lady Mipha because I saw so much of you in her. You never had to prove anything to me… You were always enough."
Tanya's eyes teared up as she reached out a hand towards Muzu. For a moment, Link swore Muzu could see her, too, because his hand reached for hers. But he let it fall to his side a moment later. "I owe you a thanks, Link. It seems… I was wrong about you."
He smiled softly. "I'll leave you two be." He waited a moment to see if either would protest before he made his leave. Several of the Zora had witnessed the entire thing—living and dead alike—and stared at him with a sense of reverence that made him uncomfortable.
"Sidon told you the dead were sacred to us." Mipha spoke up, seeing the questioning look in his eye. "I don't suppose he told you why. Zora have always had a connection to the afterlife. It has gone back as far as we can remember—perhaps even to the eras of other heroes. There are many stories—a queen who stayed behind to watch over her young son, who had been the sole survivor of a devastating attack on her people. A king who gave his life to defend his clan, and stayed behind as a spirit to guide them from beyond the veil. There are countless stories of Zora staying as spirits to guide their living ancestors or pass on wisdom in some manner. A handful of stories tell of a seer of sorts—someone who can communicate with the dead as you can. Of course, the seer was alive, but the principle is the same. Seers are treated with the highest respect. I suppose the Hylian equivalent would be a priestess." Mipha mused. "Whereas other races tend to honor specific goddesses, the Zora honor the dead."
"Gorons pay tribute to Din, in particular, but we honor Nayru and Farore, too." Daruk spoke up. "If we had to pick one, though, Din would be it. We don't really pray to Hylia like the Hylians, do, but we respect her all the same. Just because she's not our goddess, doesn't mean she isn't still a goddess worth respect."
"The Rito tend to honor Nayru." Revali hummed. "Hylia is someone we pay regular tribute to as well, but Nayru is our main goddess, much like you Hylians tend to prioritize Hylia, and occasionally pay respect to the other three."
Link turned towards Urbosa with a curious eyebrow raise. "We Gerudo also pay tribute to Din and Nayru, but Farore is the one we ask after the most." She hummed. "We're pretty balanced between the three, but since Farore is the goddess of life, and we live in a desert, that's usually the goddess we end up praying to. Before the Calamity, we had a good sized settlement in the Faron region of Hyrule. We had several shrines there."
"And as I said, the Zora tend to honor and pray to the dead, rather than the goddesses." Mipha continued. "We still honor the divine, but we've always felt that our ancestors and those who have passed hold a closer link to us. A goddess has many more reasons to ignore a prayer than the spirit of someone who loved you in life." She smiled a bit. "In a sense, you could say that each spirit—Zora or otherwise—is a minor deity of their own to my people. That life is merely the stream of power that leads us all towards the same destination."
"So what, the Zora see us all as gods, now?" Revali quirked an eyebrow.
"Essentially." Mipha nodded. "That's about as close to an explanation as I can give you in Hylian."
"And that makes Link the only person here who can communicate with these 'gods'." Urbosa nodded as they walked. Link internally groaned. That made all the looks he was getting make so much more sense, and he wasn't sure how to feel about that.
"No wonder King Dorephan was so angry last night." He sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"Yeah, you were essentially a false prophet until you proved him otherwise." Revali snickered, only to earn a flick on the beak from Link. "Don't flick me!"
"Then don't be such a prick." Link smirked. "Didn't anyone ever teach you to respect your elders?"
"Oh, I'll show you elder—"
"Link!" Sidon grinned as he came over, causing said spirit to grin.
"Good morning, Sidon. Are you feeling better?"
"Much." He nodded, though his eyes were still mildly bloodshot. Link winced as he realized Sidon had likely spent the entirety of last night crying. "I hate to ask this of you, but that Lynel on Shatterback has returned…"
"I'll take care of it." Link smiled.
"Oh, thank you. I'll join you this time. We can't rely on you every time it comes back." Sidon grinned, and Link noticed that there was something about it that felt… forced, somehow.
They were quiet as they started their ascent. Once they were far out of earshot of the Domain, Link spoke up. "You can stop faking that smile, Sidon. It doesn't look right on you."
The Zora prince froze in his tracks. "I-I don't know…" He sighed, realizing that he'd be caught. His smile fell into an expression of uncertainty and guilt. "I should've known you would've noticed."
"Of course I noticed." Link frowned. "You're my friend. How could I not? Please, what's wrong?"
"Everything." Sidon admitted with a sigh. "Link, you… you're dead. I… I never even had the chance to… to properly thank you."
"Sidon, I may be dead but I'm not gone. I still have things to do, here."
"Was… was I one of the reasons you chose not to go through that Gate?" His question was full of hesitation, and Link abruptly realized that some of the guilt Sidon felt was because he thought he had been the one to chain Link to life.
"No, Sidon." He guided the prince to a nearby cluster of rocks so they could sit and talk. "Listen to me. When I died, I saw the Gates." He smiled wistfully. "They were beautiful. Carved with ancient runes I somehow instinctively knew, but couldn't read, and they glowed a brilliant blue. The Gate swirled with a warm, bright light. It was… one of the most peaceful and beautiful things I've ever seen." He admitted. "But your sister gave me a wonderful gift that had become invaluable on my journey—a healing ability called Mipha's Grace. It has the ability to revive me from the dead should I fall. I have only used it four times on my journey, and even Mipha had expected the power to go dormant after Ganon was dealt with." He pulled off the glove on his left hand to show Sidon the Triforce.
He startled badly, staring at it with a reverence that made Link uncomfortable. "T-that's—! By the Gates… that's part of The Triforce." He eyed it a little more closely. "Looks like two pieces of it."
"What?!" Zelda took his hand abruptly and turned it this way and that. "H-he's right! It looks like my Triforce went to you when I died." She realized. "You've got two thirds of the Triforce."
"Is that really such a big deal?" Link shrugged.
Sidon looked ready to throttle him. "That is two thirds of the same power that created this world." He stressed. "You have more power in your finger than I think any army in this world could dream of obtaining."
Link snorted. "I may possess it, but that doesn't mean I can use it." He shook his head. "But yeah. So my Triforce mark appeared when I was going to head through The Gate. Somehow, this also activated Mipha's Grace, and I was… erm… dragged back into my body." He shuddered hard as he recalled the phantom echo of the agony he'd endured. "But my body had been severely infected with Malice, so the Triforce tried to burn it out. And next thing I knew, I was laying on the ground beside my body." Link slipped the glove back on. "And now I'm like this. After that, the Gateway went dark, and apparently that meant I couldn't go through it. I think I'm here because Hylia has more work for me."
Sidon looked fairly concerned at this new information. Whatever relief the Zora had managed to find in Link's words had been washed away by the more detailed reiteration of his death. Link winced. He hadn't meant to upset Sidon, he was only trying to make him feel better. Well, at least the guilt seemed to be gone. "Then I vow to do my best to help you move on, my friend." He went to put a hand on his shoulder, but stopped himself.
"Go ahead. I can turn solid whenever I want." He nodded as Sidon's hand rested on his solidified shoulder.
"How does that work?"
"Dunno." Link shrugged. "It takes a moment of concentration to make it happen, though. And staying solid for any real length of time is kind of exhausting." He clenched and unclenched his hand a bit. "It's like… hmm… kind of like flexing? Or posturing? A constant conscious effort. It's easier if I'm in the middle of something intense, like a fight. But staying solid in relaxed or social situations is more effort than it's worth." He sighed, letting himself go incorporeal again.
"Is that how that works?" Zelda hummed. "We should play around with that and see if we can make it easier on you."
"A bit of training might be worth it." Revali smirked mischievously, and Link wasn't sure he liked that look.
"By the way," Link started, looking more towards his ghostly companions, "when I first died, you explained that only the Gate can guide us to the afterlife. And that the Gateway only appears when someone dies. But Thames passed on without one. How does that work?"
"It's likely because Thames attempted to pass through his Gate when he first died." Urbosa spoke up. "From what I know, if you hold major lingering regrets or desperately have something you wish to pass on, but choose to walk through the Gateway regardless, you'll simply pass through it without moving on. Instead, you will be chained by your regrets until they are addressed. That's why he could spontaneously move on without a physical gate when you freed him from his worries."
"I imagine many Zora are in that position." Mipha winced. "I know for certain that I, myself, did not pass through my Gate. I couldn't possibly leave everyone like that."
"I didn't go through mine, either." Daruk nodded.
"I don't think any of us did." Revali waved his wing. "Though the Rito can summon a Gateway at the peak of Hebra—if our traditions hold. A great Ceremony calls the Spirit of Nayru to guide warriors home. We call it the Ceremony of Winds."
"I've seen it once before." Urbosa nodded. "It's a beautiful celebration."
"I wonder if I'll get one?" Link tilted his head.
"Get one what?" Sidon blinked, utterly lost.
"Ah, Revali was telling us about the Rito's Ceremony of Winds." Link explained as he pulled out the feather Teba gave him. "Since I'm an Honorary Rito, I was wondering if they'd do one for me."
"Undoubtedly so." Revali nodded. "I believe your Ceremony of Winds will be among the most extravagant."
"I see." Sidon winced a bit.
"Sorry." Link apologized. Perhaps it was still too soon to talk about this stuff to Sidon.
"No, please. Don't apologize." The prince shook his head. "I just… forget sometimes." He stood up, offering a hand to Link. "Come now, that Lynel won't defeat itself. And once you move on, we'll need to deal with it ourselves."
Link grimaced a little at the reminder. "Right. I'll show you a few techniques, but it may be better to ask the Rito for help if I'm not there."
"I'll bear that in mind." Sidon nodded. "Though it may take a while for us to contact them."
Link frowned. "You know, there should be some kind of mail system in place, shouldn't there?"
"Hyrule hasn't had anything of the sort since the Great Calamity." Sidon sighed. "I'm starting to wonder if perhaps this land is destined to remain broken."
He didn't like that thought. "It won't." Even still, he didn't know what possessed him to speak with such conviction.
"Pardon? Was that to me, or…?" Sidon blinked.
"This land won't remain broken." Link promised him. "If I'm still here, then I can help. You asked me before what I planned to do, well… maybe this is it." He nodded resolutely as he drew his sword. "I will help mend this broken land. So when I'm gone, I can rest easy knowing that all my friends will be okay." He sent Sidon and the ghosts a grin.
Urbosa let loose a sharp laugh that reminded him of a crack of thunder. "That sounds like a great plan! To unite Hyrule."
"Unite?" Zelda raised an eyebrow. "The six races of Hyrule haven't been united under one banner in thousands of years—since before the last hero! Sure, the Sheikah and Hylians have always been close, but even they are their own sovereign entity."
"You mean all the races were their own kingdoms before?" Link questioned.
"Yes." Mipha nodded.
"Well, I'm not looking to unite Hyrule." He shook his head with a fond smile. "I just want to make sure things will be okay."
"I will help you in any way I can." Sidon promised. "My father may be the king, but I still hold much sway over our people. Should you need the aid of the Zora, we will come."
Link smiled as they crested the hill. "Well, let's start by showing you how to take down a Lynel."
Link sat at the edge of the Domain, feet dangling over the drop as he watched the stars. Mipha sat quietly beside him, her hand gently laid atop his own; the other Champions were doing something or other in the Domain. Link and Mipha hadn't spoken a word, but he didn't feel overly inclined to. He was content enough to just sit there and enjoy the view.
She sighed softly and laid her head against his shoulder, making his heart skip a small beat. Her scales pressed gently against his cheek, and he couldn't help but marvel at how smooth and soft they were. He wasn't sure if it was her body temperature being cooler than his or if his cheeks were actually as warm as they felt, but she felt like ice against his skin.
"You're warm." She hummed softly, snuggling a tad closer. He felt a small smile tug at his lips.
"Well, Hylians are supposed to be warmer than Zora." He gently leaned his own head against hers, feeling mildly awkward. Was he leaning too much? Was he heavy? He didn't want to hurt her.
"Is this okay?" She tilted her head a bit to glance up at him with shining golden eyes. The light of the moon made them nearly glow, and for a moment, Link completely lost himself in them. It was entrancing, almost surreal, to see eyes that looked to be made of molten gold. "Link?"
He felt himself blush a bit harder when he realized he'd been staring a tad longer than was polite. "S-sorry. Uh, yeah, this is… fine." He finished lamely.
Mipha seemed amused, at the very least, so at least he hadn't made a fool of himself for nothing.
Link hesitantly wrapped an arm around her, and pulled her a tad closer, and the Zora melted against him. Something within him settled, and for the first time since he awoke, that incessant need to go somewhere and do something quieted. It was nice. He felt completely content for the first time in his memory.
Perhaps being dead had its perks, after all.
They watched the waves lap against the distant shore, enjoying the tiny piece of tranquility they'd managed to find. Every now and then, a fish would leap from the calm waters, creating a gentle splashing sound that he could somehow hear crisply despite the distance.
"It's so sad." Mipha lamented quietly. Link gave a questioning hum. "The Domain used to be so much bigger. There were so many more Zora." She gave a small shiver, and while Link was sure it had little to do with the cold, he still unclasped his cloak and wrapped it around her shoulders. She blinked up at him owlishly, hands coming up to grip the edges of the weighted fabric.
"I can't do anything about the past." He told her calmly. "But I can still change the future. Zora's Domain isn't what it was, and I doubt it can be that again. But that doesn't mean we can't create something new that's just as beautiful as what you knew."
A few tears gathered in the corner of Mipha's eyes, and for a moment, Link mentally flailed. Had he said the wrong thing?! Maybe old him had the right idea, after all, if this was what it felt like to stick his foot in his mouth.
But then Mipha smiled. "I would love that, Link. And I think… that any future with you, will be a beautiful one."
Link blushed from his neck to his eartips, causing her to laugh. He couldn't help but wish his Slate could record moving pictures with sound, too, because her laughter quieted far too quickly. He was trying to think of another way to make her laugh, when footsteps alerted him to someone's approach.
"I was hoping I'd find you here."
Link eyed Muzu with curiosity. He'd expected Sidon or perhaps another ghost looking for closure, but Muzu wasn't even on the list of possibilities. Why would Mipha's old teacher look for Link?
"I hope I'm not disturbing you." He spoke softly, as if he could sense the quiet atmosphere of serenity that Mipha and Link had created. "But I've been looking for you all night."
"Is something the matter?" Link frowned.
"No." He shook his head. "I wanted to thank you properly, for yesterday. My granddaughter vanished soon after The Great Calamity, and while it was a shock to hear, it's also a great relief to know what happened. I fear I was too distraught to thank you properly."
Link smiled as he gestured for Muzu to sit down with them. He hesitated, but obliged. "Really, I should be the one thanking you."
Muzu blinked and looked at him. "Whatever for?"
"Of all the places I've been and people I've met, Zora's Domain is the one place I can find peace. I have family and flock with the Rito, anonymity and camaraderie with the Gerudo, and brotherhood with the Gorons, but the Zora… you are the only people that just… accept. You know who I was, and all the failures I've left behind me on my path—even the ones I don't recall myself. And you were all rightfully angry with me for failing to protect Mipha a hundred years ago. But despite all this, you've accepted my presence back in your home, and I can't tell you how grateful I am for that."
"We were never angry because we felt you failed Lady Mipha." Muzu corrected with a frown. "Lady Mipha chose to fight of her own volition. I recall her fighting often with her father about joining forces with the Hylians should they ask for our aid, and after months of arguments, she finally won. She was a trained and capable warrior—not a damsel we felt you needed to protect."
"But… why else would you be mad?" Link's brows furrowed in confusion.
"Because you left." There was a vein of anger in Muzu's voice, and Link realized he was still somewhat angry about it. "You swore you would take down the Calamity beside Lady Mipha and the other Champions, and instead you vanished for a hundred years, leaving the Calamity to run rampant. Then you showed up out of nowhere, looking nearly the same as a century ago claiming to not even remember the comrades you abandoned."
Link's gut clenched. "No wonder." He brought up a hand to trace his scars as Mipha gently rubbed his other hand. "Muzu… While it's true that I ran from the castle, it wasn't because I was running from the fight." The old Zora met his eyes. "I was trying to get Zelda to safety. There were hundreds of Guardians swarming Castle Town, and with her Divinity still locked away, I couldn't risk her death. I was going to get her to Fort Hateno, and then return to hold Ganon off until she awakened her powers."
"Then what happened?" He asked, a small trill of desperation in his voice. Link abruptly realized that the Zora had been depending on him. They'd placed their faith in him a hundred years ago, and as far as they knew, he'd turned tail and run at the first sign of the Calamity.
"I died." He whispered out. "Guardians swarmed the fields beyond Fort Hateno. These scars are from the Guardian lasers I took protecting Zelda. I fell when she awoke her powers, and died in her arms." Muzu's eyes were wide. "There's a Shrine of Resurrection on the Great Plateau. She had me taken there, where I slept for a hundred years before I awoke with no memories. I've gotten some of them back, but nothing overly concrete." He sighed.
Muzu had a bitter expression, but the anger was gone. "We were so wrong." He clenched his fist. "We owe you more than a simple apology, Link."
"You owe me nothing." He shook his head. "I'm the one who failed you."
"No, Link." Muzu had an almost gentle tone to his voice. It was something he'd never heard before, but at the same time it was achingly familiar. "We—the elders—are the ones who failed you. We judged you wrongly and because of that, you faced Vah Ruta's wrath alone. Ruta—who was our problem—was forced upon you with no help from us."
"Sidon helped me with Ruta." Link shook his head. "Besides, there was so much Malice on her that I couldn't possibly have asked anyone to come. And I would never ask any of you to face the Blight."
"Blight?" Muzu frowned, and Link abruptly realized that no one—Zora, Rito, Gerudo or Gorons—would have any way of knowing how the Champions died nor that their killers had survived a hundred years.
He wasn't sure he wanted to tell Muzu. It felt oddly personal, especially when even Sidon didn't know. "Ah, forget I mentioned it."
Muzu looked like he would not forget it, but he did let the topic drop, for which Link was grateful. "At the very least, Link, I personally owe you an apology for how I've treated you over the years. Please, if you need anything, don't hesitate to seek me out. Even if it's just a quiet space to get away from the other Zora."
He smiled, feeling the calmness of the night settling in once more. "I'd like that, Muzu."
It'd been three days since Sidon found out the truth. Link was growing more confident in his ghost-to-living communication abilities, and the Zora were starting to calm down about the whole 'seeing ghosts' thing. He'd finally gained enough confidence to talk to the Champions in public, and the Zora now only gave him cursory glances before returning to their work.
It was beyond relieving not to have to hide it. There were also a lot of ghosts around Zora's Domain. Many had been waiting for decades, watching their loved ones grow up or grow old. Some, like Mipharetha—and, as he'd later learn, Rahephen—were waiting for their precious people to pass as well, so they could travel through the Gates together. Link honestly thought it was sweet. Some people, however, didn't want their loved ones to know that they were waiting.
He met one Zora girl who was waiting for her brother, but wanted it to be a surprise. Link had nearly ruined it for her, and he still had the bruise on his arm as proof. Apparently, while he could become intangible to living people and objects, he was always solid to other ghosts.
Now, he was standing up at the top of Shatterback Point with Sidon lounging in the shade of a tree. Oddly enough, Sidon had been there when Link arrived. How Revali had managed to get that done, Link had no idea. But the grin from the Rito told him that he'd somehow managed to get the Zora Prince to the top. "Okay Revali, why did you want me up here?" Link asked, crossing his arms. "And how'd you get Sidon up here?"
Mipha was lounging on a rock next to Sidon as Daruk sat on the ground. Urbosa and Zelda were grinning at Link in a way that made him uncomfortable.
"How I got him here isn't your concern. But thanks to your little accident the other day, I thought you might appreciate some training." Revali smirked.
"He kept sending gales of wind at me until I got the message that I should head up Shatterback." Sidon spoke up, causing Revali to squawk in agitation.
"NOBODY ASKED YOU!" The Rito shouted, momentarily forgetting that Sidon couldn't hear him. Link laughed.
"He then somehow drew in the dirt with an… arrow, I think?"
"You stole my Slate?" Link frowned.
"Twice." Revali smirked, holding it up.
"HEY!" Link's hand went for his hip only to find the Slate was missing. "How do you keep doing that?!"
"That's for me to know and you to ponder." Revali stuck out his tongue as he casually flipped one of the most precious possessions Link owned. "I figured since we could attack that Lynel on Death Mountain, we might also be able to influence things like dirt and the like." He shrugged. "It only influences living or solid objects when it leaves the grasp of the ghost. So I just shot my arrows at the right angle and gathered them back up. It was a tad time consuming, but I got my message across."
Link eyed the scuffed up area of dirt that Revali had likely had Sidon erase. "You said training?" Link raised an eyebrow. "Like… fighting?"
"Oh, no. I'm talking about that little tangibility thing of yours. You have the unheard of ability to turn solid to the living. It's time we train that up. Not only can you not afford to be caught off guard like you were the other night, but it can be a useful ability during a fight. You could go incorporeal to let the enemy's blade pass harmlessly through you before going solid and landing a devastating blow."
"I… I can see that being useful." Link answered slowly with a nod. At this point, it took him several seconds to go from incorporeal to solid. In a fight, that was far too long, especially with the amount of concentration he had to use. He highly doubted he could just switch back and forth like that as he was now. "But that still doesn't explain why you're smirking at me like that."
"Oh, you'll see. Catch!" Revali tossed something at him, and he went solid to catch it on reflex. Luckily, it was fairly easy when it was just one little object he had to influence. "An… apple?"
"To me, it looked like it just appeared out of nowhere." Sidon grinned.
"Huh." Link nodded before looking between the apple and the evilly grinning Rito. His stomach was starting to sink. "O...kay?" He noticed the large pile of various fruit sitting next to the Rito as Sidon got up and stretched.
"Phase through this." Revali stated as Sidon threw a banana at him, and Link dropped his concentration to go intangible. The banana hit the ground while the apple stayed in his hand. "Good. Since things from your slate are solid to ghosts for an hour each, I've taken the liberty of having these fruits sit here for a little more than that. Things from your slate are solid to you regardless of your state of physical being. As such, Sidon will throw the miscellaneous fruit, and I will summon apples and a few other surprises from your slate. You are going to catch every apple, and dodge or phase through everything else."
"Wait, you're going to pelt me with stuff from my slate?! How's that training?!"
"Because you need to learn how to think on your feet. Enough talk!" Revali tossed a durian up and down with a fearsome smirk. "Start."
"I hate you." Link glared at the laughing Rito as he nursed his new bruises. The sun was setting over the horizon and they'd finally called the 'training' to an end. "I will get my revenge."
"I-I must say that was very… erm… interesting training." Sidon was doing his best not to laugh, but Link sent him a glare anyways. He sat down on the edge of the cliff to watch the sunset. Sidon and the other Champions joined him.
"How much fruit did you waste?" Link bemoaned the loss of good food.
"You're dead, you don't need to eat." Revali shot back. "Do you?"
"I dunno?" Link shrugged. "I still get hungry and tired, so maybe?"
"So now we have to worry about you starving to death, too?"
"Hey, don't blame me, I'm just as new to this as you are!" Link huffed as Sidon put a hand on his shoulder. The sun was completely below the horizon, now, and night was quickly settling in. But the warmth of the day still lingered, and Link had no intentions of leaving the peak anytime soon.
"So what're you going to do, Link?" Sidon asked. "I mean, Ganon is sealed."
"I suppose I'll do what I said the other day. I'll do my best to help rebuild Hyrule." Link looked up to the sky. The clouds lazily crawled across the inky darkness. "Sidon, have you ever had my cooking?" He asked suddenly, and the prince turned towards him with a confused blink.
"I… I wasn't aware you could cook?"
"Mipha seems to like it, so I thought maybe you might like to try it, too. Have you ever had something cooked over a traveler's pot?" He started setting up the fire with the ease of experience as a grin tugged at his lips.
"I can't say I have. I've hardly left Zora's Domain, honestly. Father is far too protective of me." Sidon admitted, and Mipha frowned at that.
"Then you're in for a treat!" Link beamed, and the Zora Prince returned it with one of his own. Within ten minutes, he had everything set up. "Come on, I can even teach you the recipe while I'm at it."
"I would enjoy that." Sidon smiled. Link showed him the ingredients and excitedly explained how the flavors would interact with one another, and which spices to use with which kinds of dishes. "You seem to have a passion for this."
"Cooking is…" Link thought for a long moment. "It's something that I truly enjoy doing. It's nothing 'heroic' and I have no idea if I knew how to do it beforehand—"
"You didn't." Zelda butted in unrepentantly. "You once gave an entire squadron food poisoning when they mistakenly put you on cooking rotation."
"I… erm… you certainly had a unique palate as a child." Mipha winced.
"Okay, according to Zelda and Mipha, I really couldn't cook before." He laughed and Sidon snickered a bit.
"I think the only thing you could cook was roasted or grilled fish." Mipha mused as Revali snorted.
"But cooking is something that's mine. It isn't something that has to do with who I was before, or a skill or talent that I need to live up to… it's something I've made for myself. It's part of the person I've made myself into on this journey, and… I feel like I can claim it as a part of who I am. It's… nice. I think… if I had lived, I would've liked to retire as a cook or something."
Sidon smiled sadly at that. "You know, in some Zora cultures, it's customary to learn the favored trade or talent of people close to you, so that they will always be with you after they pass—or you them."
Link tilted his head in thought for a moment. "I like that. It's sweet." He smiled. "Would you like to learn to cook, Sidon?"
The Zora Prince startled a bit before blinking back the shine in his eyes. "Y-yes. I would love to, my friend."
Link made a mental note to write down his favorite recipes so Sidon could learn them. If it helped his friend grieve or smile after he was gone, then it'd be worth the trouble of re-learning how to write.
"I must say, that smells tantalizing." He spoke up after a while. It was starting to get late, but nobody in their group seemed to care.
"It's Hearty Stew—simple, tasty, and revitalizing. Great for when you're feeling under the weather." He grinned as he pulled out the bowls. Sidon looked at the extra five bowls confusedly.
"Stuff from my Slate is solid to ghosts." He explained as he portioned out the stew and stored it, only to bring it back out a moment later. He handed Zelda her dish, and Sidon's eyes widened when it seemingly vanished. "So they can enjoy my cooking, too. They may not need to eat, but nobody should be without a good meal."
"You can say that again!" Daruk grinned as he took his stew and Rare Rock Roast that Link had stocked up on during their trip to Death Mountain.
"Thank you." Revali took his dish with a flourish that hid the eager gleam in his eye. Link couldn't help but smirk when the Rito was the first to ask for seconds.
"My, this is amazing!" Sidon exclaimed after taking a bite. "I've never had such delicious food! You must teach me how to make this!"
Link grinned as he ate his own stew. "The secret to the flavor punch is the Goron Spice. I think you've got a few Gorons who travel here from time to time, so you might be able to get some from them."
"Yes, I'll have to ask them about that."
"But don't add too much, or it'll make it waaay too spicy." Link laughed. "I've made that mistake before."
They ate in a companionable chatter. To Link, the conversation flowed without pause, but he knew that Sidon had lots of awkward silence because he could only hear Link's part of these conversations, so he tried his best to talk to the only living person in the group and explain what the others were doing or saying.
It was rather late when their bowls were empty and the pot was cold. Link stowed it all away in the Slate to clean later—or sometimes it'd just be clean when he took it out, and he had no idea how that worked. "We should probably head down before it gets too late." He stretched.
Sidon frowned as he looked at the sky, eyeing the pink moon as it shone from a gap in the clouds. "It's a full moon tonight." He nodded. "We should leave the peak before that Lynel comes back. From the looks of it, it's nearly midnight."
"Right." Link nodded, gingerly rubbing his side as it ached. "Damn, Revali, you've got one hell of an arm."
"Stop being such a wimp, that was hours ago." Revali shook his head with an eye roll.
Link frowned as his scars from his battle with Ganon pulsated in mild pain. Something wasn't right, here. Sure, he'd been sore all night, but this was more than the fruit. He glanced at the moon as they made their way down the mountain. The familiar reddish tinge grew more vibrant the higher it climbed into the sky. "A Blood Moon. So even after he's been sealed…"
Sidon suddenly stopped as he stared at Mipha—at Mipha—with an open mouth.
"Sidon?" She asked, tilting her head to the side.
"M-Mipha?" He responded, and the ghosts jolted.
"Y-you can see me?" She questioned, eyes wide.
"I… yes." He reached out as if to touch her, but his hand went through her arm. She winced terribly and shuddered, and Link was instantly sympathetic because he knew what that felt like, now.
"So suddenly we're visible to the living?" Daruk scratched his head.
"Great. Something else to worry about." Revali huffed, sending a glare at Link. "I blame you."
"I don't really see how this is my fault or a bad thing." Link shrugged, ignoring the ripple of discomfort the action caused.
"Can you see all of us?" Urbosa asked, and Sidon's eyes flickered to her for a moment as he nodded.
"I can. I wonder if it's due to the Blood Moon?"
Link's side was really bothering him, as was the scar on his chest from being impaled. He absently went to rub his side, only to freeze at the feeling of something warm moving beneath his skin.
"It's possible, but I don't see why it'd suddenly change now." Daruk rubbed his chin. "I mean, nothing's changed except for the Little Guy and the Princess…"
Link lifted the edge of his shirt a bit to look at his scar, careful not to draw any attention to himself. His eyes widened. Sure, the scar had always been a bit purplish, but some scars were just like that. Now, however, it was pulsating with a sickly reddish purple color—the unmistakable color of Malice. He let the edge of his shirt drop as his heart pounded. Was this because of the Blood Moon?
"Perhaps it's due to Link?" Zelda tilted her head. "We all spend so much time around him… maybe during the Blood Moons we become visible for a short period of time?"
"I'd say it's impossible, but after what I've seen…" Revali sighed before looking at Link. "You're looking a bit pale." His statement brought the rest of the group's eyes to him.
"He's right." Mipha frowned. "Are you feeling okay?"
Link was about to say something to reassure them he was fine, when a ripping agony in his scars brought him to his knees.
"Link!" Mipha was by his side instantly. "What's wrong?" Her hands hovered over him worriedly as he clutched the impalement scar on his chest with one hand and his side with his other.
He couldn't breathe for a moment. All he could feel was the ripping waves of agony. As it started to ebb, he sucked in a large gulp of air.
"Link, what's wrong?" That was Urbosa.
"I… I think… Blood Moon." He managed to hiss the words out through gritted teeth.
"The Blood Moon?" Revali frowned for a moment before saying something else that Link couldn't understand.
Another wave of agony swept through him, piercing his injuries with a hot knife, making his vision blur with unshed tears. The voices of the others were starting to become garbled as he noticed the telltale thickening of the air around them. The Malice in his scars pulsed again, reacting to the call of the rising Crimson Moon.
"He's clutching at his scars, take off his shirt!" Revali realized as he helped Mipha remove the Champion's tunic.
"Oh Hylia." Zelda covered her mouth in horror. His scars were practically oozing Malice. Small veins of purple spread out from each scar—not very far, but enough to worry them.
"Is that—?!" Sidon couldn't help but stare in horror.
"The injuries that killed him." Urbosa affirmed. "It looks like the Malice never left his body."
"But he doesn't even have a body anymore!" Zelda argued.
"Can you purify it?" Daruk asked the princess, wringing his hands tightly.
"I can try—"
"No, don't." Revali stopped her. "If you purify that Malice, it could reopen those wounds. That would kill him again, and I really don't want to find out if he can permanently die as a ghost."
Zelda grimaced and backed off. "You're right. Maybe we can find another way…?"
The flakes of Malice started to rise into the air, and Link let out a small whimper. He was no longer aware of the people around him, and the pain was only growing more intense. Tears leaked from the corner of his eye as the spirits and prince around him winced.
"Is there nothing we can do?" Sidon asked desperately.
"I'm afraid we have to wait it out." Mipha cringed as she spoke. "I don't want to risk anything with that Malice."
"Unfortunately, that's about all we can do." Urbosa nodded.
The Malice started to multiply as midnight drew ever closer. The moon's glow cloaked the world in a vermillion veil as power started to swirl around them. Link writhed on the ground in agony as the power reached a fever pitch. A tortured scream tore itself from the hero's throat, causing all present to flinch at the sound. His exposed scars pulsed and glowed with a sickening light, and Mipha had to pull her hands away for fear of being hurt by the active Malice. A pulsing golden glow emanated from his hand as his Triforce attempted to fight off the Malice, which only seemed to make things worse.
The familiar cry of monsters rose into the air like a horrific symphony, and the not-too-far roar of a Lynel told them that Shatterback Point was no longer safe. And then, the power abruptly vanished. The flecks turned into wisps of smoke as the moon's sinister crimson glow dulled to a soft scarlet. The Malice was still flowing through the air, but it was no longer suffocating.
Link gasped for breath, curling in on himself. But a feathered arm stopped him from doing so. "R-Revali?" He questioned as he stared up at the Rito with pain-glazed eyes.
"Let Mipha have a look." He spoke in a strangely soft tone, like how one would speak to a frightened child.
"It looks like it's reopened a bit, but nothing too worrisome. With some rest, he'll be fine. My Grace is still active enough to speed up his healing factor." She finally said.
"Well, that's a relief. But we should finish heading down this mountain before that Lynel decides to join us." Urbosa glanced up the trail. "Though we should put his shirt back on if we're heading into the Domain. I don't want the Zora to see those scars."
"You're right." Sidon nodded.
"You can still see us?" Daruk asked as he carefully scooped Link up into his arms after Mipha and Zelda slipped his shirt back on. He looked fairly out of it, and hardly twitched as they pulled his shirt back on.
"You aren't as clear as you were before, but yes." Sidon answered.
"I'll speak with father, then, when we get home." Mipha smiled a bit at the thought. "It'll be nice to be able to speak with you both again."
"Indeed." Sidon smiled, but he glanced over at Link with worry. "Are you sure you don't want to…?"
"We can watch over Link tonight." Zelda insisted. "Mipha, this is your chance for some closure. You deserve it."
"Thank you, Zelda." Mipha hugged her fellow princess.
The walk down the mountain was tense and carried an air of intense worry. Link was all but unconscious in Daruk's arms, and nobody felt comfortable enough to break the silence that had befallen them.
When the guards of the Domain saw the group, their eyes widened in disbelief. "L-L-Lady Mipha?!"
"Hello. It has been a long time." Mipha greeted. "I do believe we can explain things later, but for now, I would very much appreciate it if we could pass."
"It is indeed my sister." Sidon answered their questions. "But we need to pass. Link is hurt."
"Sir Link!" One of the guards' eyes widened. "A-and Champion Daruk?!"
The commotion was starting to draw attention. "I'll handle them." Mipha decided.
"I'll help you." Urbosa stepped beside Mipha. "Revali, you, Daruk and Zelda take Link to his usual room."
"I can come?" Sidon offered.
"And lose this night with your sister?" Zelda shot him a look. "I think not."
"Mipha?" The whole area went silent as King Dorephan stood at the edge of the Domain, a look of unbridled joy and sorrow on his face. Daruk and the others managed to sneak by while the rest of the living were distracted by Mipha.
"Hello, Father." Mipha smiled.
"H-how?"
Mipha's gaze followed Link and the others as they left. "I can only assume it's a side effect of what happened to Link during his battle. When the Blood Moon rose, we became visible to Sidon. I believe that we will once again become invisible to you once the sun rises."
"Since it hasn't happened with any of the other ghosts, we can only assume it's connected to Link." Urbosa added, glancing at the spirits that had gathered alongside the living.
"Champion Urbosa. It has been a long time." King Dorephan greeted.
"Indeed." She smiled. "But I see that you three have a lot to catch up on, so I'll let you be." She gave a small laugh as she walked away, leaving Mipha with her family and people.
"Come, Father. Sidon. We have much to discuss." Mipha smiled at them as she led them back towards the royal quarters. "And I want to hear all about you two."