Thanks so much to MexicAmerichick6, James Birdsong, and Ninxeldwin for reviewing! I'm glad you guys enjoyed last chapter's fluff while you could! Because, ah...well, you'll see. ;)
Anyway, on with the chapter!
~ Chapter 12 ~
Several days after Link's initial rescue from the Yiga Clan hideout, Prince Sidon arrived in Hateno Village. He was quickly filled in on everything that had occurred in his absence - and that same explanation was repeated two days later when Chief Riju arrived as well.
Sidon's heart had plummeted at the news that his Hylian friend was afflicted with severe Malice poisoning. Though he had never actually come into contact with any of the pools of pure Malice that had long been scattered across Hyrule, he recalled the overwhelming sense of discomfort that had once plagued Zora's Domain when the Blight-cursed Vah Ruta had drawn close. Even the endless rains that it produced felt unclean somehow, and Sidon now suspected that it was due to the Divine Beast being thoroughly polluted with Malice.
If even those faint traces in tiny droplets of water could unsettle him so, then what did that say of Link's condition?
The Zora prince found himself wondering, if he had only shared even a fragment of his late sister's healing magic, could he have done anything to help? Because as things currently stood, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was entirely useless.
Still, Sidon wasn't inclined to simply return to Zora's Domain and forget what was happening in Hateno, and it seemed that Yunobo, Teba, and Riju shared that sentiment. It all came as no surprise, really - the four of them had all had their homes saved from the effects of Malice by the young Hylian Champion. Staying by his side and making themselves useful wherever they could while he now suffered at the hands of the dark substance was truly the least they could do.
Each time he had spoken to Link over the course of a few days, he had seemed healthy enough - but Sidon knew enough about the young knight to realize that he was likely hurting more than he would dare to let on. True, Princess Zelda's holy presence beside him likely soothed his pain considerably, but the Zora had his doubts that the boy was truly as content as he pretended to be.
There was always a bit of strain to his smile, a cautiousness to his voice. At times, he would lose his train of thought mid-sentence and start staring at the wall, eyes squinted ever so slightly, until Zelda gently nudged him back to reality. The princess reported that Link was sleeping well enough, but most of the time, he refused to eat more than a few bites of any food he was presented with, which was absolutely unheard of.
Still, the boy would never complain. At this rate, Sidon wasn't sure if Link's silence was from pride, fear, or reluctance to make the others worry. Perhaps a mix of all three?
Zelda noticed it as well, he was certain. How could she not? She had been practically glued to Link's side for days, not daring to leave him for fear of giving the Malice an opening to overtake him. She'd watch him carefully whenever he was awake, and when he slept, she would spend her time meditating.
When Sidon had asked what she was doing, she'd explained that she was attempting to will her sacred power into "recharging" faster. She knew how to use it now, she had assured him, but after one hundred years of keeping Calamity Ganon imprisoned, she was understandably drained. As such, the princess was forced to wait a while before she could potentially use it to cure Link, though she seemed determined to draw her magic back out as quickly as she could.
As it so happened, it seemed that whatever she was doing was working, slowly but surely. Zelda claimed that she could feel her power growing stronger, and figured that the range of its effects might be expanding as well. Before long, she was (reluctantly, and mostly at Purah's request, as it seemed the Sheikah scientist was concerned about Zelda's wellbeing as much as Link's) running tests to see how far from Link's side she could stray before the Malice within him would be undeterred in its advances.
At first, merely leaving Link's house would cause him to fall especially ill. Then, after Zelda meditated for hours on end, concentrating only on her power's growth, she was able to go all the way across the bridge in front of the house without letting the sacred aura fade. Then, she was able to reach the general store in town. Then the dye shop, then the inn. Though she still generally preferred to stay close to her knight, she was soon able to gain a bit more freedom to move around and take care of herself while still keeping him safe.
Today, however, they would run their most ambitious test yet. While Sidon and Riju watched Link for any signs of Malice sickness, Zelda would walk all the way up to the Hateno Ancient Tech Lab in an attempt to see how elevation factored into her magic's range.
Naturally, the princess was a nervous wreck because of it.
"You must let me know immediately if he shows any signs whatsoever of being sick!" she was rambling, wringing her hands as she paced back and forth in front of Sidon and Riju. "There has to be a signal, a conspicuous signal! One I can see from all the way up the hill, if I get that far, so something like...like…"
"Like a lightning strike?" Riju asked with a knowing smile, gesturing at the Thunder Helm tucked under her arm.
Zelda snapped her fingers and pointed at the young Gerudo chief. "Yes!" she exclaimed. "Exactly! If anything happens, anything at all, signal me with lightning and I'll come straight back! Understood!?"
"Of course, Your Highness!" Sidon confirmed with a respectful nod. "You can count on us to keep a close eye on him, I assure you."
It seemed to the Zora prince that his words had done little to ease the Hylian princess' nerves, though she nodded several times, mumbling to herself over and over, "Yes, yes, of course…"
Sidon and Riju shared a glance. At this rate, they seemed to have more reason to be worried about Zelda stressing herself into a heart attack than Link falling victim to his own festering sickness.
Thankfully, though, before Zelda could agonize any further, the young Sheikah woman who had volunteered to escort her up the hill, Paya, approached the fretting princess. "A-Are you ready to go, Your Highness?" she asked timidly, her eyes nervously tracking her as she continued to pace.
"Not...particularly," Zelda answered with a wince. "But...ugh. We should go all the same, otherwise I'll be here pacing all day!" She took a breath and turned to face Sidon and Riju one last time. "Remember - watch him carefully. If there's any problems, call me back with a lightning strike immediately."
Sidon nodded enthusiastically, as though this wasn't the hundredth time she'd given them those instructions. "You'll have nothing to fear! Your power is strengthening, after all - I'm sure Link will be just fine!"
"Right, right…" Zelda murmured, though she still appeared anxious.
Paya stepped forward, gently taking the girl's arm. "H-Here, let's go…" she said softly, nudging the princess lightly to get her to walk towards the bridge. "Master Link will be okay…"
Despite Zelda's clear reluctance, she allowed the Sheikah to lead her away, casting several glances over her shoulder until the two of them finally cleared the bridge and moved into the main village itself. Sidon was almost certain that, had Paya not been gripping the Hylian princess' arm, she likely would have immediately run back to repeat her spiel once again. As it stood, however, the two young women kept walking, leaving the Zora and the Gerudo alone with the knight still resting inside.
Once they were gone, Sidon cleared his throat and looked down at the girl beside him. "Come - we should head inside and keep our friend company," he told her.
Riju nodded. "Right!"
The young chief turned on her heel and swiftly entered the building, heading straight for the stairs leading up to the loft. Sidon, however, was forced to take more time with his entry, carefully ducking under the low doorframe that had been designed for the much-shorter Hylians. He supposed it made sense that a race of such small people would feel more comfortable in such tight, enclosed spaces, but he personally preferred the open-air structure that was Zora's Domain. At least there, he didn't have to worry about hitting his head on any ceilings.
Thankfully, the Zora prince was at least able to stand on the ground floor of Link's house without needing to bend over. He could also climb the stairs if he remembered to lower his head near the top where the roof slanted a bit. He could technically stand up properly on the loft itself, but an inconveniently placed rafter ran across the center of the building, practically at the perfect height for the tall Zora to whack his forehead on if he wasn't careful - as he knew from experience, unfortunately. Still, he couldn't exactly complain. If nothing else, Sidon had it better than poor Yunobo in regards to accessibility to Hylian homes.
As Sidon gingerly stepped into the loft, bending low to avoid that damned rafter, he glanced over to see Riju sitting down in a chair beside Link's bed. The Hylian Champion himself was also sitting rather than lying down, propped up by several pillows. His eyes were downcast, staring blankly at his own hands as he fiddled with the Sheikah Slate, which Zelda had left in his care - perhaps to have something to occupy him?
In any case, the young man's gaze was glued to the screen as he rhythmically swept his fingertips across it, sending the images that appeared on it away almost as quickly as they arrived.
Sidon coughed lightly to get Link's attention. "So, Link...what are you looking at?" he questioned, attempting to keep his voice lighthearted despite the tense atmosphere.
Characteristically enough, Link did not speak.
Riju craned her neck over to catch a glimpse of the screen, her eyebrows lifting. "Looks like he's just scrolling through all of the pictures on this thing," she answered for him. After a few moments of continuing to watch, she gave Link a mildly confused side-eye. "...do you really need that many pictures of horses?"
The young knight merely shrugged, mumbled something that sounded suspiciously like, "I like horses," and continued swiping his finger across the slate.
Sidon had used to wonder if all Hylians were this odd, but had ultimately come to the conclusion that, no, it was just Link.
"Right...er...how are you feeling?" was the Zora prince's next attempt to engage the boy in conversation.
Link merely shrugged.
Sidon and Riju exchanged a concerned glance. Link had always been difficult to read, but at times like these, when he entirely shut himself down and affixed a blank, stony stare onto his face, it was nearly impossible to tell what he was thinking. It was clear enough that he was anxious about Zelda leaving his side, but to what extent? And was it affecting him physically yet?
Sidon couldn't help but fear that they might not be able to tell until it was too late.
()()()()
Riju was growing bored, admittedly, but she kept her emerald gaze firmly fixed on the ailing Hylian voe in front of her. After everything he and the princess had done for the Gerudo - no, for all of Hyrule, the least she could do in return was follow Zelda's instructions to the letter.
At the first sign of Malice sickness, signal with a lightning strike.
The three of them had been sitting in relative silence for several minutes, with Riju and Sidon keeping a close eye on Link, who seemed acutely aware of the fact that Zelda was moving further and further away. His nails tapped incessantly on the Sheikah Slate's screen, having given up on actually scrolling through images.
Eventually, he abandoned the Slate altogether, instead scratching lightly at his arms and wiping sweat from his forehead.
Riju's eyebrows shot up as she lifted slightly from her chair, peering at the Champion's paling face. "Is this it?" she questioned, head tilted. "Is this the Malice kicking in?"
"...m-maybe," Link answered quietly, speaking for the first time in a while. "I don't know, it's...it's hot, though…"
"Right, um...here!" Riju grabbed a cloth off of the nearby nightstand and dipped it into the water basin at her side, which she noticed was starting to run low. As she pressed the cool, damp cloth to Link's forehead, she nodded in Sidon's direction, nudging the basin towards him with her foot. "Could you go refill this while I signal to the princess?"
"Of course!" Sidon exclaimed, nearly springing up before remembering the low rafter above him, narrowly avoiding hitting his head. The Zora prince offered a sheepish, shark-toothed grin before snatching up the basin and hurrying outside.
Riju, meanwhile, carefully positioned the Thunder Helm under her arm, closing her eyes in concentration. She hoped that one day, she'd be able to harness lightning without even touching the Helm, just as Champion Urbosa once had, but for now, she was stuck carrying it everywhere if she wanted to use its power. As such, she lifted her free hand, positioning her fingers to snap and summon a thunderbolt.
However, a hand shot out and grabbed hers before she ever got the chance.
The young chief's viridian eyes stretched wide as she gaped down at the partially bandaged fingers suddenly almost crushing her own. Her gaze slowly slid down, tracing Link's arm, his shoulder, his neck, his face, his eyes.
She gasped sharply.
His eyes.
Link's scleras had turned obsidian black, his pupils barely existent. His irises now stretched into cat-like slits and glowed like firelight. A foul, magenta and black substance built up around his eyelids, his nose, the corners of his mouth, threatening to spill over at any second.
Riju's breath caught in her throat.
Zelda had strayed too far. The Malice had surged forward to make its move, faster than it ever had before. But now, it seemed, the evil sludge's intent wasn't to kill the Hylian Champion.
It was to control him.
Before Riju could blink, the cursed voe sprang from his bed, surging forward and shoving her against the loft's railing. The Thunder Helm fell from beneath her arm, clattering somewhere off to the side.
"Link - !" she gasped, though her voice was quickly cut off when Link's hands wrapped tightly around her neck. She retained just enough sense to inhale deeply before he squeezed, buying herself a few extra seconds to struggle.
And struggle she did. Physically speaking, Link was only a few years older than the young vai, and her natural Gerudo strength helped her pull at his wrists just enough to keep him from fully crushing her windpipe.
Still, despite his small size - even for a Hylian - Link had always possessed an incredible strength that barely seemed human. Riju herself had once watched him slice through the thick hide of a Molduga as though it was made of butter, and she knew of his habit of accidentally breaking weapons of solid steel from being too forceful with them.
With a dawning sense of horror, Riju realized just how close she now walked to her own death.
Her eyes darted around the room - anything to escape the burning obsidian gaze of the evil possessing her friend - until they finally found the Thunder Helm on the floor a few feet away. Perhaps it was still close enough to reach?
She stretched her left arm out as far as it would go, sacrificing her grip on one of Link's wrists to reach for her precious heirloom. She winced as the pressure around her neck grew stronger and darkness appeared at the edges of her vision. Still, she would not let that stop her.
Link seemed too preoccupied with staring unblinkingly into the face of his victim to notice her fingertips nearing the Helm. Barely a blessing, really, but perhaps it would be enough to save her.
Finally, Riju's nails tapped the golden surface of the Thunder Helm. Squeezing her eyes shut tightly, she gave one last tug at Link's arm, letting as much air trickle into her desperate lungs as his stone-like grip would allow.
Then, she released him entirely and snapped.
Neither the crash of thunder nor the flash of lightning outside deterred the Malice-cursed Hylian Champion. If anything, his grip on Riju's throat became even tighter as the vai snapped twice more, then returned her efforts to struggling to force his wrists away. Riju's mind was nearly empty now, her only focuses being survival and clinging to the consciousness that threatened to leave her.
The signal had been sent. Now all she had to do was fight long enough for someone to answer.