The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

The Voice
5 – Misplaced faith?

Impa did not seem surprised to see the pair of them again. She simply smiled and nodded to Link as he stepped inside her house.

"Back so soon?" she asked, startling poor Paya, who'd been busy attending to the large ball-like object in the corner. She yelped and scrambled to her feet, dropping the cleaning supplies she'd been using, which spilled onto the floor.

"Oh no!" Paya exclaimed, stuck between cleaning it up and being respectful of their guest...and failing at both, looking more and more awkward with each passing second.

"Never mind about that, Paya," Impa said, a hint of exasperation in her voice, the sort reserved for unruly children. "You can clean that up later."

"Y-Yes, grandmother," she said gratefully. "W-Welcome back, L-Link," she greeted, bowing a little. Link returned it, not sure if he was supposed to or not.

"Indeed," Impa said. "Welcome back, Link. To what do we owe the pleasure? I take it you have spoken with my sister?"

"Y-Yes, w-we have," Link said. "I-It's a-actually about th-that..."

"Specifically, his memories," Sheik supplied helpfully. "The cra...I mean, Purah found a series of photographs on the slate, apparently taken by the princess. On account of Link being her appointed protector, he was likely with her when they were taken."

"So, you're attempting to find these places to see if Link remembers something?" Impa finished, nodding. "That is a sound plan, and currently our best bet to restore your memory, Link."

"Thing is..."

"W-We d-don't kn-know where th-these places are," Link said. "W-We w-were hoping y-you could h-help."

"I shall try my best," Impa said, holding out her hand. "May I see the photographs?"

For once, Sheik didn't complain or cry out about being manhandled, allowing Impa to swipe through the photographs of the various landscapes Princess Zelda had taken so long ago. Link wondered why she hadn't taken any photographs of herself...or him...or anyone else, at that, but who was he to question royalty?

"Hm...this one is taken near Lon Lon Ranch. Or what's left of it," she said, referring to the first photograph. "This one in Akkala...this is the Southern Oasis in the Gerudo Desert..." She listed of a set of approximate locations, her brow furrowing. "Hmph, my own memory appears to be failing in this case, I'm afraid. I travelled all over Hyrule in my youth, but it has been years since I was in any shape to leave this village." She gave Link an apologetic look. "I am not of much use here, Link. My apologies."

Link nodded. He hadn't been expecting miracles. The places she had rattled off was better than nothing. He made to take the slate from her, but she paused, holding it just out of his reach.

"However, there might be one individual who can help you with this," she said. "Paya, do you know if Pikango is currently in the village?"

"I th-think he s-set out the day b-before yesterday," Paya said.

"Hmph, typical," Impa said, giving the slate back to Link. "Pikango is something of an...informant for us. He travels all over Hyrule, keeps an eye out for trouble. If anyone would know where these photographs were taken, it is him."

"A spy, then. Where was he headed?" Sheik asked, voicing Link's question for him.

"N-North-west," Paya supplied. Her hands were folded, face bright red. It made Link wonder if Sheik was actually right about her...well, liking him. "T-Towards Zora's Domain."

"Sh-Sheik, c-can you—"Link began, but the slate was ahead of him.

"I've marked the approximate location on the map," Sheik said. "There's a tower there—we'll have to activate it to gain a proper overview of the area."

"Th-Thanks."

It was almost suspicious, how compliant and well-behaved Sheik was being, but Link assumed that was because they were in the presence of Impa. Whatever she had said to him (or threatened him with), it had clearly given him second thoughts about annoying the Sheikah clan leader. Link wondered if there was a key-phrase or something Impa could teach him, or remind Sheik of when he was being particularly obnoxious...

"How was Purah?" Impa asked suddenly. "I have not seen my sister in years—I can only hope she is in good health?"

"She's nuts!"

...so much for well-behaved. Link suppressed a groan and buried his face in his hands, a gesture he was growing increasingly used to performing whenever Sheik opened his big mouth. To his amusement, Paya was doing something similar, massaging her temples. Had either of them been able to, they'd share a look of commiseration.

"Nephew..." Impa said warningly.

"No, she really is utterly nuts! Crazy!" Sheik exclaimed. "She used herself as a test subject for an experimental anti-aging potion! And it worked a little too well!"

"Is this true?" she asked Link, who nodded.

"Sh-She looks s-six years old," he said.

"And has the mannerisms of one!"

That had Impa sighing and shaking her head. "That does not surprise me in the least. Purah always was reckless with her experiments...and childish."

"That was a pre-existing condition?" Sheik asked in disbelief. "Good grief..."

Link tried to imagine Purah looking her actual age and still snapping her fingers, posing strangely, and tacking the letter Y onto the end of everyone's names. His mind absolutely failed at conjuring up the image ...and perhaps that was for the best. He already felt like his sanity was hanging on by a thin thread—seeing something like that, either in his mind or in real life, would probably be the final straw.

"I was quite relieved when she passed the clan leadership to me instead of taking up the mantle herself, to be honest. She always preferred her scientific work to...well, anything else, really." Impa said, sighing. "At least she is fine, all things considered." She focused on Sheik. "I assume she was able to restore the slate's functions?"

"Good as new," Sheik said, almost a little proudly.

"Excellent, then you will surely be an even better companion for Link from here on. Right?"

The edge to her tone left no room for arguments or any other answer than a tiny "Yes, aunt," from the slate.

"Good boy," she said.

From anyone else, that would have had Sheik bristling, but to Link's astonishment he didn't make a single comment, remaining silent and, dare he say it, respectful?

"Now, I said I would have something for you when you recovered your memories, Link," she continued, pinning Link with a piercing look. "But I think it would do you good to have it now." She paused and looked to Paya. "Though perhaps we should have privacy for this." Paya nodded and went for the door, but paused when Impa cleared her throat. "Take your cousin with you, please."

"Y-Yes, grandmother," Paya said, hesitantly holding out her hand, seemingly terrified of even touching the slate. Link gave her an encouraging smile (which he wasn't sure if she even saw) before gently placing the slate in her hand.

"If this is about the quest, I should be here to hear it," Sheik tried to protest, but Impa overheard him. "Hey!"

The door slid shut behind Paya, leaving Impa alone with Link. The old woman sighed. "Ah, peace and quiet. Sheik is an interesting individual, but he does grate on the nerves a bit."

Link nodded. He couldn't have put it better himself. He ignored the slight feeling of loneliness that was already welling up within him. Just his luck, to have separation anxiety on top of everything else.

"He just needs a little guidance," she continued. "Travelling with you is already doing him a world of good, I think."

"H-He t-tries," Link offered.

Impa gave him a sympathetic look. "Do let me know if he becomes a handful, though. No nephew of mine will be an obstacle to the Hero of Hyrule."

"Th-Thank y-you."

"You must be dying to know what I have for you," she said with a knowing grin. Link hadn't even noticed how he was nearly bouncing on his feet. "Take a look in that chest over there."

It stood near the ball Paya had been cleaning, which looked remarkably like the ones found in the shrines, in fact. Link made a note to ask about that later. The chest next to it was made of thick, durable metal. Inside was a sky-blue tunic with white details, a stylised image of the famous Master Sword beneath the neck. It was beautiful.

"It is known as the Champion's Tunic. You wore that a hundred years ago," Impa said as Link held the tunic aloft, running his fingers over the soft fabric. "It was bestowed upon you by the king when you rose to knighthood, and you were chosen to wield the Master Sword."

"Th-This was m-mine..." Link muttered, unable to believe it.

"It is up to you whether or not you wish to wear it, but I ask that you take it with you, as a reminder," the old woman said with a smile. "It might help to wear it when you meet with the leaders of the Zora, Rito, Goron, and Gerudo. They should recognise its significance right away."

Link looked at her, feeling his eyes growing a little wet. There was something...familiar about the tunic. He couldn't remember having seen it, much less wearing it, but something about the sight of it, the feel of it between his fingers, was tugging at something in his chest. "Th-Thank you," he said, his voice barely above a whisper.

"You're welcome, dearest Link," she said. "I hope it will help in the long run."

He carefully folded the tunic and gently put it away in his pack—the Sheikah armour was a little too complicated with its buckles and belts for him to change into it now. He definitely would try it on later, though. He wondered if Sheik would like it...

"Now," Impa said, "I take it there is something you wish to speak to me about regarding a certain voice? I saw it in your eyes when Sheik spoke of Purah. Did something happen?"

Link almost wished Sheik had done something stupid, rather than turn out to be a little more complicated than just a person trapped in the slate. It would have made things easier. "W-We learned s-something about h-him..." he admitted, going back to sitting on his knees in front of her.

"Tell me, and spare no detail," Impa said kindly.

Outside, Paya was tending to the sacrificial statues lining the edge of the river behind Impa's house, removing moss that had begun to grow on them. The slate was lying on one of the trays used for offerings.

"So..."

Paya's hands stilled for a moment before returning to their work. "Y-Yes?" she asked nervously.

"We're cousins now."

"S-So it s-seems," she agreed, already wanting for the conversation to be over.

"Does that mean I should call you Paya-chan? Or Paya-nee?"

"P-Paya will be f-fine."

"All right." The screen dimmed for a bit. "You can call me Sheik."

"I w-will, Sheik."

"You like Link, don't you?"

The knife she'd used to scrape the moss off the rock nearly went flying into the river—she barely managed to catch it before it did so. Her face as red as her eyes, she looked with horror at the slate, which radiated satisfaction. "H-How—?!"

"Anyone with eyes can see it," Sheik said. "Hell, I don't even have eyes, just an ocular lens, but...you know. It's pretty obvious."

Paya didn't respond. She returned to her task, but it was obvious her heart wasn't in it, her movements uneven and rough. She had no idea if this was some sort of bait, or if her new family member was trying some sort of weird bonding.

"He didn't believe me when I told him."

The knife did end up in the river this time, and more than one of the offering trays were knocked over, spilling the apple offerings. "Y-You told him?!" she hissed.

"Oh, was I not supposed to?" Sheik asked. "I figured I'd try to help, since neither of you were going to take the first step." He sounded perfectly innocent as he said it, but Paya had a strong feeling his intentions were far from it. "Of course, with his self-esteem lost in the gutter somewhere, the idea of anyone liking him in that way appears to be an utterly foreign concept to him. Sad, really."

Paya mulled it over as she cleaned up the mess, realising she'd have to dive into the river after the knife at some point. Not her crush. She wasn't delusional enough to believe anything could ever come of it. Link was the Hero. The Hero. She was just a normal person...who wasn't even able to hold a proper conversation with him. She just wanted to be able to help in some small way.

No, what she thought about was Sheik's behaviour. He was unpleasant, that was for certain. She would probably have been the same, if she were stuck in the slate like him. It was bound to make anyone a little cranky, and as rude as he was, she didn't find his words particularly hurtful. Besides, he seemed to be like that with everyone, except for two particular individuals: Impa, and Link.

Any fool with a brain would be afraid of Impa, or at least show her respect. Her grandmother wasn't the leader of the Sheikah for nothing—Paya had grown up with stories of her grandmother's exploits, both on and off the battlefield. Sheik was in fact very lucky to be adopted by her, and was smart enough to know pissing her off was a bad idea.

Link, however... It was hard not to like the Hylian. Paya had to admit that the stories Impa had told her didn't quite match up to the real thing (he'd been a lot taller in them, for one), but just one look at him was enough to convince her that he was definitely the very same Hero...even if he himself didn't seem to believe it at the moment. That was hardly his fault, though, what with lacking his memories. She could only hope to see what he would become once they were recovered.

Sheik clearly liked Link more than anyone else he'd been around. His voice was softer when speaking to him, and the things Link had told her on his first visit, when she'd showed him around the village...well, it betrayed her new cousin's softer side.

More importantly, the conversation he'd just instigated was very similar to ones she'd heard before, usually between rivals for someone's affections. Could it be that... The thought nearly made her laugh.

"Don't worry, Sheik," she said as steadily as she could, not even looking at the slate. "Your secret is safe with me."

"Wha...what are you talking about?" Sheik spluttered.

"My lips are sealed, fear not."

"Paya, I swear—"

"Excuse me, I need to fetch some new offerings. I'll be right back." She couldn't help the smile that came to her lips as she walked away, heading for the storeroom, Sheik screaming after her.

"Paya, come back! Paya! What secret?! Paya! Argh, I hate this family!"

Impa had listened patiently as Link poured out his worries about what they'd learned from Purah, remaining silent the entire way through. Link appreciated that. It made it easier to get through the story when his tongue decided to rebel against him.

"Hm, artificial intelligence..." Impa said once he'd finished. "I had a suspicion, but I did not think anything would come of it. That was why I sent you to speak with Purah. However, it seems to me that we still do not know exactly what Sheik is. She said the project was a failure, did she not?"

"Y-Yes," Link confirmed. "B-But she wasn't s-sure. Sh-She mentioned a sc-scientist called R-Robbie—"

"Robbie," Impa said flatly, her expression anything but glad.

"Y-Yes?"

"May I make a suggestion, Link? Do not let Sheik and Robbie speak to each other directly. Be an intermediary between them."

Link frowned. "Wh-Why not?"

"Robbie has...a big personality," Impa said haltingly. "The sort I imagine someone like Sheik will have very little patience for, and that will surely result in...words. Words that Robbie will not appreciate. I predict a...standstill will come about if those two were to interact with each other without someone there to calm things down."

Oh, no... Link thought.

"I will try to get a message to him in advance, if you wish," Impa said. "A warning, of sorts. With luck, he will be able to set his ego aside in service of the greater good." Impa looked at him, and grinned. "Now there's a look I recognise," she said.

Link blinked in confusion.

"You were just imagining the meeting between them, weren't you? And the results weren't pretty."

"S-Something like th-that," Link admitted.

"I always wondered if it was your knightly training that had turned you into a pessimist, or if it was just something inborn. Guess I just got my answer." She held up her hands. "Not that there is anything wrong with that, mind you. From what I understand, that pessimism came in handy in more than one close encounter when you were with the princess." Her face fell. "Which reminds me...there is something I must warn you about, Link. In your travels so far...have you encountered anyone claiming to be from the Yiga clan?"

Link shook his head. "Y-Yiga? N-No...who're th-they?"

"A stain on our honour," Impa said sourly. "Sheikah who turned their backs on Hyrule, joining Calamity Ganon's cult. They have been a thorn in our side for centuries—a living reminder of the distrust between the Sheikah and Hylians. The disaster did little to alleviate that, and now their members walk Hyrule openly." She leaned forward, touching his shoulder. "They will have learned of your awakening by now, Link. You must be careful out there. Do not trust strangers you meet on the road, especially friendly ones. They might be Yiga clan members, looking to stop you."

Much like everything else out there, Link thought sourly. "Th-Thanks for the w-warning," he said, wondering again if it was too late to run for the hills.

"Where are we going?"

"T-To see a f-fairy," Link answered, as if that explained everything.

"A fairy," Sheik said flatly.

"Y-You d-don't believe in f-fairies?" Link asked, panting a little as he climbed up the hill that would leading into the forest overlooking Kakariko. Impa had pointed them in that direction, suggesting they commune with the Great Fairy there before heading north-west.

Paya had been too busy to see them off, to his disappointment...but then again, that would probably have led to Sheik having the time of his life with her supposed crush, so perhaps it was for the best. Link wouldn't expose Paya to that side of Sheik more than he had to.

"I believe in fairies," Sheik said. "I've been looking at one since I woke up."

"H-Hey!"

Goddess, he was such an arsehole!

"Hang on, hang on, hang on!"

Link paused, arm already halfway to handing the purse full of rupees (thoughtfully donated to the Hero of Hyrule's Protection Fund by a camp of bokoblins who'd seen the light in form of a remote bomb rolling into their cooking fire) to the giant hand reaching out from the even more giant, closed flower in the middle of a spring full of fairies.

"What exactly do you need the money for?" Sheik demanded to know. "You're a fairy, right? Can't you just, I don't know, magic up whatever you need or want?"

There were more diplomatic ways to put it...but truth be told, Link found himself a little sceptical to the whole situation himself, but apparently the Great Fairy could enchant his clothes to be even more durable and protective. True, he hadn't expected the creature to charge a flat fee, but...his head was starting to hurt.

"The money gives me power, little one," the deep, reverberating voice of the fairy within the flower spoke. "Without it, I cannot even break out of this prison."

"Your hand's sticking out of it, though," Sheik pointed out. "Doesn't seem like it'd take much effort to, you know, push the petals aside? Hell, I bet Link could cut you free with his sword. Would that be worth a discount? Like, slashing prices?"

Was he making jokes now? Link was in real danger of developing a migraine.

"No discounts," the fairy said, sounding mildly offended.

"Oh please, you've clearly got a monopoly on this business!" Sheik insisted. "I'm sure a discount wouldn't even be noticeable on your bottom line!"

"Sh-Sheik!"

"What? Eugh, fine. Just hand over all your savings that you worked so hard for. Don't come crying to me when you can't afford to buy arrows!"

Link blushed as the gigantic fairy's thumb gently rubbed against his cheek, a warmth spreading from the spot to the tips of his fingers and toes, the Sheikah armour shining brightly for a second or two before fading away.

"Such a little darling," she proclaimed. "This will enhance your armour, to protect you against your foes." She glanced at the slate, grimacing. "Though I believe you will find him to be the biggest foe of all."

"Lady, are you really in a position to discuss size?" Sheik asked.

In Kakariko, Paya could have sworn she heard Link's voice moan in despair.

"I'm not trying to make enemies," Sheik attempted to explain as they headed north-west in pursuit of Pikango, who could hopefully shed some light on where they could find the locations in the photographs.

"I just...the world seems to have it in for you, Link. Left and right people are trying to take advantage of you and rip you off. I bet she didn't even need those rupees—she just figured you for a sucker and decided to cash in on it. Probably threw it all into the woods the moment we left. I couldn't just let that happen!"

Awkward silence.

"She started it!"

"Wh-What happened h-here?" Link asked himself, as he crossed a bridge made of tied-together tree logs, passing through what had once been a thriving village. Now it was nothing but a sodden ruin, drowned in knee-deep water.

"Map data's scarce until we activate the tower," Sheik said. "But this used to be Goponga Village, according to my files. Looks like there was a flood at some point."

Link approached one of the ruined houses on an island. The roof and three walls were gone, leaving little more than a framework behind. Signs of ancient struggle littered the ground in the form of rusty weapons, armour, and...bones...

"Must have been one of Ganon's first targets," Sheik said quietly. "They never stood a chance."

"Sp-Speaking of," Link said, crouching behind an old well as one of the hideous lizalfos-creatures crept ashore, dragging something water-logged with it. It had been alive at some point, but other than that Link had no idea what it had once been. The lizalfos wasted no time in starting to devour its prey.

"You know what to do," Sheik whispered, keeping quiet as Link silently drew his Sheikah blade and crept forward in the grass, towards the monster.

"I don't think a direct approach will work here," Sheik said in doubtful tone as he and Link observed the Lanayru Sheikah tower from the opposite shore. "Way too many enemies between us and it."

"I a-agree," Link said, lowering the slate. The camera's zooming function was a godsend in situations like these. "B-But wh-where c-can we g-go?"

They had yet to find Pikango, and Link had decided on getting the nearby tower activated before they continued their search for the elusive Sheikah. What they'd found, however, was a huge camp full of bokoblins, lizalfos, and moblins, and what appeared to be an additional legion of the damn things occupying the space between Link and the tower. Even his knightly self would have had trouble with this number of enemies.

The rain didn't help his mood either.

"Anywhere else but here?" Sheik suggested.

"T-Tempting," Link said. "B-But we n-need the n-network."

"Then we find a way around them," Sheik said. "That river...that's the Zora River, I think. Should lead to their Domain. Surely there'll be back way somewhere along it? Kill two birds with one stone, even, if we can make contact with the Zora afterwards."

"L-Let's do i-it," Link said in agreement.

Just sneaking across the bridges to the other side of the river turned out to be a perilous exercise, on account of both the enemies patrolling along it, and the rough waters caused by the rain, which was getting heavier and heavier.

Link ducked under a bokoblin's clumsy swing and rammed his shoulder guard right into its sternum, knocking the air out of it. He followed up with his knee, causing it to double over and lose its grip on its club. Link finished it off with an overhead swing of his sword, taking its head clean off.

The body slid into the river, where it was immediately carried away by the current, and Link took a moment to regain his breath, kneeling on the bridge.

"Last one," Sheik announced. "Good job!"

"Th-They're...getting...t-tougher," Link said, panting. He pulled his mask down, letting the rain hit his face, cooling it down a little. He'd nearly managed to sneak past the entire group of them, but a single mistake had let to him being spotted. Luckily, there weren't that many of them (five), and the rain was too heavy for them to signal the others. The fight, though brief, had taken quite a bit out of him.

"These are more organised than the rabble we've encountered on the Plateau and Hateno," Sheik observed. "They're likely to be better trained. Can't imagine they'll be any different further up the river."

"J-Joy..." Link muttered.

"Link!" Sheik gasped. "Was that...sarcasm?" He sniffed. "I have never been so proud..."

"W-Want to go f-for a s-swim?" Link asked.

"Right, shutting up now."

They reached the mouth of the Zora River without further incident, and quickly found a road that appeared to follow its meandering path. Already now they could see signs of the Zora, in the form of metal lanterns lighting the road in the dark. They were shaped delicately, with very few right angles, meant to reflect the piscine nature of their makers.

In his mind, Link had a rough image of what the Zora were like, at least appearance-wise. He couldn't remember anything other than that, but at least he'd be spared the humiliation of having to ask them what they were when he met one.

They reached a Zora-made bridge across a rather choppy section of the river, the road ending on their side and continuing on the other. If it hadn't been for the large, tower-like counterweights holding the bridge in place, Link would probably have been a little wary of crossing it. It certainly looked sturdy...

"Say, hey there! Young one!"

Link paused and looked around, unable to locate the origin of the voice.

"What the...?" Sheik said.

"Up top! Above you!" the voice supplied helpfully.

Link was barely able to catch a glimpse of something red and white standing on one of the towers before the massive shape jumped down, flipping several times through the air before landing on its feet with a thump in front of him, crouching. Then it unfurled and stood up...and Link was unpleasantly reminded of the Stone Talus he'd accidentally woken up on the Plateau...though this newcomer looked far...softer.

So...that's a Zora, he thought, looking up at the huge piscine man, easily twice Link's height, if not even more. He was wearing several pieces of silver jewellery, and pauldrons that protected his shoulders. On his belt (also silver) hung a sheathed sword, his hand carefully kept away from its handle, meaning he wasn't expecting a fight. The Zora, in turn, was looking down at him with curiosity.

"Pardon the entrance," the Zora said in a surprisingly gentle voice, "but you're a Hylian, aren't you?" He threw out his arms, revealing a span between them that could probably bridge the damn river. "I was hoping perhaps you'd have a moment to talk..."

Realising this was his cue to speak, Link nodded. "Y-Yes, I'm a H-Hylian..."

The Zora looked excited. "Aha! A Hylian! Yes, I knew it!" He paused, as if remembering something. "Oh, pardon me," he said, striking what Link assumed was meant to be a heroic pose, giving him the biggest, sharpest-looking grin he'd ever seen. "I am Sidon, the Zora prince!" he exclaimed. In his mind, Link could have sworn he saw Sidon's teeth twinkle. Granted, that may have been the lightning in the distance, but...

It was...an oddly charming way of introducing himself, but Link wasn't able to dwell on that for long, as the rest of the what the Zora had said sunk in.

P-P-Prince? This was the Zora Prince? Just appearing out of nowhere? So caught up was he on this—let's face it—ridiculous coincidence that he barely heard Sidon speaking.

"And what is your name?" he asked curiously.

"..."

No words came out. He was too busy staring up at the big, friendly face that shone with curiosity and excitement.

"Go on, please tell me!" Sidon prompted.

"He-hem!" Sheik cleared his throat in an exaggerated manner.

"O-Oh...er...m-my name is L-Link," Link said, blushing.

Sidon's eyes (gold, with black slits) widened. "Link? Your name is Link?! What a fantastic name!"

It's just a name, Link thought, ignoring the snort that came from the slate.

"Though I cannot shake the feeling that I have heard it somewhere before..." Sidon muttered, rubbing his chin. "Well, in any case, it is a strong name!" he announced, turning his attention back to one very confused (and flattered) Hylian. "To be honest, I've been watching you."

"H-Huh?" Link said intelligently.

"I've seen the way you work," Sidon forged on. "I can tell by how you carry yourself that you are no ordinary person." He fixed Link with an intense look. "Link! You must be a strong warrior among the Hylians, correct?!"

Link wanted to say no. He didn't consider himself particularly strong, but the idea of letting the prince down by saying that was just unthinkable. "Th-That's right," he said in a tone that, to himself, just seemed to underline how much of a lie it was. Sidon must have seen the embarrassing attempt at crossing the bridge from before...

Sidon didn't seem to notice, as his face simply grew even more excited, teeth on display in a wide grin. "Aha! Just as I suspected. I am a Zora prince, after all. I have an eye for talent that is unparalleled!"

"U-Uh—"Link began.

"Yes!" Sidon shouted. "Exquisite! I have been searching for someone like you for a long time! A man like you, Link, who carries himself with power!"

Link was suddenly very glad for his mask, which covered up his burning cheeks. They'd barely known each other for two minutes and here Sidon was showering him with praise. It made his chest feel funny... He had a feeling Sheik was mentally rolling his eyes the entire time, but he didn't dare try to draw him into the conversation. Goddess knew the fallout of pissing off the Zora prince this early into their meeting.

The Zora suddenly looked serious, his fists clenching, leaning forward. "Right now, Zora's Domain is in grave danger because of the massive rainfall coming from the Divine Beast, Vah Ruta!" He leaned even closer, until his face was mere inches from Link's own. "Please, promise you will help us! We need your strength, warrior! Won't you please come to Zora's Domain with me?!"

How could he possibly say no to such a request? Even if Link's quest didn't require him to awaken the Divine Beast, he still would have said yes, if only to keep Sidon happy.

"S-Sure th-thing," he said, and was rewarded with the biggest grin yet from the prince.

"Wow! Really?! Thank you, Link! You are indeed the man I thought you were! Now Zora's Domain will be saved for certain! No time to waste! Hurry up and head over!"

I'm going to, Link thought.

"Because of the rain," Sidon continued, "the cliffs are too wet to climb."

Link nodded. He'd tried his hand at climbing in wet conditions before. It had not ended well. Sheik had laughed for ten minutes straight.

"To reach the domain, you will need to go straight along this path," Sidon said, pointing to the road they'd aimed to follow. "As a Hylian, I know you are unable to swim up the river. As such, the path to the domain may be a bit treacherous."

"Hah, may." Sheik muttered quietly, so quietly that only Link could hear him over the pouring rain.

"You likely have a tough fight in store," Sidon said. "There are monsters up ahead that attack with electricity."

Link's stomach roiled at that. He could still remember the incident with the rusty sword. And that had only been a glancing blow. If one of those monsters hit him directly...

Sidon must have noticed the slouching of his shoulders, and struck another dramatic pose, his teeth twinkling again (it must have been the lightning, right?), and said the words that pretty much sealed the deal: "Don't give up! I believe in you!"

Good to know one of us does, at least, Link thought, smiling back at the prince under his mask, hoping it was visible in the rise of his cheeks.

"Oh!" Sidon exclaimed. "That's right! I have something that I would like to give you!" He reached into a small satchel on his belt and withdrew a small bottle filled with yellow liquid. It looked thick, clinging to the sides of the bottle. "It is a drink that will increase your resistance to electricity! I am not sure why, but its effects do not seem to work for Zora. Perhaps because it was specifically made for Hylians. It should work wonders for you, though."

Not a hint of a lie in neither face nor voice, and such genuine belief in him. It almost made Link want to sink into the ground. And help Sidon.

"I shall go ahead and make sure there is nothing strange going on where you are headed," Sidon said, fists still clenched. "I'm counting on you!"

And then, like it was nothing, he backflipped (backflipped!) into the river, swimming towards the nearby waterfall, gone before Link could get a word in. Link could only stand and stare as the prince leapt up the waterfall and disappeared from view.

The rain continued to pour, a stray drop finding its way among the seams of his armour, chilling his skin.

"Well," Sheik said after a while. "He was...enthusiastic."

"Y-Yeah," Link muttered.

"Guess he's not completely useless, though. He certainly looked formidable, and that elixir will come in handy if he was telling the truth."

"Mmm..."

"Guess we'll meet him up ahead."

...

"Uh, Link?"

"Yeah?"

"You need to move your legs."

"Oh. R-Right."

Link didn't notice it, his attention soon focused on making his way along the path Sidon had indicated, but on his belt, Sheik was seething.

And the fish husband makes his appearance!