"Princess?" The dreaded word in the early light of dawn woke her abruptly from a deep sleep as her eyes shot open. The loud male voice that wasn't Link's startled her, and she could still hear Link loudly snoring beside her. Oh thank the Goddess, he's sound asleep.

She slowly turned her head around to the source of the voice, and she saw a very tall, regal-looking male Zora standing on two legs below near the Inogo bridge. He was staring up at her and waving wildly. She didn't recognize him, but he obviously recognized her. He was giving her a wide smile, and she felt slightly uncomfortable. The mostly sea-green, two-legged Zora with a large red protrusion on his head, dressed in a thin coat of armor hardly covering his very muscular chest, was clearly trying to hold in his joy at the sight of her.

"It's wonderful to see you again, Princess Zelda!" he suddenly shouted. Zelda held a finger to her lips to shush him as she slowly and carefully squeezed out of the travel bed next to Link. He was still snoring and blissfully unaware of what was happening. She made her way down the hill and walked closer to the regal Zora.

"I don't know who you are or how you know who I am, but please, this man I'm traveling with cannot know I'm the princess. He's asleep, so let's not wake him up with that, please!" She was annoyed.

A look of hurt flashed across his face. "You don't remember me?"

She sighed. She didn't want to make him feel bad, so she stepped forward to take a closer look at him. She had to look up because he was tall compared to her. Her eyes drifted to the red and white shark sitting on top of his head. Instant realization crossed her face, and her eyes grew big. "Sidon?!"

He grinned at her. "Well, it's Prince Sidon now, but you can certainly call me Sidon!"

Zelda's eyes widened as she stared in shock at how tall he was. "No way! I can't believe it's really you! You were much shorter and much less grown the last time I saw you, Sidon. I can't believe you recognized me! And you talk now, too!" The Zora prince laughed and lifted her up easily as he embraced his old friend in a sweet hug.

They sat together on the bridge, out of earshot of Link, catching up with each other. She and Link would often visit Mipha, the Zora Champion who was Sidon's older sister, at Zora's Domain a few years before the Great Calamity. Young Prince Sidon would tag along and play with them often, whenever she and Link would visit. Zelda especially loved when they would all play on Vah Ruta like a giant ancient playground, much to King Dorephan and King Rhoam's disapproval.

Zelda knew the Zora aged differently than the Hylians, and they could live for hundreds of years. Sidon was the equivalent of a few years older than her, putting him around twenty-three years old in Hylian years.

"What brings you all the way out here, Sidon? We're a long way out from Zora's Domain."

"I was out looking for a courageous Hylian in the hopes they could help our village. Our Divine Beast has been constantly spilling water into East Reservoir Lake. With Vah Ruta's endless supply of water, we're afraid if she continues, she'll flood and destroy the entire village. Heavy constant rains plague the area because of it, which is only making things worse. We need someone to help tame Vah Ruta and stop her flow of water before it's too late."

Sidon continued. "Then, yesterday while I was searching, I watched as your Hylian friend took on that Stone Talus. He fought so valiantly I thought he would be a good candidate, and then I realized he was traveling with a female Hylian. She had excellent aim and skill with a bow and arrows. I was watching from a distance and couldn't see your face, so I didn't know it was you. I left and waited until dawn to return and investigate, and I saw that the person the male Hylian was traveling with was none other than..." His voice dropped to a whisper, but with exaggerated emphasis. "...you, Princess Zelda!"

Sidon suddenly shouted, "And now here we are!"

Zelda shushed him again. "Please, Sidon, try to keep your voice down!"

She grew quiet and her voice started to break as she put a hand on Sidon's shoulder. "Sidon, it is so great to see you after so many years. I see you're keeping your promise you made to Mipha to protect your people." She smiled sadly as he lowered his head, remembering his sister and what she had asked of him so long ago, and she gave him a warm hug.

Link opened his eyes and instantly realized Zelda was gone, slightly panicking. He sighed with relief at the quiet sound of her talking with someone, but he couldn't make out what they were saying. He stood up and walked over to the source of the sound, only to see some type of tall fish-like creature speaking with her near the riverbank. He rubbed his eyes, thinking he was dreaming. Who, or what, is that?

Prince Sidon was starting to ask who the Hylian was she was traveling with, but Zelda didn't have the chance to answer, because Link suddenly approached them.

Sidon immediately recognized him up close. "The Champion Link? What a fateful coincidence! But how? You died!"

"Uh, technically yes, I did. But I was put in a stasis capsule in the Shrine..." Link suddenly grabbed his head. Seeing the merman-like Zora up close in front of him triggered a memory, sending a wave of intense pain to his head, the worst yet. He began to fall, and Sidon quickly moved to catch him and eased him to the ground on his back. A panicked Zelda scrambled to check him over, and he seemed to be in some sort of trance.

"I think he might be getting his first core memory back. He seems okay, so let's give him a few minutes," Zelda instructed.

Link was breathing fine, but he had a far-off dazed look in his eyes as he stared above, completely unaware of his surroundings. Prince Sidon and Zelda glanced down at him every few seconds while they continued talking.

Sidon looked even more confused now, and Zelda explained how he had lost all of his memories when he emerged from the stasis capsule in the Shrine of Resurrection.

"What is a stasis capsule? And Shrine of Res-a-what?"

Zelda grinned. He was exactly the same Prince Sidon she remembered, with his child-like innocence still present.

He was still looking rather confused, and Zelda realized that the Zora must not have been aware of Link being taken to the Shrine, and she quickly explained.

"Ahh. I believe I understand. So he died, but he's not dead anymore. He's back but without any memories...and he's…not…dead?" He repeated himself as if he were still trying to wrap his head around everything she had told him.

"Close enough."

"So then, if I may ask, why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be at the castle sealing Calamity Ganon so he doesn't emerge?" He was genuinely curious.

Zelda briefly explained Hylia's mission for her and why her identity needed to remain a secret from Link for now. She told him to make sure to tell his father, King Dorephan. She didn't want Prince Sidon or the king to accidentally reveal who she really was to Link.

"Of course, Zel-I mean, Ari." He gave her a sheepish look as she raised her eyebrows at him.

Seconds later, Link sat up and rubbed his head. "I... remember! I remember the Zora, and I remember Mipha, the Zora Champion. Ever since we were children we were close friends, and she had a special healing ability. Whenever I would get hurt she would heal me. I remember sitting on the top of Vah Ruta's trunk with her while she healed my arm after a battle." Sidon grinned and clapped his hands, elated over Link remembering his dear sister.

Zelda's heart warmed at him speaking of Mipha, and she was glad Link regained his memories of her. Mipha was so sweet and tender-hearted, always thinking of others before herself. That was why she had chosen Mipha to be the Zora Champion, and she deeply missed her.

Link turned to Prince Sidon. "And I remember you! You were just a little one!" Link explained to Zelda how the Zora age differently than Hylians and live for hundreds of years. Sidon and Zelda shared a smirk as he was explaining.

"Excuse me, Master Link. I don't mean to interrupt, but I was actually looking for someone such as you to help our village." He relayed their problem with Vah Ruta again, this time to Link.

Link happily agreed to help, since they had been planning to go there at Impa's suggestion to take back the Divine Beast anyway.

"Wondeful! I must go deliver my father the news. He will be thrilled! Do you see that path just over there?" He was pointing across the bridge to the beginning of a walking path that seemed to be twisting and turning up into the mountains.

"Follow that path and it will lead you to Zora's Domain. Unfortunately, because of Vah Ruta, the constant rains that fall make the cliffs impossible to scale. The path is wrought with enemies, but with the way you fought that Stone Talus, I'm sure you will take care of them in haste, especially having the Pr- er, company of another!" Zelda gave Sidon a hard stare, but Link was oblivious and had a worried look on his face.

"Don't worry, Champion Link! I believe in you!" Prince Sidon gracefully jumped into the river and turned to them once more. "I'll meet you at various points ahead along the path. See you shortly!" With that, he expertly swam up the river and was soon out of sight.

Link and Zelda watched him disappear. "So, how do you know Prince Sidon?" Link asked.

She hated to lie, but she could tell a partial truth at least. "Oh, I met him during my travels. He's an old friend."

He didn't pry and seemed satisfied with her answer, to her relief. They walked back up the hill together and packed everything into the Sheikah slate inventory. Link reached for her hand, and she gladly took his while the two of them started up the worn, winding path to Zora's Domain.