Zelda dreamed of the events in Zora's Domain from one hundred years ago.
The Zora request assistance from Zelda to repair Vah Ruta before Ganon's army closes in. Most of the Sheikah researchers have gone into hiding in an undisclosed location near the Gerudo Desert as a safeguard to protect the Ancient Technology-except for Impa, Purah, Robbie, and Tiko, some of whom are needed to make last minute preparations on the stasis capsule in the Shrine of Resurrection, with the others accompanying them. If Ganon were to ever find the Sheikah and get his hands on their technology to create his own army of Guardians and Divine Beasts, all would be lost.
As a result of the Zoran request King Dorephan requests an urgent meeting with King Rhoam to personally ask for Zelda's assistance. The princess is the only person available in Hyrule who can possibly help because of her knowledge, and the entire Zora race would be left vulnerable if their Divine Beast is out of commission.
Zelda's heart soars. Finally, her skills and passions would be put to use! Here is her chance to prove herself to her father! King Rhoam has no choice but to allow her to go, realizing refusing would be a death sentence for the Zora, so she sets off to Zora's Domain with Link.
As soon as they arrive, Champion Mipha explains to her that the controls for the water flow on Vah Ruta have jammed. This has caused some minor flooding, but if it continues the rising waters could threaten some of the smaller villages downstream, Hylians included. Not only that, but the Divine Beast in its broken state is nearly inoperable as its role of major defense for the Zora against Ganon's advancing army. Mipha continues, saying, "Without the Sheikah here to help, the Zora are powerless to fix it." Zelda boards Vah Ruta and has it functional within a day, and she and her sworn knight, Champion Link, leave Zora's Domain.
Word of the assault on Zora's Domain reaches their ears, but they are too far away to help.
An army led by a corrupted Guardian, now under Ganon's control, advances to the Great Zora Bridge. King Dorephan makes his way to the front lines and sends the Guardian and many unlucky monsters flying a great distance with a mighty smack of his tail. The ancient machine and collateral enemies land miles away in the sea and are rendered forever still. Without the ancient machine and the army's numbers lessened, they are severely weakened and retreat.
The Zora are victorious - except for Champion Mipha. The Zora princess and her Divine Beast are overtaken by a fearsome evil within Vah Ruta. Mipha perishes, trapping her spirit inside indefinitely with the Waterblight that defeated her.
..
..
Link and Zelda slept in Mipha's waterbed, and it was the best sleep Link had in a long time. He rolled over, gazing at Zelda who was still asleep in the early hours of the morning. Suddenly, he heard a sound that made his ears perk up and his hair stand on end.
"Oh, Link. Please keep kissing my neck."
His eyes widened at the words that were escaping her dreams. Ever since he tried the Stealth armor on in the shop, he had to force his mind away from the feelings it gave him when he thought about the look in her eyes riddled with physical attraction for him. I know she wants to take this slow. I must respect her wishes, but oh my sweet baby Hylia, this is going to be the death of me! Suddenly Zelda rolled over in her sleep and slid a hand up his leg and rested it on his thigh. Link gasped at her sudden close touch. He wanted her badly, and it drove him to near insanity. He had to put a stop to it.
Link gently shook Zelda until she woke up with a start. Almost instantly she realized where her hand was, and she jerked it away, blushing profusely and trying not to smile. "Uhh...I'm so sorry, Link, I was...um...having a rather intimate dream."
He grinned and whispered in a low voice. "I could tell."
Zelda could no longer keep her resolve. She ran her hands along his chest like she had done inside the changing room of the shop in Kakariko Village.
"Ari...I know you wanted to take this slow, but it seems we're moving fast. What are you doing?" She didn't answer yet, running her eyes along his entire half-clothed body that was now free of the blankets. "You sure seem to like what you see," he added, the words tumbling out of his mouth again before he could stop them.
"I love what I see, Link. I always wanted to get married before getting physical with anyone, but you drive me crazy, in a specific way I've never felt toward anyone else."
"I've always wanted to wait, too. You are a lady, and I am supposed to be a knight who treats ladies with respect. Let's slow this down a bit, okay?"
"Thank you, Link. I'm really sorry."
He stared deeply into her eyes, and she saw the love in them. Before either of them realized what was happening they were kissing again, this time with pure unbridled passion. He rolled over and kissed her neck like she had asked for in her dream, savoring the sensation of being so close to her in the waterbed. They continued kissing and Link briefly pulled his mouth from hers after they kissed for several minutes.
"Ari, please...if you still want to take things slow, I'm going to need you to stop."
She didn't want to, but Hylia's warning replayed in her mind once again. He was about to fight a Lynel, and he couldn't afford to be distracted.
"Yeah, I guess that would probably be best." Tears filled her eyes as she sat up next to him. "I'm sorry I'm being so confusing, Link. I never want to hurt you or make you feel like I don't want you, because I do, more than anything. I just can't act on those feelings. Even just kissing you drives me crazy."
"Ari, I understand, really. It's okay. We can take things as slow as you need."
Zelda hadn't slept well, waking up at least every hour, with nightmares plaguing her for much of the night. She was up in the middle of the night, using some of that time to make a Tough Elixir for Link and the rest crying over her fears that were now creeping back into her mind after the slight distraction of the morning. She felt groggy, and she was fearful of what the day would bring. Today was the day Link would face the Lynel alone, and Zelda expressed her fears to him.
Link held her close as he wiped a tear from her eyes. He tried to make a joke. "What's the matter? You don't believe in me?"
She gave him a half smile. "Link, you know that's not it. I'm just so afraid. I never want to lose you."
He looked up at her. "Ari, you'll never lose me. Even if I get cast to the Spirit Realm, I would find my way back to you."
Zelda tried to hide her surprise at the accuracy of his words, thanks to Robbie and Purah's efforts. "Don't even say such things, Link! I prefer you to stick around in this life, thank you very much." She gave him a playful nudge. Zelda hung her head. "I can't keep dwelling on this. It accomplishes nothing. Can we make a plan together on how to fight the Lynel? I thought of a few strategies that might be useful."
"I'd love that, Ari. Thanks." He was a little afraid of fighting his first Lynel too, but he didn't want her to know that, so he was careful not to sound too eager.
They went over the strategies she suggested until he understood them well, and Zelda placed the Tough Elixir she made for him to increase his defense into his inventory on the Sheikah slate.
She heard a knock on the door. It was Prince Sidon. "Come Link. The time has arrived for us to go." The Zora was there to escort Link to the bottom of the first waterfall, where he would swim upward using his new capability while wearing the Zora Armor. He needed to keep following the waterfalls until he reached the top of Ploymus Mountain, collecting all of the shock arrows along the way. The massive mechanical elephant was still pouring endless water, and time was growing short.
Zelda put her arms around Link and cried. They shared a passionate kiss and a lingering hug before he left, the helplessness and fear in Zelda's eyes evident. She branded the feeling of his physical body and the sight of him into her mind and heart, in case it was the last time she ever saw him alive.
Goddess Hylia, please protect him.
Zelda felt numb, and she was still tired from her lack of restful sleep. She went to crawl back into bed, but as she stepped forward she stubbed her toe on the corner of something that was sticking out haphazardly from under the bed. Strange. That wasn't there before. She bent down to investigate and saw that it was a treasure chest.
With curiosity getting the better of her, she pulled the chest from underneath the bed and opened the unlocked lid. A folded yellowed sheet of parchment greeted her from its perch atop some sort of velvet cloth covering below it. She unfolded it, noticing the small smears of ink and the tiny dots of wrinkled places where perhaps long-dried-up tears had fallen. She glanced up at the top of the page and was surprised to see her name.
It read:
Dearest Princess Zelda,
Please forgive the informal nature of my letter. My time runs short. I must board Vah Ruta and help defend my people, so forgive my abruptness. I pray this letter is read only by your eyes and does not lead to any trouble for you or for Link.
I must confess to you that I have loved Link from the time we were children. My healing powers awakened as a child, born out of a non-romantic love for him, which turned into deep romantic love as we grew older. I cannot help but wonder if love for Link will awaken the sacred Power within you as well.
I promised him I would never tell a soul, but I can no longer keep that promise, as much as I never want to hurt Link or betray his trust. Link came to me some moons ago confessing his deep love for you and asking my advice. Forgive me for overstepping, but if you love him in return please allow your feelings to flourish. I can tell by the way you look at one another that you have something special together. Allowing yourself to love him may help awaken your ability just as it awakened mine.
I pray this letter does not fall into the wrong hands. I would never forgive myself if anything were to happen to Link. I realize how dangerous it is to put this in writing, and the danger it puts Link in to encourage you to pursue him. As I am sure you are aware, love between royalty and a knight is forbidden, but my heart tells me the dire situation we find ourselves in should allow for an exception.
Please do this not only for me, Princess, but for all of Hyrule. Our time is running short, and this may be our last hope to stop Calamity Ganon. I beg of you, Your Highness, if you love him in return, please let him know and do not stifle your feelings, as I made the mistake of doing. You may find it to be too late, as I did.
The night he came to me confessing his love for you was the same night I was planning to ask for his hand in marriage. I crafted a piece of Zora Armor for the occasion, but after hearing his confession, my heart broke, and my plans and the purpose for the armor abruptly changed. I crafted a second one for you in the chance you both end up together. I have a good feeling you will, but something tells me now isn't the right time for the armor. You will find both pieces in a chest I have entrusted to little Prince Sidon. He has promised me he will deliver this letter to you and keep the chest locked tightly away until the time is right for you to have it.
I have so much more to say, but Ganon's demon-possessed armies are closing in on Mount Lanayru. I must go to Vah Ruta now and prepare to defend the Zora.
I will always love you and Link and the life we have shared together more than you will ever know, and I pray the love I see so clearly between you will blossom.
With All of My Grace,
Mipha
..
By the time she finished the letter Zelda couldn't stop the tears from flowing. An onslaught of enemies closing in on Hyrule Castle leading up to Ganon's return interrupted Mipha as she was about to say something important to Zelda, and it all made sense to her now. That must have been what Mipha was trying to tell me a century ago after I returned unsuccessfully from the Spring of Wisdom!
Mipha had been right. It was only when Zelda put herself between Link and the attacking Guardian out of her reckless love for him that the Triforce had suddenly awakened within her.
And now her beloved was fighting a Lynel alone for the first time, as far as he knew, on top of Ploymus Mountain.
She sighed with tears freely falling down her face. She felt no jealousy toward Mipha; she understood first hand exactly why she loved him, and to let him go seemed like the most difficult, selfless act Zelda could imagine..
Remembering the portion of the letter about the Zora Armor, she turned her attention toward the large chest again and lifted the covering below where the letter had been. Sure enough, there was a female version of Zora Armor Mipha had made that was still inside the chest. The male one was missing; Link was wearing it. She cradled the armor to her chest and cried.
Oh, sweet Mipha. The Zora Champion's generosity and selflessness was something Zelda had always admired, and she realized the extent of self-sacrifice it must have taken for Mipha to let Link go. As far as Zelda knew, Link had no idea back then about Mipha's feelings toward him, and neither did she. While Link certainly cared for Mipha and trusted her deeply as a close friend, she knew that was the extent of it.
Zelda decided to keep the letter for Link to show him after he regained his memories, so she carefully folded the aged parchment and placed it in her bag.
The sudden knock at the door made her jump.
"Are you all right, Princess?" It was Sidon, returning from escorting Link to the base of the mountain.
"Not really, but please come in. I could use a friend."
He opened the door slowly, walked over to where Zelda was sitting on the bed, and sat down on the edge of it.
"I see you found the chest." His voice became apologetic. "I'm sorry it took me so long to get the letter to you. I was unable to leave the Domain on my father's orders. I must apologize as well for keeping the existence of the second pair of Zora Armor from you. I pray you will forgive me. But Muzu was right about the danger you would have been in if you had accompanied Master Link."
Zelda sighed. She knew he was right; she just hadn't wanted to admit it. She remembered having similar feelings a century ago about Link when he wouldn't let go of her to allow her to go back to her father as they fled from Hyrule Castle. They were both trying to keep her safe. "Sidon, I'm not upset with you. Thank you for this wonderful gift from Mipha. I don't blame you for the late letter. I'm impressed you kept it for all this time. Mipha's words brought me great sorrow and great joy. I assume you have read her letter?"
"No, Zelda. I have not," he said truthfully. While he had been a curious child, he knew the words his sister had written were not meant for his eyes. He loved her too much to betray her trust, even long after her death.
Zelda brought out the letter from her bag and unfolded it, and she gave it to Sidon to read. Wide-eyed and tearful, he finished the letter and looked up at her, giving it back to her.
"I knew of my sister's undying love for Master Link from my father's stories, but I never knew the extent since I was only a child. I never knew she loved him enough to let him go." His eyes filled with tears at the memories he shared with Mipha and the way she deeply loved everyone. Zelda sat next to him on the edge of the bed and placed an arm around him. Sidon sniffed. "I miss Mipha so much, Princess."
"We all do, Sidon. She was an amazing Zora, and I am honored to have known her, loved her, and to have called her my friend. I'll always remember her selfless sacrifices, not only for Hyrule, but for Link and for me as well."
They sat in silence for a few moments while they cried together over Mipha. Sidon knew some of her tears were also for Link.
Sidon spoke gently. "Princess, I know you are in distress over Master Link, but I know he is more than capable of fighting that Lynel. He may not remember, but you and I both know he saved me as a child from the same monster many years ago."
"I remember that well, Sidon, but he had Mipha and me there to help." She sighed, then continued. "I know he is capable of handling that Lynel on his own, too. It's just that since his awakening I've always been there to help him during and after his battles. I'm so afraid of him getting hurt without me there."
"Princess, forgive me, but didn't you say you will have to allow him to fight his final battle with Calamity Ganon alone? Is a Lynel more fearsome than Ganon himself?" His voice was kind and patient, reminiscent of Mipha's, only male.
Sidon continued. "I believe it is wise for him to practice fighting on his own, as difficult as it may be for you."
Zelda sighed. "You're right, Sidon. I guess I'm feeling overprotective of him because of all that happened a century ago. I never want to lose him again. I love him, more than I ever thought I could love anyone." She covered her face with her hands as she started to cry again.
"Princess, sometimes I think the best way to show our love to someone is by allowing them the freedom to be who they were meant to be, even if it is difficult or painful for us. It seems my sister knew that better than anyone. If you truly love him, as I know you do, you must allow Master Link to fulfill his role as the Chosen One...and that means allowing him the freedom to fight some of his battles on his own."
Zelda looked up at Sidon with wonder in her eyes. In some ways she still thought of him as a child recklessly trying to take on the Ploymus Mountain Lynel alone, but he was clearly a wise, older Zora now. She knew in her heart that he was right. "Thank you, Sidon. Your words have helped me more than you know."
There was another knock at the door, and it was the royal advisor asking for Prince Sidon.
Sidon turned to Zelda and spoke with his same official voice he used in front of King Dorephan. "It appears I am being summoned. I shall return."
Sidon turned to leave, then turned back to Zelda and spoke again. "Have faith, Zelda. I'm sure he'll be back here with Lynel guts and weapons in tow at any moment." He suddenly grinned while an idea struck him. "Wanna bet on when he'll be back? I say 30 minutes or less. I'll bet you 100 rupees!"
She laughed and thought for a moment. "I'll say 31 minutes to an hour."
Prince Sidon was delighted she was playing his game. "Whoever is closest without going over gets the rupees!"
Zelda smiled up at him. "You're on!"
He shook her hand, then turned and left with Muzu, closing the door behind him.
Zelda smiled and shook her head. Even with his aged wisdom, he was still the same child-like Zora she remembered.