Seabreeze
disastergays

Hi gays! Editor-san here, so this isn't really a fanfic, it's a collection of one-shots (don't worry these are all related) but I'm too lazy to post this individually so here it is! Enjoy!


Chapter 01: Recovery

He hated water, he hated rain, he hated shock arrows, he despised Lynels with every fiber of his being. Link hated a lot of things at the moment. Though, with the Lynel dead on the grass, his seething rage was now directed at the weather.

Link glanced over his shoulder to Achak, standing there quietly as if he had not just kicked a monster's ass. Quite literally actually, Link would probably have more than a few broken ribs and maybe a leg if it werent for his trusty steed.

He held up a hand and the white horse pressed his velvety snout to it, snorting softly. The beast was dead, so the Zora people would be able to scout up here again. Drawing in a sharp breath, Link took a step forward, and found that yes indeed, his leg was broken. He crumbled to the ground with a cry.

It was still raining.

Link swallowed back a groan, lying here was just asking for him to get sick, or for some other monster to wander up and kill him in his weakened state. Zora's domain at least offered some protection. He could make it back.

Though he'd have to find a way onto Achak's back first.

Trying not to jostle his definitely broken leg too much, he grabbed the reins and pulled them down, Achak snorted and lifted his head up, dragging Link to his feet as he did so.

With a death grip on the saddle, he used his good leg to kick off a nearby rock and vault himself onto his steed's back.

His leg hit the side of Achak's flank, forcing out a cry of pain at the white hot fire that suddenly shot up from his toes all the way to his skull. Link didn't bother with the reigns and hunched over the saddle, hugging Achak's neck instead.

The world spun around him, but Link blinked it away. He was fine. He needed to stay conscious at least until he got to the inn, then he could bandage up and sleep it off. He'd be fine.

He still let himself remain hunched in the saddle as he spurred Achak on down the mountain, towards the bridge that would take him back Zora's Domain. Achak knew the way back, he didn't need to worry that much, so he let himself have the luxury of just zoning out in a feeble attempt to ease the pain.

As he watched the ground pass under Achak's hooves, he noticed occasionally he'd see dots of red. He sat up and to his surprise, blood caked the saddle, and some of Achak's neck.

Ah. Must have been when the Lynel swung his sword and hit him in the chest. Link didn't feel the pain - oh wait, there it is - he had been too hyped up on adrenaline before, trying to ignore the sensible voice in the back of his head telling him to run for his dear little life.

Did the Zora's have doctors on hand? He sure hoped so, probably wouldn't do Hyrule good to just die of blood loss now. He still had two other Divine Beasts to save.

As they drew closer, Link sat up in the saddle. He couldn't let people see his weakness, not with them all counting on him. So he gritted a calm smile and tried to pretend that every slightest movement was not actual agony.

Prince Sidon was standing on the bridge with another guard. Link felt his mood brighten a bit at that, it was hard to be upset around the Prince.

"Link!" He playfully nudged the guard standing beside him, "Told you - Link! You are incredible, I knew you could slay that beast! You are such a treasure."

He had not expected Sidon to dash up to him and envelop him in a hug tight enough it lifted him off Achak's back.

An anguish wail echoed through the air, and it wasn't until Sidon dropped him like a hot baked apple, that he realized the sound was from him. He groaned from the stone ground, blinking away tears. Link gently pushed Achak's snout away when it pressed against his face, earning him a whicker in response.

Sidon, Link noticed, was hovering over him. It looked like he was going to cry.

The guard was not within his peripheral, Sion was huge was basically covered his entire vision, but he heard shouts vaguely off in the distance, so he probably went to get help.

"I'm so sorry. I had no idea! Of course you'd be injured after a fight like that." The prince groaned, "I thought that blood was that monster's… Don't worry, we have excellent healers. You'll be back to normal before you know it."

Link didn't respond, not like he could have anyway. Pain didn't exactly put him in a talking mood.

He then noticed he wasn't getting wet anymore. It took him a moment, but he realized that the reason Sidon had taken up so much of his vision was because he was crouched over him enough to keep the rain at bay.

The world lurched into a spin. Black dotted his vision as he felt himself start to dip away from reality.

He was dimly aware of being picked up, Achak making irritated snorts, and a soft voice telling him to remain conscious. To hell with that, Link was ready for a good long nap.


When Link woke he was in a water bed. He slowly tested his joints and muscles, his chest was bound, and leg had been set. He was still in a lot of pain, but he was in one piece. He sat himself up, with unnecessary difficulty because water beds were impossible, and looked around. His armor was folded up neatly in the corner, with his shield, sword, and bow.

He wasn't at the inn, probably some sort of hospice. The room was small, the only lighting coming from four glowing stones positioned at each corner. There was a desk and stool near the door, and shelves with some being empty and the rest filled with vials and jars of who-knows-what.

How long had he been out? Probably too long.

Link set his jaw and slowly, but surely, swung his legs over the side of the bed and slid out. He stood, shakily, and waddled his way over to get dressed.

He had his britches on when none other than Prince Sidon barreled through the door. A smaller Zora trailing behind him, looking positively distraught. "He is resting, you shouldn't disturb him!"

Link froze, feeling like a cat that got caught eating the canary. The two Zoras stared at him, then eventually the healer spoke, "How - You shouldn't be standing! You'll risk permanent damage to your leg. Please, lay back down and rest until you are fully recovered. Your body cannot function under such distress!"

It was tempting to just ignore her, but he didn't like the idea of being rude, so instead he answered, "I'm fine."

Of course his voice wavered just enough for it to be blatantly clear he was not. He swallowed and tried again, "Divine Beasts, no time for resting."

To Link's surprise it was not the healer who acted, but Sidon himself. He scooped Link up under his arms - surprisingly gentle for someone of his size - and set him back down on the bed, "The Divine Beasts have waited 100 years, I think they can wait a few more days."

The healer was by the bedside immediately, and Link conceded to his fate, for now. He could always sneak out later.

Link remained as still as he could while the healer poked and prodded at his wounds, changing bandages and rubbing some foul smelling poultice over the stitches along his stomach and chest. He wondered if it would scar.

"Please stay in the bed this time, if you strain yourself you could permanently damage your leg." She warned, then addressed Sidon, "Prince, the Champion needs his rest."

Sidon made an affirming noise, "Dont worry! I'll make sure he falls asleep before I leave. Can't have him running off when we aren't looking!"

Link could picture the look on the healer's face as she sighed and gave up, letting Sidon remain in the room.

There was a scraping sound, and Link rolled his head to the side to see Sidon perched comically on a stool. Probably the one from the desk, now dragged to the side of the bed.

His yellow eyes kind of glowed in the dim lighting of the room. Link wondered what time it was.

"Your horse is fine, I had another healer look him over while the rest were taking care of you." Sidon offered. He looked uncomfortable, probably regretting his promise to stay here until Link fell asleep.

"You can go." Link croaked out, not bothering to pretend he was in perfect shape anymore, he had already been caught, what was the point?

Sidon blinked at him, so Link tried again, "I won't leave tonight."

The prince's eyes narrowed at him for a moment, then he perked up considerably and beamed, "Great! I'm glad you are taking your health more seriously!"

Link laughed weakly, and looked back up at the ceiling. After a few minutes, Sidon didn't move from his spot and Link looked back to him. "You're still here…?"

"Of course! I'm keeping you company."

"...Why?"

Sidon was uncharacteristically at a loss for words. He opened his mouth and closed it a few times, before covering up his blatant surprise (embarrassment?) with an overzealous grin, "Because you are my most treasured friend, of course! I wouldn't want you to feel lonely."

Link smiled, it was impossible to be upset with him around. He was incredible. Way out of his league obviously, but still, he could admire from afar.

"Sheika Slate." Link jerked his head in the direction of his armor and weapons, "Please?"

Sidon stood and dug the ancient technology out from under his clothes and brought it back to the bed, sitting down and handing it to Link in one smooth motion.

Link booted it up once it was in his hands. He slipped on camera mode, and turned a bit so he was facing Sidon, then snapped a picture. The prince was obviously confused, which the picture captured perfectly. Link chuckled to himself and offered the slate to Sidon.

After a pregnant pause, Sidon took it and looked down at the screen. "That's all you wanted it for?"

Link nodded and averted his gaze up to the ceiling.

Sidon hummed to himself, observing the slate, and probably going through the pictures on it. Link didn't care, they were mostly of places he liked, Achak, people he wanted to remember, and that wolf that followed him around.

Though now that Link thought about it, there were a lot of pictures of Sidon in it. Perhaps admiring from afar was taken a bit too literally.

He heard a noise from Sidon, which meant he probably discovered the swarm of photos of him. He didn't comment, to Link's surprise.

Though he did speak up after a few minutes, "You take a lot of pictures."

Link grunted his confirmation.

Sidon set the slate down on the edge of the bed, "Why?"

He really didn't want to be having this conversation. Be it exhaustion or pain however, he ended up answering despite his better judgement. "I don't want to forget again."

When Sidon didn't speak, Link continued, "I remember so little. But pictures help me remember." Link grabbed the slate and pulled up a picture of a valley he and Zelda rode their horses on often, before Ganon attacked, "I go places and sometimes remember things. Little things, but still something."

Link put the slate back down, "If… If I forget again, I want to leave pictures of things that are important to me, so I can remember."

Sidon laughed, it was a warm, joyus sound. "You must adore your horse."

Link snorted, though he was right. Achak was his only steady companion through his journeys, along with the wolf occasionally, so he wanted to be sure he'd never forget all Achak has done. "I'd be dead if not for him."

Sidon's brows raised, "Wow, what an incredible steed. Of course. He matches how fantastic you are, no wonder you two make such a great team!"

It was hard not to laugh at that, even though it hurt his chest. A snap sounded beside him, and he glanced over to see Sidon lowering the slate, he offered it back to Link. It was a picture of him laughing.

He looked like a mess. His hair was in at least eight different directions, he was covered in bruises, and he looked like he was going to sneeze. Was that how he looked while laughing? Good Goddess, he was never laughing in front of anyone again.

"You have a wonderful laugh." Sidon added, scooting his stool closer to the bed so he could lean closer to Link. Probably to see the Sheika Slate, he figured.

It was a strange compliment. Especially now after seeing what he looked like when he laughed.

"Hylian laughs sound different than Zora's." Sidon leaned back, "I like them."

Link grunted in response. Maybe it was because Zora don't have noses, or at least noses like Hylian people.

With a huff he closed his eyes and just rested comfortably, Sidon sat surprisingly silent beside him. After what Link guessed was about ten minutes, he eventually spoke.

"You probably shouldn't be so reckless."

This was another conversation Link didn't feel overly inclined to have. He had heard it all already, he was the Champion, a hero, he had to live to free the Divine Beasts, defeat Calamity Ganon and just all around save the world. He could die on his own time.

Instead of answering, he feigned sleep. At least he could justify it to himself as he was actually tired. Which, he was.

When he did not respond, Sidon sighed and shifted in his seat. Link felt the Sheika Slate taken from his hands and set on the table with his clothes. Link expected him to leave, but the prince actually returned to his seat. Did he know Link was awake?

Time passed and eventually Link began to truly fall asleep, though was stirred when Sidon rested a hand on his forehead. He brushed some hair out of Link's face with a sigh.

"Stupid." He muttered, low enough that even Link could barely hear it. "Hurry and defeat Calamity Ganon."

If Link didn't adore the Prince so much, he probably would have had a more bitter response. Now, Link just sort of deflated.

In the end he was just the Champion, it was his duty, he knew. One he failed 100 years ago. Sidon was a good prince, and would make an excellent king eventually, Link was sure. After he defeated Calamity Ganon, he'd probably just fade off into obscurity, let Zelda handle the Hylian people.

"There you are, my Prince." A weakened voice called from what Link guessed was the doorway. It was familiar, so one of the elders. Not Muzu though, he didn't think.

The stool scraped against the floor as Sidon stood, "Yes?"

"Your father needs you, a diplomat will be arriving within the day." The elder explained, "He requested you be present."

"Of course, tell him I will be there momentarily." Sidon sounded strange when he spoke professionally. He was so casual when they first met. Link is glad that at the very least, Sidon continued to act the same. Even after finding out who he was.

The footsteps of the elder padded away, leaving him and Sidon the only ones in the room again.

Sidon's hand returned to Link's forehead. Well, Link presumed that was its intended place, Sidon's hand was big enough to cover his entire head frankly.

It lingered there for another moment, then disappeared, followed by Sidon's footsteps fading away.

Were all Zora this touchy-feely? Link couldn't remember. Though a voice in the far back of his head told him Sidon's hand lingered longer than standardly appropriate. He ignored the voice.


When Link opened his eyes again, the room was a bit brighter than he remembered. He did his body test, still in pain, but still in one piece. He could probably travel now without too much worry. He'd just lay off fighting for a bit if he could.

Link slowly pushed himself up, and moved to swing his legs off the bed, but a voice stilled him, "Going to try and sneak off again?"

He looked up to see Sidon was seated on the stool from last night, though he held some papers in his hands this time. He also looked a fair bit more decorated than usual. Maybe for that diplomat the elder mentioned.

Sidon set the papers aside and offered him a good natured smile, "You still shouldn't be moving around yet."

Link grunted and remained upright, though adjusted himself so he was no longer poised to leap off the bed.

"How do you feel? That Lynel really did a number on you, we were worried for a bit that you wouldn't make it."

"I'm tenacious." Link snorted, then added in a more genuine voice, "I'll be alright."

"Good." Sidon scooted closer, "The healer advised you stay in bed for a few more days, but she said you should be able to move without permanent damage by tomorrow."

He'd leave tomorrow then.

His conviction must have shown on his face since Sidon laughed, "Your dedication is so outstanding! You truly are a hero."

Link tried not to grimace. He failed.

Sidon must have noticed as his beaming smile fell into a frown, "Link?"

He waved it off, he'd probably need to get used to it anyway. The Gorons didn't even know who he was, which frankly Link was thankful for. Who knows about the Rito or Gerudo though.

Not to mention if he lived through this, he'd definitely be bestowed all kinds of titles he was wholly unworthy of.

"Don't like being called Champion or Hero then." Sidon mused, leaning precariously back in his stool, "Just Link then?"

"Yes." Just Link.

A firm nod was his response, and he felt a bit of relief wash over him. Link didn't want to be called any sort of honorific by anyone, least of all Sidon.

Sidon picked the papers back up and resumed reading, yellow eyes narrowing at the fine print. Link was curious, but knew it wasn't his place to ask. Instead, he shifted and fell back into the bed. It rippled around him, then eventually stilled and molded itself around his body.

"We're trying to establish a trade route with the Gerudo. None of my people can physically go there though due to the climate." Sidon spoke, "They don't want to be the only ones doing the traveling, and the humid air here is uncomfortable for them."

Link was glad he wasn't royalty. Being a warrior thankfully came with very little need for politics and posturing. Well, some posturing, but he was able to stay out of politics completely.

A warm chuckle came from Sidon, "Not your forte?"

He scrunched his nose and stuck his tongue out in response, drawing another laugh out.

Sidon watched him with something akin to fondness, a small smile spread through his lips. Which, by the way, Link was absolutely not staring at.

Breaking the brief moment, Link cleared his throat and jerked his head towards his clothes. He needed something to entertain himself and distract him from the burning in his cheeks. Sidon stood and grabbed the Sheikah Slate, he held it up to make sure it was what Link wanted, then brought it to him when he nodded.

Link took it and distracted himself with the photos, giving time to rid his mind of little pesky thoughts. He did take note of the slightly disappointed look on the Prince's face when Link kept his attention on the slate.

An awkward silence spanned between the two, until eventually Sidon broke it. "Where do you plan on heading next?"

Link let his head hit the pillow with a huff, "North. To the Rito."

"Any particular reason?"

Link shrugged, "They are having the most trouble. The Divine Beast shoots at anyone who flies too high."

"Hm, good choice then. Quite the distance though." Sidon's concerned tone prompted Link to move his gaze from the ceiling to the Zora.

"I have Achak."

"Of course, your horse would make the travel far easier!" Sidon laughed, "He was grazing just outside of the palace this morning. He has quite the attitude."

Link raised a brow and waited for an explanation.

"He got rather testy when anyone approached. I tried offering some food and he kicked me."

It hurt to laugh, it hurt so much, but Link couldn't stop himself from howling with laughter. Link probably should apologize for his horse's behavior, he found he wasn't sorry at all. In fact, he was rather disappointed he didn't get to see it himself.

Sidon's head was tilted with a bewildered, but happy, expression when Link finally looked back to him. "What did you give him?"

The Prince's expression shifted to a sheepish one, "There aren't any horses here, we're too big to ride them." He fingered the rope along his chest and glanced about the room, "My people really only eat fish so…"

Once again, Link was in tears.

"I offered him some Hylian rice, and he wouldn't take that either." Sidon snorted, cheeks turning an interesting shade of blue.

"He likes apples." Link offered after he was able to catch his breath.

"Apples… I don't think any of our vendors sell them. I shall put in a request then."

Link nodded towards his bag, "I have some."

Sidon set the papers down on one of the shelves beside him, then pushed to his feet. Sometimes Link forgot just how huge he was.

After some digging around, Sidon produced a small bag of apples. Link always made sure to have them on hand, they were Achak's favorite after all.

Sidon took one apple and returned the bag back to it's place. Link propped himself up on his elbows and raised a brow.

"The best friend of my best friend should like me." Sidon justified with a laugh.

"You going to try and befriend the wolf too?"

"Of course, whenever I meet him that is. I don't think he's ever actually been here, has he?"

Link pursed his lips in thought, Sidon was right. The wolf hadn't set a single paw in Zora's Domain. Probably didn't like getting wet or something.

"I'll meet him eventually, I'm sure! Until then, I can just focus on getting your valiant steed to like me."

Link chuckled and flopped back down on the bed.

Sidon grabbed the papers from the shelf, "I have to give this to my father anyhow. I'll be back later. Get some sleep, alright?"

A grunt was his only response from Link as he waved the Prince off. He'd feel bad if he left without saying goodbye now. Link turned onto his side, careful of his leg, and decided to do just as Sidon suggested.


There was something on his arm.

Link jerked awake, sitting up swiftly and already positioning himself to lunge for his weapons. The action deflated halfway through, leaving him to flop ungraciously back on the bed with an "Oof."

Sidon stared at him with wide eyes, the thing Link felt touching the arm in question was his hand, which was now held up in a sign of peace. "Sorry."

"It's alright." Link shook his head, a bit embarrassed at his overreaction. In his defence, it could have been a monster or something. Unlikely, but Link was paranoid.

Wobbling around, Link regained his balance and sat up to face Sidon.

"Achak took the apple. Though wouldnt let me touch him." Sidon mentioned, an obvious attempt to move on from the awkward silence.

"He didn't warm up to me for a while." Link assured, flinching at the memory of getting kicked off his back. Twice.

It warmed Link's heart when Sidon laughed.

"Thats a relief, I was worried your horse hated me." Sidon's fingers twitched, Link moved his gaze from Sidon to his hands.

They were huge, like the rest of him, and his fingers were connected together by a thin webbing that reflected light differently than his skin. Or really small scales. Link couldn't tell.

He continued to fidget, eyes darting around the room, looking anywhere but Link himself. Something which worried Link, had he offended Sidon? He liked to think Sidon would have told him if he did. Still, something was up.

"You ok?" Link inquired, narrowing his eyes a bit at him.

Sidon didn't respond immediately, then let out a sigh that deflated him. "I am fine, don't worry Link. Nothing for you to worry about."

After a moment, Sidon reached out and rested a hand on Link's arm again. Link could see his muscles tense under his skin, as if he expected Link to dart away again.

The hand was warm and brought a sense of comfort unfamiliar to him. Link rested his hand on Sidon's own, which instantly relaxed him. Guess Sidon was the one worried that he had offended Link.

"The healer said you could leave now, if you really wanted to." Sidon mumurred.

Link didn't want to go anywhere quite frankly. Hell, he'd love nothing more than to just curl up with the hand and go back to sleep. He had a job to do, however. One that left his desires irrelevant.

Another moment was all he allowed himself, before he swung his legs around so he could stand up from the bed. Sidon moved his hand away as he did, resting it in his lap with his other.

He padded to his clothes and began to slip them on, strapping his shield and weapons to his back too. It still hurt to move, so he'd keep out of any unnecessary fights if he could. He felt far better than he did before, so the healer was definitely on to something with that whole sleep business.

A hand rested on his shoulder, Sidon again.

Link looked up and remained motionless as Sidon adjusted his clothes and weapons. The Prince was nervous again, and since he looked fine, he probably was preening Link instead. The action sparked some sort of familiarity. He was preened a lot before by someone else, when they were nervous. Link couldn't set a face to it though.

"You'll be more careful, right?" Sidon prompted.

If he didn't look so genuinely worried Link would have groaned. Well, he still groaned, but with less exasperation behind it.

Sidon frowned and tugged on Link's sleeve, this time with enough force to briefly teeter him off-balance. "Promise me."

Link turned and got a better look at Sidon's face. He wore an expression Link didn't recognize. His eyes were narrowed, which if he had not been comfortable around Sidon would have probably scared him a bit. So he was upset? Probably. Link didn't really understand why.

When Link did not respond, Sidon did some obvious choice looming and leaned over Link, face mere inches from Link's own. His breath was hot against Link's lips when he spoke, "Promise. Me."

Link stared at him owlishly and responded with, "Promise."

Sidon relaxed and pulled back, a weak smile on his now neutral face. "Thank you."

Now Link was left with all sorts of feelings. None of which Link had the energy or patience to deal with. So instead he stomped them out at the source, refusing to acknowledge the warmth of his cheeks or the butterflies in his stomach.

"You are welcome here anytime! You know that, right? If you need a safe place to rest, Zora's domain will always be available." Sidon pipped, looking more cheerful now. Though Link detected some strange cadence to his voice, leading Link to beleive it was a mask.

Link remained silent and narrowed his eyes, which was enough to break through the facade.

Sidon sighed and rubbed his neck, "I… Have something for you."

Sidon walked to one of the shelves and picked up some sort of pendant, bringing it to Link. He held it up, showing a silver chain with a luminous stone in the center of three outward facing crescent moons, the Zora's Royal Crest.

He looped it over Link's head, the pendant resting just below his collarbone. Looking it over in the light made it shine beautifully, it was obviously very well crafted.

Link wondered if that blacksmith made it. It certainly couldn't have been easy, he wasn't sure what he had done to deserve such a gift.

"Think of it as a good luck charm." Sidon offered, still looking suspiciously sheepish.

"This is a beautiful gift." Link tilted the crest and watched light bounce off the silver.

"It's nothing, really." At Link's raised eyebrow, he continued. "It holds a little significance with my people, but you needn't worry yourself with that. You have plenty on your plate already. When you defeat Calamity Ganon, I can tell you more about it. Fair?"

"Why not tell me now?"

"Its incentive to stay alive." Sidon chuckled, then laughed when Link rolled his eyes.

It was time to go.

Sidon escorted Link out of the hospice and to the main grounds above Mipha's statue.

He rested a hand on Link's shoulder, "See you soon then, right?"

Link smiled and gently patted the hand, "Yeah."

With reluctance, Link pulled away and descended down the steps. His curiosity was piqued, he looked down at the pendant. Guess he really should hurry and defeat Calamity Ganon then.

He did take note of Muzu's appalled reaction as he passed by the elder Zora. This gift apparently meant a lot more than Sidon let on.


Chapter 02: Storm

"Ugh, what does that boy have?"

Sidon was more or less tuning his educator out, old Muzu was off on a rant and he learned early on the best way to deal with them is to ignore them completely. As he was doing currently.

The current topic of his ire was none other than Link.

Three weeks ago he had given his amulet to the Hylian. A move that symbolized his love for Link, and desire to court him. Much like the armor a female Zora would give her desired mate.

Muzu didn't hate Link anymore, largely getting over his distaste for him after Link calmed Vah Ruta and freed his sister's spirit. That didn't mean the old man liked Link, oh no, old grudges die hard, apparently.

Perhaps giving Link the amulet had been a bit of a brash decision. Sidon didn't regret it at all, not in the slightest, but perhaps he should have done it more subtly. Or had Link tuck it into his tunic or something.

No, no. He wasn't ashamed of his adoration of Link. If he asked him to hide it, Link would most certainly see that as a sign of embarrassment. Link deserved to be paraded and shown off, he was incredible.

For now, he was content in his smug pride that Link wore his crest around his neck. Even if he didn't really know what it entailed.

Being so vague with his emotions was a bit frustrating. However, he could not in good conscious burden Link when he already had so much on his shoulders. Thus, his feelings would remain unsaid until Link defeated Calamity Ganon.

He could only hope that time came swiftly.

Muzu's ramblings shifted from his affection for Link to politics. Something, unfortunately, Sidon had to pay at least some attention to. He already was largely well informed on their current standing with the other races.

With the Divine Beasts being calmed by his dear Link, there has been a lot of talk of reopening century-long dead trading routs again. That would mean he'd have to put more work in recruiting and training more guards to keep the roads safe.

It had been a while since he traveled out of their provence. Most of his time was spent in Zora's Domain, organizing patrols and accompanying them when he got that rare chance. It'd be nice to go further than their border for once.

His time with Muzu wrapped up faster than he realized. Though Sidon was certainly not complaining.

He gathered the documents they discussed before the elder went off on a rant, and strode his way to the throne room to speak with his father.

The King sat on his throne, imposing and stoic as usual. Sidon didn't look forward to his coronation to be King, sitting all day looking regal must be excruciatingly boring.

"I have brought the papers Muzu and I discussed today." Sidon bowed briefly, then straightened and continued.

"In order to establish and keep trade routes safe for caravans, we will need to increase the number of our guard by a sizeable margin. There will need to be time and money allotted for training and provings. Not to mention to pay for the material and crafting of new armor and weapons. We can make up for this by selling fish, adornments, and some of the weapons we craft. Fish and adornments will likely be our largest source of income. Once we have at least one route going, we will be able to expand to more. I recommend the Gorons for our first major connection, they are the closest, and we will be able to trade much of the ore we need for the weapons and armor from them."

His father shifted in his throne, pondering the dilemma and solution Sidon presented to him. After some pause, the King replied, "Very good, Sidon. That sounds like a good plan, I commend you for your resourcefulness."

Sidon tried not to look too excited at his father's praise. A stir of pride swelled in his chest none the less though.

"There is, however, another matter I wish to discuss." The King leaned back in his throne, inclining his head down towards his son with a curious expression.

Another matter? The trade routes were the biggest thing on their minds politically, what else could there be?

"Yes, Father?"

"What are your intentions towards the Champion?"

Sidon flinched, of course his father would find out about that. No doubt from Muzu.

"I intend to court him when he defeats Calamity Ganon." Sidon stood straight and squared his shoulders. He mentally braced himself for his father's stern reprimand, his mind already racing to plan for retorts to his father's disapproval.

Instead, the King chuckled. It was a low sound that reverberated through the chamber. "Good."

Sidon's confusion must have shown blatantly on his face, as his father explained, "I wanted to make sure you were not throwing away your crest over a frivolous crush."

Unsure how immediately to respond, Sidon dipped his head and eyed his father warily. He was a traditionalist. While more open than the elders, he often shared much of their sentiments. "You… Approve of this?"

The King laughed again, "I have seen the way you dance around the boy, he makes you happy. He is also a good warrior with a fine head on his shoulders, I see no reason to be against the courtship."

To be frank, Sidon had dreaded telling his father of his intentions, expecting a far different reaction. He had understood it was an unspoken law that a Zora could not mate outside of their people.

"Please, do get that look off your face." His father grumbled, in his usual stern tone, "Before Calamity Ganon, it was not uncommon to take mates from other species. Your great aunt had a Gerudo mate. It was only after the Hylians discovered the ancient technology, that the drifting apart of our territories started."

His father leaned on one of the arms of his throne, "Of course, I expect you to at least court him properly, you are royalty after all."

Sidon closed his mouth, realizing his jaw had dropped at his father's words. He cleared his throat, "Of course. I would do no less."

"Very good. Now, who do you intend to earn the favor of?"

He… Had not thought of that.

Traditionally, when courting a mate, a Zora would approach the family of their desired. Parents, siblings, or even close friends would be considered when deciding who to win the favor of. Provided they were successful, the family member would bestow upon the Zora their blessings to proceed with courting their desired.

Link, however, didn't have anyone. At least, not that Sidon was aware of. Perhaps Princess Zelda, if she survives through the battle. Sidon was unsure of their relationship though. Link relayed to him once that he had some vague memories of her, most of them expressing dislike for him.

Perhaps they did not get along, or perhaps they eventually did. Sidon decided to count her as a possibility, but figured it would be better to win the favor of someone else. Unfortunately, who else was there?

"You could always try and win the favor of his horse," His father mentioned with a deep laugh.

That… Actually may not be a bad idea. Link adored his loyal steed, that could count as a close friend, could it not? Even better, if he were to gain the favor of his steed and wolf. That surely would count.

They didn't have wolves in these parts, but he was sure there would be information on them in the grand library. He would learn what he could about them, and use that to his advantage. It was a perfect plan!

His father gave him a bemused look, and waved his hand, dismissing Sidon from the throne room.

He would have to store the papers away before he did anything else. He dropped the documents off with some of the elders that were gathered around a table, discussing whatever the elders discussed, and stopped by Mipha's statue.

Before he could move on, he heard the clanking of armor not of his people, and an irritated whicker.

He turned, and approaching behind him was none other than Link. He had not expected to see him again so soon. He glanced to the sky as Link was preoccupied talking to one of the Zora guards at the entrance.

Three beams now decorated the sky. So Link was successful in calming another Divine Beast. Incredible.

Sidon has been too caught up in his own work that he barely spared the sky a second glance. He wondered how long it had been like that.

A warm fluttering spread through his body as Link approached, giving Sidon a happy, but notably tired grin. The pendant stood stark against his blue tunic, pride swelled in Sidon's chest at the sight.

Link raised a brow at him, only serving to make the bags under his eyes more prominent. Of course he would be tired, Sidon could not imagine what he has had to do in order to quell the Beast's rage.

"Link! It is fantastic to see you again, I see you were successful in calming yet another Divine Beast!" He beamed, shifting his stance so he did not loom over Link as much.

Link grunted in response. He needed a break. He was just one man, doing all of these things that Sidon wasn't sure would be totally feasible for an army.

"You must stay the night, I'm sure the inn would love to have you!" Sidon wanted to offer him a room in the royal suit, but he knew Link would refuse.

"I won't stay long." Link responded with a shrug.

His voice was low, a bit raspy. Had he gotten a good night's sleep since he left? Sidon frowned, no, he didn't think Link did.

He allowed himself the luxury of resting a hand on Link's shoulder, which the Hylian seemed fine with, "I insist you just spend the night. You can leave tomorrow morning."

Link shifted from foot to foot, eyes narrowing at the ground, then he looked up at Sidon and nodded. "I will get a bed at the inn."

Pleased to hear this, he grinned at Link, who in turn snorted in response.

It was midday, too early to really turn in. He didn't like the idea of Link just sitting quietly alone in a bed. While he was not courting Link yet, nothing said he couldn't spend time with him.

"There is a grove that I used to explore in a lot growing up. I haven't been there in ages, I was thinking of seeing it again. Care to join me?" It was only partly a lie. He had been intending to visit the grove again, eventually.

Link eyed him. It was the look he has been on the end of a few times, one that meant Link saw through the bluff and was deciding if he would call him out on it. After a moment, Link patted Sidon's hand and nodded, "Yeah."

Sidon beamed, "Fantastic! I will meet you at the end of the bridge."

He took wide strides up the steps and into the palace. It had been a long time since he had been to the grove. With the amount of monsters lurking about, he didn't actually know how safe it was.

Sidon walked into his room and gently took the trident off the wall. It had been a while since he had wielded the weapon proper, his armor had long since been hung up in favor of battles of a political sort.

After strapping it to his back he returned outside and met up with Link, who as he asked, was waiting patiently at the end of the bridge leading to Zora's Domain.

Link was feeding Achak an apple, how many did he carry with him? Sidon wouldn't be surprised if he really did always had a stash on his person.

"Ready?"

Link looked up at him, to the trident, then to his face. His eyes narrowed.

"I have not been there for some time, I don't know how dangerous it is. I wouldn't go unarmed and leave you to do all the fighting of there was trouble."

"Those lizalfos with the shock arrows were quaking in their scales from your presence, I'm sure."

Right. He did sort of leave Link in the dust when they first met, didn't he? Sidon rubbed the back of his head, "Too late to apologize for that?"

Link laughed, and hoisted himself up on Achak. He gave the white steed a rub on his neck, who then turned around to face down the mountain. "Shall we?"

The grove. Right.

Sidon nodded and led the way down the road, Link and Achak beside him. With Link on his horse now, he came up to his chin. He'd keep that in mind for future reference.

Sitting patiently on a rock near where the road started to span out before the first bridge was the elusive wolf in Link's pictures. He sat with his head held high, chest puffed out, and this stoic posture that spoke of nobility. His ears perked as the approached, Link slowing to a stop before him so the beast had a chance to stretch out and get to his feet.

Despite his regality, there was a slowness in his movement that spoke of old age. His joints seemed stiff, as he had to stretch a few times before he got going. Sidon wondered how long the wolf had been around.

Link leaned down and rubbed his hand over the crest of the wolf's fur. Did all wolves have such an intricate pattern on them?

After Link straightened and turned to him, Sidon began to lead them further down.

He glanced over his shoulder and noticed the wolf walking behind him. Those eyes were far more intelligent than Sidon had expected. And honestly, with the way they were focused on him, Sidon felt distinctly like he was being judged.

It was absurd, he knew, but that wolf was more unsettling than the images Link took let on.

"You get used to it."

Sidon snapped from his thoughts and looked to Link, who bore a humored smile.

"Get used to what?"

Link nodded back to the wolf, "Pops. He's sizing you up. Does it to everyone."

"...Pops?"

Link chuckled, "He acts like a cranky old man. Since he doesn't have a name, I'm calling him Pops for now."

The wolf sneezed.

"Fitting name then."

They walked in silence one more, Sidon walking as close to Link as he dared. Not wishing to upset either of the two beasts with his presence. Achak at least tolerated his presence, how 'Pops' felt about him, Sidon was still unsure of.

Sidon led them down a path away from the main road. The scenery had changed, but his feet moved on their own accord. The memory of running off the road with his sister in tow came fresh to his mind.

They arrive at the grove, well, more of a forest now. It was thicker than it used to be, but this was undoubtedly the same place. He smiled fondly and led them inside, walking a bit slower than he had before to make sure he didn't lose Link in the trees.

A small clearing opened up in the trees, old stone benches laid in ruin and moss. The little statues were still there as well, Mipha told him what the statues represented, but he had long since forgotten. Sidon wished he had payed more attention to her growing up.

Sidon plopped himself down on the grass, removing his trident from his back and laying it beside him.

Link hopped off Achak and sat beside him, stretching his legs out. They barely reached past his knee.

He knew Link wasn't usually one for many words, so he decided to fill the silence.

"I came here a lot growing up. Mipha showed it to me, though after she left to be a Champion I kept coming here." He leaned back on his hands, "She would always lecture me about being safe. 'Sidon don't climb that', 'Sidon don't eat that', 'Sidon those animals are not friendly'."

He chuckled at the memories, and gazed down at Link. He wasn't looking at the prince, his blue eyes were trained on a fixed point in the forest. Though they glanced up to him when he finished speaking, so Sidon knew Link had been listening.

Link didn't look uncomfortable, perhaps concentrated was a better word.

It was then Sidon realized talking about people he used to know may be painful for him. He didn't know how much of his memory was regained since he had left three weeks ago. To him, a hundred years has passed since his sister's death. To Link, mere weeks.

Another topic then.

Sidon scooted a bit closer to Link, so their arms were just barely brushing against each other.

"Tell me about your travels."

The request apparently surprised Link as he blinked and stared up at him with obvious bewilderment.

"I rarely have the chance to leave Zora's Domain, much less the territory. I've never been so far north."

Link pursed his lips, looking back into the forest. Sidon was patient as Link thought of what to say, eventually starting with, "It was fucking cold."

Sidon snorted a laugh, "That bad?"

With a grunt, Link rocked to his feet and walked to Achak, who had taken the opportunity to graze. From one of the saddlebags, Link pulled out a heavy looking tunic and brought it to Sidon. He deposited the garment in his lap, "I had to wear this and really heavy boots if I wanted to keep all my fingers and toes."

Sidon held it up, the embroidery was lovely, and it was so soft. Sidon had never seen clothing like this before. He looked up to Link, then back to the tunic, the mental image of Link all bundled up in such thick clothing made Sidon laugh.

Link scoffed and snatched it back, stuffing it back in the saddlebag. A warm smile rested on his lips, telling Sidon that he took no true offence to his laughter.

Link plopped back down beside him, close enough now that their arms were touching. Such a simple act made Sidon's heart skip a beat, pathetic, he knew, but he couldn't help it.

The Hylian was about to continue his story when they both felt something press between their arms. Sidon lifted his and looked down, seeing none other than the wolf wedged between them. He looked terribly uncomfortable, but there was this look in his eyes that led Sidon to believe he would power through from sheer stubbornness alone.

Link laughed and rubbed Pops' head, then rested his arm on the wolf's back. Sidon narrowed his eyes at the wolf, who held and even returned the look. Earning the favor of the wolf may be harder than he had anticipated.

"One of the Rito warriors took me up to Vah Medoh on his back." Link continued, apparently not noticing the forced distance between them, or not caring, "I hate heights."

Sidon chuckled, so Link continued. The hand not resting on Pops moved about in the air to accentuate his words, "So I had to fight this - this thing, that was created by Ganon I guess, it could like conjure up twisters. Nearly got knocked off the wings a few times."

A part of Sidon deeply regretted asking about his journeys. The way he spoke of nearly getting flung off the wing of a giant machine in the sky bothered him, as if it were just some normal occurrence.

"I killed it, obviously, and I got to see Revali again." Link's tone fell to a more somber one.

"He was one of the Champions then, right?"

Link nodded, and leaned back, turning his gaze to the darkening sky, "He was a jerk, but he was our jerk."

Sidon patted Link's shoulder, careful not to accidentally hit him too hard, "So you remembered more things then?"

"Some." He replied with a shrug, "Mostly about Revali, though a bit about us all together."

The prince could do little more than offer his support, he could not imagine what it would be like to lose one's memories, only to regain them and find everyone he cares for dead.

"I'm sure he was glad to see you."

Link snorted, "He was, didn't say it though. Had to keep up appearances."

Sidon laughed, though couldn't understand it himself. Link was, well, Link . Sidon couldn't pick out what drew him to the Hylian, but he was always happy to see him. While he tried to retain an air of professionalism, he knew his delight was obvious every time he saw him.

Link crossed his legs and rested his forearms on his knees. "We were pretty close, I think. Underneath the teasing. Good friends."

Before he could offer condolences, a clap of thunder boomed overhead, cutting Sidon off completely.

Just like that, it was as if the skies opened up to a waterfall, a heavy and almost violent deluge poured from the sky.

Link was on his feet immediately, and Sidon followed shortly. He grabbed his trident and re-strapped it to his back, while Link grabbed Achak's reigns, though didn't get on him this time.

Lightning streaked above them, "There was shelter just a bit up the road." Link mentioned, eyeing the sky warrily.

Sidon followed Link, since he didn't even notice this shelter Link spoke of. A small smile formed on his lips as they weaved their way out of the trees, that was his Link, incredible as always.

Lightning struck the ground far too close for comfort. Zora adornments and weapons were almost entirely metal, making him a walking lightning beacon. Closer to Zora's Domain this wasn't an issue, as they had tall lightning rods to draw away the lightning from those below.

They were too far away for it's protection now.

Link broke into a sprint, and Sidon easily kept pace. Had they not been rushing to shelter to avoid getting electrocuted, Sidon would have admired how Link's little legs were able to propel him so quickly. He was far faster than he appeared.

As it turned out, the 'shelter' Link saw on the road was nothing more than wooden slabs held above their heads by four wood poles.

It was not built for Zora people. Especially not of his size.

He had to lean forward at an awkward angle to even stand under it. It was horribly uncomfortable, and rain poured between the gaps of the wood. Not that he overly minded the water, but it was the principle that irked him. How was this shelter in any way shape or form?

Daring a quick glance at Link only furthered to cement his irritation. The poor man was soaked to the bone, his tunic clinging to his body in a way he doubted was comfortable. His hair was almost completely covering his eyes, and he just looked like a wet soggy mess.

It tugged on his heart strings a bit, he wanted nothing more than to shelter Link from the rain, keep him dry and safe, but with their current situation, it would be in vain. That, and he wasn't entirely sure how Link would react to it.

Sidon breathed out a sigh, this was not how he had planned the rest of the night to go. A nice, simple evening spending time with Link before he'd have to leave again to do more horribly dangerous things because he was a Champion.

He should have been watching the weather closer.

A melodious sound came from beside him, and he looked down to see Link, just... Laughing.

He pushed his blond hair back out of his face, cheeks and nose practically glowing red, and continued to laugh. The sound was beautiful, even with the lightning storm going on around them, Link's laugh instantly brought joy to him.

Achak stood beside Link, completely content where he was. The wolf laid at their feet, just as comfortable as the horse.

It was… Nice.

The Zora people hated lightning storms, with their weakness to electricity in general, they could prove fatal when not careful. Sidon obviously was no exception, having a strong dislike for them himself.

And yet… Hunched over uncomfortably under this glorified tree corpse, he was actually, well, happy.

Despite himself, Sidon began to laugh too, which only seemed to make Link laugh even harder. He was a bit worried he'd pass out from lack of air, especially when he leaned on Achak for support.

Link's cheeks were red, like the tips of his ears. His hair was a mess beyond repair. His entire body soaked to the core, probably giving him a chill as he sniffled unflatteringly.

Yet, in that moment, Link had never been more beautiful to him.

He wanted to kiss Link. He wanted to kiss him really bad.

It would be incredibly inappropriate to do so, he knew. So instead, he reached out and pulled Link closer to him, draping his arm around his shoulders.

"It's drier here." Sidon justified feebly.

Link looked above them, then to Sidon with a raised brow, "No it's not."

The prince didn't have a comeback for that.

He half expected Link to pull away, but he didn't. He grabbed Sidon's arm and shifted it around his shoulders, likely so it would be more comfortable, and remained where he was.

Sidon wanted to bring Link even closer and hug him, but he figured that would be too much. For now at least.

Something pressed against his leg closest to Link. When he looked down, Pops had wedged himself between their legs. Once again, it didn't look comfortable, but once again, it didn't seem like the wolf cared.

Link laughed again, and Sidon joined him.

This had not been quite what he expected, or wanted, but Sidon found he rather liked how things turned out. Link seemed to be making a habit of surprising Sidon, not that he minded.

Not at all.


Chapter 03: Cowardice

The warm sun beat down on Link's black hood. He had left his Champion's tunic with Impa, she said she'd see to it getting resorted by tonight.

He could see the pity in her eyes and it made his stomach curl, he hated it. The pity, the soothings of 'oh you'll get it next time', the look on the young chief's face when he returned unsuccessful.

Link was a damn coward.

A tug on his heel drew his attention away from inside himself and out to Pops. He scowled at the wolf, then sighed and looked down at his hands. They were relatively unmarred compared to the rest of him.

Pops chuffed and tugged on Link's boot again. He sighed and leaned down, flinching at the pressure on his bruises and burns, then ran his hand through his fur.

Even Pops pitied him. He could see it in the wolf's eyes, a sense of familiar melancholy. Yet, Link felt that he was disappointed in him, he had left people who needed him. Running away to save his own skin like a bastard.

Zora's Domain was the only place that sold ice arrows, Link justified to himself. Really though, it was the only place that felt safe. A place of comfort he could hide until his conscious got the better of him and forced him back into battle.

He'd go back tonight for sure, consequences be damned. If he died in battle, then so be it. Link glared at his hands, if anything it'd be a relief.

No, it wouldn't.

Link knew better, if he died then Calamity Ganon would be free to destroy everything in it's path. Yunobo, Teba, his wife and child, Riju, Sidon… They'd all surely perish. He'd have to live, if nothing else then for their sake.

But that… Thing… It killed Urbosa, easily the most skilled of them, how did he have any hope of defeating it?

He pressed his forehead into the back of Achak's neck. He remained like that until he felt the horse stop and crane his neck around, pulling at tunic Impa had given him in place of his blue one.

"Yes, youre right. I know." Link rubbed Achak's head and under his chin. He leaned back and grabbed an apple from his designated apple bag, then offered it to the horse, who took it immediately.

Link spurred Achak into action again, they were almost there. He just needed arrows.


Even in the middle of the day, Zora's Domain just glowed. It was beautiful.

With a grunt, Link heaved himself off of Achak's back, rubbing his steed's shoulder before leaving him there to enter the Domain itself. Pops already had sprawled out on his favorite rock further down the trail.

He was a bit surprised when neither of the guards asked about his journey, though he then realized since his hood was up and he was so much shorter than them both, they probably didn't recognize him.

Though as Link walked past them and to the shop on the right of Mipha's statue, he wondered how safe letting him pass without any inquires of who was. Though they could have also seen Achak and knew it was him, most travelers did not bring horses here according to Sidon.

Speaking of the Prince, as Link walked into the shop, he found none other than Sidon himself there.

Well, not in the shop itself, but rather the armory that laid further in. He was talking to the blacksmith there, so Link didn't bother him.

He grabbed all the arrows the merchant had in stock, buying them and immediately stuffing them into his quivers.

Link couldn't decide if he should just leave or greet Sidon, so he meandered back in the meantime, looking at the new weapons they were creating. There were quite a lot, Link wondered if they were planning on having a surplus of warriors soon.

"How many apprentices do you believe you could train?" Link glanced over his shoulder when Sidon spoke, his voice was even and professional. Deeper than his usual voice, which had a nice sort of dreamy tone.

This must be the voice he uses when doing his duties as a Prince.

The blacksmith grunted, handing a spear off to Sidon. The Prince looked over the weapon, inspecting it critically, then nodding in what Link guessed was satisfaction.

"Two. I've already trained one, they can take on an apprentice or two as well, if you are that short, my Prince."

Sidon was silent for a moment, then responded, "No. Four should be enough, especially if they have craftmanship on par with yours."

"You are too kind, my Prince."

Sidon returned the spear, and walked out, looking down at a scroll as he did. Link debated on going after him, but it was obvious he was busy. Link decided he should just leave. Probably for the best too, if Link was back Sidon would expect him to talk about his victory. Link didn't have the stomach to deal with his disappointment.

What would be the point only having more arrows? Now that he thought about it. Sure, he'd have more to spare, but what good would it do if he couldn't hit the damn thing?

Perhaps some target practice would do him good. There had to be some sort of training area for the guards, perhaps he could practice there for a while.

Link made his way back to a guard who stood at the entrance with his daughter.

"Hello."

The guard jumped a bit, and looked down at Link, it took a moment, but he brightened up rather fast, "Champion! Hello, it's great to see you. I didn't recognize you with that hood up, so used to seeing your hair."

His daughter scoffed, well at least there was someone who recognised him. Though to be fair she was a head shorter than her father, so she'd naturally have a lower vision of sight. Maybe that was why Sidon didn't pay him any mind.

The guard ignored his daughter and leaned on his spear, "So what do you need?"

"Do you have a training area?"

He tilted his head, "You mean the provings arena?"

At Link's blank stare, his daughter spoke up, "It's where we guards go to train and prove our mettle in battle."

That sounded exactly like what Link was looking for. He nodded, and she spoke again, "It's northwest of here, though you'll need to get the Prince's permission, he is our General after all." Her smile turned a bit smug, "I don't think you'll have any issue."

Link had a feeling that was directed at the amulet, though he chose to ignore it for the time being. Instead, he thanked her and headed back towards the market, hoping Sidon would still be there. He didn't want to have to try and hunt him down.

He could probably find the arena and sneak in, he doubted Sidon would actually care that much.

His conscious dictated he got proper permission anyhow… Even if he didn't want to.

The last he saw Sidon was when he first left to try and calm Vah Naboris, Sidon would undoubtedly see him and expect him to have completed his task. Link wasn't sure if he was ready to see disappointment in his eyes, or worse, pity.

He'd try to hide it, of course, Sidon was a good man and would never openly think down on someone. Still, the thought would pass through his mind, and the idea of that did not sit well in Link at all.

Sidon was still in the area, this time making idle talk with a Zora guard. Link flipped his hood down and stood quietly to the side, waiting for Sidon to finish talking to the guard about whatever they were discussing.

The guard noticed him, and ducked out of the conversation, to Sidon's confusion and Link's mild frustration.

It took only a moment for Sidon to realize he was there, and as usual was greeting with excitement, "Link! You're back! It is so good to see you again my friend, you'll have to tell me about your vic-"

"Can I use the proving arena?" Link felt a bit bad about cutting Sidon off, though the Prince thankfully just rolled with it.

"Of course! I don't think there'd be anyone training now, so I'll take you to it." He took a glance at the sky, followed by his cheerful expression falling to confusion.

Shame prickled across Link's skin. He looked anywhere but at the Prince, Link didnt want to see Sidon's polite disappointment in him.

"Link-"

"So, proving arenas, heard they're pretty neat."

"Link are yo-"

" Please?" Link didn't beg, but he'd get on his damn knees for him to just drop the subject.

Sidon was silent for a beat, then sighed, "Yeah, come on. I'll walk you there."

As they walked out of Zora's Domain, stopping briefly to collect Achak and Pops, Link couldn't decide if he was thankful for the silence or not. Sidon usually was fairly easy to read, yet now, he didn't express anything.

Was he angry at Link? Disappointed? He wanted to shake the Prince and tell him to do something, call him a dirty coward, he didn't care. This closed off silence was starting to drive him mad.

The entire walk had been done in silence.

When they arrived at the provings arena, Link found it was not quite as big as he had expected. It was little more than a sand patch protected between three steep hills and a wooden barricade to keep others out.

Sidon closed the tall gate once everyone was inside, though was still oddly silent.

At this point Link just took Sidon's silence as disappointment, and moved on. He didn't have time to get all worked up about his friend finding him weak, he needed to focus on getting stronger so he could protect Hyrule.

He unclipped his cloak and draped it over Achak's back, rolled up the already pretty short sleeves of his tunic and pulled his bow out.

Link pointedly ignored Sidon's gasp. He knew what he looked like, and he knew it was not pretty. Turns out being struck by lightning left quite the mark. Let alone getting struck twice.

Even as Link heard Sidon approach, he continued to ignore him, instead focusing on doing a few practise draws of the string, ignoring stabs of pain from the movement. He needed to get his arms warmed up before he actually started shooting arrows.

Once he was satisfied with how loose his arms were, despite the pain, he pulled an arrow out of his quiver and shot it at one of the many training dummies. The arrow flew and struck right between the painted eyes.

It wasn't until Sidon loomed over him enough to block the sun that Link decided to acknowledge him. He lowered the bow and looked up, scowling at Sidon's expression.

"What… What happened?" Sidon inquired, his words clearly carefully picked.

Link looked back at another dummy and shot that one, relieving a bit of building frustration in his gut.

"I failed the Gerudo people. I tried to fight that thing controlling Vah Naboris and failed. I ran away like a coward to save my own damn skin." He bit out, drawing the bow back again and firing it, this time completely missing the dummy. Link had to stop and take a breath, he was getting too worked up.

"Sorry." His shortcomings were not Sidon's fault, he didn't deserve to be snapped at.

Link could feel Sidon hover behind him for a bit, then when the sun returned, he knew Sidon had left.

With a quick check over his shoulder, he found that Sidon had sat down in one of the benches that were lined along the right half of the circular arena. Sidon offered some sort of meat to Pops, who snorted and turned away from him, to the Zora's obvious dismay.

He couldn't decide if he was relieved or disappointed that Sidon gave him space. On one hand, he was glad for the chance to just focus on what he needed to do, yet on the other, he wouldn't turn down some words of encouragement, or something.

Link shook himself of the thoughts, he was being absurd. People's lives were at stake, he didn't have the luxury of emotion now. He could be upset when Calamity Ganon was dead.

Just standing still wouldn't do anything, he could hit anything standing still. So he tried various ways to make it harder for himself, jumping off things, running, riding Achak, most arrows hit bullseye. Each one that didn't, marked Link's death. He shuddered.

Back to standing and firing again. Link tried to fire as many arrows as humanly possible under a few moments. Even if he missed one, then perhaps he he drew fast enough, he could hit with the second. The creature was too fast for that, he knew, if his arrow didn't hit true the first time, he'd be nothing more than a bloodied smear in Naboris' belly.

A hand rested on his shoulder, sharp jolts of pain shooting down his spine and arm. He dropped the bow, receding in on himself just as the hand left his body. Sidon was still here, right. Link had forgotten his presence, he had been so silent.

Link turned and held up his hands to reassure Sidon, but the words died on his throat. His yellow eyes were narrowed dangerously, and he looked furious.

"How bad are your injuries?" He was using his 'Prince' voice, drawing a flinch out of Link.

When Link did not respond, Sidon crossed his arms and glared at Link. Had Link not believed it was possible for Sidon to be terrifying before, he certainly believed it now. Using his size to his advantage, Sidon towered over Link. His eyes slitted and mouth opened in a frown just enough to see the glint of his teeth. Link half expected him to start snarling or something.

Still, the Prince was hard pressed to try and actually intimidate Link into speaking, after getting to know him, a lot of the initial fear wore off pretty quick.

Sidon sighed and kneeled down in front of Link, obviously giving up on trying to scare a response out of him, "Can… Can I see?"

A part of Link wanted to be petty and refuse. He didn't, and unbuckled the belt around his waist. He let it drop into the sand and rolled up his tunic, revealing the extent of the damage he had taken to the Prince.

Sidon probably didn't expect to see what he did, and covered his mouth, looking an unfortunate shade of green.

Jagged spiderwebs of burnt skin covered his chest and back, where he had been struck by the lightning itself. The rest of his body was an off-yellow or blue, deep bruising formed from him going flying, or from the electric strike, Link wasn't sure. Maybe both.

Paya had given him stiches on his side, where a segment of the blade that creature wielded nicked his skin.

Deciding to spare Sidon the sight any longer, he rolled his tunic back down. He crouched and grabbed his belt, glancing up at Sidon when he spoke in a quiet tone, "How did that happen?"

"Lightning. That creature could command it, somehow."

"That - You need to see a healer right away, Link. Those injuries, who knows what sort of internal damage they caused." Sidon stood and immediately headed to the door, with the very clear intent of dragging him to see the Zora healers.

"I can't, Sidon."

Sidon stared at him, half scowling, and half actually listening.

"I don't know how long the terminals will be freed of corruption. I can't stay long enough to get healed." He slipped his belt back on, "If they are corrupted once more I do not know if I'll get them back."

After a heavy moment's pause, Sidon sighed and removed his hand from the door. He returned to the bench and sat back down. It was clear the Prince was unhappy with his decision, but it wasn't his to make. It was hardly Link's, in the end.

Back to arrows.

Link let out an even breath, distancing himself from his emotions and grievances, it was only the bow, and the dummies.

He had no idea how long he had been out there, focusing only on his targets and killing them quickly and perfectly. Occasionally he'd stop and pick the arrows back up again, but most of his time was spent filling the fake enemies with holes.

An enormous hand covered his own, it was gentle and warm, familiar. Enough to draw him out of his battle stupor.

He looked up, meeting Sidon's vaguely glowing eyes. Maybe they weren't glowing, just reflecting light from the moon high in the sky. Link couldn't tell.

When did it get so late?

"Link you need to rest."

Link snorted and shrugged off the hand, drawing the bow back once more. Before he even got to release the string, the bow was taken directly from his hands. It took a moment, but Link bounced back from his surprise and immediately reached for the bow, Revali's bow.

With his free hand, Sidon grabbed the arm reaching for the bow. He slid his hand down to Link's own, and turned it over, showing Link his palm. His eyes flicked down, noticing how rubbed raw it was, he didn't doubt the other was the same. Spots of blood dotted his fingertips, were the skin had been rubbed so thin it began to bleed.

Still, it was a little thing, nothing worth writing home over. So he reached up again, trying to get the bow back.

"Link stop. " Sidon's voice wavered, and Link froze, "This - what you're doing, it's too much. Stop punishing yourself."

Link stared at him, unsure how to react. He wasn't punishing himself, he was training. Surely even Sidon could see that. Sure, he hurt, but it was nothing compared to the hurt people would feel if he failed again.

Still, he relented and stopped reaching for the bow. When he did, Sidon returned the weapon. "You need rest, or at least some healing."

"No." He looked down at the bow, "They don't need to know I've failed."

Sidon made a noise that Link presumed was frustration. After a moment, the Prince grunted, "Fine. Stay here, I'll be back. Please don't do anymore of your 'practice'."

Link nodded, and watched him trot out. After a moment, Link deflated. He had half a mind to just continue to practice, but Sidon was clearly upset, he didn't want to stir the pot any further. Instead, he wandered over to Achak and tied the bow down gingerly with his other weapons.

Even without and grass to graze on, his horse had been silently standing off to the edge of the arena. Link groaned and pressed his face into his neck. Achak grunted at the sudden weight, but did not move.

No matter what stupid thing he did, or how many times he failed, Achak never looked at him different. As much as he loved Pops, even the wolf would look upon him in disappointment from time to time. The horse's silent support and companionship was a breath of fresh air, especially as his fuck ups became more and more severe. This one certainly topping the list by quite the margin.

Link ran his hand over Achak's crest, letting the coarse hair slip between his fingertips. Achak snorted at the action and craned his neck around, attempting to butt his head against Link, with little success. Link laughed, and released him. With a touch of digging, he found his apple bag and offered one to his companion, who grabbed it from him immediately.

Pops was fast asleep on the bench. The old wolf always looked so tired, Link was glad he was getting some rest. Link wondered what he dreamed about. Did wolves even dream? Though, Pops was certainly no normal wolf, so who's to say he couldn't?

He hadn't eaten anything since this morning, his stomach reminded him angrily. Link pulled out an apple for himself and took a bite. Where did Sidon go anyway? If he brought the healers down here to him, Link would leave.

He wouldn't. But he'd want to.

Link trusted Sidon, if he did bring someone down, it would be a healer he trusted. Still. No doubt they'd talk about the Champion's cowardice to their friends behind Sidon's back. The whole Domain would be in a buzz.

He could hear it now; 'The Champion, running from a battle, what a coward. No wonder the other Champions died, he probably ran when they needed him too.'

Link didn't feel like eating anymore. He handed the remainder of his apple to Achak, who took it with no complaints.

Thankfully, it didn't take much longer for Sidon to return. Alone, to Link's mild surprise.

His eyes followed the enormous Zora as he carried a bag over to the benches and set it down with a clatter.

What is in that thing? Link wondered, but didn't move from Achak's side until Sidon actually beckoned him over with a wave of his hand.

The bench was weird, Link realized as he sat down on it. It wasn't regular wood, no where near as firm as he had expected. It had more of a give to it, Link wondered if it was a kind of wood only found around here, where it rained so much. Or if it even was wood.

"Can you take off your tunic for me?" Sidon requested, digging vials and a thick book out of the bag he had brought.

Link unbuckled his belt and carefully rolled the red tunic over his head, the bruises near his neck and the ones on his shoulder pressed firmly together. It hurt a lot, but Link powered through it and dropped the tunic on the sand beside him unceremoniously. He crossed his legs and faced Sidon in full, who had to straddle the bench due to his size.

"Since you won't see a healer, I'll do what I can to help." Sidon set some bandages in his lap and tucked the bag behind him. "Come a little closer."

Warmth blossomed from Link's chest as he scooted himself so he was seated between Sidon's legs. He pointedly ignored it, he especially ignored the soft smile Sidon was giving him.

Sidon opens up the book and props it up on one leg, so he hcould look down at it as he worked. His brows furrowed a bit, and he flipped through the pages. When he found what he was looking for, Sidon looked back to Link, he frowned.

"You'd be hard pressed to hurt me more than I've already been." Link assured, picking up on his nervous behavior.

Sidon snorted a laugh, and like that, the tension eased from his brows and shoulders. It bothered Link when Sidon was stressed.

The Prince held out his hand, "hands first, I think."

Link obliged and placed his hands in Sidon's open palm, both of them easily fitting.

Gingerly, Sidon took a hold of them, and with his other hand he popped open a vial of purple liquid. He carefully dabbed the gel on his fingers, then used them to massage into Link's hands. The gel stung, but Link kept still. It didn't help that his skin (scales?) felt surprisingly sharp when rubbed the wrong way.

Every move Sidon made was carefully dictated even still, like if he sneezed Link would break. He rolled his eyes at his hesitance, but didn't comment on it. The poor Prince was nervous as it was, Link didnt want to poke fun at him when he was already wired.

When the gel was rubbed in enough to Sidon's satisfaction, he carefully wrapped his hands up.

"You can remove the bandages in a bit." Sidon assured, probably seeing the look of dread Link gave as he started.

When Link's hands were successfully bandaged, the Prince pulled out another vial, this one more red in color, but still had a blue sheen to it when turned the right way. Link wondered what these were made of.

Sidon flipped through the book a bit more. After a couple minutes, Sidon apparently found what he was looking for and opened the vial. This was like the gel that was applied to his hands, though looked just a touch thicker.

The prince scooted himself closer, Link had to crane his neck all the way back to even see his face. This man was all torso.

"This'll sting." Sidon warned, and made sure his fingers were lathered before holding Link's wrist with one hand, and smoothing the gel over the blackened burn with his other.

Instinctively, Link jerked back, away from the violent burning assaulting his skin. Had Sidon not held Link's arm, he probably would have fallen off the bench. He returned to the position he was in before, so Sidon could continue, "Sorry, I'll try and be quick."

Link nodded and remained as still as he could manage for Sidon while he lathered up his burns. After his chest was finished Sidon had him lean forward a bit and then did his back. It was as if Sidon was applying lava to already sensitive enough skin. Though it would help, Link knew, so he gritted his teeth and kept his flinching to a minimum.

Sidon pulled back and released Link's wrist, signaling him to sit back up and relax a bit. He watched Sidon as he wiped his hand off on his thigh, then paged through the book again.

While he was occupied, Link took the chance to do a once-over of the area. It was the middle of the night, the moon illuminated the provings arena in a gentle white glow. Achak was where Link had left him, dozing off.

Link had to lean back a bit to see Pops curled up on the end of the bench. He appeared to still be asleep, but Link knew since the moment Sidon walked in, he has been awake and aware. Both ears were pricked and trained in their direction. Link pursed his lips, he wondered what Pops had against Sidon. He really didn't seem to like him much.

"Alright, last thing." Sidon pulled out a blue jar and carefully dripped some of the oil onto his hands.

He glanced at the book, then back to Link. Cautious, Sidon started from Link's arms and slowly worked in the oil. He had expected it to sting, but instead it was actually quite soothing, hot, yet cold at the same time. Link could feel goosebumps forming from the sensation.

"Are you alright?"

Link blinked and looked up at Sidon, his face was way too close. Link cleared his throat nervously, "I'm fine. Hylian skin just does that sometimes, no cause for alarm."

Sidon's eyes narrowed at him briefly, but he nodded and continued. It was actually really relaxing, for the most part. The close proximity to Sidon forced his stomach to perform acrobatics, and the occasional nick of pain when Sidon pressed too hard or his skin brushed him the wrong way, but overall, Link was actually quite enjoying this.

Enough so that he didn't even notice it finished until Sidon shut the book with a firm clap. "There."

Link felt slimy now, a vaguely unpleasant sensation that definitely called for a bath. Not that he'd have the time for one.

Like that, the mood was dashed. Here he was, being pampered by a Prince, while people could be dying in Gerudo Village. No, Sidon was trying to help him. It'd be ungrateful to think of it as mere pampering.

Sidon stuffed the jars and vials back into the bag, with the book. When he finished, Link grabbed the hand closest to him, and craned his neck back to look up at the surprised Prince, "Thank you."

He stared at Link for a moment, mouth slightly agape, then absolutely beamed. "It was no trouble Link."

Sidon grabbed Link's hands in return, completely engulfing them within his own, "I would never let a friend suffer needlessly. You should never have to be in so much pain, next time tell me."

"Pain comes with the territory." Link chuckled dryly, earning him a stern glare from Sidon, "Sorry."

Sidon smiled softly and shook his head, releasing Link's hands. They sat in silent camaraderie for some time, though after a while, Sidon broke the silence as usual. "Do you want to sit in the hot springs? I've read that soaking is actually incredibly beneficial to a Hylian's health."

"How'd you know that?"

The Prince snorted, "Please, you give me no credit. Knowing about the people you intend to trade with is incredibly beneficial, especially if you cater to their needs. Spears are useless to the Rito people, most of their combat is done in the air. We are able to build stronger bows for them to use. The Gerudo people don't have access to the plant life or fish that we do, due to living in a desert. The Goron people cannot grow anything in the volcano, and rely solely on outside sources for spice and cloth, in return for the ore they mine."

Link let out a low whistle, thoroughly impressed. Though when he thought about it, of course Sidon would know these things. He was a Prince, an excellent one at that. He'll be an incredible King, Link was sure.

Still, he had no more time for frivolous desires. "I cannot stay any longer."

Careful not to upset the salve on his skin, Link worked back into his tunic, strapping the belt back on and making sure the Sheikah Slate was still attached. It was, and Link pulled it out, opening up the camera and snapping a picture of Sidon when he was closing the bag.

Sidon looked back at him when the camera snapped, and smiled softly. "Really?"

Link shrugged and put it back on his hip.

It didn't take long for Link to get everything together, making sure all his weapons were there, with his bow and arrows. He needed to stop by Kakariko Village to see Impa about his actual tunic, then he'd be off to Gerudo Desert once more. He and Vah Naboris had a score to settle.

"Really leaving already then?"

Link nodded, not turning to face sidon immediately, instead tightening the strap on one of the saddlebags on Achak's flank."I couldn't stay any longer, even if I wanted to."

To his surprise, a warm hand rested on his head. Link turned to look at Sidon, who then moved from his head and grabbed both of Link's hands in his own.

Sidon had to bend over in a position Link doubted was comfortable, in order to meet his eyes.

"You were smart to retreat and regroup, not cowardly."

Link scoffed and went to pull away, but Sidon's hands were strong.

"You are the bravest and most incredible man I have ever met." Sidon swallowed and tightened his grip on Link, "Don't you dare for even a second think you are a coward."

Link didn't doubt his gawking was obvious. Warmth spread through his cheeks, and well, his entire body. Butterflies froliced in his stomach, but as with the many times he has experienced such a sensation around Sidon, it was promptly squashed down and ignored.

After clearing his throat, Sidon released Link's hands, allowing him to mount Achak once more.

Sidon's face was laced with worry, so Link gave the most confident grin he could muster, "I'll be safe, promise."

The Prince laughed and patted Link's arm, "Thank you."

Sidon pushed open the door and Link rode out, Pops already trotting closely behind him and Achak. Link glanced over his shoulder, seeing Sidon give him a thumbs up strengthened his resolve. He'd obliterate that damn creature and save Urbosa, Vah Naboris and the Gerudo people. That little chief had enough on her hands, she didn't deserve to worry about an ancient machine killing her people.


"I see your visit to Zora's Domain went well."

Link couldn't tell if he was surprised by this anymore. He tugged his familiar blue tunic back on with a huff.

"You have the fire back in your eyes, I was worried about you for a moment there, Link." Impa leaned to the side a bit, raising a brow as Link shot her a look over his shoulder.

She chuckled, and gestured for him to come closer with a wave of her boney fingers. "Now, boy, defeat Vah Naboris's blight. Then, you will be ready to take back what is rightfully yours."

At Link's tilted head she smiled and grabbed his bare hand, he had ripped the bandages off on the ride here.

"The Master Sword."


Chapter 04: Courage

Two weeks.

It had been two weeks since Link had left Zora's Domain to fight Vah Naboris.

Sidon knew it was presumptuous to think that Link would come to visit him again after defeating the Divine Beast, but still, the hope held out.

When the fourth beam of light spawned from the Gerudo desert about four days after Link had returned to his duty, Sidon knew he had been successful. Though frankly, there was never any doubt. Link was an incredible man, even if he didn't seem to know when to let his body rest. His soul may very well be immortal, but his body certainly was not.

Sidon dipped the coral reed pen back into the ink on his desk, then signed his signature of approval on the trade agreements. It had been a bit of a pain getting any mail back and forth between his kingdom and the Goron's, but he and their Boss had finally settled on something Sidon believed would be mutually beneficial to them both.

As it turned out, they were actually quite adept at crafting elixirs, and would set to work on seeing if they could create one that would work on Zora's, as their bloodstream was very different than that of a Goron or Hylian.

He wiped the pen's tip off and set it down on his desk. Now that the papers had been finalized and signed, he needed to write a copy and send that to the Goron's so they would have a version to refer to as well, in the case of a dispute over trade.

That, however, could be something he would finish after hunting. He had not eaten since this morning, he was well overdue for some fish.

He rolled the original document up and tied it for safekeeping. Though no one was allowed within his quarters without his permission, it still didn't feel right to just let the thing stay unfurled in the open.

Just as he left the palace, there was… something. A guttural screech pierced the area, something that was more felt, not heard. He was not the only one who was alarmed by this, stepping onto the balcony over Mipha's statue, all of his people froze and watched the sky with fear.

Yet nothing seemed to have changed. Not visibly at least. Something in the air was different. It was thicker, harder to breath in. Like a smog had descended upon his the land, constricting their air and filling them with dread. Something wasn't right.

Then, it hit him.

Link.

Without much thought, Sidon sprinted back into the palace, specifically, to his quarters. He immediately began strapping his armor to on. It had been ages since he had worn it, but it seemed the set would still get some use yet.

Zora people had tough hides, making most armor more for decorative purposes than actual use. However, they were with their weak spots, that the armor was specifically designed to protect. Areas like their joints and underbelly were the most vulnerable, however his people could not sacrifice their mobility. Thus despite postering, when they went into battle, there was little need for much armor.

This left Sidon with a thin breastplate, formed from carefully welded and embellished silver, and a blue strap of the royal insignia. He had wrist guards, thicker and heavier than his usual decorative ones, and had a helm similar to the guard's to top it off.

Once everything had been strapped into place, he grabbed the trident off his wall and set out.

He had not thought of trying to sneak past his father, his mind had been only focused on Link's wellbeing. So of course, he froze when his father called out to him. It was tempting to ignore his father in favor of being by Link's side, but he knew he couldn't ignore his father completely. He would not remain long however.

" Where do you believe you are running off to?" His father demanded, somewhere between furious and worried.

"You can feel it, can you not father? This, this is not normal. I believe it is the result of Calamity Ganon's seal breaking."

The King scowled and leaned down, baring his teeth at his son, "And you, what, plan on fighting him then?"

"I will offer whatever assistance I can to Li - The Champion." Sidon responded, refusing to be intimidated.

"You are a Prince, my only heir to the throne. You believe I will just let you traipse off to your death? You cannot fight him, you are not the chosen hero."

"Even so, should he need assistance I will not leave him to die. He has done too much for our people to just abandon him." Sidon snarled, feeling his usually docile temper flare. He did not have time for such petty arguments.

"You are running to your death simply because you wish to court him! I will not allow such foolish and narrow sighted behavior from you!" The King roared, earning a flinch from Sidon.

Sidon squared his shoulders, "I did not ask for your approval, or permission. I will assist Link in any way he should need it, be it my weapon or my support."

His fathered growled in frustration, slamming his fist against the arm of his throne. However, he then deflated, rage dwindling to sadness. A beat of silence passed, and just as Sidon turned to leave, his father laughed softly.

"You are much like your mother." He started softly, then straightened and regarded his son fully, "Please, I beg of you, Sidon. Promise me you will be careful, I have lost a child already, I could not bear to lose another."

Sidon nodded solemnly, "I promise."

With that, Sidon left. He could feel the eyes of his people on him, no doubt hearing the argument between his father and him. It didn't matter, all that mattered was getting to Link as fast as possible.

Sidon dove into the waters below, taking the river to the watchtower that had sprung up around when Link awoke. It was the tallest point in the domain, it would be the best place to survey the scene before charging in. He wanted to help Link, but he'd be no use to him rushing blindly into battle and getting killed.

The area was usually crawling with monsters, yet as Sidon slinked out of the water, it was… empty?

He continued forward, trident at the ready should some creature be stupid enough to come at him. Even as he got closer to the tower, every monster watch point was empty. Sure, he reasoned he could credit it to Link killing them all when he 'activated' it, whatever that meant.

A blood moon had passed since then though, he was sure of it. So why hadn't the grotesque things risen again? Something felt off, so he kept his guard up, just in case.

The tower grating was too small for him to stick his fingers in so he could climb it, luckily the platforms spiraling up to the top were spaced just so that he could jump to the top. Sidon strapped is trident back on his back and took the bounds to reach the top of the tower. He wasn't an overly huge a fan of heights, but he could deal with it.

When he finally pulled himself up through the hole onto the platform, there were two wolves sitting and watching the castle. One glowed a brilliant gold, and had an ethereal aura unlike anything Sidon had ever experienced.

Sidon blinked, and it was gone. He stared at the spot he could have sworn it was in, did he imagine it? He shook his head, must be getting vertigo or something.

One wolf did remain, regardless of how many times Sidon blinked. He crouched low and approached the creature, as he came closer, he noticed the telltale markings on his fur, this was Link's wolf.

How did he get all the way up here ?

Sidon kneeled down beside the beast, following his eyes to Hyrule castle. It looked the same, nothing seemed to have changed. That feeling was still thick in his throat, perhaps they wouldn't see a change until Calamity Ganon's seal actually broke.

"Where's Link?" Sidon inquired to the wolf. He wasn't really sure why, he doubted the animal could even understand him.

To his surprise Pops turned his head and stared at him, looking unamused, then jerked his head towards Hyrule Castle, where his gaze then returned.

Perhaps the wolf could understand him better than Sidon thought.

He looked over Hyrule field and to the castle. Link was somewhere in there, would he need help? Was he hurt? As far as Sidon could tell, the path to the castle was clear, he could probably make it there fast enough if he were to hurry.

Just as Sidon stood and turned to descend the tower, teeth dug into his fin with a growl. He yelped and jerked away, rubbing the fin on his right arm that had just been assaulted.

Pops snarled at him, so Sidon snarled back. What was this wolf's problem?

Sidon forced himself to take a step back from the situation. Emotion clouded his mind, he was not thinking logically.

Pops adored Link, even if he was lukewarm with Sidon himself at best. There would be no way Pops would leave Link alone if it were something he could help. Yet he was here, and Link in the castle.

He looked over to Hyrule Castle again, the black mist of Calamity Ganon swirled around it's towers, as if trapped by some invisible shield. Perhaps ony Link could go through, being the Champion.

It would make as much sense as anything, the Prince reasoned.

How could he be of any help if he couldn't even get into the castle though?

Pops snorted and returned to where he had sat before, apparently confident that Sidon wouldn't try to leave again.

With a heavy sigh, Sidon crouched down beside the animal, and watched the castle. There was nothing now he could do now, but that didn't mean he had to return just yet. Something would happen, he was sure of it. Link may be inside the castle, but he doubted he had actually reached the strange thing flying around it. How even would he reach it?

The screeching was back. This time louder, more gutteral. It was bone chilling. The mist collapsed in on itself and into the castle, the whole structure shaking violently enough that Sidon worried it would collapse.

The shaking spread through Hyrule, even reaching the tower. Sidon put some choice distance between himself and the edge of the platform, he had no desire to fall off.

Behind him another sound spurred, this one mechanical, a low wurr that grew louder and louder. He scrambled upright and turned to see Vah Ruta on it's feet, the red beam that had once pointed the castle was gone, in favor of a steadily growing ball of energy.

When enough energy was gathered, it shot out across the lands and into the castle, joining one from the north west, the Rito's Beast, if he remembered correctly. Shortly after they were joined by two more beams, coming from the other Divine Beasts Link had freed.

It was magnificent.

He gazed on to Ruta, even in death his sister watched over her people. Swallowing a stubborn lump in his throat, he smiled. Now, he hoped she could rest in peace. She has already done so much, suffered so much.

It seemed she would after all. The beam faded and slowly, Vah Ruta kneeled down into a resting position, the brilliant blue glow to it's eyes slowly fading as the beast, and his sister he hoped, were finally allowed to rest.

A silence settled over the land. Had they done it?

Sidon glanced to Pops, who stood on the edge, all focus on the castle. His ears and corners of his mouth twitched. Something wasn't right.

The mist had disappeared, so surely that meant that Calamity Ganon had been defeated, right?

He stepped beside the wolf, what did he see that Sidon could not?

A wave of violent nausea assaulted Sidon like a Lynel. He immediately dropped to his knees, leaning over the edge of the platform, and tried to gain control of his gagging. What in the name of Hylia was this? He felt fine just moments ago.

Something pressed against his shoulder, spurring him to look up. Pops had placed a paw on him in an unsettlingly human act of comfort. He appeared largely unaffected by whatever was polluting the air. Sidon probably would have continued those thoughts, but his stomach lurched again and he found himself spilling his breakfast over the side of the platform.

Calamity Ganon was certainly not defeated, Sidon realized. Oh no. He had just been released.

Sidon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked up to the castle, if he felt that from all the way out here, he couldn't imagine how Link felt actually inside the castle. He prayed the Goddess would watch over him, Link deserved it more than anyone.

In spite of the nauseating veil that spread through the land, things stilled. Sidon could no longer hear the birds chirping, as if they too, were waiting for something to happen.

The minutes crawled into an eternity, but soon enough, there was a gurgling howl of agony. It shook the lands with its might, and for the second time that day, Sidon shimmied away from the edge, fearful of the drop down. Though Pops seemed completely unphased by how close he was to falling.

The black fog that once surrounded the castle shot up from its towers, followed closely by a small yellow light. The darkness pooled on Hyrule Field, swirling together in some sort of stationary black tornado.

To Sidon's surprise, Achak burst through the trees that surrounded a small area near the entrance of the castle. He came to a stop before the swirling darkness, and the light that followed it out of the castle settled beside him. The light grew and began to take the shape of a Hylian, Link!

Sidon could barely contain his joy at seeing his friend out of the castle and safe. He longed to bound down the tower and embrace the man in a well deserved hug. He stopped short of moving, however, as the dark mass began to take shape.

From the cloud sprung forth an enormous black flaming beast. Its roar shook the lands, and brought the blue skies to a sickly grey. Sidon could only stare in astonishment as Link mounted his trusty white steed, and turned to face the monster.

With a flash of power, Achak surged forward, charging towards the beast's tusks then turning away last minute. From his back, Link produced some sort of bow that glowed a brilliant gold, as if blessed by Hylia herself. Which, Sidon fulled expected it was.

Was this the real Ganon?

He shot at the beast and it howled its agony. Ganon turned, slamming it's hooves into the ground, the land trembling beneath its weight. From the creature's mouth came an unsettling glow, and before Sidon could even realize what was happening, a beam of pure evil energy shot from it's mouth, turning anything unfortunate enough to be caught in its wake to ash.

Achak was fast, they avoided being hit by a hair. They were nothing but a small white dot against a sea of dark. A glowing beacon of hope against all odds.

Sidon was a warrior. He had proved his mettle in battle more than once, fully earning his title as a General. He had felt fear, he had the scars and experience to show how he overcame it in the face of death.

Yet watching Link and Achak, so small against this massive creature of evil, Sidon felt a fear unlike any he could recall. All odds were stacked against the pair, but on they still fought. It was horrifying. Each time a beam got too close to them, or the creature screamed, a fresh wave of terror would wash over Sidon.

Any misstep would mean certain death, not only for Link and Achak, but for the rest of Hyrule too. Sidon could not imagine what sort of weight that was to bare.

A beam got too close and Achak bolted forward, leaving Link to fall to the ground. Sidon stood in terror, Link wasn't moving. He couldn't get there in time to save him.

The evil creature saw an opportunity and turned to face the hero on the grass. It lumbered forward, it's intent to squash Link beneath its weight clear.

Sidon screamed and without thought bounded down the platforms of the tower. He wouldn't make it in time, there would be no way. Yet he still had to try. He dove into the waver and swam the fastest he ever had in his life. He leaped out of the water when he was east of Hyrule Field, of course meeting a few monsters that had surrounded the area to watch their master try and defeat Link.

Sidon made quick work of them, surprised and largely unarmed, the monsters were little more than dirt under his foot. He jerked his trident out of a white imp's neck, then continued to run forward, knowing he had precious little time if Link truly was in danger.

Now closer to the massive monster, the sheer magnitude of it truly set in. It was taller than any watchtower, large enough to be a mountain in its own right. Closer to it, the vile aura from the creature was far stronger, sending Sidon reeling to a stop. He dug the end of his trident into the mud and leaned on it for support, scanning the field in hopes of spotting Link.

He was up again, miraculously, and continued to ride around the monster upon his steed. Every arrow caused the creature to scream a shrill cry, as if Link's arrows were being guided by some divine force. It was incredible.

It began to wane, its attacks more desperate and fearsome. Ganon screamed to the heavens and the skies answered by swelling to a blood red, caking the lands in an eerie glow.

Link switched his aiming from the creature's body, to his forehead. But each arrow seemed ineffective. They no longer did anything. What happened? The Goddess couldn't have abandoned Link now, of all times.

The monster screamed, the beams of energy coming faster, and more fearsome. Sidon had to retreat back to safer waters, knowing if he were to get hit by one he would be dust. Still he watched, faith strong in Link.

To Sidon's horror, Link actually jumped off Achak, pulling out some sort of sailcloth and catching an updraft from one of the many fires caused by the burning of the land around them. Then, time seemed to cease to exist.

Like some divine being, Link pulled back his bow with collected grace, and fired a glowing arrow straight between the monster's eyes.

The monster convulsed and screeched it's agony, a glowing light forming between them and settling before Link's now collapsed form. The light took shape, becoming a Hylian of some sort. Was this Princess Zelda?

She stood before the beast, hands clasped together as she stared into the face of the deteriorating beast. No longer to maintain a solid form, the being wailed and collapsed. Parts of the beast began to burst, spilling some oil-like black substance that would evaporate into the same eerie fog that circled the tower for the past hundred years.

It rose to the sky, creating a wide arc, then charged for the mysterious woman and Link, one last attempt to kill the only ones who could defeat it. A brilliant light burst from the woman's open palm, encapsulating Ganon and sealing him away as foretold in the legend.

A stillness settled over the land, then, slowly, Hyrule began to rejoice. The skies turned back to their peaceful blue, animals began their songs, and the monsters that once surrounded the area retreated, their Master no longer able to protect them.

Link.

The bruised woman crouched down, pulling Link's arm over his shoulders and standing. Sidon jumped out of the safety of the water, but stopped his approach when he hard a laugh, Link's laugh.

He threw his head against the woman's shoulder, a broad smile dancing along his busted lip. She seemed confused for a moment, then smiled and shifted her grip on Link to bring him into an embrace. She held him at arm's length, and released him once she was sure he would not fall, "You did it, Link."

Link nodded, even from here he could see the wetness in his eyes. For once not from grief, but joy. Sidon's heart swelled.

She placed a hand on the side of Link's face and held it there, her expression becoming more solemn. "Tell me, do you truly remember me?"

Link's body tensed and he placed a hand over the woman's. He looked to the ground, then responded slowly, "Some things."

The woman nodded and pulled him into a tight embrace once more, "I am so glad to see you again, my friend."

Perhaps, he should leave. No doubt Link would want to catch up with the woman he had once been dear friends with. Sidon did not wish to intrude.

He glanced down at Pops, who had somehow made his way down the tower and to Sidon's side. He smiled at the wolf, and gave him a thumbs up. The wolf would take care of Link, he knew, so Sidon decided he should return with the news of Link's victory to his people.

Before he could, the woman looked up and met his eyes. She smiled and pulled away from Link, "I'm not the only one glad you are alive."

Link tilted his head, then turned to follow her eyes. Sidon grinned, and Link grinned back.

Sidon made short work of the distance between them and kneeled on one knee, bowing to Link in a sign of the highest respect a Zora could offer, "Thank you for saving us all."

He had expected a handshake, a pat on the head maybe, but he did not expect to have Link throw his arms around his neck in a tight embrace. Sidon froze, the action surprising him more than he could properly express, the words that followed surprising him even more, "Thank you for not giving up on me."

Like that, Sidon gave. He wrapped his arms around the armored man tightly, still cautious of the wounds he undoubtedly had, and just held him. "I always knew you'd defeat him, there was never any doubt."

Link snorted a laugh, though it wavered with untold emotion. Sidon tightened his grip in response. The two kneeled in the grass like that for some time, until the woman, who Sidon was sure now was Princess Zelda, gently placed her hands on each of their shoulders.

She smiled softly to them both, then looked to the sky.

Briefly, so fast Sidon wasn't even sure if he saw it, there were a group of green figures. With a blink, they had vanished. Sidon liked to think that it had been the spirits of the Champions finally truly freed, bidding them goodbye one last time.

"It would be an honor," Zelda spoke, her voice soft from disuse and exhaustion, "If you would assist me in restoring Hyrule to its former glory."

Without a moment of pause, Sidon and Link both nodded.

There was much work to be done.

Sidon looked forward to all of it.


Chapter 05: Crest

The desert was a beautiful place, just a bit hot for Link's personal tastes.

Once again, he found himself in Gerudo Desert, helping the young chieftess on a matter she had written to him about. At first, Link wasn't sure if he should go, he didn't like the idea of leaving Zelda alone in the castle with those cursed machines, even if Zelda swore to him that they're safe now.

Link was still hesitant.

It had been two weeks since Ganon had been defeated, the castle was going to take a lot of time and effort to rebuild. He didn't want to leave her alone to do all the work.

Most of their work as of recent had been going through the remaining documents not singed by the fires that swept through the castle. Looking for some things that may have survived the destruction. Most of it was useless, in fact the vast majority of it was, but occasionally they'd find something.

She assured him she could look through documents without a guard, and told him to help out the other races if they needed him. Now more than ever she said they needed to show their support.

He supposed the time away from the castle was a chance to think.

People had been trickling to Hyrule castle, some of them scavengers, but the lot of them just curious explorers. The Princess welcomed them eagerly and in return for payment, they'd help with the construction efforts. With luck, by the end of the month, Zelda hoped to have the castle in a habitable enough state to host a gathering of the territories, to discuss the future.

With that though, would come the need for a guard force.

Zelda asked Link if he wanted to be the captain of her guard. Link didn't really know how to respond, so he ended up just staring at her until she spoke again. She wanted it clear she was asking as a friend to a friend, not a princess to her knight. She understood if Link decided he was done with fighting, and hung up his sword for good. Yet she wanted to extend the offer to the best warrior she knew.

Even now, Link didn't have an answer for her.

He wouldn't lie, he did kind of want to live somewhere where he could just settle down. He was tired. Sure he may be a young man, but hundred year old scars and flashes of memories weighed on him.

He could sell off the house he bought in Hateno, it was lovely, but it wasn't home.

Zora's domain was nice, Link considered. He knew - or had known - most of those there before Ganon, so if there would be any place to settle down in, that'd be a nice one.

And Sidon would be there.

His attention snapped to Riju as she appeared from her quarters.

Her shoulders were squared, proud yet not vain. She looked as Chieftess of her people should, even if she only came up to Link's shoulder.

She clasped her hands behind her back and looked up to Link, "There is a matter I must attend to before we leave."

As far as Link was concerned, she could take all the time she needed. Link was fairly sure she had never been outside of Gerudo Desert before, it was wise of her to make sure everything was in proper order before she left her people. Even if it would only be for a short while.

He followed behind her, curious as to what she needed to have finished before they left.

It was then that Link noticed they were heading to the Sand Real ranch. Professional as ever, Riju dismissed the stable hand and approached the large grey one that she had rode during their approach to Vah Naboris.

When they were alone, Riju dropped to her knees in the sand and threw her arms around her wrinkly friend.

"You'll be good while I'm gone right, Patricia? Don't give them any trouble. I'll be back before you know it, so just be patient and I'll make sure we spend a whole day sand surfing together. Promise." Riju rubbed the massive creature's cheeks, it rumbled in response.

The Sand Seal butted her head against Riju's, in what Link presumed was an act of affection.

"I'll bring you lots of fruit girl, but you have to be nice to the stablehand. No throwing sand at her." Her companion grunted and butted her head against Riju again, letting out a breath of air in a low whistle. Riju beamed and pulled back then up to her feet. She gave Patricia an affectionate rub on the head then turned to Link.

"Alright. I'm ready now." She dusted the sand off her knees and once more straightened herself up, putting on the mask of a leader. A feeling Link was all too familiar with.

He followed her stride to the entrance of Gerudo Town. Normally only two guards would be there to watch over the only way in, but now there were nine. Though five of them would be coming with Riju and Link to the stables across the sands.

The trek across the Desert was exhausting. The four guards plus Riju's personal guard (Link couldn't remember her name) surrounded Riju, keeping her from the sight of any Voe. Link just walked along the side, he was too short to be a body shield anyway.

"Hero?"

He tilted his head and peered between the two women closest to him at the young Chieftess, she hesitated briefly, "Will the trip to the Rendezvous be dangerous?"

Link pursed his lips. Since Ganon had been defeated, the monsters that plagued this land were few and far between now. Likely knowing they no longer had a blood moon to bring them back from death.

He shook his head and offered a reassuring smile, the monsters wouldn't be stupid enough to attack a whole caravan. Especially now.

She nodded, and receded back to her thoughts.

The rest of the half-day long trek was spent mostly in silence. Link hated walking on sand, he had no idea how these Gerudo woman could do it so effortlessly.

It was better than riding a Sand Seal, though, that was for sure. Link had nothing against the vaguely gelatinous creatures, but he preferred to have a steady horse under him, not a shield and a glorified leash.

Needless to say Link was a bit excited than truly reasonable they finally reached solid ground.

There were two horses, one black and the other a mottled blue, stationed before the carriage that would house Riju during the rest of the trip. Link would be riding on her left side, while her personal guard was on the right.

Knowing this, Link approached Achak and Pops (who was sitting a respectful distance away from the caravan), both ready to set off. Achak was sporting some new gear, courtesy of Riju as thanks for him accompanying her to the rendezvous point.

Just as Link was about to mount Achak, Riju called to him, "Ah, Hero? If you please, can you ride with me? There are some matters I wish to discuss with you before we arrive."

Link gave a cursory glance to Riju's personal guard, who eyed him, then nodded. Well, he supposed there'd be no harm in it.

He released Achak's reigns. Before he could join her though, Link walked along Achak's flank and looped the pendant Sidon gave him up and off of his head. As much as Link wanted to keep wearing his gift, he figured it'd be best to go as incognito as possible. Though at this point, there was little reason to.

Link was fairly sure most, if not all, of the guards knew his true gender. Still, they were more comfortable with him in their clothes, that and Link didn't mind the outfit much. He hated the veil though.

He tucked the pendant into the saddlebag and moved to join Riju in the caravan. He didn't worry much about Achak, he knew the steed would follow.

Riju, pleased that Link agreed to sit with her, climbed into the wagon. She gestured to the seat across from her, which Link took without complaint.

"Your… pet? Seems to want to join us." Riju pointed out, drawing Link's attention to Pops, who sat firmly next to the wagon's entrance, blatantly ignoring the spears pointed at him.

He probably just wanted to walk along closer to the caravan, Link reasoned. The old wolf kept a close eye on him when they traveled together.

"Can… Can I pet him?" Riju asked, as unperturbed by the spears as Pops was.

Link leaned forward a bit to eye Pops, then turned to Riju and shrugged. Pops decided when he wanted to be pet, so she'd have to ask him really. He wasn't like a dog that always wanted affection. Though Link has learned the beast will never turn down prime meat, no matter how grouchy he is.

Riju scooted to the end of her seat and held her hand out, palm facing up in a sign of peace. Pops sniffed her hand briefly, then pushed his forehead against it. The look of the Chieftess' face was priceless.

She stepped out of the wagon so she could reach the wolf better and pet him with the fervor of someone who had never seen a dog in their life.

Which… Now that Link thought about it, could be entirely accurate actually. Pops hated walking on sand, and would often disappear to do his own thing when Link was in Gerudo Desert. Link wouldn't be surprised if that was the case with other canines.

"How did you tame him?"

"He isn't tame." Link stated, "He just… showed up, when I awoke."

Riju hummed in response, taking his answer as satisfactory enough. She brought her hands under the wolf's chin and scratched there, elated when the beast closed his eyes and wagged his tail.

"I have heard stories of loyal beasts like this one saving their Masters from peril." She spoke, glancing over her shoulder at Link.

He nodded in response, which added more fuel to the fire that was quickly growing in her eyes. Link was quickly regretting this, especially at the scolding look he received from her personal guard.

Riju stood, "I shall strive to learn more of these noble creatures."

Dogs were very versatile animals, from what Link has seen in his travels, he supposed there could be a dog that'd exist within the desert happily. He could poke around and write Riju if he finds something. It'd give him something to do if nothing else.

The Chieftess climbed back into her seat, though not before a quick wave to the guards, "Do not mind the wolf. Allow him to walk where he pleases."

With that, the door to the wagon closed, leaving her and Link in relative privacy.

Since the guards would be unable to see in, Link took the opportunity to pull the veil off his face and head. He hated things covering his nose and mouth, it was too familiar and too frightening. Lingerings of a memory he had since forgotten, Link reasoned.

The wagon jerked forward, then began to move.

After a few minutes in silence, Riju visibly slumped against her seat.

"Thank you for agreeing to ride with me." She straightened, though still maintained a more relaxed posture, "I… Well, I have never met a Zora before. I figured since you have met some, you could tell me about them."

It'd be a lie to say Link wasn't surprised. Though after the brief initial shock, he realized it made perfect sense. If she had never left the desert before, there'd be no way for her to have actually seen a Zora, they couldn't survive in her people's climate.

Link rested his forearms on his knees, "They are very tall, their Prince - who you'll be meeting - is about twice my height."

Her eyes widened, though she allowed Link to continue, "They are a water people, so they look like sharks. Though they may look intimidating, they are very friendly and welcoming."

Well, expect the elders. But he wouldn't tell Riju that.

This eased some tenseness that had grown in her shoulders, though not all of it. Link could sympathise.

"Thank you for agreeing to come, I understand it must have put you in a difficult situation. I've read that you are helping Princess Zelda rebuild the castle."

Link shrugged and waved it off. He was glad Zelda had kicked him out of the castle, it relieved Link that he could help sate her fears. While a humorous thought, he would have felt terrible for Sidon and her both if Riju had no idea what Zora's looked like. It'd be quite the shock, he imagined.

She pressed her fingers together, "Is there anything I must know of their culture? I'd hate to create an offence."

While Link didn't doubt there'd probably be something that'd offend the Zora people, nothing really sprung to mind. Compared to the Rito or even Hylians, they were rather laid back as a whole. Still pretentious in their own right, though.

He doubted Riju would stumble into a war with the Zoras by accident anyway, even if she did offend them. Sidon was nothing if not accommodating. Link figured that Sidon was aware Riju never met a Zora before, he wouldn't hold anything against her.

So he just shook his head in response.

She nodded, finally most of the tension she had carried on her shoulders seeped out. They lapsed into a comfortable silence until Riju spoke up, "You had a pendant around your neck earlier."

Ah, he was actually a bit surprised she even noticed it. Though the thing wasn't exactly small when he thought about it. "It was a gift from Prince Sidon."

Riju seemed a bit surprised by this, "Really?"

Link nodded, and she hummed her curiosity, "So does that mean you are a friend of the family? An honorary member of the tribe?"

To be honest, Link didn't really know. Well, given how Zelda had reacted to it, he had a nagging suspicion on the back of his mind. Though as anything involving potential romance, it was blatantly ignored.

He shrugged then. Link had been so busy at the castle, so he hadn't been able to see Sidon since Ganon's defeat. That Zora still owed him an explanation, Link couldn't decide if he wanted his suspicion to be right or not. He could bother Sidon about it later, he was here as support for Riju, he wouldn't let himself get distracted.

She was still tense. Link leaned back against the wood seat and pointed out as much. "You are still tense. Sidon is a good man, no matter how intimidating he may appear."

Riju chuckled and shook her head, "I trust you, Hero. Though I'm afraid another matter is troubling me."

Link gestured for her to continue speaking with an encouraging wave of his hand.

"A warrior by the name of Ukofa has been spotted on the edge of the desert." She frowned and tapped her painted nails against the oak. "She had once been part of our guard, but she had disappeared years ago after a dispute with my mother. We thought her dead all this time… I should have searched for her after my mother passed."

A woman who was thought dead, wasn't? Link couldn't really find anything troublesome about that, perhaps she simply didn't enjoy city life.

Riju pressed a fist to her forehead, "I can't remember what they fought over, Ukofa and my mother, but to have her living on her own for so long… I feel responsible for the burden she must have carried. Especially since she must have lost her child."

Link still didn't quite understand what Riju was upset about. The woman did what she wanted, as far as he was concerned, what weight did it bear on Riju? Still, he leaned forward and placed a hand on her arm, "She acted on her own. Whatever happened does not lie on your shoulders. You have enough on your plate to care for."

Riju sighed, not entirely convinced, but at least comforted. "Thank you, Hero."

Link grunted and waved the title off, "Link, please."

"Very well. Thank you, Link."


Sidon had been in and out of the water for an hour now.

He wasn't exactly nervous, per-say, but he looked to the upcoming meeting with a touch of apprehension. He had gotten a good idea on Riju's character when they began exchanging letters, but meeting someone was entirely different than reading a politically worded letter.

The Gerudo people were rather reclusive, so finding information on them had been difficult. Thus he was going in with less knowledge than he would have otherwise preferred. He knew they were an all female race, though apparently males could be born to them? Sidon wasn't sure on the specifics. To make them more comfortable, he had purposely chosen three female companions to travel with him, two guards, and one elder. Thankfully Fulo was among the more relaxed elders.

"My Prince, you will carve a moat by your pacing alone. In the water or out, choose one for Hylia's sake." Though she was rather blunt.

He settled on a middle ground so his feet remained in the water, but he stood on the shore. The elder scoffed, but didn't yell at him, so Sidon took it as a win.

Of course Sidon had known they would arrive faster than Riju, most of their traveling had been done in water. They caught the currents of Hylia River and largely had a straight shot to their meeting point, Lake Kolomo.

The lake was technically closer to the desert than it was to Zora's Domain, but since they had the option to swim most of the way, Sidon felt it was a fair compromise of a meeting point. Riju apparently thought so as well, given she had agreed to meet him there in the first place.

Sidon glanced north, he could see the spires of Hyrule Castle from here. Though the place was so large, there were few areas you couldn't see the castle from.

It had been two weeks since Sidon had last seen Link.

He knew that Link was obviously busy helping Zelda rebuild the castle. Word had spread fast that the Princess was fixing the castle up to eventually hold a meeting of the regions to discuss what the future had for them. He wondered if there would be anything his people could assist with.

Perhaps when he finished talking with Riju he could go visit and see how things were coming along.

That and he really needed to speak with Link.

Sidon decided he would rather be in the water at the moment. He stepped in and enjoyed the cool water washing over his scales and gills. It was soothing, and served to calm his growing nerves some.

Link deserved to know what the amulet meant.

Without the plague of Calamity Ganon looming over their heads, Sidon knew now was the ideal time to proclaim his feelings to Link. There was no longer any excuse for him to hide behind. That, unfortunately, didn't really quell his fears.

The Hylian was an incredible man. Him defeating Calamity Ganon just one point on a list of things incredible about a mile long. Everything about him was wonderful. Yet, whenever Sidon thought of how he would confess his feelings to Link, his stomach clenched and doubt poisoned his mind.

He knew that even if Link decided to return the amulet, he would never cut Sidon out of his life. Though, Sidon wasn't sure if he could do the same courtesy. He was selfish, this much he had known ever since he was just a child. He horribly narrow-minded as a little one, and quite frankly until he actually matured, was quite a brat.

Still was, if the elders' word was anything to go by.

His feelings for Link were true, he was sure, but that didn't mean that he was without worries. Sidon wasn't entirely sure if Link would even be attracted to other males, much less a male of a completely different species. Not to mention being attracted to Sidon, specifically.

He worried that it could change their friendship mostly. Link would never be rude to him, but would he be a bit more distant? Not enough to be obvious, but just enough to be noticeable. In some ways he'd rather Link not know if it meant they could remain the same.

It was the coward's way out though. And Sidon was no coward.

That was a lie, but he didn't let his mind dawdle on it much longer.

Not to mention if Link returned his feelings, Sidon had this distinct feeling that Pops wouldn't be coughing up his approval anytime soon. He had no idea what the wolf had it in for him with, but every time Sidon tried offering his something, he'd just snub him off.

Though he supposed he had only tried twice so far. Perhaps he would be the long gain for approval.

That brought in another candidate though, Princess Zelda. From how they interacted after Calamity Ganon was defeated, Sidon figured it was safe to say the two had grown to be close. Perhaps he would be better asking her for her favor. It'd be more traditional.

A part of Sidon still wanted to gain Pops' favor though. It could be a long-term project.

With that in his mind, Sidon decided he would arrange an audience with Princess Zelda. After she has the gathering of the territories, she is likely incredibly busy, and Sidon had no desire to take time away from things needing to get done.

Perhaps a letter?

No. Too informal. It needed to be done in person.

Sidon could wait. In the meantime, he could figure out how to tell Link of his feelings.

Perhaps he should wait out of the water, he'd be able to see their caravan better.

Sidon waded out of the lake, flicking the cool droplets from his claws as he approached the table. He ignored the exasperated groan from the elder.

All the documents were in their proper place. Thankfully the weather was calm and gentle, so he didn't need to worry about his work getting blown away. Though there was still some rocks holding the key papers down, just in case.

Hyrule really needed to find a less fragile way of communicating, paper was so easy to ruin.

Stone was tedious to work with though, he couldn't imagine Hylians trying to scrawl out disquisition on one, much less Ritos. The Gorons wouldn't have any trouble, though he wasn't sure about the Gerudo.

Perhaps paper was the best for now. Surely there'd have to be something stronger.

He was pulled from his thoughts when he heard wheels of a wagon and horses not too far away.

His companions heard it too apparently, as they exited the water and took a moment to shake some moisture off their scales.

From the road that led up to the lake came more women than he had expected. A lot more.

He counted nine at a glance. Sidon assured himself it was simply because Chieftess Riju had likely never left the desert before. Of course she'd be nervous.

There were three horses, Sidon inclined his head a bit. Only two pulled the wagon, the third was just walking along them.

It looked an awful lot like Achak, if Sidon were to be honest.

The wagon parked a fair distance away, and the one of the women opened the door to the carriage, where a child (?) and a Hylian (?) stepped out.

Was this Chieftess Riju? He had known was young, but he wasn't expecting someone so.. Well, small. She was the size of a baby Zora. The little thing'd be washed away in a light current.

… And she wore quite a lot of adornments. Now that Sidon got a look at them all, everyone did.

Of course it was a different culture, so he was sure the jewelry had different meanings for them than it did for the Zora people, but still. It was a bit jarring to take in.

Fulo chuckled softly beside him, he trusted she would remain professional. He shot her a look, which she evenly returned.

The young Chieftess paused, looking a bit unsure and turned to speak to the Hylian that had ridden in the carriage with her. They seemed to exchange brief and hushed words. Whatever the Hylian said, seemed to calm Chieftess Riju as she squared her shoulders and approached them.

Sidon narrowed his eyes briefly at the Hylian, they wore a veil and was partially obscured by a Gerudo guard that stood near the horses, but they smelled a lot like Link.

His attention shifted to the Chieftess as she approached, six guards with her, the remaining three remained by the carriage.

She stopped in front of him, he swiftly bowed in greeting, "It is an honor to meet you in person, Chieftess Riju."

"The pleasure is mine. I look forward to seeing what you have, I am always looking for ways to benefit my people."

"As am I. I trust you will find the agreements to your liking."

She hummed and approached the table, moving the rocks to the side and looking at what he had. Sidon moved across the table and awaited to hear her opinions. He found his eyes flicking up briefly at the Hylian again, who was leaning against the white horse now.

They were too far away for Sidon to get a good look at, but there were strange marks on their skin, he couldn't tell if it was scar tissue or birthmarks.

Sidon looked back down to Chieftess Riju.

Should he kneel to be on her height? Would that be insulting?

Probably.

Sidon decided to remain at his current height, lest he be seen as degrading towards her stature. She had to be a child, given the women surrounding her were about as tall as the average Zora. One of them was nearly as tall as he was.

Yet she ran her people well, if what little he knows of her was true. She may be young, but she was a capable leader.

She looked up from the paper, then back over her shoulder. She gestured for someone to come over. The three guards didn't budge, and it took both Sidon, and the Hylian apparently, a moment to realize who she had been gesturing to.

The Hylian shifted slightly, but approached nonetheless.

When they did, Sidon felt delight dance along his skin. The odd markings he had noticed before were scars. Dark marks that spread out from under a decorated green top and down the defined stomach, branching out like a tree taking roots.

He knew immediately where someone would get markings like that, and, after seeing him without his tunic just over a month ago, Sidon recognized Link almost immediately.

Of course, Sidon had many questions. Most of them revolving on how he's been, though a few were more prominent to current times, given he had been traveling with an all-female race.

His eyes may have lingered on Link more than appropriate, but it did bring to his attention that Link no longer had his crest around his neck.

Link had worn it every time he saw him, even fighting Calamity Ganon the crest was displayed proudly around his neck. Why would he suddenly take it off now?

He could ask Link later, Sidon supposed, so instead he beamed at the Hylian and would have greeted him proper if not for the look he got.

Sidon wasn't sure he'd seen Link narrow his eyes at him like that before. Had he done something to upset Link?

Did Link find out what the amulet meant, and was angry at him for not telling him sooner? Did that mean the feelings were not returned?

Sidon's head spun. Now was not the time, he was making a deal for his people, he needed to put aside his grievances and focus at the task at hand.

Riju handed Link the papers, to Sidon's confusion. He looked over them quietly, then nodded and smiled behind the sheer veil in front of his face. Link's nose scrunched up a bit, which narrowed his eyes like before.

Ah. The look wasn't directed at him then. Perhaps that meant Link was truly not upset. Why wouldn't he wear the crest anymore then?

The Gerudo were an all-female race, then was Link masquerading as a female to travel with them? That… seemed a bit contrived, but did make sense if he thought about it.

Riju set the papers down, "I agree to the arrangements. I must retrieve a quill from my carriage, one moment."

Sidon nodded, "Absolutely. I am glad they meet your standards."

When Riju walked back to the carriage, one of the guards - the one almost as tall as he was- followed her. Leaving Link and the remaining guards to stay at the table.

Blue and gold looked incredible on Link, if he were to be honest. Though, silver would look better. That could just be bias talking though, Sidon wasn't sure.

Whenever he shifted his posture, there'd be a slight jingle from the gold colliding with other gold. Mostly from his necklaces and the sash around his waist. It was a soft sound, but very pleasing to the ear. He liked the sound of silver better though, more melodious.

Link tilted his head a bit, regarding Sidon with a raised brow. It took a moment, but the Prince then realized he had been quietly staring at Link since Riju had left for her carriage.

Sidon immediately averted his eyes, looking down at the papers. He could hear a soft chuckle from Link, which launched his heart to the heavens. It was slightly muffled from the veil, but it had that same tone he loved to hear when Link laughed.

He wondered if he could get some silver jewelry to fit Link one day. Certainly not anytime soon of course.

Link's nose scrunched up again, and Sidon began to wonder if he was uncomfortable.

Riju returned with a large golden quill, the tip of it's feather shimmered blue when turned at the right angle. It was absolutely lovely.

"This is a ceremonial pen my people use to sign important documents." Riju explained, as she held the feather up for Sidon to see better.

"Its beautiful."

The Chieftess beamed, "Of course it is. Legends say it came from a great bird that once watched over our people. Though it disappeared thousands of years ago."

He wondered if one of the previous heros had ever encountered it. A shame it no longer soared the skies, what could have happened to it? Nothing good, he figured.

Riju read over the agreements once more, then dipped and signed both copies with the ceremonial pen, sealing their race's partnership.

"I will send three travelers when I return home tomorrow." She stated, handing the pen to one of her guards.

"Excellent! I'll make sure the merchant and Guards are there to greet them!" He paused, then inquired, "Will you be unable to return tonight?"

Guards or not, he wouldn't want anyone out in the open when night fell.

"My companion arraigned for room and board for us at a nearby stable." She explained, gesturing to Link. "She dislikes traveling at night when she doesn't need to."

So he had been correct, Link was undercover. Riju had to know his true identity however, right? Perhaps it was just for her guards the charade was kept?

Riju rolled up her copy of the agreements, Sidon had signed them both before she had even arrived, and handed them to another guard.

"Thank you for arraigning this, I am glad to have been able to establish more trade for my people."

"As am I. Let us hope the partnership brings both of our people good fortune."

Riju nodded, then bowed, an action Sidon quickly mimicked. "I am afraid I must leave now, my guards need rest before we leave tomorrow."

"Of course."

Sidon straightened to watch Chieftess Riju and her guards walk back to the carriage.

Link paused briefly, and gave a casual wave to Sidon, "I do not think they know where Outskirt Stable is."

With a chuckle, Sidon gathered his copy of the documents, "I will see you later then. Ah, will you be staying with them tonight?"

"Probably."

After returning to his domain and handling the agreements, he may go see him. Perhaps it'd be the chance to finally speak to Link. It could be his last for some time.

Link was already walking back by the time Sidon looked up again. A large dark mark in the middle of his back immediately caught his attention. A scar?

Sidon briefly remembered seeing it when he treated Link's burns from the lightning creature controlling Vah Naboris, but he figured it was just bruising. It was definitely a scar, an old one too.

He could inquire about it later, Sidon decided. He had to finish preserving the trade and making sure the guards and merchant would be there tomorrow to meet the Gerudo women.

Still, he longed to follow Link and ignore his responsibilities. If only for a little while.

"Gold is definitely his color."

Sidon chuffed, deciding not to dignify the elder with a response. Though he couldn't say he disagreed with her.

He carefully slid the rolled up papers into a silver tube and sealed it tightly so they would not get ruined.

"Let us return immediately. Fulo, I will need you to accompany me to the council when we return."

"Of course, my Prince."


Sidon was being an idiot.

Ignoring his previous worries, here he was, traveling at night. Alone.

He wasn't stupid enough to travel without his trident, but still. He had yet to run into any monsters, however, so Sidon counted the trip to the stable as a win, frankly.

He glanced warily up to the moon, the council had taken longer than Sidon would have liked. Setting up a proper trade station took a bit more than Sidon had expected, there were materials to build required, not to mention deciding who would run and guard the place from potential thieves.

Sidon stepped out of the water, adjusting his adornments carefully. Before he approached the stable, he wanted to make sure he looked as presentable as possible.

It had been tempting to dorn some formal attire, but he felt that would be been overdoing it. Link was not someone who cared much for outward appearances, he figured, so trying to display himself would likely not get him much credit.

Still. He wouldn't want to look like a slob.

As he approached the stable, he expected to go inside it, yet a white flank to his left caught his eye.

Achak was grazing quietly near a fire. The flames illuminated Link's gold hair and the dark fur of his wolf companion.

Confusion overriding his nerves, Sidon quickly approached the little camp he had carved for himself, "Link?"

The Hylian jerked and reached for his sword, though slumped upon actually seeing Sidon.

"Sorry to startle you."

Link stared at him, blinked a few times, then waved it off, relaxing against Pops once more. He was still wearing the clothing the Gerudos had given him - or at least Sidon presumed they had given it to him - though the veil was off and nowhere to be seen.

He was wearing the crest again.

Sidon needed to tell him.

"Sit, you look troubled." Link hummed and patted the ground next to him, after a moment of hesitation, Sidon sat himself beside him.

"Link, my dear friend, I - The time has come for me to tell you the meaning of that pendant around your neck."

Sidon spared a glance down to him, who was watching on with an unreadable expression. It was hard to tell what the Hylian was thinking, but he didn't appear upset, so Sidon drew in a breath and steadied his racing heart.

"I am afraid I may have lied when I bestowed the pendant to you. It does have a meaning, a fairly important one, to both me and my people."

Link remained quiet. Sidon licked his dry lips and turned his gaze to the dancing flames, "The pendant is a crest. My crest - or well the Royal Family's crest - and, ah, it holds a significance that I should have told you before I presented it to you."

Sidon tried to continue, but no words came out. He had written what he wanted to say to Link, but mumbling them to himself was far different than actually speaking them to him.

"It's for courtship, isn't it?"

Sidon froze. He glanced down at Link, hoping for an expression that wouldn't break Sidon's heart.

Link didn't appear upset, or hurt, or well, anything. Instead he was looking down at the amulet, now gently held in his calloused hands. His brows furrowed, and Sidon stiffened when blue eyes met his own.

Sidon took a steadying breath and nodded, "Yes. I - Who told you?"

Link chuckled and let the pendant rest around his neck, "You. Just now."

"... I do not follow."

"I knew it was more important than you let on from the start. I walked past Muzu and he looked scandalized." Link grabbed a stick beside him and poked at the flames, "Zelda had been excited when she noticed it, she was glad I had found someone. That tipped me off."

Of course. Princess Zelda was, well, a Princess. She would know the ins and outs of other races, being in the middle of Hyrule she likely had interacted with all of them on a regular enough basis to know the culture well. Not to mention any research she may have done on the side.

"I had a speech planned out, if you care to hear it anyway."

"You planned a speech?"

Sidon scoffed, "Even Princes such as I can get nervous…" He rested his arms on his knees and deflated a touch, "I… I can take the crest back if you like."

An aggressive snort resounded beside Sidon, catching him off-guard. He looked down to see Link holding his crest to his chest almost possessively, "Why?"

"Ah, well, if you do not return my affections, traditionally you would need to return the crest."

Link stared at him, and Sidon began to grow nervous under his narrowed gaze. After a moment, he replied, "Am I not permitted to respond?"

Sidon blinked and turned to fully face Link, "No, of course not. Please, speak your mind my friend."

Link's eyes remained on Sidon, unwavering and frankly incredibly unsettling. If only for a moment, Sidon would loved to be gifted with an ability to read minds, as Link certainly was refraining from speaking his.

Achak moved to a new grazing spot closer to the stable.

"You are good." Link finally spoke, the words tumbled out of his mouth like rocks off the face of a mountain. Blunt and forced.

Sidon decided to remain silent this time, finally seeing traces of an expression on Link's face. His brows were furrowed and mouth was pulled taut, lips pressed tightly together.

"I - Well, you - ah fuck." Link threw his hands up in an act of exasperation, "You are the most considerate man - hell, living being - I've ever met, and I've met a lot, you are incredible in every way. I mean, look at your… everything. You could have anyone anywhere and that you chose me is fucking stupid, and you're stupid, but if you think I'm just going to hand your crest back now you've got another thing coming."

That… That was the most Sidon had ever seen Link speak at once.

Sidon stared at him, did that mean he actually returned his feelings? Link had spoken so fast he really only absorbed being called stupid and that Link didn't want to give him the amulet.

Link glanced away after a moment, a redness sprouting from his cheeks to his ears. Despite himself, Sidon could feel a grin snaking past his lips. "Link?"

"I like you. More than I should." Link mumbled, still not meeting Sidon's eyes.

Like that the tension that had seeded itself into his body blossomed into sheer joy. He laughed, "Eloquent."

"Not all of us prepare speeches." Link grunted.

"I thought it was lovely."

His only response was a low grumble. Sidon rested his hands on his lap, "So then you give me permission to court you?"

Link glanced at him, less red but still noticeably pink, and tilted his head with a raised brow.

"You wouldn't know of our courtship traditions, right." Sidon hummed, "Allow me to explain. When a Zora finds someone they desire to take as a mate, they must court their desired first. In order to do that, they must present them with a gift. Armor or jewelry, like my crest, are the most common. When their desired accepts the gift, the Zora then would have to gain the favor of someone in their desired's family. Though friends are often choices as well."

" That's why you were trying to get Pops to like you?"

Sidon rubbed his neck, "Yes, I may have skipped the first step." He frowned, "I do not think Pops will be giving me his approval anytime soon though. So I have considered asking Princess Zelda, given she seems to be close to you."

Link turned back to the fire and nodded.

"I have done enough behind your back. Do I have your permission to pursue you in courtship?"

Silence filled the air. While it was difficult, Sidon forced himself to remain quiet and calm. Whatever Link's decision was, Sidon would be ok with.

Link poked at the fire, chewing on his bottom lip. Sidon admired the way the fire glinted off the gold he wore, even in the dark he shone like a beacon. Link set the stick down and steepled his fingers under his chin, brows furrowing into a troubled expression.

After what frankly felt like ages, he closed his eyes and drew in a breath. He glanced up to Sidon, "Yes. You have my permission."

Sidon did not know how to react. He was ecstatic, warmth and joy filled his heart and he just wanted to bring Link to him in a hug. He refrained, as much as he wanted to hold Link close, he didn't think the Hylian would enjoy it much.

Small actions, little flinches when others hugged him, threw an arm around his shoulders, Sidon was not blind. Such physical actions made Link uncomfortable, why , Sidon did not know. He disliked them, and that was enough for him.

So instead, he settled on holding out his hand to Link. He stared at it, then eventually, placed his hand on the white palm. Sidon beamed and wrapped his fingers around Link's, "This alright?"

Link narrowed his eyes at him, not maliciously, but it was clear he didn't know what Sidon was getting at. So Sidon gently squeezed Link's hand, "This doesn't make you uncomfortable?"

Surprise bloomed in Link's face. After a beat, Link actually smiled ever so slightly, and shook his head, looking back at the fire, "No. This is fine."

Pops settled himself on the other side of Link, not actually wedging himself between them, but still placed his head on Link's knee. The wolf lifted his lip at Sidon for a moment, then closed his eyes and slumped against Link proper.

It was a small victory Sidon was happy to claim.

"Why do you need the Princess's favor?"

Sidon tilted his head down to meet Link's inquisitive gaze, "It's tradition. I'm not sure if you noticed, but my people are very proud.."

"I had no idea."

He ignored Link's sarcastic grousing and continued, "Thousands of years ago, something happened and our race's numbers dwindled. What exactly happened is unknown, but from that our courtship tradition was founded. You see, back then we needed only the strongest to breed, so we could ensure the survival of our people. So before a couple could become mates, they had to prove they were of strong blood, by earning the favor of their family, and proving themselves as capable mates."

Sidon glanced up to the stars, "Evidently, it worked. While the tradition no longer serves its intended purpose, it is still something we perform to prove ourselves as worthy of our desired's affections."

Link grunted, "Seems like an awful lot of work just to fuck somebody."

Sidon coughed his surprise, "It's not about earning your right to… fuck them - if they even want to mate at all. Its proving that you'll be able to take care of them, and support them through the good times and the bad."

"Ugh. How dreadfully cheesy."

"Yes, well, it's what we do. I will happily be 'dreadfully cheesy' to earn my place at your side." Sidon hummed.

"I take it back, go court a goat if you love cheese so much." Link grunted and swatted at Sidon's hand, getting him to release the one he held within.

The movements were slightly exaggerated, and despite his words, Sidon could see the small smile hidden on his face. He laughed and leaned closer to Link, basking in the small Hylain's warmth and scent. Gentle, like a forest or hidden spring, yet even through the soft smell, Sidon could still smell the danger that rippled beneath the surface. It was enticing, yet in it's own strange way, comforting.

He captured Link's hand within his own again, interlocking what he could of their fingers. It was a miserable attempt, Sidon's fingers were too far apart for Link to fit only one digit between, not to mention the webbing that spanned them. Still, Link didn't pull away and that was a victory for Sidon.

The moon was high in the sky, reaching it's peak. Sidon should not stay much longer. He squeezed Link's hand again, earning a disinterested grunt from him.

"Link, will you be able to make it to Zora's domain in the near future?"

"No, probably not. Princess Zelda has me rather busy…" Link trailed off and furrowed his brows.

There was more to that, but Sidon let it be for now. He'd just have to visit Link then, it seemed. Not that he'd mind of course. It'd be an excellent time to begin earning Princess Zelda's favor.

Now, however, Sidon planned on staying as long as he could with Link. He would need to return to his people soon, until then - Sidon ran his thumb over Link's knuckles - he would remain here.