Author's note The plot thickens slightly very, slightly
Disclaimer My Uncle does not work for Nintendo and neither do I we are both unaffiliated with the Japanese game company. Nintendo owns Zelda and its IP's. This is an unlicensed work and is meant to be enjoyed by those who played the fanciful game/s that inspired it.
Gigantic Optimism Chapter III A Hylian That had Lived Among Zora
Dorephan was curious as he looked across at his son the tall strapping and dutiful Zora eying one particular untouched species of fish the only morsel they had both ignored a twinkle in the heir's eye. "Why did you avoid the Voltfin trout?" the curiosity had bested the once great warrior a battle he had always lost when his family was concerned. The twinkle left the Champion's eye briefly Dorephan had forgotten his son's distaste of the fish he hated forgetting both men at the table did. "Do not worry father I will tell you later please open the package." A desire to see the parcel plastered on the shark face it was a ruse one of the many ways Sidon tried to cheer up his father it was only a distraction. They both knew what the package contained. I am afraid you will have to wait a little longer the royal message was about more than…" "What happened this morning" finished Sidon seeking to aid his father again.
"In the will each region was asked to do something in honor of Link before the… funeral" Dorephan hated admitting death Mipha was presumed missing for 100 years in the king's mind until, Link confirmed the presence of her spirit. "The Lanayru region instructions are included with his gifts." Genuine interest returned to Sidon the king responded by opening the bundle delivered this morning. It was slow going the king's fins struggling with the rope that sealed the unopened gift. Sidon's polite "allow me father" precluded a sharp tearing as the zora employed his pointy fangs spitting out the rope which landed with a soft thwack on the throne room floor next to a pool of water.
There sat the trident atop blue cloth Mipha's trident given to Link after he had saved the domain no mark appeared on the surface of the trident unlike the stone replica in the plaza. Sidon appreciated the care Link had taken with his sister's faithful weapon. Dorephan echoed his thoughts "how did he clean it he had no family and was extremely old." A smirk alights on Sidon's face the kind that comes from a sudden off-color thought or vision. "Link was stronger than some adults as a child I can picture him cleaning this no matter his age." His majesty noticed the twisted grin on his son's face plainly the young one does not understand how hard old age is but, Link had been incredibly active and fit it was not worth a quarrel to the king. Dorephan placed the trident on the table brushing it aside as he had the topic of age. The next treasure was removed by Sidon it was the cloth stowed under the beautiful shining weapon. Blue cloth around metal greaves a Zora suit of armor crafted for Link by Mipha as far as Sidon knew this was the only thing, she ever made herself. Typical of his sister her one lasting possession was made for someone else. "ah the engagement armor I am so glad he returned it." The king looked down among the wrapping for the instructions.
Yes, referring to it as the engagement armor or the proposal armor fit King Dorephan a lover of history and tradition it would always be Mipha's expected gift to her beloved in his eyes. Sidon did not blame his highness it would always be his friend's armor to the prince. For unlike his father Sidon had seen the armor in action when it had protected Link from deadly missiles coming from Vah Ruta. Protection Sidon had wondered if the betrothal gift was intended to Link primarily for protection or for love most likely a mixture of the two. She had not presented it in time. Sidon had always admired Link; they were playmates then in what felt like only enough time to shake water from his fins, Link had grown older more mature, and his sister had started to fall in love. The Hylian was kind and fierce what Sidon had learned to value in a warrior. Mipha had not noticed his strength as much as his vulnerability she knew Link was strong because he was expected to be, had to be. Sidon had known Link for the Hylian's entire childhood and teens all the Zoras Sidon grew up with did. Link had grown quiet leading up to the prophesied return of a great evil and Mipha had teased her brother "Now Sidon keep laughing for Link and me one of us should."
Then the first calamity came, and Sidon lost his sister and a good friend he does not remember that day except when he dreams about it. He does remember the next morning extremely well when Dorephan cried after he stumbled upon the secreted armor, the king might have been a father-in-law now his daughter would never marry. When Link returned unannounced after his hundred-year healing slumber when Sidon was a young yet fully grown zora the traveling warrior no longer belonged. He was a Hylian among the Zoras not the Hylian from the zora Sidon remembered from childhood. Sidon still loved him and after their adventure they were comrades in arms not just playmates. While the warrior prince held up the armor and thought of his late amnesiac friend, Dorephan had read the letter he now passed it to his son and relieved the other of the armor.
It was white parchment transcribed in in a plain unadorned hand. Sidon read the following
To my honored and dear friends, the Zora royal family King Dorephan. & Prince Sidon
"I have asked each region to memorialize my death with an action representing something I cherish about the place from my time traveling this great land. I regret my recently acquired inability to travel has rendered it impossible to visit my oldest friends, forgive me. "(Sidon smiled at this request whispering "always my friend," before continuing) "I know you will carry out my wish as I feel it is also yours. Within this package are Mipha's relics, I ask that you say a few words about us and lay them in a stone chest beside her statue in case the next wielder of Hylia's blade should need a zora's abilities. That statue is dear to me it was the first thing to restore my memory she was the first person I remembered. My time is near after Zelda's death this year I feel I am no longer needed and the hero and the princess always pass shortly after each other. My last service to the crown is to be buried in Hyrule castle's cemetery as Zelda requested. I hope my two oldest friends can attend my last rites whenever that may be. The armor has not fit for years but, I could not part with it till now it was meant as a lifelong gift. I believe in you."
Love, Link.
"Link is right of course a matching stone chest would be the perfect spot for their things we should make keeping it a royal decree for the ruling family" asserted the prince. As he moved to lay down the letter, his eye drawn to the last sentence of the message and noticed a postscript written in Zora "It seems Link does remember our childhood lessons with the royal tutors I assumed he had forgotten our alphabet!" "Just like you assumed I would not notice Link sitting in on your sessions." Replied the king with mock gruffness an unconvincing scowl on his face. "No, I assumed you would not mind, you certainly noticed with all the noise we made." both zoras relax soft chuckles escaping the pair after their first shared moment of levity that day. The cheer is soon gone drained by the reality that those days were ancient history. "I saw your name and ignored the note it appears to be addressed to you son." A cursory glance showed the King was correct the wise monarch usually was. When translated it said this "Sidon I left a message for you during my visit after Gannon's second death you will find it in the pool in front of the Zora shrine retrieve it at once." Receiving this message Sidon mumbled something about a prayer of gratitude for Link's life and attempted to leave.
"Wait we still need to discuss your travel plans for your trip." Sidon with his head down shuffled back towards the king. A slight tapping noise breached the silence Sidon looked at his father's claw drubbing the table. "the gathering is next week so as many as possible can attend he did save all of Hyrule." Sidon returned to his seat at the table and straightened his back signaling his father to continue. "You will travel to Hyrule castle town tomorrow in case any other dignitaries want to meet while at the same event." "I will be the first to offer condolences to her majesty" spouted Sidon while he scooted the chair closer. "I think the king was the first to comfort her, son." the incessant drubbing noise stopped and there was a slight pause a silence of expectation followed. "on your return journey you will stop at Tarrey town and begin training one of the young zora to become champion." the pair had discussed this last week when Sidon had half- heartedly promised to visit the village without stating when just to placate his liege it had been one of the few times Sidon had thought of himself as his father's subject.
Some Zoras had relocated to the young intercultural settlement when it was founded 80 years ago. Dorephan was hoping the children of those migrants would be more willing to take the champion mantle as they were not as familiar with Vah Ruta's troubled past Sidon's main obstacle in finding a replacement. "Yes, father I will be king soon and cannot do both duties" the red zora's face was expressionless as he agreed to the task parroting his father's arguments of last week. Again, the prince got up to go striding across to his father he grasped the king's fin lightly careful not to hurt the aged zora "I will tarry there until the next Champion is combat ready than return to train them on Ruta." A groan escapes the ruler at his son's terrible pun wishing his heir did not always need to encourage and cheer others up. Sidon wincing at his joke's reception pauses allowing Dorephan to think of a modification to the newly minted mentor's proposal. "I think it would be best to give them three days off so you can perform a weekly inspection on Ruta and I can brief you on matters here." The deal was struck, and Sidon left to retrieve Link's note.
The shrine was reverent, tranquil a pool, a goddess statue, and a shrine peeking out from behind the statue took up all available space. Sidon eyes shut immediately upon entering the room he dive into the water bubbles streaming past as he went to the bottom of the pool. His gills taking over the sudden change of airflow robbing Sidon's breath for a millisecond. Able to stay underwater indefinitely now the prince scours the surface spotting some moss in a corner he speeds towards it. Putting his fin in the green substance he feels a small glass bottle gingerly he grabs the missive and returns to the surface. It bears a label with zora script on the outside the inside weighed down with small rocks obscuring the contents. The label bears an instruction "open when Riju is no longer Queen of the female warrior kingdom." "I wonder why he wants me to wait for that, and why bring me into a Gerudo affair?" Scratching his head, the prince was puzzled by the wording, it was an awkward phrase, but he figured it was Link's second language after all. Hopefully, this time Link's timing would be better. "I will still do as you ask friend you can depend on me." Maybe the problem was not Gerudo centric at all and this was just an inevitable acknowledgement that Sidon would be the last Successor. An ache in his neck alerted Sidon to how stiff he was after looking at his find, so the weary individual headed for his sleeping pool to end the long day taking the unorthodox time capsule with him.
Author's Note 2 Next installment we take a break from the Zora Royal family but not Link's funeral week Yeah I ship Link and Mipha I bear no ill will to other ships I just tend to go with the option with the most dialogue Zelink in Skyward Sword, Malon in Ocarina. This is true for other franchises as well I rarely disagree with the author even in games with romance options, I try to go for the most cannon choice.