Link swam downward, holding out a luminous stone in an attempt to illuminate his surroundings. At his current depth, however, his surroundings swallowed the light whole. He now wished that he had taken Sidon up on his offer to accompany him to the bottom of the lake below Zora's Domain. During his years living among the aquatic race, he had come to learn that they had small, sensitive nerve endings that could detect minute changes in water currents. Even if Sidon was unable to see any further than he, at least he'd have an idea if something was creeping up on them.
It was too late to turn back now.
He had struggled to wait for the waypoint from Ruta for far too long as it was. As soon as the Divine Beast had used its power to send him to the entrance of the Domain, Link had pulled out the Sheikah Slate and stared at the map. The minutes had dragged on as he waited for the appearance of a small, yellow dot. He had waited for so long that not only had he been discovered by a few stray Zora in the middle of the night but Sidon had heard of his return and came to personally escort him to the throne room. Of course, the Prince's definition of "escort" had been more like "dragged unwillingly before the king."
It wasn't that the Hylian Champion hadn't wanted to see more of the royal family; however, there was something, or rather, someone that occupied his thoughts far more.
As fate would have it, the Slate had notified him of a new area of interest to investigate. Even though the King had been in the midst of a speech in his honor, he had left right away, not even taking the time to explain why he left with such haste. Sidon and Muzu both had attempted to bring him back; however, Link had a mission. One that no one, not even a deity, could deter him from.
He was so prepared to charge headfirst that he had almost dove into the lake with no real plan to reach the bottom. That was when Kodah, an old friend, had offered him a special trinket that would allow him to breathe underwater. In an effort to spur on their failing inn, which had fallen on hard times due to Ruta's rampage, she had partnered with Marot in an attempt to drum up ideas to attract customers.
One such idea being the creation of items that would not only allow Hylians to swim more effectively but breathe underwater as well. There were still a variety of hoops the inn's purveyor would have to jump through in order to start advertising the experience but she was certain that King Dorephan wouldn't mind if Link were to use it to explore their sacred waters.
Only taking a few seconds to don the mask, Link wasted no time in diving off the edge of the city and racing toward the bottom of the lake.
After what had felt like hours, Link finally reached the bottom of the lake. Holding the glowing stone close to the muddy bottom, Link crawled along the lakebed, keeping his eyes peeled for any sign of Sheikah markings. There was a time that he would have thought it was impossible for them to reach environments such as this but he had long since lost his surprise for such things. It wasn't difficult for him to believe that they had created devices that allowed them to operate even at the bottom of a lake.
Really, his greatest concern was whether or not he'd even be able to see whatever markings they had left behind. In the previous three cases, there had been little to indicate the presence of a shrine, though he supposed that it did make sense. They had been built to protect a vulnerable inhabitant, after all.
The murky depths gave nothing away, with mud, decaying bodies of fish, and various kinds of plant life obscuring the lakebed.
Link maintained his patience though, searching every inch of his surroundings carefully.
It was times like this that he wished even more fervently that Zelda was traveling with him again. The Hylian Princess, from what he could recall, had a penchant for finding the traces left behind by the ancient tribe. And she was particularly skilled at developing theories for their uses.
That being said, she wasn't a particularly strong swimmer. It probably would have been far too difficult for her to make it down to the bottom anyway.
Eventually, after exploring a relatively small area, Link found what he had been looking for. In an alcove underneath a large boulder, there was a pedestal with a faint orange glow.
Swimming over as quickly as he could, the Hylian Champion set the Slate on the pedestal and waited impatiently for it to open the entrance.
He had never noticed how long it took for the machinery to work.
This time, the rumbling of the door was so painful that Link was forced to cover his ears, leaving him unprepared for the current that swept him into the hole the door had once covered.
His once dark surroundings were now illuminated as the now familiar blue of Sheikah glyphs surrounded him on all sides. Again, he was forced to slam his hands over his ears as the door shut above him. The sensory overload he had experienced in such a short time left him dazed and unaware of the fact that the water was draining away quickly.
As he touched down on the floor, he sunk to his hands and knees, tearing the mask off and fighting the urge to vomit as his nausea reached its zenith. He remained where he was, taking several deep breaths as his mind finally caught up with the rapid changes that had overwhelmed it.
Looking up, Link came face to face with a small, egg-shaped Guardian watching him with a single eye. The small mechanical being whistled excitedly as he climbed to its feet, jumping up in place before turning away sharply and bolting through a nearby doorway.
A sharp whistle sounded from the next room as Link was slow to follow. Now that he was here, he couldn't help but entertain the possibility that something had gone wrong. What if something had gone wrong? What if she hadn't made it?
He knew the fears were irrational, but they still tugged at him, wearing him down before he'd even reached the shrine's main room. Of course, he wasn't just concerned about whether or not she had survived. The odds were quite in her favor, which helped to comfort him somewhat and spurred him back into action.
Really, his main concern was whether or not he was prepared to see the lack of recognition in her eyes. It hadn't been the worst thing to see in Revali's eyes, but Daruk and Urbosa had stung a bit.
And none of them had meant nearly as much to him as the Zora Princess had.
Still, he needed to see her again, make sure she was alive and relatively well. He was willing to give up the future he desired with her if it meant that she was assured a second chance. He was even willing to lose the version of her he had come to know.
He steeled himself. He would suffer being forgotten for her sake. He would endure, as he always had. And there was a chance that she would fall for him again. He just needed to have courage and fortitude.
Entering the main room, the little Guardian scuttled over to a pedestal, pointing to it with one of its mechanical feet. It chirped insistently; however, Link ignored it for a moment as he walked over to the shallow pool in the center of the room. Within it lay the reason he had traveled as far as he had.
Mipha lay, sleeping peacefully, just as the rest of the Champions had. Link gazed at her, drinking in the sight of her. Though she lacked her jewelry and sash, she still stood out among all of the women he'd ever seen, Zora or otherwise.
Finally, the Hylian's gaze was torn away from the Zora as the little Guardian whistled yet again. Knowing the part he was supposed to play, Link approached the terminal and placed the Slate atop it. He ignored the message that scrolled across the Slate, instead watching impatiently as the fluid that kept her suspended drained away.
He felt himself relax as he heard her take her first breath and witnessed her chest rise and fall. Amber eyes fluttered open, looking around blearily as she groaned.
Link watched, almost ready to break down as the Zora Princess finally sat up. She looked to be utterly exhausted despite just having woken up; however, she still attempted to climb to her feet.
The Hylian rushed forward as she faltered, nearly falling over. Before he could reach her, he was stopped by the egg-like Guardian scuttling in front of him and stamping a foot on the ground. It chirped angrily as it shook a leg at him.
Stepping around it, he looked back up to find Mipha's eyes locked on him. A light frown creased her mouth as she looked at him, as though having a thought she couldn't quite grasp. Ignoring the crack he felt developing in his chest, Link approached and offered her a hand.
The Zora Princess looked at the appendage for a moment, evidently confused as to its purpose. Locking eyes with him once again, she finally spoke a single word. "Link�"
Hearing his name leave her lips broke the dam that held everything back. Taking her hand, he pulled in her in for a tight embrace, determined to never let go again.
