Link traveled across the plains of Hyrule for several days. He was making excellent time, although his rented steed, Cloud, was still nowhere near as fast as Inferno was. Still, she had a very gentle disposition, and she dutifully galloped along the faded pathways with relative calm and peace. This was good. With the hypnotizing rhythm of gentle hoof-steps easing him into a meditative state, Link finally found himself with ample time to analyze the recovered memories of his past.
As always, he had far more questions than answers.
He wondered if any of his other old friends in Zora's Domain were still around. He wondered if they'd even remember him. He thought of the Champions and the bond they seemed to have shared, found himself wanting to know more about each one of them - even Revali.
And most of all, he wondered if the person most dear to him was even still alive. He missed Mipha terribly. He longed to return to her. And after poring over memory after memory of better days, Link was well-beyond determined to assist the Zora people with whatever troubles they currently found themselves in.
His eastward travels remained relatively uneventful, aside from another comically unremarkable encounter with a Yiga Clan member. Still, he had his good days as well as his bad. His resolve was strengthened by the joy he felt in returning to the place he once called home. Yet this joy was undermined by the undercurrent of fear, and of worry, and of sincere longing. He decided he would have to simply prepare for the worst and hope for the best.
But like all great platitudes, this was far easier to say than it was to do.
His brain was a tug of war between optimistic hope and pessimistic doubt. His heart was being split in two. And the intensity of this only increased as he drew nearer and nearer to his destination. Storm clouds grew and billowed in the distance, as if foreshadowing the ominous future he'd soon face.
After returning Cloud to the Wetlands Stable - just west of Zora's Domain according to his map - Link made his way towards the tower he'd seen during his first excursion in the area. There was a conspicuous absence of Lizalfos at the massive river-top fortress where he had first met Sidon. A handful of stragglers were present, but these were dispatched with ease. He also encountered very little resistance as he made his way towards and up the mountain ahead. And in no time he'd scaled the looming tower there and activated it with the Sheikah Slate. He was grateful that this functionality of the slate at least still worked. Even in its locked-out state. This was a rather curious find.
But even more curious, was the rather quirky Zora male he encountered at the top...
"WOW! I cannot believe it!" the blue Zora said, holding his hands up in shock. He shook his head, regained his composure. "...Excuse me! Yes, You! I am Gruve of the Zora!"
Link pulled back his hood and shook Gruve's hand. "Well, I… am Link. Of the Hylians! I guess."
Gruve nodded in recognition. "It is apparent that you are a Hylian, but I thank you for specifying! It's also apparent that you are a traveler. But may I ask what brought you here?"
Link chuckled. "I could ask you the same thing!"
"Hmmm, how astute of you!" replied Gruve. "An excellent query indeed! I, by order of Prince Sidon of Zora's Domain, am searching for a Hylian. Or I was… but then I fell asleep. I awoke to a loud noise and awful quaking, and now here I am."
Link glanced down at the ground far, far below. The tower itself was already quite tall, but it was also situated atop the foothills of the mountains surrounding the domain. This made the surrounding countryside - as well as the nearby river - appear even farther down and out of reach. He figured Gruve was probably stuck up here. And based on Link's memories, he knew that the Zora were not particularly good climbers.
But this situation raised an even more important question…
"Are you telling me... that you've been stuck up here, without food or water, for nearly two weeks now?" Link asked.
"That is correct!" Gruve said. "We Zora can actually go quite some time without eating, although I must certainly admit that I am rather famished! I would like nothing more than to get down and be on my way… but I'm simply too high up!" He gestured at a bridge spanning the large river below. "Prince Sidon used to patrol that bridge below, but he went back up the river to Zora's Domain for some reason. I really need to figure something out here…"
Link couldn't just leave the poor Zora up there. Surely there was something he could do. And as he considered his options, a sly grin began to spread across his face...
"This does not strike me as a particularly wise solution to my predicament… at all," said Gruve.
Link was currently sitting piggy-back on the tall Zora, who now clutched Link's paraglider overhead. They stood at the edge of the tower platform, ready to jump and glide down to the mountain river far below.
"We'll be fine." Link assured him. "I've done this loads of times already." He figured that if this same paraglider could keep that hefty old man aloft back at the plateau, then surely it could hold up a light young Hylian and a sleek and slender Zora.
"Let's do it!" he shouted. Gruve shrugged, and leapt from the edge of the tower without hesitation. For a second, they were soaring through the sky with total ease. But as the rate of their descent sharply increased and the paraglider suddenly seemed to give way under their combined weight... an overlooked detail dawned on Link:
Of course the paraglider had easily held up that hefty old man.
He was a ghost.
Oops.
Link wasn't sure what was louder - Gruve's screaming, or the roaring sound of air rushing past his ears as the pair plummeted inelegantly through the air towards the river below. The poor paraglider provided its best effort to break their fall, but it was able to do very little more than adjust the angle of their inevitable demise.
Still, Link remained calm, and grabbed control of the paraglider himself. He put all of this weight on the paraglider's right grip, angling them towards the widest part of the river he could see. If he could just get them there… avoid the tough, rocky shoreline… they might just make it...
They impacted the water simultaneously, both taking crude diving forms as they did. Link quickly breached the surface, swimming to the shoreline as he did. He briefly examined himself at the riverbank, and laughed. No serious injuries incurred - although he certainly re-aggravated his shoulder wound on impact. But he was otherwise no worse off. He pulled off his hood and began to wring the water out of it. Soon, Gruve shot out of the water, paraglider in-hand, and landed on the ground near Link.
"That...was…" he stammered, "...That was so... incredible! I have never experienced anything so… so wondrous! So daring! We must do that again some time!"
Link stood up, collapsed the paraglider, and drew his spear from his back. "As much as I share your sentiment… I think we have bigger priorities at the moment." He gestured behind Gruve with his spear. Gruve turned around, his eyes widened in shock.
The commotion had drawn the attention of a huge number of Lizalfos. And as expected, they didn't hesitate to attack these two new strangers in their midst.
Gruve didn't really strike Link as the fighting type... And sure enough, the blue Zora had already dived back into the water, shouting at Link from up the river.
"Zora's Domain is just up this path along the river, young Hylian!" he said, as Link fought off three Lizalfos simultaneously. "I would assist you," Gruve continued, "But… we Zora don't handle electricity particularly well."
Electricity? What electricity? Link thought. But while he considered this, an electrified shock arrow buzzed right past him. He spared a glance further up the river, just as a team of Lizalfos archers began to nock more arrows to fire at him. Link charged towards them.
Sure could use a bow of my own right now…
He dodged a couple of arrows then lunged his spear at the first archer he reached. He impaled it through the head, killing it instantly. He pried its bow from his hands, grabbed its quiver, and sprinted past the other two archers.
This'll do.
He turned and shot a pair of shock arrows at the feet of the chasing Lizalfos, giving them a taste of their own medicine. He merely stunned them, but this was enough to buy him some time to get into a better position to counter. He continued to run alongside the river, and noticed Gruve swimming alongside him again.
"There's quite a large number of monsters up this river…" Gruve said. "Just thought I'd offer you a fair warning."
Link rolled his eyes as he ran. "Considering that I'm here to help you, couldn't you find a way…" He dove to the ground as a huge rock sailed through the air above him, "...to help out too ?" he finished. The pair looked up ahead. Round, tentacled creatures with spouted mouths were shooting stones at them with painful accuracy.
Gruve nodded at Link. "I… I'll see what I can do."
Link turned and began to fight off the approaching Lizalfos, who lashed our their tongues and shot balls of saliva at him. Meanwhile, Gruve shot through the water towards the rock-spewing creatures, pulled them underwater by their tentacles and sliced them up with his fins. Having quickly slaughtered the Lizalfos behind them, Link continued his way up the path. Gruve once again swam up the river alongside him, a pair of disintegrating monsters - Octoroks - floating down the river in his wake.
"Thanks for that." Link said.
"You're welcome." Gruve replied. "Although… it's only going to get worse from here… a lot more dangerous."
"Well that's encouraging."
"My apologies… I could swim upstream to seek help… but I don't think anyone will come. Like I mentioned before-"
"Shock arrows, I know I know." Link interrupted. He paused. "Then… at the very least, just tell Prince Sidon that I am on my way. I should be there shortly."
As he said this, a horn sounded in the distance. Its call was shrill, but its purpose was clear. Another wave of about twenty Lizalfos began charging down the mountain path towards Link.
"I'll do whatever I can!" cried Gruve. He dove underwater and began to swiftly make his way up the river and towards Zora's Domain, slicing another Octorok on his way up.
As Link fired a shock arrow towards the approaching lizard warriors, his soldier's instinct began to kick in. His mind entered a state of focus, of total calm. And with determination and cold resolve, he began his marathon battle up the long, winding path towards the domain.
Link was growing exhausted. He'd fortunately been able to avoid major injuries during the fighting, though he'd certainly developed a massive headache from the electrocuting effects of shock arrows which occasionally landed by his feet. A couple of arrows had also grazed his shoulder, but his Sheikah armor seemed to be holding up just fine for now.
He'd lost count of how many Lizalfos he'd slain, somewhere around the eighties or nineties. This hardly mattered though. The waves were endless. He figured he was about three-fourths up the river towards his destination. But this fact only seemed to increase the number of Lizalfos charging head-on towards Link, each of them quite eager to be the one to land the killing blow.
At this point, Link knew that he was too far in to turn back. Teleporting was obviously not an option either. On top of this, he found himself in the midst of an incessant rainstorm that seemed to grow in intensity the closer he got to the domain. It reminded him of the rainy seasons he'd spent here, an entire lifetime ago. Although he didn't recall any downpours ever being this heavy. He wondered if this was related to the trouble that Sidon had mentioned to him during their encounter…
Link ducked, slid on his knees, and batted down the leader of the charging Lizalfos by its legs. A sword-swipe at his left, a tongue lashing at his right, he dodged and countered and slayed two more.
His muscles were starting to burn and ache. His aggravated shoulder was starting to throb. Time seemed to slow down around him as he rolled past another enemy, letting loose a flurry of jabs into its back. Unfortunately, one of the Lizalfos warriors got the better of him, kicking Link down as he dodged a sword swipe aimed directly at his head. He rolled backwards, crouched down, looked around him.
He was surrounded.
Another group of about ten Lizalfos had joined the pack, forming a large semi-circle with spears pointed directly at him. They began to attack simultaneously, and Link briefly considered diving into the river behind him in an effort to escape-
"Yaaaaarrrrgh!"
A blur of shimmering fins and scales exploded out of the water behind him. A group of Zora, various colors, landed one after another on the attacking Lizalfos. The last one landed right in front of Link, spun around to face him.
A sharp red face, a familiar pose, glimmering teeth…
Sidon!
And he was joined by several others, who seemed to be paying no mind to the Lizalfos archers preparing to rain down a volley of shock arrows from the cliffs above. Link immediately re-joined the fighting, sniping down these archers with his new bow. He fought side-by-side with the other Zora warriors, mowing down their lizard-like foes with accuracy and efficiency. It was a beautiful dance of violence, a near-choreographed display of talented spearmanship. And as a lull in the fighting began to set in, one incredibly tall, black Zora turned and faced Link.
"Greetings friend." the Zora said, crossing his arms. " Bazz Brigade, at your service."
Sidon coughed nearby.
"...Oh, and Prince Sidon as well, I suppose."
Link peered at the black Zora's face in an effort to recognize him... But in the end, it was really quite obvious.
"Fluffy white clouds…?" Link offered, with an old boyish grin.
Bazz smiled back.
"...Clear blue Zora. "
The fighting died away and the heavy resistance decayed as the four Zora - plus Link - mopped up the remaining Lizalfos stragglers along the path. Despite being severely outclassed, the monsters still seemed determined to charge aggressively towards their now-certain doom. Link would occasionally run up ahead and pick off any shock arrow-wielding archers, but the group otherwise faced very little danger the rest of the way. Soon, they were making their way across the elaborate bridge that connected the mountain path to the heart of Zora's domain. Prince Sidon lead the way, while Link reconnected with his fellow brigade members behind him.
"I must sincerely apologize, Link." Sidon said. "I really did try to keep your return a secret-"
"He tried , yeah," interrupted Gaddison. "But as soon as we heard that a Hylian warrior with blonde hair and a ponytail was fighting his way up here... the fish was out of the net. So to speak..."
Rivan shrugged. "I'm sure we'll get in trouble for abandoning our posts…" he said, "But I'm going to go ahead and say it was definitely worth it." He patted Link on the back. "It's so good to see you again, Master Link." Gaddison and Bazz both nodded in agreement.
As they walked under familiar archways, Link found himself unable to restrain the immense joy he felt in his heart. The sight of meticulously-carved mountains above, the sounds of pouring water, the smell of clean air… even in the steady downpour of relentless rain, he was so incredibly comfortable in this familiar place. This was his home. He'd finally returned.
And his friends… were so different now. So tall. Link made this observation known.
"Well, we have aged only about one hundred years since you last saw us." Rivan said. "And as for you … Well, I must say you've aged quite well for a Hylian." He paused, staring curiously at Link.
"In fact... shouldn't you be dead? Erm… Sorry, that's a bit of a personal question."
Link shrugged. "Reports of my death have been greatly... accurate actually."
"Really?! So you're saying… you were revived somehow?" Bazz asked.
Link shrugged. "Something like that…"
Sidon held up his hand. "It's really quite a long story. We will have plenty of time to catch up later… but for now, we have important matters to discuss." The group paused briefly, and Sidon turned to face Link. "I will run up ahead and inform the council of your arrival. They will surely want to meet with us immediately!" He grinned at Link. " And my father will most definitely be quite pleased to see you!" He sprinted away excitedly.
Link, Bazz, Rivan, and Gaddison stared after him, before continuing their walk towards the main area of the domain.
"I have to say…" Link said, "That I am having a rather hard time seeing Sidon leading you all around. I can't help but still imagine him as that hyperactive little goofball that you could barely take seriously."
"Oh, believe me," said Gaddison, "That part of him has hardly changed. ...But after an incident with a giant Octorok in Hateno Bay, you'd be hard-pressed to find anyone in the entire domain who didn't respect him."
"...Oh, I definitely have to hear this story." Link said.
Rivan nodded. "It is quite impressive actually, I must admit. And that's not all... his skills and good looks have also made him rather… popular with the ladies too. He's got his own fan club. Lucky guy…"
"You're married!" shouted Bazz. "You have no room to complain!"
"Oh right, I forgot."
"You forgot?!"
Bazz and Rivan began to push each other around playfully, while Gaddison rolled her eyes. And Link began to laugh. It was wonderful to see that, even after one hundred years, his old friends had hardly changed... He was looking forward to catching up on the missing century between them later.
As they walked onto a walkway leading into the main square of the domain, a purple Zora placed her hand on Rivan's chest, stopping him.
" AHEM... " she glared at Rivan with mild disapproval. "You were supposed to be on guard duty, father."
Father?
Rivan rubbed his head sheepishly. "Right...right. Sorry Dunma." He ran over and took his position opposite the walkway from her. He gestured towards her with his Silverscale Spear.
"Master Link, this is my daughter, Dunma."
She nodded cordially at Link, who returned the gesture.
"And it seems I must return to my guard duties. But we'll surely catch up later, right?"
Link smiled. "Of course we will."
"Perfect!" said Bazz. "Gaddison and I had better return to our duties as well. I expect to get chewed out by my father - er, Sergeant Seggin - later. But it was well worth it." he winked at Link. "See you later!" He ran off towards the throne room. Gaddison also began to run away, then turned briefly in Link's direction. "Oh, and Link," she said, "you might want to… avoid talking to any of the older Zora while you're here. They do not think particularly highly of you… at all."
"Why's that?" Link asked.
Gaddison stopped for a moment. "You… really don't remember?" She asked him.
Link shook his head.
Gaddison's face turned crestfallen, sullen. She looked away.
"Link… they hold you responsible for Lady Mipha's death."
"I will not allow it!" shouted Seggin. "This is the same Hylian Champion who was unable to protect Lady Mipha from Calamity Ganon! I cannot forgive it."
"I am in total agreement!" shouted Trello, Rivan's father. "How dare he even show his face in this place again, after what he did to Lady Mipha. I should punish him where he stands!"
They were standing in the throne room of Zora's Domain. King Dorephan, even larger than he was a century ago, towered over the council of elderly Zora. The previous council was already quite elderly when Link was a child, so he figured they must have already died out. The remaining elders - Trello, Seggin, Jiahto, and Muzu - had been summoned to deliberate on whether or not to receive help from this familiar Hylian in their midst...
Sidon stood nearby, ready to defend Link. "How can you all stand there and show such disrespect to your King?! We are not in a position to turn down help from someone as talented as the Champion Link!" he said. "Besides, after all this time… you still blame him for what happened all those years ago?"
"Not just Link!" chimed in Jiahto. "Hylians are wholly responsible for failing to defeat Calamity Ganon! Their silly plan did nothing! And we bore the punishment for their reckless abuse of ancient technology…"
Link wanted to defend himself, to explain the tremendous guilt he already felt… but he could not bring himself to do it. He was still emotionally reeling from Gaddison's revelation earlier. Besides, not only was he unable to recall the specifics of how he himself had failed to defeat Ganon, but a twisted side of him also felt that he was getting precisely what he deserved. These were men that he had greatly respected and admired in his youth. It seemed fitting to be scolded by them. Still, he found himself fighting off the creeping frustration, the incredibly deep sorrow in his heart. Fighting off the desire to tell them that there was no possible way that he hadn't done everything in his power to protect Mipha...
Muzu spoke up from nearby. Like the others, he also hadn't aged particularly well, his green scales bearing the wrinkles of age and wear. "To ask a Hylian for help... " he said, "Why, the very thought of it curls my fins! We could not trust them back then, and we certainly cannot trust them now!" Although Link had remained expressionless up to this point, he frowned at Muzu. The other Zora elders had formed a resentment for Link over all this time… but Muzu was just as hateful and intolerant as Link remembered him.
King Dorephan sat silently during these deliberations, carefully considering his words. But he still could not hide the grin that was spreading across his colossal face. After some consideration, he finally spoke up.
"Hylian Champion… Link… It is so good to see you, my friend." He closed his eyes, as if stolen away by a dream. "My mind is overflowing with nostalgia. So many memories! I had heard a terrible rumor that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive! Extraordinary!" His voice echoed through the chamber, commanding and demanding the attention of everyone in the room.
Link spoke up. "I've…well, I've been sleeping actually."
"Sleeping, you say? Ah, yes, that's right. Prince Sidon previously spoke to me about what you told him during your earlier encounter. Still, I truly could not believe you were still alive without seeing it with my own eyes. Yet here you are now!" Dorephan spoke as if deliberately ignoring the pleas of the Zora council, and Link was rather grateful for the brief reprieve from his beratement at the hands of the elders…
"I was also told," Dorephan continued, "That you were missing some of your memories as a result of your slumber, is that correct?"
Link nodded. In the corner of his eye, he could see the Zora council members shuffling impatiently, quite eager to throw this Hylian out of their domain as soon as possible. Dorephan also noticed this, but continued to pay them no mind. "At the very least… you do remember Mipha?" he asked. "You two were so close. Surely your heart recalls this?"
Link bowed his head thoughtfully, regretfully. To him, words could not express the mix of joy and sorrow that he felt every single time he recalled his memories of Mipha.
Dorephan reeled back, satisfied. "That look on your face tells me all that I need to know. And it does my heart good to know that her memory remains with you." He glanced over at the Zora council members. "I do not doubt that our friend Link has endured a great many trials to get to this point. And I also do not doubt his willingness to help, nor do I place any blame on him for the events of one hundred years ago. I shall ask him to hear my plea."
The Zora elders began to protest, but Dorephan held up his hand to stop them. There would be no debate, no deliberation. He'd made his decision, and that was that.
Begrudgingly, the elderly Zora began to shuffle towards the stairs in front of the throne room. It was quite rare for the king to override the Zora council, but this was indeed a special case. And before long only King Dorephan, Muzu, Link, and Sidon remained in the throne room.
"Link," Dorephan began, "I must inform you that Zora's Domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I will speak bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?"
Muzu suddenly shouted in protest. "My liege! I know you have already made your decision… but please reconsider! He is a Hylian ! Surely I need not repeat this fact. I absolutely refuse to receive his help."
Dorephan shook his head. "Muzu, I expected more of you. Why do you still protest?"
Sidon pointed angrily at Muzu, glaring as he did. "Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his guest. Link is here because I invited him. And that should be enough. We have no choice but to rely on a trustworthy Hylian. This has already been discussed and decided upon-"
"No! You alone decided upon this!" Muzu continued to rant. "I have argued against this from the very start of this entire mess!"
King Dorephan's booming voice cut through their argument. "It matters not! Muzu, my friend, this is bigger than all of us. Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together, before all of Hyrule is swallowed by the sea."
"Swallowed by the sea…?" Link asked. "You mean like a flood?" He decided it would be best to turn off his emotions for the time being, try to focus. "Is Vah Ruta somehow producing water uncontrollably then?"
Dorephan nodded. "That is correct. The divine beast has great power, and the ability to actually create an endless supply of water. It has been mercilessly spouting water into the air, resulting in the heavy rains you see now. Water and air are as one for the Zora, so you wouldn't think this would be so critical a problem… however-"
The reservoir!
"Is Vah Ruta still floating out in the Eastern Reservoir?" Link asked. "If so, then I imagine the rain is threatening to overflow it... I remember the legends you told us when I was young, how the reservoir protected Hyrule from floods during the rainy seasons in Zora's Domain. It would be catastrophic if it exceeded its capacity..."
Dorephan smiled bitterly. "It is good to know that you remember the tales from your youth. You are correct. Should the reservoir burst, immense damage would befall not only Zora's Domain, but also the area downstream. There, Hylian lives are in very grave danger-"
ROOOOOAAAAAWWWW!
A loud, deep trumpeting sound echoed across the giant valley that was Zora's Domain. Even through the rain, Link could hear the splashing of Divine Beast Vah Ruta inside the distant reservoir. The ominous sound of its call seemed to serve as both a warning, and a plea…
"The Divine Beast is crying out once again…" Dorephan said. He turned his attention to Link again. "Your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta's shoulders are mechanisms that control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work."
The gears were turning in Link's head. "And I take it, you believe that they are no longer functioning? And we need to use shock arrows to try and power them again?"
"Precisely." Dorephan said.
Sidon spoke up. "Seggin, who is actually quite shock resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water!"
Link gave a half-smile at this. Even in his old age, that demon sergeant was still an incredible archer and warrior.
"Unfortunately," Sidon continued, "as you know, we Zora are vulnerable to electricity. His plan likely failed because we were unable to safely strike it with enough electricity at once. The water, naturally, came back in full force."
He struck his classic pose, teeth gleaming. "That is why I sought a Hylian to help us! I will aid you in any way I can. Please help us stop Vah Ruta's rampage…"
Link held his hand up in offering. "That was my intent from the start. It was actually Zelda's plan that I board each Divine Beast and appease them…"
Dorephan suddenly leaned forward in shock, his figure towering above Link like a toppling building. "So then… you're telling me that Princess Zelda is still alive?"
"Yes. In Hyrule Castle."
"I do not believe it." Dorephan leaned back again. "So, she was alive this whole time, just as you were! The events of one-hundred years ago cannot be altered, that much is true. But regaining control of the Divine Beasts might help us seal Calamity Ganon away for good!"
King Dorephan's smile grew. They had a chance to right the wrongs of a century ago. And hearing that Princess Zelda was still alive only strengthened his hope regarding the fate of his own dear daughter...
Sidon shook his head. "And here I was, selfishly thinking only of stopping Vah Ruta . I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Link!" He struck his pose yet again.
"Wondrous! Naturally, I shall help too! Once it has stopped rampaging, you can climb inside it. Let's appease Ruta together!"
"I'm in. Let's do this." Link replied.
Dorephan smiled at their instant cameraderie. Link was still like a son to him, and it warmed his spirit to see Link and Sidon still acting as brothers, even after so many years…
"Thank you Link. Truly." Dorephan said. "We are in your debt - our goal is the same. That means our meeting was nothing short of destiny." He reached into the shallow pool he sat in, producing a small chest. "Now then, allow me to offer you this gift as a show of faith."
From inside the chest, he produced a beautiful hand-crafted armor set. The greaves and shoulder armor were made of the finest silver, and tough scales covered the arms and shoulders of the undershirt. A single white scale was sewn into the cluster on the left shoulder. The armor's torso was blue in color, watertight. It was adorned with gorgeous turquoise stones.
Mipha's favorite, Link remembered.
Muzu looked like he was going to flip his lid as Dorephan handed the armored top to Link.
"This armor is enchanted." Dorephan explained. "So long as you wear this, you can ascend waterfalls just like a Zora. Please take good care of it..."
"King Dorephan!" Muzu shouted. "Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora armor! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted that armor to the one they have sworn to marry !" He pointed at the armor in Link's hands. "Princess Mipha made that one there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!"
He turned and glared at Link in fury. "He may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with him. So why should HE receive such an honor?"
Despite this outburst… Link felt that he was somewhat inclined to agree.
Muzu stormed off in a huff. "This is just too much, my liege. I do not understand it one bit…" He stomped down the stairs from the throne room as the remaining trio stared after him.
"Hmmph. That Muzu is not easily swayed once his mind is set." said Dorephan. "Being that he was in charge of educating my dear daughter Mipha, she obviously means so much to him. Really, she means so much to all of us… losing her to the Calamity only deepened his hatred for Hylians."
Link shook his head. "I understand… I remember how protective he was of her. I can only imagine how he feels now."
"I shall try to reason with him, work something out." Sidon said. "He was, after all, tasked with finding enough shock arrows for us to appease Vah Ruta with. We need him." He ran off in a hurry to find Muzu.
"Sidon…" Dorephan said, under his breath. "I suppose that means you are going to tell him the truth…" He focused on Link again.
"Link, Muzu is probably down in the square below. I would like you to try speaking with him, if you do not mind. I believe that Sidon is about to reveal something to Muzu that I feel you should hear…"
They were standing in front of a glowing blue statue of Mipha in the town square of Zora's Domain. Link had seen this statue earlier, but purposefully hadn't gotten a close look at it. It was truly an incredible recreation of Mipha's likeness, and he'd intentionally blocked out his emotions at the time in order to focus on the task at hand...
Now, he had entered into an argument between Sidon and Muzu at the base of that same statue. He decided to remain emotionless, unaffected, not wanting to escalate the tension with Muzu even further...
"Hmmph. You came all the way here, but it was in vain." Muzu fumed. "I have absolutely no desire to speak with you."
But Sidon remained calm. "Listen well, Muzu. There is something you need to know…" His eyes narrowed, his mood grew quite serious. He appeared confident, demanding. Just like his father. And only then did Link realize, that little, goofy, hilarious Sidon... had really and truly developed into a great leader for the Zora.
"He who stands here…" Sidon continued, gesturing to Link, "the man called Link, is the one whom my sister had feelings for."
Link closed his eyes. This information wasn't strictly new to him… but it was both joyful and painful to his soul to hear it confirmed.
"I was only a child then," Sidon explained. "So I did not know it myself at the time. But it is so. I grew up hearing my father tell stories, some of which were about my sister's undying love for a Hylian named Link. He was always in her heart..."
Muzu nearly jumped out of his skin. "What?! No!" He stood there, shaking in rage. "You cannot fool me with such a fanciful lie. Not this Zora!" he turned and scoffed at Link. "How could Lady Mipha possibly have had feelings for a Hylian like him?!" He pointed at the statue. "Even now, you can tell that he feels absolutely nothing when he gazes upon this statue…"
This was like an offering to Link. He turned and peered at it, analyzing every detail. Every carefully-carved shape was formed lovingly in the likeness of the dear Zora princess. She was posed with her trident, appearing both elegant and fierce. It seemed as if the statue was designed to convey both her gentle healing nature, as well as her ferocious skills as a warrior.
For Link, it captured Mipha a bit too well. As he expected, he was not ready to see her again - even her likeness. His heart broke as he continued to stare after it. His eyes welled with tears, he shook with sorrow. And as he clutched the Zora armor in his hands, ran his fingers over the scales that adorned it, the familiar feeling of nostalgia rushed right back into his heart…
We're about to enter the Depression arc of AFooW, which should last all the way to Chapter 21 or so. All the more reason to get mentally prepared to write it, I believe.
Anyway, enjoy enjoy enjoy. And see you in Memories of Mipha Pt. 5 - Hylian Mute.
