"What is the matter, Link? Are you unwell?" Sidon asked.
Even Muzu appeared concerned. "Hm? You are quivering like a hatchling." he said. "Whatever is the matter?"
Link stood there, the Zora armor still clutched in his hands. The vision had lasted only a few seconds. Physically, the flashbacks were becoming much easier to bear. But emotionally, they were just as damaging as ever. He was shivering, shaking uncontrollably. Overwhelmed with emotion, overwhelmed with regret.
"I… I remember." Link paused. He glanced at Muzu. "I remember… this armor… it's…"
Muzu scoffed. "WHAT?! Do not mistake me for a fool, Hylian. There is no way you suddenly remembered anything about that armor, just now, when it is most convenient." He composed himself, his hands returned to their usual place behind his back.
"In any case, without any solid proof, I-"
Link glared angrily, and hastily shed his Sheikah top, donning the Zora armor..
The pang of guilty sorrow sent shockwaves through his body... as he realized that the armor fit him.
Absolutely perfectly.
He looked down at himself, then held his hands up in offering towards Muzu.
"What in the… NO!" Muzu cried out. "It cannot be! Lady Mipha made that by hand… and yet it is exactly your size!"
Sidon smirked. "Do you understand now, Muzu? The only way that something like this could happen… is if Mipha had intimate knowledge of Link's measurements. Surely this proves everything you need to know." He gestured in Link's direction. "Mipha's heart belonged to him, and him alone." He crossed his arms and stared proudly at Muzu. "You have always disliked Hylians. Even before the Great Calamity. That is why Mipha never told you the truth of the matter."
Muzu maintained his defiant poise, but he relented just a little. "Hmph. I never would have imagined she would make that special armor for one such as he…" he said.
Standing there, overcome with emotion, with heartache, with love , Link could remain silent no longer. He stared at Muzu coldly, unmoved.
"Muzu. Let my acceptance of Lady Mipha's proposal... serve as absolute proof of my resolve to assist you." He walked carefully towards Muzu, and placed his hand on the elderly Zora's shoulder. The old Zora recoiled at Link's physical gesture, but did not pull away from him.
"All my life…" Link continued, "I have kept Lady Mipha in my heart. All my life… I have considered Zora's Domain to be my home. Truly, I say to you that all of the Zora are part of my family. And that includes you." He closed his eyes.
"Please. I beg of you. Allow me the chance to atone for the mistakes of the past. Allow me to fight and save the domain… and all of Hyrule… in honor of the one that I loved so dearly." Though the tears didn't fall, the sincere look of pain and sadness was unmistakeable on Link's face.
And finally, after standing there in silence for some time… Muzu broke.
"I... do not approve of asking for help from a Hylian." he sighed. "But I suppose it is our only option at this point. I am a very proud Zora. That means I must take responsibility for my… unwarranted behavior towards you." He turned and faced Shatterback Point, which loomed apparently in the distant - even through the persistent rainfall.
"As promised," he said, "I shall tell you where you can collect as many shock arrows as you will need." He pointed to the peak. "A terrifying creature has made its home up there. The awful beast shoots volley after volley of shock arrows. Even a single one could be fatal to a Zora."
Sidon cried out in shock, his eyes widening. "You must mean that Lynel! He is a man-beast, that one! That beast does indeed wield shock arrows. That is certainly one way to collect them quickly…" He smiled. "He is vicious to be sure. But I am certain Link will rise to the challenge." He winked in Link's direction. "After all, this wouldn't be the first time he slayed a Lynel here at the domain…"
Link shrugged. "That may not be necessary, however." He buried his emotions for now, and produced a quiver from his back - the same one he'd stolen from one of the Lizalfos warriors he'd slain earlier that day. He counted the arrows inside.
"There's about sixteen shock arrows left in here. Will that suffice?"
Both Sidon and Muzu smiled at this.
"I had totally forgotten that you had those, Link!" said Sidon. "As expected, from our brilliant Hylian Champion!"
Muzu shook his head. "I would say that twenty would be far better… but I suppose that shall do."
Sidon held both hands up in triumph. "Wonderful! Together, we shall stop that Divine Beast's onslaught!" He placed his hands on Link's shoulders. "Let us meet tonight, and we shall formulate a battle plan! We attack at dawn! Oh my... I must make preparations immediately!" He suddenly ran off, calling back to Link as he did. "I shall see you tonight! Tomorrow's battle will be a glorious one indeed!"
The unlikely pair, Link and Muzu, stood there in silence for a while. Link stared after Mipha's statue for a moment, and Muzu did the same. Nothing was said for a time… until Muzu finally spoke.
"I must admit, Master Link, that I have intentionally allowed my memory of your time here to slip away. Back then I never would have imagined that you and Mipha had anything more than a fickle, passing friendship. Oh how wrong I was…" He took a proud pose again, and stared intently at Link. "I… am not sure that I can ever truly forgive the mistakes of the past. But I wish you luck." He paused briefly.
"I… I have nothing more to say."
Link continued to stand there, no longer hesitant to dwell on the memories of his time with Mipha inside of Vah Ruta.
One thing that drew his focus… was his old persona of the past. His uncontrollable silence, his quiet, cold attitude. Here he was now, reawakened, disconnected from that lost time, and slowly regaining his forgotten memories. He was surprised at how easily his emotions now swept him away in the present day. Surprised at how easily he expressed his thoughts and feelings to others.
The contrast was evident. And incredibly jarring.
But it seemed that over the course of a century, and within the throes of amnesia... Link had simply forgotten how to be silent anymore.
Link made his way back to King Dorephan for a brief follow-up. The memories replayed themselves over and over in his mind as he made his way there. And as he arrived in front of the king, he wasn't quite sure how to begin...
So King Dorephan took the initiative.
"I was so proud when Mipha was chosen as our Champion… but I was also quite distressed about it…" Dorephan said. "When Calamity Ganon took control of Divine Beast Vah Ruta… it all happened so fast. I cannot help but feel that I should have tried harder to keep Mipha from harm. I should not have let her go."
Link snapped back to the present. He produced a piece of jerky from his bag, chewing it absentmindedly. Food always had a calming effect on him, and he felt he certainly needed this after yet another onslaught of memories.
"What happened?" Link asked bluntly, mouth full of chewed food.
"You mean… what happened to Mipha?" Dorephan asked. "Not even I know that. Calamity Ganon took control of the four Divine Beasts… and trapped the Champions inside of them." He closed his eyes in reflection. "Since then, not a single one of them has returned. It pains me to think what must have happened. All I can do is hope and pray, though I am well aware of the odds that anyone could have survived something like that."
The tears invaded Link's eyes, but he fought them back. He wasn't sure how much longer he could bury his emotions… nor was he sure if he even needed to anymore.
"I always knew… how much you both meant to each other." King Dorephan continued. "You have always been like another son to me, Link. You are family… and I pray for your success. You are aware of the objective, and we should focus on this for the time being." Link nodded, and decided it would be best to take his leave from the throne room. There was nothing more for him to say. He walked slowly towards the entrance way...
"Ah, and one more thing, Link." Dorephan called back. A smile grew on his face.
"On behalf of all of us here at Zora's Domain…"
"Welcome home."
"Linny! I can't believe it, it really is you!" Kodah's hands hovered in front of her face in utter shock. "Wow… it's been such a long time! I had thought you and Mipha… fell to Calamity Ganon." She leaned on one leg, hand on her hip.
Same pose as a hundred years ago…
Link couldn't help himself, pulling her into a warm embrace. Well, her midsection.
"It is good… to see you again Kodah." Link said, pulling away. "...I still can't get over how tall everyone is…"
"I'll bet!" she said. "...Oh, wait. Where are my manners! Link-" she gestured over to a blue Zora standing next to them. "You remember Kayden, right? He was still a baby when you were last here." She smiled.
"Hello there!" said Kayden, walking over to shake Link's hand. "I hardly remember you… but it is good to see you again, friend!"
Kodah and Kayden were the owners of the inn of Zora's Domain. The inn was a new addition, according to Link's memories. It seemed that the younger Zora, at least, were just fine with accommodating the needs of Hylian travelers with beds to sleep in. Even if the elders weren't so keen about it…
"Anyway, Link. I'm truly shocked to see you alive and well!" Kodah said. "How is that even possible?" She glanced at Link's new armor, but decided not to remark on it for the time being.
Link sighed, and began to speak up... But Kodah noticed his hesitation, holding up her hand to stop him.
"Actually, you should just tell me later. I can see from your face… that you're not in the mood to talk about it right now." she paused. "...I'm guessing you've already encountered the elders here? They hate your guts!"
"Tell me about it…" Link said. " I never would have imagined that would happen. So much has changed in my absence…"
"Except for your rugged good looks!" Kodah said. "Oh, wait." She turned to face her husband. "Sorry Kayden!"
Kayden laughed. "Don't worry about it, dear. You are stuck with your ugly husband for eternity now, after all!" Kodah smiled back at him.
"Ain't that the truth!"
Link shook his head. Kodah was just as goofy and flirtatious as he remembered her. He returned to the subject of the older Zora. "I wish… that there was a way to make amends with the elders." he said. "I know that they blame me for Mipha's fate... "
Kodah's mood turned serious, somber. "It's okay Link… the rest of us are well aware of the truth of what happened all those years ago. We've argued countless times with the council members, but they're really a stubborn bunch. I don't know that they'll ever forgive you for what happened. However…"
She gestured to the edge of the town square, overlooking the massive lake below Zora's Domain.
"I do know one thing that might appease them. Slightly. Councilman Trello lost the Ceremonial Trident a few days ago. It's pretty important… and I'll bet he'd be grateful if you managed to find it for him!"
Link's eyes lit up slightly at this. "Well, I've got a little bit of time to kill… do you have any idea where it is?"
Kodah smiled again. "I definitely do! It was propped up right at the edge of the town square, and the wind blew it down to the waters below. I wanted to tell him, but… well, we're not exactly on speaking terms right now."
Link thanked Kodah for the information, and she guided him over to the edge of the platform.
"It's below… there probably." She pointed to a small waterfall, where Link's new gliding buddy Gruve stood above, peering at the waters below. "I'm sure the water flow has pushed it around a bit, but it should still be in that general area in the lake below. Good luck!"
Without delay, Link ran up to the waterfall above, chatted with Gruve for a bit, then dove flawlessly into the lake under Zora's Domain. Though it may have been a trick of the imagination, Link found that the Zora armor helped him cut through the water with great ease. It even seemed that he could hold his breath for a bit longer now.
More than ten seconds, anyway, he mused, painfully.
After some time, he eventually found it. He breached the surface, and swam to a nearby rock to examine it.
He froze.
It was a near-flawless replica of Mipha's Lightscale trident. All the way down to the colors and precise etchings.
Nearly overcome with nostalgia, Link carefully strapped the weapon to his back, and swam up the waterfall to look for Councilman Trello.
"Where in Hylia's name did you find that?!" shouted Trello.
Link shrugged. "Just under the Domain, next to a rock. It wasn't too hard I suppose…"
"Hmmph." Trello scoffed. "I was just about to tell you to get lost. I can hardly stand to even see your face. In fact… when I first saw you arrive my first instinct was to kill you where you stood." Link's heart broke at the statement. Trello was the youngest of the elders, and had once been a happy, older, part-time member of the Bazz Brigade. He'd quickly outgrown their adventures, but Link always maintained a feeling a friendship and camaraderie with the wily Zora.
His words discouraged Link, but he remained resilient.
"Councilman Trello…" he began, "I know it hardly means anything to you, but I sincerely apologize. For everything." He gestured in the direction of the east reservoir dam." I will be setting out to appease Vah Ruta first thing tomorrow morning. And in case something happens to me, I just wanted you to know how deeply sorry I am." He began to hand the trident over to Trello, but the elder Zora did not take it.
"Empty words, Hylian. " He spit the words out in mild disgust.
Link was tempted to drop the trident right there and walk away… Yet the councilman continued.
"...Still... I must thank you for your efforts, albeit begrudgingly." He turned away from Link. "The King has made his decision. I am no longer in any position to argue. Therefore…"
He gestured at the trident in Link's hands. "Take it with you. Perhaps it will assist you in my stead during your assault on the Divine Beast tomorrow."
Link grinned. "Trello, I can't…"
The Zora shook his head, waving Link off.
Link returned the trident to his back. He was incredibly grateful for the gesture. "Thank you, councilman. I swear… that I will not let you down."
Trello glared. "You'd best stake your life on that promise! Now begone, before I change my mind…"
Link nodded, and departed swiftly.
"And when you succeed…" Trello called after him, "That trident had better be returned to me in one piece!"
"You told the King of Hyrule... that his beard was fake!?" Bazz chuckled loudly. "I'll be laughing about that one for eternity!"
The Bazz Brigade had agreed to meet Link at the Veiled Falls - their old stomping grounds - for a nice catch-up. Sidon and Kodah had joined them, and Link planned to speak with Sidon privately after the gathering to go over their plan for the assault on Vah Ruta the next morning.
The rain fell steadily around them, but neither Zora nor Hylian were bothered by its relentless pouring. They spoke over the sound of raindrops, the ground around them lit only by the gentle glow of luminous stone clusters surrounding them.
Home again indeed… Link thought, painfully.
"It truly is marvelous to have the whole group back again!" Said Sidon. "Well… I say that carefully. What with my sister's absence and all." He looked up and frowned. "I'm terribly sorry everyone, I shouldn't have said -"
"Don't fret, Sidon. You can say it." Said Link, through his heartache. "Besides, you've all had to deal with a century of worry… of grief… of not knowing what truly happened to Mipha in Vah Ruta." He paused briefly. "Who am I to complain? You all knew her for far longer than I ever did…"
"Oh come off it. Don't kid yourself." said Kodah. She elbowed Link. "As her fiancé, you have just as much right to grieve as we did." She glanced at Link's Zora armor. He hadn't taken it off since his confrontation with Muzu in front of the statue of Mipha…
"I have to admit," said Kodah, "She did an amazing job with that armor, Linny. It really does suit you!" Link said nothing, as Kodah stared after him for a while. Her playful grin turned into a frown.
"Linny… I know you may not remember this. But I'm sorry for making you choose between me and Mipha back then. It was clear who your heart belonged to from the get-go. But it only made it worse for me to hear that from you directly. " She smiled again. "I definitely respected you for saying something like that without hesitating… though I wouldn't have admitted it at the time!"
Link couldn't help but smile back. Of course he remembered that encounter. He'd felt really quite awful about breaking Kodah's heart that day… but was once again glad that she'd let go of the whole thing long ago.
"Well, since we're on the subject of Mipha…" Gaddison suddenly spoke up. "What's the game plan tomorrow? When are we meeting?"
What?!
"Yeah!" said Rivan. "How in the world are we going to attack Vah Ruta? That thing rampages against anyone who gets anywhere near it!"
Link shook his head. "No. I'm definitely not going to allow this. It's bad enough that Sidon is putting himself in danger. But there's no way I'm letting all of you risk your lives again…"
"I must agree with Link." said Sidon. "As much as I would enjoy fighting alongside you lot again, we're talking about a divine beast here. It will be so incredibly dangerous, and I insist that you allow Link and I to-"
"Not happening, Sidon." Bazz said, flatly. "If Link goes, we all go."
"Is that so?"
The group jumped, as an elderly but stern voice called to them from the darkness. The figure emerged into the soft luminous light, and the Bazz Brigade all stood up and saluted him.
Demon Sergeant Seggin.
Link hadn't gotten a good look at him back in the throne room, but the old sarge was considerably shorter than he had been over a hundred years ago. Far more wrinkled to boot. Still, he carried his same, proud posture. Hands behind his back.
"You shall do no such thing." Seggin said. He paused for a moment, and a look of sheer disappointment appeared on the faces of the Zora guards.
"Or at least, you shall not do so… without my involvement."
He continued to walk, straight up to Link. He peered deeply into Link's eyes. The two stood there, unflinching, for several moments.
"Master Link," Seggin finally said. "I overheard your conversation with Muzu. I make no apologies for eavesdropping…" The other Zora relaxed, waiting to hear what Seggin had to say.
He examined Link's armor, closed his eyes in reflection. "Though I am still angered by the events of 100 years ago - even today - I am wholeheartedly convinced of your resolve. I saw how close you were to Mipha, even if Muzu was himself so blatantly ignorant. I saw how much she truly loved you."
Link closed his eyes, still reeling at the pain of losing Mipha...
"I feel," Seggin continued, "that I would dishonor the memory of our dear lady if I did not assist you in your endeavors tomorrow. So I shall be the one to lead you all into battle."
The Zora let out a cheer of happiness, as Seggin turned to face Sidon.
"Now, Prince Sidon. Let us formulate our plan of attack."
Link laid down on one of the waterbeds of the inn. He'd been given the bed free of charge, courtesy of Kodah and her husband. Despite Link's insistence on paying, Kodah was not one to be denied. As usual.
Reflecting once again on his newest recovered memories, Link's heart sank to his gut. And yet... he found that the last shred of optimistic hope had yet to tear itself away. If there was even a sliver of a chance that Mipha was still in there, somehow, then he'd cling to that until the bitter end. He would have to feed off his pain instead.
His thoughts turned to the pending assault on Vah Ruta with the Bazz Brigade. For now, there was still a tremendously important job to do. It would be his honor to fight alongside his friends; and especially an honor to be lead into battle by the legendary Demon Sergeant himself. This was, in fact, a dream of his when he was a kid. But he lamented the circumstances that had finally brought the opportunity into fruition.
By candlelight, Link pulled out Mipha's note from his bag and read over it. His mind wandered again, considering the words of King Rhoam back at the plateau. The old man had told Link that he would have to rescue the souls of the Champions inside each divine beast...
Had he known something that Link didn't? Or was it merely speculation on his part? And why did the king ask him to send his regards to Dorephan... and Lady Mipha? It seemed like such a cruel move, in the light of present circumstances.
Link wasn't sure if he could handle the worst-case scenario after all. So he refused to accept it. He put the note back in its watertight bag, this time slipping it into a pocket on his armor's chest. He blew out the candle, and rolled over to try to sleep.
It was just after two o'clock in the morning. Their assault would begin in five hours. He had a feeling it was going to be a very long day.
As he drifted off, he prayed and pleaded to Hylia - in his mind, and in his heart - hoping his words would somehow reach the Zora Princess whom he loved so dearly.
Please hang on just a bit longer, Mipha. If you're still in there… somehow, some way… I just pray that you're okay.
I want you to know… that I would give anything to be with you once again.
Finally, Link allowed the tears to flow. And the darkness of sleep pulled him into its merciful embrace once again.
Hope you enjoyed this one. Prepare your butts for Chapter 16: Breakwater.
