After helping Yunobo and the Gorons on Death Mountain, the group headed to Zora's Domain to aid Sidon. Upon arriving though, they saw much of its pure water blue architecture stained with a brown sludge.
"I know I'm from a swamp and all… But I'm pretty sure the water isn't supposed to look like this." Rayleigh said.
"This is terrible." Thorani said.
"This goes farther than any other kind of pollution. This substance seems toxic." Glacius said.
"If it is toxic, My water shall be able to purify it." Thorani said.
"I'll help too!" G. Aqua added. "As an esteemed Goddess-" G. Aqua started.
"Yeah, sorry, but that ain't flying anymore." David said.
"But I am one! I can purify water sources and perform divine skills!" G. Aqua said.
"Need I remind you of all the other times you did that?" Kazuma asked.
"You didn't forget what happened in Alancretia, right?" Ethox said.
G. Aqua sighed. "No…" she admitted.
"Sorry, Aqua. But your purifications seem to harm more than help from what I have been told." David said. "You'd best leave this to Thorani. She seems the most versed when it comes to water magic."
"Can't you or the other ice users work too? I mean, ice does count as water in some circles." Kareem said.
"True, but there is no guarantee that we won't end up freezing the whole thing over." Glacius said.
"First, let's converse with whoever we can inside the Domain and figure out what were dealing with here." Hope said.
The group entered into Zora's Domain and made their way in the direction of the Royal Palace. As they did, they saw three young Female Zora gathered around a statue covered in sludge. One of them was different from the other two Zora. Her skin was green, and her head was a more rounded compared to her accompaniment. Nevertheless, she stood at the same height as her friends.
"Ugh… I am so sorry. Everyone has been treated now, but we have used up all of the splash fruit." one of the females said.
"There were more injuries than anticipated. Please accept my apology…" the second female zora said.
"You have nothing to apologize for. You did what had to be done. Most importantly, I am grateful that everyone is all right. Now if we could only do something about that statue…" the green zora said before noticing the group. "Hm?"
"Hello there. Sorry to interrupt your conversation." Lysithea said.
"Are you all travelers? I am sorry that I did not notice you until now. I was focused on a matter of great importance." The green female zora said.
"It's quite alright, ladies. You have nothing to apologize for." David said.
"What seems to be the trouble?" Angelo asked.
"Zora's Domain is in troubled times at present due to the sludge falling from the sky. Things have finally calmed down, at least for the moment. However, this place remains covered in sludge. Such a shame, as this particular statue is so incredibly important to the Zora of the domain. We were just discussing how we need to wash away the sludge." the green zora explained.
"Well, we might be able to help with that. Erm… If you don't mind, of course." Glacius said, hoping the Zora wouldn't be scared of her.
"What do you have in mind?" the green female asked.
"Some of us are hydromancers, so we can give your statue a good wash." Mermista said.
"You would need a good amount of pure, clean water to clear the sludge away." the green female said.
Mermista scoffed. "I've got this. Give me a hand, Thorani?"
"Of course, child. You can use the water from my hair to clear the sludge away." Thorani said.
With that, Thorani summoned a wave of water from her hair, as Mermista manipulated it and directed it to the statue as the sludge washed away. The statue was revealed to be a depiction of Link in the Zora Armor riding Sidon.
"Is that supposed to be… Link riding on Sidon's back?" Mahiru asked.
"That is right! Beloved Prince Sidon of the Zora and his very best friend…Sir Link the Heroic Hylian Swordsman!" one of the zora females said.
"This statue depicts the form of Prince Sidon and the swordsman, because they were part of the heroic team who saved our domain in the past." the green female Zora said.
"Ah… I remember that. Good times." Sectonia said with a smile.
"Hold on… actually, some of you do look familiar." one of the female said. "In fact, that man with you there, with the blonde hair… he has a familiar stature to the Hylian hero. Similar eyes as well… oh my, and he is also a hylian… and a swordsman…wait. Could it be…?"
"M-me? Really?" David asked with a bit of a blush.
"I think they mean me, David." Link said. "However, I can definitely see why people would think you and I would look the same."
"Yeah, you could probably pass as Link's double or something." Agito said.
"Aw, it's just not fair…" Kazuma said. "The fishwomen are attracted to Link and David, and the guy already has Sectonia and all those catwomen flocking towards him. He's cherry-picking the best bits!"
"Oh? Is the great Kazuma Sato feeling a little insecure today?" Cheetah asked.
"Shut it, Cheetah! No one asked you!" Kazuma said, before realizing what he said, and to whom he said it to. "Uh…that is to say…imsorrypleasedontkillme."
"Pretty sure she wasn't intending to, man." David said.
"But if what you are all saying is true… then are you really Link, the Swordsman of legend, and his allies?" the green zora said.
"On the nose." Glimmer said.
"I see. I am quite surprised to learn all of you are the heroes of legend." the green zora said.
"Uh, not all of us are Hyrule Heroes yet. It's just Link and the Three hero teams." Hilda said. "The Dimensional Heroes, Shining Hope Squad and Brave Adventurers are the ones you're looking for."
"Ah, yes. I associated all of you with them prematurely, my apologies."
"It's quite alright. We're simply tagging along with them this time." Jessica said.
"So you know who we are, but we don't know you. I don't think we've seen a zora like you around the Domain." Zephyr said.
"Ah, please excuse me, I haven't yet introduced myself." the green zora female said. "I am Prince Sidon's… Oh, forgive me. I am Link's best friend's fiancee. My name is Yona. I am truly honored to have the opportunity to meet you all."
"Oh! Well, it's nice to meet-YOU'RE SIDON'S WHAT?!" Ethox asked in shock.
"Tone it down, Ethox. It's not that surprising." Glacius said.
"I had heard that you all were missing along with Princess Zelda… If I may ask, what brings you all here?" Yona asked.
"We're here to help out with your sludge problem. Ginhana Sky gave us the report about the stuff falling from the sky, and we wanna do all we can to help." Hope said. "We also heard Sidon's been working himself to the gills trying to solve this problem."
"Mind telling us where your Future Husband is? If possible, we'd like to go see him and give him some relief." Connor said.
"Certainly. He is with the two separate teams who have come to provide aid to Zora's Domain. They are all at Mipha Court, at the top of Polymus Mountain." Yona said. "I'm sure he'd be delighted to see you all. Once you have spoken with Sidon, come and see me in the Infirmary when you have time. I hope I can be of more assistance to you all."
"Sure, thanks Yona." Hope said as the group departed for Polymus mountain. "Sidon, getting himself a wife to be, who would've thought?"
"It was going to happen eventually, Hope. That winning personality of his, and that smile he's got, of course he's gonna attract some ladies." David said.
"Hope he still has that personality when we meet him." Zi-O said. "I really like the guy."
"A lot of us do. It's hard to hate someone like him." David said.
"Even you can't be jealous of Sidon, right Kazuma?" Megumin asked Kazuma.
"I wanna be jealous of him since he's so good looking and gets more Zora ladies than anyone… but I can't!" Kazuma said. "He's just so…nice. It'd take a jerk to hate him, which…I am, but not to that extent."
"Are you still reeling over Kari? You gotta let that stuff go, man." David said.
"Kari? Who is Kari?" Belladonna asked.
"Kari is a member of our little circle of friends during childhood. She was nice to everyone, but deep down, we all knew that she only had eyes for Kazuma…or so we thought." David said.
"Yeah, we had one of those childhood friend promises, you know the ones. But then, one day…I saw her riding on a bike with one of our upperclassmen. A yankii." Kazuma explained.
"Oh…that's gotta sting." DJ remarked.
"Oh, it did." Kazuma said. "I might've become a shut-in much earlier if Eikichi hadn't helped me through it."
"Yeah, Eikichi was the pillar that held us all together. Until he was gone. Up until recently, his family still blamed me for his death. They didn't care that it was Theodore's experiment that got him killed. All they cared was that I was the reason he was even in that warehouse in the first place. Well… Except for Erika. She knew the truth, but she died too. And his father… Just… I-I don't know if you guys are ready for me to say it." David said.
"Then don't. I think we've heard enough." Goblin Slayer said, understandably.
"Yeah. All I'm saying is, Kari breaking his heart, and Eikichi's death… All of that is the reason that Kazuma hasn't left his house since graduating junior high." David said. "Of course, I wasn't off better."
"Yes, from what you told me during the Tokyo Olympics, you were crying until your eyes dried out. How long did that take again? Three days? A week?" Esmeralda asked.
"About a week straight, yeah… It was that bad. My mother was worried the roof blew off because my tears sunk past the floorboards." David said. "It was either Eikichi, me or Harumi in that scenario. I didn't want to lose either, but… I got careless, and Eikichi took the blow. Sure, Harumi was saved but… It came at a heavy cost. Too heavy for some people. Since then, I was pretty much a shell of myself, unable to pick up the pieces of my life. I tried a bunch of stuff, like sports and music, and heck even having bouts with Cheetah and her group on occasion when I met her. And while they did fill in the void a bit, the trauma still lingered. When I heard that Theodore was the one that caused it, all I could think about was getting revenge. But right when I was about to, a part of me realized something. Going against someone like Theodore for the sake of revenge would never be considered morally acceptable. I'd be no better than him if I let my anger control me."
"So even if Theodore is released as part of the deal we have with him, if he ever causes trouble again, you'll bring him to justice, and not kill him for vengeance?" Legolia asked.
"That's right. Don't get me wrong. I still haven't forgiven him for the things he has done." David said. "And now, my bouts with Cheetah are taking on a new meaning. I feel like by fighting her, I learn more about myself and my own heart. Because as fierce as she is, I know that I'd get a fight that would have my heart-pumping, no matter how intense. Because it's always those kinds of fights where people learn more about themselves."
"Though, your constant bouts don't seem as hostile as they were before, right?" Thronèasked.
"That's right. It's a bit of a mutual understanding between us. Like…frenemies. I guess that's kind of the best way to describe it." David said. "Like, we'd always jump at the chance for a bout, but at the same time, we have each other's backs when it matters the most. Does that make sense?"
"Yeah, in a lot of ways." Esmeralda said with a smile, feeling the same thing.
"The point is, everything I've talked about now has given me a new introspection as to how I see a lot of things, and… I want to share that vision with as many people as I can. Even though I know I won't live long enough to see the world I envision become a reality." David said.
"Wow…that is very insightful." Jexi said. "Though…it's funny you bring up Theodore. Esmeralda, Glacius…you two said you used to work for him right?"
"Yeah…why?" Glacius asked.
"Cause when we were forcing him to confess…he had no idea who either of you were." Jexi said.
"We already knew. Throne's father told us when we fought him." Esmeralda said.
"There was also a name he mentioned before he lost it. Someone called Thomas." Jexi said.
"Thomas? Hmm… Now that you mention it, his voice did sound kind of shaky at points." Glacius said.
"But you left that life behind, so none of that matters anymore, right?" Angelo asked.
"Uh…you guys…should probably leave that alone." DJ said.
"Wait, you know something?" Theo said.
"Well…some of us who have been around or in the underworld do. But only bits and rumors." Sheer said.
"It's probably best we leave it at this, then. If we know how assassins work, it's pretty obvious what you are talking about." David said. "For now, we should focus on helping out Sidon."
"Of course…" Sheer said as they all continued on. "(If they did ally with who we think they did…they don't have a whole lot of time left to be around..)"
It wasn't long before the group finally reached the top of Polymus mountain, arriving at Mipha Court. The court itself was a large pool of water inside a stone fountain, where water was abundant and bubbled up to the surface. However, at this source, there was also the Sludge found on Zora's Domain, as it was pouring down from somewhere in the sky.
Standing near the Pool's source was the team from Ginhana Sky who was assigned to Zora's Domain: Squirtle, Mudkip, Piplup and Sobble. Also, there's Maria and Serena Cadenzavna Eve, Cecilia Alcott, Ganyu and Mona Magistus, the latter using her Hydromancy to purify the pool.
"Well… you sure took your time getting here." Mona spoke, sensing their presence. "I did a quick divination earlier and sensed that you're coming."
"We had to take care of the situations in Rito Village and Goron City, but they've both been resolved." Cure Starlight said.
"That's good. Now that you're here, you can finally do something about this accursed sludge." Mona said.
"And it came from up there." Cecilia pointed at the falling sludge coming from another sky island.
"So, another problem up high?" Vashyron asked. "We'll figure out how to get to the source of the problem later."
"Introductions can wait too. Where's Sidon? We kinda need to talk to him, see how he's doing." Glimmer said.
"Serena and I can take you to him. Follow us." Maria said as she and Serena escorted the group to a large pool where they saw a large red Zora doing damage control to the pool.
"Prince Sidon! The Alliance and the Rebellion are here!" Serena called out.
The large zora heard Serena's call and stopped his work for the moment, turning to see his old friends. "Is it…really you?" he asked.
SIDON
Prince of the Zora
"Yup, it's us. Good to see you, Sidon." Hope said.
"Wait for it…" Gemini said.
Sidon then held his arms in before spreading them out in happiness. "It's good to see you, my friends!"
"It is good to see you as well." Thorani said.
"It's been quite a bit since we last saw each other." Sakura said.
"Indeed, it has been far too long! I received word you all had gone missing and was beside myself with concern. Whatever could have transpired?!" Sidon asked.
"Uh…would you believe we went into the sky?" Yang asked.
"It's a long story, but we've seen a lot of stuff that would blow your mind. But the main thing is that Zelda's still missing. We've been looking for her while solving the problems of the Regional Phenomena like the sludge." Hope said.
"You wanna help us out? Just like old times, wouldn't you say?" Zephyr asked.
"Alas, while I would love to help you with your current mission, I'm afraid I cannot leave this place." Sidon said. "You see, old friends… this place is the source of the water that flows into Zora's Domain. That is why I must use my power of water manipulation to separate the sludge from the water in order to clean it. If I cease, then the sullied water will flow into our beloved home, and cause much pain and suffering. Although, I have received valuable assistance from this fine young lady here. Have you all met Mona Magistus? Like many of you, she also is a very skilled user of Hydromancy."
"She's a member of our team." Zi-O said. "She's also an astrologist and her divination can see the future of some sorts. And her divinations never lie. Heck, she was able to discover that Aether, Lumine, Akira, Gaius and I are from other worlds."
"Guess nothing surprises her." Kazuma said.
"Anyway, do you know where the king is?" Cure Starlight asked the zora prince.
"We heard that Dorephan was MIA, so we kinda got a little worried." Hope said.
"Unfortunately, I have not heard anything regarding father's whereabouts. After a fierce battle with the monsters who appeared during the upheaval, he disappeared suddenly." Sidon said.
"That's concerning…" Ichiro said. "Did any of you find any useful information as to how to solve the sludge problem?" he asked the Ginhana Sky team.
"Unfortunately, no." Piplup said.
"It keeps raining down. Unless we cut off the source, I'm afraid it's just gonna keep raining down till all of Zora's Domain is polluted." Mudkip said.
"There has to be some kind of clue to this problem." Houki said with her hand on her chin.
"Well…there may be one way. When I was patrolling the area…I did find a hidden cavern behind a waterfall." Sobble said.
"A hidden cavern? Wait… what if Dorephan didn't go missing at all? What if he's just been hiding?" Kendo asked.
"Dorephan? Hiding? No offense Kendo, but I don't think the King of the Zora would hide from anything." Legolia said.
"Not unless he had a reason to. Sobble, can you take us to where you found that waterfall cave?" Kendo asked.
"Uh…sure." Sobble said as he lead them towards said waterfall, leaving Sidon back at Mipha Court. "The cavern is right behind. Just jump and dive towards it."
"Got it." Link said as he went and jumped off the top of the waterfall as he glided down into it. The others seemed to wait for a bit before Link re-emerged.
"So…" Kaminari asked.
"The king is definitely in there but he's not in any position to go anywhere right now. He was injured from the initial attack and Mipha is currently trying to heal him." Link said.
"So that's why Dorephan's gone into hiding. If word got out that he was badly hurt, the rest of the domain would panic, or lose hope." Kaibara said.
"Is Mipha's healing working on him?" Lily asked.
"Not at all. Seems this pollution is beyond even her healing powers." Link said.
"Then the only solution we have left, is to find a way to reach the source of the sludge, and kill the monster causing it. Beating Colgera and the Marbled Gohma stopped the Phenomena they were causing, it should be the same here." Letfor said.
"One problem. The source of the sludge has to be high in the sky with the temple it's hiding away in." Bassam said.
"And unlike with the Wind Temple, we don't know if there is yet a way to reach both the temple, and the monstrosity causing the pollution." Necroapache said.
"I did discover something on one of the ruins nearby while we were on our way. It seemed like something important." Hapi said.
"It was written in Ancient Zorana, so Hapi asked me to decipher it. It's a riddle of some kind." Lysithea said.
"What did it say?" Jin asked.
"'Stand upon the land of the sky fish, and behold its lofty view. Among the rocks you see, a droplet waits for you. Through this droplet, shoot an arrow with the mark of the king. Do this task, and you shall reveal a most wondrous thing. See the watery bridge's resting spot with your own two eyes…that which connects the Zora to the people of the skies.'" Lysithea said.
"People of the Skies… that's gotta be the Zonai!" Hilda said. "I bet this "Sky Fish" is a Sky island floating around somewhere."
"Once we find that water droplet, the riddle also said to shoot an arrow through it with the mark of the king. What could that part refer to?" Ichiro pondered.
"...Maybe it's related to Dorephan. We need something that has his mark on it." Kendo said.
"What are we gonna do, ask him if we can borrow some of his scales?" Mermista asked sarcastically.
"Yes, Mermista. That's exactly what we're going to do." Tanya nodded with a smile. "Unless Dorephan gave you some of his scales already, Link."
"It wasn't exactly hard." Link said showing said scales.
"Alright. That does it for the hard part." Francisca said.
"Now we just have to find this Island shaped like a fish." Flamberge said.
"Let's check back up on the mountain, we'll get a better view from there." Zebei said.
They returned to the mountain in order to ascertain a better view of the sky islands within their line of sight.
"Hey, I think I see the island the riddle mentioned!" Hagakure said, seeing a Sky island just north of Mipha court in the shape of a fish.
"Perfect. Once we get up there, all we need to do is fuse one of Dorephan's scales to an arrow, make one good shot, and the riddle will be solved." Legolia said.
The group flew over to the sky island and landed on the center of it as they saw several floating pieces of stone in the shape of a water drop.
"That's definitely the droplet mentioned." Klonoa said.
"All right…" Link said fusing a scale to an arrow before he went and fired right at the droplet.
Water swirled around the arrow inside the droplet before it hit the sludge-filled lake below as a green pillar of light rose from it.
"There's our waypoint, we'd better tell Sidon what we've found." X said.
"Yeah… I'm worried about him though." Hope said. "Back when we first saw him, he seemed off. He sounded the same, but did anyone else feel like he wasn't acting like his usual big smiling self?"
"Yeah, it's weird. I haven't even seen him flash his pearly whites once since we got here." Gemini said.
"Looks like PTSD is rearing its ugly head again." David said. "This time with Sidon."
"PTSD? A guy like him?" ZS asked. "From what?"
"It's from what happened to Mipha during the Calamity." Shoji said.
"Mipha lost her life battling Calamity Ganon, and she was trapped as a spirit within her own Divine Beast for a century." Hope said. "Sidon was able to power through it, and we saved Hyrule, and changed history to bring Mipha and the other champions back to life, but now…"
"All 100 years without his big sis is finally catching up to him." Connor said.
"Yes. And it seems Sidon is scared to lose her again. In some ways… I… I am scared to lose her too." Revali said.
"It's not just Mipha. I think he's scared of losing everyone else in Zora's domain too… especially Yona." Hope said.
"We can't allow that to happen, though." Glacius said.
"Sidon is someone we need now more than ever. We gotta snap him outta it." Zan said.
"And the best way to do that, is by ridding the domain of all this sludge. This gunk has gotta go!" Rayleigh said.
"If only we could just dive down where the light is…but that polluted water could get in the way." Tsuyu said.
"Maybe if there was a bridge of some sort…" Rayleigh said.
"Or…maybe Sidon can help one of us get down there." Kendo said.
"It's a risky maneuver. He will likely be exposed to this sludge." David said.
"Well, the way we see it, we don't have a lot of other options." Rayleigh said.
"But if we're gonna do this, we need Sidon back to his old self. Let's get back to Mipha Court and do some speed therapy!" Ethox said.
"Why does he make everything sound so easy?" Valfor asked.
"He's an optimist." Tanya reluctantly sighed.
"It's not a bad trait to have, though." Hibiki said.
The group returned to Mipha Court as they saw Sidon talking with Yona.
"Lady Yona! It is far too dangerous for you to be here!" Sidon said.
"Darling, I came here because there is something I need to speak with you about. I've been thinking for quite some time…" Yona said before noticing the group. "Oh! Hello there, Everyone!"
"What has happened my friends? Did you all find something out?" Sidon asked.
"We may have found a way to get to the source of the sludge falling from the sky. We solved an ancient Zora riddle which revealed a pillar of light in the East Reservoir Lake." Aelita said.
"You solved the ancient stone slate's riddle, and a pillar of light appeared?! If the words upon the stone slate are correct, a path to the sky may open up if we investigate that location. Well done, everyone! This is a huge development!" Sidon said.
"Yeah. But we aren't going further until you pull yourself together." Mermista said.
"Listen, Sidon. I may not know much about your kind, and you may have every reason to be scared for your people…" Rayleigh said. "But that is exactly why you have to stand up now! If we don't stop this sludge, everyone will die, including your father and sister. And there is no way you want that to happen, do you?"
"We figured out why you've been so determined to keep your water source clean. You're afraid that if you let up for even one second, everybody in Zora's domain will suffer. Yona, Dorephan, Mipha… the past century has caught up to you and now you're afraid the Upheaval will take someone precious from you, so you're doing all you can to prevent that." Sakura said. "The Sidon we know would never be afraid of something like that."
"Hmm…you have a point." Sidon said. "I can't be acting like a scared guppy right now, can I?" he said as he stood tall.
Just then, some sludge started bubbling nearby as it formed into a strange worm-like monster with razor sharp teeth in a circle on the top as it let out a roar.
Ambusher of Mipha Court
SLUDGE LIKE
"Ew, what is that thing?" Mermista asked.
"It's a Like-Like. They're monsters who usually cling to cave surfaces and try to ambush their prey." Ristarte said.
"It's covered in sludge… It must've come from wherever the source is." Ichiro said.
"Well let's wash it away then!" Squirtle said as he, Mudkip, Piplup and Sobble started spraying the creature with water as it roared in agony.
"It seems to really hate water." Ainz surmised.
"Then we just need to wash this menace away." Jexi said.
"All over it!" Mermista said as she blasted the Sludge Like with a massive water blast, revealing its real body.
"Your fate is sealed." Thorani said as she poured a stream of water onto the monster.
The water users of the group continued to splash the Like-Like with water until all that remained of the beast was its core.
"That takes care of that." Lapis said.
Maria then approached the core and stored it in her Zikan Phone. "I wonder if Sucrose will make good use of the core for her alchemy research?"
"Eh, depends on her analysis." Paimon shrugged.
"Anyway, please come with us, Prince Sidon." Serena said. "It's your duty as royalty to protect your race, right? And besides…" She turned to Yona. "You already have someone else to take care of things while you're gone."
"Yes…I suppose so." Sidon said. "Right then…let's take care of all of this together!"
"Then I hope you don't mind if I come along." Said Mona, approaching the group. "I have a score to settle with the one polluting the domain."
"The more the merrier, especially with your Hydro Vision." Aether replied.
"Heh, naturally. Ganyu will take my place to watch over the pool." Mona smirked, adjusting her mage hat. "I take it we're going to see that light that's the key to reaching the sky island?"
"Got it in one." Theo said.
"You ready to swim?" Mermista asked.
"I can do more than that, actually." Mona replied.
"Mona's amazing in the water!" Paimon smiled. "She can actually dash across it too with her Hydro Dash!"
"I see. The source of the light must be coming from underneath the reservoir." Sidon said. "We must open the way there, and I might just have an idea to do so. Ms. Mona, if we are able to swim and dash around the pillar of light fast enough, we'll be able to create a whirlpool so that our brave friends can investigate where the light comes from."
"As you wish." Mona nodded. "Mermista, care to assist?"
"Dunno if I'll be able to keep up, but sure, I can help." Mermista said.
"Good enough. Now let's be off, shall we?" Mona replied before the team headed for the source of the light at the lake.
Arriving at the East reservoir lake, the group stood on the islands as Sidon and Mona jumped into the lake and began circling around the light.
"All right, they've started. Link, you need to dive down there and activate whatever Zonai mechanism is down there." Robin said.
"Of course." Link said as he went and dove into the water.
"I'll keep the whirlpool open as long as I can…!" Mermista grunted, holding the whirlpool open. "Lapis, gimme a hand!"
"I've got you…!" Lapis said, helping Mermista.
It was at this moment that the light seemed to intensify and beam right back to the islands above, causing a massive waterfall to form from one island and pour down into the lake.
"Looks like he's done it." Lumine observed.
"We're swimming up there, aren't we?" Paimon guessed.
"Yes, but you and I can fly instead." Cecilia replied. "Also, you can't swim well."
"What's that's supposed to mean?!" Paimon retorted.
"Do I need to mention how I first met you when I was fishing, and it turned out to be you instead?" Aether recalled.
"Uh… well…" Paimon stuttered, poking her index fingers together.
"Fufu, he's got you there." Maria chuckled.
"So this giant waterfall must be the 'watery bridge' from the riddle." Lorenz said.
"Yes, it must be! If we climb this waterfall, we shall ascend into the sky!" Sidon said. "Everyone! I knew you could do it! My belief in you is as well placed as ever." he added, showing the group at last his signature smile.
"There it is! We missed seein' that Winning Smile!" Gemini said.
Just then, for the third time in a row, it happened again. A sound was heard in their ears, and a voice suddenly came.
"Huh?!" Sidon asked.
"Here… come here… come to me…"
"Is someone calling out to me? What was that voice I just heard…" Sidon wondered. "Well… in any case, we now have a path forward. All that's left is to press ever onward!"
"Heh, wow… this is the first time I've been up close and personal to Sidon's enthusiasm." Connor said, looking to Hibiki. "He kinda sounds like you when you get fired up, Hibiki."
"Hehe. I guess you can say that." Hibiki smiled before punching her fists together. "Now let's hurry and head for the sky island!"
"Thorani, can you stay with Yona and her group to keep Mipha court clean until we get back?" Hope said.
"Of course. I'm needed more here with keeping the water purified." Thorani said. "And I shall do what I can to help King Dorephan as well. You have my word, Sidon."
"Thank you, Thorani." Sidon nodded. "Now then, let us be off to our next adventure!"
The path up the waterfall was long, higher than even where the Wind Temple was. Eventually, the group was able to finally get to the top, and find their road to the Water Temple, which was a chain of Zonai ruins in the air, all water themed.
"Finally, that almost took fore-whoa!" Scorpia said as she floated a short distance after a bit of a hop. "I didn't know I could jump this high!"
"You can't Scorpia, the Water Temple must have some sort of effect on it that gives it a low gravity environment." Kokonoe said.
"Oh, like we're floating through water, except we're not actually in water." Eddy clarified.
"Pretty much." David said.
"Those who can't fly best tread carefully here." Laura A. said.
The group reached the center of the temple as they found the source of the sludge as it was seen being shot out in different directions underneath a set of five large vase structures which were below five serpent heads.
"I'm guessing the monster causing the sludge flow is somewhere inside that mound of gunk." Catra said.
"Maybe we can draw it out by pouring water on top of its hiding spot." Grantz said.
"Good thinking lieutenant. Link, if you would?" Tanya asked the Hylian hero.
Link approached the activation glyph and tapped it with Rauru's arm as water began pouring out of one of the serpent heads, causing the line of vases to tip over as water poured out of the center vase. it had some effect, but not by much.
"Yeah, we're gonna need a lot more water." Mermista said.
"Cherished kin… This is the source of the pure waters of Zora's Domain. Use your power to turn on the four faucets, and you can collect water here. Heed my words…"
"You heard that, right Sidon?" Lapis asked.
"Yes, indeed I did." Sidon said.
"Hey, guys. Would it be alright if I Burst with Kyogre here? If we need four hydromancers to work them simultaneously, I think I might be able to help." David said.
"I as well." Baril said.
"No, Baril. I shall be the one to do it." Azura said.
"What? But, Azura, you…" Ace started.
"Ace… these last few months, I've been thinking. I haven't been helping you to the fullest of my abilities. My song hasn't worked on anything as of late. And… I don't want that to be the only thing I have going for myself. So I ask, please. Allow me to assist in this endeavor." Azura said.
"Right… we forgot, Azura's got other skills other than singing. She's able to manipulate the water as she dances and summon it as well as she does." Al said.
"Plus, she has Kamui, which helps her out in that factor." David said.
"Yes." Azura said.
"Ace, we understand that you want to be there to protect us. But there's such a thing as being WAY overprotective. If you and your brothers are able to do everything, what is there for anyone else to do?" Zero asked.
"Zero is right, Ace. Everyone has their own battles to fight. They just have to be able to fight them." David said. "On that note… Sheena, I can give you my spot if you believe Undine can help."
"Alright. I'll give it a shot." Sheena said.
Azura spun around before glowing as she now wore a much more regal version of her songstress outfit as she now wore a tiara with a blue feather on it and in her right hand was a prayer wheel.
"Whoa! Looking good, Azura!" Kaibara said.
"Since when did you have an outfit like that?" Makoto asked.
"I'm not sure…when Veronica was awakened, it felt like a power that was sealed away within was awakened as well." Azura said.
"Could it be possible that Princess Veronica not only has the power to summon, but to empower as well?" Necroapache wondered.
"It's possible. Kind of surprising she wasn't here for it, but I won't question it." David said.
"Now, with you all juiced up, shall we get started?" Sheena asked.
"Yes, let us begin." Azura said.
Sidon, Mermista, Azura and Sheena soon positioned themselves at the four faucets around the floating temple and used their respective water abilities to activate the water wheel faucets, resulting in water to pour out of the four serpent heads into the four remaining vases.
"It is up to you now, Link." Azura said.
Link approached the activation glyph and touched it once more as all vases tipped over and poured water onto the sludge mound as it began dissolving, until what remained of it leaped out onto the center platform. What remained of the sludge bubbled before bursting out of it was a small purple octopus-like creature with veins around its head as it let out a roar.
(Cue- Terrible Monster Attacking Crew!- Wild Arms 5)
Scourge of the Water Temple
MUCKTOROK
"That things been messing up Zora's domain?" Frosta asked.
"Hah, this is gonna be easy!" Kazuma said, drawing Chunchunmaru. "I bet I could take this down easy and get a win for-" He started before the Mucktorok sprayed out Sludge from its mouth before a giant shark made of sludge erupted from the ground, the Mucktorock hiding itself inside it to control it. "WHAT THE HELL?!"
"Okay… That's kind of new." David said. "But it's nothing to panic over." he said as he drew his lance.
"Yeah, I think this monster could use a nice refreshing bath with all the sludge it's been in." Klonoa joked.
"Sidon, if you can pitch your Water Bubble towards the spear users, we might be able to hit it." David said.
"Understood. Here comes the first one." Sidon said as he shot a Water Bubble.
"Alright then…" David said as he twirled his lance. "Batter up!" he said as he hit the bubble right at the Mucktorok. The impact sent the creature flying up in the air. "And it's out of the park!"
"Begone!" Azura said, waving her prayer wheel as a pillar of water erupted underneath the monster. This washed away the Mucktorock's shark creation and left it vulnerable.
"It's lost its buddy! Kill that thing!" Kazuma said.
The scourge was ganged up on by the group, but managed to leap out of the dogpile, back to the center of the platform. Hopping mad, the small monster then fired out multiple sludge projectiles across the floor, covering almost the whole thing in sludge, then recreating its shark companion.
"Okay, this is getting really annoying!" Paimon commented.
"Agreed." Mona nodded and stepped forward, preparing a Hydro magic circle below her. "I'm putting a stop to its nonsense." Once her spell was ready, she unleashed a large Hydro field across the arena with a wave of her hand, covering it with starry water waves that washed away the sludge and the shark, leaving the monster wet and vulnerable once more. "I think a Cryo element should stop it in its tracks."
"We're on it!" Captain Cold said as he and the other ice users fired their strongest ice attacks at the beast, topped off by a combined blast by Esmeralda and Glacius.
The Mucktorok couldn't handle the cold, as the onslaught of ice finally made it give in. it began losing all its color as it leaked malice from its body, before shriveling up and curling into a ball before exploding.
"And that, should do the trick." Mona concluded, adjusting her mage hat in satisfaction.
"Nice use of your Elemental Burst, Mona." Zi-O complimented.
"Nice job ladies. That was most impressive." David said with a smile as he patted Esmeralda and Glacius' shoulders.
"Was there ever any doubt?" Esmerelda asked.
With the Mucktorock's death, the sludge was now clearing away from the Water temple. Back where it was flushed out, the sludge disappeared over a glowing object, to reveal the third Secret Stone.
Sidon carefully approached it, and upon touching it with just one finger everyone knew what was to happen next as a flash of light appeared before them.
"Sidon, my cherished kin." a female voice came this time.
"That voice again. You're the one we've been hearing this whole time?" Sidon asked, as the Sage of the Zora was a female one with a mask resembling Vah Ruta's head covering her face and on the back of her left hand was the secret stone attached to a ring bracelet.
"Indeed. I am your ancestor from a time long past." the Zora answered. "I served the first king of Hyrule as a Zora warrior and a sage who, like you, could direct the flow of water. You are the pride of the Zora. Your fluid, graceful movements as you fight… I would expect nothing less from my descendant."
"We already know the gist of what's been happening. That monster we just defeated, the one that's been making sludge rain down on Zora's domain. It was a monster the Demon King summoned." Mermista said.
"You are correct. And as you may have also guessed correctly, his true purpose was to prevent you from obtaining my secret stone, which you just found." the Zora said.
"The stone that you are wearing?" Sidon asked.
"Yes, and it is important you know more about the stone and the Demon King." the Zora said.
"Alright, who wants to tell Sidon the story this time? Any volunteers?" Bow asked.
"I got it." Rayleigh said. "Alright Sidon. I know you Zora have lifespans lasting longer than pretty much any other race we've known, but what I'm about to tell you is gonna feel ancient to even you. This was when Hyrule was still just getting started. Back then, the Demon King, who we know as Ganondorf, appeared and wanted to rule over all and shroud it in darkness. But Rauru, the first king of Hyrule, gathered warriors from all races in Hyrule to combat him. But Ganondorf was way too strong, even with their combined power. So, he and the other sages sealed him away for thousands of years, Rauru giving up his life so it could be possible. And now, he's back again."
"I see…" Sidon said.
"Some time later… another of the Six Sages, the Sage of Time- came to visit me, and the destiny of the Zora was made clear." the Zora sage said. "She warned me of the Demon King's return, and how a noble swordsman named Link would oppose him, together with his allies. She requested the Zoras aid and their power over water to be lent to your cause. And with honor, I accepted, and swore that when the time came, the Sage of Water would awaken once more."
"That means you, Sidon." Michiru said.
"She speaks true, my cherished kin." the sage nodded. "You must take up my secret stone and honor the vow I made. Fight alongside the heroes of Hyrule."
With that, the Zora sage vanished, leaving the group back on the platform, the secret stone floating in front of Sidon.
"It's my destiny to fight by your sides." Sidon said. "I came here so I could save Zora's Domain… but it looks like all of Hyrule will need my help!"
"We know you won't shy away from this. You never back down from anything. And we couldn't ask for any other Zora to help us out." Hope said.
"You are all my most trusted friends. I would not miss a chance to assist you in your mission. I'll do all that I can, just as my ancestor did. I will accept this Secret Stone!" Sidon declared.
On that declaration, the stone in front of Sidon turned a clear water blue and gained the symbol of the Zora. it zipped to Sidon's left hand and attached to it, forming a silver ring bracelet. He then turned to the group with confidence.
"I am the Sage of Water. Behold! This is my new power!" Sidon said as he summoned a spirit avatar of himself that leaped into the air, surrounded by one of his water bubbles as it dissipated before landing on the ground next to him. Both then approached Link. "Here Link, your hand." Sidon said as he grasped Rauru's arm with both his hands. "I, Sidon, the Sage of Water, swear that I will fight by your sides. Please accept this! It is proof of my vow."
A blue light then transferred from Sidon to Rauru's arm as it formed into a ring on the index finger. Like with the other rings, it enabled Link to summon forth Sidon's avatar to aid him in battle.
"Good. With that out of the way, now we can-" Zi-O's Zikan Phone rang before he could finish his sentence. He then quickly answered the phone. "Hello?"
"It's Ganyu. I bring good news with King Dorephan's condition. With the sludge gone, his wounds are disappearing! Looks like you guys managed to defeat the one responsible. It won't be long till Zora's Domain will be fully cleared of the sludge. I'll escort the king back to the domain shortly."
"Thanks for the heads up, Ganyu. See you back at the domain." Zi-O replied, ending the call. "Alright, time to head back to the domain. We're done here."
"Now all that's left is…" David sighed. "...The Gerudo."
"Uh oh, what's wrong?" Kazuma asked.
"Nothing. It's just… There's a bit of a slight issue." David said.
"Gerudo town's girls only. Guys aren't allowed in." Hope said.
"And David and Mark don't exactly cut it given how they-" Sunset started.
"Finish that sentence. I dare you." David said.
"Fine…I won't then." Sunset said before notifications went off on everyones phones. "Technically, didn't finish the sentence."
"You little..." David said as he went running after her as she and the other girls laughed.
"Jokes aside, it is still kinda a problem. Especially since we have some people on the team who want to get some, badly." Zephyr said.
"Hey, don't look at me! I know better than to try and take shots with a Gerudo!" Kazuma said. "I'm perverted, not stupid."
"You just admitted it, Bakazuma." Cure Starlight facepalmed.
"You, I'm ignoring."
"No worries. We can handle this." Sectonia said. "All us girls will go with Link to Gerudo Town and investigate the Sandstorm."
"I'm coming too." Connor said.
"Are you sure that's a good idea?" Ragna asked.
"Riju's a member of my office, and so is Urbosa. I'm sure I'll be cool with the Gerudo." Connor assured.
"Uh…shouldn't we tell David we're all cool since we helped saved Hyrule?" Hope whispered.
"He'll figure it out when he realizes only his guys stayed behind." Jexi said.
"Yeah. Phew… I am so glad I don't have to put on a disguise this time." David said.
"Wuss..." some of the girls thought.
"...I don't think I should do a divination for that." Mona sweatdropped.
"Yeah, please don't." Aether agreed. "Can we go now?"
"Indeed we shall. It is time that we journey to Gerudo Town." Urbosa said.