Chapter 31: Washed Away
Note: Massive apology for all of the tech issues on Friday, and there's still quite a few people saying that some chapters won't load. I try and make sure that everything on my end is working correctly; there did end up being some things that I could do to fix things on Friday, even though it took some time, and thank you so much to everyone who was communicating those issues to me and helping me know what worked or didn't work! Shoutout especially to bdj610 and MyNoseAgreesWithMe and Rebiele!
There still seems to be issues with random chapters not showing up for some people, and that's something that I have no way to fix, that I know of. If that happens to you, and you still want to read the story, I would recommend checking it out on Archive of Our Own (AO3) first. Same story name, same username (bladeofthebookworms), and I'm pretty sure I don't have any settings enabled that blocks it from non-users of the site, so you don't even need an account! If that doesn't work, even though the desktop site isn't great, the mobile app is pretty stable and the story always seems to work there!
Hope this is helpful! Sorry again for all of the tech issues. :/ I hope you all enjoy, and have a great Monday!
Link made it back to the entrance of the underwater ruin well before he ran out of air. He swam along the grand corridor for some time, feeling increasingly relieved as the pocket of air showed no signs of dwindling. But he began to hear a deep rushing sound as he continued, and felt a rising strong current sweeping him along towards the sound.
A waterfall, he realized with a jolt as the corridor turned and revealed a massive open cavern of rugged blue stone illuminated by multiple luminous ore veins twisting through it, and a pillar of green light through the center. He glanced around for something to hang on to before he reached the waterfall – nothing; the walls were as square and uniform as they had been from the beginning. Desperately he drew in a deep breath and wrapped his arms around his head, pinning his legs together, remembering long-ago swimming lessons from the Zora –
And then he was tumbling over the edge of the waterfall with a roaring mass of water all around him, wind and water rushing all around him as he fell, and then he plunged into the water gathering at its base. At once he reached out, swimming with as much strength as he could muster towards what he prayed was the surface. He felt air on his face and breathed in deeply, his heart pounding hard in his throat as he swam away from the falls.
He soon reached the edge of the waterfall's pool, tiled with blue stone just the same as the pieces of sky island at the surface of the lake. He pulled himself onto the edge of the pool, shivering slightly, and gave himself a moment to rest. His arms, legs, and back were really starting to ache from all of the swimming he had done. But there's not all that much water in here… maybe I'll get a break.
Link looked back at the waterfall. From below, he could see what seemed to be some sort of half-pipe at the top, forming the base of the corridor he had swum through. So… was that some sort of canal, then? Part of the overall structure?
The neat, circular rim of the waterfall's pool, and the artful swirling tiled patterns throughout the ground floor of the chamber, certainly supported the idea that the ruin was still functioning as originally intended. Link noticed several other pipes, empty of water, set into the walls of the cavern. There was one pipe not particularly far above the ground, that he figured he could easily climb into if he needed.
But his attention was drawn to the rectangular pillar in the center of the cavern, built from criss-crossing beams of blue stone, with a gated Zonai pagoda at the top – from which the pillar of green light emanated, drifting slowly up to the top of the cavern and, presumably, through the lake above.
Zonai. I was right.
Link jogged closer to the pillar, his feet slapping wetly against the damp stone floor. There seemed to be plenty of handholds, but when he reached out to touch it, he found that the stone was slick and slimy, just like the roof of the structure had been. Sludge, algae… doesn't really matter what it is. I can't climb that.
He stepped back, craning his neck to look up at the Zonai pagoda. There was an ornate fence around three of the four sides, and the panels of fencing bent outwards at the top, a barrier that would keep him from climbing over them even without the slick texture of the pillar itself. So climbing is definitely out.
Link turned his attention back to the pipe closest to the ground. He hurried towards it, his spirits lifting when he spotted a dragon ring glowing just inside. Without any trouble he clambered into the pipe and pushed to his feet, throwing his arms out as his bare feet slipped slightly on the goop lining the base of the pipe. Once he had regained his balance, he continued more carefully towards the dragon ring, placed his hand against the seal, and watched as the green strands of light danced away into nothing.
He waited for several moments, looking around, unsure what the dragon ring had been intended to activate. Then he heard a creaking groan of ancient metal and watched as, further down the tunnel, a thick sluice gate slid steadily downwards, releasing a raging torrent of murky waters into the pipe.
Link yelped, turning on his heel attempting to flee, and his feet slipped on the slime, sending him crashing to his knees. Then the waters were upon him, carrying him easily along with them out into the main cavern. Link struck out blindly, snapping his eyes shut in pain when his arm struck something fairly solid. But then the current began to ease, and he managed to find the surface again, sucking deep breaths of air and looking around.
The pipe was now entirely submerged. Several feet of water buried the bottom of the cavern and the pool from the waterfall. The water level didn't seem to be currently rising; Link assumed the pipe had been shut off as soon as enough water got into the cavern. His shoulders slumped. Oh. There was a slight delay after I activated the dragon ring – I was supposed to use that time to get out of the way.
Feeling foolish, he turned his gaze towards the central pillar. The water wasn't nearly high enough that he would be able to swim to the Zonai pagoda, but as he looked around he noticed that it lined up almost perfectly with another of the pipes along the side of the cavern. Understanding dawned through his mind. I get it – activate all the pipes, and I'll be able to swim up to the Zonai structure. Easy enough, if my body can hold out from all of that swimming.
Sure enough, there was a dragon ring in the next pipe, too. This time he leapt back into the water beyond the pipe before the water was released, and he rose with the water up to the next level. After finding the third pipe and activating its dragon ring, the water level was high enough that he could swim to the one open side of the Zonai pagoda and pull himself up onto the elegant stairway leading up to it.
A watery bridge, indeed, he thought with a wry grin. Glad that was the last one – don't know how much more of this I've got left in me today. His body ached from all the swimming he had already done. It wasn't a skill that he practiced regularly.
Link wasn't surprised to find another dragon ring at the center of the pagoda, sending out the light rising upwards. He activated it, as he had the others.
This time, unlike with any of the other dragon rings he had activated, the tendrils of green light that burst out from where his hand touched did not disappear. Instead, they twisted together, forming a small bead of bright green that shot upwards, through the top of the Zonai pagoda and beyond.
Presumably it's making something happen outside, Link thought, looking around. Maybe I should… go back and see? There's nothing else I could do in here… and the sooner I get back out, the less likely it is that Sidon does something stupid.
His decision made, he leapt back into the water, striking out towards the water corridor he had entered from. The waterfall he'd tumbled down was fully submerged, now, so he didn't have to worry about figuring out a way to climb it. His only real challenge would be battling the current.
He was halfway back to the tunnel when a low rumbling sound shook the cavern, like the distant strike of a cannonball, but it didn't fade away. Link's heart jolted as he noticed cracks breaking out across the roof of the cavern, water spraying through them. Goddesses, no – it's going to cave in!
He struggled to swim faster. But as chunks of stone began falling from the ceiling he began to feel the fierce current from the corridor, and desperately fought against it even as the water level started rising once again from the water freely spilling through the fissures above. He realized, cold dread seeping through him, that the ruin would flood well before it collapsed. The rumbling sound from above showed no sign whatsoever of stopping.
His muscles ached from fatigue. He could feel his strokes weakening and wondered, his heart racing, if he was actually losing ground on the current, instead of gaining. Damnit! Not going to make it through at this rate! Is there – could there be an easier way out?
Now was not the time to go exploring, he told himself firmly. He knew of a single exit – currently his only way out of drowning. Gritting his teeth, he fought to move his arms and legs faster, clawing his way through the water despite the current battling him for every inch. Gradually the ceiling drew closer, and with the rise in water level, the current seemed to be dissipating. Link made it into the corridor, and by then, there were only a few inches between the top of his head and the water – a gap that was steadily, rapidly shrinking.
His body burned from fatigue. Link swam through the darkened corridor, tilting his head sideways to keep breathing the limited air. The corridor seemed to turn. He followed it around and kept going. His frantic breaths echoed off of the stone, the glow from luminous stones above and below disorienting him as he struggled to keep calm. He felt the water level creeping up over his face and drew in one final breath before the air was gone entirely.
Link squinted through the murky water, following the glow of the luminous stones lining the hall. His heart pounded fearfully against his ribs, and he no longer had the ability to draw in deep breaths to calm himself. Fighting the fear, struggling to remember how long the corridor had been, he swam onwards, around a bend. There was only one bend, right? Why did I turn twice? I thought there was only one! With the sludge throughout the water, he couldn't see very far ahead, and looked desperately for the brownish light signifying the entrance to the ruin. But with each desperate stroke, he could only find darkness ahead of him.
His lungs burned. He held his breath stubbornly, fighting a growing sense of panic. I've got to be close. I've got to be close!
Then he felt a slight current take hold of him, and draw him further along the corridor. Yes! A helpful current, for once!
And the water seemed to grow lighter. But with a sickening jolt, he realized that the light filtering through the sludge was much brighter than distant sunlight, and much too blue besides.
Luminous stone. I'm… back in the main chamber!
His chest heaved, begging for breath. He clapped his hands over his mouth and nose, his eyes screwed shut, fighting hard against instinct and fear. With dwindling strength he turned back around, striking out against the current blocking him off from his escape. It was much weaker than before, but so was he. He made it past, his mind spinning dangerously, his lungs demanding air. He managed to get one hand on the side of the corridor and used it to guide him as he forced his way onward, stroke by stroke, his arms and legs feeling as though they had been turned to jelly.
His chest heaved again, and this time he couldn't stop himself from sucking down a mouthful of water that at once set his lungs on fire. Panic took over. Link convulsed, his chest heaving desperately, fighting the water, fighting for air. There was a streak of red, and then a thick, heavy veil of darkness passed over him.
The next thing he knew, he was coughing hard, his throat tearing apart with each ragged breath. His vision was smeared and blurry; his body felt numbingly cold, with a slight breeze blowing across his wet skin. He realized, dizzily, that he was laying against smooth stone that felt soothingly warm, in contrast. He shivered violently, a faint moan escaping his trembling lips. He could hear a deep roaring sound, and felt the light spray coming off of what must have been a truly immense waterfall. And beyond the rushing of the waterfall…
"That's it! That's it, my friend!" came Sidon's very relieved voice. "You're alright – get it all out."
Link closed his eyes wearily, feeling utterly miserable. He coughed again, sludgy water spilling from his lips. His lungs seemed almost to sting when he inhaled, water still rattling around inside of him. His mind felt dizzy and muddled, incapable of stringing two thoughts together. But he opened his eyes again, squinting past the bright sunlight to see two frazzled faces hovering over him.
"What…" Link mumbled, his voice rough and hoarse in his throat. "What… happened?"
"I think you have most of the details, my friend," Sidon said with a choked-sounding chuckle. "But thanks to Yona, I have discovered a way to swim in besludged waters! I was very worried as the minutes kept ticking by and there continued to be no sign of your return. But Yona and I discovered that, once she creates a patch of clean water for me to swim around in, I can then use my water manipulation to keep the cleansed water around me while I swim! And once the waterfall descended from the heavens, we grew very concerned for your safety. With Yona's help, I dived into the lake and discovered the entrance you had mentioned. I found you within, pulled you to safety, and then tried to manipulate the water out of your lungs."
Sidon grimaced slightly. "That… was less successful, I fear. I don't really have any idea how lungs work, to begin with, being a creature with gills myself."
Link nodded slowly, remembering a flash of red before he lost consciousness. "Thanks," he wheezed, coughing up another mouthful of water. He was still cold, but feeling the sun against his skin was warming him quickly. He couldn't help but feel like some sort of lizard, soaking up warmth on his belly from the stone beneath him, and on his back from the sun itself. He sighed quietly. "You mentioned… waterfall?"
Yona pointed to the sky, and Link's eyes widened as he beheld the pillar of tumbling water careening downwards from a distant sky island barely visible at all through the veneer of distant clouds.
"Several minutes ago now, the pillar of light vanished, and in its place a green orb shot towards the sky," Yona explained. "It seemed to strike one of the sky islands. Then the waterfall came down. We were nearly swept off our rock when it struck the lake! It made quite the impact."
"To a Zora, a waterfall is no different from a path," Sidon said. "I believe that must be the meaning behind 'watery bridge,' from the riddle." His eyes narrowed, and he looked fiercely up at the waterfall. "We've followed every lead here. Princess Zelda helped us find the stone slab upon which the riddle was inscribed. And by following the riddle, we've found ourselves here, in the East Reservoir Lake, before a waterfall that will take a Zora skyward. I have no doubt that, whatever the source of the sludge, it is waiting at the top of this waterfall."
The Zora Prince rose solemnly to his feet, a hand on the haft of his trident. "I dare not wait a moment longer," he murmured solemnly. "A chance to end this plague upon my people, that has caused such suffering…" He glanced back down, towards Link and Yona. "Yona, my love, please take care of Link. With luck, I shall return shortly, and the waters will be clear."
Link pushed himself into a sitting position, wincing slightly, a hand on his chest. "You can't be serious," he said roughly. "You're going up alone? If you got into trouble, no one could reach you up there! And unlike you and Yona figuring out a way to swim in these waters, I don't have a way up a waterfall. Nor do I think there's another Zora couple capable of pulling off your manipulating-clean-water thing."
"You are uniquely gifted in your ability to move water, my love," Yona said, taking Sidon's hand. "I agree – heading up there alone would be reckless. You must have some sort of backup."
"I'll go with you," Link said, climbing to his feet with some difficulty, trying to ignore the way his legs shook. "I'll get my gear, and you can get us both up the waterfall, and we'll deal with whatever's up there. Most likely another sort of sludge monster."
Sidon shook his head. "Durable though you are, you are in no condition to face a sludge monster," he protested. "Link, you nearly drowned! Minutes ago! You need to rest!"
"As do you," Yona countered firmly. "Sweet Sidon, you have been going without rest for far too long. One good night's sleep is not enough to make up for that. I have a lovely idea – how about both of you get some rest, and then go up the waterfall tomorrow?"
Sidon's shoulders sank slightly. "My father's funeral is tomorrow," he said quietly. "I… I had so hoped that the waters of Zora's Domain would be clear when we laid him to rest in them."
Yona patted his shoulder tenderly. "Then… rest until midnight," she said. "That is still many hours away. I will wake you up, and we'll see how you feel. Is that an acceptable compromise?"
Sidon smiled, lightly cupping her face. "Of course, my love," he said. "Thank you for helping me see reason." He turned to Link. "What do you think?"
"Midnight it is," Link nodded. He grimaced ruefully. "Rest… is definitely a good idea after this."
They helped him gather up his supplies, and then traveled together back to Zora's Domain. Yona directed Link to one of the healing pools, instead of the Shrine of Light. "You did breathe in some of the sludge," she explained. "I don't know what that would do to a Hylian, but even drinking it proved dangerous for your horse. For the Zora, inhaling sludge causes the complete breakdown of our bodies until we die. I would feel much more at ease with the idea of sending you off with Sidon knowing that you've been treated for sludge."
Link agreed, noting uneasily that the burning sensation in his lungs had yet to fade away. I don't much like the thought of my lungs breaking down, he thought with a shudder. The problem was that, unlike a Zora, he couldn't actually sleep in a pool of water. He crossed his arms over the edge of the pool and rested his head on them instead.
Yona and Sidon both came to fetch him at midnight, and he eagerly climbed out of the pool, dried himself off, and got dressed. Link was sure, after spending almost the entire day submerged in water, that warm, dry clothes had never felt so good. His head felt stiff and sore, as though he was getting a cold, but he followed Sidon and Yona out of Zora's Domain without mentioning it. I'll definitely be getting sick after this. But I can push myself a bit further.
"May the Goddesses be with you both," Yona said gravely, clearing a wide patch of clean water at the edge of the northern docks. "There was… an ill omen, before I awakened you. The moon turned red, as red as blood…" She shuddered, looking anxiously into Sidon's eyes. "Please, my love – be careful. I'll see you off, then return to my post at Mipha Court and await your safe return."
Red like blood… just like during the Calamity.
"Thank you, dear," Sidon said warmly, pressing a tender kiss to her cheek. He leapt into the patch of clear water, which at once began to froth and twist around him, as if driven by a mighty current. "Ready, Link?"
Link gave a start, pulled from his thoughts about a moon red like blood. He nodded, leaping into the water and grabbing hold of Sidon's dorsal fin, wrinkling his nose as the temporary relief of warm, dry clothing was replaced by the cold water spinning all around them. "Ready," he said tersely, and Sidon set off towards the waterfall.
Sidon paused when they reached the falls, exhaling heavily. "Climbing a waterfall is actually fairly complex," he admitted uncertainly. "I'm… not entirely certain if I can successfully move Yona's clear water around me while I do so." He glared fiercely up the waterfall. "But I shall do my best, for her sake. I do not wish to cause her any further pain at seeing me out of sorts."
"Here…"
A soft, ethereal voice drifted down the waterfall towards them, one that sent a deep chill down Link's spine. He exchanged a wide-eyed glance with Sidon.
"Was that… Mipha?" the Zora Prince gulped, staring longingly up the waterfall.
"Come here…" the voice continued. "Come to me…"
"It wasn't Mipha," Link swallowed. "It sounded… older than she was."
"Ah," Sidon said, disappointment palpable in his tone. "Of… of course. Well… I suppose it's a good thing we're headed up the waterfall anyway, is it not? I would… I would much like to see who that mysterious voice belongs to."
"An ancestor of yours," Link said, not wanting Sidon to get his hopes up falsely. "Probably one of the sages who fought in the Imprisoning War. It happened with the others as well."
Sidon sighed quietly. "Nonetheless, it should be fascinating to meet her," he said optimistically. "Hold on, Link!"
The Zora Prince leapt into the water, and Link held onto his dorsal fin tightly, feeling the full force of gravity and the waters rushing past them threatening to tear him back down to the East Reservoir Lake below. His hands and arms strained to hold on, already taxed well past their limit over the course of the last day. He grit his teeth, fighting to ignore the discomfort. He didn't dare look down, feeling the wind rushing past them from the speed of their ascent and realizing that the waterfall was far taller than it looked. Taller than anything else in Hyrule – probably taller any of the highest mountains, he thought as the temperature dropped dramatically. At last Sidon leapt over the top of the waterfall, soaring much higher than he usually would have.
"Woah!" Sidon exclaimed, throwing his arms out to steady himself as he dropped, much too lightly, to the ground. "That's… by Hylia, that's odd!"
Link dropped to the ground, frowning as he noticed at once that he seemed almost to float on his way down. "We're lighter," he observed. "Or… the air's thicker?" He jumped, his eyes widening as he flew up several feet more than he knew he was capable, and touched lightly back down.
Sidon tapped his forehead thoughtfully. "Well, I hope that proves to be more a boon to us than a hindrance," he said uneasily.
The sky island that they had landed on was built from the same patterned blue stone that Link had seen in the waterworks under the lake below as well as the ruins that had fallen directly into the reservoir. They were all built by the same ancient Zora. There were graceful archways around the perimeter of the island, and two pavilions flanking its sides. Yellowed water spilled in small waterfalls from each archway to fill a series of canals along the edge of the main structure. The influence this place had on the current Zora's Domain, Link thought, was clear as day.
"Undoubtedly this is the source of the sludge," Sidon said angrily. "Look there!"
At the far end of the island was a structure shaped like the tail of some diving fish, very similar in shape to the great sculpture forming the throne room of Zora's Domain. A stairway led up to what might have been a fountain, but instead of sending out trickling streams of crystal waters, it spewed out bubbling globs of sludge in every direction. Most of them hurtled off the edge of the island, down to Zora's Domain below. A thick stream of the substance pooled at the base of the buried fountain, dripping off the edge in a thick, viscous stream.
Far above the fountain, above the tip of the fishtail, hovered five massive faucets. Each one dripped clean water into a pale, fish-shaped clay vessel. The stream was slow enough that the vessels had likely taken a long time to fill, but now they were overflowing. Link could see glittering streams of water spilling slowly over the top of each, winding up in the sludge fountain below.
"Well, there's fresh water here," Link said, looking around. "Water dissolves sludge, right?"
"Yes," Sidon frowned. "But it would take a great deal of water to get rid of that mess. I'm sure those five fish up there have plenty, but there's no way for us to get at it from down here!"
There was a dragon ring in front of the fountain, Link noticed. He jogged up to it and aligned his hand with the icon in the center, activating the ring. At once the five vessels tipped forward, and a fierce torrent spilled from the fish's mouths, tumbling onto the fishtail and combining into a single mighty stream that doused the fountain in fresh, clean water. The mound of sludge began to dissolve, something thick and round bursting from it and landing with a splat on the ground behind them. The fierce stream began to slow, and the emptied vessels returned to their original positions.
"Look!" Sidon exclaimed in delight. "The sludge dissolved! The Domain is surely safe now!"
"Not yet," Link growled, tugging on Sidon's elbow and turning around.
The blob of sludge that had escaped the downpour was wriggling like a pile of worms. Suddenly it shot itself upwards, coalescing into a truly bizarre creature with thick, bulging eyes, an octorok's mouth and a head like a balloon, and the body of a squashed frog.
"Not good!" Sidon said, reaching for his trident. "This strange creature must be responsible!"
The monster spewed a jet of sludge from its mouth, using it to rocket itself upwards. Then from the sludge it summoned a hulking shark with a sharp, toothy maw and glazed, empty magenta eyes. The deformed octorok disappeared into the sludge coating the monster's body, and sent it at once charging directly towards Link and Sidon.
"Water!" Link exclaimed, dashing to the side as Sidon ran the opposite direction way. "Get some water on it!" He could hear the monster's rasping breaths directly behind him and ran faster, eager to stay away from its teeth.
"Take – this!" Sidon shouted, and there was a sudden wet splashing sound from behind. The monster groaned; Link spun on his heel, snatching his sword from his sheath, only to find that the monster had merely turned around and was now chasing Sidon.
"Hey!" Link roared, racing to intercept the monster. "Over here!" He leapt closer, the strange weightlessness of the air helping him fly much further than he could have normally. He landed right on the monster's back – Sludge can't hurt me unless it gets inside, right? – and buried his sword deep in its dorsal fin. The monster leapt into a frenzy, spinning around in circles, attempting to bite at Link's legs, much too close for comfort.
Then Sidon thrust his trident towards them, smacking the monster square in the face with a blast of water. The sludge dissolved, leaving behind only the disturbed-looking octorok. Link dropped to the ground with a grunt and quickly scrambled back to his feet, slashing at the octorok mere feet from him. His sword sliced across its bulbous head, revealing a horrendous yellow layer of fatty tissue beneath – but no blood.
Link recoiled in revulsion. The monster took advantage of his brief hesitation to waddle away, its smushed-flat limbs trailing along behind it like coattails. Sidon rushed closer, but the monster shot itself over his head with a blast of sludge, and when it crashed into the ground it transformed into the muck-shark again. It leapt skyward like a dolphin from the ocean, and when it landed it sent up a writhing, bubbling wave of sludge radiating outwards from its point of impact.
Sidon gasped, throwing a stream of water down at his feet and obliterating the sludge just as it reached him. Link jumped as high as he could, the extra feet granted by the weightless air giving him just barely enough height to clear the wave. When he landed, the shark was chasing after Sidon again, and the Zora Prince was spinning his trident as he ran, gathering up a thick tendril of water and hurling it backwards at the monster. Link rushed towards them, and as the sludge cleared away and revealed the hideous octorok beneath, Sidon plunged his trident into its shrunken torso.
But it tore itself free with a hoarse wheeze, nothing at all draining from the fresh punctures in its body.
"Go for the head," Link panted, as the octorok leapt to the center of the sky island and turned its mouth upwards, spewing three bursts of blobby sludge-globs at once.
"Look out!" Sidon exclaimed, twisting his spear around and gathering up a sphere of water around the two of them, shielding them from the sludgy rain vomited from the octorok's mouth. When the downpour ended, the island was covered in muck, with only a few patches of blue stone still clear. The octorok leapt into the air, turning once more into the shark – which seemed to move much faster through the sludge.
"Try to get it with your water again," Link said grimly. "I'll keep it on my trail!" He jumped into the creature's path, trying to angle himself to land in another clean patch of stone. The shark lunged for him, jaws snapping, and with a startled yelp he leapt into the air again, barely out of reach of its rows and rows of deadly-looking teeth. He heard a distant splashing sound – Sidon had attempted a water attack, but missed the shark.
Link's heart jolted as he felt his feet land in thick, sucking sludge. Eyes flying wide, he saw the shark tearing through the muck towards him. He snatched his bokoblin knife from his belt with his left hand and hurled it into the monster's eye, desperate for something to stop its attack. The shark recoiled, leaping up out of the water with a rasping groan, and when it splashed back into the muck it sent out another tall wave rippling across the island. Link drew in a sharp breath, panic surging through his blood at the recognition that he couldn't move out of the way. He covered his face with his arms. The wave struck, bowling him over onto his back and pinning his arms above his head.
"Damnit!" Link growled through clenched teeth, struggling furiously to pull himself free from the thick muck splattered all across his body, expecting sharp teeth crunching down on his torso any second. Groaning from the effort, he managed to yank his right arm and sword free, and pushed off the ground in time to see Sidon thrust his water-laden spear through the shark's dorsal fin and yank it back out.
The monster dissolved into a sludgy puddle, revealing once more the revolting octorok creature. It leapt easily out of the way of Sidon's follow-up blow, bouncing from sludge puddle to sludge puddle all the way across the island. Link's blood surged as he realized it was coming straight for him. Breathing hard, he held his sword up defensively, resting his weight entirely on his left arm, ready to stab it the instant it came within reach.
Then he heard a cry of exertion from Sidon, followed by a pop as loud as a thunderbolt. Sidon's trident flew all the way through the monster's head and landed tip-down in a pile of sludge.
The octorok staggered forward and then backwards, its head rapidly deflating with a disturbing high-pitched wheezing sound. It collapsed, withering away until there was nothing left at all but a crumbling pile of dark sediment that quickly drifted away, disappearing into the air.
With a soft hissing sound, the sludge across the island began to dissolve, lifting up into the air in dark wisps before vanishing entirely. Link pushed himself back to his feet as soon as he was able, breathing out a quiet sigh of relief as the yellowed waters pouring from the arches around the island turned a healthy, pure shade of blue that reflected the stone and the night sky all around it.
"Well done," he said, walking closer to Sidon.
The Zora Prince grinned broadly. "I knew we could do it," he said, pumping a fist in the air. "Though… I admit, a few moments back there had me worried."
Link rubbed a hand through his hair, relieved to find it free of sludge. "Yeah. Me too."
"I can truly appreciate the beauty of this place, now that the sludge is gone," Sidon sighed happily, looking around. "And – oh! Is that… is that the 'secret stone' you mentioned? Over there by the fountain?"
Link followed his gaze to the fountain where the muck-octorok had been lurking. It was now entirely clean, its elegant blue stone shining happily beneath the silvery light of the moon. Hovering just above the fountain was a pure white stone, gleaming invitingly. "That's it," he nodded. "Are you ready to become a sage?"
Sidon chuckled. "As long as I have Yona by my side, to help me make wise decisions with such power," he said with a fond smile. "Yes. I'm ready."
Link followed the Zora Prince up to the fountain. As they drew closer, the secret stone shrank drastically in size, hovering just out of Sidon's reach. Humming thoughtfully to himself, Sidon tapped the stone, and a bright light enveloped them both.
They met the past Sage of Water, a female Zora who claimed Sidon as cherished kin. She explained that the Muctorok had been sent to sully Zora's Domain for the sole purpose of preventing Sidon from claiming his secret stone; then she passed along the now-familiar tale of the Imprisoning War and the struggle against the Demon King. And then at last, the Sage of Water's vow to the Sage of Time – to Zelda – that when the Demon King rose up again, a new sage would awaken to join the fight against him.
"You are the pride of the Zora," she told Sidon warmly. "Your fluid, graceful movements as you fight… I would expect nothing less from my descendant. Zora's Domain is once again safe, thanks to you. However, the Demon King continues to threaten all of Hyrule. You must take up my secret stone, and honor the vow I made to the Sage of Time."
A bright light descended upon them once again, and when it cleared, they were once more standing atop the ancient Zora sky island. Sidon stood before the secret stone, his expression somber. "I came here to save Zora's Domain – and in no small way, exact revenge for my father," he murmured. "But it looks like all of Hyrule will need my help. I'll do all I can, just as my ancestor did! I'll accept this secret stone!"
An ornate symbol engraved itself upon the stone, and it began to glow with a deep blue light. Sidon held up his fist, and the stone attached itself to his gauntlet.
"Here, Link," Sidon said, taking a knee. "Your hand."
Link held out his right hand, and Sidon clasped it firmly. "I, Sidon, the Sage of Water, swear that I will fight by your side," the Zora Prince promised. "Please accept this! It is proof of my vow."
Sidon's stone began to glow blue, a light that soon enveloped his entire body. It gathered up at his shoulder and then passed through his arm to their joined hands. The light hovered within Link's arm for several moments; he could feel it washing through his very bloodstream like crisp spring water, cleansing some of the damage wrought upon him by the corruption. Then the light gathered up on the back of his hand, and a symbol identical to the one on Sidon's stone appeared on the green and copper band on his index finger.
"I and the Zora people will stand with you," Sidon said earnestly. "We will destroy the Demon King, and together restore peace to Hyrule!"
Link grinned, clapping Sidon's elbow. There's that never-ending optimism back. "Thanks, Sidon," he said. "Ready to get back?"
Sidon nodded with a wide smile, glancing towards the sky. "Absolutely," he said, his shoulders drooping in relief. "We… we got rid of it all before dawn! My father will be laid to rest in clean, pure waters… just as I hoped." He drew in a deep breath, closing his eyes. When he let it out, he squared his shoulders, his gaze burning with resolve. "Let's go – I won't miss it!"
They headed back towards the waterfall Sidon had climbed to reach the island in the first place. Link checked his belt to make sure his paraglider was secured. As Sidon charged once more into the waterfall, Link leapt off of the edge, spreading his arms and legs and skydiving down towards the East Reservoir Lake far, far below, now a deep, dark shade of blue instead of murky brown.