Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A slight breeze rustled the branches overhead. A rosy red Zora and his much shorter Hylian counterpart followed one of the lesser used paths branching from the Zora’s Domain. They had no real destination, the pair simply felt like taking a break and exploring a bit. There was a sound to the far right, similar to someone stepping on a branch. Link glanced around as they walked, but seeing nothing dismissed it as a some sort of woodland creature.

“Ah, up ahead! I think I see a nice clearing. We could stop and make something to eat.” Sidon mused, holding a hand above his eyes to block the bits of sun seeping through the leaves. Link gave a nod, a small grin on his face. Cooking was his specialty, (aside from the whole hero thing that is) and he wasn’t shy when it came to showing it off.

Sidon brushed aside a few leaves and plopped down on a fallen tree. “After this I was thinking we could go visit Dento. He was tinkering with a new kind of spear and I’d like to see how it’s going so far. The design was rather unique!”

Link gave a quick thumbs up before turning to rummage through his things. He had a pretty big assortment of ingredients from his travels, all he needed to do was to pick out the right ones that would go well together. With a happy hum, Link dug out a spare honeycomb knowing it would add a nice tang to whatever dish he ended up creating. As he moved to set it aside the familiar twang of a bowstring being released hit his ears. An arrow shot forward from the brush and pinned the honeycomb to a tree, just barely missing Link’s hand.

After the initial shock, Link whipped around. He unsheathed his weapon, intensely staring off into the direction the arrow came from. Prince Sidon had already jumped up from his makeshift seat and was looking around wildly, searching for their hidden attacker. “Well?” His loud voice echoed through the woods. “We already know you’re here so come on out!”

A moment passed by in silence. The natural sounds of the world around them ceased to exist in the tense tone. And then all of the sudden said silence broke. Countless Bokoblins spewed forth from the woods. They filled the clearing, their various weapons reaching out for the duo as their battle cries filled the air. An ambush.

Link lunged forward at once, his sword slashing clean through the first unlucky enemy to reach him. A moment later the Bokoblin disappeared into a puff of smoke and Link was swinging his blade around to catch another. However, with so many enemies Link was soon pushed back to back with Prince Sidon who had been keeping the Bokoblins at bay with a tree branch.

“How are you holding up?” Sidon shouted over the clash of battle, not daring to look away from the gnashing teeth and swinging clubs. Link simply gave a grunt, trying his best to break through the fray but not being able to inch forward at all. No matter how many enemies he slaid, another always seemed ready to take the other’s place. The last time he had seen so many Bokoblins he hightailed it out of there, knowing it would be unwise to stick around. With Prince Sidon here though he couldn’t just up and leave. He had to make sure the other would be okay.

With no warning, another arrow shot forward from beyond the  This time it hit it’s mark, burying itself into Link’s shoulder. Link gave a small shout of pain as it dug into his already scarred skin. The Bokoblin closest to him took advantage of it and swung his club around with a surprising burst of speed. The contact sent Link flying to the side and his sword to the ground. His trip was short lived as he smashed into the trunk of a tree and fell to the hard forest floor with a thud. A smaller blue Bokoblin poked him with his spear and when Link didn’t react the large group gave a collective victory screech.

“Link?” Sidon struggled to see above the surge of Bokoblin mass. “Link!?!” The large Zora struggled to push his way past to get to his fallen companion. Despite his advantage in size, their apparent victory had amped up the Bokoblins and had them raring to go once more. With an angry cry, the Prince smashed the branch over an unlucky monster’s head and tossed it’s remains to the side. He needed to get to Link and would do whatever was necessary to reach him.

“Link. Awaken…”

Sidon desperately tried to claw his way through, ignoring the sharp pain of weapons pricking his rough skin.

“Get up…”

One of the larger Bokoblins jumped onto his back, forcing him down to his knees. Still, Sidon kept going, crawling forward only to be pushed back and pinned down again and again.

“You must get to your feet…”

Link’s head was swimming and his body ached. Of course it wasn’t the first time he had been smacked around this way, but it still wasn’t pleasant in the slightest. His eyes flickered open as a bright blue glow engulfed his body. He slowly got to his feet, the healing light numbing the pain and helping him get up.

“Thank goodness you’re alright…”

A panicked shriek cut through the area. The small one was standing up? But wasn’t he defeated? Link ripped the arrow out of his shoulder with a grimace. Panic rippled through the Bokoblins like a wave. If this one got back up, would the other? Would they both just keep getting back up? A fainthearted monster blew his horn for retreat and with no other sense of order, the rest simply obeyed.

As they filtered out of the clearing in a frantic frenzy, Link stumbled forward. His mind caught up to him as the blue tint faded from his skin and he swung around desperately in search of the Zora prince.

There. There he was. Sidon was laying on his side, back turned to Link. The banged up Hylian scrambled over to him and fell to his knees. He pulled the other onto his back, eyes flickering over the various wounds littering his body. It looked bad. Really bad.

Link lightly slapped his cheek in an attempt to wake him up. No response. Starting to panic, Link grabbed hold of the Zora’s shoulder and tried to shake him awake. It wasn’t the most effective strategy, Link could barely get the other to move and his broad shoulders made it hard to get a good grip, but he what else could he do? This was just supposed to be a simple outing. Things weren’t supposed to go this way. Link had let his guard down. Perhaps if he had been a little more alert they wouldn’t have been jumped like this. And such a simple enemy too, were their numbers really that big of an advantage?

There had to be something he could do. There was no way he could run back and get help. The distance was too far and by the time he found someone who had the necessary skills to assist, Link knew it would be too late.

Perhaps…? A desperate thought crossed his mind. Mipha’s healing abilities had been his saving grace on many occasions, including this one. He had never really channeled said power himself, Mipha’s spirit had always appeared to him when it was most vital. But this time would have to be different. Mipha had gifted him her power right? If she could use it to heal others then so could he.

Link scrunched his eyes up tight, focusing as hard as he could. This had to work, it just had to. His hands pressed down against Sidon’s chest and he took a deep breath. Concentrate. Concentrate. Concentrate.

“Link!”

Said Hylian’s eyes snapped open at the soft voice. Mipha’s slightly translucent form floated in front of him, her eyes trained on him. “You mustn't continue with this!”

Link glanced down at his hand’s, somewhat surprised to see that familiar blue glow surrounding them. He was doing it! He was actually pulling it off.

“Please!” Mipha shook her head. “I used up my own energy healing you, as of now you are draining yourself of your own lifeforce!”  

Was that what that tingling was? It wasn’t necessarily unpleasant. But he couldn’t just stop, if he did Sidon would most definitely die. He shook his head with resolve. He wouldn’t just give up like that, no way.

“...” Mipha had a conflicted look on her face and understandably so. Not only did she harbor feelings for Link, but he was supposed to save all of Hyrule! He had a heavy destiny on his shoulders, without him everyone may as well be doomed. But Sidon was her brother. Her younger brother whom she hadn’t seen for almost one hundred years.

Drifting down to the ground, Mipha gently placed her hands over Link’s. She knew Link would never be her’s. Not anymore. Not only was she a spirit, but he so obviously had eyes for a different Zora. Even if he got all of his memories back, it still wouldn't be the same. It had been too long. However, she would still keep her promise to keep him safe and help him in any way she could.

“I don’t know how much energy I have left, but I shall do my best to help. Please promise me that you won’t go too far.” Mipha knew he would make no such promise, but it was worth trying.

Link gave her a thankful glimpse, just peeking up for a moment before returning his intense stare to Sidon’s still body. He wasn’t nearly as profound in healing as Mipha was, and since Mipha had already exhausted the majority of her energy the process was slow. Bit by bit the injuries began to fade. But in turn, it was starting to take a toll on Link. Sweat rolled down his brow and his breaths were sounding more and more choppy by the minute.  

Mipha was just about spent. Her already transparent form was starting to blink in and out of existence. Soon enough she would be forced back to her Divine Beast to recover. “I’m sorry Link.” She let her hands slid off of his and pressed a small kiss to his forehead. “I must take my leave. It’s up to you now. Save him.”

Link met her eyes as she flickered away. He was growing tired but she knew he wouldn’t give up. He never did. “Good luck…” She believed deep down that things would be alright. Link seemed to attract trouble, but he was also a beacon of luck. And with that she took her leave, vowing to check back as soon as she regained enough energy to do so.

Link’s arms had started to tremble. That tingle was no longer fine, it burned deep down in his chest. As he sacrificed his own life force, black dots begun to swim in his vision but he held on. He had to. For Sidon.

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Sidon charged down the blue stone stairs of Zora’s Domain. The little pitter patter of his feet echoed a bit, but only those in a near vicinity really heard and with so many rambunctious children always running around they were pretty used to it.

Just as he reached the last step, the young Zora prince managed to trip on his own feet. With a small yelp, he sprawled forward, scraping up his knee in the process. He lay there for a moment before getting back up to his feet with a tiny whimper. He wasn’t going to cry though, what kind of prince would he be if he cried at a little scraped knee? So nope, he wasn't gonna do it! Nuh uh! Still, he couldn’t help that his eyes were watering a tad.

“Sidon!” Mipha’s cheerful voice cut through his thoughts. As she got closer, she noticed the tears welling up in his eyes and immediately shifted into protective sister mode. “What’s wrong? Were those kids picking on you again? Just because they’re visitors doesn’t give them the right to be jerks! I swear, if I-”

“No, I just tripped. I’m okay.” Sidon cut in before she could finish that sentence. “Ever since you had your talk with them, they’ve left me alone.” He had a feeling talking wasn’t all Mipha did, but thought it best not to question her,

“Hmm. Well here, let me fix it up.” Mipha sat down on the steps and patted the space next to her.

“It’s alright, you don’t have to.” Sidon shook his head. “It’s just a little scrape.”

“Nonsense. Come on.” Mipha snagged Sidon by the arm and pulled him down to the step. She gently set her hands on his knee and a moment later that familiar soft blue glow enveloped them.

“T-thank you.” Sidon mumbled as she let her hands drop. “You really didn’t have to bother.”

“Sure I did. And it was no big deal.” Mipha hopped up and pat her younger brother on the head. “Well? I’ll race you to shop, last one there is a slimy sea slug!” And with that she took off across the plaza.

“Hey! No fair, that’s cheating!” Sidon quickly scrambled to his feet and took after after her. Mipha’s giggles were the only response he got as he raced towards the shop, hot on her heels.

The memory faded but the gentle warmth that came with his sister’s abilities stayed with him. Still more than half asleep, as Sidon’s eyes flickered open he half expected to see his sister standing over him. Instead, he was greeted with a pained looking Link. Dirt and blood was smeared onto his face and he was trembling like a leaf. In addition, his hands glowed with the same blue aura as his sister’s once did. Sidon was still half convinced he was asleep but the throbbing in his head made him unsure.

A low groan escaped his throat and Link snapped to attention. He stared blankly at Sidon for a long moment before breaking out into a huge grin. Link let out a relieved yet choked sob as the light faded from his palms and suddenly Sidon was very well aware he was awake.

Link felt dizzy with relief. Or maybe that was just him? In any case, Sidon would be okay now. He was pretty much positive of it. His body finally gave out on him and Link collapsed onto Sidon’s chest with a shudder. His eyes felt heavy and his body ached but that was alright. He was supposed to be a protector and he had done his job. He could distantly hear Sidon coughing and calling his name but his eyes were already shut and where he was seemed like an okay place to sleep. So he did.

Chapter Text

A small beam of light streamed through the window, placing itself directly on Link’s cheek. It’s warmth wasn’t unwelcome but the way it tickled his cheek was. With an annoyed groan, he rolled his head to the side in an attempt to avoid it but it was too late. Link was already awake now and wasn’t getting back to sleep any time soon.

He forced his eyes open, taking in the area around him. The blue walls and rather comfortable waterbed he was on quickly told him he was back in the Zora’s Domain. As his sleepy haze wore off, Link became unpleasantly aware of how sore his body was and the dull throb in the back of his head. Well, at least he wasn’t dead. That was always a plus.

“Very well.” Distantly, Link could hear Sidon’s muffled voice. “I shall go check on him.”

“Of course.” There was someone else with him, Link wasn’t sure if he recognized who it was. “If you need anything my assistant is taking inventory of our supplies. She should be able to handle anything else on her own from here on out. I’d stick around but I really must be going to pick up my order. It’s contents are rather important.”

Link could tell they were getting closer, it was becoming easier to hear. “Mm. Once again, thank you for your help.” Sidon’s voice was mostly business, but still genuine.

“It was my pleasure, my Prince. Since I doubt the Hylian will come forth with any persisting issues, if you notice anything please tell me.” Sidon had given the other a nod at this, not that Link was aware.

The door across the room creaked open and Sidon slipped in. Several bandages and wraps covered the wounds Link hadn’t been able to heal, but other than that he seemed to be alright. A sigh escaped his lips as he shut the door quietly behind him. He glanced up, face instantly brightening. “Link! You’re awake, thank the Goddesses!” Link held back a grimace at how loud his voice was considering his headache, instead offering a slight smile.

Sidon crossed the room and carefully sat himself on the edge of the bed. He grabbed for Link’s hands, holding onto them tightly with a suddenly serious look. “Link, as grateful as I am that you saved me, that was incredibly foolish! What would I- hell, all of Hyrule for that matter, do if you had perished? I wasn’t even sure what you had done until recently, you shouldn’t have risked things like that!”

Link gave a frustrated growl, quickly sitting up in bed. The motion set his head spinning and his stomach lurching almost instantly, setting the Hylian on the path of regret. A small concerned noise escaped Sidon and he quickly grabbed Link by the shoulders in case he were to topple over.

“You need to take things slow!” He scolded, the concern in his voice heavy outweighing any actual anger. “The healer said it may take a week for you to fully recover. Until you do, you need to rest. No overdoing things.”

Link simply gave a defeated nod, not feeling up to fighting over it. He leaned into Sidon, pressing his forehead against the other’s chest. After the initial surprise Sidon wrapped his around the other in a gentle embrace. “I’m sorry.” He murmured quietly. “I shouldn’t have been so snappy, especially since you must have only woken up recently.”

The smaller of the two shook his head. After his little spark of frustration, he supposed he could understand where Sidon was coming from. If the situation had been reversed Link would have absolutely been upset that the other had gone so far. This sort of self sacrificing behavior was apparently a bit of a habit for him, whether Link remembered or not. In any case, it had happened and even if Sidon wasn’t too happy about it, Link knew he would do it again if the need arose. It was just how he was.

After a moment of hesitation, Link scooted forward a bit so he could peck a small ‘I’m sorry’ kiss to Sidon’s cheek. Acts of affection such as that were uncommon for Link, but this time it was more than warranted. He ducked his head back down, resting his head on Sidon’s shoulder before he could catch the other’s reaction. The small chuckle and returned kiss to the top of his head was enough for Link to know his apology was accepted.

The Prince then muttered in a very vulnerable voice, “Please be more careful. I’ve already lost someone dear to me, I can’t lose you too.” Any regret Link felt was instantly intensified. He pressed his face into the crook of Sidon’s neck, closing his eyes lightly. He had had countless close encounters, a handful of which had almost taken his life, but he had always persevered and came out on top. He always had some greater cause that helped him cling onto life, whether it be the suffering of innocent people, the hope of overcoming the world’s cruelty, or the pressure of saving an entire land. Yes, Link had made peace with death a long time ago, but if he were to go it would be on his terms and with Sidon here waiting for his return after every daring adventure and task, he had reason to live on for quite some time. The universe wouldn’t get rid of him that easily, not if Link had anything to say about it.

Sidon gave him a small squeeze, a comfortable sense of quiet surrounding the two. Of course he knew that those kinds of situations were not uncommon to Link, but it always upset him when said Hylian would return brandishing a new scar or trying to hide a limp. Having been caught up in it this time only helped solidify that fear that one of these days Link might not make it back. Still, he had faith in Link, even if it was tested more often than it should be. Things would be okay this time, and for now that’s all that mattered.