Work Text:
Link’s smile is radiant as Inogo Bridge comes into view. It’s bright blue structure shining prominently against the dark sludge falling into the Zora River. However, it’s not the magnificence of the bridge that has Link smiling. It’s the memories he’s attached to this place. The memories of who he met, all that time ago.
Link pulls back on the reigns of his horse before they reach the pile of rocks and pauses for a moment to breathe. The excitement of seeing Sidon again is making him giddy and nervous the uncomfortable but familiar feeling of butterflies swells in his stomach. Link can picture it already.
Sidon, standing at the Domain, spreading his arms wide and flashing a large grin as Link arrives. “Link! You amazing Hylian! My greatest companion! I’m so glad you’ve found your way back to us.” Warmth flutters in Link’s chest as he can almost feel Sidon wrapping his cool arms around his body. It’s something they’ve done millions of times before, hiding away from the Zora of the domain. They never did approve of their unconventional relationship.
Link lets out a sigh and unmounts Epona, laying a few apples on the ground for her to snack on. The blonde then climbs up the rubble and begins his tiring and sludge-y journey to Zora’s Domain. But Link preserves with that same golden smile on his face because if he’ll get to see Sidon again it’ll all be worth it.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
When Link finally sets his eyes on the domain he feels a weight lift from his shoulders. The world feels steadier now as this place he can truly consider “home” comes into view. A small chuckle escapes past his lips as a tear falls from an eye.
“How silly,” Link mutters as he brings a finger to wipe it away. But he stops. Did he just speak? In this time of intense stress and responsibility his speech is returning?!
“I can speak!” Link’s shout is little more than a hoarse gravely sound but it’s more than he’s spoken since the upheaval. He’s had to get around with only Hylian Sign up until now. (Which was quite the task when he was working with Tulin who knew none of it at all.) “I suppose Sidon really is my light.” Link swallows once to ease the pain of speaking after being silent for so long. “I cannot wait to see you.”
With that, Link takes a running jump off the cliff, using his paraglider and his remaining strength to glide down to the dully glowing bridge below.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Upon reaching the Domain Link takes note of all the new faces, most notably a strange green Zora woman in the square. A lot must have changed since the upheaval and for the millionth time this week, Link wonders how long he had been asleep on that Sky Island.
He approaches the new green Zora.
“Hello!” His voice is still just as raspy as before and the girl looks at him in surprise.
“Oh! Hello there, small Hylian. I’m impressed you made it here in this bizarre weather. It must have been quite difficult.” She’s a very pretty zora, though her features are reminiscent of Muzu, a man who was never quite fond of Link. Her eyes are kinder, though, and Link finds some comfort in them.
“Not that bad, really.” Link turns and nods to the muck in the water. “What’s happened here?” It’s quite obvious what’s happened and it doesn’t take a skilled investigator to see the sludge falling from the sky.
Instead of cynicism, though, the woman responds to Link with nothing but a helpful kindness. “Well, we’re not quite sure yet. All we know is that there’s this nasty sludge falling from the sky. It’s been messing with the water here and we’ve found it’s very bad for our people. Anyone who gets into contact with it finds themselves in poor physical condition and if it gets on a persons lungs it could prove fatal.”
Another zora who had been standing aside until now takes a step forward. “We’ve found that it can be washed off with splashfruit though. That’s how we’ve managed to help all our wounded. It can’t heal the wounds themselves but it can wash the sludge away.”
Link nods solemnly. “I see. Well, I intend to help you all and stop the sludge. Is there anything I can do to help you all right now, though?”
The green Zora nods shyly. “Well, if you wouldn’t mind, the statue over there means quite a lot to the history of our people. If you could remove the sludge for us that would be incredibly helpful. We can’t waste our splashfruit on cleaning right now.”
“Of course!” And Link runs to the statue in the center of the square.
The shape is different from before and while it’s still shrouded in that nasty brown sludge Link can clearly recognize it not to be Mipha but something else.
As Link rummages through his pouch for a splashfruit, nervousness begins to flutter in his chest. How long has he been away that a entirely new statue was built? Will Sidon be upset that Link left him for so long without so much as a visit? Link pulls out the fruit and throws it at the statue. He never learned to write and felt it would be inappropriate to ask Zelda to help write his letters…
But as the sludge fell away and revealed the art beneath all of those fears began to dissipate. Under all that gloom stood a tall statue of two people. Sidon, Prince of the Zora, and Link, the Hero of Hyrule, posed in the same way they had when they had fought Vah Ruta together all those months ago (years?). Link, perched upon Sidon’s back as the lithe Zora zipped gracefully through the water.
Link couldn’t help the warm smile as he gazed upon the statue. It’s sad that Mipha is no longer here but the fact that he and Sidon will be here together forever has his heart pounding in his chest. The feeling of a loving warmth spreads out across his chest and he can feel his ears burning.
“Isn’t it lovely?” At some point the green zora had walked up behind him. “It’s of our beloved Prince and a Hylian swordsman. The two of them saved the domain from a large threat a while back.” Link supposes that for a zora, it would be just a while. “Thank you for restoring it.”
“It was no problem, really.” Link’s mind struggled to focus on the conversation, still drawn to this magnificent carving of his lover.
“Speaking of the Hylian… You match him near perfectly in size and your hair and eyes are exactly as Sidon described.” Link basked in the idea of Sidon telling other of him. “And you are a swordsman. Could you possibly be Link? Sidon’s best friend?”
Link giggled at the term best friend. “Yes, I am.” It’s better if the people think of them that way, even if it’s not true. It will protect Sidon from the hostilities of people like Muzu or Seggin.
“I see. Well, I’m very grateful for your coming to our Domain to help. My name is Yona. You see, I’m…” She hums thoughtfully for a moment. “Well I’m your best friend’s fiancée!”
And Link’s world stops for a moment and he’s sure his heart has stopped working. He slowly turns his eyes to her. This Yona who claims to have stolen his Sidon away. She’s so pretty as she stands there smiling pleasantly, oblivious to how Link’s reacting.
“It’s so good to finally meet you, Link. Sidon had told me oh so much about you and when we heard you’d gone missing during the upheaval he had been utterly crushed! In fact,” and she points toward Ploymus Mountain, “He’s up at Mipha’s Court. You should visit him.” And the Zora woman cheers gleefully, bouncing ever so slightly on her feet. “Oh Link, I’m so very, very glad that you are okay! Sidon will be so very happy! Now please, go to him. And if you need anything do let me know. I’ll be up in the infirmary upstairs.”
And Link, now unable to speak and barely able to make out her words through the ringing in his ears, simply nods his head and starts toward the peak.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
His feet feel like lead as they drag across the floor and he makes his way up the hill. Everything was going so well an hour ago but now… Now the world feels dark again. And heavier than before. Like all the light was stripped from it. Surely she didn’t mean it, that girl. Sidon? Fiancée? Surely not .
But something about her and the way she said it told him it was true. Why would such a kind girl lie to him about something so important. Just to torment him? But why?
And when Link finally reached the top of the bend he couldn’t bring his face to look up the ground. In truth he almost wished he could anti-ascend. Return to the earth as a dead man and never return. But what then? Allow his precious Sidon and all his friends to just parish in this continued calamity? Surely not.
So he kept walking forward. Step by torturous step.
He will confront Sidon directly and fiancée or not, Link will finish his duties as defender of Hyrule. No matter how painful it may be.
Finally, once he reached the edge of a small pool he stopped. (Rivan let his pass without a word, bless his soul.) Taking a deep breath, Link steadied himself in his stance and looked up.
There, just a few feet away was the subject of his affections and the owner of his weary, weakened heart. Prince of the Zora, Sidon. In all his eight feet of glory. And Link took the time to stare.
His perfect crest, his colorful fins, the way his eyes were closed in an intense focus, the way his hands held diligently still as he did something with the water. Link felt tears already stinging his eyes at just seeing this man but he blinked them away rapidly. No. He would not let the Prince see him cry.
Link takes off his boots, leaving them on the land, and wades into the water, coming to stand closer go Sidon. He opens his mouth the speak, so sure that the man’s presence would be enough to give him back his voice, but it’s not enough. And Link’s suddenly not sure if he’ll ever feel light enough to speak again.
He taps the Prince lightly on the arm.
The Prince takes a moment to finally stop whatever it is he’s doing to the water but when his eyes finally open and land on Link, there’s no denying the joy he feels. Like always, Sidon is just as expressive as always as he throws open his arms.
“Link! You’re alive! Oh, I am so very glad to see you doing okay. How have you been? Where did you go? What’s happened to your arm?!”
But Link gives no response. How could this man be so happy to see him when after everything they did, all the moments alone that they spent, he was engaged to someone else. How ?!
“Link? Are you okay, friend?” Sidon murmurs as he crouches down to embrace the Hylian.
But Link flinches back at the title of friend and takes a half step away.
“Link…” Sidon lowers his arms.
The blonde finally opens his mouth to speak and when no words escape, he raises his hands to do the talking for him.
‘Sidon.’ The motions feel distantly familiar but oh so heavy.
“Yes, Link? What is it? You seem upset.”
‘I met Yona.’
And something in Sidon brightens at the name. Something Link used to see when they would meet late at night at East Reservoir Lake, or when the two of them would hide away at Veiled Falls. A bright joy that only came with true affection. Love.
Something in Link felt like it broke.
“Really? You met her already? I was hoping to get to introduce the two of you but that’s quite alright.” Sidon pauses for a split second. “Do you like her very much? It’d mean a lot to me if you like her. I want you and Yona to get along.”
Link blinks. ‘She’s beautiful. And Kind.’
“Oh, I’m so very glad!” and Sidon does the most adorable little claps and Link desperately wishes they weren’t because he approves someone else. Someone else that’s Sidon’s fiancée.
Not long ago Link had hoped to be Sidon’s fiancée one day. He’d been saving every Sapphire he found for that very purpose, actually. They’re all tucked away safely in Zelda’s house.
“Link, if you do like her then what is the issue? You seem somewhat distressed.” But there’s something hesitant about his tone. Like Sidon already knows, because of course he does, but he needs Link to clarify. He needs Link to say it.
‘I…’ and Link’s hands begin shaking. ‘I thought we— thought we had something.’
“Oh.” And Sidon sits in the water, shifting uncomfortably. “Yes, I suppose we did. But that’s over now Link.”
‘When? When was it over? We never discussed.” Links hands are desperate and if it was anyone other than Sidon and perhaps Zelda, Link doubts people could’ve read his signs at all.
“When you never returned to me, Link.” Sidon’s looks away. “We did have something. And it was something very dear to me.” A crimson hand presses against Sidon’s chest. “I loved you but you never came back.”
Link splashes at the water to get Sidon to look at him once more before he continues to sign. ‘I have responsibilities to my Kingdom, Sidon. I could not stay forever.’
Sidon’s large hand drops into the water. “Link, I am the Prince if the Zora and next in line to be King. Do you think I don’t understand what it’s like to have duties? I know you were busy but you never visited. Not once. You never even sent me a letter.”
‘I never learnt to write.’
“Then you could’ve sent me a flower. Found something on your adventures to send me.”
‘Zelda needed me.’
“Link, I needed you. Why can’t you understand that? It was very difficult for me, being away from you for so long without so much as a letter. You could have sent me a blade of grass and I would have cherished it. Anything to have shown me that you still cared. But you practically abandoned me. Of course my feelings began go fade…” Sidon sighs. “We just weren’t going to work out if you’re too busy to show me you care. That’s why when I met Yona again after so many years of being apart from her, I decided that she and I should become a pair. Not long after we hear you disappeared and Hyrule started to fall apart again. Getting engaged kept my people happy. It was just the best thing at the time.”
‘You should have told me.’
“Link, I was angry. I understand that you must be hurt right now but you had hurt me too. I felt abandoned.”
And Link doesn’t respond for a long time. ‘I’m sorry.’
“And I forgive you.”
‘But I still love you, Sidon.’ And Link looks at the Prince hopefully. ‘I’ll treat you right, this time. I promise.’
“Link, I’m sorry.”
And that was enough.
‘Fine then.’ And Link felt hollow, then. Like a fire in his chest burned all the way through and now he had a gaping hole there, where the passion once was. He felt like crying but he couldn’t. He wanted to save Zora’s Domain as quickly as possible and rid himself of this place and all it’s memories. ‘Yona is a good woman. She’s kind and pretty. Like you. I’m sure you’ll make a lovely family. When you eventually become King and Queen, I mean.’
Sidon nods, a small smile on his face. “Thank you, Link. I appreciate that far more than you know.”
Link nods, his expression a perfect poker face to mask the grief and heartbreak blossoming in his chest. ‘Well then, let’s save your people, shall we?’