Chapter Text
At Link's arrival in the Zora domain, he wasn't sure what to expect. His journey to the domain was a dangerous one, with Lizalfos around every turn, and the sludge that seemed like it was falling from the sky covering the paths. He'd cleared out as many monsters as he could along the way, and pulled his Purah Pad out to check his map. Almost there. Of course, once he was close enough, the extent of the sludge within the domain itself became very clear, and he surged on with urgency. The effect was extensive, and though he found splash fruit to be handy for getting rid of patches when he needed to, it was in no way a long-term solution.
He reached the bridge damp and with mud covering his shoes and pants. He hadn't worn a garment with a hood, and reaching up to touch his hair, realized he had chunks of the stuff on his head too. Yuck. A sorry sight, he was sure, and he grimaced knowing that would probably be how Sidon first saw him for the first time in months. Look, there's the Hylian Champion, or maybe that was a Water Octorok in a swamp. That's the life of an adventurer. Pout as he might, Link loved the freedom of it.
With Sidon in mind, Link's heart surged, and he wrote it off as excitement in seeing his old friend. What mattered then was saying their hellos and working together once again.
However, as he got closer and the tall Zora prince failed to greet him, his mind became clouded with worry that the sludge had hurt his friend, as it covered even parts of the throne room. Usually, Sidon seemed to have some otherworldly sense for when Link stepped foot in the domain. Hardly a stride's length in and he'd have a sharp-toothed prince in front of him. He was nowhere in sight now.
As he approached the center of the domain, an unusual Zora greeted him in front of a sludge-covered statue, eyes warm and welcoming. She rushed toward him, grasping his hands in hers before he could react.
"You must be Link, I recognized you as soon as I saw you. Sidon speaks of no one else; I feel like I already know you dearly." Her green scales and ray-like features were unusual for the domain, and Link was certain they'd never met before, but he bowed his head in acknowledgement.
She let his hands loose, "ah, my apologies, I hardly introduced myself. My name is Yona, and I am Sidon's fiancée."
Link swallowed, heart dropping.
'Fiancee?' he signed, hands moving before he could think.
"You and Princess Zelda have been oh so busy, and this has been very sudden for us, but I apologize for not letting you know sooner. Truth be told, I thought dear Sidon would write you, I'll be sure to scold him later." She coyly smiled at him, and Link thought about how wonderful she seemed.
Someone worthy of Sidon's affections, he was sure. He ignored the way his heart dropped to his stomach, and the way his hands shook when he signed. They were friends that was all. His heart was acting funny in an attempt to give him a heart attack, or something of that nature. Ganon must have wriggled his way in there.
'It's an honor to meet you.'
"And you as well, hero of Hyrule. I'm so glad you've come to visit; I only regret that you must see us in this state," her eyes looked saddened, gazing upon the state of her people, "Sidon is hard at work at Mipha's court, keeping the water here as clean as he can."
Ah, that answered why he hadn't been greeted at his arrival. He felt a little lighter, knowing Sidon was fulfilling his duty and likely hadn't even known Link was here. He was always so diligent and ready to help when he needed to. Link wasn't sure he could be nearly as selfless as Sidon was, if he was due to lead his domain. He admired him.
Yona turned toward the sludge covered statue behind her, sighing, "Sidon was so very excited to show you the new statue, but it's been covered in the sludge that has been falling from the sky."
Link gazed up at the looming shape, chunks of the brown sludge dripping off of it. He grimaced, but reached into his bag, hoping to find what he was looking for. A green, condensation covered fruit founds its way into his hand, and he pulled out a splash fruit. In a swift motion, he tossed it at the statue.
The impact washed away the sludge, allowing for a clear look at the new statue. Yona and a guard alongside her jumped back in surprise, and Link took a step back. It was made in Sidon's liking, with a Hylian in Zora armor on the ice-Sidon's back. With Link on his back. The details were incredible, and he quickly shut his mouth when he realized it was slightly agape. He was a little embarrassed, to have himself in such clear view. That being said, he was pleased that he was thought so highly of.
"Oh- Link! You've cleaned the statue! I cannot thank you enough. You've hardly arrived here, and you've already proved a great help. Prince Sidon's praises were clearly not unfounded." She grasped his hands in hers again, beaming at him.
"If you wish to speak to Sidon, I encourage you to visit him at Mipha's court. You are no bother to his duties. But please, first make yourself at home. You are our most honored guest, and I want your visit to be as pleasant as possible."
'Thank you' he signed, slipping out of her grasp. Admittedly, he was too anxious to visit Sidon to stick around for too long before going up to see him. He turned to leave, but Yona's soft voice called out to him.
"Oh, and Link, I am repairing your Zora armor for you, I hope that can be a help to you. However, I will need one thing from you, if it's no trouble."
She explained her needs to him, and he nodded, thanking her again for spending the time to help him like she was. He made a mental note to return to the Great Sky Island when he could, having recalled seeing Ancient Arowana there. He turned to leave again; this time uninterrupted.
In his trip to Mipha's Court, Link thought about how he would greet Sidon. Part of him felt betrayed in a way, to have found out about his betrothal like this. He always felt they were close, closer than he was with any of the other Champions, and Sidon had always written him with important news about himself and the domain. He didn't understand how an engagement of all things could slip his mind. He grimaced, telling himself that it truly was a busy time for everyone. He hadn't visited, and if he had, perhaps he would've known sooner. He was selfish to feel entitled to know things at a moment’s notice.
He lifted himself up another ledge, thinking maybe he should have gotten the fish for Yona before making the trip here. He sighed, kicking a rock as he got back to his feet, and continued on. His thoughts drifted back toward the Zora he had just met. Yona was so lovely, clearly a wonderful fit for a queen and a wife. Sidon's wife. He felt a funny squeeze on his heart again, and his brain raced with thoughts of irritation and frustration. He had no right to feel as upset as he did, he knew. He should be happy for his best friend. He was getting married! If he shared news of a betrothal, he was sure the Zora prince would gather Link into his arms and show only the utmost excitement and pride for him. So why could he not do the same?
Too lost in thought, Link hardly noticed his arrival at the court. Guards were stationed at various points around the water, keeping an eye on anyone who might distract the prince.
"Ah, Link! Have you come to speak to the prince?" One guard said upon seeing him, a smile on his face. They'd met before, Link not quite recalling his name, but he nodded politely.
'If that's alright.'
"I do believe that-", the guard was cut off by a familiar voice.
"Link! My dearest companion!" Before he could react, a large body was barreling toward him, and strong arms wrapped around his torso. He was lifted off the ground and spun around. A small laugh slipped out, and he wrapped his comparably smaller arms around the Zora prince.
He was set back down, and Sidon was grinning wildly at him, "It's been far too long, I've been so hoping you would pay a visit, I've missed you terribly," his smile faltered slightly as he remembered what he was doing, "ah, I must keep cleansing these waters. But we can certainly continue to talk! I must hear everything about what you have been doing. I was so worried when I heard of your disappearance, and the princess's as well."
Link followed him back to his station, and watched as Sidon lifted his arms, a magic trailing from his fingertips, 'Zelda’s still missing.... but I'm okay, and I'm looking for her.' He paused, 'I missed you too.'
Sidon beamed at him again and looked him over as he continued his cleansing. A confused narrow of his eyes caught Link's attention, and he followed Sidon's gaze to his new arm.
'We found something underneath the castle. Some sealed away evil. I lost Zelda and my arm.' He grimaced, 'the founding king of Hyrule saved me, as weird as that sounds. This is his arm. It doesn't hurt or anything, just looks weird. And gives me some cool abilities.'
Sidon nodded, in vague understanding, "Nevertheless, I am so happy that you are okay, Link, I have not felt a moment of peace while waiting for word on you."
Link ignored the way his stomach churned, like a nest of butterflies had made its home within it.
'And you? What have you been doing?'
"Well, before the sludge became as prevalent as it is, I had a new statue put up. Did you see it? I am ever so proud of it; I made sure the builders got every detail right. I could not bear for an unworthy statute for something so important to me." For you, went unspoken, as if it was on the tip of the prince's tongue.
Sidon cleared his throat, continuing, "and.... I am to be married as well."
And there was the squeeze again, either for no reason, or a reason Link dare not entertain. Again, he concluded that it must be Ganon. A poor attempt at snuffing him out ahead of time. Link could easily pay no mind to it.
Still, he felt a little downtrodden, ‘Yona. I met her, she's nice. I'm glad you found someone who makes you happy, Sidon.' Link made no eye contact, instead choosing to train his eyes on their reflections in the water.
"Yes, she is lovely. She will make a great queen," a wistful smile adorned his features, not quite reaching his eyes, "she does make me happy. She is so very supportive and truly is all I could ask for."
A stretch of silence settled between them, Link's eyes still trained on their reflections, and Sidon searching for the right words.
"I am grateful she is by my side. She is... a very, very good companion."
Companion echoed in Link's ears, and he gazed at Sidon with a slight feeling of confusion. Why say companion when referring to who would soon be his wife?
'Companion?'
He lowered his voice, to a level that only Link could hear, "Truthfully, a romance has not bloomed between us yet. I... am sure it will, with time. I do not know why my heart has restraints."
Link knew the Zora well enough by now to know that he was holding something back but chose not to ask anything further. Perhaps it was because he was so used to being the center of Sidon's attention, as his best friend, but the topic of the marriage was becoming too much for Link to hear of. He didn't pry any further for fear of his stomach continuing to churn.
There was something gnawing at him, at the edges, an unresolved and unacknowledged longing. For what, Link refused to even think about. He couldn't.
'I understand.'
"...It really is so good to see you, my dearest hero. A weight has been lifted off of me." Sidon smiled, “forgive me, however, but I assume you are here for more than a visit.”
'I'm really happy to see you too, Sidon.' Link looked back up at him, ‘...but yes, I came looking for word on Zelda, if you have any. And to help with the sludge.’
Sidon’s expression turned grim, “We saw the Princess, Link, but I fear she was acting quite strange. Nothing like the Zelda I’ve come to value as a friend. It was almost as if… she were helping to cause our domain this distress. Ah- not that I believe she ever would do such a thing, but that is why I am doubtful of what we saw.”
Link nodded, chewing at his lip. News remained scarce and worrying, as every sighting of Zelda had implied that she was working with that sealed evil. Link doubted it was her at all, nothing of the supposed Zelda they saw acted like his Zelda.
Sidon continued, “And thank you for offering your help. I cannot refuse it, as I understand we are in need of an extra set of hands,” his voice went soft, “you are truly the noblest person I know.”
Link felt his face grow warm, ‘thanks.'
The pause between the next sentence went on for a moment too long, and Sidon spoke up,
“Let’s discuss a plan of action, yes?”