I whirl at Sidon’s shout, and draw steel. A huge, black-skinned Moblin with an enormous cudgel made from most of a tree-trunk approaches, drooling, its tongue lolling from its long, narrow snout. Four quick cuts, and it’s down, poofing into thick purplish smoke. By the time I look back to see if the prince is still there, he’s gone, the only sign of disturbance on the water the unceasing rain and the occasional fish.

I shrug and resume hiking. Hopefully there’ll be somewhere I can rest in Zora’s Domain that’s DRY. I’m likely to catch a cold in this!

By the time the bridge into Zora’s Domain stands before me, I’m soaked through, shivering, cold, and miserable. "Th-th-this i-i-isss n-n-not f-f-f-fu-fun!”

I try to keep my teeth from chattering as I cross the bridge, hating every minute of this. “I want a fire, I want hot soup, and I want to never see a raindrop ever agaaaaaiiinnn!”

 

Waiting at the end of the bridge is prince Sidon. I sweep my rain-matted hair out of my eyes, thankful that Zel sprang for the waterproof mascara. My cheeks must be red from cold, and I can’t feel my fingertips.

“Whoa! I’ve been waiting for you, Linka!”

Sidon pumps his fist in front of his chest and gives another glinting smile.

“Welcome! Behold the pride of my people, Zora’s Domain! Now I shall introduce you to the king. Hurry, this way!”

 

As he gestures, I can feel my dreams of a warm fire and a hot meal evaporate. Sighing, I straighten, adjusting my skirt and wiping streams of rainwater from my face.

“As you command, your highness. I am your loyal servant in this matter…”

I follow the Zora prince into the city, the flowing, aquatic-esque architecture gleaming. In my opinion, it’s probably a lot more magnificent when you’re not freezing to death and making a concerted effort to resemble a drowned cat.

 

At the top of two flights of stairs and a plaza, is the king. An absolutely colossal Zora, so big that he towers over even his own son, who’s no small-fry himself at around seven feet, but the king must be twice that, eclipsing Sidon effortlessly. I approach as Sidon smiles at me. Another, rather irritable-looking Zora with a hunched back and a general air of discontent stands opposite the prince.

The king speaks, his voice a deep boom.

“Ah. You must be the Hylian that Sidon brought here, correct? You did well to come all the way here! I am King Dorephan, ruler of the Zora.”

I curtsey deeply, clenching my teeth and trying to smile.

“It is… an honour to be granted an audience… with you, your majesty. I am at your service.”

The king’s eyes flick down to my waist.

“Hmm? That object upon your belt… is that not a Sheikah Slate?! HMM?!”

He studies me intently, and I feel a creeping sense of dread.

“Now that I have gotten a good look at you, it is all too clear who you were. You were the Hylian Champion! Do you still use the name you once did, or have you another that I might use?”

I sigh, exhaling in relief. “I am Linka now, your majesty.”

Sidon interjects, sharp teeth on display as his mouth hangs open momentarily.

“The Hylian Champion? You can’t mean THAT Champion? THE ONE from a hundred years ago?! So that’s why your name sounded similar! What a fateful coincidence that we should cross paths!”

King Dorephan chuckles. “I cannot believe it. The Hylian Champion, Linka, has appeared before us… We have met numerous times, I’ll have you know. Ah… so many memories… my mind is overflowing with nostalgia, my friend! I had heard a terrible rumour that you had fallen in combat, but it appears you managed to survive. As expected, truly extraordinary!”

I look down, sadly.

“My apologies, your majesty, but… the rumours were true. I was brought down in battle, defending princess Zelda… she managed to arrange for me to undergo a restorative slumber that healed my body, but at the cost of my memories. I have only recently awoken and made many journeys across the length and breadth of the land, seeking to regain as much as I could of my past life. I have remembered much, but most of my old identity may be lost forever….”

The king of the Zora straightens. “Come again? You say you have lost your memories? But surely you must remember my precious daughter, Mipha, yes? You DO, do you not?” the look on his face is one fraught with kindness and concern. I nod, slowly.

 

“I… I remember a little. I’m friends with her, from ages ago. I came here on special orders to train some of your troops in Hylian combat styles, and we met then. She’s someone I’ve been desperate to see again, so I can ask her what kind of person I was…”

The king bows his head. “Do you see that statue? Does gazing upon Mipha’s immortalized form not jog your memory, Linka?”

I step away for but a moment to look, but from the distance we’re at in comparison, it’s hard to tell. I shake my head in disappointment. “Not yet, your majesty…”

He sighs. “Well, perhaps your memory will return in time. I dearly hope so.”

Sidon looks up at his father.

“Father… I do not believe discussing my sister is helping matters at the moment. Our friend Linka seems confused.”

The king raises his mighty head. “Hm? Oh, yes, of course. But first, it is worth noting how remarkable it is that Sidon brought a Champion here without realising it! That is quite a feat, my boy! Wah ha ha! Quite a feat indeed!”

 

He fixes me with a warm, open gaze.

“Linka, I doubt not that you have endured a great many trials. Still, I must ask you to hear my plea. Now then… Heroine, I must inform you that Zora’s Domain is in danger of vanishing because of Divine Beast Vah Ruta. I shall do you the courtesy of speaking bluntly. We alone cannot stop this beast. Will you lend us your strength?”

The hunchbacked, irascible Zora flaps his fins in outrage. “What?! King Dorephan! My liege! Please do not speak so! To ask a Hylian for help… why, the very thought of it curls my fins!”

The mighty king looks down at his subordinate.

“Muzu, I expected more of you. How can you still protest?”

Sidon’s shoulders seem to broaden.

“Muzu! It is rude to speak that way to your king and his quest! Linka is here because I invited her! With such unprecedented rainfall, we have no choice but to rely on the aid of a trustworthy Hylian. Have we not discussed this and arrived at that very conclusion? She is the key to saving Zora’s Domain. I have no doubt in my mind.”

The king nods.

“Indeed! Linka is a Champion, through and through. As things now stand, Zora’s Domain… Nay! Perhaps all of Hyrule is doomed to be swallowed by the sea. This matter is bigger than all of us, my friend. Zora and Hylians alike must put aside our differences and band together!”

 

Balling his hands into fists, the ancient Zora shakes in rage. “Have you forgotten already, my king?! We cannot trust these lowly Hylians! A hundred years ago, they abused the power of an ancient civilization and turned Hyrule into what it is today! And that is not the least of it!”

His rage dissipates into a deep melancholy.

“It is their fault that Lady Mipha was lost to us…”

The ruler of the Zora stays silent, before turning to me.

“Linka… Divine Beast Vah Ruta has great power. It has the unique ability to create an endless supply of water. Of late, it has been mercilessly spouting water into the air. As a result, this area has been plagued by heavy rains. For us Zora, water and air are as one, so you would not think this to be quite so critical of a problem. Sadly, the rains have filled the eastern reservoir nearly to the point of flooding. If the reservoir bursts, as it soon will, I fear immense damage will befall not only Zora’s Domain, but also the area downstream from us. There, Hylian lives are in very grave danger.”

A trumpeting sound breaks the relative silence. The king blinks slowly. “There… the Divine Beast is crying out once again…”

Once the sound fades, King Dorephan rests a hand on his chin.

“The Divine Beast Vah Ruta… your princess, Zelda, often studied the Divine Beasts. That is, in the time before the Great Calamity. According to her research, the orbs located on Ruta’s shoulders are mechanisms that can control the water it generates. However, they require electricity to work. These orbs are clearly out of control now because there is no electricity coursing through to stop them.”

Sidon adds, “Seggin, who is quite shock-resistant for a Zora, hit one with a shock arrow. Sure enough, it slowed the water a bit. Unfortunately, as an aquatic race, we Zora are terribly vulnerable to the power of electricity. Perhaps because we could not safely strike it with enough at once, the water soon returned to its full force.”

He makes the same fist-pump-and-twinkling-smile gesture again.

“That is why I went in search of a Hylian who could help us! Linka, I am certain you have already figured this out, but… we need you to wield shock arrows in order to get those orbs working properly again! I will aid you in any way I can, of course.  Please, heroine… I beg of you. Help me bring Ruta’s rampage to an end!”

I brush a strand of hair behind my right ear.

“Um… I actually have a confession. The princess Zelda has been speaking to me through some sacred power. She has instructed me to do exactly that. She wants me to enter each of the Divine Beasts and appease them from within. I have already succeeded with the Divine Beast, Vah Medoh.”

The Zora king leans forward eagerly. “So then… Princess Zelda is still alive?”

I nod. “Yes, in Hyrule Castle.”

King Dorephan settles back. “I do not believe it… she was alive this whole time, just as you were! The events of one hundred years ago cannot be altered, it is true. But if we can regain command of the Divine Beasts… they may yet prove useful in sealing Calamity Ganon once and for all!”

 

Sidon claps his fins. “I did not know you had such grand ambitions, Linka… wondrous! Naturally, I shall help, too!” his habitual glint-and-fist-pump gesture comes quickly, and I can’t help but smile.

“Once it has stopped rampaging, you can easily climb inside it. Come, Linka! Let us appease Ruta together!”

I nod. “I’m in. Let’s do this!”

King Dorephan bows his head. “Thank you, Linka. Truly. We are in your debt. Our goals are the same. That means our reunion was nothing short of destiny.”

He gestures. “Now, then. Allow me to offer you this gift as a show of faith.”

He lays a suit of armour in my hands.

“So long as you wear this, you can ascend waterfalls just like a Zora! Please, take good care of it.”

 

Muzu shrieks, “King Dorephan!! Surely you do not really intend to give this outsider the Zora armour! Countless generations of Zora princesses have gifted a set of that armour to the one they have sworn to marry! Princess Mipha made that set there with her own hands! It is far too important to entrust to a shady Hylian!”

 

He shoots a filthy look at me. “She… may be a Champion, but Mipha had no such relationship with… her.  So why should… she… receive such an honour?! This is just too much, my liege! I do not understand it, one bit!”

He stalks off in a huff.

 

The king sighs. “Hmph. That Muzu is not easily swayed once his mind is set. You must understand… he was in charge of educating my dear daughter, Mipha. Naturally, she means a lot to him. Just as she means the world to us. Ever since we lost her to the Calamity, he has grown to despise Hylians. I hope you can forgive his rudeness. Hmm, but… what shall we do now? I tasked Muzu with finding the shock arrows we will need to appease Vah Ruta. But now he has rushed off in a huff…”

Sidon steps forward. “Linka! Do not let his words concern you. I will work this out with Muzu. I shall return shortly!”

 He sprints off as his father sighs. “Sidon… I suppose that means you are going to tell him…”

He looks over at me. “Linka… Muzu is most likely at the square down below. Would you mind going down there? I would like you to try to speak with him…”