Sink or Swim|Link/Sidon Fanfiction

Chapter Five: Mipha's Grace

"Link, you must rest. Price Sidon is being tended to, he's in good hands. As are you, so please, try to get some sleep in. You were incredibly wounded, the last thing we need is for you to push yourself even further." Though Zelda speaks, I barely hear a single word of logic to her tone. Perhaps it's because I'm reckless, or I have far too much compassion for others. Either way, Sidon risked his life to protect me, so the least I can do is pay my respects to the courageous prince of the Zora.

Yet, no matter how much I try to struggle or move, I find the pain far too immense to even allow me to sit up, the agony that throbs from my wound practically paralysing me in place. Speaking of, if my body hadn't have frozen up in front of that Lynel mere hours ago, none of this would've happened. I don't know what got into me; I just... Couldn't move. Perhaps it has something to do with the splotches of darkness forming incoherent symbols on my skin. Formed of pure malice, it would not come as a surprise to realise that they just may be trying to introduce me to my demise.

"Princess, leave him to me, yes? With all due respect, you seem tired yourself. You may rest up whilst I tend to Master Link," the Zora doctor assigned to care for me murmurs with a kind hint to her voice, offering Zelda as much of a smile as she's able to muster. She knows the outlook is bleak, and that recovery is going to be a long and painful process. But, as with everybody in Zelda's life, she's trying to soften the blow of that horrible truth.

And, though she hesitates, eventually, Zelda gives her one bob of her head, offering a glance in my direction. All I'm able to do is give her a weak twitch of my lips, despite how difficult it is to withhold a scowl from possessing my features. The pain is immense, more than I've had the displeasure of experiencing in an extremely long time. But she doesn't have to know that.

"I'll come to see you when I have slept. Rest, Link, you deserve it," she whispers before coyly sweeping out of the room, clearly before she's able to change her mind. Once she's gone, I finally allow my face to twist into a knot of pain, a groan leaking from my lungs in the form of a pitiful whine. How could I have allowed this to happen? How could I have been so ridiculously reckless? Maybe, deep down, I was trying to prove myself to Sidon. That, despite my journey being over, my strength has not yet faltered. And look how brilliantly that turned out- winding us both up in a medical bay, clinging to a faint memory of when everything wasn't basked in pain.

"The pain will continue the more you allow yourself to remain conscious. I will leave you to sleep, and I will politely ask that you don't move from your bed for any reason. Doing so could injure you even further, Master Link," the doctor explains, settling my Sheikah Slate down beside me, tucking her hands neatly behind her back. "I trust you will put your faith in our doctors to revive our beloved prince," she adds before finally leaving me alone, a sinking pit of emptiness forming withing me.

Revive? As in bring back? As in he's-

Catching a sharp gasp, bolting up without thinking, I can't help but grit my teeth to hold in a scream of pain once I realise my mistake. But my own agony doesn't matter; Sidon isn't just unconscious. His heart must have stopped working altogether. This can't happen, I can't let him die! Not after all he has done for me; not after he threw himself in front of that arrow to save my skin. Gripping the side of my bed, grunting a touch, I shakily ease myself to my feet with trembling knees, eyes squeezed shut to prevent me letting out the gasps that are desperate to break free. He has to live. He has to!

So, going against all orders, I slowly but surely stumble towards where Sidon is being treated, having to pause every few steps in order to regain my breath, my heart struggling to keep up. Some hero I am, failing to protect the ones I care for. Even if I never could've predicted that he would do such a thing. Nonetheless, he is injured because of my failure to defeat that Lynel sooner. Therefore, no matter what it may do to me, I must get to him. I have to see him.

Though it causes me pain, and though it's insanely difficult, I finally manage to drag my pathetic excuse of a body into his room, flinching back at the sheer number of doctors swarming him in clusters that're almost impossible to see through. But I do, my eyes gazing upon his form, the rich colour of his burgundy skin having dipped in hue, extremely pale and fading. This can't be. He can't be facing such a fate, all because of me. If only Mipha were still here to lend me her power, perhaps I could do something to save him.

And that's when it happens, all in a flurry. Without warning, a thick, cascading light swirls around my form, green in its delicate shade, tendrils of water seeping into my wounds and healing them upon contact. Of course, it's enough to draw eyes to me, gasps of awe emanating from the Zora doctors as they find themselves transfixed by this torrent of emerald liquid, the caress of the water summoned from what seems to be nowhere suddenly looping itself around Sidon.

Bit by bit, the droplets seem to cure his paleness, colour dappling back to his form like teardrops upon a wound, each new sweep of life causing his chest to suddenly start rising and falling again, his gills stuttering with vitality. Once it's over, his golden eyes cracking open with a groggy flutter to their glaze, the light fades as quickly as it appeared, my skin humming with its brilliance before it's erased completely.

"L-Link?" Sidon croaks, fingers twitching a little the closer I approach, a soft, caring smile tickling my lips, my hand curling around his. Mipha... Thank you.

~

Link. Sidon. It is my pleasure.

~

A/N

I know it's been a while, and I'm sorry about that. But I got a budgie/parakeet recently so my attention has gone towards making sure he gets to know me etc, so PLEASE FORGIVE ME. And no, Sidon isn't dead, I'm not that cruel!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, and the Mipha feels at the end, bc I swear I love this story far too much to stop writing it. I know the chapters are short, but that means I can write them faster.

(This is also in an alternate ending where the spirits of the champions never faded, just to explain why Mipha is still there and able to use her power to heal and revive)

Anyhoo, I'll hopefully have the next chapter ready soon <3

Until then n.n