Seashells | BotW

Chapter 20 -

T.w.
Mention of Death
Blood
Explosions
Burn Scars

3rd person POV

Link and Zelda stayed with the Zora at Lurelin Village for quite some time, with Link going out and checking in on everyone else in Hyrule every once in a while. He had helped completely rebuild Gerudo Town and helped it's residents with their injuries and other things they needed.

Sidon still hadn't recovered from his depressive episode, but Link helped him as best as he could. He would bring him food throughout the day, tell him stories, and stay with him during the nighttime. Eventually, Sidon started coming out of his hut and interacting with the others for the first time since he'd heard of his father's death, but he was very low on energy.

Every day, when Link would try and talk to Sidon, it was always the same interaction.

"Are you alright?" Link would ask him.

"I'm fine," Sidon would say.

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, Link, I'm fine. You don't always have to worry about me. Worry about the other Zora, about Zelda, about yourself; worry about people who are worth worrying about."

And then Sidon would refuse to listen to Link when he told Sidon that he was worth worrying about, and the conversation would end.

Eventually Sidon got sad again, and he spent most of his time in his hut. Link would hear him crying from his own hut, and he would go and check on him.

"Hey, Sidon.." he smiled, opening the wooden door with one hand. "Are, uh... do- do you want.. something? ..to make you feel better?" Sidon shook his head and wiped his eyes. He was laying down on his bed, wrapped up in a thin blanket and curled into a loose ball.

"No, I'm okay," he replied quietly.

"You don't sound okay," Link said, sitting down next to Sidon on his bed, holding a few cooked fish. "I can hear you crying." Sidon buried his face in his pillow and squeezing it. "..I brought you some food, in case you were hungry." Sidon sat up next to Link and took one of the fish.

"Thank you," he said, taking a bite. Link set the rest of the fish on a flat-topped wooden chest next to Sidon's bed. "You don't want any?" Sidon asked him. Link shook his head.

"No," he said simply. "I don't have much of an appetite." Sidon hummed and continued eating. He knew Link was lying, but he also knew he couldn't get him to eat even it he tried. Sidon finished eating his fish and leaned back against the smooth wall.

"Thank you, Link," he said again. "Goddesses above, what did I do to deserve you?" Link smiled.

"What didn't you do?" Link smiled. "You're a good person. You're sweet, and kind, and you help people."

"Yes, but you saved the world," Sidon said. "So, clearly you've done more than I have." Link sighed and hugged Sidon's arm.

"You helped me."

"You still saved everyone you love from Calamity Ganon."

"Yeah, this time." Link frowned. "I couldn't save them before. That's why all the other Champions are gone. That's why your sister is gone." Sidon pushed Link away from the hug and frowned at him.

"Link," he said firmly. "Look at me. Their deaths were not your fault. You were barely standing, how were you supposed to save them!?" Link paused, looking at the ground.

"..I don't know." He wiped his eyes, and Sidon pulled him into another tight hug. "Can I sleep in here with you tonight?" He asked. Sidon nodded.

"Of course you can, Seashell."

Link pulled away from the hug and Sidon layed down on the bed. Link layed down next to him, and Sidon wrapped his arms around Link, his stomach against Link's back. Link smiled contentedly.

"I'm sorry," Link said. "I was supposed to come in here and make you feel better, not the other way around." Sidon squeezed him tighter.

"But I'm okay with this," he said, half asleep. Link smiled and closed his eyes, drifting into sleep.

They woke up from a sudden boom outside. They both shot up in the bed, panicked. Link threw on his Hylian Hood, Tunic and pants. He would have worn his Champion's Tunic, but he lost it when the Blood Moon revived him, and he didn't know where it was. He assumed it had been destroyed. They rushed out the door to see what the boom sound was. Zelda was already outside.

"What happened?" Link asked her, his voice trembling.

"I don't know," she said. "I heard a sound and came outside. I think it came from behind there." She pointed up to the rock structure, like a small mountain, where the Shrine that Link used to travel to the village was. He looked up and the sky was a soft red color.

"Is it a Blood Moon?" He asked. Zelda shook her head.

"No. It's morning." She walked to the stone and hesitated before stepping up onto them. "I'm going up to see what that was," she said. Link ran up next to her.

"I'm going with you, then," he said. Zelda scoffed, but allowed him to come with her.

They climbed to the top of the stone, eventually out of view. Sidon stood at the bottom, tapping his foot anxiously. He heard more booms and saw small, red explosions above the rocks. He began to panic and contemplated going up with them. The idea quickly left his head when he saw Link's and Zelda's silhouettes running back towards the village. Another red explosion boomed behind them, pushing them forward. They tumbled forward down the jaged rocks.

Sidon ran to the base of the rocks, catching them as they reached the bottom. Zelda had blood on her face and torso, while Link had a few cuts and scratches on his body, as well as a small burn scar on his stomach. Zelda was unconscious. Sidon panicked more.

"Are you and Zelda alright?" Sidon asked Link.

"I'm fine," he replied, standing up. "I don't know about Zelda."

"What was up there?" Sidon asked, breathing heavily. Link took a deep breath and exhaled sharply, unsheathing the Master Sword.

"Calamity Ganon."