"Witness the flood of Vah Ruta's wrath!"

Both the top and bottom rows of the Zora Prince's stiletto-shaped teeth were proudly on display as he let out a depraved cackle. With a quick flick of his wrist, the central control lever for Vah Ruta was snapped backward, and the divine beast's mechanical trunk whipped upward, releasing a furious dam of water.

The Zora noble's behavioral shift toward destruction was a stark contrast to the royal, whom you had witnessed sipping tea from dainty porcelain. After flushing away a mob of guardians as if they were ants down a drain, he settled into his normal jovial demeanor.

"Well, now, where are we, Y/N? That had to be a solid 100 there, don't you think?"

"Uh, Sidon..." You weren't sure how he expected you to continue tallying the number of demolished guardians beneath Vah Ruta's vengeful tsunami that was swallowing the surrounding fields.

He turned to you and frowned. "You lost count?"

In that moment, you knew two things resolutely. You were in love with Link. Which, duh. And the second scrap of your infinite wisdom was that you were not in love with seeing Sidon's frown. The sight of it aimed in your direction made you feel as if you had received an F on a test, leaving you only with disappointment within yourself. "I may be off, but, uh, maybe 101 guardians?" You lied through gritted teeth.

He redirected Vah Ruta close to the moat, stamping on some rogue guardians that were scampering around the mechanized elephant's pads.

Strategically speaking, Sidon was in charge of protecting the north part of the castle, which also served as an advantage for Vah Ruta, as access to the moat was easiest from the castle's front gate. He had been able to bend the water to his every whim like a true champion. Refilling when necessary and sending lethal currents to drown out the onslaught of guardians trying to break through the northern barriers.

An uncomfortable silence settled between you both, along with a tinge of something unfamiliar in Sidon's faraway gaze. His oblong pupils were blurred by a slight mist of dormant tears.

Just as quick as they appeared, they vanished thanks to a swift blink of his eyes. "Sidon?"

He looked at you.

"Mipha would be proud, you know?"

"Y/N, thank you. That means more than you would know. I was only a mere pup when she met her untimely demise by the evil known as "Waterblight Ganon" that possessed Vah Ruta. I spent years following in her fins, hoping to be even a fraction of the pilot she was."

"Well, I would say you aren't a fraction of a pilot. You're a whole pilot. A well-deserved successor and champion. I could never do what you're doing now." You said every word with as much sincerity as you could muster. Which wasn't hard after watching the Zora in action on the battlefield. You knew Link's choice was more than just because Sidon was his friend; it was because he was also, in many ways, like Link himself, an emotionally ravaged soldier trying his best to make everyone proud of him.

But most importantly, he was trying to be proud of himself.

"Well, you are quite charming. It is not hard to see why Link has set his sights on you. And of course, you are lovely for a Hylian." Sidon laughed out loud; the sound of it erased the unalloyed essence of his compliment.

He took his fin, as he had when you were in Zora's domain with him and coddled you closer behind the control panel. "S-Sidon, what are you-"

"I'm going to teach you how to be a divine beast pilot."

"No, I could never-"

"Y/N." Sidon placed you in front of him, his webbed hand showcasing the many controls before you. "Link is doing his part. We must do our part. Not just for Hyrule, but for Link, the one who never gives up fighting for us. Wouldn't you agree?"

Mentioning Link was always going to be your ace in the hole. With a surrendering sigh, you gave him a shrewd nod as a response.

"Have faith in yourself. Surely, you are not the same girl as you were before you met Link."

You knew Sidon was right. That girl never would have dreamed of fighting moblins. Or stabbing a lynel. Or protecting the queen against a trio of guardians.

She also never would have dreamed she would fall in love with a hero. Twice.

"Tell me what I should know."

Beside you, Sidon's grin enveloped his face with its normal enchantment. "Haha, that's the spirit. That spirit is what makes you a champion! Now then-" He tapped the screen on the uppermost right, where a bar flashed in a bright, glaring green. "That is Vah Ruta's water reservoir; it is full. This meter must always remain full; letting it run even a quarter of the way to empty is too risky, especially in the crucial fight we are engaged in now."

He took your hand and laid it on the lever he was controlling earlier. "When you push this backward, Vah Ruta's trunk will unleash streaming jets of water and flip upward. Push it forward to control her movements."

You pushed the lever forward, hearing the divine beast cry with a resounding renewal of life as she began to slowly stomp ahead.

"On the battle screen, to our left, is an incoming horde; see how it is flashing red? Shift Ruta's lever in that direction; once we approach, you will snap it backward, and we will attack. You can do this, Y/N. I have faith in you."

As you directed Vah Ruta toward the incoming invasion of guardians, you thought of Link.

How was he doing? Was the deity possessing him? Or was he somewhere in there, waiting for you to call his name?

Waiting for you to set him free, the way he had set you free when he claimed you on top of Mt.Ploymus.

With the grating screech of rusted iron and metal, you directed Vah Ruta to stop and quickly snapped the lever backward.

You watched as a mesmerizing display of water trickled down the command screen, and you saw guardians swimming in a whirlpool of ruin. You squealed with delight, as if you were a toddler who just went potty for the first time.

"I did it!" You clapped.

Sidon patted your back. "Of course you did, friend. Don't sell yourself short."

The screen flashed, with another surge of red coming in from the right. You forced the lever in the direction of the next unsuspecting guardians, ready to be annihilated. You made sure to carefully monitor the water reservoir gauge with each attack.

You found yourself enjoying your killing spree entirely too much, understanding then why Sidon took such glee in slaughtering earlier. The feeling behind controlling the divine beast was one of sheer empowerment.

"Now I know why you were laughing so maniacally; this is quite fun!" You blurted out, instantly covering your mouth after the words left your lips.

"Maniacally? Why, my laugh is the pride of the Zora! To hear it is like hearing the legendary Ruta herself sing a song." Before Sidon could continue to defend himself, the normal fixations of his one-track mind caught up to him, and he responded ruefully, "Well, gosh, perhaps you are right, Y/N." He flexed a slick, red bicep in your direction. "Maybe my laugh is not the pearl of the domain, but my muscles. This calls for a vote from my people when I return."

"Sidon—a possible apocalypse right now. Let's focus." You admonished him with a playful swat.

As you continued to crush any guardians that dared approach the north gate, you were both lulled into a harmonious shift of focus. That was, until you heard a voice you hadn't heard for some time.

"Go to him."

"Y/N, on the right, another group is approaching." Sidon ordered casually.

"Go to him." You let go of the lever and brought your hands to your ears. You squeezed your head, trying to muffle the voice of the hero of time, but it did no good.

His voice only grew louder. And more frantic.

"Y/N! Go to him!"

"Y/N? To the right! Y/N!!!" Sidon shouted, pushing you aside and regaining control of the lever.

"S-S-Sidon," you stammered. "Link. He needs me."

You jolted forward, seizing Link's shield and a bow, as Sidon called after you.

"Y/N! You mustn't leave Vah Ruta! You'll die out there! Y/N!!!!" Sidon stood, staring at you, and then at the control panel, conflicted. He couldn't abandon Vah Ruta; doing so would mean the guardians would infiltrate the north gate and enter the castle.

By going after you, he would be letting down the other champions and the queen.

By not going after you, he was letting down Link and himself.

"Oh, Y/N, friend, I hope for your sake, you make it to Link."

He returned his attention to the looming invasion of more guardians to the northwest.

As you made your way outside of Vah Ruta, you were nestled in the area of the divine beast that was considered the rear. You looked beneath you to see guardians flitting in all directions; water that had invaded their mechanical systems caused them to spark, and electricity currents glowed around you like fireflies.

You glanced upward at the crumbled hoarding of the castle where Majora had entered. You could see flashes, each one the color of a bruise against the orange-soaked sky. You tried to look into the window that remained intact to see if you could see Majora or Link hovering about.

But the only thing you saw was a rinse of blood dripping down its pane.

"Link! I'm coming!" You hollered, jumping off of Vah Ruta and into the electric river beneath you.

The time had finally come. It was no longer Link coming to save you, but you were going to save Link.

Edited: 7/2/24