Seashells | BotW

Chapter 7 -

T.w.
Blood
Scars/Burn Scars
Mention of Death
Hitting

3rd Person POV

Link and Sidon returned to the Zora's Domain via Sheikah Slate. They both walked to the Inn together so they could heal up a little bit. Sidon was fine for the most part, only needing a bandage around his arm. Link, on the other hand, had a few deeper wounds on his body. There was a burn scar he'd gotten from the electricity of the Shock Arrow that hit his arm, the blunt force damage from being flung in the air and landing on hard dirt when he came back down, and bruises all over his body, with one particularly large bruise on his stomach from the Lynel landing on top of him.

"How's your arm?" Link asked Sidon, who was sitting on the same bed next to him.

"It's okay," he responded.

"That'll probably leave a scar, y'know."

"I know. Your's will, too."

Link looked down at his hands, fidgeting with his fingers. "I know.."

"Are you alright?" Sidon asked him. Link nodded.

"Yeah," he began. "I'm just not a huge fan of my scars."

"Why not?"

"I.." he frowned. "They remind me of my failures. Each scar is the result of a failure; some kind of injury I got because I wasn't fighting well enough or because I let my guard down or because I got cocky and fought something I wasn't strong enough to fight." Sidon gently put his hand on Link's bandaged shoulder and pulled him closer and into a hug.

"Well," Sidon smiled, "I think they're cool. They're like the groves in a seashell. They make it different and beautiful." Link smiled at the remark and blush lightly spread across his cheeks. "You're a beautiful seashell."

"Are y- Are you hungry?" Link asked him, trying to change the subject so he wouldn't get flustered. "Or anything? I can go get you something."

"Some food would be nice," Sidon smiled. Link stood up, put his Champion's Tunic on and walked out to the general store next to the Inn, where he began making some fish dishes for him and Sidon to eat while their injuries healed.

"Oh, hello, Link," he heard a raspy, salty voice say from behind him. He sighed and turned towards the old Zora that he unfortunately recognized immediately.

"Hello, Muzu," he said, not caring about how much joy he sounded like he was feeling. He continued to cook food for him and the slightly injured prince. "What is it?"

"Would you mind kindly explaining to me why you and Sidon returned to the Zora's Domain covered with blood?" He asked.

"We were not covered with blood," Link politely corrected the elder. "And it was mostly Lynel's blood anyway. I went back up to Ploymus Mountain to defeat that Lynel, Sidon followed me, I was injured, and Sidon insisted that he would help me fight it." Muzu scoffed.

"I don't believe that one bit," he scolded. "Sidon's not a fighter; the last battle he was in was with that mountain-sized Octoroc a while ago." Link shrugged.

"Well, he helped me fight that Lynel," he added. "And we won." He lifted the plates of food, one in each hand, and began walking back to the Inn. "Excuse me." He suddenly felt Muzu's small, boney hand grab his wrist and roughly pull him closer, causing the plate of food to slip out of that hand and onto the floor, shattering it.

"You're already the cause of Lady Mipha's death," Muzu growled angrily at Link. "Do you really wish to be the cause of the Princes death as well?" Link pulled his hand away from Muzu's grip.

"No," he replied simply. He knelt down to pick up the broken plate and fish mess off of the smooth, wet marble floor. "And, with all due respect, please don't grab my hand like that." Muzu growled again, striking Link across the face. Link gasped and felt a trickle of blood drip down from his nose. He let out a shakey exhale and looked back up at Muzu, who was now standing tall over him.

"You will not be the cause of Prince Sidon's death," Muzu scowled at Link. "I've been speaking with the other elders, and we will see to it that Hylians are forbidden from entering the Domain for any reason." He walked away. Link scoffed and wiped the blood from his nose, annoyed now. He finished picking up the mess of the floor, with the help of Kodah, and she helped him make another plate of fish. He thanked her, and she walked him back to the Inn to make sure no more 'inconveniences' happened on his way back.

"Hey, Link!" Sidon smiled, seeing his friend again. "You were taking a long time, and I was beginning to worry about you." His smile disappeared when he saw the red mark on Link's cheek. "What happened?" He asked, the concern in his voice was clear. "Are you alright?" Link nodded.

"I'm fine," he said, handing Sidon his food. "Muzu struck me, and I spelled your food. That's what made me take longer than I wanted to; I had to make more." He decided not to mention Muzu wanting to ban Hylians from the Domain. Sidon gasped aloud.

"He struck you!?" He asked, surprised and angry. "As in, he hit you!?" Link nodded, and Sidon growled quietly.

"He said he didn't want me to be the cause of your death like I was with Mipha's," Link frowned, sitting on the bed next to Sidon. Sidon's expression softened.

"You really believe that you caused my sister to die?" He asked Link, who nodded again. "That wasn't your fault, no matter what Muzu or any of the other elders say to you. That was entirely the fault of the Calamity." He pulled Link into a hug.

"..Muzu said he was talking to the other elders," Link frowned, "and that he wanted to forbid any Hylians from entering the Domain. Is he allowed to do that?" Sidon squeezed Link tighter.

"None of the laws they decide on can be carried out unless they get mine, or my Father's, confirmation," Sidon said. "Don't worry, Link. I will speak with Muzu as well as my Father about this matter. While I'm at it, ilI will talk to the medic and see how long it will take for you to be able to leave." He pulled away from the hug and finished eating his food before he stood up to leave.

The weight of fear was lifted off of his shoulders when Sidon left to talk to Muzu. He didn't want his law to go through. We wanted, more than anything, to be able to see Sidon again.