The Legend of Zelda - Tears of the Kingdom - Tears of Light and Darkness

King

Link and Sidon paused their story to finish the last of the fruit. As they enjoyed the moment, young Josha, eager to hear more of their adventures, asked curiously if they were done with their tale.

"Oh, no, not yet," Link replied with a smile. "We still have a lot to share. We've been through so much together."

"Yes!" Sidon added, his eyes shining. "At that point, we hadn't reached the Water Temple yet, but at least we had a solid lead. So I took Link to the source of the light, right in the middle of the eastern reservoir, so he could investigate further."

"Yes..." Sidon murmured, his gaze darkening, touched with a hint of melancholy. "It was hard not being able to accompany him on that part of the adventure. I would have liked to be by his side, but the domain needed me. The sludge in the reservoir was getting worse, and I had to deal with it. So, while he explored the ancient temple, I couldn't stop turning an idea over in my mind. Finally, I spoke with Yona, asking her to find someone in the domain who could temporarily take on the task of cleaning the reservoir, because I knew that once he found the path to the Water Temple, I'd go with him, no matter what. I couldn't stand the thought of letting my best friend face that challenge alone. He had already fought too many battles on his own, and I couldn't allow it to happen again."

Link nodded silently. They both knew they would have preferred to face the exploration of the Ancient Temple together. For Sidon, entering the Ancient Zora Temple alongside him—where his ancestors had left their legacy—would have held a deeper significance. He shook off these thoughts, realizing he was getting lost in them, while the others were eager for him to continue the story, hoping for clues that would lead him and Sidon finally to the Water Temple.

Link continued his tale, describing how small he felt upon entering the Temple. The grandiosity of the structure, though deserted and worn by time and the dampness pervading the area, still reflected the majesty and beauty it must have once possessed. The place was filled with priceless relics of the ancient Zora civilization, telling the story of a culture that had flourished in the region ten thousand years earlier.

After a long walk through its shadowy corridors, he finally found what he was looking for: a Zonai terminal, positioned atop a pillar at the heart of the main hall.

"It was an exciting moment," Link said, "but as I got closer, I realized that climbing up to it was nearly impossible. Even though I had all my climbing gear with me, a second look showed me that it wasn't just the height that was a problem. The walls were slick with slime and dampness, making them dangerously slippery and almost impossible to scale without a real risk of falling." Link chuckled. "It was a bit of a reality check. So, I looked around the hall again to figure out my next move, and that's when I noticed some pipes. Because of erosion and rockfalls, they were completely blocked by stones. An idea started forming in my mind. I saw that I could use bombs to clear the rocks out of the way, so I decided to give it a try."

Sidon listened intently to the details of his best friend's adventure, not wanting to miss a single part of the story.

"Fortunately, my guess was right," Link continued. "Each time I managed to clear a pipe, the water level rose a little higher. And with each increase, the terminal came just a bit closer. It was a slow process, but really satisfying."

"You always find a way to overcome any obstacle, no matter how challenging." Sidon laughed, giving him a gentle tap on the arm—a gesture full of affection, though his gaze held a trace of sadness. "I wish I could have been there with you for that part of the adventure. I would have loved to be by your side, but the domain needed me."

"If we'd been together, I'm sure you'd have thought of it too," Link replied, smiling back. "And maybe, between the two of us, we'd have solved it a lot faster. It would have been an honor to have you by my side."