The Luminous Stone

Chapter 3 - The Spirit Stone

Chapter 3 - The Spirit Stone

Summary: The Calamity has been defeated. Zelda and Link journey to Zora's Domain to bring some closure to King Dorephan and investigate why Ruta ceased working. While there, Link makes an extraordinary discovery.

"At last, we're here," said Princess Zelda to Link as they reigned in their horses and dismounted at the Great Zora Bridge entrance. The two of them had traveled from Kakariko Village, and it had been a long ride.

Word of their arrival had preceded them, and two guards promptly welcomed them and escorted them to King Dorephan's throne room. They were greeted there with a scene reminiscent of the day Link had recaptured Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

Everyone in the domain seemed to be there, assembled in the throne room together, and they had all burst into applause when the two of them entered. This was the Zora people's way of showing thanks and welcoming back the Princess who, like Link, had miraculously returned to life after a one-hundred-year absence.

After the congratulations were over and the crowd dispersed, it had been time for a private conversation with King Dorephan and Prince Sidon. Link had already met with them several times before, but this was Zelda's first opportunity to speak to them about Mipha and try to offer them some solace and perhaps some closure.

The four of them spoke late into the evening, as King Dorephan loved nothing more than to reminisce about his beloved daughter. What a hard life he had! First, he lost his wife and then, as if there wasn't already enough sadness in his life, he lost his daughter in defense of Hyrule. Whenever Zelda told him something about Mipha he didn't know, he would smile, thank her, and offer a story of his own.

Sidon and Link were the quiet ones there, the listeners. For neither remembered Mipha as well as the other two. Link should have remembered Mipha better, as he had spent many hours with her over the years. But he had lost his memory in the Shrine of Resurrection and was only slowly and painfully recovering pieces of it. He recalled only two moments being together with Mipha: the memory he first recovered of them sitting on Ruta, and the memory of their first kiss on Ploymus Mountain. As for Sidon, he had lost his sister when he was still a young child, so he lacked memory of her as well. Ironically, then, it was the oldest and youngest present who spoke most about Mipha.

But Link had always been an excellent listener, and he was especially so now, for he had grown more interested in his relationship with Mipha. The more he learned about Mipha, the more he realized how much of his forgotten life she had touched and been a part of. And the more he wanted to know about her.

After a long evening of talking with Mipha's family, he and Zelda finally said goodnight and retired to the Seabed Inn. The next part of their journey would be a visit to Divine Beast Vah Ruta.

By the time Link awoke the next morning, Zelda was already up and probably walking about the domain. He made himself breakfast and then gathered up his belongings for their trip. It was shortly afterward that Zelda returned.

"Good morning, sleepyhead! Are you finally ready?" laughed Zelda.

"Sorry," laughed Link. "I must have been exhausted. I'm finally sleeping better these days, and I think my body must be catching up."

"Today, we need to investigate Ruta and see why it stopped working," said Zelda rubbing her hands.

Link could tell she was excited about this part of the trip. Ancient Sheikah technology had been Zelda's passion for some time now, and her love of science and nature was evident in many ways.

They started, and it was a long journey to the barren hilltop in the Zodobon Highlands upon which Ruta sat and from where Mipha's spirit had directed its fire upon Calamity Ganon, doing her part to destroy the evil creature. The climb took all morning, and they saved their breath for climbing with only limited conversation. But Zelda did feel compelled to bring up one matter.