The Luminous Stone

Chapter 6 - Epilog

Chapter 6 - Epilog

Sidon finished reading the manuscript and put it down. The final entry was signed and dated five years ago. Link must have written that last part anticipating his actions on the beach when he hid the manuscript along with the precious stone fragment.

So, the mystery of Link's disappearance was solved. He had sailed off east into the sea and never returned.

Sidon shook his head, wondering if it was his fault for sharing that Zora belief of a route to the spirit realm. He could only imagine Link drowned at sea, his boat swamped by a storm. Or had he landed on some far nameless island, his ship damaged perhaps and lived out his days there? Given how bad his cough was, Sidon doubted that Link had long to live in any case. He knew Link himself felt the same way.

Sidon sighed as he quietly folded up the manuscript and returned it to its container. It was time to reunite the Luminous Stones, as Link requested in his last wish. Sidon carried Link's stone and retrieved the stone Link had found at Ruta and given to him over sixty-five years ago. Sidon had kept that stone all these years with his sister's diary. He picked up the two stones and examined them both. They did look like they fit together perfectly.

Sidon pressed the two pieces together. Nothing happened, of course, and he wasn't sure why he expected something would. A Spirit Stone was another Zora belief, something you took on faith or you didn't. No one knew if it was true. He separated the stones, requested some adhesive from a guard, then joined the stones together again. He placed the now reunited stone back in the drawer in which he kept Mipha's diary and placed Link's newly found manuscript along with it.

Well, his duty to his dear friend was finally done now, albeit five years late. Sidon walked to the small statue of Hylia below the throne room, knelt on one knee, and said a prayer that his sister's and Link's spirits would rest in peace. Then he returned to the throne room, as he had meetings to attend.

Later that night, Sidon stood by his sister's statue as he often did. It had been a long and tiring day, but a special one, as it had answered the mystery of Link's disappearance. He thought back to the many times he and Link had stood together here, sometimes speaking of his dear sister, sometimes just silently remembering her.

He missed his brother, for he had grown over the years to think of him as one. Instead of a gravestone, perhaps it would be appropriate to have a statue of Link made and placed alongside Mipha's. Link had been a hero for the Zora people, too, and deserved some recognition for appeasing Ruta and freeing his sister's spirit. Or perhaps a stone monument celebrating his deeds was more appropriate, like others scattered about the domain. He would discuss it at the next Council of Elders meeting.

After a few more minutes, he retired to the throne room to sleep. He fell asleep quickly but had a strange dream.

It was a moonlit night, and Mipha was sitting on the large rock in the pool of water at the foot of Veiled Falls. Then he saw Link walking toward the pool, wade into the water, and approach her. Link was wearing the Zora Armor, and they both looked young, the way Sidon remembered them when he was small.

"You're finally here!" Mipha said as she smiled at Link. "Tell me, is it always your habit to keep a princess waiting?"

Then Mipha took his hand to help him onto the rock and sit beside her.

"At least it was only five years, not one hundred," said Link as he sat down. "And blame your brother, not me. Here, I brought you a flower, sweetheart. A Blue Nightshade."

Mipha smiled as she took the flower from Link and admired it.

"You remembered that it's my favorite. It's beautiful!"

"Of course, I remembered! But it's not as beautiful as you," said Link. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too," said Mipha.

They both smiled at each other, their eyes full of love. Then they embraced and exchanged a long and romantic kiss.

"That tasted so sweet! Did I ever tell you I love you?" said Link.

"Yes, but not often enough," laughed Mipha. "We're together now, though, and you have plenty of time to make up for it. I love you too, sweetheart. Isn't our domain beautiful at night?"

"Yes, it is, and I've always loved coming here. I'm so happy we finally found each other," said Link. "It's been a long and lonely journey for me. But it's finally over."

"I know it was hard for you, sweetheart, and it was hard for me, too," said Mipha as she gently touched him on the cheek. "I missed you so very much! But by the grace of the Goddess, we won't ever be apart now. How about a swim together? Do you still remember how?"

"I do thanks to your precious armor, sweetheart," laughed Link as he leaned over and kissed her again. "And I'd love to!"

They held hands as they both dove into the water without making a splash. Then they swam up the waterfall together, laughing the entire time, and disappeared.

Sidon awoke with a start. The dream was so vivid and real! It was still early, the sun not having quite risen yet, but he got up and rubbed his eyes. He needed to visit Veiled Falls. The guard at the foot of the stairs spoke as he passed by.

"My liege, you are going somewhere at this hour?" said the guard. "Do you wish me to accompany you?"

"No, Kanda, I'm fine," said Sidon. "I'm just going to Veiled Falls, that's all. I will be perfectly safe."

Sidon began walking up the west path, nodded to the guard there, and soon reached Veiled Falls. There was a full moon about to set, and its pale white light reflected off the water. There was nothing to see, of course. What did he expect? As real as it may have seemed to him, it was still only a dream, after all.

Then something caught his eye, floating in the water near the large rock. It was glowing blue, and Sidon waded into the water to retrieve it. It was a Blue Nightshade flower, the flower Link always left by Mipha's statue, the flower in his dream. Had the wind blown it here? Or was this Link's and Mipha's way of saying thank-you for uniting the stones and bringing their spirits together?

Sidon looked around a bit further, but there was nothing else to see. All he could hear was the wind and the splash of the cascading water from the falls along with the occasional cry of a night bird. The sun was starting to rise. It was time to go back home.

Sidon had no more dreams of them after that, but he liked to believe his vision was real and that their spirits were indeed united now, sharing their love for each other. Perhaps the Goddess had rewarded Link for his service to Hyrule. But as with so many things about the spirit world, it was all a matter of belief.

You could believe Link's spirit brought a Blue Nightshade flower to Veiled Falls to give to the love of his life. Or you could blame the wind for catching an errant flower and blowing it into the water that night. Who could say?

Someday when his own time came, perhaps he could ask them.