Chapter Text
It was a peaceful night. Sidon stood watch just outside the gazebo on the edge of Reservoir Lake, watching the starlight reflect off the water’s surface. Every so often, he turned, taking in his surroundings in full to ensure that nothing had changed, and that there was nothing nearby that could bring harm or disturb the peace. He remained quiet, holding in his usual barrage of thoughts and nightly mutterings, knowing that Link was sleeping nearby. His dear friend rarely slept, despite the mind-boggling amount of work he did each day, and so he would hate to interrupt the few moments of rest he did get.
Sure, there were days that were more restful, with Link accomplishing not much more than a few conversions or friendly games, but on most days, he spent all of his effort and energy making the world a safer place. From slaying hordes of monsters, to taking on and freeing the ancient Divine Beasts, to trekking all across Hyrule to fulfill the quests given to him by the people of all nations, Link’s life seemed non-stop. He was endlessly pouring his life and effort into building a better future, and helping those around him, often without taking even a moment for himself to rest or recover. Sidon could see how much his hero needed the rest, even if he would deny it, and Hylia knew he deserved it, despite his own apprehensions on the matter.
Sidon glanced over at the bed within the gazebo, staring for a moment at the sleeping hylian. It was strange to think, staring now at the small figure hunched up on the bed, that such a tiny person had taken on such gargantuan tasks, had saved the world with nothing more than the items on his person. Especially after everything he had endured to get to that point - the friends he’d lost, the memories he’d forgotten, the obstacles he’d overcome. He had come so far, and Sidon could not be more proud of his friend, of everything he’d accomplished. He only wished the hylian could see it himself, could appreciate his own efforts as much as he appreciated the efforts of others.
He was glad, at least, that he had been able to convince Link to rest, even if it took some persuading. Hylia knew how long it had been since he had last rested, let alone actually slept, and with such a peaceful night, he knew there was no threat or disturbance to keep the Champion awake. There was no noise other than the chirping of the crickets in the grass. There were no monsters left on any of the roads near or leading to Zora’s Domain - in large part thanks to Link’s exploits, vanquishing every foe he came across, as well as due to the valiant efforts of the zora guards. There was nothing that could interrupt the serene air that blew past them in gentle breezes.
Sidon looked back at his friend once more, smiling fondly as the hylian slept peacefully in his bed. He was about to turn back to the lake, watching the night pass by, when he noticed movement from his friend. He drew closer, watching intently to ensure nothing was wrong.
Link shifted, his expression dropping from the gentle impassiveness to a frown, his face scrunching and brows furrowing. He rolled over at first, as though in discomfort, and Sidon considered turning away, wondering if he had simply been in an uncomfortable position. It was only as Link began to twitch that Sidon realized something was truly wrong.
Sidon turned for a moment, looking around to ensure there was nothing in their surroundings that was causing this shift in mood, but out of the corner of his eyes he continued to see Link shifting, rolling over, turning every which way, and twitching in various ways. His limbs jerked about, as though each one was flinching from different invisible foes, his fingers twitched as though itching for a weapon, one hand acting as though it wished to string a bow, while the other clasped itself around the hilt of an invisible sword, and his feet were kicking as though he was ready to get up and run at any moment.
It was rather reminiscent of a dog, actually, running in its sleep while chasing imaginary squirrels. Sidon had to suppress a smile, turning his mind back to the situation at hand. What could have Link tossing and turning so? Had something happened, some change in the air or the bed he lay upon, to put him in such discomfort? Or was it something within his own mind, some twist or turn of his dreams or thoughts that had him twitching so?
Sidon went to take a step closer, unsure if he should wake his friend - especially considering how little he slept already - but not wanting to let his friend suffer in silence through whatever demons were plaguing him. After only a single step, however, he was stopped in his tracks. Link sprung into action in the blink of an eye, a blur of motion and energy that Sidon hadn’t thought possible for someone who had been asleep a mere second before.
Link had bolted awake, leaping to his feet and drawing his sword all before Sidon could take a single breath, and now he wielded the Master Sword, slashing wildly at invisible foes before him. Sidon took a step back, not wanting to end up losing a limb in the commotion. There was a terror in Link’s eyes that Sidon had never before seen, a frenzy of panic and feverishness that drove him to swing his blade wildly. He was stood in a battle-stance, ready to fend off nonexistent foes, and it became increasingly clear that he wasn’t entirely sure where he was, or what was going on around him.
Sidon stared in horror, for a moment, trying to comprehend what was happening. The fear and vigor in his friend was unlike anything he’d witnessed from him before, the usually silent and stoic knight now reduced to trembling terror and adrenaline-fueled combativeness. Sidon could not imagine what horrors he must have experienced to be driven to such a state.
But he didn’t have to.
Right now, what he needed was to be there for his friend. His own shock and worry was irrelevant for the moment - Link needed him.
“Link-” He began, and immediately the hylian whirled to face him, staring up at the prince with an animalistic look in his eyes. “Link, it’s just me, it’s alright.” He pleaded, softening his voice as much as he could while still being heard.
Link stared up at him uncomprehendingly, as though he knew none of the words Sidon had just spoken. But... he stopped slashing his sword all about, at the very least. Sidon could work with that - confusion was better than unthinking attacks.
“You are safe, Link. I am your friend, not your foe. I’m not going to hurt you.” He assured, but Link seemed unconvinced - or rather, unmoved, - by Sidon’s assertion. “There is nothing to be afraid of.” He continued.
That seemed to get through to him, at least a little bit. His stance relaxed slightly, his muscles untensing ever-so-slightly. Still, he gripped his weapon tightly, eyes wild and unseeing as he stared up at the prince, as though trying to burn his image into his mind. Sidon thought for a moment, trying to understand what might be terrifying Link so. If he wasn’t afraid of himself facing harm, but he was afraid, then...
Realization began to dawn.
“I am alright.” Sidon began, watching Link’s reaction carefully. Link perked up, almost imperceptibly, and Sidon’s heart sank.
“I promise you Link, no harm has come to me. I, along with everyone else, am alright. We are safe.” He assured, and little by little, Link began to relax.
His grip on his weapon loosened, his stance losing the tension of someone battle-ready, and his weapon lowered, pointing to the ground rather than at his friend. His eyes were still bleary, as though, despite hearing him, Link could not truly see his friend, but that was alright. Sidon would remain by his side for as long as it took to convince him that no danger was going to befall them.
Sidon continued uttering soft reassurances, comforting Link as he drew him gently back to reality, to the present moment and all that it entailed. Eventually, Link dropped his weapon, letting the Master Sword clatter to the ground as tears welled up in his eyes. Sidon stepped forward, trusting now that he would not end up on the wrong end of the sacred blade, and placed a hand lightly upon his friend’s shoulder, all the while continuing to utter soothing comforts. He opened his arms, and Link collapsed into him, clutching his friend tightly as quiet sobs began to wrack his body, his chest heaving against Sidon as the two held each other.
Sidon ran a hand through Link’s hair, whispering gentle comforts as his friend held onto him. A soft breeze blew through the gazebo, carrying the sounds of the waves lapping away at the dock and the crickets chirping in the distance, and the pair stood there for a quiet eternity, consumed by the emotions of the night.
Eventually, Link calmed down enough to fall silent, holding onto Sidon still but his sobs quieting as his friend continued to comfort him. After some time, Sidon fell quiet too, giving his friend the space to simply exist in silence, the two of them embracing the soothing noises of the night for a brief moment.
In time, Sidon would ask Link about what had happened, about what had driven him to such a state. In turn, Link would hesitantly open up about all that he had experienced, the deaths of his loved ones, the worries that they had left, the fears of his newfound family dying just as the others had. He would speak of the nightmares, of the agonizing feeling of dying yet again, of watching all of his loved ones die around him, of knowing it was all his fault. Of knowing that they would all be alive if it weren’t for him - whether it be due to his failure to save them or protect the world, or due to him dragging them along into his quests against the Divine Beasts. He would explain that, no matter how capable he knew his friends to be, he would never stop being afraid that he would lose them all again.
Sidon sat in silence, listening raptly as Link recalled it all. He listened in horror as he came to understand just how long Link had been dealing with it all, silently enduring the crushing weight of the world and the death of his friends, all while being expected to be a noble hero with no support. He mourned for the unfathomable amount of pain his friend had endured, for the months spent without help or support, for the friends they had both lost. He grieved for the worry and fear Link carried with him, consuming his every waking thought if he was not distracting himself with endless quests or fighting foes. He couldn’t even sleep in peace, plagued even in his dreams by the horrors he’d endured and the fears he carried with him.
Sidon apologized for pressuring him into resting, for inadvertently causing all of this suffering, but Link assured him he had done no wrong. Link thanked him, in fact, for showing his support, for expressing his care for Link and insisting he got some rest, even when Link didn’t feel he needed or perhaps even deserved it. He was still shaken from the terrors he had experienced, but he was glad for even the small amount of sleep he had managed to get, and he was grateful for Sidon’s unwavering support.
Sidon was glad he could be there for his friend, if nothing else. The two returned to the dock, sitting just as they had been the night before, and staring into the sunrise in the distance, enjoying each other’s company in silence as the morning began.
Maybe things weren’t perfect. Maybe Link would be plagued by these horrors forever, and maybe he would never be able to rest again without facing some horrific danger or terror. But he knew, now, that he would always have his friends. That no matter what, there would always be at least one person on his side, supporting him through it all.
And that was all that he could ask for.