East Reservoir Lake; Zora's Domain, Hyrule. Friday Evening [05/04].

[in_sidon_we_trust]

After the feast, after the festivities, after everyone had started to wind down and perhaps become less likely to notice that they were gone, Sidon lead Norman along the mountain pass, up the long and glistening stairs to take them to the very top of the towering dam to the platform that looked over the East Reservoir Lake. And sitting there at the center, with the backdrop of the sky painted from the sunset, was Vah Ruta, calm and still as it had been since the day it ceased to move, from the day its Champion had died.

At least, calm and still was how it appeared to Sidon's eyes, but for the person joining him? He drew in a deep breath, narrowing his eyes, as if trying to see what Norman might.

"Well," he said, "there it is. Can you...can you see anything? Should we move closer?"

[[What? You think we could just end the trip on sunshine and rainbows?? For He Who Sees Dragons]]

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[always_someone]

"I... I don't know," Norman said, looking at Vah Ruta, at a maelstrom of swirling... something... that made him want to shy away from all of it and just never look back.

There were always reasons for that. He knew that, now. Knew it all too well. Which meant that he was making his way as close to the edge of the platform as he possibly could in spite of the way it twisted at his insides.

"There's something... But--"

He paused, and then recoiled a little, putting his hands over his mouth.

He had heard somebody, crying out a name. Desperate pleas for help. For somebody to save her.

"Oh no," he whispered.

[in_sidon_we_trust]

Sidon felt as if the very heart in his chest had stopped for a moment while watching Norman's reaction, his eyes wide as they danced back to the Divine Beast. Nothing. He could see absolutely nothing, but there was clearly something going on. He shook his head.

He'd asked for this, he reminded himself. He had to know.

"Tell me, Norman," he said, kneeling down to better place a firm, reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder, to let him know he was here, if anything should happen. True, he might not be able to see it, but he was the best diver in all of Zora's Domain. He could have them over the dam and into the river below without a scratch in seconds. "What is it that you see?"

[always_someone]

"There's something dark," Norman said, watching silently as that darkness spiralled about, black with flashes of something not quite lightning. "Dark in the way that storms are dark, but it isn't a storm. It's angry. Or hungry. It's a storm with intent. And..."

He winced a little.

"It isn't alone."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

"The Calamity," Sidon murmured, not even needing the whole of Norman's description to know that it was true. "That must be the spirit of the Calamity, still invading the Divine Beast, trying to control it, the way it controls the Guardians. And the other..."

Why hadn't he thought the Calamity would still be there? Because he could not see it, as he could see it in other places? His hope, his optimism, hadn't even considered it.

His deep voice stuck in his throat, barely a whisper.

"Mipha."

[always_someone]

"We would have to get closer for me to see her, I think," Norman said, quietly. "But, I can hear her. She... I mean... It doesn't sound good."

He swallowed heavily, then pulled in a deep breath, closed his eyes, and listened.

"She's calling for somebody, I think. I'm not totally sure. Does Link mean anything?"

Hell, he wanted to run in himself to try to save her, but the calamity wasn't a frightened child. What could he do? Reason with it?

[in_sidon_we_trust]

The Calamity knew not what reason was, only chaos and pain and destruction. Try reasoning with it, and they'd soon have a Calamity Norman on their hands and Sidon would never forgive himself. At least with Mipha, he had been a mere hatchling, but there were still nights...

He squeezed his hand on Norman's reassuringly.

"Link," he repeated. "Yes, that's...that was Princess Zelda's chosen knight, he visited here often. I don't remember much of him because I was so young at the time, but I know my sister was quite fond of him. She had been making the armor..."

He realized he was beginning to ramble slightly; how could Norman possibly know what that meant? And the fact that she was calling for him...A very small part of him was hurt, but Link had been chosen as the Hero. Sidon had been only a hatchling...

"If you were to hop on my back and we were to swim closer," he said, "would we be in danger, Norman? Can these spirits harm you? Can they harm others who cannot see them?"

[always_someone]

"Spirits that strong can always do harm," Norman said, hating that he couldn't bring himself to lie. He wanted to get closer. Wanted desperately to help. But lying to Sidon meant putting him in danger, too, and there was no way he could protect himself against an enemy he couldn't see. "They have power to back up their rage and hate, and it doesn't matter who it is, if they get in the way..."

He tapered off, his voice catching.

"I've seen something like this before," he murmured. "The storm, wanting nothing but to cause pain. But Aggie was... she was a child who had been hurt and frightened. She could be reasoned with. This is something else."

[in_sidon_we_trust]

It was so strange, really. Sidon could hear it in Norman's voice, but when he looked out over the lake, all he saw was the Divine Beast as calm and peaceful as it had been for most of his life. With that perspective, he almost wondered, briefly, if that was all it would really take. Had no one tried to reason with the Calamity before?

But that was absurd. Of course they had tried. One could argue that the Princess was still trying now, as they stood there gawking at a dead piece of machinery. The urge to get closer pulled at him again, and he fought it by standing up, stepping back, but he still narrowed his eyes at Vah Ruta, still tried to see, though he knew he should probably be grateful that he couldn't.

"You're certain you think you hear something, though?" he asked quietly. "You believe you hear her?"

He didn't suspect that Calamity was one to play tricks, especially when it didn't suspect anyone would be listening.

[always_someone]

Norman's gaze fell downward, toward his feet, and he hated himself a little for his inability to do anything. What could he do? The Calamity wanted exactly what its name implied, and Tip hadn't been wrong when she'd insinuated that Norman wouldn't fare well wielding anything more formidable than a broomstick.

"I know I hear her, Sidon," he said, softly. "I don't believe I do, I don't think I do. She's there."

How else would he have known the name of her champion?

[in_sidon_we_trust]

And Sidon held his breath, not entirely sure what he was hoping to accomplish with that information. This whole thing, he realized, seemed like a folly, but he'd known that going in, didn't he? But he knew now...for sure...what he had suspected. Being correct on the matter, however, certainly didn't make him feel better about anything. If anything, he felt worse, especially knowing that there was nothing they could do about it. Nothing that would actually work.

"Let us leave here," he finally said, quietly. "I...believe I have what I needed to know now."

[always_someone]

Norman glanced back up at Sidon, and for the longest moment he stumbled over the idea of protesting. But what was there to protest? Sidon was the strongest of the two of them by far, but he wasn't the one who could see or hear anything that was happening in the distance.

He swallowed, and then nodded.

"I'm sorry, Sidon," he said, and whether that was meant as condolences for the situation or an apology for the fact that he could do nothing about it was anybody's best guess.