"Zelda's Lullaby" started playing from Taylor Davis' CD Melodies of Hyrule while I was writing Mikau's death scene, and now I have all the FEELS. I'm trying to finish up the Great Bay Temple in Majora's Mask 3D and I am currently way too into Mikau and Lulu's love story. The lack of fanfiction concerning them is shocking, so I wanted to do my part and contribute. Hope you enjoy!
The sky turned deep purple with twilight when the moon rose. Most of Clock Town was sleeping peacefully, but the Milk Bar was full of life. The Carnival of Time approached, and a quiet energy of anticipation pulsated throughout the town, even in the night.
Huddled together at the end of the bar sat the Indigo-Go's. Toto had allowed a brief excursion to Clock Town to see the site of what was soon to be their largest performance ever. Mikau had insisted on buying drinks to get a taste of Terminan life before returning to Zora Cape. Thanks to their popularity, the group was granted access to the bar without memberships.
"Can you imagine us performing here? Toto really did us a solid by booking a venue like this," Tijo commented before taking a big slurp of his milk.
"Yeah, but quit slurping, man. You're gonna get us thrown out," Mikau took a much more civilized sip from his drink.
His hand accidentally brushed against Lulu's as he set his drink down. Lulu's cheeks turned a light shade of pink. Mikau jerked his hand away, self-conscious. Milk splashed onto the counter, but thankfully Evan spoke up. No one other than Lulu noticed Mikau dabbing at the counter to clean up his mess.
"This might just be our big break," Evan said, "This could be our chance to reach a wider audience―an audience that's bigger than just us Zoras."
"Yep." Mikau had wiped up all of the milk with his napkin at this point.
"It'll be like a dream," Lulu added.
"Definitely a memory for the books," Japas chipped in.
Mikau risked a sideways glance at Lulu, only to find her violet eyes already looking at him. He grinned at her, and she smiled back. The sound of glass shattering snapped their attention away from each other. "Tijo, aw c'mon dude," Japas muttered.
Evan rolled his eyes as Tijo hurriedly tried to sweep the broken glass into his hand. "Um, I'll pay for it!" Tijo said to the scowling owner.
"Drink up. If we don't rock this performance, we may not be coming back anytime soon," Mikau whispered to Lulu.
She laughed that beautiful, airy laugh that had always been more musical to Mikau than any song they'd ever played.
"Whaddaya think, Lulu?" Japas flipped his head back, his hair swooshing dramatically, as he strummed the final note on his bass.
"It sounds great! I love it!" Lulu smiled.
"Yeah, too bad it'll probably never see the light of day," Mikau frowned. He plucked at the strings of his guitar idly, "Evan hates it when we write music without him."
"We've just got a special flow, man. We always come up with dynamite beats when it's just us two, and then Evan puts words to 'em. I don't know why he has to go and get his fins in a flurry," Japas said.
"And this one was really good! We've got to perform it; we've simply got to. If Evan objects, I'll talk to him," Lulu offered.
Mikau couldn't help but beam proudly at her. "Yeah, Lulu!" Japas grinned, "And hey, if you ever want a special bass piece to accompany that golden voice of yours, you just let me know. I'm sure I could work something out for you."
"Thanks. I'll, uh, keep you posted," Lulu smirked. Knowing that Japas wouldn't see him, Mikau rolled his eyes.
The jam session was interrupted as Evan opened the door. "Japas―wait, what are you all doing in here?" the pianist asked, confused.
"Nothing!" Lulu and Mikau chimed in perfect unison. And then Lulu was laughing her musical laugh again.
As the leader of the band, it was often Evan's responsibility to pen the lyrics for all of their songs. So anytime the band ever sang about romance, the words often came from Evan's mind. Or heart. Whatever. But Mikau was pretty convinced he could write a killer love ballad solely about how Lulu made him feel.
Lulu sat across from him in one of the clam shell chairs of her bedroom, her sleek turquoise legs tucked underneath her dress. She smiled across the table at him. He had one elbow on the table, resting his cheek against his hand, as he took in the sight of her.
"So, Tijo knows?" Lulu asked.
Her eyes shimmered in the light. Mikau was reminded again that he was head-over-heels in love with her.
"Probably. He knows I'm with you when I'm not in our room. I think he's figured out that we're, well. . . " Mikau's voice trailed away.
He and Lulu had never really put a label to what they were. Mikau knew he would do anything for Lulu, die for her even. He couldn't trace when the feelings had started. When he had first seen her, perhaps? She was the most lovely creature with the brightest spirit, and all that really mattered was that Mikau was captivated by every part of her.
And, by some miracle, she wanted to spend her free moments on him, listening to his music and his dreams. She thought his tattoos were sexy, so that was a plus. All the same, this bond they shared was unofficial. And it was also a secret. Mikau knew Evan would flip out if he knew. Likely he'd explode into some rant about being objective and keeping the band's music the priority. And Toto would also probably blow a gasket and launch into a speech about losing fans if they were to find out that Lulu was off the market. They'd never really discussed it out loud, but it was agreed upon by them that, for the time being, their feelings couldn't be public. Though Mikau certainly wished sometimes that he could claim Lulu before all of Termina, let everyone know that she was his girl.
"Yeah," Lulu finished for him, smiling softly.
Mikau took her hand across the table, and a silence followed. Mikau relished in the fact that the two of them could appreciate comfortable silences without things becoming awkward. But Lulu's fingers trembled in his hand. "What's wrong?" he frowned.
"Nothing," she said a bit too quickly.
"No, you're shaking. What's on your mind?" Mikau pressed gently.
"Well," Lulu turned bright red and looked away. After a few moments of Mikau waiting patiently, she faced Mikau again and took a deep breath, "I've. . . I've laid my first eggs."
"Oh!" Mikau blushed as well. Honestly, he really didn't know that much about the female Zora's body cycles. He certainly hadn't expected Lulu to already be laying, though. "I didn't realize. . . aren't you, er, a little young?"
"I'm about the right age," Lulu smiled in spite of herself, "What? Talking about this sort of stuff gets you flustered?"
"I am not flustered!" Mikau objected, "I just don't know a lot about. . . that."
"Are you mad?" Lulu became fearful again for a moment.
"No!" Mikau said quickly. He gave her hand a reassuring squeeze, "Just―surprised."
"Well, they'll die in the next few days if they aren't fertilized," Lulu said.
"Ah," Mikau sensed there was more to the situation than Lulu was letting on, "Is that what you want?"
"I've thought about what I'd want if this happened―if I ever laid eggs, I mean. I didn't expect it either, though," Lulu said, "I think. . . no, I know that I don't want that to happen. I want to keep them."
"Zora hatchlings? What will Evan think? What will Toto think?"
"I don't care," Lulu's voice wasn't loud, but it was firm. She had a stubborn streak in her, and Mikau thought it was one of the most attractive things about her. "I've always wanted to be a mother, and yes, it's a little sooner than I would have thought, but they're my eggs. I want to keep them. My mother was a singer like me, and her career never stopped her from raising me. I'm sure I'll need to find a nurse for times that we're on tour, but. . . I want them to hatch, Mikau. The only Zora whose opinion does matter to me is. . . yours."
"Oh," Mikau's heart skipped a beat. But he answered honestly, "I want you to be happy, Lulu. I want you to be able to pursue whatever it is you want."
Lulu stood up and practically leapt into Mikau's lap. Mikau hardly had time to respond as she kissed him, but he finally snapped out of his surprise and wrapped his arms around her. She pulled back a little too soon for Mikau's liking. Not that he ever really could get enough of her. "Mikau," she whispered, her breathing heavy from their kiss, "Will you―I want you to be their father."
"Me?" Mikau's grip on Lulu's hips tightened. The fact that she was on his lap kept him from collapsing out of his chair, "I. . . me?"
"If you want to be," Lulu said more shyly, resting her forehead against Mikau's, "You're the only one I want. I couldn't bear for them to belong to anyone else. If you don't want to be, then that's fine. I'll lay again the next time my cycle comes. But for me, it's just you."
"No, I," Mikau sought the perfect words, "I just―"
He shut his eyes, "I just don't know that I'd be a good father, Lulu. You know my dad. . . "
Lulu, in fact, was the only Zora outside of Mikau's family who knew about his dad. He had told her during one of their first nights together, managing to hold in all the tears of frustration and hurt that he'd fought for so long as he talked about how his father had left Zora Cape when he was still newly-hatched. He didn't know what he'd done to warrant being abandoned, but Mikau had never felt truly accepted or worthy since, not until he'd joined the Indigo-Go's. Every insecurity, every doubt stemmed from the fact that his own father had deemed him not worth the time.
"Hey now," Lulu held Mikau's face in her hands, "You're not that Zora, Mikau. I know it. You're not the Zora your father was, and you never will be. I know you, and I've seen your heart. He was a coward, but you're nothing like him. You're loyal and honest and good. And. I love you."
Mikau stared up at her. They had never exchanged those words before, even though it was obvious to both of them. A wetness fell onto his face as a tear slipped from Lulu's eye. "Oh, I don't know why I'm crying, I'm sorry," she sniffed and wiped her eye.
Mikau's hands skimmed up her back and brought her closer. He kissed her again, "I love you too. Goddesses, do I love you."
Lulu laughed against Mikau's mouth.
"Where are your eggs? I'll do it. I'd do anything for you. I'd be honored to be their father and raise them with you."
"They're over there," Lulu nodded behind Mikau's chair.
Mikau smirked, "Hidden in plain sight, eh?"
"You're the only one with permission to enter my room," Lulu replied smugly.
They shared one last kiss, and Mikau stood up. Surely enough, behind his chair lay seven Zora eggs. "Seven?" he asked incredulously.
"I can't help how many there are! . . . Does that change things?"
"No!" Mikau reassured her, "Just, well, that's a lot."
"We'll have a big family," Lulu glowed a little as she spoke. Mikau had never seen her so happy.
Mikau blushed again as he eyed the eggs, "Um, I've never spawned before, so it-it might take me a try or two to get it right."
Lulu laughed, "The door's locked. Take your time; I'm here for moral support."
"Good. Once I'm done, how about you kiss me like that again as my reward?"
"Deal."
He remembered when he auditioned for Toto to be in what was sure to be Zora Cape's next hit: the Indigo-Go's. His hands had been so sweaty as he struggled through his audition piece at Zora Hall. But he remembered Toto's enthusiastic applause and "You're in, kid!" exclamation. High above Toto on the rocky overlook of Zora Hall, Mikau had looked up to catch a glimpse of his future band mates. They'd sneaked in to watch him audition. Evan, the band's pianist, met his eyes and gave one nod of his head, signifying his approval. And Mikau would never forget how his heart had quivered at the shy smile from the girl standing beside him. She gave him a thumbs up from her spot behind Evan.
Then came Japas and finally Tijo, and they'd been becoming musical legends ever since. Their performances at Zora Hall drew larger and larger crowds each time, and now, Toto had finally deemed it proper to expand their audience and start touring Termina. The fact that they were booked for the Carnival of Time still blew Mikau's mind. He lived for the crowds, the screams of their fans and the undulating motions of their bodies as they danced together in unison. The adrenaline from it all drummed through his veins, made him come alive. But nothing ever made him as weak in the knees as the one Zora girl who had silently encouraged him from his very first day.
Lulu was the most beautiful Zora in Zora Cape. Mikau would fight anyone who dared to argue. But never in Mikau's wildest dreams would he have thought that he stood a chance with her. That Lulu might return his feelings. The day she had was one of Mikau's most-visited memories.
After one of their concerts, he had had enough. He knew he couldn't take much more. Between Japas' flirty banter and the raucous fans that Mikau was sure would kill delicate Lulu in the midst of their eagerness, Mikau was losing his mind as he watched Zora after Zora try to win Lulu's attention. He asked to see her behind the stage after a show.
Together, they were alone overlooking the Great Bay. And finally finally it was quiet. The shouts from the crowd were inaudible behind the rock doors. The moon was up, and water lapped softly at the rock on which Mikau and Lulu stood. Lulu was watching Mikau curiously with those striking eyes of hers, and Mikau felt like he was auditioning for the Indigo-Go's all over again.
He hoped that, in the moonlight, Lulu wouldn't be able to tell that he was sweating. He collected himself and steadied his voice. "I like you, uh, a lot," he said, "And I just think I need to tell you because it's getting to be pretty distracting being around you all of the time. I feel like you have a right to know. It's alright if you don't feel the same way. . . "
As he quickly ran out of words, Mikau cursed himself for never rehearsing beforehand. It was a terribly unhealthy habit of his: not practicing and just winging things. It was a marvel that Evan hadn't exploded at him for it yet. But by the grace of the goddesses, Lulu's face practically shone as she smiled. "No, I," she paused, looking down shyly, "I like you too."
"Really?" Mikau would have toppled into the bay in shock had he not been intent on hearing her reply.
"Yes, um," she gathered the courage to look back up at him, "the feeling's mutual."
Similar to the lack of thought that had been put into his speech, Mikau didn't think as he leaned forward, taking Lulu's face into his hands. Right before their mouths met, he paused. "WAIT!" and "DON'T FORCE THIS!" and other such warnings blared through his head, but when he opened his eyes, he saw that Lulu had shut hers. Clearly, he wasn't forcing anything. He closed the distance between them and kissed her.
He could feel the flutter of her pulse beneath his fingers, flighty and nervous. The fact that he made her anxious made his heart soar with pride. He guided her through the kiss, showing her how, until their movements were smooth and as synchronized as their music, and all her fear had melted away.
"You should get them checked," Evan said gravely.
Lulu stood leaning against Evan's piano, tears silently running down her face. She could sense that something was off with her precious eggs. Strange things had been occurring around the bay recently, including unexplained climate changes. As a result, her vocal chords had tightened and her voice had fizzled away into a rasp. Additionally, her eggs had developed an odd tint of green to them. In short, her world was crumbling, bit by bit breaking off and tumbling into oblivion.
She knew Mikau would only worry, somehow twist everything so that it was his fault, but she didn't know who else to trust. For so long Mikau had been her closest confidant. Finally, she decided upon Evan, her first friend in the band. It was nighttime when she summoned the courage to knock on his door. She was already crying when he opened it.
"The professor at the Marine Research Lab can help. The temperature of that aquarium is moderated. That water is safer than any of the bay's water right now."
Evan didn't look up from his piano as he spoke. His eyes remained trained upon his fingers weaving up and down the keys, whisper melodies lingering after his words. Lulu assumed he must be angry that she'd kept secrets from him.
"Thanks," she breathed, coughing, "I'll take them right away. Tomorrow! As soon as the sun's up."
"Don't strain your voice."
She had already opened the door to leave when Evan called out to her. She peered over her shoulder, uneasy at the thought of whatever was to come. "The father. . . is it," Evan looked up then, his eyes staring right through Lulu as if she were glass, ". . . Mikau?"
Lulu sucked in a breath, and a squeak of a sob escaped her. She bowed her head shamefully and closed the door behind her. Tijo and Evan both, then.
"Why didn't you tell me sooner?" Mikau stood, arms crossed, gazing out across the bay. Not so very long ago, he had kissed Lulu for the first time in this very spot: the rock outside of Zora Hall.
Lulu's violet eyes had never been so sorrowful. She had both hands over her heart, and she pleaded with Mikau with her eyes to understand. Her body shuddered with emotion.
"Our. . . eggs," Mikau's voice cracked.
He wiped a hand down his face. He hardly knew what to do, what to feel. Lulu had been avoiding him for two days, and he now knew it was because her beautiful voice was gone. Additionally, according to Lulu, their eggs had been stolen in the night by the feared Gerudo pirates. Mikau felt nauseous at the thought; no Zora had ever infiltrated the Pirates' Fortress and lived to tell the tale. He wanted to cry, but he couldn't. Lulu was already a mess. Someone had to remain strong.
Mikau took Lulu's cheeks in his hands, tilting her head up to look at him. "Listen, I'm not mad that your voice is lost and that we can't perform," he spoke quietly, gently, "Performing isn't my priority anymore."
Lulu sniffled, and a few more tears dribbled down to her chin. Mikau had never seen her cry so much, and he felt as if his heart was breaking. "It's you and our eggs, Lulu. And you listen. I―it'll be okay. We'll figure something out. It's going to be okay."
It was a lie. It was a lie, and Mikau felt repulsive speaking it. What made him feel blackest of all was the disbelief in Lulu's eyes. He'd never lied to her before, and it was plain as day that she didn't believe him. His hands were growing clammy against her smooth skin.
He drew her into a hug before he could despise himself anymore than he already did. He savored the feeling of her in his arms, how warm her body was against his. The thought of losing her, letting her trust slip through his fingers as it was doing now, forced him to make a decision.
"Mikau!"
Mikau faced Evan, the two of them alone in the corridor of Zora Hall. "I need to speak to you. Immediately," Evan said sternly.
Begrudgingly, Mikau followed Evan to the precipice overlooking the stage. Mikau had a ton of respect for Evan, really. But that didn't mean he was okay with being ordered about.
When the two of them stood where they wouldn't be heard, Evan said, "You need to get back Lulu's eggs."
Mikau was stunned, but he tried to hide his shock. Maybe he could shove it under all of his fear, right next to his self-loathing. "Yes, I know they were taken," Evan went on, "And yes, I know about them. Look, Lulu's never going to recover if they aren't back. Our show's canceled, in case you didn't know, and her voice wasn't nearly this wrecked before the eggs went missing. The change in weather has strained her vocal chords, but she won't have the heart to sing if her eggs are gone. You need to get them. Transport them in bottles, if you can. I know the beaver brothers at the top of the waterfall have bottles if you need them."
"Evan," Mikau hardly knew where to start, "The eggs are in the Pirates' Fortress! I can't―"
Evan held up a hand, silencing Mikau, "Yes you can. You're the only Zora who could, Mikau. You're the Zora heroes' descendant. You're the only one of us who's strong enough to infiltrate the fortress."
A silence passed. Mikau didn't enjoy reflecting on his history, since that involved thinking of his parents. Yet he knew that the reason he had his renowned and unique double cutters was because he was the descendant of the great Zora heroes of old: the same Zora heroes that decorated every Zora hatchling's bedtime stories. Mikau, however, wasn't a warrior like his predecessors who colonized the Great Bay and founded Zora Cape. He was a guitarist. He had a song in his heart instead of war in his veins.
"Do you not care about Lulu's eggs?" Evan asked. He hadn't meant to sound cold, but the words made Mikau's blood boil all the same.
"Don't you dare accuse me of not caring about Lulu," Mikau said sternly. His eyes automatically roamed to Lulu's door, visible beneath them along the wall of Zora Hall. She was likely inside even now, wondering what to do with herself. Mikau's heart stung at remembering how he had failed to comfort her.
"Then you have to act, Mikau. Start collecting empty bottles," Evan said, "The band's counting on you."
Mikau left the precipice without another word. He could only take so much of Evan's bossiness at a time, but he knew that the band leader was right. Likewise, his mind had already been made up. He slipped out of Zora Hall and dove into the sea quietly, his absence temporarily unnoticed.
The sun's heat beat down upon Mikau's back as he scouted out the change in the current that he had sensed in the Pirates' Cove. The day was still young. But the fortress gates, carved into the rock that surrounded the fortress, were impregnable. They were too high to climb, and even if they hadn't been, Mikau was exhausted. He had swum up the waterfall of Zora Cape after several failed attempts and then lost in a race to the beaver brothers, ultimately having no choice but to leave with no bottle for the sake of time. He would carry each egg out by hand if he had to; he simply knew he couldn't afford to spend his day racing while the eggs were in danger. As far as he knew, his future children could already be dead.
He quickly thought of something else, determined to keep his mind from wandering to darker places. The shift of the current returned as his priority. He suspected that the source of this change could be his last hope of penetrating the fortress.
The water was warm as he swam deeper. Like likes skirted around the sandy bottom of the bay, and occasionally a skullfish would scuttle by, but the waters were otherwise eerily quiet and devoid of life. Strange things surely were going on, with the increase in temperature as well as the murkiness of the water farther out in the bay. But Mikau's attention was caught before he could puzzle out things more.
The current was sucking him down, down into an underwater tunnel through the rock that encircled the fortress. For the first time since Lulu had confessed the fate of her eggs to him, Mikau felt a spot of hope spark within him. He allowed the current to guide his strokes and he entered the tunnel, surfacing again inside the Pirates' Fortress. Mikau crawled up onto a rock to get a good view of what he was up against.
The Gerudo circled the water in patrol boats. Mikau had never seen a Gerudo before; like many Zoras, he had only heard their stories. But the points of their spears and their alert eyes scanning the waters reminded him to be cautious. The patrol boats seemed to be carrying nothing aside from the guards, so Mikau concluded that Lulu's eggs must be inside the imposing structure that stood before him. Mikau gulped and slunk once more into the waters, swimming as inconspicuously as he could toward the stronghold.
Luck seemed to finally be on his side. Mikau was able to climb up a ladder and creep into the fortress without being spotted by any of the guards. Perhaps there was something to being a descendent of the Zora heroes after all.
Mikau surveyed the many different doors and stairs that lay out before him. The center of the fortress was very open with a lone watch tower in its middle. However, multiple chambers and stairs marked the fortress' walls. The eggs could be anywhere, and Mikau had no time to waste. He chose to start with what seemed to be the most accessible option: a door that was across from him on the ground-level of the fortress. He started to step forward when his head spun, a searing pain blooming in the back of his skull. He stumbled forward, and all grew dark.
"How did a Zora get in? Were you not watching the gates?" a female voice Mikau didn't know shrieked.
Everything was blurry. Mikau could see a splotch of red color here, a patch of copper there. His hands were behind his back in manacles; he knew because he could feel the weight of the metal pressing into his skin. He felt like he was dreaming, only half-aware of everything that was happening.
"We think he sneaked in through the rocks. We've since discovered a tunnel underwater―one accessible to the Zoras."
"Well, board it up! In the goddess' name, we can't have Zoras crawling around here. They're after the eggs, I know it! They must know that we have them."
So they were there! Mikau smiled a little. What a happy dream!
"Yes. We'll see to it right away! And the prisoner?"
"Dispose of him! Let him be a warning to the rest of his friends."
Mikau blinked, everything gradually focusing. A beautiful Gerudo woman stood at the center of the exquisite chamber he found himself in. Perhaps he was in the leader's quarters. She reclined on a chaise, seeming nonchalant as she asked for his death. The red of her eyes were as fiery as her red hair.
The Gerudo she had addressed turned around and approached Mikau. He realized that he was slumped on the floor, still dizzy from the blow to his head. The Gerudo yanked his handcuffs and dragged his body outside the room. He was going to die, he recognized through the haze of his injury. He was about to die.
His eyes kept drooping, but he fought to keep them open. He tried to kick out, to do anything he could to resist, but his limps didn't seem to answer his brain. The Gerudo loaded him onto one of the patrol boats he had evaded earlier and then brought him to the top of the rock surrounding the fortress, next to the gates.
"Just to be sure that you won't be coming back," the Gerudo murmured in his ear. Her breath made his skin prickle.
It was a swift movement. Mikau gasped as the Gerudo plunged her spear into his stomach. The next moment, he was fallingfallingfalling from the fortress' impressive gates he had observed earlier, somersaulting clumsily through the air. His body broke the water with a clap. He sank to the bay's bottom, squirming to get his hands out of the manacles.
Everything was still spinning around in his head. His thoughts were all flashes of light that sizzled away before another burst forth for a few moments.
The eggs. The Zora heroes. Lulu. Oh, Lulu.
Through the fog of his weariness, Mikau slipped his hands free of the chains. He swam to the surface. Zora Cape. He had to make it back! He would just need to rest, that was all. He could rest, recover, maybe even have Lulu nurse him back to health. Once he was healed, he'd come back. He'd be stealthier this time. All this was was an amateur's mistake; he'd do better next time. Next time he'd get the eggs for sure!
With ungainly strokes, Mikau splashed his way out of the Pirates' Cove. His stomach ached, and it seemed to him that he was moving slower and slower. The indigo blue that was tainting the water was his blood, he knew.
"I'm not going to make it," Mikau realized as he slung one arm forward and then the other.
Suddenly, his thoughts grew longer and more pronounced. No longer were they brief flares of memories but rather crackling fires filling his head.
"I'll never see Lulu again," he whispered to no one in particular. Why hadn't he kissed her when they had last spoken? He'd never told her goodbye. He'd never see her smile again, or her beautiful violet eyes meet his.
He had swum out of the Pirates' Cove, and he found himself laboring to a stop near the Marine Research Lab. He thought of his father, one last time. Tears welled in his eyes. He hadn't cried for years upon years. He had shut down after he realized his father didn't care and his mother had told him he was never coming back. He had closed up his feelings like a clam, and only after realizing that Lulu could love him had her tenderness coaxed him into opening up again bit by bit.
He was just like his father; he'd never be there for his children. He'd never meet them. He would never come back for them.
A tear ran down his cheek. The Zora heroes' blood surrounded him now, and the buoyancy of the air in his lungs kept him afloat as his heart slowed in his chest.
Seagulls began circling overhead; he could hear their squawks, see the shadows of their bodies reflected in the water. He could feel his pulse pounding in his head, thudding more and more sluggishly. He knew Lulu would cry when she heard the news. He hated himself more than ever for all the grief he had caused her.
He thought he felt something small splashing near him. He couldn't be sure; his eyes were already shut. He sniffed, and even that took tremendous effort. Hopefully, if it was another Zora, his tears wouldn't be visible. "Lulu, I'm so sorry," he thought to himself.
"Unghhh. . . Somebody. . . Unghh. . . Please. . . G-gu-hu. . . Get me. . . to shore . . . "
"Let's write a song together!" Lulu had exclaimed, brilliantly.
It was rare for Tijo to be out of the room, but on this night, he had gone to some sort of after party on the shore with Japas. They had all just played a concert. Evan had scoffed something about them needing to rest for the next performance and cooped himself up in his room. Mikau had been down to go, but even the wildest party in all of Termina wouldn't have been able to sway him after Lulu had asked him to stay with her.
Mikau had laughed, "Whatever you want, sure. But you know Evan's not going to like it."
"Well, Evan doesn't have to know. It can be our secret," she winked.
Mikau picked up his guitar and sat facing her on the floor. She was lying on her stomach, face cupped in her hands. She was so innocent and lovely. Mikau grinned as he strummed an opening chord. "Alright, you pretty thing, what's this song about?"
"Hmm, it's going to be about us," she had said casually, "But no one else will be able to tell. It'll be about a great love."
They had never said "I love you" before. The word "love" had never even graced Lulu's mouth before; they'd been privately seeing each other for only a few weeks. Mikau wondered if this night was to be the night. Even if he wasn't, having Lulu so close and knowing she wanted to be with him made him flush with satisfaction.
"Sounds like it'll be a hit," Mikau said, "How's this for an opening?"
He grazed his hand against the strings, a light harmony dancing from the instrument. "Mikau," Lulu interrupted.
"Yeah?" he saw her face become solemn.
"I, um. . . just―" she paused, breathing out, "I guess. . . thanks for spending this time with me. Instead of going to that party. You're the best."
Mikau beamed, "Anything for you, doll."
"And I love you," he thought in his head. He knew she'd say it whenever she was ready. He was more than willing to wait on her forever. He knew how he felt about her, and she was his girl. And here he was, passing the hours with her at his side, watching him, glowing. That was enough.