The process was taking hours. Granted, due to the rain, there was still no reliable way to tell the time without checking the sheikah slate, but regardless, the hours could clearly be felt dragging by. The most Link had moved that day beyond trying to rescue Murdoch was his trip to Crenel Peak that morning with the sisters, and even so, fatigue had begun slowly creeping up on him during the wait. With each passing moment, though, however long they began to feel, Noelani remained vigilant in her task. Her cloudy eyes almost never moved from where they were supposedly focused, and her hands continued working on her brother's body.
Murdoch did not wake up after she had successfully restored his proper heartbeat, but his breathing seemed to grow deeper and more relaxed. Once she had felt the correct rhythm pulsing within his chest, she shifted her attention to the other locations on his body where the electric blast had blown away portions of his skin. Likewise, with Murdoch's life no longer dangling perilously on the edge, she and Link had finally felt their stress diminish. After feeling her brother's missing fingers, though, she wasn't sure if she'd be able to restore them completely.
It had been a tough battle…leading up to the restoration of their precious guard captain's heartbeat. By staying next to her and keeping calm conversation with her, Link had tried to keep her feeling safe and supported during her period of immense pressure. He himself could not find comfort during the ordeal, but nonetheless, he kept a steady composure for his daughter. The last thing she ever needed to feel was urgency. He had failed to keep her from it at first, but it hadn't been long before he found his way. And now…it was beginning to pay off.
He had not been slow to notice the change in Noelani's behavior after she announced the recovery of Murdoch's pulse. Her posture seemed to relax considerably, her breathing seemed to slow down, and her voice seemed to become less…shaky. It was obvious that her quiet, steady tone before had been a well-constructed disguise, designed to mask the true, unstable nature of her emotions at the time. On the other hand, after the change, she seemed a lot more collected, and her tone seemed to reflect a clear sign of gladness and relief. Noelani's optimism was quite a virtue, and Link had no idea who she inherited it from, but even in the face of the death of a loved one, it had the power to persevere.
At the moment, Link was poised up against the side of the waterbed under the awning, drifting back and forth between sleep and wakefulness. Just a few feet away, out in the ongoing rain, Noelani continued her work on Murdoch in silence. It was hardly noticeable to the average observer, but the young Zora's eyes were slowly beginning to develop dark circles from her prolonged efforts. Her head bobbed a few times, and each time it did, the aura around her hands would flicker slightly. Even in her youth, lasting concentration like her own was difficult to achieve.
The sky had been growing darker the past hour, and if Link had to guess, he figured the sun was probably creeping toward the western horizon at this point. He only had a small portion of his conscious mind left to make this assumption, however. It had been a momentously eventful day, he had to admit, and the exhaustion was finally beginning to overtake him. Despite having only been earlier that morning, it felt like ages to the hero since he had awoken to his daughters sleeping in the waters of the East Reservoir. It was funny how, at that time…just hours ago…he hadn't even been aware that he had a son. Now, with everything that had happened…it was just startling. Startling…how much could one's life could change in such a short time.
He shifted a little bit with a lethargic groan as his ears caught a tiny blip of Noelani's gentle voice. It sounded on the edge of a whisper, and it most certainly was not being carried enough to be directed at him. He lowered his hands to his sides and pushed himself to a more upright position.
"Hello…" She seemed to mutter. The rain made it difficult for Link to pick up her voice. "…come back to me…"
He sat himself up further as his eyes began to flutter open. He had barely distinguished Noelani's voice as real, since his mind was teetering on the edge of a dream, and nothing seemed to be real at the time. Now that his daughter's voice was clear to him, though, he was quick to begin forcing himself awake so he could listen in on any important updates. He rubbed his eyes with his fists.
"Come back to us…we're here for you…" She cooed supportively. Link squinted in her direction and saw her with her head down and her hands, still glowing, against Murdoch's cheeks. "Come back, Murdie…"
Link shook his head a few times. "…Murdie…?"
As he struggled to focus his groggy vision, Link began to notice some small movements in Murdoch's body. His head seemed to roll over a bit on the ground, and as this happened, his arms seemed to come up from his sides. As the guard captain struggled to make use of his weakened muscles, Link saw Noelani reach forward to kindly keep him restrained.
"You must relax for a bit…" She softly informed. "…You're still in recovery…"
Link was simply blown away by how similar Noelani sounded to Mipha right then. He could recall some small moments here and there when his late wife would tend to his battle wounds, and the most noteworthy feature of those moments was always her motherly concern and polite scolding. She had always treated him like her own child when he was young, and once he had grown up and gotten more serious with her in their relationship, she still seemed to preside over him like his guardian angel. Seeing Noelani, one of Mipha's actual children, acting this way towards her brother sent the memories rippling through Link's head.
"Mmm…ugh…" A deeper voice muttered. "Nngh…L…Lani?"
Suddenly, upon hearing Murdoch's actual voice, Link was wide awake. His drifting eyes widened in an instant, and as they did, his vision found its focus. Murdoch had obeyed his sister and stayed laying on the ground with his arms at his sides, but…his eyes were open! And he was speaking again!
"You're okay." Noelani hummed. "Everything's going to be okay."
Link picked himself up off the ground and jogged quickly to their position, stepping back into the rain in the process. He felt an unimaginable amount of relief, but for Murdoch's sake, he decided to contain it. For some reason, he didn't want his son thinking he had caused a major ruckus, even though he had, in reality. Had his pulse been stopped right off the bat, rather than losing its rhythm, he surely wouldn't have made it. But…perhaps he didn't need to know that.
"Lani…" The hero breathed between stutters. "I just…I…I can't…thank you enough! I'm amazed you managed to patch him up so…cleanly. You know…your brother owes you his life!"
Noelani kept her empty gaze aimed straight ahead as she shrugged. "You know…was there ever really a choice? There's no way I would've let Murdoch die. Not a chance in Hyrule."
Murdoch stared directly up at the sky in complete silence. He seemed to have nothing to say regarding his folks' words. His expression did not change as Link looked down at his body, studying the many former wounds that had gradually been repaired over the last few hours. The guard captain's eyes did not even blink when they were hit by the raindrops.
"I wish you could see this, Lani." Link sighed. "You made him look as if nothing had ever happened."
Noelani bit her lip at her father's complimentary statement. "Well…that's not entirely true. Mom's healing abilities weren't perfect, you know."
Link raised an eyebrow as Noelani leaned forward over her brother's body. She felt around for a few seconds as she tried to locate his arm. Once she found it, she clasped her hand around his wrist and held his hand up for Link to see. Link recognized it as the hand Murdoch used to pull back the bowstring, and on it…were still only three fingers.
"His ring finger was stripped away a lot, but it still had its crucial joints, so I was able to mostly fix it up." She explained timidly. "His index and middle fingers, though…weren't even there when you gave him to me, so…there was nothing I could do. I'm afraid he'll have to live without them."
"It's okay…" Murdoch grunted, continually fighting the pain he was still feeling in some places. "…it was my fault anyway."
Link looked down at him. "Wh…What did you just say?"
The guard captain glanced over at his sister, temporarily ignoring Link's question. "Lani…thank you for healing me, and…for being there for me when I needed it. I…I am truly in your debt."
Noelani shook her head. She seemed to be fighting back a tear or two, but the wetness of the rain was making it hard to tell. "No, don't say that. You'll never owe me anything."
There was more that Murdoch wanted to say to her, but he kept it back for the time being. After hearing her choked, emotional response, he turned his gaze back over to Link, who was looking down at him just as intently. Before even hearing him talk, Link could see something…different in his eyes. He seemed so much less…cold than he had been during the last day. There was something in this new expression of his that gave Link some unexplained closure. It was…almost reminiscent of his son's innocent past.
"Father…could you lead my dear sister over to the waterbed, please? I'd like to speak to you privately for a while." He requested.
Link swallowed as he felt a minor jump in his chest. A lot had just transpired in such a short time, and he wasn't sure if Murdoch would have something positive or negative to say. Whatever it was, though, clearly it was major. He'd only have as long as it took to walk Noelani away to prepare himself for what was coming.
He was also quite caught off guard by the request. "Um…sure." He stood up and reached for Noelani's shoulder. "Come, Lani. You could probably use some rest anyway."
When Link's pruny hand came to rest on her shoulder, Noelani stood up next to him. He gently used his grasp to guide her in an arc around Murdoch's head so she wouldn't accidentally step on him. Murdoch followed them with his gaze as they walked slowly toward the awning. Unbeknownst to the pair, as Murdoch watched them walk together, his lips curled into a tiny grin that lasted as long as they were approaching the bed. The action, genuine as it was this time, almost felt weird to him.
With a hand on her long, glistening tailfin, Link assisted Noelani in laying down on the bed. He figured she was capable of doing it on her own, but he helped her anyway as a gesture of courtesy, especially considering the hard work she had put into saving her brother. She found the moment too precious to pass up, even though she also knew she could do things like this herself. She was essentially a young woman, well into her independent years, but she still looked forward to every time Link would baby her like the toddler she used to be…before Calamity Ganon sabotaged her childhood. She only hoped the future ahead would be filled with moments like this one.
It was only brief, however, as Link removed his hand from underneath her head after laying her down. Her eyes stared straight upwards through the ceiling of the awning, but Link knew that…in her mind…she was staring right at him. He saw the smile on her face, and he thought that, perhaps, she could see the one on his as well…in a way.
He sighed. "They've always called me the hero, you know. But…compared to you…I feel like I should be nothing." He saw Noelani's expression change during his short pause. "You give me the same inspiration your mother always did. If I were to share in your blindness…I probably wouldn't be able to tell you apart from Mipha."
There was nothing else he wanted to say on the matter. He didn't consider himself to be a wizard of words, but for his most cherished beings in Hyrule, he made it an obligation to properly express how they made him feel. After what he put them through the last century, they deserved the absolute best of his affection. He would ensure they'd never have to suffer again.
He turned around and walked quietly out from the awning, leaving his daughter to herself per Murdoch's request. Stepping back into the rain felt no different than being dry anymore, he found. If he spent any more time lingering around Zora's Domain in the condition it was currently in, he felt like he'd probably turn into a Zora himself. It was impossible to not be hydrated in such unrelenting rain.
Murdoch was staring into the sky again when Link made his way over to him. Approaching his son like this felt to Link like the march of the century…literally speaking. He had no idea what Murdoch had to say, and he had no idea how he was going to say it. More importantly, he had no idea what the guard captain was feeling after having his life saved. He figured, though, that the best way to prepare himself was to go in expecting the worst.
"…I'm here." He declared softly. He once again got down and sat cross-legged on the platform next to Murdoch, whose head turned upon hearing the statement.
"Ah, Father. Is Noelani faring well?" He began. Link was intrigued that Murdoch would choose to begin a conversation with a question about someone else, especially someone he was supposedly upset with.
"She's doing great." Link answered calmly. "Surprisingly so. She can handle trauma pretty well."
"That's good to hear. I'm relieved to have not caused her too much trouble."
Link raised an eyebrow. "But…weren't you unhappy with her? I thought you felt like she and Mira had betrayed your trust."
Referencing the past seemed to make Murdoch pause for a moment. A saddened expression seemed to form on his face. It was something Link could not remember ever seeing on the Zora's face before. He realized, then, that this conversation would be taking a much…different turn. A much better one, in fact.
"You see…that's what I wanted to talk to you about." Murdoch explained sheepishly…another first for him, as far as Link could tell. "I…I wanted to apologize."
Despite having seen it coming, Link felt stunned as he heard the words escape his son's mouth. As desperate as he was for this moment, he still found it to be…a little sudden, to say the least, especially after Murdoch's insistence on…resistance. Having a near-death experience was one thing, but it was interesting to think that his mindset could've changed so quickly after a single incident. Perhaps it was the electricity, he thought.
"…I…I see." Link whispered.
Murdoch took his father's lackluster response as an invitation to keep going. "Yes, I, um…I…experienced something up there earlier with…with that bow, you see. I don't think I'll ever forget it."
Link folded his hands together and gazed directly into Murdoch's eyes. He nodded his head intently. This conversation was going to be big.
"I was prepared to avenge Mother…" He breathed deeply. "…I had everything ready. I had my wit…my bow…my drawn arrow…" He could see Link's interest bundled up in his concentrated expression as he made another hesitant pause. "I quietly called out to her on the other side, if you will, and…"
Link leaned forward a bit, the suspense nipping at his heels. "And…what?"
Murdoch still didn't answer for a few more seconds. It seemed almost like he was taking a moment to comprehend what he himself had experienced before sharing the details with his father. His gaze appeared to go absent during the time he was reminiscing on the event. His eyes locked right back onto Link, though, just before he finished his sentence.
"And…I think she answered me."
Link's eyes widened. He put his folded hands back up to his mouth and leaned back to his previous position. Such a twist…but how could he interpret it? Had Mipha truly spoken to Murdoch from beyond, the way he claimed? If that really were the case, would that mean her spirit was still present in the Divine Beast?
"Mipha…spoke to you?" He gasped. "Wh…What did she say?
"I'm…not really sure. It sounded less like words I could understand, and more like…white noise. But somehow, I could distinguish her voice, and…before I blacked out after the blast…I felt like I had my eyes opened." He stared upwards even more blankly than before, clearly lost in thought on what had just happened to him that evening. "I know that sounds a little ironic, but…"
"No, no, I get what you mean." Link replied, cutting off his awkward babble at the end. "So…were you aware of the danger you had put yourself in?"
He noticed a sunken look appear on Murdoch's face, which only served to build a bit of dread within him. Failing to consider the consequences of his bold attack would've indicated pride and stubborn confidence, which Link decided he could deal with in a son that was going through his young adult years. Understanding those consequences, however, and choosing to undergo the attack anyway, was a far more frightening possibility, because it was a sign of a much deeper problem. It was beginning to look clear which scenario he was facing.
"There's no way to put this nicely, Father, but…" He closed his eyes. "…yes, I knew I was unlikely to survive the attack. I might've been counting on that a little. I guess Mother just…wouldn't let it happen, though."
Link let out a long breath and buried his face in his hands. If Mipha could really communicate with the living somehow, he was really wishing she could give him some parenting advice from beyond the grave. He certainly didn't expect suicide therapy to be on his parental itinerary.
"Murdoch…why?" The hero choked on the words as he worked to hold back his negative emotions. "Why would you try to put us all through that? Did you not see how much we care about you?"
The guard captain started to lift his arms, but he lowered them back to the ground after remembering Noelani's orders. He sighed guiltily. "I…It…It's just so complicated…"
"I'm listening. I've always been listening, and I'll listen again. Take all the time you need." Link declared bluntly. Even after talking like this for a couple minutes, he was still blown away by Murdoch's sudden weakness and uncertainty. He was stuttering more often, and he was using much less regal vocabulary.
"I don't even know where to begin…" The defeated captain sighed as he tried to reset his brain to a point where he could lay out his confession. It was a perfect storm of circumstances that had led to his condition there, on the ground, in the rain. After an awkward moment of thought, he decided, perhaps, that starting at the very beginning would be the best choice.
Link sat back a little further as Murdoch began what would potentially be a very long monologue. This was where the sparks would finally fly between them, they both hoped.
He began speaking, using an intro Link had not expected.
"Well, you see…I loved my childhood. I remember Mother telling me one day that you both would always work to make sure our lives were as happy and fulfilling as possible, and every day since, I'd think about how good of a job you both were doing. We always had the best meals together…my sisters and I had the best laughs…and, well…you always gave us so much attention. You made it so obvious how much you loved us, and the feeling was…just so good. I have some subordinates today who've had some more distant parents, and it always makes me think about how lucky I was to have you and Mother as my own."
Link could see how much Murdoch wanted to use hand gestures as he spoke, but the whole time, he was clearly trying to keep himself restrained as Noelani had suggested. It was a moving explanation, and it had only just begun. He knew he was going to be a complete sucker for it by the end. His concern remained, though, for how the story would somehow lead to an attempted suicide.
Murdoch continued. "Calamity Ganon had always been a looming threat at the time, but I and my sisters never really understood it entirely. We certainly understood the reason behind your countless missions, as Mother would always be there to explain it to us. We knew you were the Hylian princess's chosen knight, and we knew you had some kind of important role with that special sword on your back."
Link nodded in quiet understanding after taking a quick glance at his sword, which was still settled in the scabbard on his back. He had always begun to resent that sword…more and more with each passing day. Throughout the many legends of the mythical hero, going back hundreds of thousands of years, no one ever seemed to ask the chosen one whether or not they wanted to take on the lifetime burden…and unfortunately, his life was apparently no exception. It was tough to think that he owed his wife and his family to that sword, because without it, he could've lived much happier with them. Was it just…the hero's curse?
Murdoch continued again with little to no pause. "The thing is…and this is a lot to admit, but…I looked up to you a lot. Probably with every fiber of my being, in fact. I wanted to be like you in every way, and I often showed it by trying to impress you with various things. I still remember some funny ones…"
"I remember you swallowed a frog one time." Link cut in. "You somehow managed to hack it back up later after using your stomach to hide it from us."
Murdoch looked over at him with a small smirk. "Really? I don't remember that one."
Link smirked back. "Don't worry, Murdoch. I'll remember for you."
Murdoch chuckled a bit, a sound which resonated pleasantly in Link's ears. They may have been sharing a solemn moment, but hearing a bit of happiness from his son was enough to make his day. Murdoch's laughter had been filling his memories lately, and in turn, it filled him with grief each time when he returned to reality and remembered how his son currently was in contrast. Like this, though, he could feel more like there was still a chance for the past to return in glory.
Allowing seriousness to return to the moment, Murdoch straightened his face and proceeded. "The point of that is, despite knowing why you were leaving and where you were going, I still never wanted you to leave. Mother taught us not to fret whenever you'd depart, because, according to her, you wouldn't want to be distracted thinking sadly about us during your absence. Somehow, though, I could never shake the feeling that she was fretting on the inside…just as much as me…"
Link thought a bit on that statement. Now, thinking back a hundred years later, it was easy to see the supposed truth in that last bit. Back then, however, it probably would've come as a bit of a surprise. It wasn't that he ever doubted the love she had for him, but he just…never would've guessed his missions could put her through so much. He found it stunning, then, how much strength she must've had to keep herself reliably composed…for their family's sake…while he was gone.
"Anyway…" Murdoch continued. "…believe it or not, I loved you and Mother. I loved my sisters. I loved our family…more than I can even put into words. And so…when the word finally spilled to us that Mother was a Champion…a protector of Hyrule just like you…I just…I couldn't handle it. I felt like my world was going to fall apart. I felt like Calamity Ganon was going to pull you both under and leave nothing behind for me, Mira, and Lani. And I guess…I was sort of right."
The hero was speechless. He had an immediate urge to say something in response to his son's heartbreaking words, but…nothing was coming to mind. He didn't know how to express his shared grief for the tragedy. Leaving behind his family to take on the Calamity was his biggest regret, doomed to plague his mind to the grave, and he wished deeply for a way to properly let Murdoch know that. What he got instead was one pathetic utterance.
"…Oh…"
"The thing is, I thought you had had something to do with Mother's role as the pilot of the Divine Beast. I had known my whole short life that you were an esteemed warrior, destined to combat the apocalypse, but…I always thought Mother was just…a princess, and nothing more. I had the security of knowing that…at least…if we would have to suffer through your death in the Great Calamity, we'd have her to help us stay together. When we discovered that she would be playing an equally important role in everything, my first assumption was that you had somehow coaxed her into it. After all…husband and wife were supposed to do everything together…" Murdoch explained, trailing off in his last sentences.
"Listen, I want you to know that I never…"
"Yes, I know, Father. After hearing Mother's voice in the lake earlier, I understood everything. She was appointed for the job by the royal council, and she accepted the task by her own free will. It happened before we were born, too."
"It happened while she was pregnant with the eggs, in fact." Link added with a point of his finger. "Luckily it wasn't noticeable to Zelda at the time she dropped by, or the royal council would've possibly selected a different candidate."
"Is that so?" Murdoch hummed. "Interesting…"
"Mipha had wanted a family from the moment we got married." Link explained. "She knew in her gut that the royal council would select her as the Zora Champion, so she came to me about her wish before they could get the chance to consult her. We wanted to have some time with children like you to love…before things could get complicated."
Even with his rise in extroverted behavior since arriving at the Domain, Link noticed he was being rather talkative at this point. It was quite unlike him to be sharing such intimate details on the past. Now was an interesting time, though, he had to admit, and Murdoch deserved to know every bit of information Link could muster. Every bit, of course, that wasn't…inappropriate to share.
"I see." Murdoch uttered. "And…how do you remember all this? The Shrine didn't completely wipe all your memories?"
"Well, it did, but Mira and Lani have been helping me to remember many things. I'm also remembering much more as I spend time with you in general. Your mother was a big part of my life, you know." Link stated.
"I suppose that makes sense." Murdoch had left quite a bit of information untouched as of yet, so with the conclusion of that tangent, he geared up to get the subject back on track. His father still needed to know why he had nearly taken his own life. There wasn't too much more to explain, anyway.
He continued. "So…after Muzu had to take over caring for us, I grew up thinking you and your hero role were responsible for Mother's involvement in the Calamity." He stopped to hold his breath for a moment before letting it out in a long sigh. "I was so hurt by the loss of you both…and…I just didn't know how to deal with it. I couldn't sleep at night, but…I never told anyone. Mira and Lani were very open with their grief, but I kept it all in. Eventually…" He paused a second time. "…I put the two together, and I guess…I just…directed my emotions at you. After all…it seemed to me like Mother's death was your fault, and Muzu was seconding that assumption pretty adamantly. I suppose…I felt like you had betrayed our family."
The information came at Link like a tidal wave. Just as Murdoch had had his eyes opened by Mipha's spirit on the lake, Link was experiencing an epiphany of understanding as his son was finally able to come clean about his grievances in a calm, collected manner. It seemed that, for once, the two of them were on the same page. It only took a nearly lethal electric discharge to reach that point. He still didn't seem like he was finished, though, so Link remained silent while he continued.
"Jump to a couple weeks ago, and obviously my sorrow hadn't diminished. I had moved on with my life…at least mostly…with my acquisition of the captain's position and my brief courtship with a few lovely Zoras over the years, but…I was never able to rid myself of the trauma from losing my parents. I retained the anger I had developed at you for everything that had happened, and when evidence started mounting that you were still alive and would be arriving at the Domain soon, I was…not willing to see you. Somehow, you being still alive was more upsetting to me than if you had simply been killed in the Calamity along with Mother."
Link jumped in with a query. "So…what made you decide to take on the Divine Beast? Was the thought of having to face me after everything just…too gruesome?"
"Well…in a way." Murdoch answered. "But mostly…I guess…it was to set an example…if that makes sense." He stared sheepishly at Link, who looked back at him with a bit of confusion. "Shortly after the Divine Beast mysteriously awoke a couple weeks ago, and I started hearing of the possibility of your return, I planned to make an attack after you got here. I knew that…after you arrived…it would only be a matter of time before you went seeking me out, so I planned to use the Divine Beast as…sort of…a lesson to you, if you will. I wanted to show what it really meant to put your family before yourself, and to be honest…I felt like it would be the only way to finally be at peace. I wanted to see Mother again."
"I…I, uh…I…wow." Link stuttered stupidly. "I just…I had…no idea…"
"It's okay, Father." Murdoch gently cut him off. "Even after death, Mother apparently never stopped protecting me. She helped me see things the right way, and now…I feel such great relief. I only wish she had come to me sooner. You know…to keep me from developing those bad emotions."
Link shook off his trance. "You know what that means?"
"What?"
"It means your mother's spirit must still be tied to Vah Ruta. She was only able to reach out to you while you were in its vicinity." Link explained.
"You think so?"
Just then, Vah Ruta released another bloodcurdling roar into the atmosphere, causing the two of them to jump and chilling them to the bone. They looked off in the direction of the Divine Beast and saw its trunk raised in the air once again, proclaiming its lamentation to the heavens above. Each recurring blast from the mighty mechanical creature seemed louder than the last. They both wondered, internally, whether there was something symbolized in the timing of that roar.
Murdoch turned back to Link. "Well…now you know just about everything. That's the best way I could describe it to you."
Link looked back at him with a blank expression. "Yeah…I suppose so."
"I figure I should take this opportunity to apologize again. I'm…truly sorry for everything I put you through today. I was…very…very misguided, and luckily, I see that now." Finally defying his sister's order, Murdoch lifted his arm up to rest his hand on his father's shoulder. "The truth is…I'm so glad you're finally home. I only got that way in the first place because of how grief-stricken I was that I had lost you. I do still love you, Father."
Still without words, Link leaned down and tenderly hugged his now-humbled son. He still managed to resist the tears, as only he could, despite their nagging influence on his sinuses. Although it was quite delayed, this moment was the one he could finally mark as his true reunion with Murdoch. He was an authoritative and somewhat intimidating character when crossed, but deep inside, he still had pieces of the innocent child that had fallen crazy for his father back in the good old days. With time, the two of them could hopefully recover their relationship to its fullest caliber, and nothing would seem out of place from their glorious past.
The two of them felt wonderfully rejuvenated after separating from each other. They shared satisfied smiles that, together, contrasted the melancholic hell that enveloped the Eastern Reservoir. Things would be different now, they could tell.
"So…was there anything I missed? Anything you were still curious to know?" Murdoch asked.
Link rubbed his chin. "Yes, actually, there was one thing that had confused me since earlier today."
"Yes?"
"Well, it's a couple things in one, actually. How did you know about the Shrine of Resurrection? And also, what 'evidence,' as you said, was predicting my return? My arrival came as a surprise to the entire Domain, so I'm just confused as to how you knew about it weeks before I got here. I would've still been in hibernation at that time."
Murdoch did not even hesitate when giving his answer. It was an answer that struck Link completely off guard, and it only raised his confusion even more.
"It was Mira. Mira was the evidence." He stated bluntly.
Link raised an eyebrow upon hearing him. "Um…I'm sorry…did you say Mira?"
"Indeed. Mira had been talking a lot about your return in the years leading up to it actually happening." Murdoch replied. "I just couldn't ignore it. I knew it would happen soon once the Divine Beasts reactivated."
"Wait, so…Mira knew I'd come back? And that much ahead of time?" Link stammered.
Murdoch nodded his head, causing Link to sit back and ponder curiously for a moment. "Of course she did. Mira never truly believed you had died in the Calamity. I mean…obviously she was just as upset as the rest of us when you didn't come back, but she knew it was because you were either lost or locked away somewhere. We all thought she was just experiencing denial from her grief, but she strangely seemed to acknowledge Mother's death normally. With you, however, she always wanted to share her faith that, one day, you'd return. Because of that, I had to be prepared as well."
For the umpteenth time since his arrival, Link thought he had learned every important detail about his children, and also for the umpteenth time, he was wrong. At the rate he was going, he could expect to be learning new things about them until the day he died. He had to figure, though…wasn't that part of the adventure of being a parent? The only difference was in the magnitude of the things he was learning.
"But…how? How did she know about the Shrine of Resurrection? How did she know I would come back? How…" He blabbed haphazardly before Murdoch cut him off.
"It's her mind." The Zora whispered.
Link stopped in his tracks. "Wha…Her mind? What do you mean?"
"Well, let's put it this way." Murdoch proposed. "Has Mira ever finished a sentence for you? Or answered a question you were thinking about, but never asked? Did she ever seem to know what you were thinking to yourself, almost as if you shared the same brain?"
Link's jaw dropped slightly as his mind quickly clicked to the countless moments in which that had happened over the last couple days. Exactly as Murdoch had described, there had been multiple recent occasions of Mira answering his unasked questions, reading his idle thoughts, and watching his personal memories like a home movie. He always found it to be a little weird, but he never would've guessed her tendencies would hold such significance.
"Actually, yes, that has happened a lot…" He mumbled.
"Exactly." Murdoch smirked. "It's her mind. I've clearly inherited your hero's instinct, and because of it, I'm probably one of the most skilled warriors in all of Hyrule. Noelani was gifted with Mother's sacred healing ability, making her the true carrier of her royal legacy. But Mira…well, Mira's something else. Mira's connected to you and Mother on a level I don't think any of us can really comprehend."
"Is that so…" Link muttered, trailing off pensively. "Do…Do you think she's aware of it?"
Murdoch shook his head. "I doubt it. She always chalks her weird predictions up as 'just a hunch.' She's been a bit jealous of Noelani's healing power throughout the past, but to be honest, I think her abilities are just as remarkable. When you leave to continue your quest later, she'll probably know where you are every step of the way…and not even realize it. I could only imagine what she'd be like if she knew what she could do."
"You're right…" Link gasped. "…That's amazing."
Murdoch chuckled softly. "You should talk to her about that sometime. I think she'd have a lot to gain from it."
"Sounds like a plan." Link responded with a small grin.
With that, Murdoch began slowly picking himself up off the ground, grimacing as he did so. He put his shaky arms beneath him for support as he tried with much effort to get himself standing for the first time after the incident. Link, surprised by Murdoch's sudden attempt, reached forward and tried to keep him restrained.
"Whoa, whoa, you need to stay laying down! Remember what Lani said!" He warned.
"Ah, to hell with that." Murdoch defiantly jabbed as he worked to get his knees under him. "This Zora needs to move again. I feel fine anyway, and the puddle I was laying in was getting kind of annoying."
"Wait…puddle?" Link raised an eyebrow in suspicion. "We didn't lay you in a puddle…"
It was then that he glanced down at the platform on which he had been kneeling…and was shocked at what he saw. The chiseled ground all throughout the dock, including the area surrounding the awning, was about a centimeter underwater. The Reservoir's rippling surface seemed to flow straight inwards from the Divine Beast, no longer impeded by the raised edge of the platform. By being as soaked as he already was from the rain, coupled with his distracting conversation with Murdoch, Link must've completely failed to notice the growing phenomenon happening just beneath him.
"Oh no…" He groaned. "This is getting out of hand…"
Murdoch wobbled for a moment after standing up, but he had no trouble quickly regaining his balance. He followed Link's gaze to the stone ground beneath them, and his expression grew just as concerned. The gravity of the situation was beginning to reach them.
"At the rate this is going, the Reservoir dam will be overflowing by sundown!" Murdoch announced. "What are we going to do?"
Amidst of flurry of thoughts running through his head, Link turned to the awning to make sure Noelani was okay. The water, although reaching the bed she was on, was not high enough to disturb her in any way. By the looks of it, she was fully asleep, which, considering the violent roar recently emitted by the Divine Beast, was an impressive feat. One important thing he did notice, though, was the underside of the bed, which was where Mira and Noelani kept their headpieces. Without giving a response to Murdoch's question, he rushed over to the awning to rescue the precious items as the water proceeded to lap at the floor of the resting area.
Careful not to awaken his sleeping daughter, Link got on his hands and knees in the shallow plane of water. Murdoch watched from behind as he felt around under the bed for a moment before extracting the glittery, historic objects and holding them up. They dripped with a little bit of rainwater, but it wasn't anything that couldn't quickly be wiped off. Had they been forgotten, they likely would've been washed away in Vah Ruta's storm.
He carefully set them on the small shelf next to the banister, where Mipha's old wine glasses were kept. They wouldn't be able to stay there forever, but at least on a raised surface like that, they weren't going to get claimed by the Divine Beast. He stepped back out from under the awning, taking care not to make large splashes with his footsteps around Noelani.
"By the way…" He mentioned, facing Murdoch. "…what ever happened to your headpiece? The princely one with the feather? Dento must've made one for you too."
"I keep it in my grandfather's chamber. I still wear it sometimes." He answered absently. He subsequently shook his head. "But that doesn't matter right now. How are we going to deal with this water? I can't risk shooting another shock arrow at Vah Ruta, and you can't climb waterfalls without your armor!"
"You're right." Link responded. He paused for a moment. "Wait…did you say armor? What armor?"
"The Zora armor that Mother made for you! You wore it on your wedding day, right? It's a Zora tradition!" Murdoch urgently informed.
Link put a hand on his head, the stress of a pressurized situation returning to him after a pleasant and relaxing conversation. "Th…The Zora armor lets me climb waterfalls? Seriously?"
"Did Mother never tell you that?"
"Well, I don't know! Maybe? I didn't remember any of that!"
Murdoch pointed a finger toward the stairs of the platform. "You need to hurry down there and retrieve that armor. Time is of the essence. I'll remain up here and make sure Lani stays okay. Mother's calling out to us, and it's finally time we answer her…the right way."
Link nodded his head once, and he obeyed his newly reformed son by making a break for the stairs. Once he got halfway down, he planned to jump over the banister and deploy his glider on the way to the Domain. He had spent a great deal of time reconnecting with his long-lost family after a terrible century of isolation, but now, he was being beckoned by the quest he had set out for in the first place. He had waited way too long with the assumption that the Divine Beast would hold out, and now his shenanigans would need to stop if he wanted to save his family's home.
The loose ends with his son had finally been tied, and now, it was time for a larger challenge. Murdoch was right. It was time to avenge Mipha.