I found that the sense of belonging being Mikau gave me also left me torn. I knew that much like the other Zoras the band would be concerned not just about Mikau but also about Lulu and the well-being of her eggs. Being both a band-member and a proud Zora warrior, I felt I ought to at least pay them a visit to let them know what I'd done so far in Mikau's name, but I also had a Temple to visit and a song to play for Lulu.
While I tried to decide what I ought to do, I circulated among the other Zoras for a time, reassuring them, catching up on what I'd missed – or at least what they thought I'd missed. There were concerns that the band hadn't rehearsed their performance for the Carnival yet, and that the rest of the band had not left their rooms, except for Lulu who was outside and apparently not talking to anyone. The loss of her voice was the reason of course, but as the lead singer she couldn't let on about that.
It was in overhearing that I decided I had to do something about that first, so made my way along the paths that lead outside to where she stood looking out toward the storm-ridden Great Bay Temple.
"Just how do you know where you're going?" Tael asked me on the way. "I can't read any of these signs."
I glanced at one sign that pointed out the Zora shop one way and Zora Cape – where Lulu was – the other, without even thinking about it. It was only when I paused and glanced back I realized what Tael meant.
"They're written in the Zoran script," I told him. "I must be able to read it because of Mikau. And I guess his memories are lending a hand again," I added.
"You'll put me out of a job if you keep that up," he grumbled.
"Don't worry Tael," I laughed. "I still have some trouble with Hylian, remember."
Zora Cape was sheltered from most of the elements by the carved rock that formed the tail seen above the water's surface, and was covered in slippery moss and even the occasional seashell. Separated by a narrow channel was a small grassy island with two palm trees on top, and off to one side was none other than Lulu. Through Mikau, I understood why many Zora men envied the relations he had with her.
I don't think I ought to dwell on this any more. Thinking like a Zora came second nature to me while I wore that mask, and Mikau's thinking heavily influenced my own. We don't really need to go too deeply into that.
Lulu clearly recognised me, either unaware of the truth or unable to convey her knowledge of it without her voice. I decided I was going to have to postpone the talk I wanted to have with her for now.
Instead I simply put her concerns to rest. "The eggs are safe," I told her. "I got them all back. They hatched up at the Marine Laboratory. Some of the others have gone to see nothing else happens to them."
To say the least, her grateful smile definitely gave me a good warm feeling that wasn't entirely from having done a good deed.
"They arranged themselves in a series of notes," I went on. "A song they must have known. Puzzled the scientist there, but I knew what it meant."
Her expression clearly told me she knew too, and wanted to hear the melody the tadpoles had strung out for me to learn, so I got out the Ocarina, which obediently became Mikau's guitar. I played through the first part of the song, the part the tadpoles had given me, then as I continued it into the second part that had just come to me, Lulu lifted her face toward the nearby isle and raised her voice in accompaniment. Dear Gods that girl has a beautiful voice!
As our song concluded the water around the isle started to stir and bubble, eddies and currents appearing around it. Then without warning the water around it burst up, soaking everything – not that either of us really minded, though Tael muttered complaints – and then as the great sheet of water subsided it turned out the isle was in fact the giant shell of an immense turtle, already turning to face us.
It gave a tremendous yawn, then looked to Lulu and in a deep voice spoke to her. "It has been some time, has it not? You resemble your mother most closely, Lulu. Do not seem so surprised," it chuckled. "Though I slumbered beneath these waters, I still see all that happens in these waters. But we have no time to talk and reminisce," it sighed, now turning to me. "Proud Zoran warrior. The open seas of the Great Bay have need of your might. Climb upon my back and allow me to ferry you safely through the storm that you may cleanse the Temple."
"Wait," Lulu said, her voice clearly restored by the song I'd played. "We have to rehearse... can't you wait until after then?"
"There is no time, Lulu," the turtle repeated.
"Actually... that's not entirely true," I said. "I can arrange for time."
Lulu looked puzzled, but the turtle looked to me with interest. "You know I am aware of what you speak," it told me. "Is it not an unseemly way to make use of the gifts She has bestowed upon you? You could easily see to this task after your return."
"I don't know how long I'll be," I replied. "And in any case, I have to tell Lulu anyway."
"Tell me what?" she asked, seeming oddly calm.
"I'm not Mikau, Lulu. I know, I look like him, but I'm not. I found him a few days ago, dying on the beach north of here. He was in no shape to do anything, and had things he regretted not doing, so I played a magic song I have, the Song of Healing. It turned his spirit into a mask, and when I wear that mask, I become him."
"He speaks truth, Lulu," the turtle told her. "I have seen the events he speaks of. His name is Silver, and he is blessed by the Goddess of Time, gifted with the ability to travel it."
"But then the band..." she trailed off.
"I can fill in for him," I supplied. "I have his memories, his skills – as long as I wear his mask. And I'm certain I can arrange matters so that we can go inside now and rehearse, then once we're done I can come back to this moment – well, a few moments after we go inside actually, to be safe – and have used up effectively no time at all so I can go to the Temple."
"We'll need to talk about this afterwards, Silver," she told me. "We need to decide what we'll do from here – if you're going to take over for Mikau or something else."
"I know, Lulu," I said. "I thought of that before I even came here. I was going to suggest it to you actually, but you kinda stole that from me," I laughed. "You don't mind?" I asked the turtle then.
"Not at all, Silver. I knew you would do this. My query was more to aid your thoughts, not as a measure to prevent you. Go and enjoy yourself."
The old rascal was wise, I'll give him that much.
Lulu and I headed back into Zora Hall, where she headed off to her room to prepare and do all the things women always do before they feel they're presentable, so since I now had the time I stopped by the rest of the band.
I shared a room here with Tijo, the rotund drummer of the band, who casually remarked that he'd overheard the song I'd played just before, asking where I'd come up with it. Since he, like the rest of the band, knew about Lulu's eggs, I told him.
"Sounds about right," he nodded. "We knew those eggs were special. Got a good tune too. Sure I've heard it somewhere before though, can't think where."
"Lulu's mother used to sing it for her," I supplied – or rather the memories supplied – while leafing through the more recent entries in Mikau's diary. I wasn't sure why I was looking through them, or what for until I came across two entries that mentioned a couple of jamming sessions with Japas, the notes of which he'd written down.
He also noted that while they had thought it a good tune, they also thought Evan wouldn't like it if he found out they'd been writing songs without him. I didn't like that – it's not the way a band should work – so decided I'd do something about it.
I also noted that we hadn't yet told Tijo about this, so I filled him in on it then went next door to see Japas.
"Mikau!" he greeted me warmly. "Been a while since I saw ya last. Where've you been, man?"
"Where else?" I shrugged. "The eggs are safe now though, and Lulu's alright now. She's over in her room preparing for a rehearsal."
"About time, but we don't have a song. Apart from the one you and I came up with, you know?"
"We'll use that. I'll talk with Evan, but first can you come next door? We need to make sure Tijo knows the accompaniment."
"And Lulu? She's gotta know too." For all his easy-going attitude, Japas is smarter than he appears.
"I'll talk with her too. Maybe if we all go to Evan together we can make him see sense."
"You're optimistic today, Mikau," Japas laughed as we left.
Word already appeared to be about that we were up to something as the number of Zoras that were casually lounging around backstage had increased considerably, conveniently talking where they might overhear a session we were about to play.
Lulu understood immediately when I spoke with her, and even suggested to me how best to approach Evan. I did suggest inviting him to come join us, but she told me to wait until we had the rest of the song – he could hardly object when all it needed was his last input on it.
She also set to rest my own private concerns that since I wasn't Mikau I might not be able to perform as well as he could. Her approach was simple and effective – she simply told me to stop being silly and just do it. If Mikau had seen fit to aid me this far, he'd continue to do so for this.
It's the first time I've ever actually played an instrument in a band at all, but with Lulu's support and Mikau's continued aid it didn't feel like it. That one rehearsal was one of the key reasons I made a number of excuses not to leave once I'd finally done everything I was supposed to here.
We hammered out our various parts, practising, refining the song wherever necessary, and indulging the fans we knew were listening at the door. Tael, whom I had explained away as simply a new friend who'd helped me retrieve the eggs, kept out the way and didn't bother us – but I knew he was probably enjoying himself more than anyone else. He got to sit in on us playing, a position any other fan would have envied.
Once we were done, Lulu went back to her room to continue her preparations while Tijo and Japas went to see that the stage was ready for the real rehearsal that'd take place shortly, and I went to try and talk sense into the prideful Evan. Somehow he'd managed to avoid hearing our session, holed up in his room playing a tune on the pianos.
I joined him, leaning on the wall just behind one of the pillars, and waited for him to finish. I gathered he didn't like interruptions. He played for a time before he finally glanced up to me wordlessly.
"Feel up to a stage rehearsal?" I asked him simply.
"What with?" he snorted. "I don't have anything for you to play."
"Here," I said, handing him the parchment we'd written our finished result on. "We all came together to make this. We'd have involved you too," I said, greasing him a little. "But you were playing in here, and we didn't want to interrupt. We just need you to look over it and add your own input."
"You guys went behind my back to make this?" he asked indignantly.
"Oh, grow up, Evan," I told him. "I told you why we didn't involve you before. If you're going to shut yourself up in here this'll happen. You might be the band leader, but you've gotta involve yourself more." Then drawing on what Lulu had suggested I continued, "If one of us comes up with a song it has to go past the rest of us anyway, Evan. It doesn't really matter which one of us thought of it first – just that we're all playing from the same sheet."
Evan appeared to struggle with that for a time, eventually giving in and setting the sheet on a stand while he played each part, thinking it through and making only slight changes to accommodate his additions. Like the others, he and I also rehearsed it together until he was satisfied.
He still seemed a little ruffled about what we'd done, but he did keep it to himself after our discussion, so while other Zoras shifted Tijo's drums and Evan's pianos out on to the stage we made sure everyone else knew about the finished song, making last preparations.
And then, because there's only one thing to do when you've got a hall full of expectant Zoras waiting to hear even a stage rehearsal, we went out there and gave them what they wanted to hear. And that performance was possibly the highest point of my entire trip to Termina.