Chapter 118 - I Met a Man Who Wasn't There

Summary: Tila finishes the Zora Armor for her husband. Mipha encounters something important, but with severe consequences.

It was cooler in the underground cavern that offered a respite from the scorching heat of the Eldin Region not far from Death Mountain. Two travelers had just recently returned and were discussing things with a third person, a scientist.

"Nice to see you again," said the scientist. "How did it go this time?"

"Very funny, and much better," said the first traveler. "That dog caused no trouble at all this time. But riding two on a cycle is a bit uncomfortable. Anyway, I think you solved it."

"That's great news!" said the scientist, happily rubbing his hands together. "Our leader will be pleased. You know, it wasn't easy for me without Grendon."

"Yeah, what exactly happened to Grendon?" said the second traveler. "We heard we lost him, but not how or why."

"Sadly, he overheard something he shouldn't have, though the person he overheard it from isn't with us anymore either," said the scientist, shaking his head. "Grendon only cooperated with us because he thought we were funding his pure research. When he overheard someone discussing our plans, he snuck off. Luckily, we were able to catch up with him and eliminate him before he could reveal anything. Unluckily, he left before he completed his research. I've been trying my best to continue his work from what I learned while he was here, but it hasn't been easy. He was terrible at taking notes or keeping records, relying on his memory for everything. Though I suppose that was also to our advantage since he left no record of his work behind in North Hyrule either. Grendon may have been a fool in some ways, but he was a genius in others."

The first traveler yawned, partly from being out all night, and also because he found the topic boring.

"So, when will be ready for some serious field testing? I'm getting impatient with all the small steps," said the first traveler.

"Soon, perhaps," said the scientist scowling at the traveler. "Maybe even in a couple of weeks. But the next phase may involve more senior people than you two. And by the way, if I were you, I would keep my opinions to myself. Our leader doesn't want to rush this. The plan's success depends on coordination and stealth. We're not dealing with fools, you know. There are top tier scientists in both North and South Hyrule."

"I just think the longer we wait, the more chance the enemy will figure things out," said the first traveler. "But what do I know? I'm going to sleep now. It's been a long night."

"Same here," said the second traveler.

They left to get some rest, while the scientist went back to work to prepare a summary of the project's status.

Meanwhile, in Zora's Domain, Tila and young Link were at Veiled Falls watching their daughter Tara playing in the water.

"I love the armor, sweetheart," said Link. "Thank you so much. I'm still getting the feel of it, but it's very comfortable, and my swimming is unbelievably better!"

"I knew you would love it!" said Tila. "I got a good deal of advice from Mother, so you should thank her as well. I wanted you to be able to keep up with Tara as she gets older."

"Now I know why you let slip the 'we' in how we could teach her to swim up waterfalls," laughed Link. "I just never dreamed you would do something like this. It must have taken you forever!"

"It was tricky keeping it hidden from you. You're so nosy sometimes," laughed Tila tweaking him gently on the nose. "See, I can speak Hylian phrases, like 'nosy.' But, I could tell how surprised you were and knew you didn't know about it."

"I was stunned! I never even thought of it," said Link.

"Come on, let's play with Tara," said Tila as she dove into the water.

It was two weeks later in Zora's Domain, and dinner at the Link and Mipha family house just ended.

"Well, as always, it's wonderful having you all here," said Mipha getting up from the table. "I need to check on Ruta now. Just don't pick on poor Linky too much anymore."

"It's all in good fun, Mom," said Lapha.

"And he can take it," said Midon.

"Have you heard from Dad, by the way?" said Mila.

"Yes, he's fine," said Mipha. "He Tabbed me he was having dinner at Hyrule Castle, but he expects to be home late tonight. Now enjoy yourselves and be good. I can't believe I still have to say that at your ages!"

"Don't forget your Tab, Mom," said Midon.

"I'll bring it, thank you," said Mipha.

Mipha left, and the rest of the family resumed their conversation. Tila was holding Tara in her lap, and Tara enjoyed having so many people around, all of whom loved giving her attention. That is when they weren't teasing young Link about his swimming ability with the new armor.

"Will you lighten up on me?" laughed Linky after Mipha left. "I'm still getting used to it."

"It's such a beautifully crafted set of armor, Linky," said Lapha. "I hope you appreciate how much time and effort Tila put into it."

"After two weeks, you should be embarrassed you haven't mastered it yet," said Midon. "You need to practice more."

"I don't say this very often," said Mila. "But, Midon is right."

"I will practice, I promise, and I agree it is a magnificent set of armor, and I'm very grateful," said Link. "It's just that I haven't had to do much serious swimming yet, Tara still being so small."

At the sound of her name, Tara turned to him.

"Daddyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy," said Tara and then she giggled.

Everyone laughed.

"I don't know where she got the idea of talking to me like that," said Link, shaking his head. "She doesn't do that with anyone else."

"I think it's cute," said Tila smiling at Link and hugging Tara. "But Tara, you need to say it right, okay?"

Tara nodded yes at her mother.

"I think we should start calling you Linky for good again," said Midon. "Only just to be clear, we need to pronounce it Linkyyyyyyyyyy."

Everyone laughed again.

"Come on, Tila, you've had her long enough," said Mila, reaching out for Tara. "Time to share the love, you little cutie!"

Tara reached out, and Mila took her in her arms and kissed her.

"Do you remember who I am?" said Mila as she hugged her.

"Aunt Mila," said Tara.

Then she turned to Link.

"Aunt Milaaaaaaaaaa," said Tara.

"Maybe not having ears herself, she thinks those big ears of yours hurt your hearing," laughed Midon.

"Very funny," said Link. "I think it's clear she just likes to tease me."

"She's smart," said Lapha. "It shows how clever she is to do that. Maybe there will be another scientist in the family."

Mila gave Tara another hug and kiss.

Meanwhile, at Hyrule Castle, Link had finished dinner, hugged and kissed Astra goodnight, and was getting ready to leave.

"Thanks for coming so soon again," said Zelda. "Astra is always thrilled when you have time for her. But I know it takes you away from that gorgeous granddaughter of yours."

"I don't mind at all," said Link. "There's enough of me to go around. Besides, I have to get in line to spend time with Tara. She gets attention from everyone in the family from her great grandfather on down, plus Tila's sister visits on occasion."

"Nevertheless, Astra and I both appreciate it," said Zelda. "Astra was used to being able to run to her sister's room and have a pillow fight or fool around, and she misses that. Your visits help."

"And I plan to continue to visit as long as I'm welcome," said Link. "Plus, as we discussed, as she gets older, I want to keep an eye on her and her training."

"Yes, you don't have to remind me," said Zelda. "Though I'm grateful for that as well. Anyway, you should be going to catch the next ferry. Thank you, Link. How many times have I said that over the years?"

"Many times, but you never needed to," said Link as he smiled at her. "It was my duty and my pleasure to help, and it still is."

They embraced and said goodnight. Then Link left, and on his way to the ferry terminal, he Tabbed Mipha that he loved her and was on his way home. She Tabbed back that she loved him too and was on her way to visit Ruta. Link stood by the pier along with six other people as they waited for the next ferry back to the Domain.

Meanwhile, after Tabbing Link, Mipha made her way to the end of the eastern bridge and nodded to the two guards on duty there.

"Lady Mipha, would you like an escort?" said Landon, the senior of the two guards.

"No, thank you, Landon," said Mipha. "I'm just going to the lake and visiting Ruta. It should be fine, don't you think?"

"It should be, but we would be happy to accompany you," said Landon.

"No, I should be fine," said Mipha. "Have you had any security problems?"

"No, nothing, Lady Mipha," said Landon. "We will be here when you return."

Mipha made her way through the tall grass and then up the steps leading to East Reservoir Lake. When she reached the top, she passed by the awning-covered bed there and stopped, smiling. She and Link had had their share of fun there early in their marriage. And even further back, she remembered Link as a cute little boy who sometimes needed a nap there when he tired himself out swimming.

The reservoir lake was quiet now, the only sound the waves lapping against the pier. She could see a family of ducks floating to her left, but no other wildlife. She made her way to the edge of the pier, dove into the water, and swam out to Ruta. When she reached Ruta, she lowered the entrance, climbed aboard, then raised the entrance platform back up again.

"Hello, Ruta," said Mipha. "Time for a brief inspection. Sorry, I haven't been here as often, but we have a new baby in the family that takes up a lot of our time. Her name is Tara, and she's so cute! I'll bring her here for her to meet you when she's a bit bigger."

Ruta bellowed, acknowledging Mipha's presence.

"Now, let's first see if everything is working as it should," said Mipha as she made her way to the large room in the rear and inspected the main control unit.

"Oh, oh," said Mipha. "It looks like the terminal on your trunk is offline for some reason. I'll need to take a look."

Mipha made her way back to the central area, swam up the small waterfall there, then entered the long corridor that led to Ruta's trunk. She lowered the nose so she could more easily reach the tip, then raised it back up until the terminal was in a horizontal position. The usual blue glow was out, and instead, the pedestal was orange now. Mipha placed her hand on the pedestal, closed her eyes, and used her trained thoughts to communicate with the Divine Beast mechanism. After a moment, the terminal flickered, then glowed blue again. She removed her hand.

"If that happens again, Ruta, we're going to have to see if you need any replacement parts," said Mipha. "But given this is the highest and most exposed terminal, perhaps a bolt of lightning affected it. Anyway, all is well with it now. I think I'm going to sit here for a little while and enjoy the view and the sunset before I inspect your tail."

The sky to the west was orange now, and you could just make out the silhouettes of Medoh and Naboris on the horizon. Hyrule Castle was visible almost in a direct line in front of Medoh, and she imagined Link was waiting for the ferry there now, or perhaps already on his way. If he had been home, Mipha would have taken Link with her. Even when Link wasn't with her, she had always enjoyed sitting atop Ruta's trunk. It was a special place she could be alone with her thoughts and free from interruptions.

But she also loved to sit with Link here and enjoy the view together, watch the moon rise and the stars shine. He would hold her in his arms, and they would cuddle, then share some kisses. She had spent some special moments with Link here, including the day before he had first accepted the Zora Armor from her. That was over thirty years ago now, and so much had happened in their lives since then, more adventures than you could imagine. But they had always ended up together at the end, and that was the most important thing. She watched as the sun sank below the horizon.

It remained quiet and peaceful at the lake as the evening came, nobody else was there. Stars shone clearly alongside wisps of white clouds, and a crescent moon rose over the Lanayru Sea and then drifted across the sky, passing just above Ploymus Mountain. She wasn't feeling at all tired, and the view was magnificent. But it was getting late.

"Your trunk is fine, Ruta. Let's just check your tail for any damage now," said Mipha.

She made her way to Ruta's tail, and, upon inspection, everything looked fine. As she stood on Ruta's tail, she gazed down at the lake. The tail was much closer to the northwest pier, which was visible below to her left. You could make out the gently rippling waves reflecting the moonlight. And behind the pier stood the back portion of the enormous fish sculpture that was the centerpiece of Zora's Domain. You could almost make out their house near Mikau Lake, but the cliff and trees obscured it. She returned to looking down at the pier.

And as she stared at the pier, she saw something rather strange. One of the five fish-shaped jars to the left of the bed suddenly fell over without breaking. She supposed a gust of wind could cause that, though the night seemed rather calm from where she stood. But that was not what alarmed her. What was strange was seeing the jar stand itself back upright again.

Mipha immediately crouched down to make herself less visible as she continued to stare intently at the pier. Jars don't just stand themself back up. Someone was there, and someone she couldn't see. And it was not because it was dark out. It was because whatever was there was not visible to her eyes. She hoped she was equally unseen, but there was no way to tell. She reached for her Tab and was about to send an alert.

The shock arrow came out of nowhere and caught her on the shoulder, stunning her instantly and causing her to drop her Tab. She felt the current surge inside her, gasped once expelling all the air from her lungs, and her world went black as she tumbled off Ruta's tail and plunged into the waters of East Reservoir Lake.

Meanwhile, the ferry carrying Link and the other passengers docked at the terminal, and he Tabbed Mipha that he was back and would be home soon. Strangely, there was no answer, though that did not unduly alarm him. It was late, and she might have gone to sleep if she were tired. He made his way to their house, and it was quiet. He thought everyone was asleep, but then he saw Mila sitting in the kitchen.

"Are you okay, sweetheart?" said Link.

"Yes, but I've been waiting for you," said Mila. "I thought perhaps Mom met you at the ferry terminal."

"No, she didn't. Is she not home yet? She Tabbed me she was going to Ruta, but that was some time ago," said Link.

"I'm worried," said Mila. "Let's go to the lake."

"All right," said Link. "Let's go."

They made their way toward East Reservoir Lake, and Link spoke to the guards there.

"You haven't seen Mipha, have you?" said Link.

"Not since she passed us on her way to Ruta, Prince Link," said Landon. "Is there a problem?"

"She's been gone a long time, and she's not answering her Tab," said Link.

"Sandor, you stay here," said Landon. "Let's investigate."

The three of them rushed to the lake, and it was quiet and empty.

"Could she be inside of Ruta?" said Mila. "The entrance is sealed shut."

"Even if she were, why isn't she answering her Tab?" said Link.

"I'll swim out there and call to her," said Mila.

She dove into the lake and began swimming toward Ruta, while Link called Mipha's Tab once more.

All of a sudden, Mila abruptly stopped, turned around, and began swimming back toward them.

"Call her again, Dad," Mila shouted. "I heard her Tab in the water."

Link did as asked, and Mila swam toward Ruta's tail, then disappeared as she dove underwater. But instead of retrieving her Tab, after a moment, Mila surfaced holding Mipha and her Tab. She pulled Mipha to shore.

"Oh, Hylia!" said Link. "What's wrong? What happened?"

"She's still alive, Dad," said Mila. "I want to take her to the bed, but we need to check something first. Her gills are working, but before we remove her from the water, let's make sure her lungs are too."

Link helped Mila gently lift her part of the way out of the water. Mipha gasped once, began taking shallow breaths, then breathed normally, all without regaining consciousness.

"Her breathing is working too," said Mila. "It should be safe to bring her to the bed here so we can examine her."

"That looks like a shock arrow wound on her shoulder," said Link. "I haven't seen one in a while, but I know what they look like.

"I'll summon the doctor," said Landon as he sent an alert, then sent Sandor a message to guard Link's house. After a moment, he announced the doctor would be here soon, as Mila and Link carried Mipha's unconscious body to the bed.

"Can you heal her, Mila?" said Link as he looked down at her unconscious body and took her hand.

"I can heal the shock arrow wound," said Mila. "I haven't done this in a while. I hope…never mind."

Mila closed her eyes and concentrated, holding her hand over Mipha's shoulder as she used healing magic on the burn wound. Slowly the wound disappeared, but there was no change in her condition. At that moment, the doctor arrived, along with Sidon.

"Please, make room and let me see her," said Doctor Aklan.

She bent down over Mipha's prone body and began to examine her, opening her eyes and looking into them, measuring her vital signs.

"Where did you find her?" said Doctor Aklan.

"Under the water," said Mila.

"What happened?" said Sidon. "I got the alert from the guards."

"We don't know," said Link. "She visited Ruta this evening, but it looks like she was hit in the shoulder by a Shock Arrow."

"Wasn't this area guarded?" said Sidon, turning to Landon.

"It was Prince Sidon, and both Sandor and I were on duty," said Landon. "No one came past us, nor did we hear anything."

"We'll check the video from our security cameras later," said Sidon. "How is she, doctor?"

"It's hard to tell until she awakens, Prince Sidon," said Doctor Aklan. "She suffered a serious shock to her system. Her gills continued to function normally underwater, so let us hope she did not suffer any injuries to her brain or nervous system. You know how nasty Shock Arrows can be to us. All we can do now is wait for the effects of the shock to wear off."

"And pray," said Sidon as he looked down at his sister.

"Is it safe to bring her home?" said Link.

"Yes," said Doctor Aklan. "It might be better if she rests in the water and doesn't need to expend extra energy breathing air."

"Can I help you carry her, Link?" said Sidon.

"No, thank you, I have her," said Link.

Link gently took her into his arms and kissed her gently on the forehead. Then all of them made their way back to his house. Sandor was at the entrance.

"I'll wake up the others and let them know," said Mila.

"If I can't help, Link, I'll have to break the news to Father," said Sidon. "Then, I want to investigate what happened."

Link carried Mipha to their room and gently lowered her into their slumber pool. Having taken some breaths of air, she floated as always, her head partly out of water. After a few seconds, her gills took over again, and she stopped breathing.

Just then, the rest of the family appeared outside their room.

"Mila told us what happened," said Lapha. "Is there anything we can do, Dad?"

"Is there any change, Dad?" said Midon.

"No, no change and nothing to do at the moment," said Link as he wiped his eyes, after having placed her in the pool. "The doctor said we just have to wait and pray the shock caused no permanent damage."

Mila went forward and put her arm around her father.

"I'll stay with you, Dad," said Mila.

"We can take turns, Mila," said Midon.

"Thank you," said Link. "I …"

"You don't have to say anything, Dad," said Lapha.

Midon, Lapha, Linky, joined Mila alongside him, and put their arms on him.

Link didn't sleep that first night until exhaustion finally took over, and he fell asleep in their pool. Mila and Lapha peeked in on him during the morning, and he finally awoke in the early afternoon, still feeling numb inside. They brought him some lunch.

"Dad, you have to eat something," said Lapha when she and Mila found him awake.

"We insist," said Mila. "The last thing we need is you getting sick as well as Mom."

"Fine, thank you," said Link climbing out of the pool and taking the plate of fish.

"Who cooked this? It's perfect," said Link after taking a bite.

"Come on, Dad," said Mila. "We haven't grown up watching you cook your meals without noticing how."

Just then, Sidon arrived.

"Any change, Link?" said Sidon.

"No, she hasn't moved," said Link.

"We checked our security camera records," said Sidon. "We don't have a video of the incident itself, as there was no camera pointed that way. But we can't find any evidence of an assailant making their way to the lake. It's bizarre."

"Yes, that it is," said Link. "I guess we will have to wait for Mipha to awaken to learn what happened."

"Yes, of course," said Sidon quickly.

He did not want Link to begin thinking that might never happen.

The second day was much the same as the first, Link refusing to leave their room and the family stopping by to visit and bring him meals. The doctor checked on her twice a day and said that while there was no improvement, she was not seeing any signs Mipha was getting worse either. She also arranged to provide Mipha with some nourishment each day.

"You should talk to her, Prince Link," said Doctor Alkan. "Sometimes, it helps a person in a coma to hear a voice they know, even if they can't respond."

"I will then," said Link. "I've been speaking to her without knowing that, but I'll do more of it. I hope she can hear me."

It was also on the second day that Link received a call from Zelda saying she was praying for Mipha's recovery and offering any assistance she could. Link thanked her but said prayers were all they could use now.

Meanwhile, Mila, Midon, Lapha, Linky, and Tila were meeting in the dining room.

"We each have to spend time with Dad each day," said Mila. "He can't be alone too long. I know all of us are hurting, but he's hurting more. And he has to sleep and eat. Linky and Tila, maybe you could visit together and bring Tara to see him once in a while. He needs to see we're here for him and love him. If Mom doesn't recover, I worry he'll do something rash."

"Agreed," said Midon. "Even if Mom does recover, I worry about what he'll do. Trust me. He's not someone you want as your enemy! Once he sets his mind to something, you don't know how relentlessly he'll pursue it. Mom told us stories growing up about how reckless he could be, throwing caution to the waves. He'd wade into a whole camp of enemies without hesitation, confident he could take them all on. And he may have mellowed a bit now, but this can push him over the edge. We've got to keep him from doing something that will kill him."

"Right now, we need to show him we're a family, and he has our love and our support," said Lapha. "Dad also has to see we need him just as much as we need Mom. If Mom recovers, she can water down his reckless tendencies. It's if she doesn't recover that we have to worry."

"And as of now, we have no reason to think Mom won't recover, right?" said Linky. "Don't even mention anything to the contrary."

Everyone nodded.

"I'll work out a schedule to cover each day and send it to your Tabs," said Midon.

So, during the day, Sidon and the rest of the family took turns stopping by to check on Mipha and cheer Link up as best they could. The family had offered to stay with him at night as well, but he thought that was too much to ask of them. He told them he would sleep better alone, which was at least partially true.

Sidon stopped by in the afternoon.

"The same?" said Sidon.

"Yes," said Link. "Thanks for coming by. I know what everyone's doing, and I appreciate it."

"What do you mean?"

"I'm not the technical one, but I could just Tab all of you if there were any change," said Link. "I know you're here for me, but I want you to know I'm here for you too. I know you're all hurting just as much as I am."

"I'm confident she'll recover," said Sidon. "But it's times like this we all realize how much a part of our lives she is. We take for granted we will always have each other, and don't spend as much time together as we should."

"I know," said Link. "But I guess it's part of what life throws our way. I was recently explaining to my niece Astra how her married sister has less time for her now. I believe Mipha will recover. You and I both know she's a fighter inside. She didn't get to be Zora Champion through weakness. And knowing her, she's going to want to do all she can to protect her people again. And I'm going to be by her side when she does."

"I know you will," said Sidon. "And that's why you need to take care of yourself and stay healthy."

"I will," said Link. "I just have trouble sleeping. I want to watch her for any sign of recovery. How is Father taking all this?"

"About as expected," said Sidon. "He's my other patient."

Link laughed.

"I know how hard it must be," said Link. "Give him my love and tell him to stay optimistic."

Sidon left, and Link resumed watching Mipha and talking to her about whatever came into his head. He slept only when exhaustion took over, so he didn't know what time that would be each day. Each night he would gently hold Mipha's hand or put his arm around her and talk to her some more, remembering things they did together, and always ending with how much he loved her.

When he was alone at night, he sometimes began recalling the pain of losing her the first time, but this time it felt far worse. The first time he been in love with her, of course, and losing her had broken his heart once he remembered and felt what they had meant to each other. But now they had built a life together, and he could not imagine her not being there with him to share it. Of course, he prayed to Hylia whenever he could.

On the third day, Tila and Link brought Tara to visit. Link had to smile as Tara reached out for her grandfather to hold her, and Link took her in his arms and kissed her.

"Your one person who can make me smile, sweetheart," said Link to Tara as he kissed her, and she hugged him.

"How are you holding up, Dad?" said Link. "You know we're happy to stay with Mom if you need a break, to take a walk or something."

"Thanks, I thought about it," said Link as he held Tara and rocked her. "But there isn't a single place in the Domain that doesn't hold memories for me of times we spent together there. It will only make me miss her more. So, I might just as well stay here."

Link gave Tara another kiss, then handed her back to Tila.

"Thanks for visiting," said Link. "It did cheer me up."

"Of course, Dad," said young Link. "We all love you, you know."

They hugged, and then they left as Link turned back to speak to Mipha.

"My darling, Mipha, you have to recover. Your beautiful granddaughter was just here. I love you so much, and my life without your love feels so empty. I need you back with me. We have so much life ahead of us yet, you and I."

It was the evening of the sixth day that things finally changed. Link fell asleep in the slumber pool alongside her after kissing her on the cheek. In the middle of the night, he suddenly awoke, sensing movement. He turned to Mipha, and she was moving her head, then she opened her eyes and blinked, staring at him. Before he could say anything, she said, "Link?"

"Oh, thank Hylia! Thank Hyilia!" said Link as he embraced her. "I love you so much, sweetheart! How are you feeling? You've been unconscious for over six days."

"I'm still a little disoriented," said Mipha. "Six days, you say?"

"Yes," said Link.

They held each other.

"I must have worried you and the family sick about me," said Mipha finally as they continued to hold each other.

"Never mind about that," said Link as he wiped his eyes. "But, I need to tell everyone you're awake and have the doctor check you."

He called Mila from his Tab and told her the news. The next thing they heard running feet from all over the house and Mila, Midon, Lapha, Linky, and Tila all appeared.

"Mom! Oh, thank Nayru! Are you okay?" said Mila.

"I think so," said Mipha. "Still a bit dizzy. And hungry. Perhaps I should get up?"

"No, please wait for the doctor, sweetheart," said Link. "I just Tabbed her, Sidon, and Father telling them that you're awake."

"I'll get you a fish, Mother," said Tila, who rushed off.

"My memory is still hazy," said Mipha shaking her head. "I remember I saw something strange at the lake, and then everything went black. The next thing I remember is waking up here."

"A Shock Arrow hit you," said Link.

Just then, Sidon and the doctor appeared.

"Oh, blessed Nayru!" said Sidon. "Sister, how do you feel?"

"Groggy, a bit dizzy," said Mipha.

"Here is Doctor Aklan," said Sidon.

"Lady Mipha," said Doctor Aklan as she stepped forward. "It's wonderful you're awake. Let me examine you."

The doctor examined her eyes, took some vital signs, checked her breathing.

"Everything seems normal, and that's great news," said Doctor Aklan. "How is your memory?"

"It seems fine, except for shortly before I went unconscious," said Mipha.

"If that's all you've forgotten, then that's excellent," said Doctor Aklan. "I want you to take it easy for a while, nothing strenuous."

"I understand, and thank you," said Mipha.

"I need to tell Father," said Sidon. "A Tab message won't do for him. He likes in-person communication. But I am so thrilled and overjoyed I don't know what to say. We all love you so much, Sister."

"Thank you, dear Brother," said Mipha smiling. "Tell Father I'm fine. I'll come to see him as soon as I can."

Meanwhile, back in the Eldin Region, someone was being given a dressing down by his superior.

"If there were a prize for stupidity, you would be at the front of the line," said the officer. "The whole point of this exercise was to test our ability to avoid detection, and everyone else succeeded perfectly. Gerudo Town, Rito Village, Goron City, and Castle Town all went fine. Then you had to knock a jar over, which was clumsy enough, then pick it up, which was unbelievably stupid when someone was nearby. So, you let yourself be detected?"

"Yes, Sir."

"And then you shot the Zora Champion? Did you kill her, at least, so she won't talk?"

"I, I, think so, Sir, but I can't be sure," said the soldier. "She fell into deep water, and I couldn't swim out to find her body. I hit her squarely with a Shock Arrow, and you know how sensitive Zoras are."

"Well, you had better hope nothing bad comes of your misadventure, or you'll be swimming in something deep alright, and it won't be water. It will be something red hot that flows out of Death Mountain," said the officer. "Now get out of my sight. I have to write this mess up in my report."

That night Lapha was trying to make sense of everything before falling asleep. There was no way her mother would have missed someone hiding at the lake. She was too good a warrior. And the person didn't show up on their security cameras either. Grendon had said it couldn't fool a Zora, but it had fooled Mom, she thought. Of course, whatever fooled her had been on land. If they had been in the water, then what? And then the word came into her mind like a revelation, and it suddenly all made sense.

"Echolocation!" she shouted out loud.