Chapter 11: Heart's Escort

In-game Challenge description: Link and a contingent of Zora soldiers are ambushed by monsters. It's up to Mipha to protect her people - and Link.

Note: The only adjustment I made is that, since this definitely takes place in the post-game in the story, and I'm not bringing Ganon back for another round of attacks, I'm going to leave it ambiguous as to whether the malice hinox they fight was actually a malice hinox or an armored black hinox. I know making him a malice hinox, like in the game, could be explained away by saying it was simply a remnant that was missed, but I do like the idea that the victory the group had was complete. So I'm going to write the hinox like it's a black hinox with a look that resembles malice.

Mipha was true to her word. She spent nearly the entire night making adjustments, but she completed the armor with about an hour to go before daylight. She was certain that the sizing was perfect and that the armor was as pristine as it was ever going to look. She was all too aware of the imperfections and mistakes she made along the way, but to her good fortune, they were all on the sides that weren't visible. She had gotten the hang of crafting by the time the main shell of it was being crafted. This was an armor of which she could be proud to have made.

She admired her work for a few more moments before pulling it off its holder and folding it up for Link. She planned to put it in a plain box to give it to him, but she was still not sure of it. She knew the armor would stand out against a box with no additional decorations, but at the same time, maybe being a little more ornate would be a good idea. Honestly, she wasn't sure. While gift-giving was common among all the races of Hyrule, the concept of boxing gifts was not as prevalent in Zora culture, mostly because the Domain's moist climate made it too easy for the box to take a great deal of damage by accident. It was far more common to place something in a chest or simply give it outright. Mipha's mother had done an extreme, opulent proposal ceremony as a means of adding some flair to an otherwise simple ceremony.

She was grateful that the actual proposal was meant to be personal between the people involved; this was not where she wanted to make a big public deal. This was not just because she was a more private person about her romantic life; as she had seen from recent events, Zora's Domain would strive to make things perfect for her, which would only make this proposal take longer. Yesterday's incident with the guardian invasion had gotten her confidence up to where she felt nearly unstoppable. Is this how the future Sidon felt at his best? She wanted to strike while the iron was hot, as it were. As soon as Link made his next trip to Zora's Domain, she would give him the armor.

Unfortunately, in an almost cruel twist of irony, that trip kept getting delayed. After having plenty of time for a weekly visit over the past few weeks, Princess Zelda recalled Link for a few final missions. Apparently, she and Purah had located the last of the pieces needed to rebuild Terrako, the small guardian who had saved the day for them multiple times during this whole Calamity business.

To be certain, Mipha was overjoyed at the thought that Terrako was soon to be walking among them again. Terrako had saved her life by intervening and alerting everyone to the Calamity months before they would have likely prepared. He had allowed her time to train; without question, in her mind, she would have been unable to resist Waterblight Ganon at all had she been ambushed without her additional training. Urbosa, Revali, and especially Daruk had helped shore up her abilities, and her fight with the waterblight lasted much longer as a result.

But even then it wouldn't have been enough, had Terrako not stepped in again to bring her brother, Sidon, from the future. The two of them together had kept the beast at bay until Link could step in and save them. And when things seemed hopeless, when Calamity Ganon seemed invincible, Terrako jumped in and sacrificed himself to make Ganon vulnerable. Mipha now had the chance at a long, full life, and she owed so much of it to Terrako. She was overjoyed at the thought that his sacrifice would not be permanent.

But it really couldn't have taken a few more days? Just long enough for Link to visit once more? She chastised herself internally for thinking in such ways, but she couldn't help it. As time wore on, the excitement and confidence she had gained and was ready to use began to fade out, and the internal weariness that had plagued her throughout the process of making the armor started to crop up again. When the time came to go up to Akkala to see Zelda and Purah complete work on Terrako's new body, she considered bringing the armor and giving it to Link afterward, but talked herself out of it. Mipha justified it in her mind as being polite to what should be a day focused on Terrako's return.

About halfway to Akkala, she realized she had talked herself into the same trap she'd fallen into multiple times before. Oh, this will not do at all! I'll never give the armor to him at this rate… I must resolve myself. When we get done with Terrako, I must invite Link back to the Domain and do it once we get there.

Mipha was the second to arrive, as she and Daruk were the two who lived closest to Akkala. Link was assisting by holding the more difficult-to-fasten pieces together while Purah and Zelda - or at least that's what she and Daruk seemed to gather based on the noise and occasional yelling from Purah that was coming from beyond the locked doors.

"How long have they been working at this?" Mipha asked.

"Probably a little over an hour by this point. It was a slow day today so I decided to leave early to enjoy the scenery. I thought they might need some help with heavy lifting, but it's looking like they've got it pretty well handled."

"I see."

There was a long pause as Mipha stared at the doorway. Daruk finally broke the silence.

"How are things with you, Princess? You seem distracted today."

"Oh? No, not at all! If anything I am… all too aware of what I need to do today."

"Anything I can help with?"

"Not really. This is my task to handle. It's just working up the urge to… handle it… is all…" Mipha trailed off as she drifted back to the door. She thought she heard Link's grunts from inside. For some reason, she pictured Purah jolting Link around as she tried to hammer something into place. She smiled at the image in her head.

Daruk wasn't clear what the errand was that Mipha was taking care of, but he was getting an idea about who it concerned. He could offer some general advice in this situation.

"If there's one thing I've learned over my life, it's that no good ever came from waiting around fearing failure. If you have something that needs to be done, and you're ready for it, it's best just to pull and let the rocks land where they may.

"And besides, the little guy has a good heart, and I know he cares about all of us, you especially. You can trust him to treat your feelings respectfully, no matter what."

"What?" Mipha's eyes widened as she realized what he was insinuating. "How did you -"

"We've been around a long time, and we've seen far more instances of young love than you'd believe," a female voice piped in from the background.

Mipha and Daruk turned around to see Urbosa had arrived behind them.

"Ah, Urbosa! I didn't hear you coming," Mipha said.

"I got better at stealth movement thanks to the Yiga Clan's attacks, but now that they're on good terms with everyone again, I figured I should keep the skill sharp in other ways, but back to my point.

"You don't want to live with regret. If you have something to say to Link, then treat it like you would any time your home got invaded by monsters. You don't talk yourself out of it or second-guess; you act and react, trusting that you've done the preparations you needed to do."

"That's actually great advice," Daruk said. "You've got this, Princess!"

Mipha was grateful that these two had so much experience and so much confidence. She could feel it channeling through her as well. "Thank you, both of you. I needed to hear that."

The three discussed matters back at home for a few minutes before Revali popped in as well. Mipha really didn't want to have Revali in the discussion, so the greetings were more restrained. Eventually, they were all allowed in, as the finishing touches were being put on Terrako's new body.

The final part of the procedure went off without a hitch, and the little guardian was back up and moving again. Everyone was ecstatic to see their little friend again. After a good bit of celebration and thank yous, everyone was ready to make their treks back for home. Zelda and Link were standing with Terrako when Mipha decided to make her move. She went over to speak.

"Um, excuse me, your Highness. Will Link be accompanying you to Hyrule Castle?"

"Oh, Mipha! No, from what I understand, Link will be returning to his home in Hateno, is that right, Link?"

Link nodded.

"Impa and I will be going back to the castle with Terrako."

Mipha nodded in understanding. "I see, then Link, once you take care of matters back at home, would you mind coming by the Domain? I need to show you something in the palace."

Link looked surprised, as Mipha almost never made a direct invitation - they were generally under the unspoken agreement that he'd come by as often as he was able. In any case, he had planned to visit anyway after taking some supplies home. He nodded and quickly said. "Tomorrow."

"Thank you. I look forward to it."

Mipha was now on the clock. She quickly made a beeline for home so that she could have as much time as possible to be ready. Her sleep was restless, but she did end up managing to get a decent amount of hours. There was an odd sense of calm about her as she got home. The die was cast, and there was no turning back now. And in a way, it eased the anxiety of the day. Nothing was going to happen until Link arrived, so she could spend her time going about normal business.

She went by every shop in the Domain and greeted the shopkeeps of each. Dento took her aside to ask about updates, and she thanked him for all his advice and assistance, but she would not have any updates until tomorrow. She made it down to where some of the Zora army was eating and was complimented on both her fighting prowess and her healing expertise. She was never a fan of indulging such idol-worship, but she also knew it came with the territory of her position, so she made a point to try to offer compliments to each of them before leaving.

Later on, she went to see her brother, and they worked on spearmanship. Mipha wondered if the techniques she was teaching now were remembered by the future version of her brother, or if they'd even gotten to go over spear fighting in-depth during his time with her.

After lunch, she would normally go to train, but today, she decided that she wanted to get updated on matters of the Domain more broadly, so she met with her father and his advisors to get a feel for how the Domain was adjusting to peacetime. Honestly, talking to the everyday Zoras was far more informative, but she did find value in the summative statements of the advisors and hearing them offer advice based on their experiences.

As the meeting wore on, though, she became more acutely aware of the time. The afternoon was coming to an end, and there had been no indication that Link had arrived. She had instructed one of the guards out front to inform her if Link showed up, and she was looking from her own vantage point at the palace, but no trace of him had been seen yet. As the sun started to set and the meeting concluded, she began to show visible signs of worry.

"Mipha, is everything alright? You seem distressed in a way I haven't seen since the Calamity," King Dorephan asked, after the advisors had left.

"Yes, I think - actually, I'm not sure," Mipha stated honestly, with a tone of concern creeping through her otherwise stoic facade. How Link managed to hold back his emotions so well was beyond her understanding. "I was expecting Link to visit today, but it's nightfall, and he usually doesn't arrive so late."

"I'm sure he just got delayed. You saw him yesterday, correct? Where did he go before this?"

"He was headed home, in Hateno Village."

"Then I'm sure there is nothing to worry about. There could be any number of things that are causing him to delay."

"Maybe…"

At that moment, one of the guards came to speak to King Dorephan.

"Your Highness, there is a monster invasion down in the southern half of the Domain. We believe it's some of the hordes from inland who are trying to start problems with unsuspecting populations."

"Have our soldiers moved in to intercept?" King Dorephan asked.

"We have a few moving in to help, but the monsters got a jump on the unit that was present. They have been overwhelmed and are trying to hold them at bay. Word went out that a Hylian warrior is with them, but he arrived without his best weaponry, so he's been reduced to holding defense for the soldiers and striking when possible."

"Link…" Mipha knew immediately that the warrior they were discussing was Link. No one would make it their business to intervene in a fight like that. And of course, he wouldn't want to carry around the Sword the Seals the Darkness after everything had ended. He'd want to practice weapons that he hadn't practiced in a while.

"If I follow the path south of the Domain, I will run into them?" she asked.

"Er- yes, but you don't need to rush in, Princess Mipha." the soldier replied.

"Yes I do."

"Mipha, please be careful. I know you want to help Link, but remember to take care of yourself." King Dorephan called out.

"I will, father." Mipha responded as she headed out of the palace.

Mipha rushed out of the core buildings of the Domain and quickly found herself in fights with multiple monsters. There were a few outposts split up that were dealing with a few different monsters. As she dispatched the hordes, she found herself wondering if these invasions would even be happening had the blood moon not happened in the middle of their final battle. Eventually, though, Mipha found the last major group of monsters, and of course, Link was in the battle.

He was not in the best shape, but he wasn't in any mortal danger just yet. It seemed that the biggest issue was that his weapon would not be of particular use. It's clear that the two-handed sword he was swinging had not been sharpened or refined in quite some time. He likely intended to use the tools available in Zora's Domain to get it battle ready, and it was just bad timing that he was caught in an ambush with no proper weapon. He hadn't even thought to bring his bow.

This was not the best horde to fight with a single unprepared weapon. There were multiple lizalfos still standing, along with an electric moblin and one of the nastiest looking black hinoxes Mipha had ever seen. It stood with armor and calluses on its body that acted as an extra layer of armor. In the right light, it resembled the encrusting that the malice beasts all had.

There was no time to think, only act. The words of Urbosa and Daruk seemed to ring like an echo in Mipha's brain as she rushed in to fight. Bearing the only actual usable weapons between the two of them, she knew this would be a fight she had to carry.

"Link! Shield as many as you can and cut down any lizalfos that get close! I'll take these two myself."

Link nodded in understanding and turned to focus his attention on the lizalfos, who he could take out with blunt force. He had no bow and no sign of his Sheikah slate was present.

Of course he'd go in poorly prepared. He probably thought a fight with a blunt sword would be a great challenge!

Mipha suppressed the thoughts while she focused on her main challenges. Fighting two large monsters was never an easy task, but compared to the guardians she fought weeks before, this was a far simpler task. Keep them both on one side, target the weak points, and pop out before the other can get into the fray. Before she knew it she was dodging a desperate electric strike from the moblin and taking it out with a swift drive of her trident.

As she turned her attention entirely to the hinox, the beast had already taken on some damage. A few quick strikes, and he was on the ground and taking trident shots near the eye. Before long, she had the hinox vanquished as well, and the last of the lizalfos were either beaten or scared away.

Mipha directed the Zora soldiers to head to the Domain, and she would heal them shortly. As they left, she began to heal Link.

"So is there a reason you showed up to the Zora's Domain with no bow, no Sheikah slate and a blunt sword?" Mipha asked as Link sat.

Link shook his head. "Didn't think there would be monsters."

"But you know we have them on occasion, even during times of peace. Why not have some higher-caliber weapon with you?"

"Seemed like a challenge - AHH!"

Mipha slapped the shoulder she hadn't healed yet. "I knew it! I knew that's why you did it. I am sorry, but that was a deeply reckless thing for you to do."

Link nodded in agreement. Mipha finished healing him in silence. As the final wound closed up, Mipha decided it was time to stop waiting around and beating around the bush. "You know, Link… you really should take better care to protect yourself. You're not even wearing your Hylian armor. The champion's tunic you had made may be nice looking, but it's not exactly protective."

Link looked at her for a few moments, and then nodded in agreement.

"I have something that might be helpful. Come with me."

Mipha led Link down the same path that she had used to get down to the battle site. She had kept the armor box hidden near the entrance of the domain during the morning, and when she rushed out to battle, she made sure to move it slightly over so that it would be out of the eyeline of any Zoras that might be passing by the area. As the lights of the Domain approached, she motioned Link to join her in the trees.

She found the spot she was looking for and sat down, then motioned for Link to join her in the space next to her.

As Link sat down, she felt an intense ball of nerves building up inside her. This was it. She really wished she had rehearsed what she was going to say in her head, but every time she ended up overthinking it, so she decided it would be better to wing it and react to the situation like Urbosa had suggested.

This was a terrible idea, she decided, far too late.

As Link stared at her, Mipha tried to start. "Well, I suppose I did bring you here! And I do have a good reason, I promise!"

Link continued to stare at her, expectedly.

In this moment, Mipha wished Link was the kind of guy who would just insert his way into conversations. "Well, as I said earlier, I feel like you are underprepared to travel, especially to this Domain… so I thought… well… this would be useful to you."

She quickly pushed the box to Link's chest. She knew that the way she handled this was way less dignified or flashy than her mother had been. But this had been her most closely guarded secret (or at least it had been in her mind).

Link opened the box and pulled out the armor. He examined the craftsmanship and the design which was clearly meant for a Hylian. He had never seen a Zora armor that looked the way this one did. It had to be the only one of its kind. And then he realized…

"You made this."

Mipha was surprised by the directness of the statement. "Y-yes I did. I just thought that you could use some proper armor. You don't have to treat it like a big deal if you don't want -"

Link actually did step in and interrupt here. "I've known your family a while, Mipha. I know what it means when a Zora princess makes armor for someone."

Mipha quickly grabbed the box back. She knew that he was likely aware of it, but hearing that he knew and she didn't have to explain it still felt like a shock to the system. "I'm sorry. I-I just wanted you to have it because… because…"

Link put his hand on her cheek and made her face him. She had very nervous eyes in the moment. "Let me try it on."

Mipha was incredulous. It was as if she wasn't able to fully comprehend what he'd just said. "I mean, I don't know how it fits, and you're under no obligation to -"

"Mipha," Link responded, now smiling, "I know full well what the armor represents. And I'm accepting it. This is a good thing."

The words slowly washed over her, as her grip on the armor gave way to Link's. She could feel the weight of so much insecurity and anxiety washing away. She felt like she might fall over or fly away, though she wasn't sure which. "R-really?"

Link looked directly into her eyes. "We've known each other forever. I know what I felt when you were in danger. I know what I felt when Sidon asked me to consider life if I hadn't gotten there. I don't want my life to not include you.

"I love you."

Mipha was ready to cry at this simple statement of fact from Link. "I love you too."

It felt so good for her to say those words out loud at long last. And she quickly launched herself into Link's arms. Had he not been somewhat keyed into the idea that she might lunge to hug him, he'd have likely dropped the armor.

When she pulled her head away, she stared into his eyes, and decided to do what she had felt like doing for so long. She moved in and pressed her lips to his. It came as a slight surprise to Link, but mostly because she hadn't expected her to have this much energy about this. But he wasn't disappointed either.

The two embraced for what was only a few moments, but what felt like a day. When their faces finally separated, Mipha broke the hug as well and Link put on the armor. As expected, the armor fit like a glove, perfectly fitting to his body.

Mipha had one last thought to ask. "You're sure about this? I… honestly haven't known of Zora princesses falling in love with Hylians in a great many generations."

Link shook his head. "Doesn't affect us."

That was true. Nothing from the past or future was going to get in the way of the present. Mipha had conquered her greatest fear, and now she had a true partner with whom to take on the world.

As their hands joined together, the two faced the outside of Zora's Domain, wondering where the next days were going to take them.

Author's Note: Hello all! Well, we made it to the end of the main part of the story! I honestly didn't know how long this would run, but I am literally entering the 63rd page of the Google Doc as I write this author's note. I had wanted to do a Link/Mipha story since I first completed my 100-hour playthrough of Breath of the Wild, but the first chapter and a half got away from me and became way more ambitious than I had wanted to do initially. But once Age of Calamity came out, I felt like I had the structure needed to make this story work.

I do want to go through my thoughts on how I perceive Mipha, Link, Zelda, and how these dynamics work, but I'll save that for the epilogue chapter. (Yes, I wanted to get at least one original follow-up chapter to this.) Additionally, I'll be looking over the comments for any questions you all may have had. I'll admit, I don't look at comments during the actual writing of the story. Experience has taught me that I'll spend time correcting and over-correcting if I go through feedback in the middle of writing, so now that the core story is written, I'll go through and answer/correct anything I need to as I work on the final epilogue chapter.

Final point: Thank you to all who are reading this. I'm actually not a huge fan of maintaining stories that end with the people getting together and not exploring the new dynamic. It's one of the main reasons why I wanted to do the epilogue, and it's why I'm considering a sequel that is separate from the games' canon. I like seeing a relationship develop, so hopefully I can come up with a follow-up, even if it's just a collection of short stories. Thanks again for reading! -S