A/N: I blame the-quiet-sea for this one. If you don't know who that is, look them up on Ao3. They may help satiate those of you stuck in Lipha hell.

Also, thanks to EchoGekkos for betaing. I appreciate you and your work more than you know.


A variety of Zora all stopped, petrified as they watched the near-dead Hylian stumble into their city.

One rogue Guardian would have been dangerous enough, though nothing Link wouldn't have been able to handle on his own. While the Master Sword couldn't cleave through a Guardian's chassis like it could a monster's hide, Link's strength and speed more than made up for it.

What should have been a manageable fight quickly turned potentially fatal when the other three Guardians showed up. Link had come out on top….barely. Thankfully, he was already on his way to Zora's Domain. It was still a trek, but at least he was close by. Otherwise, he wasn't sure he would have made it.

He continued limping through the city as many people he had grown up around watched. He couldn't blame them at all. He must have looked a mess.

Finally, the Hylian heard some shouting for Lady Mipha. Regardless, he grit his teeth and continued making his way slowly through the Domain. He reasoned that, if he was still capable of moving, he may as well make his way to the infirmary. Whether he made it there himself or not, that would ultimately be his destination. May as well save someone a little trouble, especially if that someone was Mipha.

Hylia knew the young woman took enough on as it was. He felt quite bad for needing her healing again; however, the guilt was mildly mitigated by the potential disaster he had averted. If he hadn't found the Guardians when he did, there was no telling how much damage they might have caused.

At least he was the only one that had gotten hurt.

Feeling the pain and exhaustion starting to catch up, the Hylian devoted his attention to putting one foot in front of the other. Right. Left. Right. Then left again. Allowing his subconscious to pilot him, Link thought of nothing else than the pair of legs supporting him.

The sound of his name disrupted the dull rhythm he had developed to keep himself moving. Link grinned sheepishly as he saw Mipha running for him, her sash and jewelry swinging around wildly.

He knew he was in for a lecture.

He then fell to his knees, fighting to stay upright.

The Zora Princess caught him before he could collapse entirely. As he looked up at her, barely lucid, he couldn't help but think she was the prettiest thing he'd seen. It occurred to him that he shouldn't be thinking such things of a princess but he couldn't bring himself to care. The thought of her beauty didn't make sense to him in context but he was well aware that his lucidity was fading by the second.

He couldn't even understand what her normally soft voice was telling him.

The red and white of her face and amber of her eyes bled together as his vision swam, eventually fading into the darkness.

The first coherent thought Link managed when his eyes opened was that what he saw was not red and white with soft amber orbs. Instead, it was a calming turquoise ceiling with the crest of the Zora Royal Family resting comfortably in the center of the dome. The tri-crescent moons were a deep-sea blue standing out boldly against their surroundings.

He looked at the ceiling, familiarity striking him. He wondered where he had seen it before. Certainly not in the infirmary.

His ears twitched as he heard a soft scratching. Looking over, he noticed Mipha sitting at a desk, leafing through papers with a quill in hand as a luminous stone rested nearby. To her left was an armoire, and he could hear the gurgling of a small fountain from somewhere nearby.

Suddenly, everything clicked into place. Rather than being taken to the infirmary, he had been brought to Mipha's private quarters.

What had she been thinking? Didn't she know how her people would react, let alone the council?

Biting back a groan, the Hylian pushed himself up, trying to make as little sound as possible. His shield arm could barely support weight, his ribs were creaking, and his abdominals screamed at him almost as badly as if they'd been punctured by an arrow… again. He must have been worse off than he thought.

"Do not move another inch." Mipha was glowering at him from over her shoulder.

Taking her words literally, Link remained immobile. He knew she meant for him to lay back down; however, he had no intention of doing so. He still had a message to deliver and wanted to be sure that the Demon Sergeant was at least aware of what had happened.

He also thought it was for the best that he left her quarters as quickly as possible.

As though reading his mind, the Zora Princess crossed the room, placing her hand on his chest and forcing him back down.

"I know you have matters you need to see to but you are still hurt. You will stay here for at least a little longer." She frowned at him disapprovingly as he refused to acquiesce. "My father commands it."

Link balked at that. If Dorephan ordered it, then there was little he could do other than obey. Both he and the Royal Family considered himself to be a Zora Citizen. He was as bound by Dorephan's word as he was King Rhoam's.

Sighing in resignation, the Hylian relaxed back into the waterbed.

Mipha, however, did not move. A comforting blue glow lit her face as her healing powers sprang to life, helping to alleviate much of the remaining aches and pains. He watched her carefully, noting the slight pursing of her lips, the slight frown, and the unwavering focus of her eyes. Something was very wrong.

After a few minutes, she retracted her hand and straightened. Link shifted experimentally, testing the effects of the healing session on his body. He still hurt but, thanks to the efforts of a dear friend, he was feeling much better.

"I'm sorry, but that's all I can manage for now." Mipha, on the other hand, looked and sounded exhausted beyond belief. How she had managed two intense healing sessions in between her royal duties was beyond him. She had to be the strongest and most determined person he had ever met. Even more so than Zelda.

The Zora princess reached over for a chair resting by the bedside and pulled it over, sitting down as she gazed at him. She watched him, using his own greatest weapon against him until he could do nothing but fidget under her unrelenting stare. "Link…" she finally said softly "what am I to do with you?"

He said nothing.

She fell silent again, seeming to choose her next words with care. "I know that lecturing you about your recklessness will do nothing…" Mipha sighed, looking utterly forlorn as she set a hand on his shoulder. "To be quite honest, I think that side of you is a part of what makes you you."

Leaning back, she closed her eyes and tilted her head toward the ceiling. "I know I cannot stop you from doing what you feel you must. Just… please remember that you have people who would be devastated by your loss. Your friends among the knights, Daruk, Princess Zelda, my father, Sidon… and me." The last two words were said so quietly he almost missed them. "So please, try to be more careful," she pleaded, glancing back down at him with a weak smile.

Link nodded. "I'm sorry," he muttered softly. Sometimes, it was easy to forget that he had people awaiting him on the other side of his present conflicts. He would do better to remember, just as she had asked. He knew from experience that expressing herself was always difficult, and he was loath to dishonor that by not at least making the effort to do as she asked.

She relaxed slightly, though he could still see the exhaustion and sadness in her eyes.

"You will stay here for the night, at least," she stated, her tone allowing no argument. "In the morning, after I have healed you some more, we shall see about letting you return to your duties."

"You?" While he didn't exactly care to stay in her quarters, he would agree so long as it didn't put her out.

"The floor will do," she said simply.

Link shook his head.

"You are not taking the-"

"No."

"Link," she started in exasperation. As she took a moment to calm herself, Link reached over and patted the space next to him on the bed. Mipha's eyes widened, a furious blush reddening the white of her face. "No! I couldn't possibly -"

The Hylian scooted over, making enough room for her to lay down and still leave a somewhat respectable gap between them.

Mipha still looked horribly conflicted; however, a determined frown from him was all it took to convince her. "V-very well. If you're sure it's okay."

He nodded again, not letting up until she had settled down, fidgeting as always when she was nervous. Likely, she had believed that he would refuse to rest until she relented, which was an accurate guess. He could be as stubborn as… well, Mipha.

"Night," he murmured quietly.

"G-good night!"

He hid a frown as he pondered the high pitch and the stammer. Perhaps she was simply nervous about what others might think if they were to walk in on them sleeping side by side.

It wasn't terribly important. He was just glad that he had managed to convince her to settle in comfortably without too much argument. She could be far too kind for her own good sometimes. Pondering her nature, his gaze drifted to the ceiling. For as long as he had known her, she had been so terribly kind to everyone around her, even those she did not care for. So willing to give them grace when others would have written him off.

Just as she had him.

To say he felt indebted to her was an understatement. The Zora Princess had played a large role in him having a home and friends to fill his childhood days. Without her, he doubted he would have even made it to his teenage years.

Feeling her eyes on him, Link turned to look at her. Mipha stiffened, once again stammering out a quick apology before rolling over to face away from him.

Smiling fondly, his eyes returned to the ceiling as he felt himself relax. Hylia above, he had never realized how tired he was these days.

With a sense of peace he hadn't known in years, the Hylian Champion once again drifted off.


The first thing he was aware of upon waking was an unusual weight on his chest. Opening his eyes, he found his vision filled with bright red scales. Link couldn't help but wonder why he was having this dream again. Though he still held an attraction to the Zora Princess, he had long since come to terms that nothing could come of it. So, he had spent months trying to rid himself of the fantasies he'd been entertaining for so long.

If only they'd leave him alone.

Even so, he allowed himself to enjoy the scene a moment longer before biting the inside of his cheek, as he always did to wake himself up from such dreams.

Nothing changed.

He could taste blood as he bit down harder but still, nothing changed. The weight, the scales, and the sound of her easy breathing were all still there. Feeling his heart rate quicken, it took Link a moment to process that he was very much awake and that he and Mipha were in very close proximity.

Using his training to refrain from waking her with a fear response, Link carefully searched his mind, finally recollecting how he had wound up in this position in the first place. He had been injured. Mipha had brought him here and insisted he stay the night and he had insisted that she sleep next to him.

Of course, as he remembered it, she had been facing away from him; however, that had evidently changed at some point.

Now, the question was what should he do. As much as he enjoyed the position, he did consider waking her up. Of course, she may have chosen this position to keep him in place. She knew he tried to be conscientious of those around him so it was possible that she meant to keep in place using this exact method.

Sighing in defeat, Link eyed his surroundings, looking for something that might occupy his time. Eventually, his eyes settled on a small book on Mipha's nightstand. With great care, he pushed himself up enough to reach for the book. Settling back down, he thumbed through it.

Most of it was of little interest to him as it dealt with ancient, mythological beings. Flipping through a variety of pages, he would stop and read a few paragraphs at a time whenever he saw a depiction of a deity or monster that caught his attention. It wasn't until he stumbled across one image that he found himself fascinated.

The creature in question looked very much like a large fish with an extended snout. What gave him pause was the tailfin that graced the creature. Holding the book to the side, Link peered around it, craning his head awkwardly. It took a few moments of straining to see but before long, he was able to see that Mipha's cranial fin was identical.

Now quite interested, Link returned to the book. Most of the history and beliefs surrounding the creature went over his head; however, there were a few things he could comprehend.

The creature was known for jumping above the sea gracefully in large schools. Supposedly, sightings were not only beautiful but something that would draw people from hundreds of miles for just the hope of a glimpse of them.

His eyes glazed over slightly as he considered what he had read. Again, he looked at the drawing, trying to imagine such a creature.

All he could see was Mipha. Unable to entirely cast the image of her gracefully leaping out of the water.

Would he have traveled hundreds of miles to see such a thing?

Yes. He would have traveled to the ends of the world if he had to.

Shaking his head slightly, he returned his attention to further myths surrounding the beast as he switched hands, the one that had been holding the book growing sore.

According to legend, the creature was said to have been blessed with healing powers, and that wanderers who happened across them might be cured of any ailments. A small smile danced across his face as he once again thought of the woman curled atop him. He knew that, despite the council's best efforts, news of Mipha's healing abilities had spread throughout the Kingdom. It wasn't unusual for those in need to travel in the hopes they might have an audience with her.

With every word, it seemed more and more that the legends were being told with the Zora Princess in mind. The resemblance was uncanny, though Link was grateful for it. Not only was it keeping his mind occupied but it was bringing so many cherished thoughts to the forefront of his mind.

Link's focus broke as he heard the Zora woman take a deep breath, sighing contentedly. His eyes widened as he glanced around the book he held, finally noticing what his resting hand was up to. Maybe it was the warm fondness he felt for her while reading about the mythical creatures. Maybe it was his restlessness from being in bed for who knew how long. Or, maybe he had allowed the brick wall he had erected around his mind to start crumbling now that he was home.

Whatever the case, it did not change the fact that his hand had worked its way beneath her cranialfin and was gently running itself along the sensitive underside. Silently reprimanding himself for his lapse in control, he removed his hand as gingerly as possible.

Honestly, what was wrong with him?

The Hylian Champion grimaced as Mipha grumbled something in her sleep. A scarlet-scaled hand appeared, searching for the source of her displeasure. From her angle, she couldn't quite reach his hand.

Shifting atop him, she continued her discontented murmurings as her hand renewed its search, with her growing tenser and tenser by the second. After a few more seconds of searching, she finally found his wrist and, gripping it with surprising force, guided his hand gently back to where it had been.

Link, unsure of what the right thing to do was, went with his gut instinct.

Mipha sighed again, murmuring in approval as he gently massaged the underside of her tailfin. Maybe it wasn't the wisest call, but he would face whatever consequences would come when she awakened. Hopefully, she wouldn't be too upset.

Trying to distract himself once again, this time even more fervently than before, Link returned his attention to the pages.

Finally, it came to romance. Mindful of his companion, the Hylian Champion refrained from fidgeting uncomfortably. While the section was rather sparse comparatively, he did learn that those couples who were blessed enough to see them experienced long and prosperous unions.

Again, Link found himself lost in thought as he tried to imagine the scene. This time, he was able to successfully imagine a red-scaled fish leaping elegantly out of the water. He did this as, beside him, Mipha stood, pointing jubilantly at the creatures. It was a rather childish fantasy but he still entertained it for as long as he could before returning to the pages.

Finding that he had reached the end of the being's descriptions, Link returned to the beginning of the page, once again reading through all of it. Doing his best to internalize everything surrounding the creature, Link remained blissfully unaware of his companion, who had long since awakened and was stuck in a purgatory between mortification and fulfillment.