Bazz was annoyed. It was only his first day of on-the-job guard training, and already he was having to ward off this strange hooded intruder who claimed to be a part of his brigade. He had never seen this Hylian man in his life. And so, Bazz had offered his trademark passphrase to the stranger - just to give him an extremely unlikely opportunity to prove his case.

"If you know it, I must ask you to speak it now… 'Fluffy white clouds! Clear blue…'"

He waited a few moments for this Hylian's response.

Then he shook his head.

"Well," Bazz scoffed, "Just as I thought, you're not-"

"Zora." The Hylian said. "Clear blue Zora."

"Wha- ...How did you-"

The mysterious figure pulled off the hood of his cloak, revealing a face with some familiar features. Lightly tanned skin, a pair of blue eyes...

...And an infectious smile.

"To be truly honest, Bazz-" The cloaked stranger placed his hand on the young Zora's shoulder. "-your passcode still doesn't make any sense."

"Master Link!" Bazz pulled Link into a tight embrace - or at least his midsection anyway. "You've gotten so...tall! And I can scarcely recognize you, with your hair so short!"

Link pulled away and placed his hands on his hips, grinning lightly. He was still just barely north of five feet in height. Quite short for a Hylian. He looked Bazz up and down. "You haven't changed a bit though. Quite literally." Bazz was still only about three and a half feet tall himself. Almost exactly as he was when Link left.

"Right… well, my growth spurt ended up being more like a squirt. " Bazz explained. " Guess I just have to wait for-"

"Bazz!" An angry voice yelled from nearby, where Bazz stood guard. "What did I say about keeping your poise when on duty?" Bazz straightened his stance.

"Sorry father! Won't happen again!" He winked at Link. "We'll catch up later…"

Seggin walked closer. "And who might you be? Yet another Hylian?" He asked, peering his eyes at Link.

Link shrugged. "Just an old stranger passing through!"

But Seggin wasn't much for joking. "Ah… yes, yes. I recognize you now Master Link, no need to mince words with me."

"It is good to see you again, Demon Sarge." Link said. The two shook hands, and Seggin began walking with Link down the path towards the throne room. The older black-scaled Zora held his hands behind his back as he walked, carrying his usual proud pose. He towered over Link.

"So what brings you back to our fair Domain?" Seggin asked.

"Well," Link said, "I am on leave from the Knight Academy. I am graduating early. Seems I am moving up to the Royal Guard next month."

"And in less than two years!" Seggin said with genuine respect. "Either you are supremely talented… or Hylians are as incompetent in their training as I always expected." He paused, before smiling down at Link. "I am inclined to believe it is the former."

Link nodded in gratitude. Seggin was a notoriously straight-laced and proper Zora. Earning his respect was no small feat.

"I never did get to thank you for helping to train my boy a couple of years back..." Seggin said.

"No trouble at all!" Link replied.

Seggin nodded. "Unfortunately… I think he also might have picked up on some of your… wilder mannerisms."

Link shrugged. "Glad to know I had some influence, one way or another!" He glanced around. "Where is everybody else?" He had only just arrived and was eager to surprise his old friends… as well as a certain red-finned Zora girl.

"Unfortunately you have come at a rather… inconvenient time." Seggin said.

Ah, that's right… Link had been wondering about how the pilot selection was progressing. That explained the incredibly nice horse-drawn carriages he had noticed just outside the Domain's entrance. He'd mistimed his arrival after all.

"Have they come to a decision?" Link asked.

"Not yet…" Seggin said. They stopped at the bottom of the stairs below the Zora throne room. "But I have a distinct feeling they are going to make a selection that we will not like..."

Some time before, the Hylian Royal Family had begun an enormous excavation project in areas all over Hyrule, looking into ancient technology that their ancestors had used to defeat the legendary evil known as Calamity Ganon. Link was only vaguely aware of the whole situation, although during his knight training the last couple of years he had noticed more and more ancient machinery coming into Hyrule Castle Town. His curiosity had gotten the better of him, causing him to have been kicked out of the castle grounds numerous times when he tried to get a closer look.

King Rhoam of Hyrule and his daughter, Princess Zelda, had spent the last few months traveling to each of the major civilizations in order to select 'pilots' for vehicles that they had dubbed 'Divine Beasts.' Dug up from deep in the ground within each respective country, they were super-constructs which took the form of enormous mechanical animals that apparently wielded great power. It appeared that the Royal Family was now in Zora's Domain, deliberating with King Dorephan, Jiahto, Trello, and other members of the Zora Council on who would pilot the Divine Beast Vah Ruta. This ancient machine was discovered near the domain and would be assigned to the Zora for their defense against Calamity Ganon. Should the legends turn out to be true, anyway.Link thought.

"Lady Mipha was immediately drawn to Ruta." Seggin lamented. "She has been obsessed with it since the day it was discovered…" A knot grew in Link's throat. For some reason, he felt a creeping sense of dread about these machines… and he'd assumed that one of the older Zora warriors would have been considered instead. But Mipha?

"I argued with her, you know." Seggin continued. "I did not want her name put forward as a pilot candidate. Trello felt the same way. Yet here we are."

Link nodded in acknowledgement. "And I suppose…" he said, "that is why you are out here, and not watching the deliberations?" he gestured towards the throne room with his thumb.

Seggin smiled. "They kicked me out before I could say anything that could be considered… disrespectful to your king." He winked at Link, who smiled back in spite of his fears.

"Let's be positive." Link said "Perhaps they will choose someone else-"

Suddenly, a pair of Royal Guards began to descend their way down the stairs from the throne room. And following closely behind them was…

...King Rhoam Bosphoramus Hyrule. And his daughter, Princess Zelda.

Link immediately knelt in respect - standard knight protocol. He had seen the King before, when he'd addressed the public several times regarding the predictions of Calamity Ganon's return. However, this was the closest Link had ever been to the powerful ruler - and to his daughter. King Rhoam was dressed in his usual regal garb: blue cloak with gold accents, a white undershirt, and pristine white pants to match. His beard was enormous as usual. Princess Zelda also wore her usual dress, with colors matching those of the king. Her golden blonde hair was tied back behind her pointed ears, held in place by a golden tiara... She was certainly beautiful and all, Link could admit. But all he could focus on was how unusually thick her eyebrows were.

I really shouldn't be analyzing people like this , he thought, holding back a laugh.

"We must make our way to the Gerudo Desert next. Should be but a couple of weeks' travel." King Rhoam said. "I have a feeling that Lady Urbosa will be more than happy to-" He suddenly stopped at the foot of the stairs, turned to his left. After a brief pause, Link realized that the King was staring directly at him.

"If I recall…" Rhoam said, dully, "were you not the victor... of the Junior Swordsmanship Tournament this year?"

Link nodded, but remained silent.

"I thought so. Your sword skills are quite impressive, young one. Just like your late father's. I am certain you are destined for great things in your future," he turned to his daughter Zelda. "Shall we?" With guards leading the way, the two made their way past Link and out towards the entrance to Zora's Domain. Link wasn't completely sure about it… but he could have sworn that Princess Zelda had flashed a look of scorn at him as they departed.

Link and Seggin watched them as they left, then looked at each other. "Well then," said Seggin, with a rare trace of sarcasm, "theysure are a lively pair…" He glanced back up the stairs at the throne room. "It appears they've finished the deliberations. I'd better go check up on them…" He calmly made his way up the stairway…

...justas a flood of young Zora began making their way down.

"That was so BORING," said a black-scaled Zora…

Rivan!

"I know…" said another...

Gaddison!

"They were speaking so quietly, I couldn't even tell what they were saying. Oh well, at least now we can-"

"...Wait a minute, who's that?" Rivan interrupted. The gaze of the others fell to where he was pointing. "He kindalooks like Link, but with shorter hair…"

"That is Link!" someone shouted. They all practically fell down the stairs towards him in excitement. "Master Link's back! He's returned!"

Link held up a hand to wave to them, just as they bowled him over in an enormous pile.

"It's been far too long!" Rivan said, laying on top of him. "What's up with your hair?" The group slowly stood up, surrounding Link. He was surprised by how much... smaller everyone seemed from when he was last there. He pulled at the tie that was holding his hair back in a small ponytail. It was still quite a bit shorter than the length he'd worn it during his last stint here.

"Well," he explained, "As soon as I arrived back at the academy, they wanted me to cut it all off…" The Zora all groaned. "But after seeing my immediate progress, and after a little... convincingon my part, we reached a healthy compromise." He shook his head back and forth, allowing his hair to fall around his shoulders. He glanced back up at the throne room. "How'd everything go up there?" he asked them.

"We're not sure… said Gaddison. "Everyone else is still up there, with Mipha and Sidon… discussing boring adult stuff I guess."

Link laughed. "I have a hard time hearing 'adult' and 'Sidon' in the same sentence." This produced a laugh from the Zora youths.

"Enough about them though!" said a voice from the back of the group.

Kodah!

"We want to hear what you have been up to!"

Link was happy to see that there were no hard feelings between them after all.

"Yes, please tell us about what the academy is like!" Rivan said. "Was everyone impressed with how skilled you were, when you returned?"

All of the Zora neatly seated themselves in a semi-circle around Link. There were a couple dozen there, of various ages. It was quite reminiscent of the late nights with King Dorephan he had experienced as a child, and he grinned to himself at the memories. He wasn't one to really enjoy being the center of attention, but he couldn't simply ignore a question either.

Nearby, Bazz was slowly inching his way from his guard post, eager to hear what Link had to say.

"Well, they all actually hated me at first," Link began. "I progressed really quickly when I came back, because of my training here at the Domain. Especially in swimming and spear combat. The older boys claimed I had an advantage only because of my late father's status." He tossed aside his cloak, pulled off his shirt, and pointed to a few scars on his shoulder and ribs. "They tried to bully me, physically, and thought they could get away with it. Because I was so young…"

The mood darkened, as frowns spread on the faces of all his old friends.

"That is terrible!" Gaddison shouted.

"Yeah, did you do anything about it?" shouted Bazz, from across the room.

Link shrugged. "No, not at first. I didn't want to get in trouble since they came from noble families, and I'm just a commoner." He crossed his arms. "But then… they discovered I had lived here with the Zora for a time. Started calling me a filthy fishboy…" the Zora youths' eyes widened.

"I could take the beating. That's fine. But the names ? Not so much. So I fought back. And I beat the living snot out of every single one of them." The Zora all cheered for Link in excitement.

"But then they reported me to the trainers… and then they started bullying me and calling me really stupid names as well. Fishhead. Flipper. Troutbreath. That last one was funny. " He placed his hands on his hips. "So then, I…"

They all leaned forward in anticipation.

"...Did nothing." Link frowned. A massive groan rolled through the group of young Zora.

"Just kidding!" He smiled again. "I beat them up too." A loud cheer erupted again.

"So then the instructors reported me to our Sergeant. I went into his office, expecting to get kicked out of the Academy…" he turned aside briefly, then held his hands up in disbelief. "...And the Sergeant promoted me to be their team leader instead. No more problems."

The Zora burst out laughing in unison. Justice had been served. And really, only someone like Link could have had such a ludicrous thing happen to him...

"It would appear that violence is still just as funny to you as it always was," said a voice, familiar and gentle, from behind Link. His heart froze. He turned around, slowly.

Mipha.

Radiant as usual. Smiling. She approached him, arms spread.

"Though I must say in this instance…" she pulled Link into a warm embrace, "that I find it incredibly humorous as well." Link hesitated slightly before returning the hug.

Why am I so nervous? Link thought to himself.

Why am I so nervous? Mipha thought to herself. They pulled away from each other.

"It is so good to see you again." Mipha said. She glowed with warmth and life.

Link smiled. "I missed you. Every single day. Every minute." He turned and faced the other Zora youths again. "We have loads of catching up to do guys, that's for sure!"

"I'll say!" A high pitched voice.

Sidon.

He seemed to fallright on top of Link's head from out of nowhere. "Greetings, my old and wonderful friend." Sidon gently patted his hands on Link's forehead. "What'd I miss?!"

Link laughed, pulled Sidon off his head. "Nothing special, just a story or two…" he dropped him to the ground.

"That is excellent, Master Link!" Sidon posed. "I am quite sure you have some endlessly ludicrous tales to entertain us with. Carry on please." Sidon spun around and took a seat with the other Zora. Mipha followed suit, sitting next to Sidon.

"It's really not all that interesting…" Link said. "I would hate to waste your time." He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly - a familiar sight to his old peers.

"Nonsense." Mipha said, holding a hand out in offering. "Please, continue."

Link shrugged. It was settled. "As you wish!" he began to sift through the enormous catalog of insane stories contained within his mind...

"Pardon me, Link!" piped Rivan from the middle of the seated youths. He was raising his hand as if they were in a classroom.

"...But I need to ask something before you continue with your stories…"

Link nodded at him.

"Why…" he asked, "did it make you so much angrier when they started calling you those names?"

Link grinned. "Oh that's easy," he explained.

"They insulted my family."


The sun had once again set behind the tall mountains surrounding the peaceful home of the Zora people. The bioluminescent glow of river snails illuminated the paths Link and Mipha walked together, as did the gentle blue light emanating from columns carved meticulously from luminous stones. Link was enjoying the familiar feeling of relaxation that the sights and sounds of this place provided him. The smell of clean air… the sound of flowing water across the floor…the warm companionship of someone dear to him...

He was home.

The pair was finally getting some alone time together, after Link's rather eventful day of reconnecting with peers and adults alike. He glanced down at Mipha as they walked.

"You've grown." he said. "I'm a bit shocked to see it…"

"I would say the same," replied Mipha. "But that would be a rather… enormous understatement in your case."

Link had grown even more over their last couple of years apart, as expected. But more surprisingly, Mipha had also grown - both in height, and in beauty. Link couldn't help but notice both.

"Congratulations on your promotion, by the way." Mipha said, calmly.

"Thanks," Link replied. "I've worked very hard…"

Earlier, King Dorephan had boisterously welcomed Link back to the Domain with one of his classic rousing banquets. It seemed to have served two purposes: to distract the Zora from the stress of the Hylian Royal Family's earlier visit, and to congratulate Link on his remarkable upcoming promotion to Royal Guard.

"It is rare for someone under twenty-two to make it to the Hylian Royal Guard," he explained to Mipha. "My father held the record… at twenty."

"And you're just barely about to turn fifteen," Mipha said. "Impressive… I am very proud of you. You'll be a full-fledged knight in no time."

"Couldn't have done it without you…" Link said. They continued walking. The silence between them was... different now. Somehow uncomfortable. Mipha had her suspicions as to why.

"I am guessing you have already heard the news…" She said.

"Yes," Link said, flatly. The pained look on Seggin's face during Link's surprise homecoming dinner had said it all: Mipha had been chosen as the pilot of Divine Beast Vah Ruta in the end.

"I am really quite pleased about it!" she said, her voice buzzing with rare excitement. "And... I can guess from your expression…" her voice lowered, "that you are not."

Link remained silent, unresponsive. A part of him wanted to be happy for her… but another part was fighting off worry and dread.

"It's okay…" Mipha continued. "My father expressed similar concern. And I understand. This isn't something that I take lightly, I can assure you." They continued to walk in odd silence.

Why am I so nervous? Mipha thought to herself.

Why am I so quiet? Link though to himself.

After some time, Link finally decided he should break the ice. "I… can't deny that I'm worried for you. We don't know much about those machines, about how dangerous they can be…" Mipha nodded, and started to open her mouth to respond-

"-But," Link cut her off. "Seggin told me you felt an instant bond with Vah Ruta. I don't find that to be mere coincidence. Not at all." He turned and smiled at Mipha. "And I definitely trust your feelings and your judgement more than anyone. You have my full support."

Mipha's eyes glowed. "Thank you Link." It was really all she could say.

She decided to change the subject. It was odd for her to see Link so serious. So worried. So quiet. She wanted to lighten the mood a bit.

"Those earrings are quite lovely," Mipha remarked, pointing at the turquoise earrings he had worn since the day he left. "Wherever did you get them?"

Link started laughing. "Well… someone incredibly important to me once gave them to me as a gift. Someone amazing…"

Mipha nodded, kept a straight face. "I see. You're making me feel rather jealous."

"It's no competition, trust me," Link said.

Mipha's serious persona broke, and she smiled again. Link looked her up and down, finally got a good look at the jewelry she was wearing: all adorned with the same turquoise stones he had gifted her years before.

"And how about those stones on your headpiece and necklace?" He asked. "Those look… nice."

"Ah, these old things…" Mipha said, pulling her necklace up to look down at the embedded stone. "They were a gift from a person quite dear to me, just the same. A waiting gift." She paused for a moment, then suddenly turned and hugged Link again. This time he did not hesitate to return her embrace.

"And to be frank," she said, "I've grown rather tired of waiting."


Link had been home for a week, and had fallen perfectly back in step with the ebb and flow of daily life in Zora's Domain. He had been more than happy to begin training the Zora youths again, although Bazz's guard training prevented him from seeing Link very often for sword practice. Nevertheless, the Big Bad Bazz Brigade had reunited several times that week in Bazz's off-time, and Link found that the recklessness of his peers had only increased in his absence.

Perhaps they did pick up on some of my old habits, he had thought. Oops.

Fortunately, there'd been no injuries incurred in their new adventures. They had even returned to the scene of his failed pole-vault up to the cave at Veiled Falls years prior - except this time, Link was able to successfully scale the wall with ease. The Zora youths had waited patiently to find out what mysterious things Link would find in the cave… only to soon find themselves sprinting as fast as possible back to the Domain, a massive swarm of angry flying keese giving chase.

Still, they laughed and smiled with joy all the way.

In all of the shuffle, Link was also able to squeeze in time to bring back some of their classic swim races. He'd even managed to win one for the first time ever. Although he was quite certain that they had just let him win - especially since they all smoked him in the very next race the following day.

Sadly, Mipha's selection as the pilot for Vah Ruta had greater repercussions than any of the Zora had expected. Much of her days were spent around the divine beast, as representatives from the Sheikah tribe spearheaded the project to bring the ancient machine to working operation. A clan of white-haired shadow warriors from an old tribe, the Sheikah had been assisting the Royal Family of Hyrule with researching and activating the old machinery that seemed to bear the same symbols the tribe themselves used today. Link was sure there was a major connection there, but kept his ideas to himself.

"How goes the research?" Link asked Mipha one day. They were seated together, watching the Zora youths practice their combat. Mipha was enjoying a rare break, so she had decided to make the most of it by spending some time with Link.

"We… are not making much progress." Mipha said. "We have been unable to even open the entrance to Vah Ruta." Her mood seemed dampened by their lack of success. "They tell me… that there is another device that may be needed in order to activate a strange pedestal that seals it."

Link felt saddened by his own inability to assist with the research. Technology and science were never really his specialties, as evidenced by his low marks in both categories at the academy. Nevertheless, he found himself grasping for a way to help her out. Or at least… to make her feel more relaxed.

And he knew exactly how to do it.

Link stood up, patted off his backside. His old childlike grin appeared on his face.

"I do believe," he said, "That I know precisely what will cheer you up."

Mipha immediately knew what he was thinking. Her eyes glowed, her smile grew.

"A camping trip?" she guessed.

"A camping trip."

Shortly after lunch, the pair carefully snuck out of the Domain - careful not to draw the attention of Mipha's attendant Muzu. He'd been hovering even more than he ever had lately - probably due to the noise and business surrounding the situation with the Divine Beast. With so many Hylians and Sheikah tribe members coming and going at a moment's notice, he was practically smothering her with what he described as 'necessary care' for her situation.

They made their way up the mountains to their usual camping spot, careful to keep a lookout for any uninvited guests. As usual, they were geared with supplies and armed with weapons - just in case. But this time, Mipha had brought along her trusty Lightscale Trident. Green jewels adorned the silver three-pronged weapon, reflecting glittery light on the ground around them as they walked. Now out-of-sight from the Domain, Mipha inhaled deeply, exhaled loudly...

"It feels as if I have been unable to breathe for many days now," she said. She turned to Link, gently patting him on the shoulder. "I must express my sincere gratitude for this. I'd been waiting for a good time to ask you myself, but it seems you beat me to the jab."

He returned her physical gesture, resting his left hand on the top of her head as they walked. "To be honest, I've been looking forward to this since the very day I first left the Domain," he said. "So believe me when I say… that the pleasure is entirely mine. "

The familiar silence set in again. It seemed to be a much more frequent occurrence lately, but it was no longer uncomfortable or unwelcome. Although…

"I have noticed," Mipha said, "that you seem a bit… quieter these days. More serious. At least a bit more so than when you were living here with us."

Link couldn't deny it. "To be perfectly honest…" he said, "I have noticed it too. And it bothers me." he shrugged his shoulders. "I believe it started from the day I arrived back at the Academy. When I was being beaten and bullied, it seemed easier to just shut my mouth and take the hits. To face the pressure and abuse with a cold attitude. To not give them anything to feed off of."

His face turned stoic. "I suppose that mentality has continued all the way up to my graduation. I made very few friends at the Academy. They were all nobles, or self-important types. I fought tooth and nail for the entire duration... survival of the fittest and all that." Mipha found herself looking at the scars and bruises that decorated Link's shirtless torso. I'll have to heal him later she thought to herself.

"I am so sorry." She said. Her look was of genuine concern - of empathy - for the boy she'd grown so fond off. For the boy who had suffered in silence while she casually toiled away here at the Domain…

Link suddenly grinned. "Oh, let's not be so downcast. I knew what I was getting into when I signed on!" He shook his head to and fro, his hair splaying out wildly as he did. It was golden, radiant in the bright beams of sunlight bearing down on them. His eyes glowed their usual vibrant blue, enhancing his boy-like smile. "Besides, being here with you, with the other Zora, being back at home… I've never felt happier. More alive." He looked at Mipha. "Let's make the most of this." he started sprinting towards Ploymus Mountain, towards Shatterback Point. His joyful enthusiasm was contagious. Mipha shook her head, smiling, and sprinted after him.

It is a shame, she thought to herself as she ran, That we can only remain this innocent for so much longer...

After a brief sprint up Ploymus Mountain, the pair found themselves at the top of Shatterback Point. Link glanced at the sign there, then burst out laughing.

'JUMP AT YOUR OWN RISK!' it read.

"Am I single-handedly responsible for this?" he said proudly, pointing at it. Mipha giggled too, gently as always.

"At the risk of encouraging you to make the jump again…" she said. "I am inclined to not give an answer."

Link shrugged. There would be no jumping for either of them that evening anyway. Not with a sunset like this. He walked over to the edge of the point, took a seat cross-legged at the rock's edge. He patted the spot next to him, beckoning Mipha and she found her place next to him. The pair looked out at the world in sheer awe as a familiar sight greeted them: Rolling hills, oceans, valleys… but this time, the sun painted the landscape a gorgeous splash of bright orange and yellow. Clouds rolled over the landscape, their shadows deepening as the sun grew more and more eclipsed by distant mountains.

"How long do you suppose," Link asked, "That you will last in the dry Gerudo desert when we travel there?" He pointed in the distance towards the mountains far southwest.

"...About as long as you can last underwater," she countered. "Roughly ten seconds."

Link started laughing. He was notoriously bad at holding his breath, a fact which was abundantly known by just about everyone in Zora's domain.

"I'll have you know," he said, eyebrows furrowed, "that I have greatly improved my lung capacity." He stared intensely at Mipha. "Unfortunately, it seems like nowadays my lungs are just full of hot air."

This time, Mipha laughed. But more so out of relief. Because in spite of his traumatic experiences, Link was still his silly, funny, bold self. At least for now.

Link rolled forward onto his stomach, peering over the ledge towards the eastern reservoir below. Mipha did the same, and they laid side-by-side - peering at Vah Ruta. The gigantic machine had been discovered in excavations right near the reservoir before, and had now been floated out to the center of the lake for research and testing. The Sheikah knew that the machine was designed to interact with water in some capacity. They just could not seem to get it to work.

"It is a bond… that I simply can't explain." Mipha said, as they stared at the Divine Beast. "It's as if I returned to an old friend after many long years."

Link remained silent.

"The beast was named after an ancient figure in Zora history" Mipha continued. "A Zora princess, who was beloved by her people. My father also believes that it is not a coincidence that I was chosen to be its pilot… though I would hardly describe myself as 'beloved.'"

Mipha was notoriously humble. So Link found it necessary to contradict her. "I believe there is no one more loved than you in the entirety of Zora's Domain," he said. And he meant it.

"Thank you…" she said. "I… am loathe to admit it. But I do feel pressure to be a good role model, to be a good leader for everyone. And I suppose that expectation is what smothers me the most on a daily basis..."

"Well, if nothing else," Link said, his hand finding a place on Mipha's head again, "you're beloved by me. And while that's not worth much, I hope that's enough."

Mipha's heart melted at his words, and she smiled. Because in the end, it most certainly was.


The pair made their way down from the point, setting up camp in their usual cave. It was a nice warm night, so they set up a pair of torches for lighting rather than a full-blown campfire. They sat near each other, snacking on raw fish and snails they'd brought with them from the Domain. Mipha glanced over at Link.

"Link… I have a question. If you do not find it rude that I ask this…"

"Go ahead." He said, taking a a few swigs of water from his canteen.

"I only just thought of this after Princess Zelda's recent visit, as it is rare for me to encounter female Hylians. But from what I have observed," she gestured at her chest with both hands. "Is it considered much more desirable among your people to be a bit larger in this area?"

Link snorted water straight out his nose as he failed to suppress his laughter.

Mipha smiled at this but kept on, staring straight ahead. "...Because with the Zora, it is more attractive to have a sleeker build. It means you are more streamlined and efficient when swimming."

Link coughed a few times, wiped his face off, grinned... "To be honest, I think it really just depends on the individual!" he replied, screwing the lid back on canteen. "...But yes...people do seem to put a premium on those who they say are more…'well-endowed'...?"

"I see," said Mipha, loosely crossing her finned arms. "So quite oppositely, Zora females would not be attractive to the average Hylian."

"Oh, I wouldn't say that." Link said. He held his palms in the air. "Like I said, it's a matter of preference. Besides, if anyone - Zora orHylian - was judging you from looks alone, they wouldn't be worth your time if you ask me."

This seemed to satisfy Mipha, although her face didn't show it. "Well then," she replied, uncrossing her arms again. "I appreciate the sentiment."

Link shrugged. "I only speak the truth." He stared at the horizon for a bit, before looking at Mipha again with a raised eyebrow. "So what brought you to ask this question, aside from curiosity?"

"No particular reason," she said calmly. "I just find our cultural differences to be endlessly interesting."

"I see." Link knew she wasn't lying. Knowing her, it was most certainly a scholarly question at the foremost. But he decided to change the subject before he started getting tooflustered on the inside. "So I was wondering… if you don't mind me asking."

Mipha shook her head.

"A few years ago," he continued, "when I was here, it seemed like your healing powers only improved with time…"

"Oh!" Mipha said. "That reminds me..." she pointed at the ground, and Link knew she probably wanted him to lay down in front of her for the healing session she'd been insisting on for a while. He laid down, and soon her hands glowed a familiar, comforting blue. She hovered over the countless wounds Link had incurred during their time apart.

"Anyway," he continued, "I had been wondering. You never did explain to me what triggered the sudden improvement in your healing capabilities!" Mipha's hands paused for a second, then continued their movements. A half-smile formed on her face.

"Well Link, I-"

CLOMP-CLOMP-CLOMP-CLOMP-

Noises. From outside the cave.

Link shot to his feet. These were… footsteps? No. Hoof steps. But there weren't any horse paths up on the ridge that Link was aware of. A hoofed moblin then, perhaps? Those were quite rare.

Wordlessly, Link grabbed his spear from nearby and started to walking towards the entrance of the cave. He held a hand back to stop Mipha, but she ignored it.

"I shall be joining you," Mipha replied. The look she gave Link told him that he was not going to win that argument. And so, spear and trident in-hand, the pair exited the cave. Link held one of their torches in his left hand, guiding their path. The sounds stopped as they drew closer to the source. The orange glow of the torch illuminated the ground in front of them. But all they saw as they walked was coral-like foliage… grass… a stump… a set of hoofed legs.

Uh oh.

They'd found the source.

The light of the torch traveled up the legs of this beast, eventually revealing its entire body: It was huge. At least ten feet tall. From the waist down, this creature had the body of a brown horse, but its torso was similar to that of an enormous Hylian. From its red-maned head protruded two large horns, and its ferocious glowing red eyes were made all the most sinister in appearance by the orange light from the torch Link held.

This… was a Lynel.

I thought they were only found in the outer wastelands, Link pondered. He quickly dropped his torch and pointed his spear at the creature. Mipha made the same move with her trident.

Oh well. Wouldn't be a proper camping trip without some kind of hitch like this.

The creature seemed to nod in acknowledgement of the pending battle, before letting out a huge roar. The fight was on.

It drew its sword, and reared back for a large swing. As if they'd rehearsed it, Link and Mipha back-flipped out of the way - just as the sword cut the air where they'd previously stood. The pair immediately went their separate ways, Link darting to the left of the beast and Mipha to the right. Link backpedaled, and it appeared that the creature had decided to focus on him first. The Lynel reared back again, and charged Link with its powerful legs. As it leaned down to take a swipe at him, Link rolled to the ground, just under the Lynel's sword, then spun around to jab it straight in the rear. This seemed to anger the beast greatly, and it let out another roar that practically pierced Link's eardrums. It began a flurry of swipes in Link's direction. Link dodged these too with ease, back-flipping and spinning just out of range. He jabbed his spear at the Lynel's face with each dodge, occasionally hitting the mark. It did not seem to be doing any damage, however…

RRRROOAOAAAWWWW!

The creature let out another angry noise, this time out of pain. Link looked up, and saw Mipha standing on top of the Lynel's head. She had leapt off the top of a tall rock, plunging her Lightscale trident deep into its skull. The monster reached up with its left arm and attempted to sweep of the top of its head with its bladed shield. It managed to graze Mipha with the blunt end, and she was knocked a few feet away. She landed smoothly on her feet and disappeared into the darkness again.

Irritated, the Lynel suddenly dropped its sword and shield. It stuck its head back, its mouth glowed and it lurched forward repeatedly, spewing fireball after fireball from its mouth into the darkness. It set fire to the nearby grass and illuminated the battlefield. Unfortunately, this meant Mipha no longer had the benefit of stealth to cover her. The Lynel drew a spear of its own from its back, and began to charge her instead.

From his studies, Link knew that Lynels were supposed to be smarter than the average monster. But this one didn't appear to be all thatbright. He picked up its sword and shield, chucking them off the cliff nearby, then he sprinted to rejoin Mipha in battle.

She was holding her own quite well. The Lynel jabbed at the small Zora princess, but found it difficult to hit its mark. Mipha spun past one of its hasty stabs, sliding on her knees through the Lynel's legs and piercing it several times in the stomach. She ran out from under the beast as it spun around in an effort to grab her-

-just in time for it to catch a spear straight through the jaw from Link. Snarling and bleeding, the Lynel recoiled, and threw down its spear this time.

What in the world is it -

Oh no.

The monster had drawn a rather intimidating bow, nocking an arrow that glowed yellow with sparks.

A shock arrow.

Mipha-

Before Link could do anything, the Lynel sent the arrow flying through the night sky in the direction she had run. A small shriek pierced the night air.

Mipha!

Satisfied, the creature replaced its bow, picked up its spear, and began to charge in Mipha's direction.

Link was fully aware of how potent electricity was to the Zora. He was shaking... his blood boiled. His heart hurt, his head hurt, he was positively sick. In blind fury, he sprinted at the Lynel, jumping on its back. As he jammed his spear deep into the Lynel's spine, it bucked suddenly, kicking him up and over its head. He landed with a loud thud in the spot up ahead where the shock arrow had impacted. The spear remained embedded within the Lynel - Link was now weaponless. He glanced around him, his blood roaring with adrenaline.

Where's Mipha?

The Lynel ran towards him, descending upon him with its own blind fury. Link prepared himself to dodge, when he finally saw it - the Lightscale Trident. He grabbed it and rolled aside just as the hoofed beast nearly trampled him underfoot. The creature turned again, rearing back to let loose another fireball straight at Link. The glow of orange flame illuminated the Lynel's head and the surrounding area, and then he saw it. A small figure, standing in a nearby tree.

Mipha. Thank the Goddesses…

She nodded, calmly, and he smiled back. As the creature prepared to unleash the fireball from its mouth, Link charged directly at it, leaping up and spiking Mipha's ornate trident straight into its face. This caused the fireball to explode right in the Lynel's mouth, just as Mipha leapt gracefully from the top of the tree above it. She landed on the creature's back, ripped out Link's Zora spear from its spine, and let loose a flurry of stabs straight into the back of the Lynel's head. A perfect recreation of Link's trademark move.

Looks like she's been practicing, Link thought.

With Mipha's trident, he let loose the same flurry of attacks himself, straight into the chest of the Lynel. The creature collapsed onto the ground in agony as the pair finished their strikes. It let out a final, pained roar, before finally dying.

It was over.

Mipha limped up to Link, smiling calmly. He could see the scorch marks on her leg from where the shock arrow must have grazed her.

"I must admit…" Mipha said as she approached him. "... a trident suits you rather well- OH!"

Link had wrapped his arms around Mipha. "Are you okay? How's your leg?" He bent over to take a look. She made a vain effort to hide her damaged leg from Link.

"I was sloppy." She said. "The arrow grazed me, but fortunately it did not make significant contact." Mipha bent over and started to heal her own leg. "More importantly, however…" she said, with sadness. "We must report this danger to the Zora council immediately."

Link frowned.

Their camping trip was over.


"I've said it time and time again. You absolutely cannottrust a Hylian."

Muzu was ranting and raving in King Dorephan's throne room. Several other Zora council members were there, but they remained silent. They knew better than to get between an argument with Muzu and their King. The fact that they'd been woken up in the middle of the night for this emergency meeting also didn't help.

"On the contrary." Dorephan countered. "I believe that Link is a hero. He and our brave princess just eliminated a major threat to our Domain-"

"But what if it hadn't worked out in their favor?" Muzu argued. "We're lucky that our Lady Mipha wasn't injured in the attack!" Link and Mipha glanced at each other with guilty looks. They hadn't told Muzu about Mipha's leg...

"It's entirely my fault." Link spoke up. Muzu's glare seemed to pierce a hole in his skull.

Nearby, Mipha shook her head violently. But Link ignored her. "I asked her to join me," he said, "not thinking that there'd be such an enormous threat up there-"

"That's precisely the problem." Muzu said. "You weren't thinking at all!"

Mipha stared at Link. Why are you doing this? She thought. It's not your fault...

"Well if I may contribute," Sidon said nearby. The council members groaned. "I find the actions of my big sister and the amazing master Link to be worthy of praise instead of scorn. I am reminded of the remarkably similar tales of the ancient hero my father often shares with us, where he had single-handedly fought off a Lynel on-"

Link suppressed his laughter at Sidon's efforts to sound mature and grown-up. From the look on Mipha's face, Link figured she was thinking the same.

Out of respect for the King, Muzu allowed Sidon to continue his rant for a minute or two, before finally cutting him off. "... and besides that," Sidon was saying, "Link's really good at cooking and-"

"That's enough!" Muzu snapped. Sidon shrugged, then ran back and climbed up to sit on Link's head.

Mipha stepped forward. "If I may, Muzu. Please refrain from pinning the blame on Link for all this. He did not pressure me in any way to join him on this trip up the mountain. I made the decision on my own." Muzu softened a bit at this, as it was incredibly rare to ever see Mipha so outspoken about something. But he still remained furious.

"And also," Mipha continued, "We have never had any troubles like this before. How could we have anticipated that a Lynel of all things would be there?"

Muzu was unmoved from his position. "The fact remains, Lady Mipha, that you snuck out yet again to frolic in the mountains with this silly Hylian. Risking your safety. And all while we're in the middle of dealing with this… ridiculous Vah Ruta situation...and I..." Muzu sighed.

A deafening silence settled into the chamber.

I'd much rather be dealing with the Lynel than this, Link thought to himself. He glanced at Mipha once more, and the look on her face again proved they were thinking the same exact thing.

After some time to consider his thoughts, King Dorephan chimed in again. His voice echoed deeply through the throne room. "Muzu… I believe that everyone hereis feeling the stress and the pressure of this business with the Divine Beast. But that is no reason to take it out on these two… are we not all entitled to our leisurely activities, especially during stressful times?" he paused briefly, before continuing. There was a sense of finality in his tone.

"And while I may have my own doubts about Vah Ruta... we have a pact to maintain with the Kingdom of Hyrule that I fully intend to uphold. Besides-" he gestured at Mipha and Link. "-If their testimony is correct, then there may be some merit to the claims that Calamity Ganon is returning to this world. A Lynel indeed has not been spotted anywhere near Zora's Domain in over 10,000 years..."

Muzu began to speak. "But regardless, I-"

"Enough." Dorephan said, flatly. "Mipha and Link shall be recognized as heroes for their actions tonight. And that is the end of it."

It was settled. The throne room emptied. Mipha and Link began to make their way down the stairs towards the overlook below.

"I am… sorry for causing you so much trouble." Mipha said.

Link stared after her. "You must be kidding. I'm sorry. The whole thing was my-"

She held up her hand, cutting him off. "Then we agree," she said, "that it is both our faults. How's that?"

Link looked at her hand. Though it wasn't her intention, he grabbed it and shook it. "Okay then. It's settled." He dropped her hand. "So. What now?"

"Now," she said, stretching her arms and yawning loudly. "We get some sleep."

It was five o'clock in the morning. They'd been up the entire night.

Link yawned himself. "Well," he joked. "I don't suppose that it's a good idea to head back up to our cave for the rest of the night?"

Mipha's tired laugh was music to his ears.


In the aftermath, Zora's Domain was abuzz with news of Link and Mipha's Lynel-slaying heroics. In particular, Link's already high popularity among the Zora people skyrocketed, to say nothing of his now-permanent status as a legend among the youths. If there were any concerns about Mipha's safety during that fateful encounter, those worries certainly were not voiced by anyone.

That is, anyone other than Muzu.

In spite of Muzu's protests, King Dorephan hosted yet another feast to commemorate the occasion. Normal life seemed to have settled back into the Domain, although Mipha's continued involvement with the Sheikah tribe's work with Vah Ruta still hung over everyone like a shadow. With post-Lynel encounter Muzu out in full force, Link and Mipha barely had any opportunities to be in each other's company. Nevertheless, they did the best they could with the time they had - a brief chat here, an exchange of glances there… they had even resorted to passing notes to each other as they passed by, just to help them close the gap. And Link was sure to hang on to every little scrap of cloth-paper that he received from her.

It had only been ten days into Link's stay at Zora's Domain when the Royal Messenger arrived to give him the good - and the bad - news.

The good news? He was no longer in the Royal Guard pipeline for basic knights. Instead, he was being placed on the fast track to be trained as an officer of the Royal Guard.

The bad news? He was to begin two years of the notoriously brutal Imperial Guard training in Hyrule Castle. Training that was due to start in less than two weeks. His granted leave from the Knights of Hyrule was cut off early. It was time to go.

The mood at the Domain was somber in the wake of his imminent departure, though markedly less so than it was for Link's previous exit from his home. The Zora once again crowded around him, and they once again made way for Lady Mipha as she approached him, gift in hand. Link kicked himself for not having a parting gift, though the extremely short notice made it near impossible for him to have procured anything for her in such a short time.

Which begged the question: how did she have a gift prepared? And a big one at that?

Mipha held the long package in her hands. She stared up, bright yellow eyes aglow, as she drew closer to him. "Master Link," she said as she handed him the gift, "I wanted to wish you a happy birthday…"

Oh. That's right. He'd totally forgotten it himself. He was turning fifteen today.

"Happy birthday!" the other young Zora cheered. They all crowded around Link, taking turns hugging him and patting him on the back. The exchanges took a few minutes, and the Royal Messenger found himself growing impatient as he observed this drawn-out process of departure unfolding before him.

As the young Zora all said their goodbyes, this time they read the mood and began heading away from the entrance and back to the main area of the Domain - leaving Link and Mipha truly alone to say goodbye. Only Sidon remained, blissfully unaware of his surroundings as he clung tightly to Link's thigh.

"You can open it now…" Mipha gestured at the long package in Link's hands. "Though I'm sure you can already guess what it is…"

Link shrugged. "If you haven't realized it already," he said, as he tore open the package, "I'm quite the natural at playing stupid."

From the contents of the package emerged a beautiful, hand-carved weapon - a Silverscale Spear. It was well-balanced, silver in color with blue accents. The spear's tip was shaped like the crescent-moon tail of a fish.

"This is amazing!" Link cried. He spun it around above his head, jabbed the spear out in front of him, felt its weight in his hands. "Extremely well-crafted..."

"Thank you…" Mipha said. "I had planned for this, long before your arrival. Our smithy, Dento, gave me tips as I built it…"

"You're incredible! Truly. This is far more than I deserve..." Link fastened it to his back, then immediately pulled Mipha into a loving embrace. This time around, she was quite ready for it.

"My hope," she said, as they held each other, "Is that you will keep it, and remember all the good times we spent together… whilst violently skewering your enemies."

Link pulled away, laughing warmly. It was her typically subtle sense of humor on full display, and he couldn't get enough of it. His blue eyes shone with happiness and gratitude.

"Must you always be so casually… serene when you say things like that?" he asked her, grinning wildly.

Mipha smiled back. "Whatever it takes to get a laugh out of you…"

The world turned pale, color seemed to fade.

Mipha's smiling face slowly disappeared, only her eyes remained.

These too began to fade, two dots of yellow... now gray... now black.

A flash, an afterglow, everything closed in on itself.

...darkness.

Silence.


Link opened his eyes. He was laying on the floor of a pier, breathing heavily.

His fight alongside Sidon on the wooden platforms had apparently ended only a few minutes ago.

To Link, it felt like years. His lungs hurt too. As if he'd been holding his breath for just as long. As he gathered himself, an incredibly familiar face popped into view - but much, much older now.

"I am dreadfully sorry!" It was Sidon. Big Sidon. "You had me worried there, you were staring blankly and shaking quite a bit! I was afraid I had triggered some kind of psychotic episode with my question..."

Link shot straight to his feet and stared up at Sidon. He was completely overwhelmed…with heartache, with sorrow, with regret…

With memories.

"I…"

He could feel his eyes beginning to well with tears, but he fought them back.

"I remember..." Link pulled Sidon into a warm embrace - his midsectionanyway - and Sidon returned the favor.

"I remember."


Next up is Chapter 7: Know You.
Post DLC-2 update: As of now, some of the details present in the previous two chapters contradict canon, namely Link's age and the circumstances behind the Lynel encounter. Regardless, I hope you enjoy my portrayal of the events of the past!