Chapter 11 - Relaxing Rain

Summary: Mipha and Link spend a rainy morning together, during which Link discusses what he can do to extend his life with her. Robbie begins to work on a more powerful guardian using plans discovered at the Forgotten Temple.

"That was tasty!" said Mila as she finished the last bite of a fresh Hyrule Bass.

"It was, and thanks for catching our breakfast, sweetheart," said Mipha.

"Happy to do it! I caught Midon's, too, but ended up leaving it in the kitchen because he's sleeping in. So where are you and Dad off to today?"

"We were thinking of taking a relaxing walk to Ralis Pond," said Mipha as she glanced at Link, and he nodded. "We both have this morning off. There are no council meetings or ambassador calls or anything else pressing now - just time for ourselves."

"Lucky you!" laughed Mila. "I have a call with Revali later this morning to discuss something about Hyrule History."

"Unlucky you!" laughed Link, and then the others laughed too. "I'm kidding - a little. Anyway, say hello to him for me."

"Of course, Dad, I'm sure he loves to hear that you're thinking about him," said Mila. "Enjoy your walk. You may be in luck too - it looked like rain when I was out."

"We can only hope!" laughed Mipha.

They exchanged hugs and kisses, then Mipha and Link made their way down the path from Mikau Lake. Link glanced up at the sky, and gray clouds were rolling in from the east. When they reached the plaza, they stopped to say hello to one of Mipha's friends who was shopping for some fresh saltwater porgies at the store, then continued on their way along the western path out of the Domain proper. The sky was even more overcast as they arrived at Veiled Falls.

"Shall we stop for a kiss here as usual?" said Link.

"Of course! Did you forget we always do?"

They took each other in their arms, looked into each other's eyes, smiled, and then kissed several times.

"I still get a thrill thinking about that special day when we first kissed here," said Mipha after their last kiss ended.

"I wish I could remember it, but at least you described it to me in detail," said Link.

"I did, but I don't know if I mentioned my feelings. I was so nervous then, I had bubbles in my belly, as we say. I had planned to offer you my gift of the armor on the previous afternoon when we sat on Ruta's trunk together, and I healed your forearm. But I couldn't bring myself to do it! You were so quiet, and I couldn't tell what you were thinking. But I promised myself that I would offer you the armor the following day before you left to return to your duties, and I would just have to live with your answer. So I brought the armor with me when we met in the morning. You hadn't been sleeping well for some time due to all the pressure you felt, and after we walked to Veiled Falls and sat together, the sound of the waterfall lulled you to sleep on my shoulder. I shifted your head to my lap so you would rest more comfortably and get some much-needed sleep. And then the whole time you slept, I kept rehearsing in my mind how to offer you the armor, what words to say. Like should I begin with how long we have known each other, or how I felt, or ask you how you felt about me? But then you woke up startled, forgetting where you were for a moment, and before I could do anything besides calm you down, you leaned forward and kissed me. It was like you read my mind! I never felt so happy! Or so relieved either, to be honest. So offering you the armor after that was easy."

"I guess it shows what a little nap can do for one's courage!" laughed Link. "And believe me, far from reading your mind, I know I was terrible at reading your feelings. But it's comforting to know that if I hadn't found my courage that morning, at least you would have found yours, and we would have ended up together."

"I still like it better that you went first," said Mipha. "You were so slow finding your words back then that I would have died inside while I waited for you to answer whether or not you accepted my armor."

"Funny!" said Link.

They kissed once more and then resumed their walk. And it was as Mipha and Link walked hand-in-hand along the thick grassy path from Veiled Falls to Ralis Pond that heavy rain began falling. Link was about to run, holding Mipha's hand when she pulled him up short.

"What's the rush, sweetheart?" laughed Mipha as she resisted Link's tug at her hand.

"Now that you mention it, I don't know," laughed Link as he stopped. "It must be just another one of my Hylian instincts to seek shelter from the rain."

"There's no lightning, and I love the feel of water while we're together, even if it's just rain. And speaking of instincts, it's a primal Zora instinct to want to be in the water with the one you love. It's almost like hunger."

"Don't I know it! I've had that feeling, too, remember? But I love being with you no matter where or what the weather," said Link.

"So sweet," said Mipha. "So let's enjoy the rain while we walk."

Link wiped some rain from his face as they resumed their walk up the gently sloping path, disturbing three Blue-winged Herons along the way who flapped their wings and took to the air.

"We can relax under the large rock at Ralis Pond, watch the rain, and cuddle," said Mipha.

"You read my mind," laughed Link. "And please, no jokes about how little there was to read."

"Have I ever teased you about your memory, sweetheart?" said Mipha as she squeezed his hand.

"Have you? I forget," said Link, and then they both laughed as Link squeezed her hand back.

It was a short further walk to Ralis Pond, and they sat down beneath the massive rock outcropping at the north-eastern end of the pond. Then they leaned back, put their arms around each other, and rested their heads together as they watched the rain and enjoyed the view.

"This is cozy," said Mipha. "And you can dry off if you like - a horrible expression, by the way."

"You said it, not me," laughed Link.

The steady raindrops rippled the pond's surface and coated the nearby gray boulders with a slippery wet glaze. Golden Fleet Lotus Seeds lined the shallow edges of the pond, along with delicate purple and white flowers surrounded by green lily pads on slender stalks. Several Tireless Frogs were making water ripples of their own as they swam across the pond searching for food, perhaps some Sneaky River Snails that lay motionless underwater. Branches of the tall evergreen trees and the feathery leaves of the squat purple and pink shrubs that grew nearby shook in the steady easterly breeze coming off of Ruto Lake. And at the far western end of the pond, you could see the orange and white fur of a Grassland Fox as it foraged for insects in thick grass.

"Love you," said Link as he rubbed her shoulder.

"Love you, too, said Mipha as she snuggled closer.

"It's nice to have a lazy morning together," said Link. "I know we used to come here together before we married and even took Sidon on picnics here sometimes."

"Yes, we played here sometimes. We chased fireflies together, and you battled Sidon in your adventure games," said Mipha. "It's a nice location and not all that far. I learned later that Father sent guards ahead of us to make sure it was safe when he learned we were planning to come here. But he didn't want to ruin our time together by their presence. Father did a lot of things like that, quietly looking out for people without drawing attention to it."

"Yes, he's a wonderful person," said Link. "He truly treats me like a son, and I'm forever grateful for that."

Link glanced around the area for a moment.

"Of all the places to live in Hyrule, the Domain has to be the best," said Link as he caressed Mipha's shoulder. "So many locations around it are like this, simply beautiful, as is the Domain itself, of course."

"I agree," said Mipha. "I was glad you felt so comfortable living here after we married, though I wasn't surprised. I mean, I would have happily lived with you anywhere, but I would have missed staying close to my father and brother."

"There was never a reason to live anyplace else. I loved it here, and you know I had no close family," said Link. "Besides, I also had friends here, like Bazz, Gaddison, and Rivan."

"And Kodah," said Mipha. "Let's not forget your girlfriend."

"Well, yes, her too," said Link. "But we…"

"I'm teasing you, dear, but it's so cute when you blush," laughed Mipha as she turned her head toward his, and they kissed.

"Mm, that was nice!" said Link. "I guess we almost matched colors for a moment."

"You didn't blush that much," laughed Mipha.

"Anyway, living here made both of us happy. And after we had Zora children, it made even less sense to live anywhere else."

"You never liked the idea of living in a castle?"

"No, not really," said Link. "I mean, the room they gave me at Hyrule Castle was very comfortable. But I was always more of an outdoor person. I got accustomed to camping out with Epona or sleeping at stables. Living in a small house like ours is fine, but I don't think living full time in an enormous castle would suit me."

"I don't think so either," said Mipha as she nodded her head in agreement. "I even told Zelda that before we married. I said, Zelda, Link really can't …."

"What?!"

"I'm teasing again! And you're even cuter when you can't tell," laughed Mipha as she brushed away some damp hair from his face.

"Funny! But why are you floating all these names from the past? Is this dredge up potential love interest day or something?" said Link.

"Why? Did I leave someone out?"

"No," laughed Link. "You put too many in! You were the only one for me, sweetheart."

They smiled at each other, kissed once more, and then leaned back and resumed watching the rain.

"I guess there's no reason we can't stay here until lunch,' said Link after several minutes.

"No reason at all," said Mipha as the rain continued to fall. "If you were a Zora, we could catch a fish anytime."

"I know," said Link, more seriously than Mipha expected. "And I know you're being light-hearted about it. But with all my Hylian children grown now, I'm seriously wondering if that wouldn't be the right thing for me to do - for our sake, I mean."

"Become a Zora? You're serious?" said Mipha. "I had no idea you were considering that."

"I don't like to have secrets from you, but I also know how sensitive you are about my aging more quickly than you," said Link. "So, I did some research on my own."

"Go on."

"Well, I spoke with Dr. Purah about whether there was anything I could do to help us be together longer, like use her rune again. She said using her anti-aging process multiple times might be dangerous, but she's still working on perfecting it. So, there's still hope, and that's certainly one possibility."

"And the other?"

"Dr. Purah said there was an alternative she knew about from discussions with North Hyrule scientists. The Shrine of Transformation has two settings. One is the more common one we both used, where one's genetic material that functions in the same way as the target race's genetic material is left intact. That saves time and reduces complexity in the transformation process because only specialized genes must be created and infused. So, for example, I was part Zora and part Hylian back then, but outwardly all Zora. However, there is another setting whereby the shrine substitutes authentic genetic material throughout the host. That takes longer and is a bit riskier. But at the end of the process, the person is completely transformed to the other race. So, for example, I would be one hundred percent Zora afterward. And that means I would have a Zora lifespan, of course, so that we could be together longer."

"You're taking me by surprise with this conversation. How risky is risky, and how long does the transformation process take?"

"Riskier than the other process, but still within the design capabilities of the shrine, Purah tells me. And I'm not sure about how long it takes. Purah said determining that would require me to undergo a physical exam to record some vital signs. But she said to let her know if I'm serious about pursuing the idea, and we will discuss the next steps. And as I said, there is always the option of using her anti-aging rune again if she gets comfortable with it. So, what do you think?"

Mipha was quiet for a few moments, and the patter of rain was the only sound. Then she finally spoke up.

"I would be overjoyed, of course, to live a longer life together," said Mipha. "And if you were a Zora, it opens up new worlds for us that I would be thrilled to share with you. But I cherish you for who and what you are today, the Hylian hero I fell in love with. I knew what marrying you meant, though I don't like thinking about it. So, I don't want you to rush into a decision about becoming a Zora. If you do that, it should be forever. In any case, before you consider doing anything with Dr. Purah, we both need to understand the risks involved and decide if it's worth it. For example, I would like to know more about the length of time involved in the transformation. I'm not willing to wait one hundred years like in the Shrine of Resurrection!"

"No, of course not!" laughed Link. "And I agree with everything you said. I just wanted to tell you what was on my mind and what I had learned."

"Do you know what prompted you to look into this now?"

"It was when Mila spoke to me about my journal, and she was upset that I ended it. During our conversation, she mentioned you becoming Zora Queen someday. I wasn't thinking and reacted badly, saying I doubted I would ever live to see it. And it made me think that when you become Queen is perhaps the very time you would need me and my help the most. And if I do nothing, I won't be here to help you. So, that prompted me to speak with Purah about it."

"I need you the most all the time, sweetheart," said Mipha as she caressed his cheek. "You know you're the love of my life."

"And you're the love of mine," said Link. "I'd just like our love to last as long as possible."

"So would I," said Mipha.

They kissed once, and then Link hugged her tighter.

"Anyway, for now, let's just relax and enjoy being together in the rain," said Link. "We shouldn't ruin the present worrying about the future."

"Yes, let's just enjoy the rain. Which you would enjoy more as a Zora, by the way," said Mipha as she rested her head back on his shoulder.

They both closed their eyes and let the sound of the rain lull them to sleep.

Meanwhile, Mila and Midon were working from home at the Mikau Lake house while Tila, Linky, and Tara were in North Hyrule and Lapha was busy at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab.

"Honestly, I don't know how Dad ever put up with him!" said Mila after finishing her Tab call with Revali.

"I don't think he did," laughed Midon. "I heard they mostly kept a respectful distance from each other. What happened now?"

"Just because he played a simulation, now Revali expects Hyrule history to be amended to say Hylians were Goddess Hylia's grudging choice for hero given Rito unavailability," said Mila. "Such nonsense!"

"Calm down, Sis," laughed Midon. "I think Dad's way of dealing with Revali's ego was to avoid provoking him further and simply ignore him."

"That's good advice," agreed Mila.

Just then, a gust of wind splashed some rain across a nearby window.

"It's a shame to be stuck indoors," laughed Midon.

"Feel free to venture out and catch us lunch," said Mila. "It's your turn, and I need to write up my notes from the call."

"Fine," said Midon as he put down his work and prepared to go out. "Any preference?"

"First fish is fine," said Mila. "I don't want to give you an excuse to take forever."

They stuck their tongues out at each other, then laughed as Midon left to catch lunch.

Meanwhile, at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, Robbie was busy listing ancient parts and consulting a diagram every so often.

"I hope you know what you're doing," said Purah.

"That's what I usually say to you!" laughed Robbie. "But this blueprint we found at the Forgotten Temple is for a more advanced and powerful guardian than we've seen before. It's intriguing. I suspect few, if any, were ever actually built. At least we never uncovered any so far in our excavation work. So, I'm considering attempting to assemble one."

"Is that really necessary now? Is there some imminent threat to Hyrule?"

"No, but it's of theoretical interest, and perhaps it could be useful someday," said Robbie. "The notes on the blueprint are in ancient Sheikah and indicate they designed it in case the existing guardians proved too weak and perhaps to be more of an offensive than a defensive weapon. However, there is no indication if they built any. On the other hand, it could be we haven't uncovered one yet. Or perhaps Calamity Ganon was defeated before the scientists finished working on it, and after Ganon's defeat, there would be less urgency to build it. Also, as you know, the king of Hyrule outlawed Sheikah technology shortly afterward, so that may also have affected their ability to work on it."

"Well, in any case, I'd like to be involved in this," said Purah.

"Of course," said Robbie. "But trust me - I know what I'm doing when it comes to guardians. And I'm still only at the stage of itemizing needed parts. So now, let's see what else I should collect."