Chapter 31 - Recklessness
Summary: Link shares memories of some of his less laudable childhood moments with his children, Raypha and Tidon. Robbie continues work on translating the ancient manuscripts found below Hyrule Castle.
A gentle rain was falling on Zora's Domain, the kind of weather that all Zoras welcomed. In the kitchen of their home by Mikau Lake, Mipha was finishing breakfast with her children, Raypha and Tidon, while her husband, Link, was still asleep.
"Is Dad okay, Mom? He's sleeping awfully late," Raypha asked after swallowing the last bite of a Hyrule Bass.
"He's perfectly fine," Mipha reassured her. "He was out late with some old friends. They like to occasionally meet to catch up and reminisce."
"Do you think the fish we put on ice will still taste well enough for Dad's breakfast?"
"It should be," said Mipha. "The ice will keep it fresh, and Hylians aren't as picky about their fish as we are."
"Yes, it's weird, huh? They heat their fish first and then let it cool down. It ends up too dry," said Tidon.
"Well, everyone has their own tastes," Mipha replied. "Besides, I understand Hylians can get sick from undercooked fish, something we're unaffected by."
"Then we had better make sure Dad cooks his fish long enough," said Raypha.
"Anyway, I need to leave. I am meeting with our Chief Architect, Kandon, to review building plans and visit some work sites."
"Do you know Kandon well, Mom?" Tidon asked.
"I got to know him pretty well when we were working together in Kakariko Village during the early days of Hyrule's restoration," Mipha replied. "He's very knowledgeable. Now both of you need to focus on your homework, especially math, to prepare for your test next week. It's fine to solve problems together if you get bogged down. The goal is to learn the subject."
"Got it," Tidon nodded in agreement.
"And remember to take care of your Dad as well."
"No worries, Mom," Raypha assured her.
Mipha leaned down and kissed Raypha's and Tidon's foreheads before departing. Stepping out into the rain, she tilted her head back, allowing the droplets to caress her face, before heading down the path toward the plaza for her meeting with Kandon. Her father wanted her to play a more active role in the area of domain construction, and she didn't mind. She was always happy to help her father in any way she could. When she arrived at the plaza, Kandon was already there waiting.
"Good morning, Lady Mipha," said Kandon. "Lovely weather we're having, isn't it?"
"Yes, good morning, and indeed it is," said Mipha. "It's so refreshing!"
"It's nice to be working together again," said Kandon. "Especially here at our domain. I find working on our architecture to be much more fulfilling than the Hylian construction we undertook. But of course, I understood the necessity."
"Yes, and I'm looking forward to working with you again, too," said Mipha.
"Our first stop should be East Reservoir Lake," said Kandon as they proceeded in that direction. "We're working on one of the piers there."
Meanwhile, the only sound at home after Mipha left was the patter of rain against the house until Raypha spoke up.
"Speaking of math homework, Ti, did you finish the assignment?"
"Yes, I dove into that first thing," Tidon replied. "I still have to wade through the writing assignment, though. Did you have any trouble with it, Sis?"
"Just the last problem," Raypha admitted. "My solution doesn't seem right."
"Alright, let's go over it together," Tidon suggested. "Here's the problem."
Imagine Vah Ruta malfunctions and begins producing continuous rainfall when the reservoir is 3/4 full. The engineer estimates that at this rate, rain from Ruta will overflow the reservoir in 10 days. It is known that opening the reservoir spillways releases water steadily and can empty a full reservoir in 60 days. If the overflow spillways are opened, will the reservoir overflow, and if so, in how many days?
"I got that it will overflow, but my answer seems too long," said Raypha.
"Here, let me show you what I did," said Tidon, taking out his work. "The rain will fill 1/4 of the reservoir in 10 days. Since it's steady, the rain would fill an empty reservoir in 40 days. In other words, the rainfall deposits 1/40 of a reservoir per day. The spillways can release 1/60 of a reservoir per day. So the net daily inflow if the spillways are opened is 1/40 - 1/60 = 1/120 of a reservoir per day. Therefore, the net inflow would fill an empty reservoir in 120 days. But the reservoir is already 3/4 full, so the reservoir would overflow after 120/4 = 30 days. Simple."
"Oh, thanks, Ti. I forgot the 3/4 full part at the end."
"So, you admit I'm good at something," said Tidon with a smirk.
"Oh, yes, of course I do, dear brother," Raypha agreed. "Just not very much."
"Funny, dear sister. But it's a strange problem. Imagine Mom letting Ruta create endless rain," said Tidon. "She would never do that."
The door to Mipha's and Link's bedroom opened gently, and Link emerged, his eyes still heavy with the remnants of dreams. The morning light kissed his face as he stepped out.
"Morning, Dad," Raypha and Tidon chorused, their voices tinged with affection and youthful excitement.
"Good morning!" Link exclaimed, his face lighting up as he exchanged warm, heartfelt hugs with each of them. "You're both getting so tall," he observed, his voice filled with a mixture of pride and nostalgia.
"We still have a long way to go," Tidon replied.
"You ready for breakfast?" Raypha inquired as she moved to light the cooking pot. "I'll cook your fish for you. You like it spicy, right?"
"And let me get a plate ready and some water," Tidon added, eager to contribute.
"Um, yes, just a pinch of spice, not too much," Link said, his voice tinged with gratitude. "But you don't have to cook for me, sweetheart. I'm used to doing all that for myself."
"I don't mind, Dad. I want to make sure it's cooked well enough for you," Raypha insisted, her determination infused with love.
"Mom went out?" Link asked, his eyes scanning the room, feeling a hint of emptiness without Mipha's presence.
"She had a meeting with our Chief Architect," Tidon explained.
"Oh, right, now I remember she mentioned that," Link nodded, rubbing his temples. "I guess I'm still a bit groggy. And I thought I overheard one of you say something about Ruta creating endless rain."
"It's one of our algebra problems," Tidon clarified, a smile playing on his lips. "It sounds a bit unrealistic."
"Not as unrealistic as you might think," Link responded, his eyes clouding with memories. "Ruta did just that on the day of the Great Calamity. All four Divine Beasts began acting up back then. Then Zelda arrived at Hyrule Castle two days later to battle Ganon, and Ruta stopped making rain. We realized later that by containing Ganon, Zelda must have weakened its control over the Divine Beasts. But had things gone differently, endless rain could well have happened."
The words hung heavy in the room, and silence settled for a moment, filled with echoes of a troubled past. Then a moment later, Raypha served the fish, and she and Tidon sat back down at the table, the normalcy of their daily life restored.
"Mm, delicious," Link exclaimed after taking a bite, his face lighting up. "Cooked perfectly and with just the right amount of spice."
"We've watched you cook many times, Dad," Tidon laughed, the sound of it lifting the mood.
"Mom said you were out late with some of your friends last night?" Raypha asked, curiosity dancing in her eyes.
"Yes, Bazz, Rivan, and Gaddison, the old so-called Big Bad Bazz Brigade I was a member of," Link explained, pausing to swallow another bite. "We played together a lot back in the day. Um, did Mom say anything else about it? Like, did she make any comments about the people I was with?"
"No, Dad, why do you ask?" Tidon replied, sensing a hidden tension.
"Well…," Link hesitated, his eyes darting away. "I don't know how much I should say either. Let's just say they've been known to upset your mom. She is not fond of my former playmates."
"Now you have to tell us more, Dad," Raypha insisted, her voice filled with playful insistence. "You can't stop swimming mid-waterfall, as we say."
"I guess you're right," Link conceded, a wistful smile on his face. "Well, the four of us were a bit immature and occasionally played some pranks. And we did other stuff too."
"But you have to tell us something specific, Dad," Raypha pressed, her voice echoing the relentless flow of a river. "You're just dripping hints."
"All right," Link began, his eyes widening as he plunged into a memory. "Well, um, one time we packed an old helmet with Silent Shrooms so the eyes and mouth glowed at night. Then we hid and watched after placing it behind a shrub where a guard would find it to scare them. And it definitely did!"
Raypha's eyes sparkled with mischievous delight.
"Suddenly seeing a glowing face in the dark like that would be really scary," she mused, her voice tinged with curiosity.
Link's face softened into a rueful smile. "It was a silly thing to do," he admitted, his tone turning serious. "And I don't want some of the crazy things I did as a child to influence either of you. Don't follow in my wake, as you say."
"We won't," Tidon assured him, his voice steady and sincere. "We're blessed with excellent parents."
"No argument there!" laughed Link, his eyes twinkling with love and pride.
"But I can't see Mom getting so upset at such a simple childish prank like that," Raypha pressed, sensing there was more to the story.
Link's face turned slightly somber. "Well, we did other things, too," he confessed, finishing the last bite of his fish. "I'm ashamed to say that as the lone Hylian in the group, I thought I needed to try harder to impress the others. So I did some rather risky things."
"Like what?" Raypha insisted, leaning forward, her eyes wide with intrigue.
"Neither of you better do anything like this," Link warned, his voice laden with concern. "I love both of you very much and never want to see you in danger. Do you promise?"
"We promise," they both answered, their voices firm with conviction.
Link took a deep breath, his eyes distant as he delved into the past. "Well, um, I remember it was afternoon here in the domain. The four of us, Bazz, Rivan, Gaddison, and I, were walking back to the plaza after playing tag in Ruto Lake. I can picture it now."
"I hope you noticed we kept a close eye on you the whole time you were in the water with us, Link," Bazz said, his voice dripping with teasing condescension. "We wouldn't want you to get washed over the falls again."
"Yes, blessed Nayru! I never want to receive another scolding from our Princess," Gaddison exclaimed, her voice trembling with feigned terror. "I was shaking like a jellyfish the last time she yelled at us."
"Come on, I swim much better now since that happened," Link shot back confidently. "You don't have to watch me so closely."
"Maybe you think you swim better, Link, but we still only use one fin when playing tag with you," Bazz replied, smirking.
"Otherwise, it would be game over every time," Rivan laughed, adding fuel to the fire.
"Fine, I know I can't swim anywhere near as well as all of you," Link conceded, his voice rising with defiance. "But I can certainly run and climb much better."
"Run, yes, I'll agree with you there. But I'm not so sure about climbing, Link," Bazz challenged. "We can climb too, you know."
"Well, let me prove it!"
"Okay. If you're such an expert climber, then show us. Let's see you climb to the top of the fish sculpture here," Bazz dared.
"Done!" Link declared, his eyes ablaze with determination as he prepared to climb.
"Wait, Link, I was just kidding!" Bazz cried out, panic replacing his teasing demeanor as he reached out to stop him. "It's too dangerous!"
"No! Don't do it, Link!" Gaddison and Rivan exclaimed, their voices filled with genuine alarm.
But Link was too stubborn, and they all watched helplessly, breaths held, as he began to make his way up the giant fish sculpture. His movements were confident but reckless, driven by a desire to prove himself. Soon his antics attracted a smattering of onlookers far below, their faces a mixture of awe and horror.
"Blessed Nayru! What is that silly boy doing?" a woman exclaimed, her voice tinged with disbelief as she stopped to watch.
"Link! Come down!" Bazz shouted, his voice cracking with fear and authority. "That's a Bazz Brigade order!"
But Link ignored everyone and kept climbing, each movement a testament to his determination and folly. His full attention was focused on finding footholds and places to grip amid the sculptured scales of the fish. While Link kept climbing, more people gathered in the plaza, their voices rising in a crescendo of terrified fascination, each one hoping, praying he wouldn't get hurt.
Mipha had just finished a lesson with Muzu and was returning home when a guard, Lagan, rushed up to her, his face pale and his voice trembling.
"Come quickly, Lady Mipha! We may need your healing power. I only hope we're not too late."
"Too late? Whatever is wrong, Lagan?" Mipha asked, her eyes widening with alarm as she accompanied the guard.
"That little Hylian boy who often plays here is climbing up our fish sculpture," Lagan explained, his words tumbling out in a rush. "Everyone is terrified he might fall."
"What!?" Mipha exclaimed, her voice filled with shock and dread as her hands flew to her mouth. She raced back with Lagan, her heart pounding in her chest.
By the time Mipha and Lagan arrived at the area by the sculpture, Link had reached the top and was waving to everyone, holding on with one hand, a triumphant smile on his face.
"Told you, guys! Hooray! I'm the best climber in all of Hyrule!" Link shouted, his voice ringing out clear and proud, but his fellow Brigade members were all deathly quiet, their faces pale with fear. Then he noticed Mipha standing amid the crowd of onlookers, her face stricken with worry.
Mipha cupped her hands around her mouth to be better heard above the crowd and shouted, her voice filled with a mixture of concern and fury. "Link! Get down here this instant! And for the love of Nayru, do it slowly. Be careful!"
Link's face paled as he nodded and began making his way back down. Mipha looked up at the sky, her heart in her throat, and frowned. Some clouds had rolled in, but it did not look like rain. If it started raining, she would surely cry!
"Are you okay, Lady Mipha?" said Lagan, his voice gentle and concerned. "You're trembling."
"I'll be all right if he gets down safely," said Mipha, her voice breaking as she couldn't take her eyes away from Link's descent. "But what could have prompted him to do something so utterly reckless?"
Then she noticed Gaddison, Rivan, and Bazz trying to blend in with the crowd, their faces guilty and ashamed, and put two and two together. When Link finally reached the ground, there were cries of relief from everyone and some disparaging comments about crazy Hylians. Mipha at once gripped Link by the hand, and he noticed her hand was shaking, her eyes filled with a mixture of relief and anger.
"Come with me!" she said, her voice firm and commanding. "We need to talk!"
"Your mom took me where we could be alone, and let's just say she was very upset," said Link, his voice dropping to a whisper, the memory still vivid and painful. "I never remember her being so angry with me."
"That was so reckless, Dad!" said Raypha, her voice filled with disbelief and concern. "You could have fallen, especially if it rained. I can't believe you would do something that dangerous just to impress friends!"
"Believe me, I heard that and much more from your mom," said Link, his voice filled with remorse.
"You deserved every word!" Raypha exclaimed, her eyes wide, her voice filled with the anxiety of a child who has just heard a ghost story. "I still feel scared just thinking about it."
Link's face softened, and he reached out to pat her hand. "I know, I know. But it's in the past now, and we've all grown from it."
After a pause, Link continued.
"Mom also blamed the other three for encouraging my reckless behavior, as she put it," said Link, his voice growing serious. "She had stern words with them as well. All that happened years ago, of course. But more recently, Mom was upset with them for allegedly getting me drunk the night before our wedding rehearsal, causing me to sleep in. So, my old friends have an unpleasant history with your mom. Anyway, that's all water over the falls now, as they say."
"It sounds like you were quite a troublemaker as a kid," Tidon said, his eyes shining with laughter and curiosity.
"More than I should have been," Link admitted, joining in the laughter. "I was overconfident, thinking I was invincible. That was true even when I was older, and Zelda said the same thing to me after one of my battles. Looking back, I realize she was right now. I took too many chances." His voice trailed off, a distant look in his eyes, as he seemed to relive those moments of danger and triumph.
"But it helped strengthen my skills and build my confidence for the challenging task ahead of me, battling Ganon," Link continued, a renewed determination in his voice. "Anyway, there's no excuse for either of you to be like me and do things like that. Remember your promise!"
"We will," said Raypha, her voice filled with earnest resolve. "But I enjoy hearing stories of when you were younger. Maybe you can tell us more about your early meetings with Mom next time."
"Fine, if my stories don't bore you," Link laughed, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "And maybe you should ask Mom too and get her perspective."
"Now Mom wants us to look after you, so how about some exercise after breakfast?" Raypha suggested.
"Don't you two have homework?" Link asked, his eyebrows raised.
"That's not as important as keeping you healthy for Mom," Raypha insisted, her tone playful but sincere. "You want her to be happy, right?"
"And we're almost done with our homework anyway," Tidon chimed in, his voice filled with the easy confidence of youth.
"Fine, let's go," said Link with a hearty chuckle, his face glowing with affection and pride.
They each took one of his hands, their fingers intertwining, a tangible symbol of family love.
Meanwhile, it was morning at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab as Robbie tucked several ancient manuscripts into a pouch he held under his arm and prepared to say goodbye to Purah.
"I'm headed to the castle library to work on this translation project," said Robbie.
There was no response from Purah, who seemed engrossed in some measurement.
"Did you hear me, Dr. Purah?"
"My hearing is excellent, thank you," said Purah, looking up from her work. "Why do you ask?"
"Well, you could at least do me the common courtesy of answering!" said Robbie.
"I wasn't aware your statement required a response," said Purah. "But okay. Good luck with your research. I hope you won't be as big a disappointment to Her Majesty next time as you must have been on her last visit."
"I'm doing the best I can, Purah! This translation is quite complicated," said Robbie. "At least I didn't ruin Her Majesty's appetite with all these bugs you've collected. You've turned our lab into an insect zoo, and it will probably help my concentration to get away from them."
"Oh, by the way, please close the door quickly on your way out," Purah said, her voice laced with urgency. "A Winter Wing butterfly got loose, and I don't want it to fly away. I need to measure it."
Robbie couldn't help but shake his head at her obsession as he left. The lab's door clicked shut behind him, sealing in the chirps and buzzes of Purah's insect collection. Pulling a hood over his head to shield himself from the soft patter of rain, he made his way across the Moat Bridge to Hyrule Castle.
The guards on duty, their armor glistening with raindrops, nodded good morning to him, their faces breaking into respectful smiles. Robbie's reputation as a dedicated scholar was well known, and his presence was a familiar sight.
As he entered the grand library of Hyrule Castle, the rich scent of aged wood and ink greeted him, a stark contrast to the insect-filled lab he'd just left. A Rito librarian named Leona, identified by the elegant nameplate on her desk, glanced up, her eyes meeting Robbie's with a respectful nod. The room was filled with the hushed sounds of pages turning and the faint scratch of quills as other patrons delved into their studies.
Finding a vacant table, Robbie gently laid down his satchel, his eyes already scanning the room for the familiar section he needed. But as he approached the towering bookshelves, his excitement turned to frustration. The books he sought were perched on the top shelf, far beyond his reach.
"Why do they have to make these shelves so darn high?" he muttered, his voice edged with irritation.
With a resigned sigh, he strode over to Leona's desk, catching her eye as he approached.
"Yes, Dr. Robbie?" Leona whispered, her voice melodious yet professional.
"I'm sorry for the interruption, Leona, but could you reach a few books for me from the top shelf?" he asked.
"Of course," Leona replied, gracefully rising and gliding over to the shelf in question.
"Ah, the pre-kingdom section," she observed, her voice a soft whisper. "Our collection from that era is quite limited, but everything we have is here."
"The three books starting with the second from the left are what I need," Robbie instructed, his voice barely above a whisper.
With an elegant stretch, Leona retrieved the books, handing them to Robbie. "It helps to be tall in this job," she remarked with a gentle smile.
"Thanks," Robbie said, happy to be dealing with someone polite for a change, as he returned to his table, excitement bubbling within him.
He began pouring through the books with a reverence reserved for ancient relics. His eyes darted across pages filled with ancient alphabets and languages, his brow furrowing when they failed to match his manuscripts. Doubt crept into his mind, but determination held him firm. He would not let Purah's taunts prove true. He would find something here, something important.
And when Robbie turned to the third book, his heart leaped.
"Ha ha!" he exclaimed, momentarily forgetting the library's silence.
Two patrons shushed him, but Robbie's joy was irrepressible. There, in one of the chapters, was a discussion of ancient Zonai writings, complete with an alphabet table. The symbols matched those he couldn't decipher from the manuscript.
"This looks promising," he muttered, his hands rubbing together in satisfaction.
Though the temptation to rush back to the lab was strong, the memory of Purah's insect menagerie made him reconsider. A contented smile spread across his face as he settled into his chair. This discovery was exciting, and he would savor it right here, away from the chaos of the lab.
Meanwhile, it was late afternoon when Mipha returned home from meeting with Kandon. They had inspected ongoing construction work at East Reservoir Lake and the upper pathway that ringed the domain and discussed future plans she would report to her father.
The house was silent as Mipha entered, a quiet that surprised her. Raypha and Tidon were sitting at the kitchen table, almost as she left them. Link was nowhere to be seen, and a strange mix of worry and excitement fluttered in her heart.
"I hope your father isn't still sleeping from this morning!" Mipha exclaimed, trying to make light of her concern.
"No, no, Mom," Raypha laughed, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "He had a late breakfast, and then we took him swimming. We wore him out, and he said he needed a nap. That was about two hours ago."
"Two hours ago? I should wake him, then," said Mipha, her voice tinged with a maternal note of authority. "Otherwise, he'll be up all night."
"By the way, Dad told us a bit about his friends from last night," said Tidon, his voice dropping, a conspiratorial glance exchanged with his sister. "He said you knew them."
"Yes, I certainly did!" Mipha replied, her voice filled with memories. "More by their deeds than by personal acquaintance. I thought they were a terrible influence on your father, though I later learned he was not always so innocent. But Bazz made a sweet, heartfelt speech to me after our wedding, asking me to put the past behind us, and I agreed. So, we're all good now. Now I really must wake up your father."
"Great! We're both done with our homework, and now that you're home, Ti and I can get in some more swimming and catch dinner," said Raypha. "Come on, Ti."
"See you later, Mom," said Tidon as he and Raypha hugged their mother and then left the house.
Mipha made her way into their bedroom and closed the door, her heart pounding with a mixture of excitement and love. Link floated peacefully in their slumber pool, his soft blonde hair spread out beside him like a halo. He often used a hairband but must have forgotten, a sign of his fatigue. His gentle breathing filled the room, and he looked so adorable that she felt an irresistible urge to join him. After all, what better way for him to wake up than with her right there beside him? And he should be fully rested now, too.
She slid into the water, put her arm around him, and a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings about what lay ahead engulfed her. He had already napped for two hours, and that was long enough. She was growing too eager, longing for his touch, his presence. The best way to wake her dear husband was with a kiss, a symbol of their love. She pressed her lips to his, and his eyes fluttered open. Then he at once returned her kiss with a passion that sent shivers down her spine.
"Mm, you're home already, sweetheart?" Link asked, his voice filled with warmth and surprise.
"Already? You've slept way too long, dearest," Mipha laughed, her voice a gentle tease and a cute smile playing across her lips. "By the way, we have the house all to ourselves now."
Link's eyes twinkled, and he pulled her close as they resumed kissing. This was more than waking up; it was a renewal of love, a confirmation of their bond. This was definitely the best way to wake up!