Chapter 56 - Getting Better Acquainted
Summary: In the Victory Timeline, Sidon tours Upland Zorana with Arana, and Midon shows Tiray some of Zora's Domain.
It was late morning at Zora's Domain as Mipha, Link, Tila, Linky, Tara, and Lanka made their way from the ferry pier at Spool Bight to the house by Mikau Lake. Sidon and Arana had already gone off together to explore Upland Zorana, while Midon left with Tiray to give her a tour of the Domain.
"If it's okay, I'd like to stay home with Lanka and put him to sleep for his nap," Link suggested as they entered the house. "I mean … I'm already holding him."
"That's fine," said Tila. "It's good for him to bond with his grandparents just like Tara did."
"You're using little Lanka as a shell, aren't you, sweetheart?" Mipha quipped. "You're still scared of getting tickled because of your wisecrack about missing your single days. Where did all that courage go, hero?"
"Very funny," Link chuckled. "I can stand up to most things, but you know ticklishness is my weakness. Even Zelda knew that. I had hoped my transformation to a Zora would cure it, but no such luck. And you also know very well I was joking, sweetheart. I was single for over 120 years, and that was way long enough. Being with you has been the happiest time of my life. Anyway, I had better put Lanka to rest in our slumber pool before he falls asleep in my arms."
"Wait just a moment before you rush off, dearest," said Mipha. "You never told me that Zelda discovered your ticklish secret. I'm very curious to hear how she found that out."
"Oops, Dad!" Linky chuckled. "For someone who's usually so reserved, you sometimes slip up with your words."
"It's not what it sounds like, and it was completely innocent," Link assured. "Let me explain how it happened."
Back when I was Zelda's appointed knight, and after we got along better, we had just left Gerudo Town after one of our visits. I was still dressed in my Vai disguise - the only way I could slip past the guards and enter the town.
"Link, you look so adorable in that outfit! You should consider wearing it more often," Zelda teased playfully.
"Funny, but I'd rather avoid unwanted attention from guys making passes at me," I replied with a laugh. "I've already had a few such encounters. And constantly wearing this veil is a real nuisance! I'm changing out of this outfit as soon as we're far enough away from the Gerudo guards."
When we were finally out of sight of the guards on duty, Zelda politely turned her back to give me some privacy to get changed. Yet, anxious about changing near Zelda and wary of a possible Lizalfos ambush, I nervously rushed it and tangled my Champion tunic around my neck.
"Um … Could you turn around and please help me untangle this?" I asked, blushing with embarrassment.
"Certainly, Link, it will be my pleasure," Zelda replied with an amused expression on her face. "I did tell you not to bother changing."
While helping me untangle my clothing, Zelda's fingers accidentally brushed against my chest, sending me into a fit of uncontrollable laughter.
"Oh, wow! You're incredibly ticklish, Link!" Zelda exclaimed, laughing along with me. "Let's hope your enemies never learn this."
"Very amusing, Princess," I replied as I hastily adjusted my tunic and attempted to regain my composure while Zelda kept laughing. "Can we move on now? And, please, let's keep this between us, okay?"
"I'll try," Zelda responded with a mischievous grin. "Though I'm not sure I can resist telling Urbosa. I know she would get a good laugh out of hearing it. At least, I promise not to tell Revali."
"So, that's how it happened," said Link. "See? All innocent. Now I had better put Lanka to sleep."
After Lanka got kisses from everyone, Link took him to their room, closed the door, and climbed into the slumber pool holding him.
"I hope you don't mind napping in freshwater for a change," Link whispered with a kiss on Lanka's forehead. The toddler smiled for a moment before nodding off. Link smiled as Lanka nestled against him, then he closed his eyes too and thought back to when Mila, Midon, and Lapha were small.
"If you don't mind, Tara, I'd love to spend some time with you," said Mipha.
"That sounds great!" exclaimed Tara in excitement. "I learn so much from all of you: Grandmother, Aunt Mila, Uncle Midon, and Aunt Lapha."
"Such as?" asked Linky.
"Such as what you were like growing up, Dad," responded Tara, causing everyone to chuckle. "I mean … Hylians have a different childhood, right? So, it's understandable that I'm curious."
"And I'm sure you also appreciate the extra attention your grandparents spoil you with," Tila stated.
Mipha grabbed Tara's hand and said, "Let's go get a snack and do some swimming while we chat."
"Have fun and behave Tara," Tila hollered as she and Linky waved goodbye.
"I'm happy that we decided to come," Linky remarked after he and Tila were alone. "But the trip seemed a bit sudden."
"Because we are serving as an escort for Tiray here while she visits your supposedly broken-hearted brother after Larena left him. Midon invited Tiray for the day, but her sister Laray was worried about her traveling alone, so…"
"Ah, I get it," Link nodded while laughing. "So, Midon is off with Tiray, Uncle Sidon is off with Arana, and I'm here with you. Why are so many of my family attracted to you northerners?"
"Because we're so sophisticated and charming, sweetheart!" Tila replied as she took his hand and intertwined their fingers. "Now that the children are taken care of let's re-visit those waterfalls you brought me to when we were dating. By the way, where did you learn that we Zoras find being behind a cascading waterfall so romantic? That wouldn't have been instinctual for a Hylian."
"I'd like to claim I figured it out by myself, but that's not what happened," laughed Linky. "I'll tell you the story on the way. And if we're going to waterfalls, I guess it's fortunate I'm wearing the armor you made for me, sweetheart."
"Yes, I'm very familiar with it - including how to remove it," said Tila with a smile.
Linky laughed, and then they made their way toward the waterfall at Mikau Lake as he relayed the story.
It was after we started dating, and I was at home with my family one morning, having just finished breakfast. Mom and Dad had left for a meeting, and my brother and sisters were both there with me at the table. Then my Tab that I had left out buzzed with a message. My nosy brother Midon picked it up before I could.
"What's this? A message from Tila? 'On my way and can't wait! Be with you soon, sweetheart!' And the message ends with three kiss emojis," said Midon.
I felt myself blushing a deep red, but Lapha and Mila rushed to my rescue.
"It's very rude to read someone's private messages, Midon, especially out loud," said Lapha. "Give Linky back his Tab."
"Honestly, Midon, you never fail to float to new levels of uncouth behavior," said Mila. "I assume you know what uncouth means?"
"Sorry, Linky," said Midon, handing me my Tab. "I didn't realize it would be something so personal. And you don't have to flaunt your vocabulary at me, Mi. So, you and Tila are seriously dating now, Linky? I know Mila mentioned some time ago that Tila was interested in you, but I didn't know things had flowed so far. Wow! What a lucky catch! The boys here all think Tila is hot enough to boil water."
"How could you not know, Mido?" said Mila. "Has your head been buried in the sand like a clam? Or were you too busy creating runes nobody is interested in? And Linky is just as lucky a catch for Tila as the other way around. Do all you boys care about is how hot a girl looks?"
"No, but it helps," laughed Midon. "Before I get myself into any more trouble, I had better go. Sorry again, Linky."
"It's fine, Midon," I said. "You're forgiven."
After Midon left, Lapha spoke up.
"I'm sorry you were embarrassed, Linky," said Lapha. "Try to forget about it."
"I'll be fine, Laff, thanks."
"So, where do you plan to take Tila when she arrives?" Mila asked.
"Good question. I want us to have some private time together, but her sister insists a guard be with her wherever she goes."
"Take her behind a waterfall," said Mila. "The guard can wait on the other side, and you two can enjoy your privacy. We Zoras love getting close to waterfalls; the rush of the water is incredibly stimulating! The bubbly current caresses our skin and excites us, while the sound ensures what we do stays hidden. Take Tila there. I guarantee she will love it."
"And I'm sure Mi's boyfriend Kendal can attest that you're hearing the voice of experience, Linky!" Lapha teased.
"Oh, clam up, Laff!" Mila laughed.
"Thanks, Sis - you've given me great advice," I replied with a smile. "That's exactly what I'll do."
"So, that's where I learned about it," said Linky. "And it worked, didn't it?"
"Very cute," said Tila as she squeezed his hand, and they waded into the water. "Let's see if it still does. And now that we're married, it should work even better …."
Meanwhile, Sidon was guiding Arana around Upland Zorana where small hills and the occasional Luminous Stone rock outcropping dotted the landscape. They had both climbed to the top of one of the hills and paused to admire the view. It was a clear, sunny day, and to the east, the blue-green waters of the Lanayru Sea stretched all the way to the horizon. Fiery Death Mountain and its red lava flows were clearly visible to the northwest, while to the southeast, you could make out snowy Mount Lanayru. The tall spires of Hyrule Castle stood almost straight to the west, and beyond that stood the pink and red sandstone cliffs of the Gerudo Highlands.
"You have such splendid views from here!" Arana exclaimed as they gazed out into the distance. "It's nice to see another part of your Domain and so much more of Hyrule. My past visits with you were pretty much confined to Ruto Lake for a concert."
"I'm glad you're enjoying it," Sidon said with a smile. "My sister sometimes took me here after swimming practice when I was younger. She would point out different parts of Hyrule and tell me a little about the people who lived there. And if I behaved well, she'd even break off a piece of Luminous Stone so I could take it home and watch it glow that night."
"You and your sister were very close growing up, weren't you?"
"Yes, and we still are," Sidon replied. "As you know, we lost our mother when I was quite young, and Mipha took on the role of both mother and big sister to me. She always encouraged me to believe in myself and do my best. Later on, she became our Champion, someone everyone in Hyrule knows and respects. I've looked up to and admired her all my life."
"It must be nice to have a sibling," said Arana. "I'm an only child, but I have many cousins from my father's side. His eldest brother, Fardon, was our domain's king before he died suddenly, and his daughter, Sopha, became Queen. Growing up, I spent most of my time with relatives."
They paused for a moment to continue taking in the view, and then Sidon spoke up.
"It's amazing to me that growing up, I had no idea your land even existed. It was unknown to us until my sister and her husband traveled there. And now we have friends and even family who come from there. But you in the north knew about Hyrule. Did they ever tell you stories about us?"
"Not much. We were told a bit about your ancient history. But it was stressed that we needed to remain cautious about contact with you because of Hyrule's reputation of being untrustworthy," answered Arana. "It seems that wasn't entirely true and was probably a relic of the exiled Sheikah's experience."
"Very likely, and with the Yiga Clan gone, even less so now than before," said Sidon. "Shall we get in some swimming next and catch lunch? Toto Lake is not far, and it flows into the beautiful Lake Akkala. There is more to see there. I assume you don't mind swimming in freshwater?"
"I don't mind at all," laughed Arana as they made their way toward Toto Lake. "And I'll take the opportunity to sample some more of your delicate freshwater fish. Do you have any recommendations?"
"A Hearty Bass will do wonders for you if we find one," said Sidon. "They tend to hang out near waterfalls. If not, a Hyrule Bass will do."
They spent the rest of the afternoon swimming and enjoying their time together in Toto Lake and Lake Akkala until it was evening and time for Arana to return home. Sidon escorted her to the Spool Bight pier as the northbound ferry approached.
"I had a great time, Sidon," said Arana. "It's nice to spend time together here, just the two of us, without any distractions like a concert."
"I loved our time together as well," said Sidon.
"If you're free, I'd like you to visit and see more of our coral reef gardens next weekend. Last time, we only had time to see a small portion. And we could also do some body surfing on the north shore. The waves there are incredible and so much fun!"
"Yes, I like both those ideas," said Sidon, his voice shy but excited. "Thank you for spending time with me, Arana."
Arana leaned forward as the boat pulled into the pier and kissed him on the cheek before boarding it and waving goodbye. Sidon waved back and blew her a kiss.
"Let's share a real one next time," laughed Arana. "Don't be so shy!"
Sidon watched the boat pull away from the pier and head north until it disappeared behind Davdi Island. He was really looking forward to next weekend!
Meanwhile, Midon started his day with Tiray by taking her to explore the plaza.
"The stores here are much like ours," Tiray observed, "Only their merchandise is different."
"I figured it was worth a peek for completeness sake," Midon replied. "Let's head over to East Reservoir Lake next."
They took the eastern path and climbed the lengthy flight of stairs that led to the northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake.
"Whew! That's quite a climb, Midon! I could see taking young ones up these steps to help develop their lungs," said Arana after reaching the top.
"I never thought of that," laughed Midon. "I wonder if that's one reason our mom made us climb up these stairs on our own growing up?"
The lake was quiet, and they had the area all to themselves, save for a pair of ducks floating not far offshore. Divine Beast Vah Ruta sat silently in the lake's center, watching over everything.
"I see you keep your Divine Beast at the ready," said Tiray. "Both of ours are a bit more remote offshore. I was amazed to learn from my sister that cousin Ti, I mean your sister-in-law Tila, is one of the pilots now."
"Yes, it is amazing that two family members have such an honored role," Midon shared. "Let's just hope they don't have to use them anytime soon. I come here sometimes to work on coding because the environment is quiet and free of distractions. We could swim in the lake for a bit, then go up the waterfall leading to the Shatterback Point path. There are some gorgeous views of Hyrule from there."
"Sounds like a plan," said Tiray. "I'm looking forward to some water time."
They swam around the perimeter of the entire lake, diving and surfacing now and then for the sheer pleasure of it as Zoras were wont to do. When they completed a full circuit, Tiray spoke up.
"That was refreshing. I'm ready for the waterfall now," said Tiray.
"Want to race up?" said Sidon.
"Sure! No excuses, Midon, but you should realize that we don't have many waterfalls in our land. So, I didn't get in much waterfall practice growing up."
"I understand, Tiray. But now I'll feel even worse if I lose!" laughed Midon. "Let's go!"
They raced up the falls together, and Midon won, but not by as much as he expected. It was lucky Mila wasn't there to tease him.
"You did quite well for someone with little experience," said Midon after they reached the top.
"I don't remember, but my sister said I was always pretty athletic. I should get in more practice to build up my strength and give you more of a challenge next time," laughed Tiray. "Just don't tell my sister that I'm swimming up such huge falls."
"My lips are sealed, but I wouldn't have taken you to any waterfall that wasn't safe. There are no hidden rocks or anything," said Midon. "Anyway, the path to the top is this way."
They headed up the inclined path toward Ploymus Mountain past Evergreen trees and the occasional brightly colored shrub that lined the path.
"Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?" said Tiray.
"No, go ahead."
"Do you get many compliments about your eye color? That shade of blue-green is quite striking. I noticed your father has blue eyes, your niece Tara has really gorgeous dark blue eyes that remind me of deep water, and your little nephew Lanka also has blue eyes, just not quite as dark as his sister's. It looks like it runs in your family."
"Oh, yes, some of us have uncommon eye color for a Zora," explained Midon. "One of the traits we all inherited directly or indirectly from my father. I guess people here have all gotten used to it, and I don't even think about it now. Does it bother you?"
"No, on the contrary, I think your eyes look nice," Tiray replied with a smile.
When they reached the plateau, they continued their ascent to Shatterback Point, which boasted the best view of Hyrule in the Domain.
"Wow! Fantastic view!" said Tiray as she glanced from one side to the other. "I feel like I can see everywhere, even far back toward my home."
"I'm glad you like it," said Midon.
Midon proceeded to point out some of the key places around Hyrule and what he knew about each one.
"I hope this isn't too boring for you, Tiray. I guess I'm treating you more like a tourist than my guest," said Midon. "I just thought I owed it to you to show you the best sites from here."
"No, it's not boring at all, Midon, and I wanted to see your land," said Tiray. "I always heard it's quite beautiful, and I agree."
Just then, Tiray's Tab buzzed, and she mentally answered it.
"It's my sister, of course," Tiray laughed, shaking her head. "She said the North Hyrule vessel that took us here is waiting at Spool Bight to return home. Laray wants me to come home before it gets too late."
"Is it too late to change her mind? If you stay longer, I can ride back on the ferry with you, Tiray," said Midon. "It's no trouble at all."
"Thanks, you're sweet, Midon, but not this time," said Tiray. "Laray hasn't gotten to know you well enough yet and will feel better if I travel with North Hyrule staff. I need to keep working on rebuilding her confidence in me."
"I understand," said Midon sadly. "Sorry, you have to leave so soon."
"Don't feel bad! I had a great time! It was fun spending time with someone who values my company for other than its scientific value - studying the effect of ancient energy on life restoration properties," said Tiray.
"That would be my sister Lapha, not me!" laughed Midon. "I had a great time, too, Tiray. I hope you won't mind if I Tab you … and hopefully I can see you again?"
"I would like that," said Tiray. "Perhaps you can visit me next time so I won't have to impose on your family and worry my sister. We can visit Crimson Grove and the north shore. Tab me, and we can make plans."
"Yes, that sounds great, and I will," said Midon. "Well, I guess we should head back to the pier if the boat is waiting."
Midon and Tiray descended to East Reservoir Lake and then walked through the tunnel through Spool Bight to the pier on the shore of the Lanayru Sea. The boat was there as expected, and the first officer greeted Tiray.
"Welcome aboard, Mistress Tiray," said the first officer. "Mistress Arana said that she will take a later ferry, so you're our only passenger. All ready?
"Yes, let me just say goodbye," said Tiray.
"Until next time," said Midon, a bit awkwardly, not knowing what Tiray expected.
Then Tiray smiled and reached out for them to share a brief hug.
"Thanks for a fun time, Midon. Tab me!" Tiray said as their hug ended.
Tiray boarded the ship, and Midon waved and then watched as the boat headed north and disappeared from view. Then he took his time heading home, where he found Mila alone there.
"Hey, Mi. Where is everybody?" Midon asked.
"Well, I'm here. But if you mean everyone else, they took Tara and Lanka to Veiled Falls for swimming and an evening picnic," said Mila. "I had some work I wanted to finish, but you can still join them."
"I think I will," said Midon. "See you later, Mi."
Midon opened the door and began to leave, but Mila spoke up in time.
"Oh, how did your day with Tiray go, Midon?"
"Very well! I had fun, and I think she did too. I hope to see her again soon," said Midon.
"That's great! So, are you beginning to get over the pain of losing Larena?"
"Who?" said Midon as he laughed and closed the door behind him while Mila laughed and shook her head.