Chapter 15 - Anxious Awaiting
Summary: Link's family waits for his Zora transformation process to complete.
It was late afternoon in North Hyrule as Mipha stood with her four children and awaited the opening of the chamber in the Shrine of Transformation, where Link was being transformed into a Zora. It had been an anxious four months for the family. As the scientists had explained, this transformation was more complex than any of the earlier ones. But the long wait was finally over.
"You okay, Mom?" said Mila as she held Mipha's arm.
"Just very nervous," said Mipha. "This has been weighing on my mind every day for four months."
"Looks like it's finished now," said the Sheikah scientist in charge of the transformation process as the chamber began to open.
Then the scientist gasped as he bent down to peer under the lid before it fully opened.
"Oh, no! What could have happened? Don't let her look!" shouted the scientist as he quickly pushed the chamber lid closed again before it finished opening.
"What's wrong? Wait! I want to see him!" shouted Mipha as Mila and Midon restrained her.
"No, don't look! There's nothing good to see, but I assure you he died painlessly. Your last memory should be of him before he entered the chamber. I don't understand, but something went wrong. I'm so sorry."
"No! Link! Link!" shouted Mipha as she burst into tears.
And then she woke up to find her daughter Lapha holding her.
"Mom, it's okay," said Lapha as she comforted her mother in the slumber pool in Mipha's and Link's room, where they had both slept. "You had another nightmare."
"Oh, Nayru, it was terrible, Lapha!" said Mipha as she embraced her daughter. "I'm sorry I woke you."
"It's fine, Mom," said Lapha. "It's about time to get up, anyway."
"I don't know why I keep having these terrible nightmares," said Mipha, shaking her head. "There is no sign that anything's wrong."
"It's because you love Dad so much," said Lapha. "We all do and fear losing him to something we can't control. But it's affecting you most of all, Mom."
Mipha remembered when she and Link had discussed the process with Purah and the Sheikah scientists.
"Four months! That long? Last time it only took a few weeks," said Mipha.
The scientists explained how complex this new process was and the need to proceed slowly and deliberately. But, as was his nature, Link had made light of the situation.
"For a Zora, four months is nothing," said Link. "It will go by in no time."
"For you, maybe. But not for me," said Mipha.
Then, much later, after they had agreed to proceed with the transformation, she remembered their last kiss as Link prepared to lie down in the chamber.
"We're ready to begin now," said the scientist.
Mipha leaned over the chamber, and they kissed.
"I guess you can put all my clothing in storage now, sweetheart, much as I'll miss wearing your armor. And I'm excited that from now on we'll be kissing underwater," said Link after their kiss ended, trying to ease the tension of the moment with some light-hearted humor.
"We're going to keep kissing on land, too," said Mipha as she squeezed his hand one last time. "We can never kiss too much. May Nayru protect you."
"I love you," said Link.
"I love you, too," said Mipha.
Link smiled at her as he lay down, and the scientist in charge asked her to stand back, then sealed the lid to begin the process.
Meanwhile, Mila and Midon were eating breakfast in their house by Mikau Lake when they heard Mipha screaming Link's name.
"It sounds like Mom had another nightmare," said Midon, shaking his head.
"Yes," said Mila. "I feel so bad for Mom. Tonight's my turn to stay with her, and I'll do my best to help her have a peaceful sleep."
"I hate to see Mom worried so much," said Midon.
"You can help Mom by spending more time with her, Midon. Lapha and I can't always be with her, and our little brother has family responsibilities of his own with Tara and Tila."
"I agree, Mi, but I just don't know what to say to make her feel better."
"That's a pretty shallow excuse coming from you, the one dripping with wisecracks for every occasion," said Mila. "Just first think about what to say, and don't spout nonsense."
"Teasing and kidding around come more easily to me, but I get your drift, and I'll do what I can," said Midon. "I know you and Laff have been spending a lot of time with Mom. But didn't she and Dad talk all this through first, the risks and such?"
"Yes, of course, they did, but it's still very distressing," said Mila. "Just keep Mom company sometimes during the day, go swimming, take walks, do things together, so she doesn't float shallower into worry. It's been a nerve-wracking three months for all of us, and we still have another month to go."
"I hope it's all worth it," said Midon.
"Shh, clam up! Here comes Mom and Lapha now," whispered Mila.
They both stood up and exchanged hugs with Mipha and Lapha.
"Good morning! It's so nice to have you all here," said Mipha.
"Good morning, everyone," said Midon.
"Yes, good morning," said Mila. "Midon, why don't you make yourself useful and catch a couple of fish?"
"Sure thing, I'll be right back," said Midon as he left for the lake outside the house.
Mipha, Lapha, and Mila all sat down, and an instant later, Midon returned carrying two Hyrule Bass.
"Fastest catch ever!" gloated Midon with a smirk at Mila as he served a fish each to Mipha and Lapha.
"Thank you, all of you," said Mipha. "I'm sorry I'm being such a burden and disrupting your lives. But you don't need to do that - I'll be okay. I realize they're just nightmares I'm having, and I can cope with them."
"It's no disruption at all, Mom. That's what family is for," said Mila. "All of us can work remotely, and we love spending time with you. Besides, being with you is helping all of us cope with Dad's absence, too."
"I know Midon and I won't mind some time away from the Royal Ancient Tech Lab," said Lapha. "All we hear lately is Robbie swearing under his breath and occasionally kicking ancient parts across the room in frustration as he struggles to assemble a new type of Guardian."
"Right," said Midon. "Dr. Robbie keeps saying to himself the ancient Sheikah can't be that much smarter than him, and it doesn't help that Dr. Purah never fails to chime in that they obviously can. But Robbie insists he wants to do the project without Purah's help to prove a point."
Mipha laughed once and then took a bite of fish.
"I'm not that hungry," said Mipha after swallowing.
"Does the fish taste bad, Mom?" said Mila. "I knew it! It's a sick fish, and that's why Midon could catch it so quickly!"
"Wait just a minute…," exclaimed Midon, but Mipha interrupted.
"The fish is fine, and don't you two start," laughed Mipha. "You're reminding me of your childhood!"
"You need to keep up your strength, Mom," said Lapha. "Please try to eat."
Mipha finished eating the fish, and then they all decided to spend the morning swimming together in East Reservoir Lake and give Mipha some time to check on Ruta. After lunch, Sidon planned to keep her company, and then there was a dinner with Sidon and her father. In the evening, Mila would stay with her.
The family realized that Mipha was better off if she wasn't left alone, and so they kept her company unless they couldn't, such as the times she entered Ruta as Zora Champion to check on the Divine Beast. But given how much Ruta was a living person to Mipha, she wasn't really alone then either.
Meanwhile, in North Hyrule, Tara had finished breakfast and was about to leave for her school lessons.
"You have everything, dear? You're done with all your homework?" Tila asked.
"Yes, and I have the MaxiTab I use for class, Mom," said Tara. "That's all I need."
They kissed, and then young Link hugged and kissed her as well.
"Be good, sweetheart."
"Always, Dad, you know me," said Tara with a smile as she looked into his eyes. "And don't forget to work on your presentation for next week, okay?"
"I'll start on it today."
Tara's deep blue eyes could be hypnotic and always made him take a deep breath when she gazed into his eyes. Then Tara left and made her way to the pool where classes were held.
"Our daughter seems a little mature for her age sometimes," said young Link after she left. "When she looks into my eyes, I can't look away. I get goosebumps like she can read my mind."
"You used to get goosebumps when you looked into my eyes too, sweetheart," laughed Tila.
"I still do," said Link. "Just a different kind."
They both laughed and then kissed.
"Let me check on how Father is doing," said Tila after their kiss ended, and she mentally accessed her Tab.
"The Sheikah scientists must be tired of hearing from you! You check on him every day, but I'm glad you do."
"Are you kidding? My sister Faray checks every day too. But it doesn't hurt to make sure he's being monitored carefully. We've passed the point of no return as they described it."
Tila spoke briefly with the scientist in charge and learned everything about the process was still nominal.
Before the transformation began, the Sheikah explained it would take a full four months, and they would store a blueprint of Link's Hylian form beforehand. However, to restore him using the blueprint required enough of a viable organism to start the process - they could not revive him from nothing. And past three months into the transformation process, they felt it would be too late to do much if something went wrong.
"Do you still feel the same about all this, Father's transformation?" Tila asked after her call ended.
"Yes, I'm absolutely fine with it. It's a unique opportunity. I know how happy my parents were as Zoras, and it makes sense they would want to share a long and happy life together. This is a way for Dad to extend his life with Mom and be there for her. Besides, Dad is the same person inside, and that's what really matters. We all love him just as much either way."
"All very true, and I'm glad you accept it so readily," said Tila. "I have a meeting with Faray coming up. What are you doing this morning?"
"I had better start work on my presentation to Tara's class that she reminded me of. They're studying Hyrule's history and wanted a personal perspective on the royal family and some key recent events. Since both Dad and my illustrious historian sister Mila are unavailable at the moment, I guess I'm the next best choice. I don't mind doing it, but I have to admit I'm pretty nervous about it."
"I'm sure you'll do fine," laughed Tila. "Just take deep Hylian breaths. And don't forget we have Paloma's party tonight, so save some energy for dancing."
"I remember. Meet for lunch?"
"Sure, by the cooking pot outside the Coral Bed Inn," said Tila. "I'll bring the fish."
"Perfect!"
They kissed, then Tila left for her meeting while young Link sat down and began to work on his talk.
Meanwhile, at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, Robbie was reviewing an ancient Sheikah document when Purah cried out in pain.
"Ouch! What in Hylia's name is a spring doing here?" Purah exclaimed after she stepped on an errant ancient part and almost tripped.
"Oh, sorry, I must have missed that one," said Robbie as he retrieved it.
"Stop kicking things around, and you won't have anything to miss," said Purah, rubbing her foot.
"Yes, sorry. Now, if only Dr. Lapha were available!" muttered Robbie. "This phrase in ancient Sheikah is ambiguous and could be interpreted differently. I could use a second opinion."
"What's wrong with my opinion? Or are you still too proud and stubborn to ask for my help?"
"Well, maybe you could help with just translation, not anything technical," said Robbie.
Robbie showed Purah the manuscript, and they agreed on the interpretation.
"What's with this obsession over the new Guardian?" Purah asked after they finished their analysis of the text.
"It's a personal challenge," said Robbie. "I am the world's expert on Guardians after all, and I want to keep it that way."
"Suit yourself," said Purah with a shrug. "Just don't damage the lab with your bad temper and leave parts lying around where someone can trip."
Meanwhile, in one of the high turrets of Hyrule Castle, Queen Zelda put down a report she was reading in her office and then stood up from her desk to gaze out the window facing north. She was thinking about Link and how his change to a Zora would affect their relationship.
It shouldn't, really, she thought. Link would be the same person inside and still share all the memories of what they had done growing up. Still, it wouldn't be quite the same, no longer seeing the handsome Hylian she knew so well for so many years. The passage of time made both him and her remember the good times they spent together and forget the bad. Or if they remembered some of the bad, they would often tease each other about it.
She could still close her eyes and remember horse rides with Link as her knight and evenings together spent talking around a cooking pot fire. He had been quiet at first but eventually opened up, and those had been the best times together when they both spoke and were more at ease with each other. She smiled as she remembered one of those times.
It was the evening at the Foothill Stable where she and Link needed to spend the night. They had just returned from Goron City and had left their horses here on the way there as it had been too hot to travel to the volcanic Eldin Region with them.
"Whew, long walk," sighed Zelda. "It will be nice to sit down."
"Yes, let me reserve beds for us both, and then we can have supper," said Link.
Link spoke to the innkeeper and reserved sleeping accommodations for them both and then joined Zelda at the stable cooking pot.
"I hope it doesn't rain before we finish cooking," said Link as he glanced up at the evening sky. "We should prepare your meal first, Princess, just in case. I can eat mine cold."
"We can prepare our food together and share," said Zelda. "Let's see what we have."
"Um, well, I still have some Eldin Ostrich meat, two Hearty Radishes, and a bit of Goron Spice from Daruk if you want to give it some extra flavor," said Link.
"I have a few types of mushrooms and herbs," said Zelda. "Let's mix them all together and make a stew."
"Okay, if you say so, Princess," said Link. "Some of my recipes don't always turn out for the best, but I think this will work fine. The Hearty Radishes will definitely improve how we feel!"
They put all the ingredients into the pot and waited for it to heat.
"It was a productive visit to Goron City," said Zelda. "I had an excellent discussion with their boss, and I think we both helped Daruk with his Divine Beast. Daruk should be about as good as the other Champions after a bit more practice. Did your private meeting with Daruk go well?"
"Yes, he was friendly as always, full of advice, and gave me one of his hearty pats on the back that sent me staggering," said Link as he stirred the pot. "It was just a bit worrisome when a boulder nearly crushed us after some tremors from Death Mountain."
"Yes, that is a bit worrisome," said Zelda. "Still, I'm confident we're on the right path pursuing this ancient Sheikah technology. I think it can hold the key to our victory over Ganon. And I know you're already quite proficient with your sword. You've shown it on many occasions, and I'm quite impressed."
Then Zelda grew quiet, and Link seemed to sense what was troubling her, that she still hadn't gained her sealing power. She guessed it was pretty evident to him after all their time together.
"Things will be fine, Princess, don't worry. I know you'll figure out how your sealing power works when you need to, and I hope I'm there to see it."
"I hope so too, and thanks for believing in me," said Zelda as she smiled at him, and Link blushed slightly.
"Um, I think the stew is ready now. Let me test it," said Link.
Link tasted a spoonful, then quickly reached for some water and gulped it down.
"I may have overdone it a bit with the Goron Spice," laughed Link after a couple of coughs. "That darn Daruk told me it wasn't that hot!"
"It's fine," laughed Zelda. "I like spicy food, and we have plenty of water."
Then they had laughed as they ate the spicy stew between gulps of water. Afterward, they slept soundly and the next day rode back to Hyrule Castle together.
Zelda's mind returned to the present.
Anyway, Link's life and love had been with the Zora people for years, so why shouldn't he be one of them if that were possible? She felt terrible that she had argued against it years ago, but that was when she thought Hyrule still needed him as their Champion hero. But perhaps those days were finally over for good, or at least over for their lifetimes. And if that were true, that wasn't a bad thing after all.
Zelda sighed, sat back down, and resumed reading the report.