Chapter 80 - Passing the Time
Summary: Aldora and Purah discuss history and technology. Mipha yearns to visit her family in the Calamity Timeline.
North Hyrule Sheikah scientist Aldora flipped back her hood as the brisk easterly breeze from the Necluda Sea followed her into Purah's silo-shaped dwelling. The cluttered interior was the first thing she noticed, as every surface was covered with papers, books, and various mechanical contraptions. The air smelled of ink, oil, and old books, in keeping with the decor, if one could call it that.
"Careful where you step!" Purah called out, her voice carrying its usual enthusiasm. "I've been doing a good deal of reading lately. I should probably tidy up, but I seldom get visitors, and old habits die hard."
Aldora chuckled softly, navigating her way with deliberate care. She reached the worktable where Purah had begun clearing away papers.
"Please, sit down. I'll put the kettle on. Tea always sharpens the mind—or so I tell myself."
Aldora eased herself into the chair as she surveyed the room more closely. Her gaze landed on a peculiar object on the table nearby—a sleek slate-like device etched with glowing runes that pulsed faintly, almost as if alive.
"Is that… what you call a Sheikah Slate?" Aldora asked.
Purah glanced over her shoulder as she heated the water.
"Oh yes! Zelda came up with the name—she always did have a flair for branding things—and it stuck. This one," she said, nodding at it with a slight flourish, "was my personal project. I tinkered it together years ago while waiting for Link to awaken from his long nap. I'm still trying to unlock more of its potential."
"It's funny, but while I've heard it spoken of, I've never actually seen one close up," said Aldora. "Way before I was born, we developed something more advanced."
As Purah filled a kettle with water, Aldora's gaze shifted toward the window where a small stepping stool sat conspicuously at its base. It looked more suited to standing before a tall bookcase, not below a window, and out of place amidst the room's chaos.
"I couldn't help but notice," Aldora began thoughtfully, "that stepping stool by the window. Does it serve some purpose? Or is it simply… in the way?"
Purah glanced over her shoulder, and for a moment, her expression softened, tinged with nostalgia. "Ah," she said with a wistful chuckle. "Not everyone notices that. Itisin the way—and that's the point. It reminds me to avoid recklessness in my research, something my little sister Impa used to warn me about back in the day."
Purah paused momentarily as if reminiscing as she tended to the kettle while Aldora remained quiet, sensing there was more to hear. Then Purah continued.
"You see, I once got carried away - and I meanreallycarried away - experimenting on myself with an age-reducing rune. So, imagine this: I'm stuck in the body of a six-year-old child - adorable as ever, mind you - but unprepared for such an inconvenience. Among other things, I needed that stool to reach the window and check if anyone was around. Some village children started spying here, looking for a young Sheikah girl - namely me. They first spotted me when I ventured out one day to retrieve the blue flame from the Ancient Furnace to power my Guidance Stone. I had to turn back - it was very frustrating! And my assistant at the time was no help! That was almost thirty years ago, but the memory still serves as a valuable lesson for me."
"It must have been quite an ordeal," Aldora said sympathetically. "So, it's no surprise then that you look much younger than… your other self. And speaking of reckless discoveries, as the Sheikah liaison between our lands, I am responsible for monitoring any potentially hazardous discoveries involving Sheikah technology. So avoiding recklessness is a valuable lesson every scientist should learn," she added as memories of her ill-fated tenure as the late Master Grendon's apprentice crossed her mind.
"Indeed!" Purah agreed brightly. Then, she added with a mischievous glint in her eye: "But don't get me wrong—I can still be a bit reckless when I need to be. I find it odd, however, that Link never brought up my struggles with aging research. He even admitted to reading my diary, which detailed the entire ordeal. Did he not mention it?"
"He may have shared it with those closest to him, like his family. However, as I am not part of that circle, I was not privy to such information. I have a good relationship with one of Link's daughters, Lapha, and she said her father rarely discussed what happened in this timeline. It was a painful experience for him, he told her, and combined with his memory loss, made it difficult for him to keep track of what was real anymore."
"I can understand that," Purah nodded. "Now, I have so many questions for you I'm struggling to decide where to begin."
"I will be happy to answer what I can, which is one purpose of my visit with you. But I am also eager to learn and hope you will answer mine, too."
"Of course," Purah agreed. "Fair is fair."
The water came to a boil, and Purah poured it into a pot of tea leaves.
"The optimal steeping time for this Kakariko-supplied tea is about four minutes and twenty seconds," Purah muttered as she activated a small timer near the fireplace.
When the time was up, she poured two cups and brought them and the teapot to the table.
"Thank you. Now, please ask your first question," said Aldora as she waited for the tea to cool.
"Where are you from, and how did you acquire such impressive technological ability, like the device the Princess showed me she called a Tab?"
Aldora chuckled, "That's two questions, Dr. Purah, but I'll treat it as one since they are connected."
As she sipped her tea, Aldora recounted the story of her distant ancestors, a small group of Sheikah who made the daring decision to flee Hyrule and migrate north ten thousand years ago. The Sheikah at that time were being persecuted by the Hyrule King, who grew fearful of their advanced technology. The refugees brought their vast knowledge, and what technology they could carry with them as they sought refuge in the Zora kingdom they found in the land north of Hyrule, descendants of Zoras who once lived exclusively in the sea. The Zora ruler at that time promised them sanctuary in exchange for their pledge of loyalty and to use their knowledge to defend their kingdom. That pact has continued to this day.
"That is quite a story," Purah remarked as she refilled Aldora's cup and her own with more tea. "All Sheikah here know of our ancestor's persecution, of course, and how it divided us into factions: those who became followers of Ganon, the Yiga Clan, and those who chose to live in peace without the benefit of technology. But none of us knew of a third faction who fled Hyrule."
Purah paused for a moment, then continued.
"I suspected your people must have come from the north. But why can we not see your land? When I look north with my telescope, all I see is an unchanged landscape."
"What you see is an image we created for this timeline of yours. It's camouflage or an illusion if you will."
"But why? Why prevent contact between our peoples?"
Aldora paused for another sip of tea, then continued.
"Many years ago, well before my time, we got ourselves into trouble combining three useful Tab technologies, and we had no choice but to undo the harm. We isolated ourselves from your land to protect Hyrule from our time travel event. Much later, when your land had its own timeline split, we were unaffected by it. But we needed to decide which of your timelines to make primary for possible future contact between us and which to hide from each other. Our Sheikah Chief chose your other timeline as the primary one - the one accessible for normal travel between our realms."
"But why that one over this one?"
"For political reasons involving the trustworthiness, or rather the lack thereof, of the Zora ruler of the time, Queen Sopha. She developed ambitions to rule over your land, something we Sheikah opposed. So, our Sheikah leader thought the other timeline, which had not suffered defeat and still had all its Champions and military resources, would be the stronger adversary and deter her ambitions."
"I see," Purah nodded. "There is obviously a lot to learn about your civilization. But now it's more than past the time for your turn to ask me something."
"Forgive me if this sounds insulting, but our scientists were impressed you mastered the ability to use the Temple of Time, something they thought beyond your capabilities. However, they worried you would complicate matters and use it again. Have you ever considered that?" Aldora asked.
"The short answer is we can't use it again," said Purah, who then paused to take a sip of tea before continuing.
"It was Link who brought me the idea of the Temple of Time after reading about the Hero of Time on one of those Zora monuments. The late Dr. Robbie and I worked hard on it for two solid years and finally got it to work. But afterward, when I conducted a careful, small experiment, I found out it wouldn't work for me," said Purah, shaking her head. "Apparently, one needs the presence of someone or something with a certain spiritual power to activate its potential. Link obviously had it, at least in the presence of his sacred sword. We believe Zelda might have had it before her power waned. Perhaps others with great spiritual power might be capable of using its primary function, but I can't."
"It's probably just as well," said Aldora.
By now, the room had turned orange as the rays of the setting sun shone through the windows.
"But the time has passed so quickly, and you must be as hungry as I am. You will stay for dinner, I hope? And you are very welcome to spend the night. My assistant's room is empty and available. Is salted fish, some Hylian Rice, and fruit sufficient for dinner?"
"Quite adequate," laughed Aldora, "In my travels here, I've been spending the Rupees Mistress Astra loaned me. Where I come from, we usually pay for things using our Tab, so I never thought of bringing Rupees. Now I'm close to running out, after which I suppose I must live off the land or return home."
"Nonsense! You are always welcome here," said Purah.
"But I'll gladly stay tonight. Can I help prepare the meal?"
"If you cook the rice, I will handle the rest."
As the two scientists busied themselves preparing the meal, the conversation continued to flow freely, their intellectual curiosity guiding the discourse.
"So, tell me more about those Tabs," Purah said as she skillfully deboned the fish. "I'm particularly intrigued by their applications."
Aldora, carefully measuring out the rice, smiled thoughtfully. "Tabs are quite versatile. We've managed to integrate a wide array of functions - item creation, communication, data storage, and sensor readings."
"Fascinating!" Purah exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with enthusiasm. "I would love to study one of your Tabs in detail someday. I was reluctant to tamper with Princess Astra's for fear of breaking it. She said she had things of sentimental value on it, like family pictures."
"I don't see why our technology could not be shared with you now," Aldora replied, placing the rice pot over the fire. "The Hyrule of the other timeline was no more technologically advanced than you are when they first contacted us; their only advantage was not having to recover from Ganon's destruction."
As the aroma of cooking fish and rice began to permeate the air, Purah's expression turned pensive. "You know, it's funny how fate works sometimes. A decision made by our ancestors thousands of years ago has led to our paths crossing today. It makes one wonder about the ripple effects of our own choices."
Aldora nodded in agreement. "Indeed. Every action we take, no matter how small, has the potential to shape the future in ways we cannot even begin to imagine."
The two fell into a comfortable silence as they finished preparing the meal. And as they sat down to eat, Purah raised her cup in a toast. "To the pursuit of knowledge, the power of friendship, and the wisdom to use both responsibly."
Aldora clinked her cup against Purah's, a warm smile on her face. "And to the hope of a brighter future together."
As the evening wore on, they grew more comfortable with each other, and the conversation turned to lighter topics - amusing anecdotes from their respective research mishaps and discussion of the lives of people they knew in each timeline.
It was well past midnight when Aldora finally bid Purah goodnight, retiring to the guest room with a contented sigh. As she drifted off to sleep, her mind buzzed with new ideas and possibilities. If Master Saldon were willing, she could even serve as a liaison to Hyrule in both timelines.
Meanwhile, in the Victory Timeline, the warm glow of twilight bathed the house by Mikau Lake, its golden rays spilling through the windows and painting the walls in hues of amber and soft rose. Outside and barely audible, the sound of the steady waterfall blended with the buzz of early night insects.
Inside, dinner was winding down, but the cozy dining room still buzzed with life. The scent of fresh fish lingered in the air like a memory that refused to fade. The table, long and well-worn from years of use, bore the marks of countless meals shared: a faint scratch here, a burn mark there—all testaments to the joy and history it had witnessed. Family pictures adorned the walls, each frame telling its own story: Mila and Midon as children splashing in a pond, Mipha and Link on their wedding day thanks to Zelda and her Sheikah Slate, Linky's and Tila's wedding, as well as pictures of their children Tara and Lanka. And Lapha proudly holding her advanced degree diploma, a big grin on her face.
The room was alive with conversation and soft laughter. Mipha sat beside her husband, Link, while Mila sat beside Kendal as she leaned forward with an impish smile. Tiray, seated across from her and next to Midon, still had a touch of awe in her expression, as though she couldn't quite believe she was part of such a warm gathering.
"Thanks for having me over and making me feel so welcome," Tiray said, her voice carrying genuine warmth and gratitude. She glanced around at everyone at the table, her gaze briefly resting on Midon before settling back on Mipha. "And you know what? I'm actually getting to enjoy the taste of freshwater fish."
"You're very welcome," Mipha replied softly. Her golden eyes gleaming with kindness as she regarded Tiray. "It was a pleasure to have you here. And we're all thrilled you've recovered so well from your terrible ordeal."
Tiray smiled shyly at Mipha's words, her cheeks flushing faintly as if unsure how to respond to such heartfelt kindness.
Mila leaned forward then, mischief dancing in her eyes as she rested her elbows on the table and propped her chin in her hands. "Yes, we are all delighted about that," she began, her tone light but teasing. "But do you know what's funny?" She paused just long enough for everyone's curiosity to pique before continuing with a sly grin. "I think my dear brother here is discovering just how thrilling saltwater life can be."
Midon groaned dramatically, rolling his eyes with exaggerated flair even as a slight grin tugged at his lips. He leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with mock indignation. "Very funny, Sis," he replied dryly, though there was no real bite to his tone. "But for your information," he added, "I like both freshandsaltwater fish equally."
"Who said anything about fish?" Mila teased further, making Midon blush as Tiray laughed.
"Forgive the family banter, Tiray, but some things never change," Mipha laughed. "These two have been teasing each other since they learned to talk."
"I think even before," laughed Link.
"It's all in good fun, right Midon?" Mila continued.
"Yes, though you usually seem to get in the last word."
Midon decided to change the subject, sitting up straighter in his chair as though struck by sudden inspiration. "Alright then," he declared briskly, clapping his hands together once for emphasis. "If we're all done here—and I think we are - why don't we make the most of this evening? A swim sounds perfect after dinner. Rito Lake is always a fun spot."
Mila tilted her head thoughtfully as if weighing his suggestion before nodding in agreement. "That does sound nice," she admitted after a moment's consideration. Her gaze turned to Kendal beside her, a silent question shining in her eyes.
Kendal met her gaze with an easygoing smile. He leaned slightly closer to Mila, resting one arm casually on the back of her chair as he spoke. "Sure thing, sweetheart," he said warmly, his voice tinged with affection. "I'm always happy to spend time together—anywhere you choose."
Mila grinned at his response and turned toward Mipha and Link at the other end of the table. "Mom? Dad?" she asked brightly, her tone hopeful but not insistent. "Will you join us?"
Mipha exchanged a glance with Link before she turned back to Mila with a gentle shake of her head.
"Why don't you young ones go on without us?" Mipha suggested kindly, folding her hands neatly in front of her on the table. "Have fun together," she added with genuine encouragement.
Though Mila seemed slightly curious about her mother's decision—her brow furrowing ever so slightly—she chose not to press further out of respect for whatever unspoken reason lay behind it.
"Alright then," Mila said cheerfully as she rose from her chair and began gathering plates from around the table with practiced ease.
As the younger group began preparing for their evening swim, giggling over who would win the inevitable races, the lively hum of conversation gradually faded as Kendal took Mila's hand, Midon took Tiray's, and the front door clicked shut behind them.
"What's on your mind, sweetheart? It's not like you to pass up a family swim," Link asked gently as he reached across the table to take her hand in his, offering a comforting grip.
Mipha hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice soft but tinged with unease. "I've been thinking about… the other timeline." Her golden eyes seemed to cloud over slightly as if lost in some distant memory or longing. "About seeing if the Sheikah might allow me to visit my father and Sidon."
Link nodded slowly, his expression growing more serious as he studied her face. "I thought that might be on your mind after Astra's visit," he said quietly as he tightened his grip on her hand slightly for reassurance.
Mipha's fingers drew small circles on the table as she gathered her thoughts. She looked down at the surface, then back up to Link's eyes. "I know it was a long time ago for you," she said softly. "But can you tell me about my family before the timeline split?"
Link sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Unfortunately, I can't tell you much," he explained. "As you know, I had no memories when I woke up after one hundred years. Everything seemed new and unfamiliar, including Zora's Domain. I couldn't even tell male and female Zoras apart and made a fool of myself with Rivan's daughter. By then, Sidon and my friends, Gaddison, Bazz, and Rivan had already grown up. A statue of you in the plaza triggered a flashback of us sitting on top of Ruta's trunk at sunset. Speaking of your statue, Sidon missed you terribly even after all that time. I caught him staring at it at night, wishing you were there to guide him." Link paused, his voice trailing off. "That was not a happy time for me … or any of us. We lost almost everything in the Calamity."
Mipha nodded, her eyes downcast. "I understand, and I'm sorry. It's just… I can't help but wonder how they're coping now."
"It's okay," Link reassured her, gently squeezing her hand. "But just remember, they're not really your father and brother anymore. They're versions from a different timeline."
"I know that, logically," Mipha said, looking up at him. "But in my heart, they're still my family. I feel this… pull to see them again, to make sure they're doing well … and to let them know I am too."
Link nodded, understanding in his eyes. "If it's truly what you want, we can speak with Queen Faray to see if she is willing to intercede with the Sheikah about arranging a visit. But we'd need to be careful. We don't want to disrupt their timeline or cause any confusion."
Mipha's eyes lit up with hope. "We? You'd come with me?"
"Of course, sweetheart," Link smiled. "Didn't we agree on no adventures without each other? I'd go anywhere with you, you know that. I love you."
Mipha leaned in, resting her head on Link's shoulder. "Thank you. I love you so much!"
Then, after a pause, she added, "But I don't care how much you miss your Zelda of that timeline. You're returning here with me!"
"I wouldn't have it any other way," laughed Link as he squeezed her hand, and they kissed.