Chapter 9 - The Right Answers
Summary: Mipha reminds Link of a childhood incident. Revali plays the Hero in a simulation at the Forgotten Temple. Tila and Linky attend Princess Zelda's 10th wedding anniversary party at Hyrule Castle.
It was early evening in Zora's Domain, and Mipha, Link, and their granddaughter Tara were returning to their house by Mikau Lake after Tara and Link finished playing hide and seek.
"That was fun! And I'll find you next time!" said Tara as she hugged Link goodnight.
"Goodnight! I had fun, too. And don't be too sure, sweetheart. I'm pretty good at hiding!" said Link as he laughed and kissed Tara on the forehead.
"Watery dreams, sweetheart," said Mipha as she hugged and kissed Tara. "Aunt Mila is waiting for you in her room."
Tara ran inside the house to join Mila, who had agreed to stay with her this evening while her parents, Tila and Linky, were away for the evening.
"Ready for a sleep time story, or are you too big now?" Mila asked as she joined Tara in the slumber pool in her room.
"Never too big!" laughed Tara. "You liked sleep time stories, right?"
"Yes, and my mom and dad took turns," said Mila. "My mom told me Zora stories, and my dad told me Hylian ones. And while one told me a story, the other told your uncle Midon. I loved both kinds of stories."
"That's funny because it's the same with my parents," said Tara. "I guess that's something else we have in common."
"Yes, it is, sweetheart," said Mila. "Now, which would you prefer? A Zora story or a Hylian one?"
"Since it's so hard to decide, Aunt Mila, can I have one of each?" said Tara as she gave Mila a slight pout.
"You're so cute!" laughed Mila as she kissed Tara on the forehead. "How could I say no? Sure, you can have one of each."
"Yay!" said Tara as she settled into the water and closed her eyes to listen.
Meanwhile, Mipha and Link had watched Tara enter the house, and then Mipha spoke up.
"You really did have fun with her," said Mipha. "You still play like you're a kid, and I'm someone who would know!"
"Given my memory, you know better than me!" laughed Link. "I guess in some ways, I never grew up."
"Which is fine," said Mipha. "As Mila puts it, you're young at heart."
"Anyway, Tara's so adorable! I notice lately she enjoys playing hide and seek with me the most."
"Probably because it's fun and gives her more of a challenge. You're not going to be competitive with her at swimming or water games."
"True. I guess your armor does have its limitations," said Link, sadly shaking his head.
"Oh? Are we back to griping about my armor?" said Mipha as she tickled him in the ribs. "You could always become a Zora again, sweetheart, if you want to swim better. Among other things."
"Very true," laughed Link, as he took her hand, raised it to his lips, and kissed it. "But I'm just kidding, of course. Your armor is perfect."
"Speaking of which, how about an evening swim up the waterfalls here?" said Mipha. "We can test my poorly crafted armor, and you can get in some much-needed exercise after standing still hiding so long."
"Good idea! I'm ready when you are."
They held hands as they made their way to the waterfall by Mikau Lake and swam up it together. Then they repeated themselves at the second waterfall, after which they walked the short distance to Lulu Lake and waded into the water.
"I notice the armor worked fine, didn't it?" teased Mipha as she splashed him, and he laughed.
"As I knew it would," said Link as he splashed her back, and then they floated alongside each other. "By the way, did you and I ever play hide and seek together? I don't remember, of course."
"Yes. You hid by Hyrule Castle and didn't seek me enough."
"Very funny," said Link as he splashed Mipha once more, and she laughed. "But I recall your father telling me that he and I met numerous times, so I must have visited here quite often."
"Not often enough!" laughed Mipha as she splashed him back again. "But no, we didn't play hide and seek. Why waste the precious time you had here hiding from each other? But you used to sometimes play hide and seek with your Bazz Brigade friends."
"Really? I don't recall any of those occasions either."
"I know you don't, but I do," said Mipha. "On one occasion, you gave me quite the scare. And for a change, I couldn't even blame your delinquent friends."
"What happened?"
"Let me tell you the story as I remember it," said Mipha. "It happened when you were younger before the sword chose you. I recall it was an afternoon at the Domain, and I had just finished a lesson with Muzu."
"Now, don't forget your assignment, Princess," said Muzu. "I know you can sometimes grow busy caring for Prince Sidon, but it's important to keep up with your work."
"I'll be certain to make time for it, and thank you. Until tomorrow then."
Muzu left, but then I heard someone calling out my name.
"Lady Mipha, Lady Mipha! Have you seen Link?" Bazz asked as he rushed over to me.
"No. Wasn't he playing with you?"
"Yes, he was, is I mean," said Bazz. "We were playing hide and seek, and it was my turn to seek. I found Gaddison and Rivan, but not Link. So I gave up, and the three of us have been searching for Link ever since. It's been over an hour now, and he doesn't answer when we call his name, and we can't find him anywhere."
"What were your rules? I mean, where were you allowed to hide?"
"No hiding underwater, thanks to Link, and you could only hide inside the Domain."
"Did anyone check the upper walkways and along the perimeter of the throne room? The sound of falling water in places may have drowned out your voices."
"Yes, Rivan checked the western side and Gaddison the eastern side," said Bazz. "We split up to have a better chance of finding him."
"I hope he hasn't done something reckless and hurt himself! I'll ask my father to send some guards to search for him, and I'll look as well."
I rushed to see Father at once.
"Father, Link, my Hylian friend, is missing somewhere inside the Domain. He was playing hide and seek with his friends, but now they can't find him. He's not in the water, but I'm worried he may be hurt. Can you ask some guards to help search for him?"
"Of course, dear, at once," said King Dorephan. "Try not to worry, though, as I'm sure he's fine. And I know very well who Link is. You speak fondly of him each time he visits."
"So, that's what we did," said Mipha. "We had people searching all over the Domain for you and calling out your name. And I was getting more worried by the minute that you must have done something reckless."
"So, what happened? Where was I?"
"It was another hour or so before a guard spotted you. You were calmly walking down the stairs as if nothing had happened and stopped to ask why he was shouting your name. It turned out you had climbed up and hidden inside one of those tall flower-shaped structures. And since searching for you took so long, you had fallen asleep. Eventually, you woke up and climbed back down. I was relieved, of course, but upset you had climbed all the way up there. You could have easily slipped and fallen, and getting down safely would have been impossible if it had started raining. You and I had a little talk about recklessness afterward, but I don't think it sunk in. In fact, I know it didn't."
"Wow! That does sound like me, but I'm drawing a total blank - I don't remember any of that at all," said Link, shaking his head.
"Ask your Bazz Brigade friends at the next reunion," said Mipha.
"Good idea. I think it's my turn to tell a story next meeting, so I can use that."
"Anyway, why don't you try seeking me now for a change?" teased Mipha.
"Trust me! I spent years seeking you," laughed Link as they splashed each other once more, then Link reached out, and they embraced. "But what matters most is I found you."
"So sweet," said Mipha as she pulled his head to hers, and they began kissing.
Meanwhile, at the Hall of Heroes within the Forgotten Temple, Rito guard Lanki was pacing impatiently back and forth while awaiting Revali's return from one of the simulations. Finally, he stopped to speak to a nearby Sheikah scientist who worked there.
"Can you tell how much longer it will be?" Lanki asked.
"Not exactly, but let me check," said the Sheikah, who consulted some readings from the Guidance Stone. "It looks like it's almost over. I'm not sure I should mention this, but it took Master Revali a few tries to defeat the final enemy. The system gives you the option to respawn after defeat or exit the simulation. Anyway, only some closing scenes remain, and with the simulation time compression, it shouldn't be long now."
"Thank you, it's been a long day," said Lanki.
A few minutes later, Revali materialized on the Travel Gate next to the Guidance Stone.
"Yet another victory and the only possible resolution! It was asinine, but it proved me right, of course," were Revali's first words as he straightened some feathers.
"What's wrong, Master Revali?"
"This re-enactment only serves to prove what I've believed all along. The Rito are the more natural race to serve as the heroes of Hyrule, not the Hylians."
"Why do you say that?"
"As you know, I just played as the Hero of the Sky in the adventure where the Master Sword is created. I mean, the very name, Hero of the Sky, felt like a natural for me! It was a long adventure, but I completed it, defeating the demon lord named Demise in battle. I'll admit it was challenging, as sword combat was never my strength, and the simulation would not permit bows and arrows in some situations. But can you believe that instead of us Rito being in charge, Hylians were living on an island in the sky and flying around on the backs of giant birds they called Loftwings? Ridiculous! Naturally, I didn't need to use any Loftwings. I could fly everywhere I needed to on my own, and it made the whole adventure much simpler and less tedious."
"That's very impressive, Master Revali!" said Lanki.
"Yes, I know," said Revali as he nodded. "Sadly, I couldn't find any Rito in the world there, but my point is still well taken. We Rito were better suited from the first to play the role of Hero. But, I imagine the Goddess had to make do with whatever inferior resources were available to her at the time. She was forced to take the form of a Hylian herself and had to fall back on choosing a Hylian as the Hero."
"That's an interesting observation, Master Revali," said Lanki. "Shall we return home now? It's been a long day here."
"Right, you must have been bored waiting here all this time, Lanki," said Revali. "Yes, let's go home at once. But I think I'll return here soon, and work through some other simulations, play the Hero in each one. I can't wait to share my findings with Zelda and Link! Perhaps Hyrule History should even reflect the fact that the Rito would have been a superior choice had they been available. Let's go!"
Revali and Lanki thanked the Sheikah on duty, then they left and took to the skies as they headed west to begin their short flight back to Rito Village.
Meanwhile, today was Princess Zelda's and Randall's tenth wedding anniversary, as they had married on the twelfth day of the eleventh month in the year 48. Queen Zelda had organized a small celebration at Hyrule Castle, and Tila and Linky were there, along with other friends of Princess Zelda and Randall.
"Aside from my wedding, I think the last time you were both here for a party of mine was almost fourteen years ago for my seventeenth birthday," said Princess Zelda to Tila and Linky. "I still wear and love the beautiful necklace you gave me then."
"Tila picked it," said Linky. "And I'm glad she did. I recognize some of the same people here tonight."
"Yes, some have been good friends for a long time now," said Princess Zelda. "It's funny that sometimes it seems like it's been a long time, and other times not. On the one hand, look at us - married and parents now! And a lot has happened, especially to my family. But on the other hand, you haven't aged a day, Tila, and it doesn't seem all that long ago that you spent the summer here with me as a student, Link."
"Yes, those were fun days, and the worries we had back then seem unimportant now, don't they?" said Linky. "You felt pressured to grow up quickly, and I felt like I didn't fit in with my family. But we had a great time together. Maybe you feel the same way?"
"Yes, I do," said Princess Zelda. "We did have fun. And I understand why my mother behaved the way she did toward me and why my grandfather behaved the way he did toward my mother. Our family's duty is to protect Hyrule, and that must always come first, even if it means hurting ourselves or those we love."
Zelda grew quiet, and both Tila and Linky realized she must be thinking of Astra, who had departed this timeline less than six weeks ago.
"How is your son Horwell?" Tila asked, changing the subject. "We were hoping to see him tonight."
"Fine, and getting big, but probably not big enough to join us this late. Besides, my mother is watching him, and she loves taking care of him. She teases me that little boys are easier to care for than little girls! How is your daughter Tara? I understand she takes classes in North Hyrule now?"
"Yes, and she's fine," said Tila. "She's doing well with her studies. But she still loves returning here every weekend to visit the family."
"I must have all of you over when the time is right," said Princess Zelda. "Oh, here's Randall."
After speaking to another couple, Randall came over, and they exchanged greetings and offered Randall congratulations.
"Nice to see you both again," said Randall. "By the way, the soldiers in your old unit wanted me to say hello to you, Link. They all have fond memories of working with you."
"Thank you, and please say hello back to them for me," said Linky. "I'm going to try returning here for the brigade reunion next year, so I expect to see them then. But I hope your family can visit us for a trip to the beach in North Hyrule. It's fun. You'll enjoy the water and body surfing the large waves."
"I'll probably say yes, as it does sound like fun. But not all of us can swim as well as you, Link," laughed Zelda. "I still remember the time you embarrassed the swimming instructor here by out-swimming him. The class loved it because the instructor was so pompous."
"His swimming technique was too rigid, and I had the benefit of growing up with excellent swimmers," laughed Linky.
"Anyway, thanks for coming," said Princess Zelda. "It's good to stay close after all we've been through together."
"Yes, we will stay close, and congratulations to both of you again," said Linky.
"And thanks for having us. We're enjoying your party," said Tila.
Randall and Zelda left to speak to some other guests, and Tila turned to Linky.
"I think it's time for another dance, sweetheart," said Tila, taking his hand.
After the noise and music of the party, the castle seemed very still and quiet as Tila and Linky held hands and made their way to their old room that was still kept available for them. The room felt quite familiar when they entered. The water in the slumber pool was fresh saltwater, the way Tila liked it. Their engagement day picture amid the red flowers of Crimson Grove still stood on the end table. And Linky's Captain uniform hung ready to wear in the closet.
They also both had the same message from Mila on their Tabs.
Mila_ZD: To: Tila_NH & Link_NH : Tara is fine and asleep after two LONG stories. Have a great time, and DO NOT hurry back! Tara will sleep late, and I selfishly want to spend time with her. See you LATE tomorrow!
"My sister is bossy, isn't she?" laughed Linky after reading the message.
"I think she's sweet," said Tila. "She wants us to have fun together and enjoy her time with Tara. Do you think I'm bossy too?"
"Only as much as you need to be!" laughed Linky.
"Very good!" laughed Tila as she squeezed his hand. "I've taught you all the right answers."
"Cute," laughed Linky. "It's been a while since we spent the night here in our old room together. It brings back many happy memories. For example, it was here that you told me I was going to be a father."
"Yes, I remember and how thrilled you were at the news. But most days were less dramatic. You would go off in the morning and spend the day on duty while I helped teach math at the academy. It was a fun time in our life together, but I'm even happier now. How about we get up late tomorrow and share an Akkala Angler for lunch in Castle Town before we go home?"
"I know the right answer is yes," laughed Linky. "But I'm kidding. That sounds like a great idea. Especially the getting up late part."
"You're not crazy about Akkala Angler?"
"I like Akkala Angler, but I'm crazier about being with you," said Linky as he squeezed her hand.
"Love you," said Tila as she gave him a cute smile. "Do you love me?"
"Yes, with all my heart. And you know that's one question you never have to ask," said Linky as they embraced and kissed.