Chapter 77 - Family Reunion - Part One
Summary: After having confided in her husband and lifting some of the burden of secrecy, Tila agrees to a family trip to Zora's Domain. Another family member makes an unexpected arrival there.
It was a clear moonlit night as twelve-year-old Tara sat at the edge of the late-night ferry from North Hyrule, watching its wake spread across the dark waters of the Lanayru Sea. A gentle breeze carried the smell of salt and sea, lulling Tara to relax as she leaned against her mother Tila's shoulder. On the other side of Tila, her younger brother Lanka was sleeping soundly in their father's arms. The family had set off for their journey late tonight, waiting for Lanka to finally doze off - which had taken much longer than usual. But this delay gave Tara enough time to finish all her homework before they left, leaving her with a worry-free weekend ahead in Zora's Domain.
The sea was calm, and the gentle hum of the ferry's Ancient Energy propulsion was so soothing that Tara struggled to keep from dozing off. Of course, the occasional giggling from the young Zora couple in the rear of the boat unwittingly helped her fight off sleep. From the moment they boarded, those two spent the entire trip wrapped in each other's fins, kissing, snuggling, and whispering sweet nothings. It was the kind of outward display of affection elderly Zoras would disapprove of or even suggest they should take their amorous activity underwater. But her parents didn't seem to mind. They looked back at the young couple once and shared a knowing smile as if remembering their own early days together. Tara could see they still had the same spark - holding hands and sharing kisses for no reason other than love.
Well, at least they did that when her Mom wasn't upset about something. Her mother's mood had been unpredictable lately, but now that it had cleared up, they could finally plan a trip to Zora's Domain to visit her grandparents, Mipha and Link. Her dad had called her mother's behavior "fishy," another one of those strange Hylian sayings that didn't make any sense to her. Fish were actually quite tasty, so she didn't see anything wrong with them. But for a laugh, she sometimes used the phrase herself with her friends at school while pretending she was part Hylian.
"What do you mean fishy, Tara?" her friends asked.
"It's a Hylian expression for something suspicious. I'm half Hylian, you know - that's how I got my blue eyes. So I can use their expressions if I want."
"And that's probably why you're already taller than us," one of her friends complained. "You're so lucky, Ta!"
But her mom explained that it wasn't true and her heredity didn't work that way. Only cells Hylians had in common with Zoras could be passed on to her from her father. She was one hundred percent Zora, as any scientific test would confirm. But her striking sapphire blue eyes were undeniably thanks to her Dad.
"Are you alright, sweetheart?" asked Tila, giving her daughter a gentle squeeze and interrupting her thoughts. "You seem very quiet tonight."
"I'm just tired, Mom. But we're almost at our stop, and I don't want to fall asleep now."
They had just passed Knuckel Island, and the Spool Bight pier was not far away. In the dark of night, she could see the distant light of a campfire burning on Davdi Island, someone clearly spending time exploring that remote location. She made a mental note to ask her grandfather about any interesting findings on that island. After all, he seemed to know every place in Hyrule from his extensive travels in his youth.
After passing Davdi Island and veering toward shore, the boat slowed and came to a gentle stop as it docked at the pier. Her family and the young couple were the only six passengers, and they all disembarked. The couple eagerly raced ahead hand in hand towards the tunnel to East Reservoir Lake. The only others on the pier were four Hylian tourists, probably from Hateno Village, waiting to board the ferry as it continued south, taking them home after their visit to Zora's Domain.
Lanka was still fast asleep in Linky's arms, so after making their way through the Luminous Stone-lit tunnel, they opted to take a raft across East Reservoir Lake instead of swimming to avoid waking him up.
"Let me steer, Mom, so I stay awake," whispered Tara, and Tila nodded in agreement.
The young Zora couple were nowhere to be seen, and their only company on the lake was a small group of Bright-Chested Ducks resting in the peaceful waters. Divine Beast Vah Ruta stood tall and majestic at the center of the lake, like a silent guardian and protector of the Domain. It was difficult for Tara to imagine her grandmother as its pilot; Mipha always seemed so gentle and unassuming. But her grandfather had told her she should have seen her grandmother in action as a Champion. He said she could sometimes even defeat him in spear combat when they sparred.
"She's amazing with her Lightscale Trident, Tara, and I'd have bruises on my backside if she didn't heal me afterward," he laughed.
After securing the raft at the northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake, it was a short walk to the Mipha and Link family residence by the shore of Mikau Lake. The house was silent and dark when they arrived, with only one room illuminated. They entered quietly and were quietly greeted by her Aunt Mila.
"Hi and welcome," Mila whispered. "Midon and my parents are already asleep, and Lapha is away at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. Tara can stay in Lapha's room if she wants."
"I'd prefer to stay with you, Aunt Mila, if that's alright."
Of all her aunts and uncles, Tara had a special fondness for Aunt Mila. Not only was she incredibly knowledgeable, but she also had a talent for telling captivating sleeptime stories about ancient Zora history. And let's not forget that Aunt Mila possessed the power to heal any injuries resulting from her … um … adventurous playtime activities. This way, she could avoid worrying her parents - or getting scolded for reckless behavior.
"Of course it is, sweetheart," said Mila. "If it's okay with your parents."
"It's fine," said Tila. "Just don't keep Aunt Mila awake, Tara. It's late, and she needs to rest."
"Don't worry, Mom. I'm so tired I'll probably fall asleep way before she does," Tara replied.
They said their goodnights, and her parents carried a still-sleeping Lanka to her Dad's room. She took Aunt Mila's hand, walked to her room, and slid into the slumber pool. The water was calm and relaxing, and Tara breathed a final sigh of satisfaction as she sank into the water, and then her gills took over.
"Goodnight, sweetheart," Mila whispered as she gently kissed her on the forehead.
Tara closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep almost instantly.
The following morning was cloudy, with a soft rain tapping against the windows. Mipha awoke before her husband, as she often did, and she gazed lovingly at Link, who floated quietly beside her in their slumber pool. Seeing him there filled her with a sense of peace and happiness that she never thought possible. The fear of outliving him, which was always in the back of her mind since their marriage, no longer plagued her. She had never fully trusted Purah's rune - that it could continue to work over and over again for the same person. But now it didn't matter. They would both age at the same rate from now on. Of course, life could throw unexpected challenges their way, but she had faith that they could overcome anything as long as they had each other.
A gentle rain on the weekend was usually a perfect excuse to sleep in and enjoy the soothing sound. But today, they had company and couldn't sleep too late: Tila, Linky, Tara, and Lanka were visiting for the weekend. Mipha's touch on Link's cheek was as light as the rain outside. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open, a sleepy grin spreading across his face as he looked at her. Without a word, he pulled her closer, their bodies entwined in the cool water. They stayed like that for a while, basking in the peaceful moment before the day began.
Then, the distant sound of conversation and laughter signaled that it was time for Mipha and Link to join their family. Mipha was glad that Tila was willing to visit again, seeming to have returned to her usual cheerful self. However, She couldn't shake the feeling that something important had caused Tila's recent moody behavior, which was definitely out of character for her. Suddenly, another burst of giggles filled the air, which could only be from their young grandson, Lanka.
"You know, I used to think of grandfathers as old men, but not anymore," Link chuckled, remembering to avoid his old Hylian habit of shaking his head, which would now have splashed Mipha with a wave from his tail fin.
"I'm not surprised," Mipha laughed. "If we kept track of such things, I'm sure you would be the youngest grandparent in Zora history. Many Zoras aren't even parents at your age. But Tila and I both married young Hylian husbands, remember?"
"How could I forget?" Link agreed, then remembered his wife's fondness for teasing him. "And please, no jokes about my lost memory."
"Not this time, dear. But by the way, do you think of me as an old woman?"
"Not anymore, now that I'm … you know…," Link replied with a smile.
"Excuse me? Not anymore?" Mipha inquired sharply with anything but a loving look.
"Well, I don't remember, but when I first met you at the age of four, I'm sure I must have thought of you as old, right?" Link clarified with a grin. "I meant not anymore now that I'm older. Not what you thought I meant, huh?"
"You know very well what it sounded like, and I owe you a tickle for that," said Mipha as they were interrupted by another sound of giggling.
"Someone is certainly having fun. Is Lanka talking yet?" Link asked, taking Mipha's hand as they prepared to rise from the slumber pool.
"Just Zora baby talk last I heard, something you missed out on by becoming one of us when you were older."
"Maybe Purah can regress me back to an infant so I can experience it," Link teased.
"I think I prefer you just as you are," Mipha said, gently kissing his cheek. "I've waited too long for you to become the ideal husband."
"Oh, so now you admit I'm ideal? I'll have to ask Mila to record this concession in my journal," Link joked.
"And am I not the ideal wife?" Mipha playfully retorted.
"Always," Link laughed. "I guess we're ideal for each other."
After a brief kiss, they made their way to the dining area, where the sounds of their grandchildren's chatter grew louder. As they entered, they were greeted by the sight of Mila bouncing Lanka on her knee while Tila, Linky, and Tara were engaged in an animated discussion. There were empty plates in front of everyone, a sign they had all finished breakfast.
"Good morning, everyone," Mipha called out, her voice warm and musical.
Good morning," said Mila.
"Grandma!" Tara called out and ran to Mipha for a hug.
"Tara, you're getting so big! I missed you," said Mipha as she hugged and kissed her on the forehead.
"And how are you, Grandpa?" said Tara as she turned to Link for a hug.
"I'm doing fine, and you're getting so smart and grown up," said Link as he hugged her back.
"Did you have a smooth trip here last night?" said Mipha. "I'm sorry we couldn't stay up late to greet you, but Link and I were up early yesterday."
"It was no problem at all," Linky assured them as he hugged Mipha and Link, followed by Tila, who did the same. "We wanted to wait until Lanka was sound asleep before leaving, which took longer than usual."
"Does someone want to take Lanka swimming?" Tila asked. "He's overflowing with energy after breakfast and a good rest."
"Me!" said Link. "I want to hear how he talks, and maybe I can learn something."
"You're supposed to be teaching him, sweetheart," laughed Mipha. "Though you're right - the idea of too quiet you teaching someone to talk is rather amusing."
"Very funny, and we can learn from each other. I'll catch my breakfast while I'm at the lake."
After kissing Lanka, Mila handed him to Link, and with a wave, Link left for Mikau Lake with Lanka in his arms.
"There's a fresh Hyrule Bass on ice, Mom," said Mila. "And Midon left to catch the early ferry to North Hyrule."
"Again?" Mipha replied as she went to retrieve the fish.
"Yes, and we had a funny exchange this morning," said Mila.
I was the only one up, keeping quiet to avoid awakening anyone, when Midon rushed out of his room.
"I hope I didn't miss the first ferry," he said, anxiously glancing at his Tab.
"Good morning to you, too," I replied. "And please keep your voice down.
"No, I still have time," whispered Midon with relief, ignoring my greeting.
"Going to North Hyrule, I assume. What are you planning to do there?"
"Tiray suggested we tour some ancient underwater ruins, but they're a bit far from shore, so we need an early start to see everything and get back before dark."
"Oh, that should be very instructive from a historical perspective," I replied, "Can I count on you for some pictures and notes about the architecture and its origins?"
"I don't think I'll have time for that, Mi."
"Why not? What will you be doing?"
"Well, I want to give Ti Ti, I mean Tiray, my full attention. It would be rude otherwise."
"Ti Ti?"
"She says her friends used to call her that, and she likes it," said Midon.
"You know you're blushing terribly, right?"
"I really better go, Sis," said Midon. "Say hi to Linky and his family for me."
And with that, he left.
"I think losing Larena over inattentiveness has taught him a lesson," Mila continued.
"My dear brother seems to have gone overboard on attentiveness, though," laughed Linky.
"Gone overboard? What does that mean, sweetheart?" Tila asked.
"You know, going over the side of a boat into the water," Linky explained.
"And that's a bad thing in your eyes?"
"Well, I guess it's a Hylian expression that means overdoing it, going past boundaries like the edge of a boat," said Linky.
"It must mean the same as when we say someone's fishing for next week, going beyond what's necessary," Mila explained. "Hylians have such funny expressions, don't they?"
"I know! They often suggest water or getting wet is bad somehow," laughed Tila. "I never understood them."
"Me either!" Tara exclaimed. "I was just thinking that last night."
"Why do I suddenly feel like I'm being picked on?" Linky laughed.
"Picked on? Is that a Goron expression, like using a pick axe to mine gems?" Mila teased with a wink at Tila.
"No, I mean pick as to choose, single me out … oh, you're teasing, aren't you?" laughed Linky. "So, since Midon isn't around, I'm the one who gets teased?"
"You're catching on, little brother," laughed Mila.
By now, Tara noticed Mipha had finished her fish, and she spoke up.
"If we're all done eating, can we join Lanka for some swimming?" Tara asked.
"Great idea," said Mila. "Let's go!"
"Tila, could you please stay behind for a moment? I'd like a word," said Mipha.
"Sure, I'll help clean up," said Tila.
"I can help, too," added Linky.
"Don't worry about it, dear," Tila replied. "You should go to the lake and get some exercise. You didn't have much time for that yesterday."
"Fine, if you say so," said Linky as he gave Tila a kiss and then left to join the others.
After Linky left, Tila turned to Mipha and asked, "I assumed you wanted to speak with me privately?"
"I don't want to pry open a shell," Mipha replied, "but I was wondering if something we did caused you to avoid visiting us."
"No, not at all," Tila reassured her as they gathered the plates. "My sister Faray asked me to keep something to myself for a while. It's been weighing on me, but sharing it with my husband has helped. You know how important honesty between spouses is in our Zora culture."
"I do indeed," said Mipha. "Then I won't inquire any further."
"I have a feeling the need for secrecy will end soon anyway," said Tila.
Meanwhile, Princess Zelda was having morning tea with her mother at Hyrule Castle.
"Tell me everything. What did you and Astra talk about?" said Queen Zelda.
"We talked about a lot of things, Mother. We were trying to catch up on all the time we've been apart. It seems that when Astra first arrived in their time, she took on the role of warrior and helped eliminate the Yiga Clan. Now, as the sole royal child, she holds the same position as I do here, reigning Princess of Hyrule. She mentioned how much she misses Tabs there and how their technology is not as advanced as ours. Oh, and she also has a boyfriend. I noticed she's wearing his bracelet on one wrist and the one I gave her for her seventeenth birthday on the other."
Queen Zelda listened intently, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. "A boyfriend? How interesting. Did she mention his name?"
"Yes, she did," Princess Zelda replied, a slight smile on her lips. "His name is Fallon, and he's been training rigorously to join the Royal Guard."
Queen Zelda nodded thoughtfully. "I see. And how did Astra seem to you? Was she happy?"
Princess Zelda paused for a moment, considering her words carefully. "She seemed… content, I suppose. But there was a bit of sadness in her eyes, Mother. I think she misses her family here a great deal."
The Queen's expression softened. "I can only imagine how difficult it must be for her. To be thrust into a different time, away from everything and everyone she knows."
"Yes, I thought the same," Princess Zelda agreed. "But she's adapting well, from what I could tell. She spoke of her duties as the princess with pride and determination."
Queen Zelda smiled warmly. "That's good to hear. Did she mention anything else about her life there? Her relationships with that timeline's versions of people?"
"She did," Princess Zelda replied, her expression growing more serious. "It seems that in her timeline, you… well, the other you … and your husband were unable to have children, which Astra believes is the main reason she was sent there. Oh, and your husband was tragically killed by the Yiga Clan shortly before Astra arrived."
The Queen's face paled slightly at this news. "I see," she said quietly. "So both versions of me were fated to suffer that sorrow."
"But Astra's eager to see you, of course, and was sorry to have missed you," Princess Zelda continued, wanting to change the subject quickly, "And of course, she looks forward to reuniting with her father, Link. I … thought it best not to mention Link's transition to a Zora, feeling it's better if she learns it for herself from him."
"I can see merit in telling her and not telling her," Queen Zelda nodded. "Preparing her to avoid being shocked when they meet is one thought. But as you say, letting Link explain it to her when they meet makes sense, too."
They both paused to sip some tea, and then Queen Zelda continued.
"But I hope Astra doesn't expect us to keep this secret too long. She means a lot to Link, and it's hard not to share this news with him. It was the day after Astra turned seventeen when we all traveled to Mount Lanayru together. I journeyed back with Link after Astra left, and I've never seen him so sad. He barely wrote anything in his journal about our trip, as the whole event was too painful for him. But I can still clearly remember the day."
It was bitter cold as the door to the shrine behind the statue of Hylia atop Mount Lanayru closed, and Link and I took our last look at Astra after saying goodbye. I couldn't hold back tears, and neither could he. We silently prayed to the Goddess to keep Astra safe as we embraced. Then, after several moments of silence, Link spoke up.
"We should go before it gets dark, Zelda," said Link. "The path is quite icy and can be treacherous in spots."
"I nodded in agreement, still too choked up to speak. We journeyed down the mountain silently and hugged goodbye when we reached its foot before parting company: me to return here and tell you what happened and Link to travel back to Zora's Domain."
Queen Zelda took another sip of tea.
"Astra means a lot to Link, and it's killing me not to share this secret with him."
"Hopefully, Astra will return soon, and our promise will no longer hold us," said Princess Zelda. "Once that's the case, we should plan a big party for Astra's return. And I'm especially eager to get a retraction from the Hyrule Inquirer. "
"That really bothered you, didn't it?" chuckled Queen Zelda. "I should never have heard about it if you hadn't mentioned it. My attitude has always been to ignore gossip publications like that, but I guess I'm old-fashioned."
"No, Mother, just more sensible than me," chuckled Princess Zelda and then took another sip of tea.
Meanwhile, in the heart of Zora's Domain, a young woman wearing her travel outfit materialized at the travel gate of the Ne'ez Yohma shrine. Her blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she looked around at her surroundings. No one seemed to notice her arrival, and as she walked up the steps toward the central square, she took comfort from the absence of Mipha's statue. She was indeed back in the victory timeline, and it felt so good! It had been over two years since she had last set foot here, but it still felt like her home away from home.
She thought about sending a Tab message to inform her father of her arrival but didn't know quite what to say. 'Hi, this is Astra. See you soon!' didn't sound right for such a momentous reunion. But composing something lengthy was too cumbersome. She thought it better just to arrive in person.
Astra headed east, crossed the bridge that spanned the crystal clear water below, and followed the winding path toward Mikau Lake. As she walked, she couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia. Approaching Mikau Lake, Astra wondered who among those who knew her would be the first one to encounter her. Would it be Link? Or maybe Mipha? Or one of their children? She couldn't wait to see their reactions when they saw she had returned.