Summary: In the Victory Timeline, Link's transition to a Zora progresses toward the next stage as he begins to sense the music of water. Mipha reminisces a bit with Mila. Tiray recovers enough for her sister Laray to resume work.

The morning sun cast a warm glow through the open windows of the family house by Mikau Lake, and a refreshing breeze brought with it the calming sound of the nearby waterfall. Mipha, Link, Mila, and Midon were finishing a filling breakfast of freshly caught fish. Young Link and his family, Tila, Tara, and Lanka, were in North Hyrule for Tara's schooling, and Lapha was working at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab near Hyrule Castle.

"That was delicious! A perfect start to the day!" Link exclaimed after swallowing his last bite and then rising from the table. "And I finished just in time for my ambassador call with Zelda and the others. I'll be off now."

"Wow! Talk about 'eat and dive,' Dad!" laughed Mila.

"It's simply an efficient use of time, sweetheart," Link chuckled.

Link glanced at the stairs to the office where he worked on his journal and often took calls. But after a moment's hesitation, he changed his mind.

"On second thought, I think I'll take the call in the water outside. It's more enjoyable," said Link.

"Won't it be too noisy?" said Midon. "Unless you keep your Tab on mute and use its mental voice transmission capability."

"I wouldn't dare use that feature on a conference call," said Link. "For one thing, I don't practice it. And for another, I'm afraid a stray thought will float into my mind, and the Tab will transmit it to everyone."

"Like what happened at one of our council meetings, remember dearest?" Mipha reminded him.

"I was rather hoping you wouldn't bring that up, sweetheart," said Link as he blushed.

"Now we have to hear the story!" Mila and Midon exclaimed with big grins.

"Shall I tell it while you run off?" said Mipha.

"I, um ... I can spare a moment and would rather stay to make sure you don't exaggerate," said Link. "I know you got the story from Kara."

"It was at one of our council meetings when your father attended in my absence," said Mipha. "Of course, your grandfather prefers we all meet in person. He's never really gotten into Tabs. But your father needed to briefly step away to receive something important from North Hyrule that Queen Faray had sent by courier. The delivery was waiting for him one level below the throne room."

"Excuse me, King Dorephan and Kara, but I need to retrieve something important one level below," said Link. "I'll be back in a minute, but I will leave my Tab here on mind connection so I won't miss anything."

"Go ahead, Link," said King Dorephan as Link left his Tab at his seat, rose, and proceeded down the steps to meet the messenger.

Apparently, the courier was a rather beautiful female Zora, and after thanking her and taking the package, your father's thoughts began to wander. Suddenly, everyone in the council room heard your father's voice from his Tab.

"Wow! What a really cute Zora! And she wears her coral jewelry so well. Of course, she's not as hot as Mipha...."

His words rang out loudly and awkwardly through the silent council chamber. And then his thoughts were apparently interrupted by our Royal Secretary.

"Excuse me, Link, were those comments meant for the meeting record?" Kara interjected, and you could hear snickering in the background. "If so, I will need the name of the really cute Zora you mentioned."

"And maybe her description, too," joked Rito Ambassador Rayna.

"That's when I realized what had happened, and I turned redder than Death Mountain," Link admitted. "I had to apologize to everyone when I got back."

"And by the way, only your last thought kept you out of even more trouble with me when I heard about it," teased Mipha, giving Link a playful nudge.

"That's a funny story," said Mila as she and Midon laughed.

"Now I really must be going," said Link. "I'll keep some distance from the falls and mute my Tab unless I need to speak. Most of the call involves listening anyway."

"Give my best to Zelda, sweetheart," said Mipha. "I know you always give her yours."

"Very funny, dearest," laughed Link as he bent down, and he and Mipha kissed. "See everyone later."

Link left, and Midon stood up next.

"I have an important call as well," said Midon. "I'll take it in my room."

"Is it Tiray?" said Mila. "I think they should name a ferry in your honor for how often you ride one to visit her in North Hyrule. Have you ever checked your monthly Tab charges?"

"No, the call is work, Mi," said Midon, but he still blushed. "There are some rune updates I need to attend to. But Tiray and I get along swimmingly now. We love surfing the north shore together, and I learned my lesson with Larena about being neglectful. And look who's talking, Mi! I'm surprised you're not already out stalking Kendal."

They stuck out their tongues at each other like they did as kids, then both laughed.

"See everyone later," said Midon as he left for his room, and Mipha turned to Mila.

"Are you rushing off too?"

"No, Mom, I have some free time now," said Mila. "And I wanted to ask you something about Dad."

"Of course, sweetheart."

"I know this may sound strange, Mom, but ... is Dad beginning his water rapture stage now?" said Mila, her voice tinged with surprise. "Most of us experience it in adolescence, during our growth spurt. Am I the only one who noticed?"

Mipha smiled affectionately at her daughter and replied, "No, dear. You have always been observant and sensitive to others. And yes, I suspect you are right."

"Have you talked to him about it?"

"A bit," said Mipha. "He first noticed his heightened love of music during a party. He said he felt more deeply moved by it. Over a year ago, before Lanka hatched, I more fully explained our deeper love of water and the music we can hear if we try. As we spoke about his Zora conversion, I can clearly recall the incident."

"And that's what means the most to me, too, sharing my life with you as long as I can," said Link. "I love you."

"I love you too," said Mipha. "And I can't wait for you to become fully one of us."

"I thought I already did."

"Physically, yes, but there is so much more," said Mipha. "You enjoy being in water now and feel you've mastered swimming in it. But you don't feel one with water yet. If you concentrate, can you hear Nayru's song, the music of the waves?"

"No, I admit I can't," said Link. "I can hear the waves, but they don't feel like music to me."

"It will take you longer, I can't say how long, and then you will feel it," said Mipha. "You will sense the music of the water, and you will fall in love with it. It will fill your heart with joy. Hylians believe they have long ears to hear the gods' voices. But did they think the gods would neglect the other Hyrule races? We Zoras hear the song of Nayru in the music of the waves. It's impossible to describe. But when you hear it, you will know it and understand it. And then your conversion to a Zora will be complete."

"You never told me of this before."

"There was no reason to," said Mipha. "Your earlier Zora conversion was a partial one. As the scientists said, you were genetically still more Hylian than Zora. But now you are truly one of us, all Zora. And we Zoras are musical to the core of our beings. Our legends tell of a time when our remote ancestors lived amidst magical musical notes called Tadtones that flowed through the water under the command of the great water dragon. Why do you think we name our royalty after musical scales? We believe it is a sacred thing to do and shows respect for the goddess."

"I hope that happens to me soon," said Link. "I want to experience what you told me about."

"It will happen. Just give it time," said Mipha. "And when it does, you will understand. Then you will be a true servant of Nayru, for her song will fill you with a love of her and all things water."

"I knew it would take extra time for him," said Mipha. "Though it's normal for us Zoras to experience this earlier in life, your father became a Zora after he was already grown. He didn't grow up in a Zora body, and his Hylian memories were also kept intact. As a result, his mental maturity hasn't caught up with his physical one. By the way, how did you notice?"

Mila paused momentarily before answering, "It's the way Dad closes his eyes and lingers in the water now, especially near waterfalls. It reminded me of what we all used to do early in our growth spurt years."

Mipha nodded in understanding, "Those are indeed early signs."

"But that's great, Mom, and you must be thrilled," continued Mila. "It's exciting to think of finally being able to share this experience with him. Besides its spiritual aspects, to be together by a waterfall and hear its melody as two people in love...it's something special."

Mipha chuckled softly and squeezed Mila's hand. "So my grown daughter is giving me romance tips now? But you're right. I am thrilled beyond words. I never thought I could someday fully share those intimate moments of Zora life with my husband. But hopefully soon now we can."

Then, they both laughed as Mipha squeezed Mila's hand once more.

"You know, it's funny though. Even as a Hylian, your father had an unusual affinity for water. It could be because of his childhood spent here, or perhaps it's something else. He loved the sound of rain and waterfalls, finding comfort in falling asleep to them. On the day of our first kiss, he fell asleep in my arms to the soothing sounds of Veiled Falls as we sat together on a rock in the middle of the water. When he awoke, it was as if the water gave him the courage to finally kiss me. And somehow, I knew that was the right place to go with him so we could finally share our feelings for each other. I like to believe there was some magic in the water for us, even back then."

"Maybe you're right, Mom," said Mila with a smile.

Mipha reminisced, "And I remember when he told me he seriously considered transforming into a Zora for good. I found him alone at the Spool Bight pier, gazing at the sea. There was already some attraction to the sea in him."

"And let's not forget that Dad already transformed before to defeat Ganon's underwater creature," Mila chimed in. "That may have deepened his love of water."

Mipha nodded, "Yes, that was another special time we shared."

"But I have a feeling his love for water also grew out of his love for you, Mom," Mila added. "It's obvious how crazy he is about you."

"That's sweet of you to say."

"I can't wait for his transformation to be complete. It will be fascinating to see his reaction when he fully experiences how we feel in the water. But if it happens all at once as an adult, it might be a pretty intense moment."

"Yes, it might be! I may need your help dragging him back to shore; he may never want to leave the water," Mipha laughed.

"Remember when I used to worry about him leaving us to live with Hylians?" Mila chuckled. "I was so insecure back then."

Mipha smiled lovingly and replied, "It just showed how much you cared for him, sweetheart. And he knows that, too. I remember how he would spend extra time with you, trying to ease your insecurities."

"I thought I was always the one being too clingy," admitted Mila.

"Sometimes, yes. But other times, it was his choice. I recall conversing with him about it when you were still young before Lapha and Link came along. I vividly remember one night after putting you and Midon to sleep."

I had finished putting Midon to sleep with a Zora story and quietly peeked in on you and your father. He was floating alongside you, telling you a story, and you had your arm under his neck and your head resting on his shoulder. Neither of you noticed me, and I quietly left and waited in our slumber pool for your father to return.

"That must have been quite a long story, sweetheart," I said after he arrived and slipped into the water with me. "I was beginning to think you put yourself to sleep, too."

"Funny, though you're right - I sometimes do. But Mila asks a lot of questions as if she wants to understand everyone in the story's feelings and intentions. So, of course, it takes longer to tell the story. And she's so sweet and caring, keeping her arm under my neck to ensure I float better. Then, somehow, she always senses when she's about to fall asleep after she asks her last question about the story because she says, "Love you, Daddy," and then kisses me on the cheek and closes her eyes. With her arm under my neck, I want to wait to make sure she's in a deep sleep before I move so as not to wake her. So, all that takes longer."

"She loves you very much. And she has a caring and sensitive nature."

"I know," said Link. "Whenever we play in the water, she keeps checking I'm okay. It's sweet how she looks out for me, but I don't want her to be too insecure about it."

"Then you need to keep reassuring her you love all of us and are happy being here with us. You're the only Hylian living here, and she may feel that makes you uncomfortable."

"I'll do as you say and invite her to do more things together if she wants," said Link. "I want her, all of you, to trust I will always be here for everyone.

"That's good," said Mipha. "And someday, when you least expect it, she may be there for you, too. But now you're here, sweetheart, and the best thing you can do right now is to be here for me."

"I guess I could have skipped that last part," said Mipha with a laugh. "But you see, he also tried hard to allay your insecurities."

"I guess he did," laughed Mila. "And don't be shy, Mom. We all know you're just as crazy about him as he is of you!"

Meanwhile, at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, Lapha and Purah were discussing the potential of using ancient energy for healing.

"It's quite evident that besides powering devices, properly administered ancient energy can restore health," stated Lapha. "We know of this in two cases. My father, Link, told us of his hundred-year recovery from likely fatal injuries in his original timeline and Tiray's over twenty-year recovery, also from otherwise fatal injuries. Both were immersed in or ingested ancient energy and made remarkable recoveries. By the way, where is Dr. Robbie?"

"He's over by the quarry playing with his toy, that super Guardian he scrapped together from an ancient Sheikah blueprint," said Purah. "Her Majesty said it would be fine as long as he didn't frighten anyone. I half expect it to stop working, and we'll have to figure out how to return it here."

"Funny," laughed Lapha. "But I have confidence in Dr. Robbie's skill with mechanisms."

"But back to your point about healing from Ancient Energy, I came to that realization years ago when Link told me about his experience in his original timeline," replied Purah. "But can the recovery process be speeded up for practical use? Unless someone is on the brink of death, waiting so long for healing isn't feasible. And let's not forget that both subjects lost their memory in the process, which is another unacceptable byproduct. It's a shame we can't replicate your mother and older sister's ability to heal injuries within minutes."

"I have a feeling there may be a spiritual aspect involved with those," mused Lapha.

"I at first hoped some adaptation of my work on reverse aging might be a fruitful area to investigate," said Purah. "But that treats the whole organism simultaneously and doesn't target specific injuries. And again, reverse aging someone to treat an injury is impractical."

Both Purah and Lapha were silent for a moment until Lapha spoke up.

"I'm sure some application of Ancient Energy is the key," said Lapha. "The question is, how can we experiment with possible healing processes using different concentrations of Ancient Energy? I can't deliberately harm test subjects."

Lapha was quiet for another moment.

"Perhaps the best thing to do is experiment on myself," said Lapha. "My sister can always heal me if the healing process doesn't work."

"That's a bit drastic, isn't it?" said Purah. "Though I understand how you feel. I often think I am my own best test subject. But what if you hurt yourself so badly that your sister cannot heal you in time? No, I am unhappy with such an approach - there must be another way. By the way, whatever became of your research into the Shrine of Transformation? That can also regenerate healthy tissue."

"It can, but Andora and I agreed it's also overkill for simple wounds," said Lapha. "I think what happened to Tiray is a more fruitful area for inquiry. However, she's tired of being our experiment subject. And my sister Mila tells me that Tiray and my brother Midon have grown close. So, it's awkward to ask for tests. I'll keep brainstorming with Andora. She has some unique knowledge from the North."

Meanwhile, in North Hyrule, while Tara was in class, it was Tila's turn to put Lanka to sleep for his morning nap. Her husband, Link, kissed him on the forehead, and Tila brought him to his slumber pool.

"Wow! He falls asleep a lot faster for you than me," said Link as Tila returned only moments later. "Is that a Zora thing?"

"No, it's a not fooling around thing," laughed Tila. "He knows he can get away with anything when you're around; you're such a softie!"

"I guess I am a bit of a pushover," chuckled Link. "But he's so cute and playful, it's hard to resist. It's like I have trouble saying 'no' to Tara. When she gazes at me with her deep blue eyes, I can't bear to see her disappointed."

"And she knows that, too," laughed Tila. "Why do you think she always asks you first for permission?"

"I guess I have trouble saying no to any of you," he laughed. "But I know that as a parent, I must be firm sometimes."

"Like when?" asked Tila.

"Well ... I can't think of an example right now, but I'm sure there have been times," replied Link.

"It's okay," reassured Tila with a laugh. "We'll balance each other out and raise two wonderful children. Agreed?"

"How can I say no? Let's kiss to that," laughed Link as they embraced and began kissing.

Meanwhile, a short distance away, Tiray awoke in the slumber pool she shared with her older sister, Laray. They usually went out together to catch Porgies for breakfast in Jabu Lagoon, but Tiray knew that Laray had developed a liking for Hyrule Bass since spending so much time in Hyrule. So, as a surprise, Tiray decided to stop by the local market and pick some up.

She quietly slipped out of the pool, grabbed her Tab, and left their house. Jabu Lagoon was located to the north, while their domain was just a short distance south. Tiray headed south, enjoying the early morning sun peeking over the tooth-shaped cliffs of the small mountain range by the shore of the Akkala Sea. Upon arriving at the general store, she was the only customer. The proprietor, who looked only slightly older than her, greeted her by name.

"Welcome back, Mistress Tiray. It's been quite some time since you last visited, but I still remember you."

"I'm sure it has," replied Tiray. "But unfortunately, I have no memory of it."

"Oh, forgive me. I heard about your memory loss. My name is Marona, and my mother used to run this store when you and Mistress Tila visited together. She's retired now."

"I see," said Tiray. "But forgive me, you seem young to be the proprietor of a shop here."

"True," said Marona. "But my father was killed by an electric trap while researching an ancient shrine for Queen Sopha almost forty years ago now, and my mother never really recovered from what happened. I am happy to keep the store going for her."

"I'm sorry to hear that," said Tiray. "I don't really remember my cousin Sopha, the oldest child of my father's older brother. But what I hear is seldom good."

"Anyway, business has been better since tourists from Hyrule started coming here," continued Marona. "We stock more fresh items from the south now to cater to them."

"That's exactly what I'm looking for - some Hyrule Bass," said Tiray.

"Right over there," said Marona, pointing to a pile of Hyrule Bass in ice. "Freshly caught only an hour ago."

Tiray purchased two before leaving to return home.

When she arrived at their house, she found Laray still asleep. She and her sister shared their calendars, and Tiray noticed an ambassador call in less than an hour. Laray had been avoiding her duties as an ambassador since Faray had ordered her to do so to help with Tiray's recovery. But now that she was feeling back to normal, she thought it was time to encourage her sister to fulfill her responsibilities again.

Tiray leaned down to softly speak to Laray, "Hey, La La. Time to wake up."

"Ti? You're already awake?"

"Yes, and I got us some fresh Hyrule Bass for breakfast."

"You went out all alone?"

"Just to the market, Sis. I was perfectly safe. And you should attend your ambassador call this morning. I'm doing fine. Now, let's eat while the fish is still fresh."

"Okay," said Laray as she climbed out of the pool and joined Tiray at the table.

"Thanks for getting breakfast. It's delicious," said Laray. "You surprised me by going out on your own. But you're right; I can't keep treating you like a helpless child. And your recovery has been amazing. Just promise me you'll be careful."

"I promise," said Tiray. "Didn't we used to do a fin slap when we made promises?"

"Yeah, we did that when we were kids," laughed Laray. "Looks like your memory is coming back. And I probably should resume my duties. It's unfair to Faray to ask her to handle that and her other work."

"By the way, what was I doing before my accident?" asked Tiray. "I'm having trouble remembering that."

"You were studying science with our Sheikah people. That's why you were swimming back from their village when you found that body in the water. And that's why I was surprised when you suddenly became so interested in history afterward. Of course, we know now that wasn't really you."

"Yes, true," said Tiray. "While I can't remember attending lectures, I do recall some science. That may be why I surprise Midon sometimes: I know more than he expects about something technical."

"Oh? Is that what you and Midon do? Spend your time discussing science?" Laray teased.

"Sometimes," laughed Tiray. "But maybe we should discuss if he knows anyone who could take your mind off work and worrying about me."

"Good reply," laughed Laray. "I see it's not just your memory returning, but your wit as well. But I had better message our cousin Faray and let her know I am resuming work so she doesn't fill in for me on the call."

The ambassador meeting call that morning began with Zelda and the others welcoming Laray back.

"Welcome back, Ambassador Laray! It's good news that you can return to work with us now. It's not like we don't enjoy your domain's ruler filling in, but she always seems like she has so many other things on her mind," said Zelda.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Laray, "Queen Faray does have a lot on her plate, including managing the Sheikah here. But I am glad to be back in my post."

"We are all happy to have you back," said Goron ambassador Hadon, with agreement echoed by Link, Rito representative Rayna, and Gerudo envoy Raynia.

The rest of the meeting progressed with no noteworthy events until it was time for Link to give his report.

"Do you have anything new to share today, Link?" asked Zelda.

There was no response.

"Link? Are you there?" Zelda's tone turned concerned.

"I wonder what's wrong. I better contact Mipha," she said, worry creeping into her voice.

A moment later, Mipha's Tab buzzed with a message.

"Is Link okay? He isn't responding."

"Let me check," Mipha replied as she stood and headed towards the door.

"What's going on, Mom?" asked Mila.

"Your father isn't answering. I hope he's alright," replied Mipha as she and Mila rushed out of the room.

As they approached Mikau Lake, they could see Link floating peacefully in the water with his eyes closed. Without hesitation, Mipha waded into the water towards him.

"Link!"

"Huh? Mipha? Mila?" came Link's dazed reply.

"What happened? You dropped off the ambassador meeting call," expressed Mipha with worry etched on her face.

"Oh!" exclaimed Link. "I just suddenly heard this beautiful sound, and I closed my eyes for a moment. I guess it was more than a moment."

Mila and Mipha exchanged a knowing glance.

"Come on, let's take you back to the house," Mipha suggested. "You can finish the call from there."

"Okay," said Link after a moment's hesitation. "But I'm fine now. I don't hear the sound anymore, and I can manage."

The three of them returned to the house, and Link went upstairs to the office and resumed the call.

"I think someone needs to stay with Dad whenever he goes out," said Mila. "He's drifting off too quickly into water rapture."

"Yes, I agree," said Mipha. "But that's such a good sign!"