Summary: A chapter of conversations and reminiscing. Mipha explains why she grew to tease Link. Midon explores Lapha's motivation to cure injuries using ancient technology. Finally, Tila and Linky discuss Tara's and their choices in life.

"Let's hurry! It's just up ahead," said Link as he ran, tugging Mipha's hand, and then helped her into the small rocky enclosure.

"Made it!" laughed Mipha as they both sat down, put their arms around each other, kissed once, then turned to watch the thunderstorm.

It was afternoon and raining heavily now in the Tabahl Woods across the Zora River, just west of Ralis Pond. Mipha and Link had ridden a motorized cycle to Goponga Village that morning and, as they were in no hurry to return home, decided to walk back to the Domain on foot.

"If you have time, walking is a lot better than zooming by on a motorized cycle," Link had said. "You appreciate your surroundings more."

So they followed the road Link had traveled many times in the past when he visited Zora's Domain. They had made their way a bit less than halfway home when a sudden thunderstorm arose, prompting them to take shelter inside this small rocky alcove Link remembered. It sat above where the road curved sharply inland, away from the riverbank.

"This has a roof and three walls, at least," said Link as he pulled Mipha closer. "And it was the best I could do on short notice."

"It's fine, and it's cozy," said Mipha, as she rested her head against his. "And I like it keeps us close. I'm glad you remembered this little shelter."

"Before you start teasing me about my memory, it was post calamity, the time in my life I do remember," said Link.

Link was about to continue speaking when the loud rumble of thunder drowned out his words and forced him to pause. While he waited, they both watched the nearby pine trees sway in the breeze. A steady rain pattered against the rock outcropping that formed the roof of their small refuge, then dripped down the sides.

"I was going to say I sometimes hid here when I was hunting Lizalfos," said Link finally. "I preferred this shelter to the ones higher up because it was enclosed on three sides and wasn't blocked by an overgrowth of thorns or already occupied by an enemy."

"Hunting Lizalfos?"

"Yes, there was once an entire camp of Lizalfos blocking the road just west of here, and they wielded electric arrows. I destroyed every one of them each time I came this way and scavenged their camp for arrows and loot. I know they returned after each Blood Moon, but I hated them for posing such a terrible danger to the Zora people with their arrows."

"They must have posed a danger to you too," said Mipha. "It was brave of you to take on the entire camp by yourself, though perhaps somewhat reckless as well."

"I was careful, very stealthy about it. First, I hid behind trees and picked off their sentries one by one with Ice Arrows before they could sound an alarm. Then I did the same thing to the rest of the camp as best I could. This shelter was my retreat if anything went wrong or I needed to wait for the right moment."

Just then, there was another flash of lightning, followed by the crack of thunder. They each instinctively pulled each other closer, and Link caressed her shoulder, rubbing his hand up and down. Mipha smiled, and they kissed again, then returned to looking outside as the rain splashed against the rocks and the newly formed puddles in the road below them.

"Thanks for agreeing to walk home, by the way," said Link. "Though it doesn't look like it was the smartest idea after all."

"It's fine. I enjoy walking with you. And since you're back to being a Hylian now, I can't always insist we travel by water," laughed Mipha.

"Very considerate of you," laughed Link, but he noticed Mipha kept referring to his time with her as a Zora and wondered if she wished he would convert back someday.

Again, they had to pause for the sound of thunder to pass.

"We might be here a while," said Link as he glanced up at the sky. "It looks like a big storm as I can't see any break in the clouds."

"If you're bored, I can always transport us back to Ruta," said Mipha.

"I'm never bored when I'm with you, sweetheart."

They smiled, then each leaned toward the other to kiss.

"Careful of your tongue," reminded Mipha as they began kissing with increasing fervor until another round of lightning and thunder interrupted them.

"As I said, I'm never bored," said Link as he caught his breath. "You're too much fun to be with. And you can always make me laugh."

"I try," laughed Mipha. "And you're a lot of fun to tease."

"Did you used to tease me when I was younger, before we married? Those are the days I can't remember, of course."

"Not as much back then. We mostly played together, swam, things like that. We were both very much at ease with each other, though you were always very respectful. The teasing started later after you got older. You had grown so serious and were in definite need of some laughter therapy! I needed to lighten your mood somehow. Zelda agreed, by the way. We talked about you during one of our visits to Hyrule Castle and decided some laughter would do you a lot of good. So she and I worked together to have some fun teasing you, and it worked. You grew out of your melancholy. And afterward, you and I just continued teasing each other for fun."

"You have a way of healing everything, don't you, even my sour mood?" laughed Link. "Looking back, you and Zelda could be merciless, and I realized later I took you both too seriously. But I know we all had a good laugh in the end. I guess your treatment did indeed work, though I know it took a while. I carried some pretty heavy baggage from my past. So now, where were we?"

They resumed kissing until a gust of wind blew a splash of rain into the alcove, and they both laughed and wiped the water from their faces.

"Maybe this isn't the greatest shelter after all! But I enjoy these quiet moments together with you - even amidst a thunderstorm!" said Link.

"I do too. I liked it when it rained during your visits to the Domain. It forced you to sit with me and talk - you know, use your mouth to utter words."

"Very funny. I know what talk means, even though I didn't do enough of it," laughed Link, and Mipha laughed too. "You even have to tease me while we're discussing teasing?"

"Made you laugh, right?" said Mipha, as she gave him a sweet smile.

"You're so cute!" said Link as he leaned toward her, and they resumed kissing.

Then another gust of wind showered them both with rain, and they stopped to wipe their eyes again.

"On second thought, maybe being together inside Ruta would be cozier," said Link.

"Hold tight and stay close!" said Mipha as she closed her eyes.

"Don't I always?"

Mipha laughed, then mentally activated the Ruta Champion rune on her Tab, and they dematerialized, then materialized at Ruta's travel gate. It was raining there too, and they rushed inside as Mipha closed Ruta behind them. Once inside, Link reached out and took Mipha in his arms again.

"Much better and no interruptions. Now, where were we, sweetheart?"

"Tabahl Woods?"

"Very funny," said Link as he tickled her in the ribs.

Then they both laughed, and Mipha pulled his head to hers, and they resumed kissing.

Meanwhile, Midon and Lapha were working at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab when Lapha suddenly stopped to make an announcement.

"Yes, I would say it's working well enough to declare a victory," said Lapha.

"What? What are you talking about, Laff?" said Midon as he looked up.

"I'm talking about what I've been working on all this time," said Lapha. "The process doesn't work for disease yet, and it only works for minor injuries. Major injuries would take too long to repair this way. Still, it's progress."

"Could you please slow down and explain what you're talking about, Laff?" said Midon. "You're getting like Purah and Robbie, talking about things as if listeners knew all about them."

"I'm talking about healing injuries," said Lapha. "The process I worked on works with a travel gate. It dematerializes you as you are with your injury, then materializes you back, but with the injury healed. So it has to know to only correct the injury and keep the rest of you intact. That's the tricky part, of course."

"And it works safely now?"

"Yes, I've tested it," said Lapha. "I just need to clean up some loose ends."

"Wow! That's great news," said Midon. "Congratulations!"

"I know!" said Lapha. "I'm quite pleased."

Midon paused for a moment.

"I know that healing and such has been kind of an obsession with you, Laff," said Midon. "What floated you in that direction? Was it perhaps because you didn't inherit Mom's healing ability like Mila did?"

"Maybe," said Lapha thoughtfully. "Maybe subconsciously, that had something to do with my motivation. But consciously, it was just me trying to improve everyone's well-being."

"Well, you should be proud," said Midon. "And if I can help, let me know."

"I'll inform Dr. Purah at this afternoon's staff meeting," said Lapha. "And I will certainly need your help on the actual implementation when it gets to that stage. What are you busy with, by the way?"

"I'm helping Mila assemble information collected from the simulations in the Forgotten Temple Hall of Heroes," said Midon. "You know Mila! She's keen on updating the history of those times with accurate depictions of the world as it was then. So she's including detailed maps, pictures of landmarks, and so on. It's quite an undertaking."

"I'm sure she appreciates the help," said Lapha. "She might even stop picking on you for a while."

"Maybe, but I'm not counting on it," laughed Midon. "I know I sometimes provoke her, and it's mostly all in fun, anyway."

Speaking of Mila, she was working at the Hyrule Castle Library today, including checking that the changes she had requested for some Hyrule history works had made it into the finished volumes. They had made considerable progress over the last four years researching the simulations, and it had become her goal to incorporate all they had learned.

The library was quiet, the only sound that of the rain beating against the windows and the occasional rumble of thunder. She had the entire library to herself today, and it was nice being a Zora, as she could easily reach the top shelves. She rose from her seat and returned one volume to the bookcase, then retrieved another, laying it on the table she was using. But rather than sit down at once, she took some time to stretch her legs, walking back and forth the length of the library.

It was tempting to go outside and refresh herself with a soak in the rain or a swim in the moat, but the thunder dissuaded her. Then she remembered her parents had said they were going to Goponga Village today, and she wondered if they were safely home yet. She checked her Tab, and the map that could show where her parents were indicated they were at East Reservoir Lake, probably at Ruta. She relaxed, put away her Tab, and returned to her seat to continue working.

This volume they were planning to edit next covered the Hero of Twilight. It was a fascinating story, and besides all they had learned from the simulation, she might even ask her Dad what he remembered from his brief time in the Twilight Realm. It could be their next dinner discussion. Then she smiled, thinking perhaps it would be better not to discuss it with him when her Mom was present. Her Mom still teased him over Princess Midna's magical farewell kiss.

Meanwhile, Tila, Linky, Tara, and Tara's ten-year-old cousin Rayla were spending an afternoon after school at the North Hyrule shore. It was warm and sunny there, and Tara and Rayla were still playing in the water, body surfing the powerful waves. Tila and Linky were relaxing on the beach after a swim together.

"One nice thing about being here is that Tara has cousins her own age to play with," said Tila.

"Yes, I agree," said Linky. "You said your parents both came from a large family. My siblings are obviously nowhere near to having children yet."

"But it's cute that Tara enjoys returning to Hyrule to be with your side of the family every weekend."

"And my side of the family loves having her, so I hope that won't change," said Linky. "I wonder if she does that for me, knowing I like to go back? Or she truly does it because she enjoys it?"

"I don't think she does it for you. She has fun with your siblings and parents, plus enjoys all the attention she gets there. And she loves all of them too. So, no, she enjoys going there for her own reasons."

They could hear Tara and Rayla laughing whenever they weren't underwater together.

"Do you ever wonder what Tara will do when she grows up?" Linky asked after another moment as he watched her play.

"I guess that somewhat depends on my sister Faray," said Tila.

"Sorry, what?"

"If Faray has no offspring in the next thirty years or so, then Tara will be considered next in line after Faray and me to rule here. So Tara will need to begin learning all there is to take on that responsibility someday."

Linky was quiet for a moment and then spoke up.

"I only want what's best for Tara, of course, but I have mixed feelings about what you just said and hope she has more of a choice in life. Ironically, people born into royalty have their path in life chosen for them. They have less freedom in that respect than ordinary people, and I know it sometimes makes them feel trapped. Princess Zelda confided in me she felt that way, that her mother couldn't wait for her to grow up and be prepared to take charge if needed. And my Dad said Queen Zelda was the same way when she was a teenager, that she sometimes resented the role thrust upon her and might have even preferred to pursue science."

"I guess it's as they say that with privilege comes responsibility," said Tila. "It's called doing one's duty. But Faray is still young, and she may well have children. And Tara is only ten, dear. So please don't start worrying about this yet!"

"I suppose," laughed Linky. "But what about you, though? Did you ever feel trapped? What were you looking to do in life?"

"Aside from being prepared to rule here if my sister came to harm and enjoying learning, especially math, I think my goal was to find the right someone to share my life with and hopefully raise a family. Remember, I grew up without parents. My father died a month before I turned three, and my mother died even earlier. So, that likely made me especially value family life. I never felt trapped, though, but only felt grateful for the opportunities given to me. Anyway, I've been thrilled with how things turned out."

"Me too, thrilled beyond words," said Linky as they leaned toward each other and kissed.

"What about you, though? You pursued a different career than your siblings, who all chose academic or scientific pursuits," said Tila after their kiss ended.

"When I inherited my Dad's combat skills, I thought it made the most sense for me to put them to use by joining the Hyrule Army," said Linky.

"But your older brother, Midon, also inherited those skills, and he chose a different path," said Tila. "He didn't become a Zora guard, for example."

"True, but I was never as scholarly at school, more of an average student like my Dad. So it made little sense for me to pursue a scientific or academic career."

"Did you ever feel trapped yourself? Did your father perhaps expect you to become a knight like him?"

"No, he never pressured me to do that. Quite the contrary: he made it clear he did not want me to feel obliged to follow his career path. And my Mom was against it, not wanting to see me put in danger. In the end, it was what I wanted to do. But I also didn't want any special treatment because of my parents. That's why I felt I couldn't be a guard at the Domain, and when I enlisted in the Hyrule Army, we kept it a secret - the Royal Family wasn't informed."

"But you didn't think you could keep it a secret for long, did you?"

"No, they would have found out eventually. Word I had enlisted soon made the rounds of the soldiers. But it was thanks to you in a way they found out much sooner. It was after those three soldiers picked a fight with me by insulting you and knocking you down in Castle Town. You remember?"

Both Tila and Link recalled the incident.

Three soldiers from another unit saw Linky and Tila holding hands as they walked together in Castle Town, and approached them, then surrounded them. They were all taller than Linky.

"You're Link, right?" said one of them.

"Yes," said Linky. "Do I know you?"

"No, but we know you," he said. "Is this fish your girlfriend?"

"Excuse me?" said Linky. "My girlfriend is a Zora. She's not a fish, and only a dimwit would think she was. Now, kindly step aside so we can be on our way. I don't want any trouble with you. And, trust me, you don't want any trouble with me."

"Oh, so you're a tough guy?" said one of them. "Are you sure you don't need your famous daddy here to protect you?"

And with that, the soldier on Linky's left threw a punch that caught Linky by surprise and bruised his cheek, then the one on his right hit him as well, knocking him down along with Tila, who had been holding his hand.

A Zora guard rushed forward out of nowhere to assist Tila while Linky rubbed his jaw.

"Mistress, are you hurt?" said the Zora guard, keeping his spear pointed at the three Hylian soldiers.

"I'm fine, Dongan, it's just a fall, thank you," said Tila standing up. Linky stood up as well.

"So, you need another fish to protect you?" said one of the three.

"Tila, I'm very sorry, but why don't you and Dongan stand back please," said Linky. "I need to deal with this."

Then Linky turned to the three soldiers standing in front of him now.

"I didn't want any trouble with you," said Linky. "But you've insulted my friend and attacked me. I don't need anyone to protect me or fight my battles, especially against low-life characters like you three. If you are all so tough, let's have at it."

The one closest to Linky's left attempted to throw a punch, but Linky sidestepped it perfectly and unleashed a flurry rush of five punches that left the soldier unconscious on the ground. Then Linky turned and unleashed several more punches on the other two, leaving them on the ground, rubbing their jaws.

When the fight was over, which took only seconds, Linky walked back over to Tila.

"I'm sorry for all of this," said Linky.

"It wasn't your fault, sweetheart. What you did was magnificent, but you're hurt," said Tila, gently touching his cheek.

"I'll be fine," said Link. "It's just a couple of bruises."

"Mistress, perhaps we should go," said Dongan. "I don't like the situation here. You know I must report this incident to Her Majesty, and I am sure she will be concerned about your safety on any future visits."

"Thank you, Dongan. I want to make sure Link is alright first," said Tila. "And I will deal with my sister when the time comes. She will not stop me from seeing Link."

The unconscious soldier was just getting to his feet when a Captain who had been nearby and saw the fight from a distance finally arrived on the scene.

"Attention! All four of you!" he shouted. "You are a disgrace to your uniform! Follow me back to the Castle. I have to report this, and I want to know what happened."

"I was so angry! I'm glad I didn't hurt them even more! Anyway, all four of us were reprimanded, and my name showed up in a disciplinary report Princess Zelda read," said Link.

"You were very courageous! But that wasn't the only fight over that incident. I had some strong words with my sister Faray afterward. My security guard, Dongan, naturally had to report the incident, and Faray didn't want me to visit you there anymore, as she felt it was too unsafe. But then I would hardly ever get to see you except for the odd weekend when you returned to the Domain, and then I would take away your time with your family. I agreed she could double the guards with me, and we settled our differences. I don't give up easily in case you haven't noticed."

"I have noticed, sweetheart!" laughed Link as Tila smiled.

"But I think you made the right career choice. You won the swordsmanship competition. And you impressed everyone enough to warrant being promoted and even assigned as Princess Zelda's knight, like your father. That was an honor and a recognition of your talent."

"It was. But unlike my father, Princess Zelda and I always got along well and enjoyed each other's company from the very first," said Linky. "So that made my job easier."

"Yes, and it was a relief to know you were cousins," said Tila.

"You didn't need to worry even if we weren't," laughed Linky. "I count myself the luckiest guy in Hyrule being with you."

They smiled at each other, kissed, and then returned to watching Tara and Rayla surf the waves.