Summary: A menace from the past keeps advancing her goals while Link and the others struggle to find a plan. But a familiar voice may offer some help.

It was morning in North Hyrule Zora's Domain, and Ambassador Laray was worried about her sister Tiray. Tiray had gone through a traumatic experience yesterday when she came across the dead body of a Sheikah woman while swimming. She was apparently very shaken by the event. But instead of staying with her older sister for comfort, Tiray had gone off on her own for the whole day and by nighttime Laray started searching for her. They usually slept in the same pool of water each night, but Tiray wasn't there.She found Tiray fast asleep in one of the other pools for no apparent reason. She didn't disturb her sleep last night, but now it was time to wake up. There was an opportunity to do some traveling today, and Laray was hoping her sister would come with her. That might make Tiray feel better too.

"Tiray, wake up. Why didn't you sleep in our customary pool? And where were you all day yesterday?" said Laray. "And why haven't you been answering your Tab? Are you still in shock?"

"I don't know, I guess I am," said Tiray. "I'm sorry. It was a terrible experience. I still feel disoriented."

"I understand," said Laray. "I wanted to ask you yesterday if you would like to join a group of us on an overnight trip to the other Domain today? It should be fun, and I think you'll like their Domain. It's very beautiful, and I'm hoping the trip might take your mind off what happened. As Ambassador I am supposed to encourage tourism in both directions, so why not start with family, right? If we're lucky, I might even be able to introduce you to the Hero of Hyrule if he isn't busy that is. What do you say? We plan to leave soon after breakfast."

"Sure, I'll go," said Tiray. "It sounds interesting. The Hero of Hyrule, is he a descendant of the heroes of long ago?"

"I don't think they're all related, but they all seem to go by the same name," said Laray. "But you better hurry and catch some fish for breakfast because we're leaving soon and they're using a fast Sheikah Boat from the Akkala Sea," said Laray.

"Right away, Sis," said Tiray. "And thanks!"

That was instructive, she thought. She had been avoiding contact with people as much as possible yesterday until she knew more. So, now she knew her name was Tiray and this person, whose name she embarrassingly didn't know yet, was her sister. And her sister knew the Hero of Hyrule of this time period. Her sister must be influential, then. And this other Domain sounded intriguing. It must be more significant than this one if the hero of their land lived there. She could read some of Tiray's mind but not most of it. Her mother had been a master of such things, but she had learned only part of her technique. Now if the hero of this era was related to the one who slew her mother, then she could avenge her mother's death. Not that she needed a reason to do some evil deeds. It was just additional motivation. But she couldn't lose sight of her primary goal and do anything to jeopardize it. That was more important than revenge. Anyway, time to catch some fish. She would let Tiray do her thing now. Acting normal was important.

That same morning back in Zora's Domain, Link was discussing what they knew with Mipha and Sidon while Zelda participated by Tab.

"We really don't know much at all," said Link. "From what I learned from Mija and the dreams, it seems this being can mimic other people or take them over and control them somehow. And the ancient being that Mija learned of from her sister was powerful enough to transform a Great Fairy into a monster. That is some potent magic! That's what we know, and I use the word 'know' generously. All we have are dreams so far, but I agree with Zelda this must be a warning."

"I cannot understand where this thing came from," said Zelda. "What has happened to account for this warning? And why now?"

It was a rhetorical question. No one knew.

"Anyway, what do we do about it?" said Zelda. "Link, you said there was no known way to detect it, right?"

"The Great Fairy knew of no way," said Link. "She only said look for inconsistent behavior."

"I wish there were a scientific way to deal with this," said Zelda. "But it all sounds so magical."

"Will you alert the other rulers, Zelda?" said Mipha.

"I want to," said Zelda. "But it's hard to know what to ask them to do. We don't want to start a panic but don't want the leaders unaware either. I think I will let them know what we know. Perhaps something will happen that looks suspicious to someone and lead us in the right direction."

Back in North Hyrule, they were boarding the high-speed ship at the Akkala Sea that would take them to Lanayru Bay. There were eight passengers on this trip. As they boarded the ship, they were greeted by one of the officers in charge.

"Princess Laray and Princess Tiray welcome aboard," said the officer. "I think you'll find this a lot faster than swimming. And I hope you enjoy the trip."

So, her sister's name was Laray, and they were princesses. Nice!

The trip got underway, and the speed of the ship was indeed impressive. After a few minutes, there was an announcement.

"May I please have your attention for a moment?" said one of the ship's officers. "Thank you. Now when we dock at Lanayru Bay, some guards from their Domain will register you, that is, take down your name so they know who you are, and will give you a small device you must carry at all times so they can keep track of you. That's for their security as well as to make sure they can find you if you get lost. Then they will escort you across the Samosa Plain and then on into their Domain. As you know, this is an overnight trip so you will have the opportunity to see their beautiful Domain in the evening. Tomorrow morning you will make your way back to the dock at Lanayru Bay, and we will return you home. If anyone has any questions, please see me or the other officer on the ship. We should arrive in time for lunch. Thank you."

"Tiray, you're very quiet," said Laray. "How do you like this ship? I've taken it once before on my Ambassador visit."

"It's fantastic," said Tiray. "So, you know your way around their Domain?"

"Yes, it's laid out the same as ours," said Laray. "I thought I mentioned that."

"You probably did," said Tiray. "Sorry. I'm still a little shaken I guess."

The ship reached the dock, and the eight passengers were welcomed, given a special wristband and then escorted to the Domain as the officer had indicated. Once in the Domain itself, everyone was free to explore where they wanted. Laray and Tiray stuck together and purchased some trout from the market.

"I think you'll like the taste of these," said Laray. "They're a little lighter than the fish we usually eat but tasty. We can sit in one of those structures that overlook the plaza and eat."

They took their fish to one of the gazebo-like structures and ate together as they watched the plaza.

"The fish is good," said Tiray. "So, you expect to come here often?"

"No, just as needed," said Laray. "We do a lot of things by Tab now. Speaking of which, where is your Tab?"

"Oh! How thoughtless of me!" said Tiray. "I forgot it."

They were almost finished eating when Laray spotted Link entering the plaza, having just come from his meeting with Mipha and the others.

"There's Link, the Hero of Hyrule," said Laray pointing him out to her sister. "Come, let me introduce you while he looks free."

Laray took Tiray's hand, and they went down to the plaza in time to catch up with Link.

"Link, excuse me, I wanted to say hello and introduce you to my younger sister, Tiray," said Laray. "This is the Hero of Hyrule, Link."

"Laray, nice to see you again!" said Link. "And I'm very pleased to meet you Princess Tiray. So, you're here as tourists today?"

"Yes," said Laray. "An overnight trip. I thought it would be nice to show Tiray your Domain."

"Well, I hope you both enjoy yourselves," said Link. "Princess Tiray, did you like the jewelry your sister purchased in Castle Town when she and I were together there? And did she tell you about that Gerudo salesperson? She is quite a character!"

Tiray looked puzzled and glanced over at Laray.

"You remember, Tiray! The bracelet?" said Laray looking quizzically back at her.

"Oh, yes, of course," said Tiray shaking her head. "Yes, it's very nice, thank you."

"I'm sorry, my sister isn't really herself at the moment," said Laray. "She had a horrible experience two days ago while swimming. She came across the body of a Sheikah woman who must have drowned, an archeologist I was told. She still hasn't gotten over it."

"That is terrible!" said Link. "I'm very sorry to hear that, and I hope the trip here helps you feel better."

"Well, we should start touring and not take up your time," said Laray.

"Goodbye then," said Link. "And have a safe trip home tomorrow if I don't see you again."

She was upset with herself. That puzzled look over the bracelet was a careless mistake. She needed to be quick-witted and just go along with what was said if she didn't know it. And when Laray said she wasn't herself at the moment, she almost burst out laughing.

Laray and Tiray went off to start exploring while Link went to get some lunch. He was by himself again, Mipha and Sidon being at another meeting and the children at class. Maybe this was a good time to say hello to Kodah. He found her, as usual, working at the Seabed Inn with her husband, Kayden.The inn was usually not busy at lunchtime, so he didn't think he would be interrupting their work.

" Hello Kodah and Kayden," said Link. "I hope you are both well and I'm not interrupting anything."

"No, not at all Master Link," said Kayden. "It's good to see you! How have you been?"

"Well, thank you," said Link.

"Yes, it's nice to see you, Link. I hope you had a good time with Gaddison and your old gang," said Kodah. "She told me you were all out pretty late reminiscing. Kayden already ate, but I was about to get some lunch. Have you eaten yet?"

"No, I need to get lunch too," said Link.

"Why don't you and Master Link have lunch together, sweetheart," said Kayden. "I can take care of things here."

"Alright," said Kodah. She kissed Kayden, then she and Link got some fish, and after Link cooked his fish, they sat down to eat overlooking the plaza.

"It must be almost twenty years now since Mipha and I went to your wedding," said Link. "It's hard to realize it's been that long."

"Yes," said Kodah. "But it doesn't feel that long ago for us. I guess we have a different perspective on time. Anyway, congratulations to you and Mipha. I know it has been twenty years for you two. Who could forget that grand ceremony in the plaza with so many famous people in attendance and all the nice speeches?"

"Thank you," said Link. "But you're right. Sometimes it feels like a long time ago. And other times I can close my eyes and remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of the happiest days of my life."

"And you have four children already," said Kodah. "That's wonderful. Kayden and I want to wait until we're older to start a family."

"I think my being a Hylian motivated Mipha to start a family much younger than usual for a Zora," said Link. "How do you find working at the inn?"

"I like it," said Kodah. "I was always outgoing, and this gives me a chance to greet and talk with travelers from all over Hyrule. Tourism has picked up, though Zora tourism doesn't help us since they sleep in the water. But we're seeing more Hylians and Gerudo these days. You'd be surprised how talkative some of our guests are."

"I can imagine," said Link.

"You know, Gaddison told me it looked like you had a good time with the gang, but you still didn't remember a lot of things they reminisced about," said Kodah. "I guess your memory never returned?"

"No," said Link. "Every now and then, but very rarely now, something will trigger a recollection. But I fear most of my past is lost to me forever. At this point in life, I'm not really trying to recover my past anymore. If it happens, it happens. I worked harder at it when I was trying to learn who I was and what my feelings were."

"Oh, yes, about your feelings," said Kodah. "Well the past is the past, and both of us ended up happy. So, I believe things did work out for the best. I truly have no regrets now, though what I am about to say to you may make it seem like I do. And I only want to say this once and move on. But I wonder how much of your feelings back then you truly recall? You and I were a lot closer than you remember. We had a lot of fun at parties and with my friends. We laughed a lot together back then, and you were very much at ease with me. I recall how conflicted you were before you finally chose to be with Mipha. And I realize now that was the right choice for both of us. But at the time you and Mipha were not as inevitable as you may think. Don't you remember how jealous Mipha was when she found us chatting in the plaza when you were studying for the exam? And this was after you two were married. I did my best to put her at ease, telling her about my engagement to Kayden. But she knew how close we once were and how near things came to working out differently. Anyway, those are my memories, and I won't bring them up again. Be happy with what you remember. It's for the best."

"Yes, I think I understand," said Link. "My life was more complicated than I recall. And I'm grateful you played a happy part in it. Since we first spoke I remember some of our time together and going to a party with you. But obviously, my limited memories don't do justice to the extent of our relationship. I'm sorry about that. I'll just accept you were a significant person to me at one time, perhaps as important as Mipha. But we both have happy lives now, and we should be grateful. So, let's stay friends, okay?"

"Okay, Linny," laughed Kodah. "Just remember I'm the only one who gets to call you that."

"It's a deal!" laughed Link. "Thanks for having lunch with me."

Meanwhile, as they toured the Domain, Tiray had stopped at the library and was flipping through a Hyrule history book.

"I didn't know you were so interested in history," said Laray. "You know we have books at home too. You don't have to spend our time doing that now."

"Oh, sorry," said Tiray closing the book. "I just wondered if they had more information than we did."

"They used to," said Laray. "But we've both shared a good deal of information by now, and we are even beginning to hold classes on the history of each of our Domains. Maybe you would be interested in that."

"Maybe," said Tiray. "But I am more interested in learning about the main part of Hyrule. There is a lot to see here. I think I would like to come back and visit some other places, like Hyrule Castle."

"I can arrange that," said Laray. "As Ambassador I sometimes need to go there as well and am familiar with it. We can plan another trip back soon if you would like."

"Yes, I would like that very much," said Tiray. "Imagine, that is where all of Hyrule is ruled from. And the ruler is a woman too."

Being female herself she found it easier being inside a female host. The behavior came more naturally to her, and she was less likely to make a mistakethat would draw attention. So, that was her preferred target, though she could take over a male if necessary. And the fact the current ruler of Hyrule was female was music to her ears. Or would be if she wasn't in a Zora host at the moment who had no ears.

"Yes, though each race has its own ruler and is pretty independent on most matters," said Laray. "As you know our overall ruler is Queen Zelda after Sopha had our Domain become part of Hyrule. And her oldest child, her only child so far, is a daughter. So, the next ruler will be a woman as well. Come, there is a lot more to see before nighttime."

Laray and Tiray continued to explore the area, and when it got dark, the Domain looked even more impressive with the glow of its Luminous Stones. They had dinner together and strolled around a bit more.

"I don't know about you," said Laray. "But I'm exhausted. I think I'll head to the pools. Coming?"

"Yes," said Tiray. "I'm tired too. But I am so looking forward to returning to see Hyrule Castle. I hope we can do that soon."

"I'll try to set that up as soon as I can," said Laray. "Goodnight."

They were soon both asleep.

Well, Tiray's body was asleep because it needed that. It couldn't function without eating and sleeping, and so she had to do that. On her next trip to this part of Hyrule, it might be time to dispose of Tiray. But she had to do it cleverly to avoid too much attention and only when a suitable replacement host was available, preferably a Hylian. That would be the next step to getting close to their ruler. Should she kill Laray too? Probably not. It would draw more attention. She remembered growing up she once asked her mother Veran why she didn't kill more people since she could do it so easily. What a stupid little girl she had been! Her mother laughed and said what fun is it to rule over a kingdom of corpses? The pleasure was ruling over living people. She should only kill those she had to. Doing more than that was, how did she put it? Immature.

Mipha had been busy all day and was so tired by the end of it that she fell asleep before Link even entered the water with her. He looked over at her and saw how peaceful she was resting there. And after twenty years of marriage, she still looked so young and beautiful. Zoras aged so slowly! He thanked Hylia again for their being together and soon fell asleep himself.

But Link's sleep was not a peaceful one. As often happens in sleep, the mind sorts things out that occurred during the day. There were some troubling items that he had overlooked or perhaps glossed over. First of all, they had their meeting with Zelda to discuss things and what the nature of the threat was. Nothing much came out of that. Then his mind wandered to later in the day. He learned a dead Sheikah woman was found drowned. That was unusual. Should he find out more about who she was and what she was doing? Laray had said she was an archeologist. Did that matter? And there was something else unusual that happened today, but he couldn't recall it. At the time he was surprised, but then he spoke with Kodah and forgot all about it. Then he had a vision of the Great Fairy talking to him. She seemed troubled, but in his dream, he didn't understand what she was saying. Then he had a vision of Zelda. She was a young princess again. Or was that her daughter? He couldn't tell. She was holding her right hand out, and a glowing gold Triforce was visible as when she sealed Ganon away. But where was she aiming? It seemed she was pointing at someone, but he couldn't see who it was. His dream was getting more and more confused. But suddenly, clearer than anything else in his vision, he heard a voice. He recognized that voice at once, and he had not expected to ever listen to it again. But there was no mistaking it. And the words were unambiguous.

An ancient evil threatens. We need each other once more. You know where to find me.