Summary: It's just a quiet weekend in Zora's Domain as Link adjusts back to being a Hylian, and so does Mipha. Lapha is offered an advanced technology class next term. Tila pays a visit to Mila but takes up a good deal of Linky's time, to Lapha's annoyance. Mila and Lapha discuss Zora/Hylian relationships which gives Lapha a long term idea. Linky enjoys a dance lesson from Tila on the lake.

Mipha and Link both awoke the next morning to the sound of their four children leaving for class. They heard some voices, Lapha saying something and Linky laughing. Then the front door closed and the house was quiet. Link looked over at Mipha, and they smiled at each other.

"Hello, remember me?" said Link. "You know, in some ways, I like that they don't need us anymore in the morning, and in some ways, I don't. Did you sleep well? Oh, and was I normal enough for you last night?"

"Yes, I slept very well," said Mipha as she stroked Link's hair and gently brushed it back. "And I feel as though I'm getting reacquainted with you."

"That's not really a 'yes,'" said Link. "But I guess it's not a 'no' either."

"Well, I'm still a bit unsure," said Mipha, smiling. "Perhaps if we spent more time together I'd know better how I feel."

"I get it," laughed Link. He reached for his Tab which was at the side of their pool. "Anyway, should we get up now? I notice there's a message from earlier this morning that Dr. Manah, Midon's instructor, would like to meet us here after her morning class is over. That will probably be the meeting about Lapha that Midon mentioned. And Mila left a message that Tila is visiting for the weekend, and would like to let her stay in our guest room tonight."

"Tila is welcome to stay with us. But it's still early, and classes are only just starting now," said Mipha. "There's still plenty of time before our meeting. I'd like you to stay here with me now."

"Always happy to," said Link. "You know, I always seem to end up in situations where I've changed somehow, and I have to make you feel comfortable I'm still me."

He reached over, put his arms around her as she put hers around him, and they held each other.

"I'm getting pretty comfortable with you again," said Mipha as she gently ran her fingernails up and down his back. "And I am ever so grateful you learned to sleep in water with me. Whenever I have to sleep on land I realize how hard it must have been for you to adjust. You always put my happiness first."

"You know I can't be happy if you're not. But, um, Mipha, what you're doing now is, um, feels, ..."

"What, sweetheart?" said Mipha. "Don't talk, just kiss me."

Afterward, they relaxed together in each other's arms.

"You really do have a magical touch," said Link. "In more ways than one."

"Happy it still works," said Mipha.

"Should we get up now?" said Link. "Or are we still getting re-acquainted?"

"We can get up," said Mipha. "Do you need help getting dressed, Hylian?"

"You have to start on that already?" laughed Link.

They both got up, Link dressed and they went to the kitchen. There were some fresh trout there, and Link started cooking his. When it was ready, he sat down with Mipha and began eating.

"I don't know what's wrong," said Link after taking two bites. "Does your fish taste alright? Mine is way too dry."

Mipha laughed and clapped her hands.

"Ha! I love it! Being a Zora for a time must have finally improved your taste," said Mipha. "You need to burn your fish less now, or maybe not at all."

"I don't think I'll ever be ready for not at all: not as a Hylian. But I guess less would taste better now."

They finished breakfast, and as Link cleaned up, he had a thought.

"Before Dr. Manah arrives, maybe we could look around the house a bit and fill in some holes in our memories," said Link. "We've been so busy training and then vacationing, we haven't had time to see where things are."

"Good idea," said Mipha. "I'll do our room, and you can do the living room."

Link began exploring some of the drawers in their combination dining room/living room while Mipha looked through their bedroom. In one of the drawers, he found four pictures in frames.

The first one was the picture Dr. Purah had taken the day after he had used her anti-aging rune and shortly before his battle with Dark Link. He smiled as he looked at it. Mila and Midon were 14 then, and Lapha and Link only 5. Mipha looked the same. And he was actually 18 then, having just used the rune the day before to take 14 years off his age. So, that picture would be about eight years old now? It was a beautiful family picture. Why was it in a drawer? They should hang it up, he thought.

The next picture he removed from the drawer was a picture of the Twilight Palace, the one given to him by Princess Midna. That had happened earlier, before Lapha and Link. He remembered Mipha wasn't entirely thrilled by that picture, though she thought he should learn a lesson from it about being more cautious. Every twilight, if he stared at it, only he could see Midna's image for a short time. Midna's farewell kiss had an element of powerful Twili magic in it. He put that picture aside.

But the next picture he took from the drawer was one he was very familiar with, and it brought back some bittersweet memories. He stopped to examine it. It was another picture Purah had taken, but this one was from much earlier, right after the Champions Inauguration ceremony at Hyrule Castle. That would have been over twenty-two years ago now. It was the same picture that used to hang on the wall in his Hateno Village house in his original timeline. The image was much brighter and the colors more vivid now than he remembered. But that only made sense, since the picture hadn't faded from one hundred years of aging.

He closed his eyes and recalled how he used to look at it in his home when he wanted to remember his fellow Champions and a happier time in his life. Mipha was special, of course. But he had also grown fond of each of the other Champions in his own way. He even grew to think well of Revali, who was really not as bad as he sometimes acted. Revali grudgingly accepted Link but liked to kid himself that Link was more lucky than good, and wanted to battle him to prove who was best. He was immensely proud of himself and always needed to feel he was number one. Urbosa was a capable fighter but kind, and very protective of Zelda. The only thing about Urbosa that bothered him back then, before their victory, was that she always acted like he and Zelda had to end up together, that he should take care of her for life. Maybe she thought that would be best for Zelda. And Daruk was the happy-go-lucky big buddy type, who had always liked him. They were all leaders and heroes, admired and respected by their people, but each had been willing to put Hyrule first and support him in his battle. And, at one time, they had all given their lives for the cause. He felt differently looking at the picture now, but it still brought back memories. Back then it was all he had, his only remembrance of them. Everyone pictured was still alive now, of course, but twenty-two years older. Except for him, that is. They should hang this picture up as well, he thought.

The fourth picture was a mystery. It was a family picture with everyone in it, including Father and Sidon. He had no memory of it at all. It must have happened in the last ten years when his memory was inconsistent with events.

"Did you find anything interesting?" Mipha called to him from their room. "Besides our anniversary gifts to each other, I just found some clothes of yours and some other odds and ends."

"I found some pictures," said Link. "I'm not sure why they were stuffed in a drawer."

"Let me see," said Mipha as she joined him to take a look.

"I remember these three," said Mipha looking over the first three pictures. "We must have finally gotten a copy of that group picture from Zelda. What a clown Daruk was! But, you know, he was more observant than anyone else there. He was the one who noticed me look over at you when I asked to have the picture taken, and realized why I asked. Until Urbosa pointed out what the Sheikah Slate could do, I had no idea it could produce images like that. I so much wanted a picture of you, of us together. And Daruk saw how nervous I was, trying to look my best and stand closer to you. I think that's one reason he squeezed us all together. Anyway, it's a nice memory. We should hang it up. We should hang them all up."

"It's nice to think back to some of these times," said Link. "You know, I don't remember big portions of my earlier life. But of the times I do remember, excluding when I was wandering Hyrule battling evil, you've had a part to play in all of them. You looked out for me when I was a little child, you became a playmate and friend when I was a bit older, and then we grew up and fell in love. It's such an extraordinary thing, for you to span all those years of my life! It just feels so right for us to be together, like it's the way things should be."

"Yes, it does feel right. It always did for me," said Mipha.

It was about an hour later that there was a knock on the door and Link answered it.

"Hello, I am Dr. Manah, Prince Midon's technology class instructor," said Manah.

"Yes, please come in, Dr. Manah, we were expecting you," said Link. "I am Link, and this is my wife, Mipha."

"Hello, but neither of you need any introduction," said Manah. "And you may not remember, but we met once before."

"Yes, I'm sorry," said Link. "I do suffer from memory problems, an occupational hazard of mine. But, please, let's all sit down."

They sat down in their living room.

"I know you are busy people and I will get right to the point," said Manah. "Your son, Prince Midon, has been doing very well in my class. He has excellent talent, and I am recommending him as a trainee in Dr. Purah's department. But that is not the reason for my visit. Your daughter, Princess Lapha, demonstrates an impressive technical aptitude for someone her age. Prince Midon spoke to me about her, and I had a short meeting with Princess Lapha afterward. I believe she would benefit from attending my class next term, though she would be with students considerably older than her. I was wondering how you felt about that."

"Midon mentioned this, and we discussed it. We are both very supportive of it," said Mipha. "I am happy to hear of both children's success in this area, and we are very grateful to you for offering Lapha the opportunity."

"I am delighted to hear it," said Manah. "It is settled then. Next term Princess Lapha will take my technology class. Next term is my last term here, by the way. I return to North Hyrule, and someone else will take my place after that. But I will be sure to pass along my assessment of her progress, and I hope she will continue her studies in this area. It is very rare that we come across someone so gifted at such a young age. You should be very proud of her. I think that's all, then. Thank you."

"Thank you, Dr. Manah," said Link.

Dr. Manah left, and Link turned to Mipha.

"I never realized Lapha had such an aptitude for such things," said Link. "I think it's wonderful. I just hope Linky doesn't feel too bad and view himself as a failure by comparison. He and Lapha are very close."

"You should speak with him and make sure he doesn't feel that way," said Mipha. "I will as well. I see some of you in him. I remember when you were his age, and he reminds me a little of you sometimes."

"We have our lunch meeting with Father coming up," said Link. "Should we head over there?"

They walked to the throne room with their arms around each other. Upon arriving, King Dorephan greeted them.

"You two look just like happy newlyweds!" laughed King Dorephan. "I'm happy to see all these changes have not lessened your affection for each other. We have only a few items, so let me begin."

"On the personal side, Queen Faray writes that her cousin, Ambassador Laray, is doing much better. She's made friends, she goes out now, and is much happier. Faray thanks us for letting her stay here."

"We were happy to help," said Mipha.

"And regarding your great victory, Queen Zelda writes she would be pleased to honor you both with a banquet the next time you feel like visiting her at Hyrule Castle," said King Dorephan. "Just give her a week's notice, she said."

"I hope this does not sound petty or ungrateful," said Link. "But as for myself, at the moment I am not in the best of moods for a visit with Her Majesty. Perhaps I will be after I get over my last conversation with her and all the bad feelings it caused me."

"Caused all of us, I mean," Link quickly added, looking over at Mipha. She just smiled.

"There's a proposal to start work on a tunnel from East Reservoir Lake to Spool Bight," said King Dorephan. "It will make it easier for us to catch any of the boats that travel on the sea. North Hyrule will do the work using the equipment and staff they used to dredge the channel to the North Akkala Sea. You would agree that's worthwhile?"

"Yes, by all means, Father," said Mipha. "And I assume they will build a port there when we finish. That will make catching one of the seafaring boats much easier for any of us in the Domain."

"And if we dig up any strange tombs along the way, let's not open them," said Link.

"Yes, indeed not," said King Dorephan. "I think everyone learned their lesson about that! Though you raise a good point. You never know what you will find buried around here. People have lived in this area for many thousands of years."

"The rest of the items are routine reports," said King Dorephan. "You can read them on your Tabs. So, unless you have something else to discuss, we can enjoy lunch now."

"We can have lunch, Father," said Mipha. "On the family side, I just wanted to let you know Lapha has been recommended for an advanced class on Sheikah Technology and will be doing that next term."

"That is wonderful news!" said King Dorephan. "Good for her! But all your children are wonderful, and I am proud of them. I knew your marriage would work out well. Those old Zora legends do have something to them."

They settled down for lunch. Link asked if his fish could be served a bit rarer than it used to be.

Later that afternoon, classes had ended for the week, and before heading home, there was time for Lapha and Link to play in the water with friends. Midon was speaking with a couple of the boys on his class, and Mila was with Tila. Tila had messaged Mila asking if she could visit for the weekend and had arrived a short time earlier.

"Anything special happening tonight, Mi?" said Tila after they hugged hello.

"The usual at the lake: music, dancing, swimming," said Mila. "A local group is providing the music. Kendal will be there with me. Midon is meeting Larena. I wish you had someone special to be there with you, Tila."

"No, don't worry about me, I'm fine. I'll dance and have a good time. I'm not ready for anything serious," said Tila as she glanced over at Lapha and Linky playing with friends. "Will you excuse me? I'll catch you later."

Tila swam over to where Lapha, Linky and their friends were playing. It looked like some form of tag. When she was close enough, she called out to Link and waved.

"Link, do you have a moment to talk?" said Tila.

Link stopped playing and swam over to Tila.

"Yes, Princess Tila? You wanted to talk to me?" said Link. He looked over her shoulder to see a Zora knight nearby.

"It's very nice to see you, Link, and just Tila is fine," said Tila. "I hope you didn't mind my interrupting your play for a moment. Oh, and please don't mind my security guard. My sister insists on it. Can we leave the water and sit for a little while? I think you would be more comfortable."

"Of course, Aunt Tila," said Link.

"Please, don't call me aunt either," said Tila. "I know you're just being respectful, but it makes me feel old, and I'd like you to think of me as your friend. You know you're going to catch up to being the same equivalent age as me soon, don't you? But did you enjoy keeping score of the swimming races?"

"I didn't mind," said Link. "It's about all I could do to help the team. And I did learn to swim better thanks to them. I can easily beat my Dad. Well, when he's normal that is."

"Yes, speaking of that, what happened with your father?" said Tila. "I heard he had transformed into a Zora, but apparently he is a Hylian again now."

"Yes, well, he and Mom had a mission that needed my Dad to fight underwater and the Sheikah from your land have a shrine that can transform people. So my Dad became a Zora for a while. My Mom seemed happy about it, but she drove my Dad to exhaustion every day training him to fight underwater. Afterward, they went off on vacation. But Midon told me Queen Zelda said she needed my Dad back as a Hylian. That's all I know."

"I see," said Tila. "How did you like your father as a Zora?"

"Before we really had a chance to meet him as a Zora, Mila called a meeting of all of us and told us what Dad was feeling. I never thought about it before. She said Dad was doing this for Hyrule's sake, but he worried about how we would all feel about him. She said that whatever we felt, we owed it to him not to hurt his feelings. We all agreed. But when I finally met him, it was fine. It took some getting used to at first, but I could accept that it was really my Dad after all."

"That's good," said Tila. "Did your father ever say how he felt?"

"Not to me," said Linky. "But I heard from Midon that he and my Mom seemed pretty happy together when they left for vacation. I'm not sure how my Dad felt, but I know my Mom was pretty sad after she learned my Dad had to transform back to a Hylian. But when they got back here yesterday after he transformed, my Mom seemed fine. So, maybe she got over it. My Dad seems to be okay, too."

"That's interesting," said Tila. "I'm glad you were able to accept your father either way. You do get along very well with Zoras, don't you?"

"Of course, what do you think?" laughed Link. "They're my family, and I've lived here my whole life. Why do you ask?"

"Sorry, it was a silly question," said Tila. "Well, thanks for speaking with me and please go back and have fun with your friends. Maybe I will see you later at the lake. Mila said I could stay this weekend at your house."

"Neat," said Linky. "See you later then, Tila."

Linky went back to where Lapha and their friends were playing.

It was shortly after dinner when Tila was in the guest room getting ready before going to the lake with Mila that Lapha and Mila had a private moment together in the living room.

"Why is your friend Tila always hanging around with Linky, Sis?" said Lapha. "Linky and I were playing together with friends and Tila interrupted to ask him to sit and talk with her. Which Linky did, probably because he looks on her as someone older that he should respect."

"Well, Tila is kind of interested in him, Laff, but understands he's still too young," said Mila. "She just wants to be friends for now."

"Why doesn't she find a boyfriend her own age?" said Lapha. "Why is she so interested in our brother?"