Summary: Mipha and Link journey to Goron City and spend some time with Daruk. But Mipha's father's concern cuts short her intended time as a Hylian.

Mipha and Link awoke early, and after a light breakfast made their way to the end of the Great Zora Bridge and prepared to board their motorized cycle for the trip to Goron City. Mipha was wearing a riding outfit not too dissimilar from the one Princess Zelda used to wear.

"That's a very sensible traveling outfit," said Link. "It looks good on you."

"Mila picked it," said Mipha. "I didn't know what I was doing when it came to Hylian clothing. The new clothes arrived early this morning."

"Are you ready to leave?" said Link.

But Mipha had her own idea.

"Yes, but I'll drive," said Mipha.

"Do you even know how?" said Link.

Mipha gave him a look.

"All right, fine," said Link. "But the roads around the Domain have a good deal of twists and turns, so you need to take it slowly. I'm going to be holding on to you as tightly as you were holding on to me."

"I don't mind at all," laughed Mipha. "And don't worry. I won't mistake it for affection."

"It is affection." laughed Link. "Affection for you and for our lives. But I'm sure you'll do fine."

Mipha sat down on the cycle, Link sat down behind her, and they were on their way. Mipha handled the cycle pretty well, Link thought. She was keeping to a sensible speed as they negotiated the turns along the road up to, around and down Ruto Mountain. The weather was fair and the ride comfortable. But all the twists in the road made for slow going.

"This is more fun than I thought," said Mipha as she raced down a hill. "I think we should get a watercraft as Linky asked. That should be fun, too."

It was about two hours before they reached Luto's Crossing and another two hours before they reached Oren Bridge. They took the road under the stone arches past the Bank of Wishes, and it was past midday by the time they reached the Inogo Bridge. There Mipha could increase the pace as the road curved sharply to the North, and an hour later she took the left fork at the Ternio Trail. It was just under another hour and late afternoon when they finally arrived at Foothill Stable.

"You drove quite well," said Link as he hopped off the cycle. "But it feels good to get up and walk around."

"I watched how you drove. And I need to walk, too," said Mipha. She parked the cycle by the stable in one of the designated parking spots.

Stables had more places for cycles than horses now. In fact, the younger generation of stable masters had only limited experience taking care of horses at all.

"By the way, are you comfortable breathing through your nose yet?" said Link.

"Not really," said Mipha. "And I'm not sure I should get too comfortable. You know ..."

"I know, we Zoras," laughed Link interrupting her. "I understand."

They walked to the stable entrance.

"We should spend the night here," said Link. "We need to buy some elixirs, and I want to look in on Epona. She's gotten too old to ride now. But the days of riding horses for travel are pretty much over anyway. Now, most people ride horses only for pleasure. Everything is becoming motorized."

"I think you feel for Epona what I feel for Ruta," said Mipha. "They both mean more to us than what they actually are. They're like friends. So, I understand your affection for her. The last time you came by here you were a Zora and didn't want to confuse Epona. But now you should definitely stop to see her."

"What are you going to do?" said Link.

"I'll stroll over to Cephla Lake and walk around there," said Mipha. "Come join me there when you finish visiting Epona."

Link nodded, then went to speak to the stable master. The stable master said Link's two horses were grazing just behind the stable and Link walked over there. He could see Epona and her filly in the field together, but as Link approached, Epona smelled his presence. She neighed and trotted over to him. In the old days she would have galloped over he thought sadly.

He gave her some Endura Carrots he had brought with him, one of her favorite treats. Then he patted her gently on the neck, and she nuzzled against him like she always did. But Link could sense a sadness in her eyes that he had never seen before. She knew she was getting old and her days of riding with him were over. Link hugged her around her neck as tears formed in his eyes. He had been closer to Epona than to most people he knew, and she had played a big part in his life. She had been his almost daily companion during the most exciting days of his youth, and Epona had saved him on many occasions with her speed, agility and literal good horse sense. But she had her own daughter now to be with, someone else to look out for and spend time with. And her daughter was herself growing up.

"It's okay, girl," said Link as he gently stroked her on the neck and smoothed her mane. "Enjoy your time with your daughter now. You've already done more than enough for me, and I'll never forget it."

And Epona seemed to understand because she nuzzled Link one more time, then turned and slowly trotted back to where her daughter was grazing. Her daughter nuzzled her, and they trotted off to feed at a different location.

Link wiped his eyes, then walked over to Cephla Lake to find Mipha. The lake was not readily accessible from the stable itself. Unless you wanted to dive into it from the cliff, you had to reach it through a small tunnel a bit north of the stable. He saw Mipha and called out for her to wait for him.

Mipha saw Link's sad expression as he approached, and it was something she had expected. Link was always this way lately after he visited Epona. Epona was part of his youth and seeing her growing old reminded him of his own mortality, that his own adventuring days would be over someday. Maybe they already were. She reached out and hugged him.

"I know you get very emotional whenever you visit Epona," said Mipha as she held him and gently rubbed his back. "But I understand. You care for her."

"She's a dear friend I see growing old, and it saddens me," said Link.

They hugged for a few moments. Then Link spoke up.

"Anyway, let's enjoy our trip," said Link. "It's pleasant here by the lake. Like to take a walk?"

They began strolling along the shore and out onto the sandbar that jutted into the lake.

"Yes, it is nice here," said Mipha. "Though part of me wants to take a swim. Do you remember the time we came here searching for Princess Ruto's tomb?"

"Yes, the Zora's Sapphire," said Link. "That was before Lapha and Linky came on the scene. I'm glad Father agreed to leave the sapphire where it was. It would only go into a museum, and it meant far more to Princess Ruto than to anyone else. And you had quite a conversation with her spirit."

"Yes, but only because her spirit had met mine during the four years my spirit was in the spirit realm," said Mipha. "Your timeline change had no effect on the spirit world."

"Yes," said Link. "And I'm sorry, I know it's my own fault for bringing it up, but do you mind if we change the subject? I don't like to talk about that time in my life, the time you were in the spirit realm."

"All right, I know something that will cheer you up. Tomorrow you can drive," said Mipha. "Now let's stretch our legs. I'm really stiff from sitting all day."

They walked along the lake hand-in-hand as the late afternoon sun sank lower in the sky.

"Getting hungry?" said Mipha finally. "I can't catch any fish for you now."

"I brought some food, including some fish for you," laughed Link. "I knew I could never get the Zora out of you! Let's head back to the stable."

After dinner, they sat by the fire together. The stars were out now, and soon the moon would rise. Link put his arm around her, and she looked at him and smiled, then put her arm around him.

"What are you thinking about, sweetheart?" said Mipha.

"That it's nice to be here with you on a trip that's not to prevent some Hyrule disaster," said Link. "That it's just the two of us with time to enjoy ourselves. I guess this is how it will be when the children are all grown with families of their own. And it's not so bad, is it?"

She leaned over and kissed him.

"No, it's not bad at all," said Mipha. "We have each other, and that's all I ever wanted. Everything else we've had in life together, like our family, is a happy bonus. What do we have to complain about?"

"Not a thing," said Link. "But you know, you were always the one with the better outlook. You could always see further, to what really mattered. I was always the man of the moment, the person of action, rushing off to do something energetic."

"Remember I'm older than you," said Mipha. "I had more time to think about things. And you took your time figuring out how you felt. But I can tell you're getting tired. We should get some rest."

They kissed goodnight and retired to the nearly empty stable. There were very few guests at this time. Next morning after breakfast they were ready to resume their trip.

"We can only drive a short part of the way because of the high heat," said Link. "Most of the rest of our trip will be on foot, and we'll need to drink elixirs."

They hopped on the cycle, and Link steered them northwest along the road, under a stone arch and then along the strip of land that divided Lake Ferona on the left from Lake Intenoch on the right.

"The hot water in these lakes can restore your vitality if you feel the need," said Link as he slowed down.

"I feel fine for now," said Mipha. "I slept very well."

Link resumed driving.

After passing under another stone arch the road curved to the northeast. They passed under a third arch and could see Gero Pond on the left and a tunnel ahead. The tunnel contained some Luminous Stones and used to be swarming with Fire Chuchus, but it was barren of enemies now. They followed the tunnel as it turned sharply to the West, then emerged after the road rose until they reached Death Mountain Marker #2.

"We have to go on foot from now on," said Link. "And please watch your step. We also need to drink the elixirs here."

"That tasted disgusting," said Mipha after having finished drinking a dose of the Fireproof Elixir.

"Yes, it's made from lizards, but it works," said Link.

They climbed the path and followed it west along the shore of Medingo Pool, giving Mipha her first close up look at Lava.

"This is so alien to me, pools of molten rock," said Mipha. "I don't know how anyone can live here. And the roads are all covered with past lava flows."

"And the Gorons probably can't imagine how anyone can live in water," said Link. "It is undoubtedly the harshest location in all of Hyrule, but the Gorons love the fresh rocks here."

The road, such as it was, continued. The occasional Fireproof Lizard would stay still until they approached, then scamper away behind the rocks.

It was a long five-hour walk to the Southern Mines and the first sign of Goron life. They had taken a second dose of elixir along the way and stopped here to cook lunch. One of the Goron miners welcomed them.

"We don't get many Hylians here," said the miner. "Our scenery is unique and our hot springs very healthful, but I know we need a quicker way for people to get here. We're looking to build a railway from Foothill Stable direct to Goron City. It would be like a bigger version of our mine carts."

"That might help," said Link. "But we're here to see an old friend."

After a quick lunch, they continued North. Eldin Ostriches and Hotfeather Pigeons scattered as they approached. It was almost two hours before they finally reached the entrance to Goron City beneath the Stolock Bridge, and a Goron guard welcomed them. Then it was a short walk to the hut Daruk lived in.

As they reached the hut, Daruk looked up and jumped to his feet. He looked older now, but he was still the good-natured big brother kind of guy.

"Hey, you're here! This is a real treat seeing you both!" said Daruk. "I always hoped you would visit me but never expected you could. You look good as a Hylian, Mipha. And I heard about what you did saving all those people. That was pretty amazing! But let me get you both something to wear so you won't need to keep drinking those elixirs. We keep this gear for Hylian tourists, not that we get as many as we would like."

Daruk gave them each a set of Fireproof Armor to wear.

"Are you hungry?" said Daruk. "I know Link here used to enjoy Rock Roast. We still have the best in Hyrule."

"Thanks, but I'm getting old, and my teeth aren't what they used to be," laughed Link. "I think Mipha and I will both stick to Hylian food."

"You're missing out, but all right," said Daruk. "Follow me."

Daruk led them to a cooking area where some meat was available, and they sat down together.

"So, how is life treating you, Daruk?" said Link.

"Still good," said Daruk. "I don't roll as fast as I used to, but I still manage to get around. My son, Darno, is away traveling and I'm sorry you won't get to see him. The city is prospering. We sell quite a few gems these days to almost everywhere in Hyrule, but the Gerudo are our biggest buyers. I know they have a branch of Starlight Memories in Castle Town."

"Yes, and one in Kara Kara Bazaar as well. I'm familiar with both stores," said Link. "The quality of their workmanship is excellent."

"So, you don't travel much, Daruk?" said Mipha. "We would love to have you visit us at the Domain."

"No, I do most of my rolling around here now. But I do plan to make our twenty-fifth victory celebration at the castle next year and look forward to seeing the old gang there. I hope you two are planning to go. And I might be able to manage a visit to the Domain on the way home."

Daruk paused for a moment.

"But, really, thanks a lot for visiting," said Daruk. "I know it's a tough trip here, and I appreciate it. Lately, I've been thinking about everyone and how I can't believe it's going on twenty-five years since our big day. Nobody likes to talk about that anymore, they've all moved on. And I get that. But I know you two remember it and don't mind talking about it."

"No, we don't mind," said Mipha. "We're happy to see you, and we know what you mean. Link here is surprised people don't recognize him anymore even though he still looks the same. But we didn't do what we did for fame."

"No, and I guess we risk becoming like those old soldiers you meet who want to talk about the old battles they fought to a tolerant audience who humors them," said Daruk. "And our victory came without a lot of harm to everyone, thanks to Link and his little known time travel efforts. So, people don't realize how dangerous those times were back then. Our victory seemed almost too easy."

"Yes, we had a run in with an instructor at our children's school who thought my fight with Ganon was nothing," said Link.

"Did you straighten him out?" said Daruk.

"We gave him a front row seat to the battle in one of Dr. Purah's simulations," laughed Link. "It was Mipha's idea. I don't think he will ever forget it."

"That was smart! Good for you!" laughed Daruk.

"But there is more to the anniversary celebrations than staying famous and thanking us," said Mipha. "Queen Zelda understands. She wants Hyrule to be well prepared for the inevitable next time. That's why she values the Sheikah technology from North Hyrule so much. She wants next time to be like ten thousand years ago, not the disaster it was at first. So, she wants to keep the memory of what happened alive. She fears the more people forget, the more complacent people will get, and the less prepared future generations will be. And I know she worries her sealing power was not as strong as it could have been if she had learned it from her mother."

"That's an excellent point," said Daruk. "You're right."

Daruk paused for a moment.

"But it wasn't all doom and gloom for us back then," said Daruk. "We had some fun, too. Do you remember that picture of us Purah took? We should take another one at our twenty-fifth. And I promise I won't squeeze you two together. You're already together now, and I'm glad that worked out for you."

"You noticed me looking over at Link when I asked Zelda if we could take a picture?" said Mipha.

"I saw you look our way," said Daruk. "And I knew it wasn't me you wanted a picture of. Plus you looked so nervous as you sidled up closer to Link and took all those deep breaths. I thought, let's bring you two and everyone else together. It made the picture less stiff, too."

"Yes, we have that picture on our wall. It's a great memory," said Link. "But that reminds me. Our youngest son showed me how to use our Tabs to take a group picture. Let's take one of the three of us now."

Link set up his Tab, and they posed for the picture. It came out well, and Link forwarded a copy to Daruk.

"How are your kids doing, by the way?" said Daruk.

"Very well," said Link. "The two oldest are starting to work already. They're all growing up. But it would be nice to have you visit the Domain and see everyone. I still remember the last time you were there. We went hunting for Luminous Stones together on Upland Zorana to satisfy your craving."

"Yeah, that was fun," said Daruk. "And they were pretty tasty, too, as I remember. Aged just right. They made my teeth sparkle."

Daruk could see both of them were getting tired.

"Well, I'm glad we had some time to talk tonight," said Daruk. "Tomorrow we'll be busy and may not have time. I'm going to give you a quick tour of some of the sights here. We can visit the hot springs and ride a mining cart. Then we can pay a visit to Rudania and take a ride up to the summit of Death Mountain. You'll enjoy it! But you both look pretty beat. Let me walk you to the inn, and don't worry about any fees. It's all on me."

Daruk walked them to the inn and said goodnight. Then they entered the inn, and Link heard a voice he recognized.

"The desert was not hot enough to avoid your Zora wife? You brought your Hylian mistress all the way out here?" said a Gerudo woman.

"What in the name of Hylia are you doing here?" said Link in surprise as he turned around. It was the Gerudo saleswoman he had last seen at Kara Kara Bazaar where he bought some earrings for Mipha.

"Sleeping here tonight, of course," said the Gerudo. "But the purpose of my visit is to obtain high-quality gemstones from the Gorons. One of us from the shop travels here often. And we obtain a good discount by buying in bulk. Which, of course, we pass on to our customers."

"I'm sure," said Link. "Well, my Hylian mistress and I are very tired, so we are going to sleep now. If you run into my Zora wife, please say nothing of seeing us here."

"I never met such a deceitful person!" said the Gerudo. "Traveling the length and breadth of Hyrule to avoid your trusting wife. And she is such a lovely person too. Any decent man would be overjoyed to have such a wife. I feel so sorry for her!"

"Strange as it may sound coming from me," said Mipha. "Even I feel sorry for her. Goodnight."

After all the hiking, they both soon fell asleep.

Next morning when Mipha and Link awoke, the Gerudo saleswoman had already left. They ate some food Link had packed, and Daruk arrived soon afterward.