Summary: Astra spends time in Zora's Domain. Midon is busy dealing with rune rollout issues as Lapha spends time at home with her parents. Tila and young Link spend their honeymoon at Coral Cove. Clone Sopha resumes her life in North Hyrule while Sopha remains undetected in Hyrule proper.

It was early morning in Zora's Domain three days after Tila and young Link's wedding. Mipha awoke first and turned to see Link floating peacefully next to her, still sound asleep. She took a moment to look at him. He was older now, not quite the teenager she had married. And that was hardly unexpected, she thought, given how quickly Hylians age.

That got her thinking about ages. Given Link's use of Purah's anti-aging rune, Link was about 31 years old now. Without the rune, he would have been about 45 like Queen Zelda. No wonder Astra had been a surprise to Zelda! But perhaps Zelda had used the rune as well. She looked younger than 45, Mipha thought, though judging Hylian ages was always tricky.

Anyway, Link was still quite handsome and kept himself in top shape. He never relaxed his training. When she asked him about it, he said as long as he held the sword that seals the darkness, he had an obligation to Hylia to be prepared to wield it to the best of his ability. And he was still arguably the best swordsman in all of Hyrule.

But more importantly, he was the best and most loving husband she could ever have wished for. They sometimes teased each other, her more than him. But if there was one thing that was true above all else, it was that she loved him with all her heart. She had done so for over thirty years now, and she would never stop, no matter how old he was.

Link stirred in his sleep and opened his eyes to find Mipha staring at him. She smiled, and he smiled back.

"You're the most beautiful sight in Hyrule to wake up to," said Link as he reached for her and pulled her close. Then they kissed.

"That's a wonderful start to the day, sweetheart," said Mipha as she stroked his hair.

"What were you thinking about when you were looking at me?" said Link as he held her in his arms.

"The passage of time," said Mipha.

"Really?" said Link. "Am I getting too old? You look the same as ever, but you never used to like talking about that."

"I still don't," said Mipha. "But it's staring us in the face. Our children are grown and starting to move away from home. Lapha is almost 19 years old, Mila and Midon 27. Soon it will just be the two of us here, as it was at the beginning. And that's fine. It's been a wonderful journey together."

"Now who's getting sentimental? Stop talking as if our journey is over," said Link as he stroked her gently across her forehead. "We are both still young and have a lot of years ahead of us, Hylia willing."

"Yes, I know," said Mipha. "But they will be different kinds of years. Still good, just different. Let's get up. I'll catch fresh fish for everyone."

Mipha made her way to the water and Link to the kitchen. A few moments later, Mila joined Link.

"Good Morning, Dad," said Mila. "Where's Mom?"

"Catching fish for all of us," said Link getting a pot ready.

"Nice!" said Mila. "You still need to cook yours?"

"Yes," said Link. "As a Hylian, I just can't handle it raw."

Midon and Lapha arrived a few moments later, and shortly after that, Mipha returned with the fish.

"I caught enough fish for all of us," said Mipha. "And, you're welcome."

"Thanks, Mom," said Midon. "They look good! You and Dad are both up early."

"That's what happens when you get old," said Link.

"What nonsense, Dad!" said Mila. "We're practically the same age. You could pass for my brother, and it would be a definite improvement."

"Very funny, Mi," laughed Midon. "But you're stuck with me."

"Can we have a pleasant breakfast?" said Mipha. "And please keep your voices down. Astra is still sleeping in Link's room."

Link cooked his fish, and they all sat down to eat.

"I hate to eat and swim," said Mila after finishing. "But, I have to go in a bit early today to help."

"And I need to get an early start, too," said Midon. "But, I'll see everyone for dinner."

Everyone exchanged hugs, then Mila and Midon left. Lapha wasn't ready to resume her research yet and had time to chat.

"Are you enjoying working with Dr. Purah?" said Link. "It seems so."

"Yes, she's brilliant, and I've learned a good deal," said Lapha. "She treats me as her protege, which is a great start to my career."

"Yes, that's wonderful," said Link.

"Did you enjoy the wedding?" said Mipha. "We haven't had a chance to talk about it."

"Oh, yes!" said Lapha. "The ceremony and party were perfect. It was such a happy surprise having the Cross Currents perform! I couldn't believe it! It made the reception great fun, especially for all of us fans."

"How are you and Kentle getting along?" said Mipha. "I couldn't help but notice you had a good time with him at the wedding."

"We get along well," said Lapha. "We both like the Cross Currents music, and we have a lot of other common interests. I like him, but I'm disappointed that he doesn't understand technology as well as I would like."

"You know, your husband does not have to be your intellectual equal to have a happy marriage, Lapha," said Mipha. "Take our family, for instance."

"Excuse me?" said Link.

"It's okay, Dad," laughed Lapha. "You're plenty smart enough. And you were always known more for your courage than your wisdom. Anyway, I understand what you're saying, Mom. I'll keep that in mind."

"Can you tell us what you and Dr. Purah have been working on?" said Link.

"Yes," said Lapha. "We've been reviewing Shrine of Transformation usage, and there is one anomaly that happened during the month Tila was staying here about ten years ago. Someone used the shrine for some purpose, but something corrupted the log file for that event. So, we can't tell who it was or what they did."

"That's disconcerting," said Link. "Sopha was Queen of North Hyrule back then. I would think she would be the obvious suspect."

"Yes, but we have no proof," said Lapha. "She and Faray were watched the whole time they were here, right?"

"Yes, of course," said Link. "Faray as part of standard security and Sopha exceptionally well. Nothing unusual happened. They enjoyed the wedding and left the next morning to return home. Maybe it isn't Sopha, after all. Could the log file corruption be an accident?

"It's possible, but we think it unlikely," said Lapha. "Anyway, there isn't enough information to do anything further, so the issue is closed for now. How do you like the new rune we rolled out, the thought control one?"

"I'm still getting used to it," said Link. "The Tab mind pairing process took me a few tries, though Mom's worked the first time. And don't start again on the intellectual equal. The pairing should have been easier for my simpler mind."

"True," said Mipha. "But the simpler mind was doing the pairing, so that canceled out. But you got it eventually, sweetheart, and you know I'm only teasing you. I know you're smart."

"How so?" said Link.

"You married me," said Mipha.

"I won't argue that wasn't the smartest thing I ever did," laughed Link. "But I've tried the rune on a few simple objects. It works fine."

"Great," said Lapha. "Of course, if you have any problem, consult Midon or me. I know Midon is helping the customer service people with any anomalies. By the way, I don't recommend you use the rune for food except as a last resort, as I think naturally caught fish tastes better."

"Good to know," said Link. "Wow, do I wish I had this rune when I was traveling around Hyrule back in the day! It would have saved me so much trouble!"

"Yes, no doubt, Dad," said Lapha. "Now I have to get back to work. I am still researching the biology of the transformation process. I don't tell you this often enough, but I love you both very much. And it's nice to be home, though it still feels funny without Linky here."

"We both love you too, sweetheart," said Mipha. "And yes, we know. But he isn't Linky anymore, and we have to accept that."

They hugged and kissed, then Lapha went to her room to review her notes while Mipha and Link waited for Astra to wake up.

Astra woke up less than an hour later, and when they heard her, Mipha went to young Link's room to see if she needed anything.

"Good morning, Astra," said Mipha as she hugged and kissed her. "I hope you slept well."

"I did, Aunt Mipha," said Astra. "The waterfall sound is so relaxing."

"Yes, Uncle Link likes that too," said Mipha. "Do you need help with anything?"

"No, thank you," said Astra. "I'm a big girl now and can take care of myself."

"Then, we will have breakfast for you in the dining room when you're ready, sweetheart," said Mipha.

"Be there in a minute," said Astra. "Thank you!"

When Astra arrived in the dining room, Link hugged and kissed her, then helped prepare an omelet for her.

"Are you enjoying your visit?" said Link as Astra began eating. "If you miss your family or are homesick at all, I can take you back home anytime."

"I miss Zel telling me a bedtime story, but your story was good too," said Astra. "I don't want to go home yet."

"That's wonderful because we love having you here," said Link. "Would you like to go boating today, or play with your toy boat, or we could go hiking?"

"Hiking if that's okay," said Astra. "We went boating yesterday."

"Hiking it is, then," said Link. "There are a lot of nice places to visit here."

"Are you coming too, Aunt Mipha?" said Astra.

"If you don't mind," said Mipha. "I think a nice hike with the three of us will be fun."

"Of course!" said Astra. "I was hoping you would come. You're so smart, Aunt Mipha. I love talking with you."

Mipha smiled at Link, who gave her a face. Then they prepared for their hike, packing a picnic basket with lunch items.

"Why don't we start by visiting some of the falls," said Link taking Astra's hand.

Meanwhile, back at Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda had just finished going over some reports with her mother.

"Well, that takes care of that," said Queen Zelda. "No serious issues."

"Don't things seem a little quiet, Mother?" said Zelda.

"You miss Astra, don't you?" said Queen Zelda, smiling at her. "Admit it. You're used to telling her a story each night."

"Yes, I do miss her," said Princess Zelda. "But I know she's probably having a good time. And if I travel anywhere right now, I'll miss Link too. But Link's wedding was fantastic, Mother! I can't believe the Cross Currents performed! They are so very popular, and everyone I know loves their songs, including me. My friends are so envious of me getting to see them, and so close too."

"I'm glad you had a good time, sweetheart," said Queen Zelda. "Is there anything serious between you and Randall? You don't have to tell me if you don't want to. It's just a mother's curiosity."

"Not really, Mother," said Zelda. "We are good friends but nothing romantic if that's what you mean. He is good company, and we had fun at the wedding."

"That's nice," said Queen Zelda.

"Um, Mother, unless you need me for anything else, I would like to meet with one of the Sheikah instructors," said Princess Zelda. "We have a weekly lesson where she goes over technology with me, and I'm learning a lot."

"That's wonderful, sweetheart!" said Queen Zelda. "I was always interested in that as well. And it will be helpful for you to understand it. Oh, I meant to ask, what does Randall do?"

"He's a lieutenant in the branch of the Royal Guard responsible for securing our Tabs and other technical matters," said Princess Zelda. "Why?"

"I was just curious," said Queen Zelda. "Enjoy your lesson."

Back in Zora's Domain, Midon was reclining on the bed at East Reservoir Lake with his portable coding device and responding to issues that customer service people couldn't resolve. Most of the difficulties involved faulty mind pairing because of a lack of attention during the process. All of the problems so far were user-related, not an issue with the coding, and he was happy about that. Even though they had started with the existing North Hyrule code, he still had to understand his part of it and adapt it to their situation. He liked this job and the fact he could work remotely and outside. Larena was meeting him for lunch, and they could swim and relax together for an hour. Anyway, back to the next issue.

Midon had taken to using headphones and listening to music while he worked, so it was no surprise he didn't hear Larena when she arrived at East Reservoir Lake carrying two fish. He jumped when she dropped one on his lap as she burst out laughing. Midon took off his headphones and picked up the fish.

"Nice greeting!" laughed Midon.

"You need to stay more alert," said Larena. "Anyone could sneak up on you."

"Yes," said Midon. "I should lower the volume. But that gives me a better idea, a proximity alert Tab feature."

"A what?" said Larena sitting down next to him on the bed.

"If you turned such a feature on, it could alert you if anyone was nearby," said Midon. "It would work like our echolocation. You would only turn it on when away from crowded locations. I'll work on that. But thanks for the fish, sweetheart."

They kissed, then ate their lunch.

"You finished your work at Spool Bight?" said Midon.

"Yes," said Larena. "And I was commended for an outstanding job. It gives me a lot more confidence."

"I always knew you would do fine," said Midon. "Now, can we take that trip to Lake Hylia?"

"The weekend after next would work best," said Larena. "This coming weekend, my family has plans, and that will give you time to finish that new feature. But you always have at least one guard with you when you travel, right?"

"Yes, part of Royal Family requirements," said Midon. "If anything happened to my grandfather and my Mom, Uncle Sidon would be in charge until Mila turned forty, or at least thirty with council approval. I'm next after Mila. So, my chance of becoming the ruler is pretty remote, and I dearly hope it never happens. But grandfather insists all of his family have security. And by the way, you didn't notice, but there is a guard on patrol on the rocks to our right. The guard knows you and allowed you to pass."

"I see. So, we are not as private as I thought?" said Larena.

"The guard watches our location," said Midon. "They don't watch us every moment, sweetheart. It's pretty private, and I've gotten used to it. You will too."

"Oh, sweet thought," said Larena. "That makes it sound like we might have a future together."

They leaned forward and kissed.

Meanwhile, Mila had finished her lecture and was taking questions.

"Lady Mila, do you think the two Zora kingdoms will ever unite someday?"

"Good question, Salana," said Mila. "Like any historian, I can tell you about the past, but only speculate about the future. It's possible, but I don't see it, and certainly not in the near term."

"I only asked because the two royal families have intermarried now," said Salana. "I was wondering if that had any additional implications."

"I see what you're getting at," said Mila. "But I still don't think so. Their kingdom values their independence as we do ours. And I know neither of our families feels my brother's marriage has any political implications."

Mila paused for a moment.

"If there are no more questions, remember the reading assignment on your Tabs," said Mila.

The class ended, and Mila prepared to have lunch with one of her fellow teachers.

In North Hyrule, two sisters and a cousin were having lunch.

"I hope our little sister is enjoying her honeymoon at the cove," said Sopha Clone. "I've never seen her so happy."

"She has her Tab turned to emergency only," laughed Faray. "I think that's a good sign she's not bored."

"The wedding was beautiful," said Laray. "And everyone was thrilled you got the Cross Currents to perform, Faray."

"We know each other, and they didn't mind," said Faray. "I'm glad I could do something nice for Tila. She's so sweet and head over fins for her darling husband. I used to worry she was silly getting so excited over a Hylian, but I was wrong. I've looked into Link's eyes, and he is just as much in love with her. I think they will be very happy together."

"But how do you feel about Tila living at Hyrule Castle?" said Sopha Clone.

"I'll miss her, but it's her decision," said Faray. "She told me that for a while, she was under some suspicion, something about the Shrine of Transformation. But that was apparently cleared up before the wedding."

"The Shrine of Transformation?" said Sopha Clone. "That is interesting. Who was doing the investigation?"

"Link's younger sister Lapha along with the head of their technology area, Dr. Purah," said Faray

"I see. I'm glad that was resolved," said Sopha Clone.

"Yes," said Faray. "When is your next Ambassador meeting at Hyrule Castle, Laray?"

"In two weeks, Faray," said Laray.

"You can ask more about that investigation and check on the newlyweds then," said Faray. "I'll let Tila know. But it's not an emergency and can wait until she's less busy."

Everyone laughed.

And further north in North Hyrule, two newlyweds were relaxing on the beach. There was a cool breeze blowing in from the sea, and the gentle waves made a rhythmic sound, rushing onto and then receding from the sandy shore. Tila and Link lay side-by-side at Coral Cove cuddled together and wrapped in a blanket, holding each other in their arms and gazing into each other's eyes. Now and then, one of them would lean forward, and that was a signal it was time to share another kiss.

"Happy?" said Tila after a long kiss as she smiled at him, and her bright golden eyes looked into his.

"You can probably read my feelings for yourself," laughed Link. "And if so, you know I'm beyond happy, sweetheart. I hope you are too. I can't put into words how ecstatic I feel being with you."

"I'm happy, too," laughed Tila. "But then I knew we would be because we both love each other."

They hugged each other a little more tightly.

"This is a beautiful location," said Link. "It's scenic and secluded, a perfect spot for lovers. I never dreamed there were such beautiful locations here. And I can see why it's so popular. It's a little cooler than Lurelin Village, but still very comfortable."

"Yes, the air is cooler, but you noticed the water is warmer, which is more important to Zoras," said Tila. "There is a current from a volcanic area far to the west that warms the water just enough. It's a nice temperature and makes me feel energetic. Do you feel ready for another swim? I promise you will enjoy it!"

"I know I will!" said Link as they unwrapped themselves and stood up.

"And if you swim as well as last time, so will I," said Tila as she gently stroked his arm. "Let's start with a long kiss. And I have to remind you to be careful of my teeth, sweetheart. They're extremely sharp."

After their swim, they returned to the beach and sat down on the blanket together.