Summary: Mipha's and Link's family have a fun weekend get-together.

It was a sunny morning in Zora's Domain as a pair of Blue Sparrows fluttered to a stop near Mikau Lake and added the sound of their cheerful chirping to the steady splash of the nearby waterfall. Mipha and Link were sleeping together in their bedroom slumber pool, and Mipha awoke first. She opened her eyes and turned to see Link floating next to her, sleeping peacefully. They had made love last night before falling asleep, and the memory gave her a warm, pleasurable feeling. Link was a loving husband and always sensitive to her feelings. Despite the many near-disasters in his life, he had managed to make her the happiest she could have ever wanted. And he was still quite cute, with those gorgeous blue eyes of his, boyishly delighted smile, and trim athletic build.

She watched as Link breathed gently in and out, and his sleep seemed peaceful, worry-free. Thank Hylia for that, she thought. His recent nightmares appeared to have stopped for now. It was hard to grasp all he had gone through, the havoc played upon his mind by losing his memory and the years spent struggling to regain it. He had forgotten so much but still remembered some horrific events, and he carried their memory bottled up in his mind, not letting them ruin his kind and generous nature. He was a remarkable person, and she loved him so very much.

She relaxed and closed her eyes again, letting her mind wander and thinking back over the many years of their relationship. She knew that some people looked back on their life and regretted the decisions they had made. That they would have done this or that differently if only they had known such and such. But she honestly couldn't think of anything about Link she would have done differently, at least anything of real significance. Yes, it would have been sweet if Link had shared his feelings for her sooner. But he had been so busy back then, preoccupied with his duty to Hyrule and guarding Princess Zelda, he couldn't have spared more time for her anyway. And the business with Zelda and Astra wasn't his fault. So, no, she wouldn't change a thing. She was delighted with how life had turned out. Suddenly a soft familiar voice interrupted her thoughts.

"Morning, sweetheart. You're awake?" said Link gently, smiling at her. "You were breathing, so I assumed you must have woken up."

She reached out in answer, and they embraced, then kissed once, and then kissed again.

"I guess you are awake!" laughed Link. "That was a nice affectionate, good morning!"

"We had a nice affectionate, goodnight too. I love you," said Mipha as she gently caressed the side of his face with her hand. "I love you so much!"

"And you know I love you with all my heart," said Link. "Is anything wrong?"

"Oh? Kissing you and saying I love you makes you think something's wrong?" teased Mipha.

"No, no, it's just that ..." said Link.

"No, nothing's wrong, sweetheart," laughed Mipha interrupting him. "Just the opposite. I was thinking back over our life together and how right everything is."

"Yes, our journey together has been wonderful," said Link. "But as you keep telling me, the journey is far from over."

"Very true, sweetheart," said Mipha as she gently rubbed his shoulder. "Speaking of which, we should get up. Remember, we have our whole family visiting this weekend. Since there are seven of us, I thought perhaps we could turn our lunch into a picnic and eat outside by Mikau Lake. It would be less crowded that way."

"Fine with me," said Link. "I can get everything ready. I assume you will catch the fish later?"

"Unless you want to," laughed Mipha. "It would give you some exercise."

"I think I get plenty of exercise as it is," laughed Link. "And you're still slightly better at catching fish than me. So, you go ahead."

"Slightly better?" laughed Mipha. "In your dreams, Hylian! I'll get everyone's breakfast first and catch lunch later. It will be fresher that way, not that it matters much after you burn it up like that."

They both got up from the slumber pool, and Mipha left while Link got dressed and went to the kitchen to prepare a pot to cook his breakfast. He thought he would have a fish omelet this morning and retrieved a pair of eggs from their pantry. While Link was in the kitchen, a few moments later, Mila joined him.

"Morning, Dad," said Mila as she kissed him on the cheek. "Where's Mom?"

"Out catching breakfast for all of us," said Link. "Did you sleep well, sweetheart?"

"Yes, fine," said Mila. "I always sleep well at home, especially when you and Mom are here. How about you, Dad? Mom told me you were having nightmares again."

"Yes, I did, but I haven't had one in days," said Link. "I think I'm over them, at least for now."

"Glad to hear it. So, Lapha, Link, and Tila are all visiting today," said Mila. "I'm looking forward to it."

"So are Mom and me, and we were thinking of a picnic lunch just outside by the lake," said Link.

"Great, that should be fun," said Mila. "I'd like to meet up with Kendal after breakfast since he goes on duty by lunchtime. It's a bit awkward seeing him on duty now since Uncle Sidon doubled the guards, and they all work in pairs."

"Yes, sorry about that," said Link. "Hopefully, they won't need to do that for much longer."

Just then, Midon entered.

"Hey, morning, everyone," said Midon. "I thought I heard my sister spouting about something."

"Are you sure you slept enough, Midon?" said Mila. "I'd hate for one of your rune updates to sink all our Tabs."

"I'm not working today, Sis, so you can relax," laughed Midon.

"I was just telling Mila we are planning a picnic lunch," said Link. "And Mom is out getting all our breakfast."

"Great! By the way, I think it was your turn to catch our breakfast, Mi," said Midon. "So, that means it will still be your turn next time."

"Fine," said Mila. "I don't like having to wait for you to wake up anyway. Don't you have regular working hours?"

"Creative minds like mine are afforded some flexibility in working hours, Mi," said Midon. "Our department's motto is to measure output, not input."

Mila was about to respond, but just then, Mipha returned with the fish, and they sat down to breakfast as Link cooked his omelet, then joined them.

"Can I help with anything to get ready for the picnic?" said Midon.

"You're not doing your usual weekend swim with Larena?" said Mila.

"She's away this weekend with her family," said Midon. "Larena's sister graduated, and they're taking a short family trip."

"Thanks, Midon. I could use some help getting things ready," said Link.

"Lapha just Tabbed me that she, Tila, and Link are about to leave the castle," said Mila looking up from her Tab.

Meanwhile, at Hyrule Castle, Lapha, Tila, and young Link were preparing to leave for Zora's Domain and had met near the castle entrance.

"Ready for some serious swimming, sweetheart?" said Tila to her husband. "It will keep you fit. But we can each pull you if you get too tired. And we promise to go slowly."

"I'm ready," laughed Link. "But a tow might be nice when we have to swim against the current in the Zora River."

"It's been quite a while since I pulled you through the water, hasn't it?" said Lapha.

"It has, Laff," said Link. "But I remember how much fun we had playing together with friends."

"Come on, let's get going before we get all sentimental," said Lapha. "Let us know when you get tired, okay, Link? Ready, Tila?"

They all dove into the moat and swam northeast to meet up with the Hylia River, then turned south on the way to the Zora River. Link managed to hold his own and, as expected, only needed help swimming against the strong opposing current of the Zora River.

By the time they arrived at Zora's Domain, it was lunchtime, and they headed straight for the house on Mikau Lake. After welcoming hugs all around, everyone sat down on a picnic blanket.

"Well, it's certainly nice having all of you home again," said Mipha as she looked around and smiled at everyone.

"Did you used to picnic here when the family was younger?" said Tila.

"Not so much," said Mipha. "Only if we wanted to have some fun racing up and down the waterfalls. We usually picnicked at Veiled Falls or Ralis Pond, even when it was just my brother with us."

"It is nice to be home with everyone again," said Lapha. "We don't do this often enough."

"Agreed!" said young Link. "I miss all of you. I hardly ever get to see Lapha, though we work so near each other."

"Is Princess Zelda keeping you too busy?" said Mila.

"No, not really," said young Link. "I'm busier working with my squad enhancing our security and defenses. Unless she travels somewhere, Princess Zelda doesn't need me."

"That was how it was with me too," said Link. "But we did a lot more traveling back in the day."

"Tila, are you comfortable living at the castle now?" said Mila. "I mean, besides having to put up with my darling brother."

"Thanks, Mi!" laughed young Link.

"Yes, it's been fine," laughed Tila taking her husband's hand. "Your darling brother has been a real darling, and we usually meet for lunch each day. Of course, it's not as nice as living here or at home, but it's pleasant enough. And I'm helping the Sheikah Technology group a little."

"What an understatement!" exclaimed Lapha. "Tila is helping our group a great deal. Dr. Purah and her staff are not as mathematically knowledgeable, and Tila has pointed out more than once how to model and better understand some phenomena. She is also teaching some advanced mathematics classes. Tila is being way too modest!"

"Are you following the conversation, Mi?" said Midon. "You understand what being modest means?"

"Yes, it's acting the opposite of you, Midon," said Mila. "It's like when you negate one of your variables in code."

"Well, that didn't take long!" laughed Lapha. "It's so nice to see that some things never change!"

"We still love each other, don't we, Mi?" laughed Midon as he winked at Mila, and she smiled back.

"Mom and Dad," said Lapha. "I heard about the incident near Lurelin Village. Is there any more information?"

"No, not really," said Link. "Sidon ordered a search, but the sea is way too vast. The guards found some isolated footprints on Tenoko Island, but that was it."

"Is it just me, or does it seem the effort to find this person is out of all proportion to the harm they caused?" said Midon. "I mean, they did hit Mom and you with an attack click, which was a nasty thing to do, but no one was hurt or anything."

"That's true," said Link. "But I think the concern was how inexplicable the event is. It's suspicious, and we all wonder who would do that and why?"

"What about that drone rune you were working on, Midon?" said Lapha. "You remember, the one I helped you with the signal failure issues. That could be used to search remotely in the future if we needed to."

"It could," said Midon. "But the idea never really caught on, and the rune was never released. There were some safety and privacy concerns about allowing it for general use. Perhaps you could inquire if there were interest in using it on a limited basis by authorized personnel only."

"I will speak to Dr. Purah about it," said Lapha.

"Well, the search for the culprit is over, and nobody was found," said Link. "So, perhaps we should all move on for now and not worry about it further."

"Should we go around and mention what we are doing? We used to do that when we were growing up," said Mila.

"If no one objects, we could do that," said Mipha. "I will be happy to start. I've been busy with Father attending meetings and overseeing some of the maintenance work being done around the Domain. I've been spending a lot of time helping my brother as he becomes more involved with domain security. He's doing fine, by the way, and regrets he couldn't make our picnic lunch today."

"I'll go next," said Link. "I've been doing some combat training with a few of the newer guards as Sidon asked me to offer some pointers. I've also been getting acquainted with the new Gerudo Ambassador and attending some of Queen Zelda's ambassador meetings by Tab. Mom and I plan to attend Astra's sixth birthday party next week at Hyrule Castle."

"I'll go next," said Mila. "I've been giving lectures on my book by Tab to several groups of historians or clubs with interest in history. The book is doing well for a book of that nature, and I'm very pleased. I'm still teaching and enjoying the work. And before Midon makes some sarcastic remark, I am still seeing Kendal. He is a full guard now and hopes to get promoted to the Royal Guards someday. But he is steadfast about not wanting any interference by our family."

"If our famous author is finished, I'll go next," said Midon after a pause. "I'm still coding and reviewing rune submissions. The rollout of the Compendium Rune went reasonably well, though I was surprised at how many people had trouble with it at first. We will be looking to expand the list of items available now that most people have gotten comfortable using it. And since Mila floated the topic and we are discussing our social life, I am still seeing Larena. She is a full architect now and was responsible for the beautiful new pier at Spool Bight. I thought her work there was very impressive and demonstrates how bright and talented she is."

"Larena is indeed very bright and talented, which only makes me wonder why she is still with you, Mido," laughed Mila. "I'm joking."

Midon stuck out his tongue.

"I guess if we are done with that display of filial affection, I can go next," laughed Lapha. "I am still working closely with Dr. Purah on technology developments and personally concentrating on better understanding the Shrine of Transformation in hopes I can adapt its function to cure disease. It's been very challenging, and the more I dig into the process, the more impressed I am with the knowledge the ancient Sheikah possessed. I think my work will take some years still, but I feel I am making progress. Socially, I see Kentle from time to time. He is still taking some graduate-level classes."

Tila had been looking around as each person spoke, waiting for her turn, and then she looked closer at Link and then back at her husband. Oh, wow, she thought.

"Tila, do you want to go next, or do you prefer I do?" said young Link interrupting her thoughts. "You don't have to go at all if you are uncomfortable."

"No, it's fine. I'll go next, sweetheart," said Tila. "I think it's a nice custom your family has, and I remember my sister Sopha began doing the same thing when you first visited us, Mila. I have meetings most mornings with Faray, and we go over what's happening in North Hyrule. I won't bore you with everything, but there is some work being done to widen the channel and allow faster travel from the Akkala Sea to our home port. As for my social life, he's sitting right next to me, and I couldn't be happier! We had a great time surfing last weekend, and you should all visit sometime and try it. It's a lot of fun!"

"Let's hope the channel widening doesn't uncover any mysterious tombs," said Link. "But thank you, TIla. Surfing does sound like fun."

"That leaves me," said young Link. "I've been busy with my squad assuring the royal family is well protected in case of a security breach. I went horseback riding with Princess Zelda earlier in the week, and we inspected the renovations at the Coliseum. And of course, socially, I am very, very happily married to the most wonderful person I could ever dream of. All of you really should visit North Hyrule and enjoy its northern coast. It's quite beautiful there, and the larger waves from the surf are awesome!"

"Perhaps we should visit," said Mipha. "Are you still able to shield surf, sweetheart?"

"I'm happy to race you anytime," laughed Link. "On land, I might even have a chance."

"You know, if you are all willing, we could leave after lunch and have a nice late afternoon and evening on the North Hyrule shore, then surf tomorrow and be back here by late afternoon tomorrow," said Tila. "What do you say to that?"

Everyone looked at each other, and Mipha finally spoke up.

"That sounds like a fun way for us to spend the weekend together," said Mipha. "We've never all gone to North Hyrule at the same time. What do the rest of you think?"

"Of course, I would love to go back again," said young Link. "I had a fantastic time there with Tila last weekend."

"I'm sure you did!" laughed Midon as young Link blushed. "But it does sound like fun, and it's one more thing I can show up my big sister at."

"Hearing that challenge, how can I refuse to go now?" said Mila.

"And if all of you go, I'm certainly not going to stay behind!" said Lapha.

"Alright, then I'll go along with the rest of you," said Link. "The North Hyrule seacoast it is!"

"Oh! I am so excited!" said Tila. "Give me a moment on my Tab to arrange transport and lodging. I can charter a high-speed ferry, and it can be here in an hour or so. And let me reserve some bungalows on the shore. Mila and Lapha, do you each want separate bungalows, or will you share?"

"No, I can share with my sister if it's okay with her," said Mila as she looked at Lapha, who nodded yes.

"We can do some sisterly catching up out of hearing of those in our family who can't mind their own business," said Mila looking at Midon.

"It's funny," laughed Link. "A Hylian would have said out of earshot of a nosy person, but lacking ears and noses, I can understand how Zoras would express it."

"Perfect!" said Tila after a few moments with her Tab. "You won't regret this! The northern coast is beautiful, and surfing is great fun."

"We need to let Father and my brother know," said Mipha. "Link, come with me."

Mipha and Link headed to the throne room while the rest of the family decided to have a brief swim in Mikau Lake and Midon challenged everyone to race up the falls.

"Do you really think this is a good idea?" said Link as Mipha and he made their way to the throne room. "I didn't want to dampen everyone else's enthusiasm with concerns."

"Are you worried about safety?" said Mipha. "Or are you worried about doing badly at surfing?"

"Safety, of course," laughed Link. "Since when have I ever been embarrassed to make a fool of myself in the water, especially with you?"

"That's a little harsh on yourself," laughed Mipha. "Let's see how Father and Sidon feel about it."

They reached the throne room in time to see the end of a meeting with King Dorephan, Sidon, and the captain of the guards, Larah.

"Please wait, both of you," said Mipha to Sidon and Larah. "What we came to discuss is a matter that may interest you. Our whole family is planning an overnight one-day trip to North Hyrule. Do you have any concerns?"

"Well, yes," said Sidon. "We have reason to believe the person who click attacked you was probably from North Hyrule and may have returned there by now. Is it essential that you go?"

"Not essential," said Mipha. "But it would be nice to do something fun together as a family. Who knows how many opportunities we will have?"

"All right, I understand," said Sidon. "Larah, what do you think?"

"Perhaps you should take a couple of our guards with you," said Larah.