Summary: The North Hyrule scientists make some progress. Mipha and Link begin to investigate enemy activity in the Eldin Region.

In an underground cave in the Eldin Region, Lieutenant Kenyon was overseeing spy activity as best he could. The Hyrule Castle area was supervised directly by the captain, but he was responsible for the other four regions. Three of the spies under his command who were tasked with tracking leaders had reported in, one each from Gerudo Town, Rito Village, and Goron City. But the fourth, Sergeant Logan in Zora's Domain, had not, the sole exception.

Kenyon shook his head and muttered to himself. He had urged the captain not to assign Logan to Zora's Domain again, that he was bound to make some mistake as he had with the jar at East Reservoir Lake. But the captain had overruled his objections, apparently impressed by Logan's resourcefulness in shooting Zora Champion Mipha to death with a Shock Arrow. Besides, the captain had said, Logan was familiar with Zora's Domain. He was the best man for the job! What a joke thought Kenyon.

Anyway, Logan hadn't reported in, and who knew what had happened? It could be as simple as he dropped his communicator in the Lake to the extreme of being discovered and killed. The captain hated to hear I told you so, but Kenyon would find it hard to resist. He tried one more time to raise Logan, but without success.

That same afternoon, Lapha prepared to journey with the Lens of Truth and a sample of the invisible cloth to the Royal Ancient Tech Lab just west of Hyrule Castle.

"Here's the piece of strap you asked for," said Mipha handing her a packet containing a small piece of one of the invisible backpack straps. "Be safe and be careful. Our enemy may soon realize that their soldier met his untimely end."

"I will, Mom," said Lapha. "And Uncle Sidon assigned two guards to accompany me there and back. Is Dad out?"

"He's swimming with Tara, Tila, and your little brother," said Mipha. "I have a meeting with your uncle in a few minutes to discuss Domain defenses, so I stayed behind."

"Then I'll be off," said Lapha hugging and kissing Mipha. "I'll be back late tomorrow, hopefully with some answers."

Lapha went outside and met the two guards, Greve and Manto.

"All set?" said Lapha.

"Ready when you are, Princess Lapha," said Mento.

They made their way from Mikau Lake to the Zora's Domain ferry terminal. Lapha used the Lens of Truth on the way there and up until she boarded the ferry, and found it fascinating. But she hadn't seen anything unexpected. After safely on board the boat and having cast off, she put the Lens away.

"I'll be staying at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab all night and all day tomorrow. I won't be returning home until tomorrow evening," said Lapha. "I'll Tab you when I'm ready, so please feel free to do as you wish until then."

"Thank you," said Greve. "If you don't need us by the lab then, Manto and I will probably hang out at Castle Town. There's a restaurant there that serves fresh saltwater fish that's quite the splash."

"Yes, I know it well," said Lapha. "You'll enjoy it."

"May we ask how seriously Lady Mipha was injured?" said Manto. "We were overflowing with prayers of gratitude to Nayru when we learned she was still alive. I've never seen so many people so happy at one time! Everyone loves your mother, Princess Lapha."

"She almost didn't survive," said Lapha. "She was attacked with a Shock Arrow, and in a coma for some time. As my uncle said, we concealed her survival to buy some time. But she's fully recovered."

The ferry picked up speed as it headed north. Lapha planned to stay onboard the ferry past its Castle Town stop as it circled north of Hyrule Castle and then disembark at the stop by the lab where Purah and Robbie were eagerly awaiting her arrival with the Lens.

"We've been testing the proximity rune Prince Midon developed," said Greve. "It's quite effective, and your brother is very talented."

"Yes, he is when he puts his mind to it," said Lapha. "And that's the best we can do for now. Please make use of it at every opportunity. I know it can be annoying when it triggers false alarms for people you already know are present. But one enhancement we rolled out counts the number of people within the range you set. You should verify that it coincides with everyone you see."

"Yes," said Manto. "There was a brief tutorial when we first opened the rune, but thank you."

"We'll see you safely to the lab," said Greve. "Those were Prince Sidon's orders. Then we'll swim over to Castle Town from there."

"Thank you," said Lapha. "What I'm carrying may be very important to our success."

By the time the ferry finally docked at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, it was early evening. Lapha thanked and said good night to the two guards, then entered the lab. Purah was bubbling with excited anticipation.

"This is so thrilling! We have not had a major Sheikah discovery since before the Calamity," said Purah, rubbing her hands in her excitement.

"Not unless you count my inventions, Dr. Purah," said Robbie. "Which apparently you do not."

Purah ignored Robbie's comment with a wave of her hand, then she and Robbie followed Lapha to the work table where Lapha took out the Lens and put it down along with the small packet containing the invisible cloth sample.

"Yes, it's definitely of Sheikah origin!" said Purah as she looked the Lens over. "Let's use it now and check out the lab. I'll remove the sample cloth as well."

Purah put on the Lens and glanced around the lab, but there was nothing hidden. She took out the sample cloth and placed it on the table, then took off the Lens and handed it to Robbie, who tried it in turn.

"Yes, this is very interesting," said Robbie. "The secret to its making must have been lost long ago."

"According to my understanding, this artifact dates back to an era even before the Hero of Time's day," said Lapha. "So, it is very old, indeed."

"Yes, but very well constructed," said Robbie as he continued to use the Lens. "It seems in perfect condition. I know it's urgent to make progress, but whatever experimentation we perform must not risk damaging it. Dr. Purah and I plan to work on this every minute we can, sleeping here in the lab when we must."

"I will stay here as well to help with this," said Lapha. "I'm hopeful we can get enough readings to understand its workings by the end of day tomorrow so I can return the lens to the Domain by then, as my mother requested."

"Let's proceed at once then," said Purah.

Meanwhile, earlier that afternoon, Link had returned home and swapped places with Mipha, who left to join Tila, Linky, and Tara at Ruto Lake. Link was updating Queen Zelda on the situation and discussing his plans with her.

"Purah and Robbie should have the lens to study by tonight, and we sent samples of the invisible fabric to them as well as the North Hyrule scientists," said Link.

"Thank you for handling that," said Zelda. "We owe Mipha a huge debt of gratitude for her efforts obtaining these items."

"Yes, we do, though it came at the cost of worry by her family," said Link. "We also recovered two invisibility outfits we can use. I propose Mipha and I do some snooping in the Eldin Region and see what we can learn while the scientists tackle the theory."

Zelda paused a moment to think.

"Link, I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that," said Zelda. "I don't like seeing you and Mipha putting yourselves at such high risk. If you're discovered, nobody can help you. Can't anyone else do this? I can speak to the Goron chief about obtaining their help."

"Goron help may well prove useful later," said Link. "But the two outfits we obtained won't fit a Goron. Besides, both Mipha and I have extensive field experience, and I'm familiar with the Eldin Region. Unlike others who might come to mind, we don't have a young family anymore, Zelda. Our children are all grown. Who else can you find as qualified as us?"

Zelda sighed and paused to think again. After everything Link had done for Hyrule, it seemed unfair to place him in danger once again. And bringing his wife along seemed only to make matters worse, though she hesitated to object since Mipha's healing power could save Link's life.

"Are you sure you and Mipha will be all right there?" said Zelda. "You know how hot it gets!"

"We can drink elixirs and make use of the Goron Hot Springs for water time if needed," said Link. "I would be happy to go alone, but after this last adventure, Mipha and I promised each other to work together. I envision our mission as a quick there and back to learn what we can. We'll leave the day after tomorrow, after Purah, Robbie, and Lapha hopefully finish their analysis and return the Lens of Truth to us for our use."

"Unfortunately, much as I would like to, I have trouble disagreeing with your logic," said Zelda. "But I still don't like it. Keep well and safe, Link."

"You too, Zelda," said Link as they ended the call.

Now he had to find Mipha, who he thought was being a bit reckless going out in the open so much. But he understood it had been so long since she had gone swimming with Tara and her family that it was hard to argue against it. They were all at Ruto Lake, and he made his way there and dove in. He noticed some extra security guards present who were checking their Tabs, presumably using the proximity rune.

When Link entered the water, Tara noticed him, swam over to him at once, then took his hand and pulled him toward the rest of the family.

"Glad you could join us," said Mipha as they kissed. "Ready for some tag? It's cute how much Tara kept coming to me when we first got here. It's been some time since I could play with everyone."

"You know I would prefer you to keep hidden until we get the lens back, but I also know how hard that must be," said Link. "I can't believe I'm the one asking you to be less reckless."

"We're going to be reckless together, remember?" said Mipha. "But seriously, I am being cautious, and Sidon increased Domain security. It will be much harder for someone to get past them now."

After playing tag for about an hour, it was time for Tara to rest.

"We'll take Tara home now, Dad," said Linky.

Mipha and Link kissed Tara as she left with Tila and Linky.

"How did your call with Zelda go?" said Mipha once the others left.

"She wasn't thrilled," said Link. "You still want to do it, right?"

"Yes," said Mipha. "I can't rest until this threat is eliminated. Don't you?"

"Of course," said Link. "But you know this is a mission of stealth. We can only stay invisible with what fits in that backpack. So, you can't take your trident, and I can't take my sword. We can take my Tab to create food and elixirs if we can disable it enough to avoid detection. I'll check with Midon about that. We can also pack a short weapon and a bow and arrow."

"I understand," said Mipha. "We have tonight and tomorrow here, and I want to spend it with our family."

Link looked at her.

"That's fine, but we're coming back, you know," said Link.

"I know we are," said Mipha. "But I haven't had time with them outside the house for quite a while. Come on, lighten up! I'll race you to the island here, and I'll even give you a head start."

"You're on!" said Link.

Mipha signaled to the guards where they were going, and one guard swam on ahead, then waved it was okay.

Link started swimming and gave it his all. He was almost to the island when Mipha caught up with him but didn't pass him. Instead, she took him in her arms, and they held each other and kissed.

"I love you," said Mipha. "And you would have lost."

"I love you, too," said Link. "And I don't mind."

They shared another kiss as they floated together.

"How many kisses do you imagine we have shared here?" said Mipha.

"Not enough," said Link as they kissed once again.

"Let's discuss our plans," said Mipha. "How are we going to stay invisible? Only one of us can carry the backpack. And to use the Lens, we need to wear it under the outfit."

"Perhaps I should do both," said Link. "If we're detected somehow, I'm the better combatant. Remember, you won't have your trident."

"But if we're separated, and you're injured, without the lens, how will I find you to heal you?" said Mipha.

"If I'm injured, then the cloth will be torn, hopefully enough to see," said Link. "We can think about it more tomorrow."

"Yes, let's go," said Mipha.

Mipha signaled the guard, who waved back, then they all returned to the lower level of the Domain, and swam over to one of the internal waterfalls. Before swimming up it, Mipha took Link's arm.

"Do you remember when we taught Mila and Midon to swim up waterfalls here?" said Mipha. "They were both so cute! Mila wanted you to teach her, but I had to explain that you swam differently. And Midon mastered it first."

"Yes, it must be what, about twenty-seven years ago now? They were only four," said Link. "You did the teaching, and I watched. And that was when we found out Mila inherited your healing ability after she swam up too fast and bumped her leg on the wall. I remember it very well."

"And now our granddaughter is learning the same thing," said Mipha shaking her head. "It's amazing how the time has passed."

"That's usually what I think about," said Link. "Come on, sweetheart. Let's go home."

They swam up the waterfall one at a time, then walked to their house on Mikau Lake.

The next day Purah, Robbie, and Lapha continued their research on the Lens of Truth.

"Well, we learned a lot of things that don't work," said Purah.

"Always the optimist!" laughed Robbie. "But of course that is scientifically correct. I have some more ideas."

Meanwhile, in North Hyrule, Saldon and Aldora had been experimenting with the cloth sample all day.

"It's rather difficult experimenting with something you can't see," said Aldora.

"Yes, unfortunately," said Saldon. "So far, nothing we've tried has rendered the object visible. Perhaps we should tear a small piece off for more stringent testing and avoid damaging the whole sample."

"A good idea, Master," said Aldora. "I can feel it well enough to cut off a piece."

Aldora picked up some shears and snipped off a piece. She put the cut piece in a small dish and was about to restore the other part to its container when she noticed something.

"Look at my finger, Master Saldon, where I held the fabric as I cut it," said Aldora.

"What am I looking for?" said Saldon as he bent to examine her finger more closely.

"Don't you see it?" said Aldora. "It's like dust, but if you look closely, it appears my finger has tiny holes in it. Here, let me hold my finger up to the light."

Aldora raised her hand in front of the bright lab light, and you could see the light coming through several of what looked like pinpricks in her finger.

"That is amazing!" said Saldon. "Obviously, there are no holes in your finger. So, let's consider how this material achieves this?"

Aldora and Saldon thought for a moment.

"It seems this fabric is composed of an enormous number of tiny receptors and projectors that work in harmony with each other. Luckily some clung to both sides of my finger. The ones in front of my finger sense what is in the back through the sensors on the other side, and project it to the front. It's apparently like a vast array of tiny screens all linked to each other. Put a mesh of these tiny devices around something, and it's as if whatever it covers isn't there. And I suppose it works in both directions. If we shine a light on the front of my finger, it passes it to the rear receptors, and they project it outward as if the light traveled right through my finger."

"You're undoubtedly correct, Aldora," said Saldon. "And these receptors do not work with audio waves, hence Grendon's comment that it could not fool a Zora. Luckily his research did not proceed any further. But I wonder how this is possible? What is the energy source?"

"Each receptor must be self-powered by ancient energy," said Aldora. "Or perhaps the fabric needs to be recharged periodically. It's still pretty recent that it was in use. But at least we're making progress."

"Yes, indeed, and we should share what we have learned with Dr. Purah," said Saldon. "I understand she is working on the way to render this fabric visible, and this could narrow the scope of what she needs to research."

"I" ll call her," said Aldora. "She has our current encryption standard?"

"Yes," said Saldon. "So does her assistant Dr. Robbie and Mistress Tila's sister-in-law, Lapha."

It was already evening when Aldora placed the call, and afterward, Purah explained the North Hyrule discovery to Robbie and Lapha.

"That gives me another idea of how to render the fabric visible, though it's more theoretical than practical," said Robbie. "But it sheds no light on how the Lens works, no pun intended. The Lens must shift the spectrum of what's visible to different wavelengths or some such thing. But I can't tell how it does that."

"What was your idea to render the fabric visible?" said Purah.

"If Ancient Energy powers the fabric, then perhaps a burst of it would overload the receptors. It's an idea anyway," said Robbie.

"And how do you intend to administer this burst of energy?" said Purah.

"Well, an Ancient Arrow would probably work," said Robbie.

"So, hitting the fabric with an Ancient Arrow would render it visible," said Purah. "But how do you aim the Ancient Arrow while it's still invisible?"

"I said theoretical, not practical," said Robbie. "I think the ultimate answer is a way to view the object through wavelengths that these receptors do not work with. Sadly, I don't think we will have time to figure out how to do that before you need to return the Lens, Princess Lapha. However, the good news is we don't need the Lens to continue our work."

"Well, at least we know what we need to do," said Lapha. "I need to leave to catch the last ferry. Good luck with the research."

Lapha Tabbed her two guards, and they met her outside the lab. She donned the Lens, and then they made their way to the ferry terminal. Soon they were on their way back to the Domain, and Lapha removed the Lens.

"Did you both enjoy your time here?" said Lapha.

"Yes, very much so, Princess," said Manto. "We hope your time here was productive."

"To some extent," said Lapha. "It was tiring, and I'll be glad to get home."

Mipha and Link had spent the day swimming and playing with the family. They explained what they planned to do after their family dinner that evening.

"Mom and I are going to the Eldin Region to do some investigating. I know none of you will be happy to learn that, but we need to move quickly to learn what we can before our enemy attacks," said Link to a suddenly quiet table.

"We will use the invisibility garments that came into our possession, and the Lens of Truth I retrieved," said Mipha. "We promise to be careful. The whole success of our mission depends upon our safe return. And it's a mission of stealth, not combat."

Mila was the first to speak up.

"I guess you waited until tonight to tell us to avoid arguments?" said Mila. "There is nobody else who could do this?"