Summary: Mipha and Link infiltrate enemy headquarters and learn what they can, including a surprise about their leader. North Hyrule Scientists develop a plan to disable the invisibility garments.

It was early afternoon as Mipha and Link sat patiently above the foot of Gortram Cliff in the Eldin Region, awaiting the next opportunity to sneak into the enemy's hideout. Link leaned over and put his head close to Mipha, which caused her to jerk her head back in surprise as he was invisible to her.

"Sorry, I forgot, sweetheart," whispered Link. "We might need to drink another elixir soon, but we still have about an hour to go."

Mipha nodded.

"If we get a chance and that door opens up, we should move quickly. We'll hold hands, but I'll go in first. If you can't or shouldn't follow me inside, you can head back and alert them to the location of the hideout."

Mipha ignored the second comment, and Link straightened up.

Another hour passed, and they finally had no choice but to consume their second batch of elixir each. Afterward, Mipha leaned her head against Link, and he put his arm around her. It was boring sitting and waiting like this, but it was an opportunity they might not get again. Another hour or so passed, and finally, they heard something.

Link looked up, and he could make out someone approaching the lava pool from the west. He covered Mipha's mouth with his hand, and Mipha nodded, though she couldn't see the person. The stranger paused at the pool and spoke into a communication device. Then the lava pool began to drain as before, and when the lava was gone, a rock covered doorway opened up. The traveler entered and disappeared from Link's view.

Link had been holding Mipha's hand all this time, and now with a tug, he indicated they needed to go. They quietly made their way down the cliff side to the empty lava basin, and the door was still open. Link entered, and Mipha followed right behind him. Then they halted. A small panel with a pair of lights was visible next to the door, and the green light was lit. A moment later, the green light went out, and the red lamp flashed as the door closed behind them. Once closed, the red lamp glowed a steady red. Presumably, the lava pool was refilling, and they were sealed inside the enemy hideout, though it wasn't clear what had caused the door to close.

There was only a single tunnel, and it led straight ahead, sloping downward deeper into the ground. No one was in sight, so Mipha and Link quietly made their way along the tunnel. The air grew colder as they descended, and Luminous Stones along the wall lit the way. There was no sign yet of the person who had preceded them, and there was only one passageway, so they continued. Link thought he could hear music faintly in the distance, but then it suddenly stopped.

As they descended further, they could make out voices and the glow from a bright light ahead. They crept closer so they could hear, then Link squeezed Mipha's hand to stop.

"I wish they would do something about those damn boulders, build a fence or a wall or something," said one voice. "The other day, I had just gotten outside when I hear this noise. I turn around, and there's this boulder as big as a horse rolling by, just missing me!"

"Ouch! You're lucky," said a second voice. "But you know we're not supposed to do anything that might give away our location. Our orders are to leave everything outside untouched."

"I know, I'm just saying," said the first voice. "There, I finally got this thing off. Can you hand me the container?"

"Yes, but please handle the outfit with care," said the second voice. "It costs a fortune, and those outfits are in limited supply!"

"And they work great," said the first voice. "The outfit is just a tight fit for me. Here, all set."

"Thanks. See you later," said the second voice.

"Yeah, funny," said the first voice.

It was quiet now, the first voice belonging to the person who had recently returned and taken off their invisibility outfit. The second voice must belong to someone on duty ahead. Link was concerned about them being quiet enough to sneak by unnoticed when they had a stroke of good luck. They both suddenly heard the music again as the guard on duty must have turned on his Tab. Link tugged Mipha's hand and held it as they slowly and quietly crept forward.

When they reached the lit area, they could see it was a small room-sized cavern, and a guard sat at a desk on their left, his feet up and listening to music. There were numbered lockers along the wall, and behind the guard was a small panel with two buttons and two lights, one of which glowed red. Presumably, that was the device used to open and close the door. Straight ahead of them was a passageway with a sign by the entrance in bold letters.

Invisibility garments forbidden beyond this point!

They tip-toed past the guard who never stirred, then entered the passage at the far end of the small cavern. At first, there was only one way to travel, and they followed it. But soon they came to a fork where a separate passage branched off to their right, and they paused to listen.

Link with his Hylian ears had better hearing than Mipha, on land at least. He listened intently and heard footsteps. Someone was approaching from the passageway on the right, so he took Mipha's hand and pulled her next to him as they squeezed against the passage wall away from the opening.

A person in a Yiga Clan uniform emerged from the right passage, then turned right and headed down the passage straight ahead. Mipha and Link waited until he was far enough ahead, then followed at a safe distance. Again they could make out a growing light ahead, and soon they could hear another conversation.

"Yes, I'm talking about the meeting in an hour," said one voice. "Our agent at Zora's Domain, Logan, never reported back, and our leader is concerned. The meeting is to discuss what to do next, and you may need to be ready sooner than expected. I wanted to give you a chance to think about what you will say."

"That's just great!" said the second voice sarcastically. "Not all our agents have the devices yet. I have to build them here in the lab, you know. We could never crack the North Hyrule compendium code and change it to suit our purposes. Even Grendon said it was decryption proof. So, we're limited like everyone else to use runes only to create approved items, which does not include explosives. It takes time to make these kinds of bombs and deliver them to all our agents."

"I'm just letting you know," said the first voice. "Our leader called the meeting, so you had better have a plan."

"I'll come up with a plan, but what's our leader's plan? What's the endgame?" said the second voice. "I mean, suppose we kill all of Hyrule's leaders, then what? Won't new leaders just take their place? I'm a scientist, not a war strategist, but I don't understand what that gets us."

"Keep your voice down," said the first voice. "I think civil unrest and fear are the short-term goals, instilling terror over an unseen enemy. He's already said his long-term goal is to resurrect the one we worshipped."

"Fat chance of that!" said the second voice. "Last time it took ten thousand years, right?"

"Well, between you and me, I think a personal desire for revenge also drives him," said the first voice more softly.

"Personal revenge over what?" said the second voice softly.

"The murder of his father," said the first voice softly. "It was over fifteen years ago now that his father's forces were defeated and the so-called hero of Hyrule killed his father, leaving his body to rot in the Lanayru Wetlands. Our leader was just a child back then. But he learned what happened, and he never forgave Hyrule for it. Anyway, it doesn't matter what the endgame is. We all have to play our parts. I have to get back now. See you in an hour."

"Yeah, thanks for the info," said the second voice.

Link squeezed against the wall as did Mipha when the soldier made his way back the way he came. Fortunately, he stuck to the middle of the passageway. Had he bumped into either of them, Link was prepared to strangle him. Once he passed, they moved further away from where the voices had come from, and Mipha tugged Link's hand with a gesture indicating she wanted to speak to him.

"We've learned enough, and we should leave," said Mipha. "Why risk discovery?"

"You're probably right," said Link. "We know who our enemy is now. I remember Dark Link and my fight with him sixteen years ago. He must have had a son who seems intent on following in his father's evil footsteps. And we now know their plan, to use bombs to kill Hyrule's leaders. I would dearly love to inflict some casualties, though!"

"That would be reckless and likely cause them to attack sooner," said Mipha. "We don't know how many of them are here, and we don't even have decent weapons. You said this was a mission of stealth, not combat."

"Yes, you're right," said Link. "But I may have to eliminate the guard at the desk to open the door, and after that, they will surely know something is wrong. I don't think we can hang around the entrance indefinitely waiting for someone to go in or out. Plus, our elixir won't last much longer, and we need it once we step outside. Making more elixir inside here would render me partly visible."

Link stopped speaking and cocked his head.

"Shh, someone's coming," said Link, hearing footsteps coming from the passageway behind them.

Once again, they shrank against the side of the passageway as a Yiga Clan foot soldier passed them carrying some kind of device. They followed him at a discreet distance until he stopped at the guard by the desk.

"You have a suit and backpack ready for me?" said the soldier placing the device on the desk.

"Yes, in locker number 3," said the guard. "Did you drink your elixir?"

"Yes, just now," said the soldier.

"You're not going to the meeting either, then?" said the guard.

"No, it's mostly for higher-ups," said the soldier. "I'm supposed to deliver this bomb to Zora's Domain. Our agent failed to report, and they want to be ready."

"The backpack is in the container on the floor of the locker," said the guard. "Is that thing safe to carry around?"

"So they say," said the soldier. "I have the detonator, and the safety switch is on."

There was the noise of someone putting on clothing.

"All set," said the soldier.

"Nice seeing you," said the guard as he stood up and pressed the switch to open the door.

"Aren't you sick of that joke yet?" said the soldier.

"Come on! This is our chance to get outside," whispered Link.

"And we can't let that bomb near our home," said Mipha.

They made their way along the passageway. They had to move more quickly than before to catch up to the soldier and for fear of missing the open door. As they passed the guard at the desk, he looked up with a puzzled expression, thinking he sensed movement. He turned his head back and forth, but seeing nothing, he did nothing. By the time Mipha and Link reached the door, the red lamp was blinking on and off, showing the lava was draining. Link could see the soldier waiting there, but Mipha could not. When the door finally opened, the soldier stepped through. Mipha and Link followed behind him, Link holding her hand.

The soldier headed up the steep incline to the west and then started climbing down toward the road below. The late afternoon sun shone against the orange rocks, casting long shadows along the way. At one point, Link slipped and made a small noise, some debris rolling down the hill. The soldier turned to look as Link and Mipha froze, but the soldier assumed it was a small rockslide, something common in the area. When the soldier reached the road, he turned south past the site Link recalled an Igneo Talus once lurked. It was an open, flat area. Link pulled at Mipha's hand, indicating she should stop, then he bent his head to hers.

"I need the Zora bow from my backpack," he whispered.

Link opened his backpack, pulled out the bow and arrows, then closed it. He threaded an arrow, then took Mipha's hand, and they resumed walking until they closed the distance. Link climbed on a small rock, took careful aim, and killed the soldier with one well-placed shot.

"Normally, I like a fair fight, but it's too risky. And anyone who threatens our home can expect nothing less from me," said Link as he took Mipha's hand. "Come on, let's get his backpack."

Link approached the fallen soldier, confirmed he was dead, then removed his backpack, opened it, and saw the bomb, detonator, plus a spare outfit.

"I'll take his Tab too," said Link. If they're tracking him, then it will seem natural he's heading for the Domain. I'm not sure what to do about the bomb, though. It looks like you detonate it remotely by a signal, and perhaps that signal can originate from elsewhere. Bringing it back to the Domain would only do their work for them. On the other hand, it might be useful for someone who knows what they're doing to study it."

"I say destroy it," said Mipha. "Roll it down the cliff from here into the Goronbi River or Lake. That way, you're far away from it in case it detonates. I think it's too risky to transport. As you said, it can be detonated remotely, perhaps even from their hideout. It's more important that we find the bombs in time than to understand them, at least for now. We can keep the detonator to study."

"Very well, please wait here, and I'll roll this into the lava lake from above," said Link. "And you can take my backpack while I carry his. Here, let me help put it on you."

Link put his backpack on Mipha, then carried the explosive to the top of the cliff, rolled it down, and watched it fall into the lava, stepping back as it did so. But there was no explosion, and the device melted away.

When he returned, they resumed their journey, climbing over the cliff east of Goronbi Lake and then paragliding down together over Lake Ferona and toward the Foothill Rest Area.

"I think we can safely take off these outfits now," said Link. "I'll see if we can rent a motorized cycle from the rest area. They're allowed to create them using a rest-area only rune."

They stripped off their outfits and put them in the backpacks.

"Nice to see you again, sweetheart," said Mipha. "And well done."

"Here, you had better use the Lens while I get the cycle," said Link handing it to her.

Mipha put on the Lens of Truth and looked around, but there was nothing out of the ordinary. Link approached the rest area attendant.

"Hi, I'd like to rent a motorized cycle, one-way rental," said Link.

"Sure, I just need your Tab," said the attendant.

"Oh, yes, well, about that. I have my Tab right here, but it's not transmitting or receiving," said Link, taking his Tab out and showing it to him. Link thought for a second about trying to use the dead soldier's Tab, then remembered he didn't know the password.

"That's strange! I don't think I've ever seen that. Let me think," said the attendant. "Well, I guess in that case, you must leave a deposit in Rupees. Is that all right? And I'll just need to get your info off the Tab."

"That's fine," said Link.

When the transaction was complete, Link drove the cycle over to where Mipha was waiting.

"The Zora treasury owes me 500 Rupees," said Link.

"I'll see what I can do," said Mipha as she hopped on the back of the cycle and held on to him. "The coast is clear. Riding like this reminds me of our trip to Gerudo Town to rescue those guards. Are you sure you remember how to drive this?"

"Don't worry, sweetheart. It's one of those things you never forget," said Link.

"Says the person who even forgot about me," said Mipha as she kissed him on the neck. "I'm teasing you, sweetheart. We should go. We don't know how much time we have and must alert people."

"Hold on tight, dear!" said Link.

"I planned to anyway, sweetheart," said Mipha as she planted another kiss on his neck and squeezed him. "Now, concentrate on the road, please!"

They zoomed off together to the south on their way back to the Domain.

Meanwhile, in Zora's Domain, Mila and Midon had finished lunch and were sitting alone together at the dining room table. Lapha had gone back to Hyrule Castle first thing in the morning to continue working with Purah and Robbie. Tila, Linky, and Tara were off swimming together at Ruto Lake. Midon looked at his sister, and she seemed distracted, gazing off into nowhere.

"You're very quiet, Sis," said Midon. "Please try not to worry."

"I try," said Mila, turning to him. "And I know I worry too much, but I can't help it."

"Maybe when we both get past adolescence, you'll outgrow it, another twenty years or so," said Midon.

"Yeah, maybe, we'll see," said Mila. "And it's funny that I always worry more about Dad than Mom. At first, I used to worry Dad would grow unhappy living here and not want to stay with us. Then later, I thought of Dad as the more fragile one, more vulnerable, unable to last underwater more than a couple minutes. Mom has always been the strong one to me, our Champion. Yet I know Dad is actually the better combatant and the hero who saved Hyrule. It's just the way I think of air-breathing Hylians, I guess."

"I understand exactly how you feel, Mi," said Midon. "That's why I was always looking out for Linky at school, making sure nobody picked on him. We can't help it. Water is our natural element, and we judge other creatures by their ability in the water. Hylians are helpless there. But Hylians view everything from a land-based perspective, so they look on us as weaker. And the Rito think anyone who can't fly is inferior to them. Who knows what Gorons think!"

Mila smiled at Midon, then reached out across the table and took his hand.

"I know you're being sweet and trying to distract me," said Mila. "You're a good brother with a kind heart. You just have a terrible mouth."

"I just can't resist a joke sometimes," laughed Midon. "And I know they don't always come off well. But I love you, Sis. You know that, don't you?"

"I do, Mido," laughed Mila squeezing his hand. "And I love you too."

"I worry a little about Laff, though," said Midon, continuing the conversation. "She's all work and no play. But she's so in her element with technology. It seems to drive her."

"Lapha is fine," said Mila. "Her work is her play. I think Dr. Purah is her role model, and she wants to learn all she can. We may all benefit from her work someday."

"Yeah, I guess," said Midon. "But I'm happy for Linky. He grew up so fast, and now he has a lovely family."

"Yes, they make a very nice family," said Mila. "Tila's fins curled for Linky from early on, and I'm glad for both their sakes it worked out. Little Tara is gorgeous!"

"I remember the concerts at Ruto Lake," said Midon. "My friends all wanted me to introduce them to Tila. Some of them said they wanted to move to North Hyrule, thinking everyone there was like her. I had to laugh."

"Yeah, she always made a big splash at those concerts, and the dances too," said Mila. "I'm happy she ended up with Linky, because I know she loves him. And he loves her too. And thank you for more distracting conversation."

Just then, they heard a noise at the door and stood up.

"Mom! Dad! Thank Nayru!" exclaimed Mila.