Summary: A flashback triggered by an old Mipha diary entry causes Link to recover his memory of their Lynel battle on Ploymus Mountain. Link and Mipha plan to begin training together using Purah's simulation process. Tara and her family visit Hyrule Castle to see the new baby. A stranger pays a visit to the horned statue at Hateno Village.

Blood Moon (Noun): 1: An astronomical event in which the moon turns fiery red, sometimes associated with a lunar eclipse. 2: In Champion Link's Journal, an occasion when Ganon's power grew, and the spirits of monsters slain in the name of the light returned to flesh. -Royal Hylian Dictionary

It was morning at Zora's Domain, and Link, Mipha, and Mila were having breakfast together. Tara and her family were visiting Princess Zelda and the baby at Hyrule Castle, and Midon left early to work by the Rutala Dam, where Larena was working as well.

"Thanks for catching the fish for me, Mila," said Link as he sat down with his cooked fish.

"No problem, Dad," said Mila. "By the way, do you think you might have time to get back to organizing your journal? I would like to start getting some of it ready for publication."

"Oh," said Link after swallowing a bite. "Well, you know, sweetheart, I've been pretty busy. A lot has been going on of late."

"I know, Dad, but can you at least start on it this morning?" said Mila. "Mom has a meeting with Grandfather, and I'll be leaving to teach after breakfast. Everyone else is out, and you'll have the house all to yourself."

"Yes, sweetheart, you really should start organizing things," said Mipha. "It's not fair to Mila to expect her to do all the work."

"Yes, I guess you're both right," sighed Link. "I'll start this morning."

Link didn't enjoy organizing his writing. He preferred to write and move on. But having agreed to do it, when the time came, he kissed Mila and Mipha goodbye, then headed upstairs to the room that served as their study and library. He sighed again as he looked over at all the papers strewn about the shelves. Purah would be proud of his disorganization! Many documents were lying about, and most were chapters from his journal. And sadly, they would all require sorting by date.

He started looking through them, taking down piles of paper and arranging them in order. But as he reached one shelf, he spotted Mipha's old diary sitting at the far end. He had to smile when he saw it, for this was the diary Mipha had kept before they married, the very same one he had quoted from in front of Zelda and the Champions to prove he was from the future. Mipha hadn't let him forget her embarrassment, but she finally got over it.

Link took down her diary from the shelf, wiped some dust off the cover, then opened it and began reading. As he paged through the diary, he recalled a good deal of it. After all, he had memorized it at one time. There was the part describing how they first met. But then, as he turned another few pages and continued reading, something happened as he came upon the following passage.

"Link came to visit me. It had been ages. I told him the Lynel of Ploymus Mountain has been terrorizing everyone lately. When I said that, he started walking toward the mountain, without a word. Spellbound, I followed him there."

Suddenly he began to have a flashback, something he hadn't had in some time now. These flashbacks were always so unpredictable! But it all started to come back to him, and he began to remember that incident. He closed his eyes, and in his mind, he was back with Mipha over thirty-five years ago.

It was a sunny afternoon, and he was walking with Mipha near Lulu Lake. He was wearing his Hylian outfit, his hood folded back behind his head, and the sword that seals the darkness on his back. Mipha looked magnificent in her Zora jewelry, her braided gold aiguillette draped over her left shoulder, and carrying her Lightscale Trident. They passed a small clump of pine trees and some purple shrubs that looked like sea coral. The sound of the waterfall splashing into the lake filled the air, and a Blue-Winged Heron flew away as they approached.

"I'm glad you came," said Mipha. "It feels so long since you were here."

Link glanced at her and then looked down. She was right. He used to visit more often, to see her and sometimes play with his other three friends, Bazz, Rivan and Gaddison. Mipha would heal any cuts and bruises he had, and then they would talk about what each of them was doing, walk together or play in the water, and swim.

"I know," said Link, shaking his head. "It feels long for me too."

"Remember the time we took Sidon on a picnic here?" said Mipha as they reached Lulu Lake. "He had so much fun playing with you and splashing you, chasing you around the water, and under the falls."

"Yes, he's adorable!" said Link. "At first, he was shy and even gave me dirty looks. Then he warmed up to me when we played together."

They walked quietly for another moment, then Mipha spoke up.

"You've gotten so quiet lately, Link," said Mipha. "What's wrong? Can't you relax a bit, and maybe even manage a small smile for me?"

It was the sword that seals the darkness that did it. Being chosen by the sword had slowly changed him. The sword brought with it a burden he alone bore, a responsibility he alone carried. His role was to defeat Ganon in combat. And as skilled as he was with a blade now, could you ever be fully confident of overcoming such a powerful and legendary foe?

"I'm sorry," said Link as he broke down and smiled at her. "I know I must be terrible company. But I feel under so much pressure now! Everyone expects me to defeat the most powerful enemy Hyrule has ever known. How can I relax?"

"I wish there were something I could do," sighed Mipha. "Oh, I did agree to pilot Divine Beast Vah Ruta and am only awaiting my Father's approval. If so, I can help you in that way."

"And I will be very grateful for your help! But how are you doing, Mipha? And how is everyone else here?" said Link as they continued to walk.

"I'm doing well, spending time training and teaching Sidon," said Mipha. "And the Domain is fine. Well, almost. There is one problem. A Lynel has taken up residence on Ploymus Mountain and is terrifying everyone with its Shock Arrows. Shatterback Point is off-limits for now."

And then Link felt his face grow tense and turn red, as he suddenly burned with anger. How dare this evil creature endanger the lives of people he grew up with and cared for, loved even? He had to do something! And so, he began walking toward Ploymus Mountain.

As he walked, Link was lost in thought, reminding himself how best to defeat a Lynel while being wary of its Shock Arrows. But when he reached Ploymus Mountain and readied his sword and shield for battle, to his horror, he found that Mipha had quietly followed him there. Fear suddenly hit him in the pit of his stomach. And it was not fear for himself, but for her.

"Mipha! Please go back! I can do this on my own," said Link.

"I can help you," said Mipha. "I want to help you!"

"But I don't need your help, and..." said Link.

Just then, Link sensed some movement behind them, and he turned, raising his shield just in time to parry a blow from the Lynel's huge sword. It was a very close call!

The Lynel staggered back for a moment, stunned by Link's perfect shield parry. Then it shook off its momentary daze and raised its sword, ready to strike again.

But absent the element of surprise, the Lynel didn't stand a chance against Link. It was a typical Lynel battle for him, something he had experienced in his travels, and against even stronger ones than this. Mipha refused to stay back, and stood beside him, ready to assist, her spear in hand. It took some skillful shield and sword work, supported by the occasional stab of Mipha's trident. Link finally finished off their foe with a powerful spin attack. Thank Hylia, they had destroyed the Lynel with no harm to either of them.

Then he and Mipha sat down beside each other, leaning against the large rock there as they caught their breath.

"That was magnificent, Link!" said Mipha as she looked at him with adoring eyes. "I was terrified at first, but I shouldn't have been. Seeing how swift and gracefully you fought made me feel safe. Your combat skills are beyond compare, and I am so very proud of you!"

"Thank you, and thank you for your help," said Link, still breathing hard. "But I wish you had stayed behind and kept safe. Seeing you at risk of being injured or even killed, well, my heart was in my throat. I could never forgive myself if the Lynel had hurt you."

"But don't you see that I felt the same way about you?" said Mipha. "I couldn't let you face our enemy alone. I've taken care of you since you were a child, Link. I wanted to be here to help you in battle, and in case you were injured."

"I understand, and, of course, I am grateful," said Link. "But it scared me, thinking you could be hurt or worse. You're very special to me, Mipha, and life without you would break my heart."

He had never spoken to her so openly about how much she meant to him, and he turned to see her reaction.

"As life without you would break mine," said Mipha as she looked into his eyes.

Then she smiled at him, that gentle smile of hers. She smiled. That was all she did. But at that moment, it was all she needed to do. Her eyes were so soft and warm, golden in the late afternoon sun. As he gazed into her eyes, he felt a warm feeling growing inside him. He didn't want to look away. She was so lovable, so beautiful, so irresistible. Words couldn't describe the longing he felt for her at that moment.

Then, they both heard a shout as two Zora Guards raced toward them, spoiling the moment.

"Princess, are you all right?" said one of the guards. "You were seen walking here, and we came as quickly as we could!"

"Yes, I'm fine, thanks to Link," said Mipha standing up. "I suppose we should get back so I can explain everything before word reaches my Father."

And then the flashback ended. Wow, that was intense, thought Link. And it seemed to him they had almost kissed, and probably would have absent the interruption. That would have changed things! Goodbye, Veiled Falls, and hello Ploymus Mountain! And speaking of Mipha, he heard her come in. Well, organizing his journal could wait after all. He went downstairs to join her.

"Hi Sweetheart," said Link as they embraced and kissed.

"Were you in the study working on your journal?" said Mipha.

"Well, I was in the study," said Link. "But I got distracted reading over your old diary, and it triggered a flashback of the time we fought the Lynel together."

"Oh! You finally remembered that?" said Mipha. "That's wonderful! You know I thought for sure you were about to kiss me then. But then those two guards showed up. It was after that I began working on the armor for you."

"Now, I'm glad I didn't spend time organizing my papers," said Link. "The flashback means much more to me."

"You can explain all that to Mila," laughed Mipha. "And it's ironic you remembered that incident. At my meeting with Father, I learned Queen Zelda passed along Dr. Purah's suggestion that if we are a team now, then we should do some combat training together in her simulation device. We can do it from inside Ruta like the time you worked through the Trial of the Hero. Purah said she and Lapha would be working on the project together and could have some challenging simulations ready for us in a week or so. Won't that be fun?"

"I can't wait," said Link. "But Purah can be mischievous sometimes and has an odd sense of humor. It could prove more than just fun! But if we are pretending these situations are real, let me take the lead. We can't afford to argue over roles and responsibilities."

"I understand you can play the main role at combat," said Mipha. "But I'm not there as a snail on the shore to watch the waves. I'm going to dive into the battle too."

"Fine," said Link. "I guess that's why we're doing the simulations to work out those things. And it may vary by the type of enemy as well."

"Exactly," said Mipha. "You know, you've been sitting all morning, and so have I. Would you like to swim with me, sweetheart?"

"Always," said Link. "I live for swimming with you."

"I meant in the water," said Mipha.

"I love that too," laughed Link as he reached out for her.

They both laughed, embraced, kissed, then ran out of the house, holding hands and headed to Ruto Lake.

Meanwhile, in Hyrule Castle, Tara and her family were meeting with Princess Zelda, Randall, and baby Prince Horwell.

"He's adorable, Zelda," said Tila. "You and Randall must be thrilled."

"We are," said Zelda. "Would you like to hold him?"

"May I?" said Tila. "Of course!"

Zelda handed Horwell to Tila, and she held him and looked down into his eyes as he stared up at her. And then he broke into a smile and cooed.

"He likes you," laughed Randall. "He gave you a smile very quickly."

"He's so cute!" said Tila as she gently rocked him.

"Daddy, did you look like that once?" said Tara.

"Well, something like that, sweetheart," said young Link. "Everyone starts out as a baby."

"Link, would you like to hold him?" asked Zelda.

Tila gently handed the baby to Link, and it was his turn to look down at him. He stared at Link then started making sounds.

"I think he's trying to tell you something," said Zelda.

"Maybe," laughed Link. "But now I'm jealous I didn't get a smile too."

"Don't feel bad," laughed Zelda. "I don't always get one either."

Link handed the baby back to Zelda.

"Well, we don't want to overstay our visit," said Link. "We just wanted to see your beautiful little boy and congratulate you in person."

"Thanks for coming," said Zelda. "I hope we'll see more of you. And Tara, you're growing up so fast, and speaking so well."

"Thank you, Aunt Zelda," said Tara.

"Well, we better be going," said Link again. "We promised Tara a swim around the Castle Moat, and then we're going to show her some of Castle Town, and then meet my sister Lapha for some Akkala Angler."

"Sounds like fun," said Zelda.

Everyone exchanged hugs, and then they left.

"Okay, time for a swim," said Link as they headed toward the castle exit. "How about a race all the way around the moat. But you two have to give me a head-start."

"How far, dear? All the way to the finish line?" laughed Tila.

"Very funny, sweetheart," said Link. "How about a quarter of the way around?"

"You're on!" laughed Tila.

Once outside the castle, they held hands, ran to the moat laughing, and dove in.

Link finished third.

"Tara, Tara, Tara," said Link as they floated beside each other at the end of the race, Link catching his breath. "Even with Mommy's special armor, you're too fast for me now. I'll need a bigger head start next time."

"Daddy, Daddy, Daddy," laughed Tara as she hugged him. "Now, you're saying things three times!"

"You're just so cute and so smart! I love you," laughed Link as he kissed her on the cheek. "Now let's go visit Castle Town. Mommy and I used to spend a lot of time there, and I think you'll enjoy it."

They climbed out of the water and headed for town holding hands, Tara walking between Tila and Link.

"Mommy and I used to meet by the fountain there," said Link as they neared the center of town.

"When you and Mommy were just friends?" said Tara.

"Yes, when we were friends, sweetheart," said Tila.

Tila smiled at Link, and they leaned over Tara and shared a kiss. Just then, a Castle Guard approached them and saluted.

"Oh my! If it isn't Captain Link and Princess Tila," exclaimed Lieutenant Galdor.

"Galdor, nice to see you again," said Link, and Tila said hello as well. "You haven't met our daughter Tara, and it's our first time taking her here. Tara, this is one of Daddy's friends from work."

"Hello," said Tara. "Another friend you met here, Daddy?"

"Yes, but not quite as good a friend," said Link squeezing Tara's hand. "I'll explain later, sweetheart."

"Hello, Princess Tara," said Galdor. "I hope you enjoy your visit here. And I won't keep you, Sir. I just wanted to say hello."

"We have a minute," said Link. "How are things here?"

"Happy in some ways but unsettled in others, Sir," said Galdor. "Of course, everyone is thrilled for the Princess and her newborn. And Her Majesty is practically the same age as Her Highness now and in the peak of health. But Her Majesty is troubled, worried about us being attacked soon, and it's kept those of us in the Royal Guard on our toes with extra guard duty. We miss you here, Sir. A lot of us remember what a fine Captain you were. But we understand your circumstances have changed, and you have a beautiful family now."

"You can always reach out to me for advice, Galdor," said Link. "And say hello to the unit for me."

"I will, and that's very kind of you, Sir," said Galdor. "Now, I won't keep you, and I need to be going as well. Nice to see all of you."

Galdor saluted again and left. Just then, they heard another familiar voice.

"Well, well, look what the tide carried in," laughed Lapha.

"Aunt Lapha!" Tara exclaimed as Lapha reached out, and Tara ran to her and hugged her.

Then Lapha exchanged hugs with Tila and Link.

"We were just starting to show Tara some of Castle Town," said Link.

"Let's go then," said Lapha taking Tara's hand. "I know Castle Town like the tip of my fins."

They wandered past some shops and finally headed to the Akkala Fish House, where the proprietor Mandel seated them at once and took their order for a large Akkala Angler. Then he brought over a plate of snails as an appetizer.

"Now, table manners, please, Tara," said Tila. "Remember what I taught you."

"Yes, Mommy," said Tara as she helped herself to some snails.

"So, Laff, can you talk about what you're up to these days," said Link.

"Some of it, not all of it," laughed Lapha. "I'm helping Dr. Purah design some combat simulations for Mom and Dad. Since they're a team now, they should practice together. And we might throw in some surprises for them to see how adaptable they are."

"That sounds interesting," said Link. "Maybe I should get in some combat practice too one of these days."

"Just let me know, and I can set up something for you," said Lapha. "But now, let's hear how all of you are doing. Did you enjoy North Hyrule? I should visit one of these days."

They chatted about their trip until the fish arrived, then enjoyed their meal.

Meanwhile, under cover of darkness that night, a person in a black cloak made their way past Firly Pond and up the path toward Hateno Village. They moved stealthily, checking no one was around, and blending into shadows if necessary. Their destination was a horned statue, and when they arrived, it acknowledged their presence.

"No, I'm not here to tamper with my essence," said the dark figure. "I was sent to learn what you know about dark magic."