Summary: Link is talked out of overextending himself. The enemy takes the first step, lighting one of the three flames.

"I missed you, sweetheart," said Queen Zelda as she hugged and kissed Astra. "Did you enjoy your visit?"

It was an early afternoon at Hyrule Castle, and Astra had just returned after a week's visit to Zora's Domain.

"I loved it, Mom, especially playing with Tara," said Astra. "She's a lot of fun! And I even learned how to sleep in the water in one of their slumber pools."

"Well, good for you," laughed Zelda. "Maybe I should try it sometime. Your Uncle Link swears by it."

"Why did you send soldiers to accompany me back?" asked Astra. "Uncle Link would have taken me home."

"I spoke with your Uncle Link, and he agreed with me that it might be best this time, sweetheart," said Zelda.

"Anyway, Tara asked if I could visit North Hyrule with her sometime," said Astra. "I said I would ask you about it. I would like to visit if I could."

"Let me think about it," said Zelda. "A lot is going on at the moment. But say hello to your sister now. I know you feel she only thinks about Horwell these days, but that's not true. She asked me every day if I knew how you were, and I know she missed you this past week."

"Aww, that's sweet," said Astra. "I'll go visit Zel right now then. I should have Tabbed her, but I was in the water a lot, and I was also afraid of disturbing Horwell. See you later, Mom."

Astra ran off to visit her sister, and Zelda paused to think. Was it safe for Astra to visit North Hyrule? If Tila and young Link were with her, it should be. Young Link had done a fine job guarding her other daughter. She'd think about it some more before deciding.

When Astra arrived where her sister lived, Horwell was taking a nap next door, and Randall was out.

"Hey, you're back!" exclaimed Princess Zelda as she stood up, reached out, and Astra ran to her for a hug and kiss. "It looks like you got some sun, but it looks good on you. Sit down and let me fix your hair."

"Yeah, I was outside a lot, Sis," said Astra, sitting down as Zelda picked up a brush and worked on Astra's hair. "And I was in the water a lot too. Are you doing okay? Horwell and Randall too?"

"Yes, everyone's fine," said Princess Zelda. "Horwell is talking more and more. I'm sure he'll be thrilled to see you when he wakes up. How are Uncle Link and the family?"

"The same," said Astra. "I didn't get to see Lapha, but everyone else is fine. Midon is a bit of a clown. And Tara is getting big, and we played a lot together."

"Stay and tell me all about your visit," said Zelda as she worked on Astra's hair. "You can help me with Horwell when he wakes up."

"Sure, I'd like that," said Astra. "Let me think. Where should I start? Well, I did combat simulations every morning, Zel, and I'm getting better. I think you'd be impressed."

"I'm sure I would be," said Princess Zelda. "Give me some examples."

"Uncle Link taught me some tricks with that flurry rush skill we both have," said Astra. "One involved freezing an enemy then bouncing off it from above. You wouldn't believe how fast and how high and how far you can go! He taught me how to land safely too."

"Really? And that would work in real life?" Princess Zelda asked.

"Definitely, Zel," said Astra. "These simulations are totally realistic. Except you don't really die or get hurt when you mess up, of course. It's funny, but Cousin Midon, on his tour of Zora's Domain, told me he thinks someday people could use their Tabs to pretend they're in an imaginary land where they battle enemies and explore places. I think that would be fun."

"I guess it could be," said Princess Zelda. "But it would take away time from so many things you could do in real life."

Meanwhile, at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab, Purah, Robbie, and Lapha were still going through the ancient Sheikah documents recovered years ago from the Yiga Clan Hideout in the Karusa Valley. Since Robbie's discovery of the secret hidden within the labyrinths, nothing else of great interest had been found.

"I think I know what happened and why we have so much useless material," said Purah, putting aside another document as they sat around a large table surrounded by boxes. "When the Sheikah split up, and some fled to North Hyrule, the faction that would later become the Yiga Clan just grabbed all they could lay their hands on of whatever was left behind. They never went through all of it to discard the items of no lasting value."

"That makes sense," said Robbie as he angrily threw another document into the trash. "It's frustrating that we're doing that work now. But I also agree with your earlier remark that the Gerudo may have unwittingly contributed to the mess by mingling materials when they collected them. I suppose I can't blame them. It's understandable since they couldn't read a word, and they collected the materials under hard conditions, looking out for booby traps and such."

"Wait, I just found something," said Lapha as she pulled together a thick set of pages with text interspersed with diagrams. "I only read the first page, but these look to be the design plans for Divine Beast Vah Naboris."

Purah and Robbie came over behind her to see.

"Yes, I believe you're right," said Purah as she picked up the pages and thumbed through them, then handed them to Robbie, who did the same.

"I always hoped we might find plans for the Divine Beasts and the Shrines. It may not be of immediate use, but this material could advance our knowledge of ancient technology. Good find, Princess Lapha!"

"Yes, I'm eager to read this," said Robbie. "But I guess we need to keep going."

Robbie waved his hands at the remaining boxes full of documents. He put the Divine Beast plans aside, and they all resumed going through more material.

It was a late afternoon in Zora's Domain as Mila swam in Ruto Lake with her boyfriend, Kendal. They had been kissing underwater but finally broke the surface to talk.

"I guess we should enjoy this afternoon together. We won't be taking any moonlight swims for a while," said Mila as she floated alongside Kendal, their arms still around each other.

"No, for two reasons," said Kendal. "You're on a curfew now, and I'm back to working extra guard duty. But I want you and your family to stay safe. Besides being my job, I love you, you know."

"I know, and I love you too," said Mila. "And I want you to be safe as well."

They kissed once more, a quick kiss for Zoras, then continued floating together. After a moment, Kendal's expression changed, and he grew quiet.

"What's wrong?" said Mila.

"I've been struggling to decide if I should tell you something, Mila, and just decided that I should," said Kendal. "My fellow guards tell me your father has been staying up all hours of the night watching over your house. We hoped he would leave that duty to us."

"What? He's doing that?" said Mila, looking concerned. "I had no idea, Kendal. And of course, you should tell me. You should have told me right away. I need to do something about it."

"I mean, I guess your father feels he needs to protect all of you personally," said Kendal. "And I can understand that. Nobody can do it better than him. But my fellow guards and I wish he would trust us with that responsibility. We won't let you down, Mila. And your father can't be staying awake day and night, eating the fish from both sides, so to speak."

"No, of course not. I'll speak to him as soon as I get a chance," said Mila. "Which, unfortunately, may not be until tomorrow. My Mom said they would be working late today doing extra combat simulations at Ruta. Apparently, the family curfew doesn't apply to them."

"Well, I go on guard duty soon and need to report in. Good night, sweetheart, and I'll see you whenever I can," said Kendal. "Race you back to the Domain?"

"You never give up, do you?" laughed Mila. "You're on!"

They raced back toward and up the waterfall, then kissed goodnight.

It was late in the evening by the time Mipha and Link finally finished several rounds of combat simulations at Ruta. Mipha shut down the main terminal and patted Ruta goodnight. Ruta knew not to bellow so late at night. Then they made their way to the exit, and Mipha lowered the platform to the water. They sat down on the edge of the platform together, their legs dangling in the water.

"Your combat skills are as good as I've ever seen them, Link," said Mipha. "You're defeating enemies with a succession of movements that make it look effortless: shield parries, shield jumps, spin attacks, flurry rushes. You're destroying enemies before they know it. The way you're going, you won't need me to heal even a scratch."

"Maybe not, but it's comforting to know you're there if I do need you," said Link. "You're doing very well at combat yourself, by the way. You've gotten much faster switching to a bow."

Link glanced up at the sky for a moment. It was a clear night with only a crescent moon, and the stars shone brightly in the dark sky.

"You know, this brings back memories of when I first got the sword," said Link. "I was obsessed with combat training back in the day. But I've learned a few tricks since then, how to fight smarter."

"You definitely have," said Mipha. "I can see the difference. I mean, you were always very good, but now you're at another level."

They sat quietly together for a while, holding hands. A gentle breeze rippled the water, sending waves lapping against Ruta. Mipha was looking out at the lake, and Link turned to her.

"What are you thinking, sweetheart?" Link asked.

"How nice it is to be sitting here with you, enjoying an evening together," said Mipha. "Nothing too deep."

"You're not worried about what's happening?" said Link.

"I have faith," said Mipha as she squeezed his hand. "In you, in us, and in the Goddess. But I know what you're thinking. Things went wrong once, and you worry they could do so again. Am I right?"

"Yes," said Link. "I was thinking back the other day to those years. Do you remember how much confidence we had in ourselves back then, especially Zelda? Zelda kept praising ancient technology, saying it would save us all."

"I remember, and I'm glad you do too," said Mipha. "But it wasn't just Zelda. We all loved our Divine Beasts, every one of us."

"Yes, that's true," said Link. "I remember Daruk was so proud of himself once he got the hang of Rudania."

"You're doing everything you can, Link," said Mipha. "Worrying won't help. And I notice you're so tired lately. You must be doing too much."

Link was quiet and didn't answer at once. Then he continued.

"It's just that my instinct is to do something active," said Link, and then he yawned.

"Come on, let's go home. It's late. I'll pull you through the water."

"A water pull would be nice," said Link, and they were soon speeding through the water and on the way home.

When they arrived home, everyone else was already asleep. They made their way to their room, climbed into the slumber pool there, and Mipha fell asleep at once to the soothing sound of the waterfall outside the house.

It was later that same night that Mipha turned in her sleep, involuntarily reaching out for Link. But her hands came up empty, and she jerked awake. Link wasn't there. Mipha climbed out of their slumber pool, then checked the kitchen. Nobody was there either, so she walked to the entrance and stepped outside their house.

Link was sitting there in the dark.

"What are you doing, sweetheart?" Mipha quietly asked as she came over to him and sat beside him.

"Guarding our house," said Link.

"Have you been doing this every night? It's no wonder you've been sleeping late every morning," said Mipha.

"I just don't want to be taken by surprise," said Link.

"You need to trust our guards and get your rest," said Mipha. "Tiring yourself out only plays into the enemy's hands. Come back to sleep."

Mipha took his hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. Link looked over at her and into her eyes. They looked gold in the moonlight, and she had that sweet smile of hers.

"You're right, I suppose," sighed Link as he shook his head. "As I said, my instinct is always to do something active, and I take Dark Link's thirst for revenge seriously. But perhaps it's wiser to first learn more about their plans."

"It definitely is, sweetheart," said Mipha. "Promise me you won't do this anymore."

"Yes, okay, I promise," said Link.

Mipha stood, and Link stood as well, then they held hands as they walked back to their room. Link undressed again and joined Mipha in their slumber pool.

"Relax, okay?" said Mipha as she stroked his head. "Let's cuddle."

Link laughed, then they held each other.

"You always know how to make me feel better," said Link.

"I've had a lot of years' practice, sweetheart," said Mipha. "I should be good at it. And making you feel better makes me feel better too."

"I love you," said Link. Then he yawned.

"I love you, too," said Mipha. "Now, sleep."

They kissed once more, and both soon fell asleep.

Meanwhile, in an underground passage connecting the Thyphlo Ruins with the North Lomei Labyrinth, two Yiga Clan members, Kenyon and Mendel, were once again making the long journey to the labyrinth on foot. This time, however, Lieutenant Kenyon was carrying a lantern that glowed with a blue flame, a flame of ancient energy. Mendel took the lead, carrying a regular torch.

"I guess it's an honor to be chosen for this mission, Sir," said Mendel as he kicked at a large spider that had scurried across their path.

"As our leader said, every mission is critical to our success," said Kenyon. "But this is certainly important as it's the first one in our upcoming conquest."

"Do you know why this was the first mission, and why we were chosen for it, Sir?" said Mendel.

"I'm not sure, but I imagine this was the first mission because this labyrinth is the closest to our hideout," said Kenyon. "And we were chosen because we've been here before and are familiar with the passageway. As I suspected, our former leader, the son, did not know the secret to the labyrinth. But his father did."

"Yes, it's exciting to think we may be the first ones to visit that underground chamber in ages," said Mendel.

They trudged along in silence for a while until it grew colder.

"Here, give me the torch and drink some elixir," said Kenyon.

Mendel complied, then took the torch back. Kenyon put the lantern down carefully, then drank some Spicy elixir himself.

"It warms the bones, doesn't it?" said Kenyon after swallowing it and picking back up the lantern. "Let's keep going."

After another hour, they reached the stone wall at the end of the tunnel that hid a secret doorway into the labyrinth. Kenyon pulled the door inward to open it, and they found themselves once again in the small alcove in the eastern corner of the North Lomei Labyrinth, where three permanently lit lanterns glowed bright yellow.

"Once again, I'll remind you to be sure to leave the door open. It only opens from the cave side," said Kenyon.

"Understood, Sir," said Mendel.

"Now, here's a map of the labyrinth," said Kenyon, handing Mendel a document. "Lead us to the shrine, and I'll open the secret passageway."

Mendel took the map, studied it for a moment, then began giving directions as they made their way through the labyrinth. Mendel consulted the map after each turn, and finally, after climbing up to a second level, they reached the ancient Sheikah shrine.

"All right, good work, Mendel," said Kenyon. "Let me have the map back."

"So, this is another one of those ancient shrines," said Mendel as he looked around the chamber after returning the map. "What's beyond that hole in the roof up there? Do you think there could be some treasure? Do you mind if I check?"

"Fine, but hurry up," said Kenyon as he put down the lantern and took the torch from Mendal. "Remember why we're here."

Mendel made his way up through the hole and shouted down that he had found three treasure chests. Then he climbed back down.

"I found a Topaz, Ruby, and Sapphire," said Mendel. "We can sell them and split the funds, 325 Rupees each."

"Great," said Kenyon. "Now, I need to open the secret passage. Here, take back the torch."

Kenyon handed Mendel back the torch, then Kenyon pulled out a small document containing a diagram of the shrine room. He went from wall panel to wall panel, pressing specific images of stone columns that were carved into the giant bricks. Suddenly a doorway in the wall in the back of the shrine slid open, revealing a stairway that led downward.

"That's it!" exclaimed Kenyon, putting away the document he had been referring to. "Lead the way down, and I'll follow with the lantern. But be careful on the stairs!"

"It's pitch black ahead, Sir, and it looks like a long stairway," said Mendel as he made his way down the steps with Kenyon behind him. Their feet left deep footprints in the dust-covered stairs. When they finally reached the bottom, Mendel waved the torch this way and that, illuminating the room in different directions. They were clearly in a vast chamber, and then Mendel noticed two unlit lamps at the foot of the stairs, which he proceeded to light with his torch.

With the brighter light from the lamps, they could make out a large structure in the center of the room that, from its shape, could only be the vessel they needed to light. But they could also see that the room was filled with over a dozen Guardians, their dark silhouettes looming ominously in the shadows.

"Keep your distance from those things," said Kenyon. "Let's hope none of them are active anymore."

To reach the structure in the center of the room that looked like an ancient furnace, they had to navigate around three Guardians. All must have been decayed by then, rendered harmless by the passage of time, for none of them activated. Both Kenyon and Mendel breathed sighs of relief each time they passed one. Finally, they reached the structure at the center of the room.

Kenyon lifted the lantern, then used the blue flame to light the vessel attached to the structure. The vessel lit at once and burned a bright blue, illuminating the room. However, the sudden light must have triggered some sensory mechanism in two of the Guardian Stalkers. They both glowed orange as their turrets pivoted this way and that, seeking a target. Then they focused their red targeting beams on Kenyon and Mendel, the increasing pitch of their energy build up echoing loudly in the room's silence.

"Run for your life!" shouted Kenyon. "Zigzag and try to get behind something!"

They both ran as hard as they could, moving left and right, trying to evade the targeting beams while the Guardian Stalkers raced after them, gaining ground with each step. Two white-hot beams of energy shot out. One hit Mendel squarely in the chest while Kenyon was able to dive behind a dormant Guardian just in time to see the beam narrowly miss him.

The Guardians moved this way and that, but Kenyon used the cover of a decayed guardian to make his way behind a large pillar, keeping it between him and the Guardians. Fortunately, the two Guardians stayed relatively close to each other. Had they split up and tried to surround him, he would have been lost.