Summary: Monster attacks continue throughout Hyrule as Princess Zelda assumes command in her mother's absence. Link joins Queen Zelda at Hateno Village, and they journey together to Eventide Island.

It was morning at the Soh Kofi Shrine near Inogo Bridge, and there were now eighteen Zora guards stationed there accompanied by Midon, Linky, and Mila. Black Lizalfos were now the regular enemy and were battled in teams of six. Hours earlier, the first Silver Lizalfos had appeared, and it was agreed that Linky and Midon would save their strength to aid in the fight against these stronger enemies, and the Zora guards would handle anything weaker. As Link had demonstrated, generous use of Ice Arrows led to easier and safer combat.

But it was not foolproof. One Lizalfos had shaken off the effects of an Ice Arrow sooner than expected and managed to slash one of the guards with its weapon before finally being destroyed.

"Here, let me help you," said Mila as she rushed to aid the Zora guard, who was clutching his shoulder in pain.

"Thank you, Lady Mila, having you here is a blessing," the guard moaned as she used her inherited healing magic to close the wound. "Those things are fast!"

When the wound was healed, Mila returned to where Midon and Linky were sitting, weapons in hand. Both looked tired but determined and were relieved to get some rest when anything less than a Silver enemy appeared.

"Do you need some more fish?" Mila asked, but both shook their head. They had eaten a Hearty Bass not too much earlier, though its effects were wearing off.

"Maybe in an hour or so when the other guards eat," said Midon, and Linky shook his head in agreement. Mila yawned, then sat with them and waited.

Meanwhile, it was morning at Hyrule Castle, and Queen Zelda was saying goodbye to her two daughters before leaving to meet Link at Hateno Village. Zelda was wearing the Sheikah outfit Impa had supplied her with and had the Bow of Light with her.

"You look very Sheikah, Mom," said Astra. "It's cool!"

"It's for added stealth, sweetheart," said Zelda. "The outfit is very comfortable."

"It looks good on you, Mother," said Princess Zelda.

"Thank you," said Queen Zelda. "Well, it's time for me to go. Zelda, do you have any questions before I leave?"

"No, Mother, we've been over everything, and I feel comfortable handling your duties while you're gone," said Princess Zelda. "I will work with General Haston after you leave."

"I still think I should go with you, Mom," said Astra. "I could help."

"I know you could, dear," said Queen Zelda. "But Link will be with me, and he wants to keep it to just the two of us. Besides, I feel better knowing you will be here to defend our people if necessary, including our family."

Then Queen Zelda stood to go, and she hugged and kissed each of them.

"Give Horwell a kiss for me," said Queen Zelda. "He's an adorable little boy."

"I will," said Princess Zelda.

"I love you both so very much," said Zelda. "I've had the joy and privilege of watching you grow into the capable individuals you've become, and I couldn't be prouder of you. Be well, and may Hylia watch over you."

"I love you, and may Hylia watch over you, Mother," said Princess Zelda.

"I love you too, Mom," said Astra, as she wiped her eyes.

Queen Zelda left while Astra and Princess Zelda watched her go.

"You know, Astra, at first I felt uncomfortable about Mother using that anti-aging rune to make herself young again," said Princess Zelda. "Now, I'm glad she did."

"I always liked the idea, Zel," said Astra. "Why shouldn't she?"

Queen Zelda made her way to where a small watercraft with two Royal Guards awaited her.

"Good morning," said Zelda. "How is the passage downriver?"

"It's quite safe, Your Majesty," said the Captain. "Rudania is holding the shrine on Crenel Hills, and the Orsedd Bridge is secure. Hateno Village itself is also secure. The weather is fair, and it should be a quick ride south and then east on the Squabble and Fir Rivers on into Lake Jarrah."

"That's good to know, thank you, Captain," said Zelda. "If you're ready, then let's be off."

One guard undid the moorings as the Captain started the propulsion system and piloted the craft, steering it through the castle moat and then onward to the Hylia River. Zelda turned to look back at the castle for a moment as it receded behind them, then she turned around to watch the shore as it passed by.

Despite all the technological progress, a good deal had not changed over the years, and she was quite familiar with Central Hyrule. As they passed East of the Applean Forest, Zelda smiled and closed her eyes. She remembered one time riding there as a young girl, and then her horse smelled the apples and started getting feisty on her. She had to stop and dismount so she and her horse could both enjoy a tasty apple. Or several apples in her horse's case! She grew up riding horses and still loved doing some horseback riding when she could. You were closer to nature that way. You could feel the horse's movements and smell the ground underfoot, see trees and flowers up close, watch deer forage and birds peck for food. When she returned, she promised herself that she would ride out here again. Just then, the annoyed squawk of some ducks their boat had disturbed interrupted her thoughts, and she returned to watching the shore glide by.

Meanwhile, inside Divine Beast Vah Ruta on Tal Tal Peak, Link stirred in his sleep, then opened his eyes. At first, he squinted, unsure where he was. Then he realized his head was lying in Mipha's lap, and he felt her hand smooth his hair. He sat up to see Mipha smiling at him.

"You slept well, sweetheart," said Mipha.

"Good morning," said Link after they shared a quick kiss. "Did you sleep at all, sweetheart?"

"I dozed off for a bit," said Mipha. "I wanted to make sure you rested well."

"I did," said Link. "I feel fully refreshed."

"A guard dropped off a cooking pot," said Mipha as she got up and lit a fire. "I'll cook you a Hearty Bass that Mila left this morning. I already ate."

"Mila came here while I slept?" said Link.

"Yes, she delivered some fresh fish for both of us early this morning and said to give you an extra kiss for her," said Mipha. "She would have liked to stay until you awoke but thought she should return to Inogo Bridge to be with Midon and Linky."

"Of course, that makes sense, though I'm sorry I missed her," said Link. "I feel I'm getting spoiled these days with first Lapha and now you cooking my meals. But thank you."

Mipha finished cooking the fish, and Link began to eat.

"Delicious!" Link said after swallowing a bite. "The Domain is still secure?"

"Yes," said Mipha. "The situation has worsened a bit as you predicted. They are reporting an occasional Silver Lizalfos mixed in with the Black variety. Midon and Linky are helping to battle the stronger Lizalfos."

"All the more need for me to deal with this," said Link, shaking his head.

Link consulted his Tab and saw a message from Zelda saying she was on her way to Hateno Village. And there was a message from Tila saying she had secured a boat for his travels. Link quietly finished his fish, then stood up to go.

"That gave me a nice boost, thanks," said Link. "I always feel better after a hearty meal."

Mipha smiled at his pun as they reached out for each other and embraced and then kissed. They held each other tightly as if neither wanted to let go.

"That first kiss was Mila's," said Mipha finally. "This one is mine."

Their second kiss was a longer, more emotional one.

"I guess I already said it all last night," said Link finally. "I love you. May Nayru and Hylia bless you always."

"May they bless and protect you, too," said Mipha. "You know I love you with all my heart."

Then Mipha walked with him to Ruta's entrance, and she lowered the platform.

"Now believe in yourself, and go defeat our enemy," said Mipha.

And just then, as if to offer her own encouragement, Ruta bellowed loudly. Link smiled, nodded, and then left as Mipha closed the entrance.

Link turned back once on his way and saw Mipha watching him from atop Ruta. She waved to him, and he waved back. He hadn't done that in quite a while, he thought, wave to Mipha while she stood upon Ruta. It reminded him of his TimeShift stone visit with her at East Reservoir Lake way back when. She had waved to him then too, so excited and overjoyed at his unexpected visit a week after they had finally shared their love for each other. And he couldn't hold back his tears at the chance to be with her after three long years of mourning her death. He shook his head to clear his thoughts, then made his way to Spool Bight with the sword that seals the darkness slung over his shoulder.

As her message showed, Tila had arranged for a high-speed boat to transport him to Hateno Beach, and two North Hyrule Zora guards with their distinctive red coral insignia welcomed him aboard when he arrived.

"Welcome! Have you ridden in one of these before, Prince Link?" said the boat's pilot as Link took a seat.

"No, never," said Link.

"It's a pretty smooth ride, but quite fast, so make sure you are seated well," said the pilot.

With that, they got underway, and the boat was faithful to the pilot's words. They skimmed over the water so fast that Link had to lower his head from the strength of the wind in his face.

Meanwhile, Zelda's boat slowed as it neared the pier at the northeast corner of Lake Jarrah. After they secured the boat, Zelda disembarked, and she and her two guards boarded a small motorized vehicle that was waiting there for her.

In happier times, she would have loved to hike to the village, but it was way too far given the time, and this was both quicker and safer. They left at once, and Zelda looked out the window as they traveled north of Camphor Pond. She remembered it was close by that she later learned Link's son had been badly injured. Thank Hylia, he recovered! Then she leaned back as the road climbed for a bit, then leveled out as it passed briefly between Ginner and Midla Woods. It climbed once again until they reached the Hateno Village entrance, where two guards waved them through and into the village itself.

Hateno Village looked peaceful, as it always did, its windmills turning slowly in the morning breeze. But it was clearly not back to normal. Some shops were still closed, and guards were evident at several locations patrolling the area.

She and Link had agreed to meet at Hateno Beach, so the Captain drove through town and directly there. As they neared the beach south of town, the landscape suddenly turned tropical with palm trees dotting the shore. When they arrived, they all exited the vehicle.

"Thank you, the trip here was excellent," said Zelda to her two guards.

"We are happy to be of service, Your Majesty," said the Captain as he bowed.

Zelda turned and looked out to sea, shielding her eyes from the sun. Tenoko Island was clearly visible, and she could make out the North Hyrule Zora guards who were keeping it contained. Beyond that, you could see Eventide Island.

"The boat you are waiting for should arrive any minute, Your Majesty," said the Captain as he pointed to the East where you could make out a small boat zipping along the water after having rounded Mapla Point. After a few more minutes, the ship carrying Link slowed and docked.

"Well, thank you," said Link to the Zora guards on the boat as he caught his breath. "That was quite a ride!"

"We are happy to be of service," the pilot said, bowing. "My understanding is we are also to transport you and Her Majesty to Eventide Island. Is that not so?"

"Yes, well, I guess that would work, but only go slowly," said Link. "We don't want to draw attention to our arrival."

"Understood," said the pilot.

Zelda and her two guards approached.

"Nice outfit, Zelda," said Link as he and Zelda hugged hello. "Give me a moment to change into mine."

Link ducked behind a small cluster of trees and changed into his Sheikah outfit.

"We look like a couple of Sheikah assassins, don't we?" laughed Zelda when Link returned. "Though come to think of it, that's exactly what we intend to be."

"Yes, Hylia willing," said Link. "Are you ready? I was going to take a small raft to the island, but the North Hyrule Zora agreed to transport us there instead."

"Whatever you think best, Link," said Zelda.

They made their way to the boat Link had traveled on and were soon underway. The pilot kept the boat's speed slow this time, and the propulsion system, powered by ancient energy, was silent. The effect was as if they were coasting across the calm Necluda Sea. The Zora guards on board waved to their colleagues on Tenoko Island as they passed, then they continued on toward Eventide Island.

"The southern end of the island would be best for us," said Link to the pilot.

"We're not exploring the island," Link explained to Zelda. "So, I want to head directly to the shrine atop Koholit Rock. It's a bit of a climb, and we just need to hope it doesn't start raining. Let's silence our Tabs now too."

"I understand," said Zelda as she did so. "I should mention that the cameras you left on the island haven't picked up anything suspicious. So, either there is nothing to see, or whatever there is to see is being quite clever."

They sat quietly as the island grew closer, and both Link and Zelda scanned the beach for any movement. But there was nothing significant, only some wildlife. The pilot steered the boat around a shoal of rocks at the southern part of the island, then brought it right up to the shore. Link stood up and hopped out, then took Zelda's hand, helping her to join him on land.

"Our prayers go with you both," said the Zora pilot as he bowed. "Mistress Tila told us what your journey is about."

"Thank you, and thank you for the transport," said Link. "You saved me some heavy rowing if the wind proved unfavorable."

The pilot steered the boat back out to sea, and Link and Zelda watched as it headed quietly toward Tenoko Island to assist the guards stationed there.

Link then looked around. Eventide Island was reasonably quiet now, too. The midday sun was shining through some scattered clouds, and the only sounds were the lapping of waves against the shore and the occasional cry of a bird. A pair of Pink Herons were strutting along the beach nearby, searching for food. There was no other sign of activity and no sign of anything evil. There were no clouds of purple malice floating about, no globs of malice on the ground, no fearful bolts of purple lightning. For all anyone could tell, there was nothing at all wrong here. But if Link was right, there was something very wrong here. Of course, he could be wrong. But he didn't think so.

"You okay?" said Zelda, interrupting his thoughts.

"Yes, sorry, I was lost in thought," said Link. "We should start climbing, as it rains here a good deal. And let me go first to make sure things are safe. We can take a brief rest on the first plateau above."

"That's fine," said Zelda. "As I recall, that's the site of the ruined settlement, the place referenced in the ancient document that Dr. Purah found."

"Yes, that's right," said Link as they began their climb.

Meanwhile, back on Tal Tal peak, Mipha had remained atop Ruta after watching Link leave. Then a short time afterward, she saw someone approaching, and her Tab went off.

"Lapha?" said Mipha, answering her Tab.

"Yes, it's me, Mom," said Lapha. "The house is rather lonely right now. Tila is out playing with Tara, and the rest are at Inogo Bridge. Can I join you on Ruta?"

"Of course, dear," said Mipha as she lowered the entrance and went below to welcome Lapha with a hug and kiss.

"I suspect you're here to keep me company, not the other way around," said Mipha. "Thank you, sweetheart. Let's go on top. It's a splendid view!"

Lapha took Mipha's hand as they made their way to the top of the Divine Beast.

"This is a superb view," said Lapha when they arrived, and she looked across the landscape. Ruta was still beaming energy at the shrine in Ulria Grotto. After several minutes, Lapha spoke up again.

"Perhaps you could describe how your thoughts interact with Ruta, Mom, how you feel while controlling Ruta," said Lapha.

Mipha smiled at her.

"It's for my research," said Lapha.

"I know what you're doing, sweetheart, trying to take my mind off worrying about your father," said Mipha. "That's fine. I don't mind discussing Ruta. We're quite close, are we not, Ruta?"

And Ruta squirted some water into the air with its trunk, making them both laugh.

Meanwhile, Link and Zelda finished their climb and reached the first plateau where the broken ruins of an old settlement remained. The camera Link had installed on his last visit was still there, and that reminded Link of something.

"Oh, I forgot, I'm supposed to use this proximity rune to check the area," said Link as he pulled out his Tab.

Link activated the rune, and it showed only Zelda standing beside him. He put away his Tab.

"Nothing nearby," said Link. "The island seems deserted."

"That's probably what it was intended to look like," said Zelda. "But I trust your instincts, Link, that something evil is here."

"If I'm wrong, it does no other harm than we lost some time," said Link. "But I need to see what's inside that shrine."

"We need to see what's inside it," Zelda corrected.

Just then, there was the distant sound of thunder.

"Oh, that's just great!" said Link, shaking his head. "I swear there hasn't been a single time I came here that there hasn't been a thunderstorm. I think the shape and position of the island help to create storms."

"Do you think we can climb to the next level before it reaches us?" said Zelda as they both looked to the East where the storm was approaching.

"I'd rather not chance it," said Link. "There is a small ledge just above us, and the next level up from there is much higher where the shrine itself sits. There is no shelter on the small ledge."

Link looked around.

"I think we should wait under that overhang at the base of the cliff over there," said Link as he pointed. "In my experience, these storms pass fairly quickly at least."

They made their way to the base of the cliff under a rocky overhang and sat down alongside each other as the sound of thunder grew closer.

"The last time I was here, Mipha and I had to shelter near an abandoned Bokoblin camp one level down," said Link.

"I know it's hopeless, but I'll try to be as good company for you," teased Zelda, making Link laugh.

"You are good company, and I hope I am too," laughed Link. "Hylia knows we've been through some amazing travels together. I just never thought we would do this once again."

"I always hoped we wouldn't, but as I've told you, I was never really confident that I had succeeded as well as I could have last time," said Zelda. "My training from Mipha was understandably brief."

Just then, there was another flash of lightning, and heavy rain began falling as a crash of thunder shook the ground.

"It's a good thing we waited," said Link. "The last thing we need is to find ourselves halfway up the cliff face when a storm arrives."