Summary: Purah and Robbie spend time on Windfall Island while Mipha and Link sail there to rescue them and get a small taste of the Hero of Wind's world on the way.

Lapha and Midon were at the Forgotten Temple studying the Guidance Stone when Lapha's Tab buzzed, and she glanced at the screen.

"It's Queen Zelda," said Lapha to Midon as she answered the call.

"Yes, Your Majesty?" said Lapha.

"Hello, Princess Lapha," said Queen Zelda. "I was wondering if there was any news."

"None as yet, Your Majesty," said Lapha. "I am confident we will figure this out and bring matters to a safe conclusion."

"I have every hope of that too," said Zelda. "Purah has spoken highly of you, Princess Lapha. She says you have a genuine gift for technology, and you even remind her of herself at a younger age. Of course, she meant that as a compliment, in case it wasn't apparent. Please keep me informed of any developments."

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Lapha as they ended the call.

"Wow! No pressure, huh?" said Midon. "I noticed you didn't mention Mom and Dad entering the simulation."

"I didn't think there was a need to," said Lapha. "Come on, let's keep reviewing the Guidance Stone code. There must be an emergency simulation termination procedure that returns everyone safely."

Meanwhile, Purah and Robbie made their way around Windfall Island.

"The archway says, 'Welcome to Taura Island.' So, there must be a difference in the ancient Hylian script," said Robbie.

"Very likely. But this simulation is extraordinarily well done!" said Purah admiringly. "I've created simulations, I mean we have, but not on such a grand scale as this. Or with the ability to physically enter the simulation, not just do so mentally. We have much to learn from the ancient Sheikah."

"Let's hope we can return to resume our education," said Robbie.

They walked along the main path, and Robbie spotted a sign.

"The sign shows a Café Bar up ahead," said Robbie. "Perhaps we could stop there? I'm feeling hungry."

The café was run by a woman named Gillian who introduced herself and, after welcoming them, added she had taken over the business when her father took ill. She referred them to the chalk menu on the wall for the daily specials and noted that while it was quiet during the day, quite a few sailors came in for drinks in the evening. It was clearly quiet now, as the only other customer was a nervous-looking fellow sitting at a table by the wall, who kept glancing in their direction and then looking down.

The chalkboard menu was written in ancient Hylian and advertised "Lon Lon Milk - 150", "Deku Nut Cake - 300", and "Zora Coffee - 250".

"Are they kidding?" whispered Purah. "These prices are outrageous! We could purchase an entire meal for under 50 Rupees back home."

"It's a simulation, Dr. Purah," said Robbie. "It's not real money, so don't be cheap. Besides, their scale of values may be different from ours."

"Fine," said Purah. "Let's split a nut cake, and we can each get a Zora coffee, whatever that is."

Robbie shook his head but agreed. They placed the order, and Gillian told them not to worry about payment for now, that their credit was good.

"The simulation must be set up that way for visitors," whispered Robbie. "So, can we each get our own nut cake now?"

"Fine," Purah agreed, and Robbie ordered a second nut cake.

When they were served, they took their food and drink to a nearby table. After sitting down, Purah took out the Sheikah Slate and examined the runes.

"There is a rune here called 'Guide' we should examine," said Purah.

Purah pressed the rune, and Robbie leaned over as they began to read between bites of nut cake. They read quickly and, when they got to the instruction section, realized what had gone wrong.

"We neglected to register our Sheikah Slate first," said Robbie. "We needed to activate the Guidance Stone at the entrance."

"Well, I didn't intend to activate anything or for us to go here," said Purah. "But I see there is a way for museum staff to retrieve guests. So, I'm sure Princess Lapha will figure it out."

"Let's hope it doesn't take too long," said Robbie. "But at least we're in no danger."

Meanwhile, the sky was clear, and the sea a bright blue with smooth-rolling waves as Mipha and Link sailed north from Outset Island. An occasional seagull would briefly follow them, then fly off into the distance.

"Did you study the history of the Hero of Winds in school?" asked Mipha as she surveyed the horizon.

"Possibly," said Link. "But if I did, whatever I learned was lost along with my memory. I think I know more about Zora history than Hylian after studying for our citizenship exam."

"I guess we could read more about the hero using the 'Guide' rune, but I'd rather keep a lookout," said Mipha.

"I gather the hero learned how to control the wind," said Link. "That would undoubtedly be useful for sailing. But I notice the wind here has been at our back even if I change direction slightly and tack to the East."

"It's probably designed to make the experience simpler for visitors," said Mipha. "After all, you're not here as the hero in control of the wind."

"Yes, I know you keep reminding me of that. And I know it's a rescue mission," said Link. "I have a feeling Revali would love acting out the role of hero here. Being able to control the wind and be the world's savior would suit him perfectly."

"Be nice, now," laughed Mipha. "I thought you two made up."

"Yes, kind of," laughed Link.

Link continued to steer north-northeast in the direction of Windfall Island when Mipha noticed a sizeable single mast ship on the horizon and heading south. The ship saw them too and veered toward them. It flew a skull and crossbones flag, and its canvas sail was trimmed in red and decorated with the black image of a cutlass.

"Should we be prepared for battle?" Link asked as he considered drawing his bow.

"I would wait to see," said Mipha. "I could probably sink them from below water if we had to."

The ship tacked closer, and they could make out some men on deck, along with a young girl in a purple dress. The pirates maneuvered their ship in front of Link's boat, so he stopped alongside them.

"Ahoy! Ahoy there!" shouted the man at the helm as he waved. "The name's Gonzo. By any chance, have you seen our captain, Miss Tetra? She's short with blond hair and blue eyes, wearing a blue vest and a pink scarf around her neck. We last saw her at the Forsaken Fortress."

"And by chance, have you seen my big brother Link? He also has blond hair and blue eyes, and he's dressed in a green outfit with a green cap. I'm Aryll, by the way," said the girl.

"No, we're sorry, we've seen no one since we left Outset Island," said Link.

Aryll and Gonzo looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders.

"Well, perhaps some Rito out searching for them will find them," said Gonzo. "Fair winds to ye!"

"Fair winds to you too," said Link.

The pirate ship pulled away, and they watched it sail off.

"So, the hero of winds has a little sister," said Mipha. "That's cute."

"Yes, lucky for him," said Link. "I wish I had more of a family growing up. But the family we have has more than made up for it."

They resumed sailing, and after another hour, the sky grew cloudy, and the sea turned from bright blue to milky green. They began to see flashes of lightning in the distance, and steady rain began to fall all around them.

"Could be some bad weather ahead," said Link. "Should we ride it out or look for land?"

"There's no land nearby," said Mipha. "I think we should ride it out. But steer toward that tall island just in case."

"The lightning does look pretty far to the north," said Link. "And this rain isn't so bad."

They continued sailing for several minutes, when suddenly there was a splash not far from the boat. Looking to the side, they could make out several large ugly creatures with purple arms, spiked heads, and yellow, glowing eyes. The creatures were waving their arms about and spitting what seemed to be rocks or bombs. They could only be Octoroks.

"I can deal with them," said Mipha, about to dive into the water.

"No, wait!" said Link. "Here, you take the tiller and steer past them. I'll use arrows in the meantime to keep them at bay."

Mipha switched places with Link, and he threaded some arrows, which destroyed any Octorok he hit with a burst of purple vapor. In a few minutes, they had sailed out of range.

But in avoiding the Octoroks, they had turned too far to the East and were approaching where they could see a flock of seagulls was gathered.

"There must be something the birds are interested in there," said Link, pointing.

Then, as they neared the seagulls, suddenly a massive squid surfaced with blue and white tentacles, an enormous gaping mouth, and yellow eyes similar to those of the Octoroks. It created a whirlpool that forced the boat to circle and slowly spiral in toward the creature.

"We're caught in the current, and it's pulling us in," Mipha shouted as she struggled with the tiller.

"Let me shoot at it," said Link as he retrieved his bow and began firing.

The shots had some effect if he hit it in one of its eyes, but otherwise, nothing happened.

"Let me deal with this," said Mipha. "Take the tiller so we don't capsize."

Before Link could say anything, Mipha dove into the water and swam toward the creature.

Link grabbed the tiller to help steer the boat and control it as much as possible in the strong current while he watched Mipha. She stabbed at the creature with her Trident, the eyes being the apparent target. The beast cried out in pain but then took a massive gulp of water, and Link watched in horror as it swallowed Mipha whole.

"Oh, Hylia! No!" Link shouted.

His only thought now was to kill the creature before it sank back down into the depths of the sea. He fired two arrows, destroying an eye, but it was too late. The beast slid under the water, and the whirlpool disappeared. The sea was calm once more.

"This can't be happening," Link muttered. "It can't be."

Just then, an enormous bubble of purple vapor broke the surface and vanished in the wind, and Mipha appeared a moment later. She swam over to the boat.

"Are you okay?" Link asked as he helped pull her back into the boat. "Of all the reckless things to do, Mipha! I thought that thing ate you!"

"Well, it did, in a way," said Mipha. "But I slid inside the creature and killed it with my Trident from the inside. It was not pleasant, but it got the job done. I didn't want both of us to get eaten."

"It was still reckless," said Link as he looked off into the distance for a moment. "But you know, I've heard a story like that before somewhere. I just can't remember where now. Well, never mind. It will come back to me. But please don't take any more chances like that. I think we went slightly too far East. So, let's head northwest."

It was evening by now as they resumed sailing, and the rain had given way to a clear star-filled sky.

"I wonder if the stars are the same as ours?" Link muttered as he glanced up.

"If you didn't fall asleep during North Hyrule lectures, you might know," laughed Mipha. "But they do look the same."

Link laughed, and Mipha laughed too, then they blew a kiss to each other. As they continued sailing, they noticed a glowing ring of light floating on the water. Mipha offered to investigate.

"Just be careful," said Link as he lowered the sail, and the boat coasted to a stop.

Mipha dove to the seafloor and observed that the glow came from a treasure chest. Opening it produced a purple 50 Rupee piece. She returned to the surface, holding the purple Rupee out.

"Fifty Rupees," said Mipha. "One way to get more Rupees."

"Let's keep going," said Link. "I see the outline of a tall tower in the distance with a bright glow next to it. It's on our way, anyway."

They sailed near the tower and paid the nearby fish with bait to learn this was called the Tower of the Gods and more about triumph forks. But when Link sailed the boat over the large glowing mark, the Sheikah Slate buzzed with a message.

Descent to ancient Hyrule is restricted to those visiting as the Hero of Winds.

"Descent to ancient Hyrule? So, Hyrule is under the sea?" said Link. "I should really learn more about the Hero of Winds."

"We both should," said Mipha.

"Well, let's press on," said Link. "I just couldn't resist investigating this bright glowing spot, as it was on our way. Windfall Island must be just a bit further north."

"Aside from the occasional monster, it's actually quite nice here," said Mipha as Link sat down beside her.

"I'm sure you love a world of mostly water," laughed Link. "But it is nice being here with you."

The stars were bright, and the sea was calm. They embraced and kissed several times as the boat sailed north under a fair wind.

Meanwhile, on Windfall Island, after Purah and Robbie finished eating, they spent the late afternoon wandering around the island.

"You know, we should be taking pictures of things here," said Robbie.

"You're right," said Purah.

They both took out their Tabs and began taking pictures. As they passed a young man sitting on the steps, he looked up.

"Oh, you both have Picto Boxes? A boy dressed in green already showed me what I wanted to see. I feel totally rejuvenated now!"

"That's nice," said Purah. "We'll just be on our way."

"I wonder what that was all about?" whispered Purah as they continued toward the harbor.

They passed a woman standing alone, and she called out to them.

"Oh! I see you have a Picto Box! Would you mind taking a picture of me?"

"Um, fine," said Robbie as he approached and prepared to take a picture with his Tab.

"My name is Minenco, and I was Miss Windfall Island some years ago," said Minenco. "If you are interested in photography, you should visit my friend Lorenzo. He is an expert on the subject."

Robbie took the picture, then showed it to her.

"Perfect!" said Minenco. "Sadly, I have nothing to thank you with. I already gave that boy in green my Treasure Chart."

"That's fine," said Robbie. "I'm glad you like the picture. We'll be on our way now."

"Clearly, there are a good deal of adventures for the hero here," said Robbie as they continued their walk.

As the sun set and the sky grew dark, the Windfall Lighthouse beacon shone out across the sea, its rotation powered by the windmill attached to it.

"Let's take a closer look at the lighthouse," said Purah. "The view should be excellent from up there, even at night. I wish I had thought of it while it was still daytime."

"The way things are going, we may well still be here by daytime," said Robbie.

They made their way toward the lighthouse, and after passing through a building, a fellow named Kreeb informed them that the windmill was also a Ferris wheel, and they could ride the gondolas to the top.

"Yes, a lad clad in green lit the lighthouse light with fire arrows," said Kreeb. "He was quite capable for a youngster. I wish you could meet him."

"Perhaps another time," said Purah.

They made their way to the moving gondolas and boarded a gondola together, then sat and admired the view as they rotated up and down.

Meanwhile, Mipha and Link had resumed sailing and soon could make out the silhouette of a tall island on the horizon ahead. As they neared it, you could see the twin beams from a lighthouse sweeping across the sky.

"I think that's our destination," said Link.

They continued sailing, and as they approached the island, they noticed Beedle's ship sailing about. Link then lowered the sail as Mipha steered the boat to the pier, and they hopped out onto the shore.

The nighttime island was quiet now, the only lights coming from a shop on the left with a bomb sign in front and the lighthouse.

Meanwhile, Purah and Robbie were admiring the view from the Ferris wheel when they saw the small boat pull up to the pier.

"Look!" said Robbie excitedly. "It's Mipha and Link!"

"You're right!" said Purah.

"Hey! Up here!" Robbie shouted, waving his arms.

"You'll wake up the entire town," said Purah. "We can hop off and join them."

"It's a simulation, remember?" said Robbie.

Mipha and Link heard the shout and looked up.

"There they are!" said Link excitedly. "And they're riding a Ferris wheel? They don't look all that worried."

"Come, let's go get them and go home," said Mipha.

They made their way up the path and met Purah and Robbie, who had exited from one of the buildings.

"Thank Hylia, you found us!" said Robbie. "Now, do you know how to get us out of here?"

"Yes, I just need to press the 'Experience' rune," said Link, taking out the Sheikah Slate. "It forms a travel gate and can accommodate up to four people at once."

"It was instructive visiting here," said Purah. "But I should have liked to be in more control of the situation."

Link pressed the rune labeled Experience, and a travel gate appeared on the ground before them. All four of them stepped into the blue circle, and everyone made sure they were standing within it.

"Ready?" Link asked, and everyone answered yes.

Link pressed the rune again, and they dematerialized, an instant later materializing in the Forgotten Temple in front of the statue of the Hero of Winds. Then they all stepped off the travel gate.

"Mom! Dad!" shouted Lapha. "And Dr. Purah and Dr. Robbie. You're all safe!"

They embraced, and Mipha and Link hugged Midon as well.

"Yes, it was a brief but interesting experience," said Link. "I wouldn't mind returning there someday for a better look."

"We had better let Mila and Linky know we're back," said Mipha as she pulled out her Tab.

"And I promised Queen Zelda I would convey any news," said Lapha.

"Tell her I will return her Sheikah Slate the next time I see her," said Link.

Mila answered Mipha's call at once.

"Mom! You and Dad are okay? You're back already?" Mila asked.

"Yes, we're both fine and will be home soon, sweetheart," said Mipha.

"I'll let Linky know," said Mila. "Love you both so much!"

"Love you, too," said Mipha as she ended the call.

"Well, we owe all of you our thanks," said Purah. "I apologize for putting everyone through such an ordeal. The good news is there is much to learn from all this."

"I think Mipha and I would like to go home," said Link. "I know only a little time has passed here, but we had a whole day and night of adventure there."

"I think we all would enjoy a family reunion," said Lapha.

"Yes, by all means," said Purah. "Take as much time off as you like. Robbie and I will be studying the Guidance Stones here in the meantime."

They said farewell and prepared to return to Zora's Domain.

"I wonder what else they will uncover in the Hall of Heroes?" Link said as he held Mipha's hand.

"Whatever it is, I look forward to sharing the experience with you," said Mipha.

They laughed and then kissed.

"Okay, Lapha and Midon," said Mipha. "Time to huddle together. We're on our way to Ruta."