Summary: After their victory over Ganon's creation, Link returns with Mipha to Zora's Domain and is finally free to experience Zora life without dawn to dusk combat training. Mipha is thrilled and plans to enjoy to the fullest this special time with Link. In the meantime, they agree to avoid discussing the choice Link must make in six months. Their first trip together is a visit to Lurelin Village, their honeymoon spot. Link finally experiences love as a Zora feels it.

It was near sunset, and Mipha and Link sat on top of Ruta, their arms around each other. Ruta started gently slowing to a stop in East Reservoir Lake, sending waves rippling across the water and frightening several ducks that flew squawking into the air. They could see five people they knew well on the northwest pier waving to them and awaiting their return. Mipha had sent her family a message when Ruta was getting close, and all the family, excluding King Dorephan himself, had gathered there to welcome them home. Mipha brought Ruta to a full stop in the middle of the lake, and Ruta bellowed her acknowledgment, the sound echoing off the nearby cliffs. Then, as was her habit, Mipha showed her affection for Ruta by gently patting her on the head. After waving back to everyone, she and Link eased their way down to the entrance. Mipha then closed up Ruta, and it was a short swim to the pier, an effortless swim now for Link as a Zora.

"Welcome home!" everyone shouted as Mipha and Link pulled themselves onto the dock. There were hugs and kisses all around.

"You did it, Mom & Dad!" said Midon. "We heard the news. The whole Domain is excited that Zoras were the ones who defeated the enemy. And you're both being hailed as heroes."

"They're already heroes, Mido," said Lapha. "They're just bigger heroes now. Right, Dad?"

Link laughed.

"Yes, I guess we are," said Link. "But the important thing is Hyrule is rid of that loathsome creature, and the waters of Lake Hylia will soon return to their natural purity once more."

"Father has planned a meal with all of us," said Sidon. "I know he is anxious to see you, so we should go."

They made their way down the stairway. Sidon moved closer to Mipha and spoke quietly.

"Father was very worried about you two," said Sidon. "He was afraid Link would not master combat as one of us, and you would both fall to Ganon's creation. I tried to reassure him that you had trained Link well and believed he was ready. But I think he still had his doubts. Anyway, Father almost literally jumped for joy when you called that all was well. And so did I."

"I know Father always worries about us," said Mipha. "But thanks for telling me. Link did superbly and bore the brunt of the battle. He just had some bad luck at the very end. But I was there for him, just as I always want to be. We destroyed the enemy together."

They reached the throne room, where King Dorephan had a dining table set up for their dinner.

"Mipha, Link, congratulations!" said King Dorephan. "Soon after your call, Mipha, the news went out that you two had destroyed that evil thing at the bottom of Lake Hylia. Zelda was quoted as saying it was a very heroic deed and another example of Zora support for Hyrule. All of us in the Domain are very proud of you both. And, to be frank, I am also very relieved you are both home safe, and we can celebrate together."

"Yes, it was a long ordeal, mostly getting ready for the enemy," said Link. "And your daughter is the real hero, relentlessly preparing me for combat, and finishing the creature off at the very end. She is truly a worthy Champion of our people, and you should be very proud of her."

"I am very proud of my remarkable daughter, and have been for a long time," said King Dorephan. "But it is always nice to hear her praises, even from someone who is hardly unbiased. Come, let's have dinner now."

Everyone sat down, and a meal was served.

"Mom and Dad, will you tell us what happened?" said Midon.

Link proceeded to summarize the battle, with Mipha explaining the role of Ruta and the final blow with her trident after Link had mortally wounded the creature.

"Was this battle harder than Ganon, Dad?" asked Linky.

"This creature was not as powerful, so the contest was not objectively harder," said Link. "But it was harder for me in many ways because I was not as experienced fighting underwater as a Zora as I was a Hylian fighting on the ground. But thanks to Mom's pushing me to train and some hard work, I was good enough."

There was some more discussion of the battle, and then King Dorephan changed the subject.

"What are your plans now, Link?" said King Dorephan. "Are you anxious to return back to normal as a Hylian now that your mission is over?"

"With your permission, Mipha and I are going to take some time off and travel a bit. After that, I need to decide what to do."

"I see. Well, you should take your time as this is an important decision, and I am sure means a great deal to everyone who loves you," said King Dorephan. "You have my permission, of course. I wish you well, and I hope you reach a decision that makes you both happy. Should you decide to remain as you are, as Mipha's husband and a Zora, you would merit a royal title here. But I know such things are of little consequence to you, and you have already received many honors."

For the rest of the meal, they discussed family matters and other such subjects. After dinner, when the children were asleep or at least back in their rooms, Mipha and Link stepped outside their house for a moment together. The night was mild, and a bright moon illuminated the area. The nearby Luminous Stones gave off their characteristic blue glow as they stood holding hands.

"I think Father would like you to stay as a Zora, probably because he thinks that would make me happier," said Mipha. "I can't believe he baited a title for you! But I want you to listen to something. When I first heard this song, it reminded me of us a little, and I wanted to share it with you. I have it on my Tab."

"What is it called?"

"Sharing My World With Me," said Mipha. "Just listen."

Mipha pressed a rune on her Tab, and the song began playing. The melody was slow and sentimental and sung by a female vocalist. She was apparently singing to someone she dearly loved who, after some time apart, was finally able to share life with her. He didn't remember all the words, but one part stuck in his mind.

I long for you when we're apart, my one true love who owns my heart. But now you're here, you're all I need, sharing my world together with me.

"It's a beautiful song," said Link.

"It is. I think you should spend the next six months with me living in my world, our world now," said Mipha. "I want you to experience what life with all of us as a Zora would be like. You already know what life with all of us as a Hylian would be like. When the six months is up, you should choose which life you prefer. I cannot choose for you, and if I tell you what I wish for, you will just do what I ask out of love for me. But it has to be truly what you want. If you choose to return to being a Hylian again, you will always have the memories of this time together, something I never dreamed possible. If not, we go on enjoying life together as we are now. So, let's not spend any more time agonizing over this. We can talk about it when you have to decide."

"Alright, I agree," said Link. "After this, not another word for six months. But that's the problem with two people like us who love each other so much. We will each gladly sacrifice our own wishes to make the other person happy. I want to do what makes you happy, and you want me to do what makes me happy. And I won't be happy if you're not, and you won't be happy if I'm not. So we tie ourselves in knots trying to figure it all out and guess what the other person feels. And I also care about how our children feel. Remember how much I worried they wouldn't accept me? Anyway, that's all I will say about this until the time comes. Where do we start our vacation?"

"I think some time in Lurelin Village, our honeymoon spot, would be a good start," said Mipha. "I think you'll enjoy it somewhat differently now. Father agreed he would take care of the children to give us time together. We can leave tomorrow."

"Yes, that sounds like fun," said Link. "It will be nice just taking things slowly, enjoying ourselves, and not practicing combat from dawn to dusk. And I know you love the food there. Actually, thinking about those porgies and crabs is giving me a craving for them now, too. That's a new feeling for me."

"Welcome to my world," laughed Mipha. "It's nice your appetite is improving. And you can stop burning your food now, too."

The next morning at breakfast, they discussed their plans with the children, who were all very supportive.

"You both deserve a nice holiday," said Mila. "We're happy you have the chance."

Then Mila looked closely into Link's eyes, and he felt that same feeling he always had when she did that, that she was somehow reading his thoughts and feelings.

"And don't be frightened Dad," said Mila. "There is no right or wrong answer. You will have our love no matter what, so take that out of your worries. In the end, if you can't decide, come to me. I'll help you."

"Alright, sweetheart, thank you. And I may need your help," said Link.

"Send us some pictures," said Lapha. "Linky and I have never been there."

"We will," said Mipha. "I think you're all getting too big for me to have to say this but behave while we're gone. And you can Tab us anytime you need to."

They hugged and kissed goodbye, and then the children left for class. Mipha and Link stopped to say goodbye to King Dorephan and Sidon, and then the next stop was the Lanayru Bay Port.

The quickest way to get there was to swim across East Reservoir Lake, go over the Rutala Dam and then work their way down to the Rutala River and then cross the Samasa Plain to Lanayru Bay. There was a proposal to create a waterway tunnel through Ruto Mountain direct to the Rutala River, but Mipha wasn't sure if the project had been approved. Certainly, no work had yet begun on it. They spoke while on the way.

"Notice one nice thing?" said Mipha.

"What?"

"No need to pack food," said Mila. "We live off the water now. I noticed you brought some food to Lake Hylia, and that made sense because the fish there had been poisoned."

"I can appreciate that meals are much easier," laughed Link. "And meals are still pretty important to me."

They reached the port and boarded the boat to Lurelin Village. It would make one stop at Hateno Beach beforehand. Sea travel had improved quite a bit since their honeymoon days when they traveled by sailboat. Most sea travel was done on high-speed Sheikah designed vessels now. They found seats together and waited for departure time. Link looked out at the water for a moment, then turned back to Mipha.

"Getting away together is a wonderful idea," said Link as he took her hand. "With every moment spent training I haven't had any time to share my thoughts and feelings with you since the change. I want to do more of that, be more open with you. Maybe my personality has changed a little as well."

"That would be a nice change," said Mipha. "It will be quite a novel experience for me to do more listening than talking when we're alone together. But I think you have over twenty years to make up for."

Then Mipha squeezed his hand. The boat was filling up, mostly with Hylian couples who had visited the Domain and were continuing their vacation or heading home to Hateno Village. Link noticed the area at the rear of the ship had a more extensive railing and warnings about keeping away from the propulsion system. Those extra safety measures were a consequence of Tiray's death, though Link knew it had not been an accident. That reminded him of Laray. He hadn't heard anything about her lately. That was probably a good thing and meant she was doing well with friends. He wondered how she would react when she met him as a Zora. His thoughts were interrupted by the safety announcement from one of the two officers on board as the ship prepared to leave.

Once the ship cleared the port area, it picked up considerable speed. But it didn't plow through the water as much as glide along the surface. The propulsion system was fairly quiet, so it was easy to hear each other.

Link let go of Mipha's hand and put his arm around her. She turned her gaze from the water to look over at him and smiled.

"Did I ever tell you how much I love you?" said Link.

"Occasionally, but that's always a good way to start a conversation. I am so looking forward to this trip! We can have fun in the sea now and explore places together. And not just in water. We can visit Lover's Pond on Tuft Mountain. We can visit locations that were important to you in your quest, and you can tell me all about what happened there. I want us to take our time and do everything we want."

He leaned over, and they kissed.

"I'm ready to share your world and have some fun," said Link. "Our world now, I mean."

They sat back and watched the coastline as the boat sped along, passing Tarm Point and Wintre Island. Then the boat turned southward to follow the Afromsia coastline. Even at a fairly high speed the trip would take some time. But the ride was smooth, the weather pleasant, and he had his arm around the love of his life. Who cared how long the ride took?

"Did you do any traveling along this coast?" said Mipha pointing to the right. "It looks pretty desolate."

"A little, but not much," said Link. "It is indeed pretty desolate. I generally stayed on higher ground above it."

The boat continued speeding south, then circled Mapla Point and headed west. It passed Deepback Bay, then turned north into Hateno Bay, slowing down as it did so. A few minutes later the crew announced their arrival at Hateno Beach for those disembarking here. It was mid-day, and they would be there for about thirty minutes. This was the stop for anyone traveling to Hateno Village, and three couples got off.

"Are you hungry?" said Link. "Can I get you something while we're stopped here?"

"I'll come with you," said Mipha. "We can catch lunch in the water near the boat and board again."

They left the boat and dove into the waters of Hateno Bay. There was plenty of fish in these waters, and catching a couple of Mighty Porgies was no problem. They re-boarded the ship along with two other couples and found their way to their seats again.

"I used to have a small house near here in Hateno Village," said Link. "Just a bed and desk upstairs and a dining room with a table downstairs. There was a nice little pond outside we could have shared together. The location was a bit out of the way, but I liked the peace and quiet. I got a good deal of writing done when I stayed there. Anyway, that never happened now. Remember, we went to Hateno Village a long time ago, after the Yiga Clan ambush? You relaxed in Zelkoa Pond while I went off to meet the mayor. I visited the site of my house afterward but there was nothing interesting there."

"Yes, I remember," said Mipha. "My father was furious about that attack, but he got over it."

An announcement was made that the ship was leaving, and after clearing the harbor area, it picked up speed heading south past Tenoko Island and then Soka Point, staying west of Eventide Island. Then after it passed Soka Point the boat turned west and followed the curved coastline of Cape Cresia. Then it slowed as it navigated past Rimba Beach and Korne Beach and finally docked at Lurelin Village. Everyone was getting off here and it was late afternoon.

"Perfect!" said Mipha. "We can enjoy a sunset on the beach together. Then, if we're tired, I know a nice place to sleep. There is a little fresh-water pool with a waterfall on a hill northeast of the village at the foot of the Dunsel Plateau. There are even some Hyrule Bass there sometimes, though I prefer the Porgies in the sea. We can sleep comfortably there. But first the beach. I just love being here!"

Mipha ran off toward the beach and Link raced after her. She laughed as she ran into the sea, then jumped into the air and did a graceful dive under the water. Link followed her, but not so acrobatically. The sea was cold but didn't bother him as a Zora. And he could see underwater very clearly now. He swam after her, but despite all his training he could never match her swimming skill. She turned around and looked at him, then smiled as she sent a blast of clicks his way that tickled and made him laugh. Then she stopped and waited for him to join her. She reached out for him to take her hand, but when he did she reached back and spun him around like a top, giggling as she did it. She was incredibly strong in water, and obviously mischievous as well. He spun around and around, and when he finally stopped spinning, he swam after her again. But she teased him by swimming backwards and keeping out of reach. She could easily swim backwards faster than he could swim forwards. Finally she stopped and he caught up with her. She pointed upward and they both swam to the surface.

"You're fun to play with," laughed Mipha. "Enjoying yourself?"

Yes, you're amazing in water," said Link. "You're amazing out of the water, too. But I have this craving for fresh crab. Can we eat now?"

"Sure, let's head back to shore," said Mipha. "There are crabs crawling everywhere here."

Soon they were resting on the beach, laying down in the sand together with their feet in the water after having enjoyed two Ironshell Crabs each. The sun was starting to set.

"Honestly, tell me you don't love this?" said Mipha. "We're masters of the water, and even adults love to play in it. Don't you feel it yet? That love of being in the water?"

"Yes, I do love it. Feelings like that have been growing in me since the change and all the training," said Link. "I feel different urges now, and playing in the water is one of them. I understand you a little better now. And I admire the skills you have that I never appreciated before."

Link paused for a moment. Then he continued.

"You really are a Champion, and yet you're so modest about it," said Link. "Revali, of course, is off the scale with self-esteem. Daruk is this fun-loving 'bring it on' kind of guy. And Urbosa is very dramatic, with her combat flair, snapping her fingers and all that. But you are so sweet and quiet yet do things better than anyone would expect if they didn't take the time to know you. I think that's one thing we have in common, doing our jobs and not tooting our horn about it."

"You mean not flapping our fins," said Mipha. "Yes, I never like to brag about myself. My instinct is to help others to do well and get them to believe in themselves. I see that kind and caring nature in you as well. It's getting dark now. Let's head back to the village, stroll around a bit, and when we're ready, head for that pool I spoke of."