Link had left Hyrule Castle early in the morning. After he and Zelda had returned to the castle from their previous outing, she had stayed up late studying the results of her latest scientific research (which she was careful to keep her father in the dark on), while Link had turned in early in preparation for his own trip the very next morning. If all went as usual, he'd probably be able to make it to Zora's Domain by late-afternoon at most.

Currently, the young hero was just past Crenel Peak, about to cross a fairly modest river that led into the Lanayru Wetlands. His trusted mount, a friendly, mild-tempered mare that Link had named Jacklyn, was walking across shakily and nervously; she never did enjoy being above water. But Link gently stroked her neck, shh-ing her and promising her an apple once they were across.

As Link looked onward, he could make out the mountain range that served as a sort of natural wall for the Zora's home. He also knew that it allowed many large, majestic waterfalls to grace their home. Just the sight of it was enough to bring a small smile to Link's face, the memories of both his past and present coming back to him. His eyes focused on a certain peak, and while he couldn't see most of it, Link knew it to be the location of his most recent memory with the dear Mipha.Link watched as Mipha dove into the water from the steep height they had been on. She landed in the water with such perfection that she resembled a bright red bullet, powering through the surface like it was merely air. After staying submerged for several seconds, she reemerged, effortlessly swimming to the shore. She turned her head to look up at Link and flashed a grin as the water rolled down her slender body.

Despite all of the lands Link had explored, it was possibly the most beautiful sight the hero had ever seen.

"I do hope you have your own way of getting down here!" Mipha shouted, cupping her hands to her mouth to be heard with the distance between them. "You're not exactly built to handle that!"

Link, however, flashed a subtle, mischievous look down at her, one that he wasn't sure she could even see. He got on one knee, took in a breath, and ran for the edge of the cliff before jumping off. As he fell at an increasing speed, the young man brought his arms out in front of him to execute a diving pose.

"LINK!!" Mipha screamed. She instantly jumped back into the water and darted towards the falling Hylian. Just before Link hit the surface, Mipha burst from the water and collided into him, knocking him off course but preventing him from the hard hit into the water she feared.

Once Mipha released her hold around him, Link swam to the surface and headed for dry land. He looked at Mipha with a playfully annoyed look for ruining his stunt.

But Mipha appeared less jovial, also leaving the water and crossing her arms. "Do you realize what could have happened? The impact could have seriously hurt you, or worse!"

Link remained ever-calm, however, and simply gave a half-apologetic shrug. Mipha scoffed at that, looking Link in the eyes. And while she tried to keep up her angry look, that was very difficult when the man she was in love with was wet with his shirt clinging to his form, his hair drooping around his pretty face.

Mipha shook off the feeling and went over to him. She kneeled down and checked him over, looking for any place that required healing. This elicited an amused smile from Link, the kind that she'd been worried she'd never see from him when they were first reunited.

Link was amused, yes, but he simultaneously loved and admired his friend for her efforts. As always, she was so caring, so concerned about the well-being of others. The way she would always fuss over him even at his current age made him suddenly not feel so alone. She was someone he could always trust to be there for him the way very few people could be. And having her right beside him, her beautiful face inches from his as these emotions swirled in his head, made his heart beat elevate. He thought he'd caught a glimpse of longing in her eyes, but brushed the thought aside as wishful thinking. All of this was worsened when her wet, tender hands began softly running along his frame, diligently looking for even the slightest injury.

Satisfied that there were none present, Mipha backed up a few inches, trying to maintain her composure in her tense state. "I swear to Hylia, one of these days you'll be the death of me, I'm certain," Mipha gently scolded, but her gentle voice didn't match the frustration of her words.

"Some things never change, I suppose," Link retorted. And yet the two of them then shared a look, Link wondering what would happen if they moved their faces just a bit closer. And it reminded them both that one thing certainly did change between them.

Mipha was the first to turn away, desperate to end the torrent inside her. "Well, I suppose we were on our way back to my father before you delayed us," she said, narrowing her eyes but failing to convincingly fake her anger. "What say we continue?"

Link said nothing, but he gave an affirmative nod. And so Mipha took to the water and dove in, with Link right behind her. She went more slowly than she was capable of in order to stay by Link's side. But of course, she wouldn't stay that way; couldn't give the Hylian any ideas that he could outswim her.

And so the two figures darted in the water, Link coming up for air while his Zora companion caught up to him. In that moment, they forgot about the duties that brought them back together, only relishing in their relationship returning to its former glory from years ago."Excuse me, young man!"

Just as he crossed the bridge and gave Jacklyn her promised treat, Link's bittersweet reminiscing was swiftly interrupted by the sound of a stranger's voice. He turned his head to see a frail-looking old woman slowly walking towards him, sporting a traditional green cloak that appeared to cover up rather tattered garb, especially if her frail, matching legwear was any indication. She removed the hood of her cloak, revealing thin grey hair, soft red eyes, and a kind disposition. Link's eyes expressed concern for this stranger.

"Pardon me for the intrusion sir, but I seem to be lost. I'm in need of a horse, much like that lovely one you have there. But I don't know where the nearest stable is. You wouldn't happen to know, would you?" she asked, a very pleasant, unassuming tone in her voice.

Link, always eager to help someone in need, gently replied, "The Woodland Stable is just down this road," he pointed to the left, "At Pico Pond." He essentially knew all the stable locations by heart, as they were some of his favorite establishments throughout Hyrule.

"Oh! Perfect! Thank you so much, sonny!" the woman replied. "Safe travels to you!"

But Link was more than willing to ease her journey, even if her destination was just a few minutes from here. Plus, I suppose this will help take my mind off of things, he thought. "Would you like a lift down there?" Link asked, patting Jacklyn's back invitingly.

"Oh, there's no need for that. You look like you're quite busy at the moment!" the woman replied.

"It's no trouble," Link reassured.

The stranger gave it a few seconds thought, before deciding. "Oh, why not? What a nice young fellow you are!"

Link was surprised that the elderly figure was able to keep hearing him with how softly he was speaking. For her age, he would have figured her hearing was on its way out. But he guided Jacklyn over to the woman, grabbed her hand, and helped lift her up. She wrapped her arms around Link's torso with a surprising strength, and Link called for Jacklyn to take a left.

As expected, the trip was only a few minutes long, barely a diversion from Link's own journey at all. It took them through a small stretch of trees that extended from the modest Minshi Woods, as the running of the river to their left graced their ears.

However, as they neared closer and closer to the stable, Link noticed an unusual quietness around him. While the wilderness didn't often provide too much commotion, he expected it to pick up a bit near a stable, as it usually did when he approached one. It was slightly eerie, but he brushed it off as just an odd day.

Thankfully, when the travelers finally arrived, Link saw not only several workers he was familiar with at the Woodland Stable, but a few happy-looking customers browsing around. Link always enjoyed visits to the stable. The warm vibe of the people, observing how they cared for their horses, and the fresh farm smell always made him feel refreshed.

The stable clerk whispered something into a customer's ear, and the customer waltzed away before the clerk turning his attention to the new arrivals.

"Hello there! Welcome to the my stable! We deal in all things horse related. We also double as an inn. What can we do for you?"

Link got of the horse with ease, and then went to help the old woman down. After she thanked him again, he gestured his hand for her to follow him. She went up to the clerk and spoke up.

"Why yes, I'm looking for a steed. I'm making a trip to Gerudo Desert, you see, and I'm sure you can tell that someone of my age can't possibly get there on foot."

Gerudo? Link pondered. That's unusual. What would someone like her be doing there? He stepped up to the counter with her with a look of confusion.

"Well, certainly! What kind are you looking for? A creature of speed, endurance, strength? We've got all kinds …"

As the two continued their conversation, Link was noticing more and more things that were just slightly off. Everyone seemed to be moving in coordination with each other, as if they were all active parts of some machine. There wasn't much talking, nor did anyone seem invested in the tasks they were performing. Peeking into the inn, for instance, showed him that the worker making a bed was doing a rather sloppy job, the sheets barely neatened over the mattresses. Even the local salesperson that he would often find at these stables looked more distant than his usual, more outgoing self.

And out of the corner of his eye, Link saw one of the stable hands suddenly placing a loosely knotted rope around Jacklyn's neck, guiding her away. The boy narrowed his eyes, feeling a surge of protection for his steed. This wasn't right … something didn't add up here.

Link darted in the stable hand's path, blocking the way as he asked in a tone quite firm for him, "What are you doing?"

"Apologies, but I was just putting this one in for storage. You likely won't need her now," the hand replied. There was a twang of urgency in his voice, as if he was anticipating the resistance from the boy.

Link's expression turned more agitated, hands on his hips and expression stern, but he kept his cool as he replied, "What makes you say that? She's the one who needs a horse; Jacklyn is still with me."

Suddenly, a chuckle came from behind him, one that sent a chill rolling down the hero's neck. It was the old woman he'd brought here, staring him down with a glimmer of mischief in her eyes.

"Oh come now, my boy. I've come to quite enjoy your company, and thought that we could travel together. It would certainly be easier for everyone if you came willingly, after all," the woman said. Her voice was suddenly sinister, her face growing a sickly grin, her red eyes brightening.

Link tensed up and took a few steps back. But when his back came into contact with something, he turned around to see that two other workers were now directly behind him. Additionally, a few of the customers now flanked him, all of them getting into a crouching stance as if about to pounce on prey. It reminded Link of …

… Oh no …

Out of nowhere, all of the figures surrounding him suddenly exploded in bursts of red smoke. The shape of an eye with an upwards-dripping tear could be seen in all the smoke clouds, confirming Link's fears. When the smoke cleared, the once friendly-looking civilians were replaced with figures wearing red-and-black outfits, each gripping a dagger or sickle. The eye symbol appeared on the faceless white masks they all wore.

Link was all too aware of who these were.

Yiga!"Good day, Lady Mipha!"

"Your Highness, good morning!"

"Greetings, Princess!"

Mipha responded kindly to every subject that gave her a fond hello as she passed them. Not a day went by that she wasn't grateful for the relationships she had with her people. She did her best to follow in the footsteps of her father, respecting all denizens as being on her level even if it wasn't "legally" the case. Yet at the same time, there was still the veneer that she felt necessary to keep up, one that made her people believe that she was as confident in herself as they were of her.

Thankfully, she didn't need to keep that veneer up when she was around her family. She entered the chambers of her father, King Dorephan, and gave the rather large Zora the best hug she could muster for their size differences.

"Mipha, my dear! You're up quite early! I would have thought you'd like to take the morning in, seeing as Link won't be arriving here until late afternoon."

"I know, Father, but sleep has eluded me these past few nights. So I thought that I could at least be of use whilst awake," the Zora girl replied.

Her father raised a brow at this. "Oh? And what do you have planned for today?"

"Well," Mipha started, "I would like to take up today's surveillance of the bordering mountains. I imagine that I'd be taking the task off the hands on a lucky Zora," she said, head humbly low.

"Really? Mipha, there's no need for you to worry about that. You've already kept well ahead of your own royal duties. I dare say that you don't need to concern yourself with others'," the king remarked.

"I understand. But I feel it would do me some good." Indeed, not only would it allow her mind to focus on something other than her expected arrival, but helping her people and exploring the outskirts of the domain usually brightened even her darkest days.

Dorephan thought it over for a moment, before stating, "Very well, dear. But be careful. And make sure you're back in time! I'm sure Link would be disappointed if you kept him waiting," the Zora king said to his daughter. The teasing tone in his voice was unmistakable, him being very aware of the connection Mipha felt for the Hylian.

Mipha gave a huffy response. "Oh don't worry father, I will be quite punctual."

She turned to leave, but suddenly felt a small force latch onto her leg. She was briefly startled, but chuckled when she looked down and saw that it was merely her little brother Sidon hugging it.

"Now, now, Sidon. We'll have some time to play when I return," she said lightly, patting the little Zora's head. "Now go and finish your chores. And be nice when Link shows up."

The mention of Link only made the prince even more excited, as he'd come to see him as a surrogate big brother. So he pumped an arm up and gave a cheerful, bright grin of approval.

The princess rolled her eyes playfully as she crouched down to hug her brother. And with that, she grabbed her sacred Lightscale Trident and headed out to complete her task.

Mipha always loved swimming through the crisp, clean waters of her domain. As she dove in and carried on to her destination, she zipped, spun, and propelled herself through rather frivolously, doing what Zoras like her were born to do and having the time of her in the process. And of course, there were very few thrills that could match the Zora-exclusive ability to swim up a waterfall. And that's just what she did, zooming up it and watching the ground beneath her get further and further away through a watery curtain.

As she was catapulted out of the waterfall, Mipha let out a very un-princesslike holler, and positioned herself to make a smooth and acrobatic landing on the ground. Letting out a deep breath, she turned around to look down on the waterfall from the edge of Ploymus Mountain.

From then on for the next hour or so, her surveillance was pretty standard. She scanned the area for any major threats, or anything out of place in general. She was happy to see that everything seemed to be as expected. Which meant that most of her time could be spent marveling at the majesty of her surroundings and enjoying the view. She doubted that the guards could complain about surveillance when they had this to look forward to.

After ten more minutes, Mipha was almost ready to head back down and call it a morning. However, out of the corner of her eye, the Zora just barely made out something moving … something large. She turned her head, and let out a quiet gasp as she nearly froze up in shock.

Roughly 100 feet away from her was a lone figure. Its lower half appeared to be that of a horse, strong legs and hooves supporting its black-furred torso. But resting upon that horse body was a huge, thickly-muscled black humanoid torso with thick red tufts on its arms, which matched not only its tail but also the small mane resting on the figure's neck. Two imposing horns lay on its head, and it carried fearsome-looking weaponry on its massive back.

Mipha was familiar with this kind of creature. It was a dreaded Lynel. These were regarded as some of the most dangerous beings in all of Hyrule. They were fast, tough, intelligent, and could potentially finish off an opponent with a single blow.

The princess unfortunately knew all of this firsthand, due to an encounter that she and Link once had with one. Link fought it to the death and saved her life, and it was the day that cemented how she had come to feel about him.A Lynel's lifeless body lay still on the ground, bloodied and mangled from the vicious fight it had just lost. Dirt and debris were kicked up around it, and various bits and pieces of its flesh lay grossly from its corpse. But all of this was the least on Mipha's mind right now. She was instead worried about the young man responsible for vanquishing the creature.

"Link! Are you okay?!"

Link placed a palm on his head, worn out by the fierce battle with the now-dead Lynel. He sported many scrapes and cuts, and felt prominent aches along his waist and an arm. He heaved in and out heavily, the effort having nearly drained him.

Mipha had been amazed by what she saw Link capable of as he took on the Lynel. She always knew he was talented; he'd been great with a sword as early as four years old. But to see his developed abilities now, all these years later … it was almost hypnotizing, and beautiful despite the violence and carnage. But it wasn't just his skills that she was shocked by. It was also the fierce dedication that he had to not only slay the creature, but to keep her safe at any cost. And nowhere was that clearer than when she looked in his eyes after the fight. While they were ablaze with anger and ferocity in combat, they now were a calming, gentle flame. His breathing slowly steadied, but her heart was doing anything but remaining steady.

Earlier, Link had been insistent that Mipha not accompany him to fight this beast, trying to gesture her back with many points of the arm and a few short but stern exclamations. But the headstrong, stubborn Zora refused to leave him to face the threat alone, and relentlessly stayed with him until he eventually gave up trying. As worrisome and frustrating as it was, Link's chest swelled at her determination to be there for him, as well as the bravery and selflessness that it displayed in her. The Zoras couldn't have been blessed with a better princess. Nor he with a better companion.

And sitting beside the hero, Mipha held no regrets for coming. For as she watched him fight, moving with the skill and grace of a veteran dancer, determined to do whatever it took, a grand epiphany hit her. This young man, the one she'd had many happy memories with, had grown into someone who would always stand in between a threat and those who the threat intended to harm, no matter the cost to himself. As she observed him in their few recent encounters, she had never seen so many admirable traits in one individual. He was someone she could be inspired by, someone to feel safe with ... and to her, so much more than just a friend. He was everything that she could admire in a person: brave, caring, selfless, strong, loyal ... she was doomed to love him.

In answer to her frantic question, Link simply huffed and nodded. But of course, that wasn't enough for the princess. Her hands glowed warmly as she began using her healing abilities on Link. She briefly closed her eyes and let her heart guide her powers, feeling relief upon seeing the Hylian's wounds slowly fade away.

After a few more minutes of healing letting Link rest, Mipha stared at the ground and asked, "That last move you performed … it … it was … amazing," she stammered, attempting to keep herself together and not get flustered out of shyness. "… What was that?"

A glint of excitement, though barely noticeable, showed in Link's handsome blue eyes. "I call it a Spin Attack," he said matter-of-factly.

"Oh …" Mipha responded. "Well … perhaps I could perform it with my own trident. Would you be so kind as to demonstrate for me some time?"

Link responded with a nod, and a small look of encouragement that Mipha appreciated.

After a few more minutes of letting Link recover from the fight, Mipha stood up and reached her hand down to Link. The knight graciously took it, and she pulled him on his feet. It seemed to be somewhat strenuous, but Link was already looking better than when the fight ended. He gave her a quiet and tender, "Thank you."

This simple statement, packed on top of her newly-realized feelings, gave Mipha a big enough bout of courage to slowly wrap her arms around Link's neck in a warm embrace.

"I-I should be thanking you, Link," she whispered into his ear.

Both of them felt a warmth enter their faces. This was the first time in a long time that Link had ever received such a true, loving gesture, and though it took a second for him to even process it, but he returned the hug by slipping his arms around the Zora's back. He did so gently, nervous about showing such vulnerability.

Mipha drank in the feeling of his strong arms around her body, wanting more than anything to press herself deeper into his embrace. She let out a sigh of peace, tightening the hug.

It was all such a simple act. But for the head-over-heels Zora, it was more than she could have asked for.And now, another Lynel was in her presence. In the same location no less!

And unfortunately, before Mipha could make a move, the creature's eyes locked onto her. The air was thick with tension, the already-minimal sounds around her seeming to cut out instantly. As cautiously and silently as she could, the Zora girl started to slowly back away.

Lynels were known to stare down any quarry, and if said quarry remained in their sights long enough they would attack. Otherwise, they would simply move on. Mipha was desperately aiming for the latter. She kept inching her way towards a thick tree to her right, hoping to get behind it and block the beast's sight of her.

She was almost there … just a few feet away from the trunk, and she'd be able to wait the Lynel out until she was able to sneak away … one foot … mere inches …

But just then, to Mipha's horror, the Lynel began charging. There was no sneaking away now; she was exposed.

Things looked grim for her right now. She and Link had a hard enough time taking down a Lynel together; how could she on her own possibly stand a chance?!

But as the beast got closer and closer at an alarming rate, Mipha knew she would have to try. To protect her subjects as well as herself.

Perhaps she could finally try that Spin Attack in action.The Legend of Zelda franchise, the image used, and all characters and settings portrayed, all belong to Nintendo.

Originally uploaded on October 7, 2019.A lot of fluff and mushy stuff to be found in this one! But as you could probably guess, the Part 3 will be much more action-oriented, as our two protagonists attempt to vanquish their attackers ... though I think we all know how that'll turn out for them.

The most interesting thing about this was writing interactions involving Link. Obviously the game has him a silent, expressionless character, though we know he does talk occasionally. I wanted to work with that kind of persona while also giving him more of a character than what we saw in the game. Seriously, I know he's meant to be the strong, silent type, but even those kinds of characters show SOME degree of emotion! >_< I hope that I’m able to do it justice, making it feel faithful but improved. It was also a joy writing for Mipha, since she has more to work with. I didn't want her to be ambushed and attacked by a deliberate foe the same way Link was, but rest assured that they'll both end up in captivity together at some point. You just have to keep going to find out how!

Thanks to everyone for reading, and be sure to let me know what you liked or disliked about it!