His Future Is In The Past

Chapter 10 - Together

The victory celebrations had ended, and life gradually returned to normal across Hyrule. The triumph over Ganon had come quickly, especially compared to the alternate timeline, and many people didn't fully grasp the magnitude of the danger they had avoided. It seemed more like a reenactment of the legend from ten thousand years prior. With his duties to guard Princess Zelda no longer necessary, Link chose to stay in Zora's Domain, hoping to rekindle his relationship with Mipha somehow.

In retrospect, this was perhaps the most challenging period for him. Link had done everything he could to be with Mipha, but he couldn't deny that he wasn't the same person she had known before the time travel event. He had once been that person, 104 years ago by his reckoning of time. But that person no longer existed, and he had taken his place. He had always naively assumed Mipha would accept him as if nothing had happened.

But what if she couldn't? He now realized how much he was asking of her—to overlook his memory loss and their time together. How did she feel about his Timeshift Stone visit with her at Ruta? Had he been wrong to pretend he was the person she had been with just a week before when they became engaged? In a sense, he was that person, but he couldn't even remember what had transpired. Did she view that visit as a violation, akin to swapping a twin brother for a husband? He had wanted to be honest with her then, but Purah had forbidden it. Purah had seen his visit as an experiment, a test of the Timeshift Stone technology to restore the Temple of Time. But to him, it was more than an experiment—it was a chance to be with the person he loved. But how did she feel about all of this now? What a cruel twist of fate if he ended up alone again.

Mipha still carried significant responsibility as the future leader of the Zora. Though combat training was no longer a priority, she was heavily involved in the Zora government, and committee meetings took up much of her time. She also enjoyed spending time with her younger brother, Sidon. With their mother gone, Mipha filled the roles of both mother and sister to Sidon, doing her best to help her busy father raise him.

Link still struggled with memory loss, and people assumed it was due to injuries he sustained in his final battles with Ganon. Only a few individuals to whom he had explained his story knew the truth. He continued to wander near the Domain, attempting to regain his memories and speaking with anyone who might help. But he made no progress. Finally, in desperation and realizing he needed to do something, Link approached Mipha after she had finished a meeting with her father.

"Princess Mipha, I know you're very busy, but may I speak with you?" asked Link.

"Of course, and just Mipha is fine," she replied with a smile.

"I know you still think I'm not the same person you once knew, and my lack of memory about our time together doesn't help. But I truly am the same person. When you have time, would you be willing to help me recover my memories? I can't give up on what I know we once shared. It means way too much to me."

Mipha considered his request for a moment.

"Alright, let's spend an hour each day working on this. We can visit different places, and I'll help you try to remember. We'll see what happens. We can start tomorrow."

"Thank you!" exclaimed Link.

The next morning, Mipha met Link in the plaza.

"I think we should start with your childhood," said Mipha. "You used to have Zora playmates, and I thought it would help you to learn to swim with them. Let's walk over to East Reservoir Lake, and I'll show you where it happened. Perhaps it will jog your memory."

They walked to the northwest pier of East Reservoir Lake.

"It was right here, where the water is calm," Mipha said. "It took a lot of effort for me to figure out how to teach you to swim. Unfortunately, you lack fins and webbed feet. I held you as you learned to kick and pull yourself through the water. Eventually, we figured out the best way for you to swim. Do you remember any of that?"