Life in Zora's Domain

Chapter 105 - Consequences

Summary: Lapha realizes too late what troubled her. Link shares Astra's possible future role with Zelda and later Mipha. Sopha's double mounts an intriguing defense at her trial.

Frightened Hyrule Bass scattered to the shoreline as three Zoras, Mipha, Tila, and Lapha, swam rapidly toward the Applean Forest, about a kilometer away from where they dove into the Hylia River. But the fish could rest easy because the Zoras were not hunting for food at the moment. Instead, they were racing to where Link and Astra had been sailing, fearing they were in danger. Link had not been answering his Tab, and Mipha regretted now having let Link sail alone with Astra. She had meant well, wanting to give them both some private time to bond further. But if anything happened to Link, she would never forgive herself.

When the three of them arrived, they saw the sailboat Link had used pulled partway onto the shore. Looking toward the forest, they could make out someone lying on the ground, apparently injured. But Link appeared to be unharmed as he stood holding Astra in his arms. All three Zoras left the water and rushed forward, and as they did so, they could make out that the injured person on the ground was Sopha, and all three wondered how that was possible. Tila made her way directly to Sopha while Mipha and Lapha rushed to Link and Astra.

"You're both unhurt?" said Mipha anxiously.

"Yes, Astra and I are both fine. Only Sopha there is hurt," said Link as he held Astra in his arms and nodded toward the figure of Sopha lying on the ground.

"Uncle Link asked me to tell you he loves you, Aunt Mipha," said Astra.

Mipha glanced questioningly at Link.

"Oh, um, thanks for remembering, sweetheart," said Link hugging Astra. "I was, um, worried I might not have a chance to tell Aunt Mipha that myself, but now I can."

"I see," said Mipha. "It was that close a call?"

"Yes, I'm afraid it was," said Link looking down. "But perhaps you wouldn't mind healing Sopha's wound? It's still bleeding."

Mipha glanced over at Sopha, holding a cloth over her leg.

"You know, I've healed countless people over the years, Link, but this is the first time I find it so distasteful," said Mipha. "However, I was blessed with this gift to help all who needed it, and I won't change who I am now, no matter how repugnant the task is to me."

Mipha approached Sopha, knelt, and wordlessly began healing her wound. Meanwhile, Tila was standing by Sopha as Mipha treated her. Seeing her father was fine, Lapha joined Tila.

"Sopha, how did you get here, and what are you doing here?" said Tila.

Sopha remained quiet.

Tila then pulled out her Tab and contacted her sister, Queen Faray, while Mipha finished healing Sopha's wound.

"Thank you," said Sopha to Mipha.

Mipha didn't answer, but returned to Link's side, upon which Link put Astra down, then Mipha and Link embraced and kissed.

"Thank Hylia, you are alright," said Mipha as she held him close. He patted her gently on the back.

"I am, sweetheart, and it is indeed thanks to Hylia," said Link. "I'll explain later."

Meanwhile, Tila finished her conversation with Faray and then addressed the group.

"It's bizarre, but Faray says Sopha is still in North Hyrule. She has placed her in custody until we sort all this out," said Tila. "What's going on, Sopha?"

And then the thought finally came to Lapha.

"I got it! Sopha duplicated herself!" said Lapha. "When Mila mentioned Dark Link, I knew something stirred in my mind about a double, but the conclusion eluded me. The Shrine of Transformation cannot make a different race from a stored blueprint. It needs a living person to transform like that, and at the end of the process, there would still be only one person. But it can make the same person, a duplicate, from the stored blueprint. Of course, the Sheikah in charge would never allow that to happen. They must have been coerced in some manner while Sopha was Queen."