Archive of Our Own ^beta

Mipha stood on the pier of the East Reservoir Lake, one hand wrapped tight around her young charge’s one tiny one. While Link and Zelda had been exhausted from their trip to the Domain, their daughter had been ready to explore the moment the sun broke over the horizon. The Zora princess had taken pity on the pair and whisked Ellie away to allow them a slightly longer rest.

“I used to bring your Uncle Sidon here quite often when he was very small,” Mipha said, kneeling down and helping the child remove her boots and socks. “He was even smaller than you the first time he came!”

Ellie giggled. “Nuh-uh, Aunt Mipha, he’s big!” She stretched her little arm up as high as she could. “Even bigger than Uncle Daruk!”

“He isn’t quite as big as Uncle Daruk, but yes, he’s quite tall now,” Mipha said. “If you don’t believe me, you can ask your mama and papa. They both knew him as a baby.” She fastened up the special vest Link had fashioned for the girl. “Are you ready for a swim?”

“Yes please!” Ellie chirped. Then she frowned. “But I dunno how.”

“You’re going to ride with me,” Mipha said, releasing the coiled straps on the back of the vest. “Climb up on my back, just like a piggyback ride – yes, that’s a good girl! Hold on for just a second.” She balanced her niece on her back, slipped the first set of straps over her own shoulders and clipping them together across her chest before standing and running the second set under Ellie’s legs and clipping them around her waist. “There we go! You’re stuck to me now!” She spun around as Ellie giggled, noting with some satisfaction that the design of the straps would allow the child to sit up while they were swimming.

“Aunt Mipha, I wanna go in the water!” Ellie pleaded, petting at the tail running over her shoulder. “Please, you said we were goin’ in the water!”

“Alright, alright,” Mipha said, laughing softly. Caving in easily, she walked to the end of the pier, took hold of one of the light posts, and used it to lower herself feet-first into the lake.

Ellie squealed in surprise. “It’s cold!”

“Of course it’s cold, silly! The sun hasn’t had a chance to warm it up yet!” Mipha stayed where she was, waiting patiently until Ellie’s squirming stopped. “Are you ready?”

“Uh-huh.”

The Zora smoothly pushed away from the pier and began a slow lap around the edge of the lake, giving Ellie a chance to figure out the best way to settle on her back. As they went, she increased the pace until she was zooming through the water, spray kicking up behind her as the child laughed in unrestrained delight.

“Do you want to try something fun, little bug?” Mipha asked, peering over her shoulder.

Ellie threw her hands up in the air and screeched in response.

“Hold your breath,” she warned, and propelled herself up into the air, soaring above the surface of the lake for the heartbeat before slipping back beneath the waves. She stayed submerged for less than a second, pulling up and looking behind her to check on her passenger. “Did you like that, Ellie?”

“Again, again!” Ellie begged, patting the Zora’s shoulders excitedly. “Pretty please!” Unable to say no – how unfair it was that the child had inherited her mother’s doe eyes! – Mipha built up speed for another run.

They frolicked in the water until the sun rose above Shatterback’s height, when Mipha noticed three figures perched on the edge of the pier. “Time to go in, I’m afraid,” she said, turning them back around and swimming through the lake’s center.

“But Aunty, I wanna stay!” Ellie whined. “I like the water an’ the fishies an’-”

“We can come back later,” Mipha said. “Look who’s waiting for us now!” She put on a burst of speed, showing off one last time as she reached their audience.

“It’s Mama an’ Papa! An’ Uncle Sidon!”

Zelda smiled as Sidon reached down and plucked his sister from the water. “Good morning, sweetling! Did you have fun with Aunt Mipha?”

“Uh-huh!” she said, barely able to keep still as Mipha undid the vest straps. “We were swimmin’ an’ then she went whoosh an’ then splash an’ then she zoomed an’ did it again an’ again an’ again-”

“That sounds very exciting!” Zelda said, and knelt down to accept a sopping wet hug from her daughter. What do you say?”

Ellie spun around and shot back to Mipha, wrapping her arms around the Zora’s legs. “I love you!”

Zelda groaned as Link, Mipha, and Sidon fought to contain their snickers. “Not quite, darling. What’s the other thing? The magic words?”

“…Sha-DING!” Ellie cheered after a moment’s thought. Link collapsed into helpless laughter, leaning on his wife as she let her head drop into her hands.

“Bolson taught her the song!” he gasped through tears, and Sidon hit the ground with a thud as his attempted composure failed him.

“Oh, he and I are having a talk,” Zelda whispered. She smiled at the confused child. “I meant ‘thank you’, Ells.”

“Oh yeah! Thank you, Aunt Mipha!” Ellie said.

Mipha picked her up and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “Any time, darling, as long as you’re in Zora’s Domain.”

Ellie considered her statement, tilting her head adorably to the side, then twisted to look back at her mother. “Mama, let’s move here forever. Then I can grow fins an’ a tail an’ be a Zora, too!”

“I think you make an excellent Hylian, little bug!” Sidon said, wiping away tears of mirth as he pushed himself upright. “But if your parents would allow it, I could take you up the falls to see Shatterback-”

“No!” the other three adults all shouted at once.

“…Well alright then,” he said, blinking in confusion. “Maybe when you’re older.”

“Hoo boy,” Link panted. He ran a hand through his hair, still falling loose over his shoulders. “I’m hungry. Anybody else hungry?”

“Me! Me! I’m hungry!” Ellie said, struggling to get down. Mipha obliged, and the girl ran over and tugged at her father’s tunic. “Can we have pancakes?”

“Of course we can,” he plucked her up and tossed her in the air before settling her on his shoulders, “but you need to brush Moose when we get back to our rooms if you want chocolate chips in them.”

“Okay!”

Link and Sidon walked a bit ahead, Ellie enjoying the rare luxury of being the tiniest bit closer to the Zora prince’s considerable height, while Zelda fell back and slipped hand in Mipha’s.

“Thank you so much for taking her this morning,” the former princess said softly. “It was wonderful getting to sleep in after taking a trip. Link and I haven’t been able to do that since our before I had her.”

“It was my pleasure,” Mipha said. “She’s such a little light! Her curiosity reminds me of you when you were young. Sidon as well.” She watched her brother as he did some sort of little dance before taking their niece and placing her on one of his massive shoulders. “They just…they grow up so quickly. I remember the day Sidon was born, clear as a bell, and now he’s starting to court.” She sighed. “Where does the time go?”

Zelda gave her hand a small squeeze. “I’m sorry that my failures took so much time away from you,” she said. “If things were different-”

“Stop that!” Mipha reprimanded, sharply bumping her shoulder against the Hylian woman’s. “How many times do we have to remind you that none of that was your fault? If you keep this up, I think Impa might tattoo it on your forehead.”

“Sorry, old habits.” Zelda shook herself. “One hundred years of mental battery takes time to undo. I wish your healing worked on minds.”

“If wishes were fishes, we’d have a school,” Mipha quoted, then swung their joined hands back and forth as they reached the bridge back into the city. “Relax while you’re here, my friend. Water cleanses; let it work its magic on your worries. Sidon and I plan on stealing your little one as often as possible, so let the sea’s wonder soothe you.”

“You have a way with words, Mipha,” Zelda said with a grateful smile. “Very well. Let’s feed my daughter so you can keep her away from Shatterback Point.”

“Yes,” Mipha agreed, giggling as Sidon scooped Link up as well, “that sounds wonderful.”