Life in Zora's Domain - Part Two

Chapter 45 - Bonding and Memories

Summary: In North Hyrule, Linky works to bond with his one-year-old son and recalls a few memories. His twelve-year-old daughter starts noticing her mother's and father's aging rate difference. Tiray's relatives seek to help her recover her lost memory, finally turning to a Sheikah doctor for dramatic help.

It was a midday weekend in North Hyrule as one-year-old Lanka giggled in delight from his father's tickles while they floated together in a cozy bedroom slumber pool. The sound could be heard by Linky's wife, Tila, and their twelve-year-old daughter, Tara, as they sat in the kitchen having lunch.

"Whatever is Dad doing in there?" laughed Tara after swallowing a bite of fish.

"Good question, sweetheart," laughed Tila. "He's supposed to be putting Lanka to sleep for his midday nap. But I don't mind if they have a little playtime together first. Don't you remember Dad putting you to sleep?"

"I do, though mostly when I was a bit older, and he entertained me with stories," said Tara as she and her mother resumed eating lunch.

When Linky's family was staying in North Hyrule, which was most of the time now, Tila, Linky, Tara, and Lanka lived in one of the houses just north of the North Hyrule Domain. Those houses had been built soon after North Hyrule's reunification with Hyrule to accommodate tourists and overflow guests from the inn. For the convenience of Zora visitors, the bedrooms were fitted with saltwater slumber pools refreshed with water circulated from the nearby Jabu Lagoon.

Linky noticed Lanka's eyes getting heavy and thought it was finally time for him to nap.

"Okay, I had better let you get some sleep, or your mommy will yell at me," said Linky to Lanka.

And as if on cue, with a contented sigh, Lanka closed his eyes and quickly drifted off to sleep. Linky smiled and gently kissed Lanka's forehead. He reveled in the simple pleasure of playing with his son and lulling him to sleep and was determined to strengthen their father-son bond. Their time together was precious to him, and not only because he loved Lanka. He sometimes worried about how his Zora son would come to feel about him as a Hylian parent.

Of course, Tila kept reassuring him and telling him not to worry. He recalled the first time the subject came up concerning Lanka.

He and Tila were watching their newly hatched son swim while Tara played outside. Lanka was quite active and, most importantly, healthy: something else Linky had worried about as a non-Zora father before Lanka hatched.

"Isn't he cute?" Tila exclaimed. "He's already a strong swimmer, and I love his blue eyes! I think they're the same shade as yours, a bit brighter than Tara's, though it's hard to tell looking through the tank and its water."

"He is adorable!" said Link. "Thank you, sweetheart, for bringing even more joy into my life.

"Same back at you!" laughed Tila. "It was most definitely a joint effort, dearest."

They both laughed, kissed, and paused for several more minutes to watch Lanka swim and gobble up some food they had provided. Then, finally, Linky spoke up.

"I, um, I think I know what you will say, but I just hope Lanka can look beyond my differences and grow up to accept me as his father."

"Of course he will, sweetheart!" said Tila as she squeezed his hand. "We had this same conversation just after Tara hatched, and Tara loves you very much as her father, doesn't she? And didn't your three Zora siblings all love your father when he was a Hylian? So I think the weight of evidence is all on my side, and you're needlessly worried, dear.

"You're probably right, sweetheart," said Linky. "Still, it's comforting to hear you say it."

"I'll certainly help you two grow close and try to allay your concerns," said Tila. "But remember, the current flows both ways. Lanka needs to know you love him, too. Because he will also realize he's different from you and wants to be accepted as your son."