Life in Zora's Domain

Chapter 20 - Homecoming

Summary: Mila and Midon come home and start growing up.

As any parent learns, time seemed endless living day-by-day but flew by looking back.

Mila and Midon grew and grew. Before long, they were one month old, had outgrown their hatchling tanks, and were moved to a single large one. It was cute watching them together for the first time. They would swim around as before, but when they crossed paths with their sibling, they would stop to stare at each other for a while. Link was afraid one might attack the other, but Mipha said that wouldn't happen. They were too big to be confused with food, and this early time together would help them bond. Nursery staff started cutting back on visits, and it was up to Mipha and Link to take care of them. But caring for them was more leisurely. They ate less often and more at one time. Keeping them fed was not the exhausting routine of newborn hatchlings. Since Zoras hatched into the world at a much earlier stage in life than a live birth child, evolution had made them more self-reliant earlier as well.

Soon they were three months old and needed more space. They were ready for the nursery. There were separate nursery pools of increasing size for 3-4 months, 5-6 months, and 7-8 months old children. Nursery staff and volunteer parents helped care for them. There were typically 4 to 6 children per pool at any one time. Parents could visit their children whenever they wished. Given the limited space in the Domain, it was impossible for each family to have a nursery pool, so a centralized nursery was the only practical way to provide enough room for the children to grow while keeping them safe. And interacting with other children helped their development.

When they reached 5 to 6 months old, they started looking more like little Zoras. Their tails were developing into tail fins and splitting off from the rest of their bodies. Their arms grew, and their legs started developing as well. By this time, their eyesight was quite good. They began to recognize their parents from their daily interactions with them.

Mipha and Link spent as much time as they could spare visiting the nursery pools several times each day. And King Dorephan would sometimes stop by the nursery as well, bringing Sidon with him and explaining to Sidon how the babies were growing. When either parent came to the nursery, they would splash the water to get their attention, and then Mila and Midon would both swim over and stare up at them. Mipha and Link would lightly stroke their heads or let them grab their fingertips and wiggle them. Sidon was thrilled when he gently stroked them and watched them stare back at him. Sidon had always been the baby of the family, and this was a new experience for him.

At seven months, the babies could poke their heads out of the water for a better view, and that exercised their lungs, which were getting stronger each day. Their eye color and skin color had been forming as well, and by eight months was well established.

Mila's skin was red, but a lighter shade of red than Mipha's, almost a pink. And Mila's eyes were a brighter shade of gold than Mipha's, more like a golden yellow.

Midon's skin color was closer to Mipha's shade of red. But Midon's eyes were quite striking for a Zora. They were a bright bluish-green, perhaps best described as turquoise.

Once their lungs were healthy enough, Mipha and Link could lift the children out of the water for a while to play with them. They always made sure both parents spent equal time with each child.

"They're so alert now!" said Link holding Midon.

Link was slowly moving his index finger in the air, and Midon was following its every move. Then Link would gently but rapidly slide his finger to Midon's side and tickle him. Midon would make a rapid giggling sound. Then Link would do it again. If Link showed signs of stopping too soon, Midon would reach for Link's finger and shake it. Link assumed he meant for him to continue playing. This game worked with Mila too, but her giggle sound was different, more of a slower cooing.