Summary: Laray brings her sister Tiray home to North Hyrule. If you lose all your memory, are you still the same person? Or not until you recover them?
"It's not much further, Ti. We're almost there," said Laray as she supported her sister Tiray with one arm around her waist.
They were walking through the Luminous Stone-lit tunnel connecting the southeast pier of East Reservoir Lake to Spool Bight, where a boat was waiting to take them home to North Hyrule. Tiray had swum across the lake without difficulty, but suddenly felt unsteady on her feet as they walked through the tunnel.
Now Laray was berating herself for not thinking things through and bringing one of their doctors with her. She had been so overwhelmed by the fantastic news and eager to see her long-lost sister that her only thought was to come as quickly as possible to confirm what seemed impossible.
"Sorry, I seem to have lost all my stamina," said Tiray as she leaned on Laray for support. "I guess my swimming is better than my walking, and my gills work better than my lungs."
"It's okay, Ti, and it's perfectly understandable. You've been inactive underwater for a long time, and we Zoras are built more for swimming than walking. So, let's hold on to each other, and when you're ready, we can continue, but go slowly."
After a few moments, Tiray felt strong enough to resume their walk. And it was almost sunrise, the eastern horizon turning orange, when they emerged from the tunnel and approached the pier.
"Mistress Laray, do you require any help?" said the first officer when he saw Laray helping her sister.
"Thanks, I think we'll be okay now," said Laray as she helped Tiray board. "My sister is feeling very weak. And could we not go full speed? It might unsettle her."
"Of course, as you wish, I will inform the captain," said the first officer as he undid the moorings after Laray and Tiray finished boarding.
"Come, sit down, Ti," said Laray as she helped her sister along.
"I'd prefer to sit away from the back if that's okay."
"Yes, of course, we can sit right here," said Laray as they sat down.
"Thank you, sis, for taking such good care of me," said Tiray with a smile, and Laray had to turn away and brush away a tear, hearing Tiray call her sister.
"Everything will be fine, Ti, I know it!" said Laray as she hugged her around the shoulder. "Your return is a miracle, a blessing from the Goddess. I have to keep telling myself that I'm not dreaming."
The boat pulled away from the Spool Bight pier a moment later and began heading north as the sun rose over the Akkala Sea.
"We can both sleep when we get home," said Laray.
"Rest sounds good right now. I probably overdid it chasing after the ferry."
Tiray closed her eyes and sat silently for a few more moments as the boat glided north, its Ancient Energy propulsion system making a gentle hum. Then Tiray turned to Larry and spoke up again.
"Do we have any other family besides each other?"
"Yes, some cousins, nephews, nieces, relatives like that," said Laray.
"Parents?"
"Both gone, I'm afraid," said Laray. "I know you don't remember, but that happened before you ... before your incident."
"I see," said Tiray as she sighed. "I can tell this is going to be difficult."
"I'll help you, Ti. We will help you."
"We?"
"Well, doctors, for one. And as I said, we do have some family. For example, our cousin Faray, the middle child of our father's older brother, is now the Queen of our realm. And Faray's younger sister Tila is married to Mipha's and Link's Hylian son, also named Link."
"Oh! Mipha and Link have a Hylian son? Is he adopted?"
"Oh, no. Link was once a Hylian himself," said Laray. "The Sheikah in our land have a rarely used device that can transform an individual's race. Link was permitted to use it, given his unique role in saving Hyrule. But as I mentioned, that process is only used under extraordinary circumstances."
"That's amazing!" said Tiray. "And Mipha's family seems to be very involved in our land."
"Yes, and even more than I mentioned," said Laray. "But all in good time. Are you feeling better, Ti?"
"Yes, sitting down helps."
They were quiet for a few moments as the boat picked up speed, then Tiray broke their silence.
"Forgive me. I should have asked already. Are you married, Laray?"
"No. I ... well, I haven't met the right person yet. And ... well ... after what happened to you, I lost it emotionally. I submerged myself in my work to distract myself and be the best ambassador to Hyrule I could be, for Cousin Faray's sake. Faray needed a good deal of help back then. I should mention that she became Queen unexpectedly and under distressing circumstances. But I fear I'm flooding your mind with too much information."
"No, it's okay," said Tiray as the boat turned west into the channel that led to their home. "My mind is so empty you can't flood it. It's thirsty for knowledge. The difficulty is understanding and remembering everything you tell me."
"You can ask me anything confusing for you, Ti."
"Well, for example, you said that Cousin Faray was a middle child and mentioned her younger sister. But you said nothing about her older sibling. And Faray became our ruler unexpectedly?"
"Yes, well, that whole situation is rather complicated. Faray's mother, our Aunt Lorana, died when Faray was twenty-five. And her father, King Fardon, died suddenly from food poisoning only two years later. That happened, let me see, about forty-five years ago now. Faray's older sister, Sopha, had turned 40 by then - just old enough under our laws to serve as Queen without council approval. And while there is no proof, many believe the timing of our king's death was not a coincidence. In any case, Sopha reigned for twenty-two years, during which we were reunited with Hyrule. But Sopha turned to evil, and twenty-three years ago, she was deposed from office by the Council and sentenced to prison for her crimes. And to confuse matters even more, at some point, Sopha had a duplicate of herself created who aided her in her evil plans and was also eventually imprisoned. So, at some points, there was a Sopha who was not really Sopha, while the real Sopha was off in Hyrule trying to cause harm. As you can see, a great deal has happened in our kingdom, and not all of it was good."
"I can only imagine," said Tiray. "Or, rather, I guess I can't."
"Mipha's and Link's older daughter, Mila, has written a well-received history of our land. Reading it might help you, give you some background."
"Again, Mipha's and Link's family is involved?" laughed Tiray.
"They're good people, Ti, and worth getting to know," said Laray. "They even tried helping me cope with my grief, inviting me to concerts and such."
Meanwhile, Mipha, Link, Lapha, and Midon were eating breakfast together while Mila was working at Hyrule Castle, and their son Link was with his wife and family in North Hyrule.
"What an amazing turn of events!" said Link. "I'm totally ecstatic for Laray. She and her sister were very close, and I remember how devastated she was by Tiray's death. Sadly, Vera's other victims, such as the Sheikah archeologist, the Gerudo woman, and the Hyrule soldier, were not so lucky."
"It seems quite miraculous," said Mipha. "It must be because of a unique combination of circumstances."
"Yes, that's right, Mom," said Lapha. "It was fortunate the event happened in water the way it did, so the Ancient Energy could be ingested before death occurred."
Lapha had looked up from her Tab, then resumed working on it.
"Are you still taking notes, Laff?" said Midon. "I'm sure the North Hyrule scientists will thoroughly investigate what happened. They're quite talented and capable, you know."
"I'm merely taking some notes to explain what happened for Doctor Purah's benefit," said Lapha. "And we will certainly collaborate with the North Hyrule scientists."
"Well, I'm off to see Larena and help her get things ready," said Midon as everyone finished eating. "They're having a party for her younger sister Karena, who finished an advanced degree while working at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab. Karena can work from home now, and Larena said their parents are thrilled to have her back."
"Are you inviting Aldora as your date to the party, Mido?" teased Lapha.
"What?! Why would I do that?"
"Well, I imagine Aldora must be one of those talented and capable North Hyrule scientists you admire so much. I noticed you and Aldora have been getting pretty chummy in the Faron Region, waiting out lightning storms together. I thought perhaps those storms would spark some romance in your relationship."
Mipha and Link burst out laughing while Midon blushed.
"Are you filling in now for Mila while she's away, serving as the Princess of wisecracks?" said Midon. "Aldora and I are good friends, that's all, and we enjoy each other's company for its intellectual aspects. We like to discuss Sheikah technology, among other things. Not that any of this is your business."
"Yeah, right," laughed Lapha. "Don't pretend you don't find her attractive, Mido."
"Come on, you two," laughed Mipha. "It's fine for either of you to see other people socially. You're both still quite young."
"Well, I'd better be going now," said Midon. "See you later."
"And I'll go back to my room for now to work," said Lapha.
Lapha and Midon left, leaving Mipha and Link alone.
"You must be as tired as I am, being up so early," said Mipha. "Let's get some rest."
"Good idea," said Link as they headed to their room, climbed into their slumber pool, and floated beside each other.
Mipha noticed Link seemed preoccupied as he kept looking away, a sign he had something on his mind.
"You're quieter than usual, sweetheart, which is quite an achievement. Something floating in your mind?" asked Mipha.
"Oh, no, it's nothing," said Link as he looked her way, then turned away again.
"So, tell me what it is," said Mipha as she gave him her skeptical look, and Link had to laugh.
"Okay, I guess you know me too well. It was something you said about seeing other people. This is probably silly, but can I ask if you ... um... if you saw other people ... romantically? Sorry if I already asked you this. If I did, I forgot."
"Is that what's bothering you?" laughed Mipha. "It's cute to see you being jealous after all this time. Well, I have to admit I was seeing someone else."
"Was it ... very serious?"
"It was. I was in love with him and even hoped to marry him someday."
"Oh! Wow!" Link exclaimed. "Sorry, I shouldn't be surprised that someone as talented and beautiful as you would have plenty of people attracted to you. But, um, may I ask who it was? Do I know the person?"
"Actually, you do know him, but you shouldn't be jealous," said Mipha.
"Well, sorry, but I am jealous, though I guess I have no right to be," said Link. "It's just that I never knew about all this."
"You did know, but you don't remember," said Mipha, not wanting to tease him any longer. "The other person I was in love with was the other you, dearest - the Link I knew before the timeline split."
"Blessed, Hylia, you had me going!" laughed Link as they embraced. "But that was, is, the same me!"
"It didn't feel like it, certainly not at first," said Mipha. "But speaking of that, perhaps you can give Laray some pointers on how to help with her sister's memory loss. Of course, that is, if you can remember how we dealt with yours. Then again, if you forgot, you could always read about it in your journal. That's why you started keeping a journal after all, wasn't it?"
"You're just so funny today, aren't you?" said Link. "Of course, I remember. It depended on your kindness, spending every day with me and reliving some times we spent together. But, back to your other point, I think that time together that you spent helping me recover some of my memory was as much to convince you I was really me."
"Well, maybe there was some of that, too," laughed Mipha. "And I'm teasing you, of course. I'm convinced by now it is the same you. Or if it isn't, you're close enough."
"Very funny," said Link as he laughed and shook his head.
"Now, let's get some sleep," said Mipha. "Later, I'll help you get over your jealousy about yourself."
They kissed, closed their eyes, and drifted to sleep in each other's arms.
Meanwhile, on the boat back to North Hyrule, Laray and Tiray sat quietly together until, finally, the first officer announced they were approaching their destination. Laray had left a Tab message for Faray that she was returning with Tiray, but explaining that Tiray had lost her memory and needed to rest. Nevertheless, Faray was waiting for them at the pier with two guards and a Sheikah that Laray didn't recognize.
"I had to see this joyful miracle for myself, " Faray explained as Tiray and Laray disembarked. "And I brought one of our Sheikah scientists, Dr. Fanda, to examine Tiray, just in case anything's wrong."
"This is Cousin Faray, our domain's ruler," said Laray to Tiray. "And hello, doctor."
"I'm sorry I can't remember you, Your Majesty, but thank you for coming," said Tiray weakly.
"Of course. And with loving care, I'm hopeful that your memory recovers," said Faray.
"As you might expect, my sister is exhausted," said Laray. "Can we postpone any examinations until after she's had time to rest? I want to take her home."
"By all means, let's take her home," said Dr. Fanda. "But I think a quick examination of Mistress Tiray is a sound idea to ensure nothing is amiss or needs urgent medical attention. It won't take long, and we can conduct a more thorough examination after she's rested."
"You look pretty exhausted yourself, Laray," said Faray. "The guards can help Tiray walk to your residence."
Each guard took one of Tiray's arms and, along with the doctor, assisted Tiray while Faray and Laray walked a short distance behind. They were headed to one of the small huts behind the throne room used by those with important positions in the kingdom's government.
"By the way, why the guards, Faray?" whispered Laray.
"I'm being cautious, as our people expect of me as their ruler," whispered Faray. "You and I should know better than anyone what it's like to be fooled by a duplicate."
"Ti can't be a duplicate, Faray!" exclaimed Laray. "It's her! I know it!"
"You're probably right, but I need to be sure. I'm sorry, Laray, but when something seems too good to be true, we should all be skeptical before accepting it."
They reached Laray's residence, and the guards waited outside as Faray and Laray joined Tiray and the doctor.
"This won't hurt at all, though you may feel some mild sensation in your head," said Fanda, who pulled out an instrument in the shape of a Sheikah Slate. "It's an improved version of what our former Queen used to use for her own ends, which sadly were not medical in nature. Please stay still. It will only take a moment."
Fanda scanned Tiray with the instrument, checking readings occasionally while Faray and Laray looked on. Then, after a few minutes, he finished.
"The good news is that there is nothing physically wrong with you that requires any medical attention. But now, Her Majesty and I will step outside, as I need to give her my report," said Fanda.
"I would like to hear Dr. Fanda's findings as well," said Laray. "I'll be right back, Ti. Why don't you rest in the slumber pool now?"
"Sleep sounds good, and thank you, doctor," said Tiray, who made her way into the pool.
The three of them went outside, and then Fanda spoke up.
"I'm confident it's really Mistress Tiray," said Fanda. "Which is amazing!"
"Thank Nayru!" exclaimed Laray. "I knew it was her! And she does not need any medical treatment?"
"Not in my opinion, pending a more detailed examination. Just rest and time," said Fanda. "But she will need help to recover her memory."
"You're sure it's really her, Doctor Fanda?" said Faray. "I've been fooled before by my older sister."
"I'm very confident it's her, and I won't bore you with all the technical details. But for one thing, Mistress Tiray's physical condition is entirely consistent with what we know happened. There are still traces of Ancient Energy in her system, which will work their way out over time. Her memory is truly impaired: she's not faking it. And her lungs are weak and not fully inflating, consistent with a long period of disuse. She has the same genetic markers as her hatch record, and her physical age is consistent with her age of twenty-two years ago. There are other favorable indications, so I'm inclined to believe it's truly her."
"Thank you, Doctor," said Faray. "Then this is wonderful news, Laray, and I will let you return to take care of her. We will have a family celebration when Tiray feels strong enough."
"Thank you, and forgive my outburst," said Laray. "I understand you needed to be cautious. Good night."
"Goodnight, and get some rest, or we will need a doctor to examine you next," said Faray as she and Laray hugged.
Faray, the doctor, and the two guards left, and Laray went back inside her hut to find Tiray was already asleep. She was about to join her when she remembered something. She went to one of the drawers and retrieved a sapphire bracelet she had kept all these years. It was the jewelry she had bought for her sister at the Castle Town branch of the Gerudo Starlight Memories jewelry store shortly after she became ambassador and was walking there with Link. It was the gift Tiray had "forgotten" about when they both ran into Link much later, and one of the clues Link had picked up on showing something was wrong. Laray left the bracelet out to return it to Tiray when she awoke. Then she joined her in the slumber pool and kissed her gently on the forehead.
"Welcome home, dear sister," whispered Laray. "I love you, and I'll help you for as long as it takes."
Then fatigue took over from excitement, and she fell asleep.