Of Royal Blood - The Legend Of Zelda

[X] Hang out with Mipha.

"Yeah sure, I'm free," You tell the Zora Princess, climbing to your feet and brushing your pants off.

Mipha nods with a smile, and the two of you set off, the Zora with a skip in her step the entire way. Arriving you find Undyne waiting for Mipha, with several targets set up. Undyne gives you a wave, before her and Mipha immediately begin getting set up. It turns out that Undyne was trying to teach Mipha how to use her water spears now that Mipha had unlocked the incredible well of power inside of her. But...

"That was the right power, but you completely missed the target," Undyne observes with a shake of her head as a spear of water plows into the ground beside the target, kicking up an explosion of dirt and mud but doing little more than making the target wobble.

Mipha only lets out a dejected sigh, lowering her arm. You've been here for a couple hours now and the story has been the same each time Mipha tried to summon a water spear against a target. Either it had plowed harmlessly into the ground near the target or hit the target with only enough force to bowl them over. The latter wasn't even technically possible with the spell, as Undyne explained it the spell basically works by summoning water under extremely high pressure and then basically "blowing the valve open" in the direction of the target, the spell keeping the sudden bolt from dissipitating until it struck with the force of a cannonball, releasing all of its kinetic energy at once. Undyne had mastered the technique to the point she could control the spear after she had fired it off but Mipha was doing something even she couldn't. It was one thing to direct the contained spear around, it was totally another to reduce the water pressure without compromising the spell itself.

This encouraged Undyne, who excitedly kept telling Mipha that it was simply proof of her latent talent. But Mipha only looked more dejected as the lessons went on, though she began to bowl over targets more rather than missing them entirely. She didn't look discouraged, but there was something odd about her body language whenever she actually struck a target. She'd tense up, and wince slightly before relaxing when Undyne put the undamaged target back up.

Eventually, Mipha just lets her arm fall to her side and straightening up gloomily states, "I just can't get it to do damage, I'm sorry captain but I'm just not getting it..."

Undyne frowns deeply, her teeth grinding as she brought a hand up to her chin in thought. A yellow eye settles on you, before going wide as she realizes something, "Hold on your Majesty! Hey, small fry! How do you use your magic hero stuff?"

"Uh, it's hard to explain..." You begin, feeling a bit caught off guard, "I guess I just... focus on what I'm doing and pour my strength into my weapon? Like I'm pouring water into a sword or shield-shaped jug."

Undyne grins, displaying rather uncomfortably sharp looking teeth, "Alright, you try that your majesty! Just bring up a spear and focus on it. Just pour power into it and then KABLAMO! Turn that target into splinters!"

Mipha looks over to you, her expression uncertain. You just smile and give her a small nod of encouragement, which seems to make her fins perk up again. She turns back to the target and extends a hand towards it. Closing her eyes she began to concentrate, visibly straining as she went through every step in her head to make it perfect. Droplets of water suddenly seemed to be pulled from the air and coalesced rapidly into the shape of a spear of water that sat above her head.

Mipha inhaled, the gills on her sides flaring out and revealing delicate lace-like filaments before constricting as she breathed out through her mouth. A delicate blue glow seemed to come off her, as wisp-like strands of light appeared and darted towards the spear. Its surface began to flicker and dance, almost like someone was shining a light from inside of it.

Then her hand twitched, and the spear shot forward as fast as an arrow. But it only reached halfway towards the target before it almost seemed to pause in midair for a moment before it detonated in a flash of blue light. There was a great sound of rushing water as the entire first row of targets was bowled over by a wave many times wider than the spear itself. Undyne herself simply stood there dumbstruck, her mouth hanging open as she watched the wave of water carry the targets into the ones behind them before sinking into the now muddy training yard.

Mipha was simply staring at it with a blank expression, blinking in shock at what her spear did. Slowly her eyes drift down to her hand before she carefully lowers it like it was a gun or crossbow that had gone off simply by poking it.

"That's.... incredible Mipha," You manage after a moment, and Mipha turns to you, a ghost of a smile on her face.

Which vanishes as Undyne suddenly barks out a laugh that makes both of you jump, "GWAHAHAHAHAHA! AMAZING YOUR MAJESTY! I NEVER DOUBTED YOU FOR A SECOND! THINK OF THE DEVASTATION YOU COULD BRING WITH THAT KINDA MOVE!"

Mipha doesn't meet Undyne's eyes, looking profoundly uncomfortable as she rubbed her arm, "I... I am glad I did well Captain..."

"Now let's see what happens when you add that special power of yours when the spell is forming!" Undyne declares, to which Mipha reluctantly nods before getting back into position. The wisps of light form again, but this time they seem to replace the water in the spell, even if they coalesce into something that looks functionally identical to the spear before.

Then another, and another and another and another until they start appearing by the second. You and Undyne step back as twelve, twenty, thirty spears suddenly formed above Mipha's head.

"Uh... Mipha?" You begin, and Mipha's eyes snap open and she glances back towards you, seemingly unaware of what was above her. That didn't last long, as your distraction was all it needed for Mipha's hold on them to vanish and the spears all crashed into the training yard. Targets splintered and earth violently churned as the entire training yard suddenly resembled whitewater rapids for a moment before settling into a muddy pond filled with the broken remnants of the targets poking up from mud in a manner that you assumed resembled a blasted battlefield.

Mipha was staring at the devastation wrought by her hand, mouth agape and pale. Did she look... horrified at what she had done?

Whatever it was it vanished quickly as Undyne suddenly clapped Mipha on the back, making the much smaller Zora stumble forward.

"GWAHAHA! Would you look at THAT! I've never seen anything so beautiful..." Undyne sighs as she wipes an imaginary tear away, "Haha, I always knew you had it in you, your Majesty! I can't wait to see the poor schmuck's expression who gets on the wrong side of that!"

"Y-yeah..." Mipha mumbles before she suddenly brightens, "Ah but isn't it ineffective in battle? I did have to empower it for quite some time before I could use it."

"That's true..." Undyne mutters, suddenly looking glum.

"Hey it's not so bad if you can get even a lesser charged one of those you could bowl practically anyone over, no one's going to expect to get washed away in the middle of battle," You try to reassure them, and Mipha nods with a smile.

"Y-yes... Yes! You're absolutely right Link. Unless it's monsters getting into fights is quite antithetical to our mission. We won't be able to get anywhere if we're hunted by the empire," She states, giving you an appreciative smile.

"I am a bit jealous though, all my powers seem to be instinctual and not nearly as impressive. Magic sure is impressive, think I can learn some?" You ask, and Mipha giggles as Undyne just shakes her head with a smile.

"Well, magic is quite a bit different than what you're used to Link," Mipha teases, "Though I wouldn't mind just being able to wave my hand and casting whatever spell I wished," She mimes waving her hand, handing glowing slightly to bring up a small tendril of water.

Instead, there was a deafening roar. A cold spray hits you as you instinctively reach over and pull Mipha back as blue motes and runes dance in the air before vanishing, and away from the twisting column of churning, glowing water as wide as a carriage that rushed away from Mipha and plowed through the training yard and into the woods behind it, ripping up trees, earth and stones like they were toys before violently throwing them aside. It lasted for only a moment before disintegrating into a wave of water that crashed down to the floor along with whatever debris it had dug up.

You lay on the ground looking back at the devastation the waterspout had wrought, Mipha underneath you as you had shielded her from any flying shrapnel with your body. She was breathing heavily, nearly hyperventilating, most likely from the shock of summoning such a destructive spell with no effort.

You help Mipha to her feet, noticing a crouched Undyne in front of you who was climbing to her own feet after apparently having the same idea you had. She stares at the destruction, the ditch carved all the way into the woods, the broken trees and stones scattered across the training yard, her eyes bulging as she tried to work her jaw, "Wha... I... I...!"

Undyne turns back to you too, a hint of worry in her face, "Uuuh, your majesty you should get out of here before Impa see's this! I promised I wouldn't destroy the training yard!"

When Mipha doesn't respond you end up having to take her by the arm and lead her away from training yard as fast as you ca before Impa arrives and Undyne tries to explain what happened.

Eventually, you make it to a bridge where you let Mipha collect herself. She leans over the railing, breathing slowing as she caught her breath and calmed herself. Eventually, she manages to breathe out, "That... That was... most unexpected..."

"Yeah..." You respond, before glancing back in the direction of the training yard, "Think Undyne will be all right facing Impa alone?"

"I...I am sure she'll be fine..."
Silence falls over the two of you, Mipha not moving from her spot. Eventually, you let out a long breath of air before taking up position beside Mipha at the railing looking over the railing into the small stream. Colourful Sanke Carp were in the stream, swimming without a care to the two beings staring down into their world.

Mipha closes her eyes for a moment, before looking over at you with a small smile, "It... was something... I never thought..."

"Do you need something to eat? That must've been exhausting," You ask, but Mipha only shakes her head.

"I'm fine I...." She pauses, and then looks back at the surface of the water, "I didn't even feel drained... how far does this power go? Such destruction... is that its purpose?"

"Its purpose is whatever you make of it," You tell her, and Mipha smiles at that and she brings up her arms onto the railing, leaning down to rest her head against them.

"Yes, you're right... though, I think I will have more use from my healing powers than any whirlpool if you keep throwing yourself in front of me," She says with a small giggle, looking up at you.

You laugh, shaking your head, "Wouldn't be much of a chosen hero if I didn't."

Mipha sighs, her smile vanishing as she shifts slightly on the railing, "I... I wish I could have known that sooner... to be able to recklessly throw oneself into harm's way to protect another, even if it meant you would get hurt..."

"Mipha?"


Her eyes were closed, the only movement coming from the Zora was her gentle breathing to the point you think she had fallen asleep. But then she suddenly says, "I never really understood Hylians, when Zelda and I became close it felt... it felt she was the only one who could. Even now I still find you all so strange. You all change so quickly right before my eyes, you have hair in such odd places, and your skin seems so soft compared to our scales. Yet.... you're so much like us too, you fight for others as the Zora do, you mourn and lo... care as we do..."

She sighs again, muttering, "In the end... it feels like I was the only one who was strange..."

"You're not strange Mipha," You try to reassure her, putting a hand on her arm. She smiles slightly, and to your surprise puts a hand on your own.

"Thank you... you and Zelda, Cottla and Koko, Paya... You've all shown me what I want to do... that it doesn't need to be like before... I... want to support you all. Through all this struggle, I will always be there and if...if anyone ever tries to do you harm, then I will heal you... No matter when, or how bad the wound... I hope you know... that I will always protect you... just as you've all done for me."

You give her a small smile, not saying a word and Mipha suddenly looks away, burying her face in her arms.

"I-I am sorry, I'm acting all weird..." Mipha says with a nervous chuckle, "Haha, guess I'm still in shock over that spell."

You frown, considering Mipha's words through all this. No... a change has come over Mipha. Her behaviour was different than when you first met her, and you don't think it's actually related to you. In fact, hadn't she been avoiding the Zora she'd been with all these years, even her own brother? Undyne, who had been her teacher and who she had modelled herself after, was now someone Mipha seemed uncomfortable being around whenever they got really into training. There was also how her spells were acting. And everything she had said... it almost felt like there was something Mipha no longer wished to do. Something she was horrified by now, judging by her reaction and all that talk about her purpose. But what was it? And if you guessed right, how should you word it to Mipha if you state it at all?

What does Mipha no longer wish to do and how do you want to prompt her to talk about it?
[] Write-in.