Chapter Text

Ch. 1- Too Cold to Sleep

It was far too cold to sleep.

That was wrong, right? I mean, she had just descended that very afternoon with hero-boy from the top of Snowpeak Mansion, where nearly every room was literally frozen with ice, it was so cold. That had been cold. Yet here, in the relative comfort of their rented room in Telma's bar, the twilight princess was cold. Not for the first time, she cursed the impish form she found herself in. Her magic was usually enough to protect her from such trivial concerns as the environment.

Turning from the window and it's view of the square, she focused on her travelling companion. He was buried in a small mountain of blankets, leaving only his head poking out. His tousled blonde hair fell across his face, emphasising the point of his ear and the sharpness of his cheeks. He was striking, in his own way. Taken in isolation, his resting expression was almost beautific enough that she didn't notice the tiny spots of drool on his pillow. Such a majestic sacred beast, this boy.

Truthfully, she had warmed to him. He was arguably as talkative as a wolf as he was when human, and his manners left a lot to be desired. Even her standards were a little high for the pensieve farm boy. Still, there was a empathy to him that you could feel when he looked at you. No matter who you were, he had time for you and would help you if he could. Her own selfishness that began their companionship couldn't withstand the sheer level of care he took for his world and it's inhabitants. She found herself agreeing with him in a way that both annoyed and secretly pleased her. Less and less she was irritated when he gave her that look, the one that said "I'm doing this." She had even stopped complaining about the delays... for the most part.

As she recalled this, she shivered. From the cold, obviously. She didn't blame him for rugging up so much- he had taken some pretty rough hits. She could always feel him through his shadow, like a presence behind you that you cannot see, but nonetheless can detect. It started out as discomforting, almost like being watched from a hidden spot. Granted, probably more comfortable than her riding him in wolf form, but it still felt awkward, and she knew he felt the same. Over time, however, that changed. Sometimes, she felt less comfortable in her physical shape than in his shadow. He offered a sort of steady, resolute feeling that put her at ease. Like if she just had him on her side, the mirror and Zant were simple a matter of time.

This feeling did come with it's own drawbacks though. One such drawback was that many shocks to his system radiated to her, albeit in a diminished capacity. This was fine when it was jumping into water or falling from a height, where it was surprising but little more. During the fight with the twilit Yeta, though... she shivered again. Even faintly through him, she felt the impact of the huge chunks of ice as they smashed into his body. Knew his pain when his leg was shorn open by a falling spike. Felt the chill to her own bones as he was thrown across the icy floor, soaked clothes sticking to him even as they froze in the blizzard. Even the relief as the life force flooded back into him after the fight hadn't stopped the deep, aching chill she knew he was feeling.

She shuddered a third time, before lazily floating towards him. "Hey..." She began, but trailed off. He deserves the rest, she thought to herself. As he lay there in darkness, he cast no shadow. Nowhere to hide. Nowhere to seek the comfort she craved. And yet... "Link?" She moved to his side. Her voice is quieter now, plaintive. His eyelids flicker, before a deep sigh restores the peaceful slumber.

She turned away for a moment, full of doubt. She shouldn't be doing this. Closer they may be, but he is still the hero, and he needs his rest and space. I've forced myself into enough of his life. Not that he seemed to mind anymore. He seemed glad for the company, as far as she could tell. The way he smiled at her when he had defeated Blizzeta...

She yelped, as the sound of thunder caught her by surprise. She half expected it to be chaos up at the castle, until the rain began to pour down. She took a deep breath again, and relaxed, the blood orange glow of her magic relaxing back to darkness. Frightened by thunder.... ugh. How weak.

"Danger?" She started once more as she heard his voice, soft yet alert. She wheeled around to see his piercing blue gaze on her. He still looked half asleep but for his eyes, which were sharp and alert as they focused on her small floating silhouette. All of a sudden, she felt very exposed, like she should cover herself up, but she brushed over it with an air of confidence. "No, just thunder. Please don't bark at it." Somewhat condescending, but hopefully he knew it was a joke. "Go back to sleep." He stared at her a moment longer without reaction, before nodding and yawning. A weary smile graced his features, and then he closed his eyes again and lay back down. She lingered, her red eyes vacant as her gaze lingered on him, indecisive. Eventually, she silently drifted over to him once again. She lifted the blankets up and before he could react, slipped underneath, with him.

She gasped as she made contact with him under the covers He. Is. So. Warm. She was used to his emotional warmth, even the physical warmth of his fur as the wolf ran across the plains, but to feel his bare chest against her skin was something else entirely. He started as she appeared beside him, before a soft chuckle and lifting up his arm to allow her to come closer. No words were passed as he pulled her in, her physical body making rare contact with his human form as she snuggled up against him. This was new. He was short, just a rangy teen compared to her true form, but as she was she could fit head to toe against his torso, so as he replaced his arm around her she felt more embraced than she had ever dreamt possible.

"Cold?" He mumured, his doubt mixed with concern. She could feel his breath on the back of her neck, and suddenly realised that how large and cumbersome her mask was in a bed. They were safe here, after all. A thought, and the mask disappeared, allowing her stupid, impish hair to fall properly down. "Yes," she replied churlishly, "it's a cold night. It'd be stupid to travel with a beast and not use it for warmth at times like this." She couldn't see his face, but immediately regretted her childish answer. He was annoyed at her, he must be. Her insecurities flared up, the tension building in her. He remained silent for a moment or two longer, and then...

"Mmm. Grrrr." He growled sleepily. She could feel his smile through the darkness, and felt the vibration of his chest against her with the noise. Did he just... was that a joke? She was so shocked that any response failed to materialise. She just sat there in silence as he, as if in affirmation, repeated "Grr grr" sleepily against the back of her head, and his arm tightened a little around her. His muscular arms, around her small body.

She melted. Tomorrow, perhaps, she would be the sharp tongued aristocrat her life had formed her into, but for now, she was a puddle of affection for this strange peasant boy from the woods. She giggled, and shuffled against him. "Fool. That's what you are. I thought you had no sense of humour, and it turns out you just have a terrible one!" She smiled as she said it. Her eyes closed, as he remained silent, his warmth radiating through her body. Making her feel as if she belonged. She tried to ignore the gnawing feeling in her stomach, an ache for something she could never have, and simply relaxed.

A few moments passed like this, in pure contentment for the young twili. She was just drifting off to sleep, her mind concocting fantasies of her spiralling across bridges of light and a warm radiant glow in the cool halls of her home, when she felt something strange. A sound, and a feeling on the back of her head. What was that? She would have turned, but wasn't sure if that would stop whatever it was, and it was most curious. She waited, and then it happened again. Is that... sniffing? It is! Link was smelling her hair! How improper, how rude of him to simply assume... She took a moment to reflect on her own actions, and second guessed her moral authority. Yet still, it felt like it was going too far, it was too... intimate. Another shiver rose up her spine, though she remained warm in the hylian's embrace. She could not tell if he was awake or not, but he held her closer all the same, and she quietly prayed to the goddesses that she could just go to sleep and not feel any more awkward.

He mumbled something, but sounded no more awake than before. Truth be told, it was barely more than a grunt. "Ii...a..." I-a? Ilia, she suspected. He was thinking about his childhood friend, while he was holding her.

Suddenly everything felt wrong. All the emotional comfort had been stripped away and she was invading his personal thoughts. I should move, she thought to herself, and would have, until it happened again. "I-na... orz range..." Range? What? This was rapidly becoming embarrassing- she shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be lying here with him, like this. Her frustration getting the better of her, she turned her overly large head to look at him over his shoulder. "What are you saying, wolf-boy?" Her words betrayed her, she never called him that when she was happy with him, let alone snapped so furstrated at him.

His eyes opened again, barely. She could see the lethargy in his face as he made eye contact, upsettingly close eye contact, breathlessly close. Their noses were almost touching at this distance. "Midna... you're strange." He struggled to get the words out, it seemed. He closed his eyes again, that heart-stoppingly peaceful smile coming across his face again. "But you smell nice."

She stared open mouthed at him, stunned. "You... You..." She stammered, but he didn't respond. "You're such a dog!" She exclaimed, and then turned away again. In the darkness, her cheeks were burning hotter than the inside of Death Mountain, and somehow she knew he knew. His breathing suggested a laugh, but nothing more. She closed her eyes furiously, outraged and shocked and confusedly, inexplicably pleased with his words. Why did that hit her so hard? What did he mean, she smelled nice? She had washed once they arrived at the inn, but he'd never commented before! When he was a wolf, surely he could smell her far better! Why not say it then? Or could he smell her too much then? Did she need to bathe more while they were on the road? That's terribly impractical, even the finest lady of the court is subject to the wear and tear of the road! Let alone an imp who spends her day straddling a wild beast. Certain fragrances cannot be avoided! Was he suggesting that she stunk?

Her circles of furious thought were put to a swift end by another sensation at the back of her neck- like the last, but far closer. He had curled his head in, and his face was pressed into the crook of her neck. She could feel his mouth (his lips?!?) against her spine, and his nose rested upon her shoulder. He was breathing softly, breathing her in as his breath warmed her neck. "Link?" Her voice was quiet, uncertain. Was he awake enough to know what he was doing? A gentle "Shhhhh" was all she got in response, but so close, the sensation sent lightning down her spine. Her eyelids fluttered slightly, and she relaxed again. He was awake enough to understand, and well... it was very cold outside. Here, they were warm.

She closed her eyes, and left them closed, as a few minutes past and the heat built. He was asleep again, judging by the rise and fall of his chest against her back. Definitely asleep, she asserted internally. And if I just close my eyes, no need for him to know I'm not. She smiled as she felt him bury his face in her hair and neck even further. The closeness still gave her pause, but given how much time he spent as a dog, resting with his muzzle on a companion didn't seem so out of place. Was anything more happening? She decided she didn't care. Drifting off, she let out a sigh as she felt him place a single, infinitely tender kiss upon the back of her neck. The cool shivers of sensation gave way to a flood of warmth throughout her as he pulled away and then went back to nuzzling her spine.

Midna shifted softly in his embrace, relaxed. She didn't want more right now, just this comfort. The steady breathing of the sacred beast, this strange quiet young man, was all she needed tonight. Her exhausted mind began the light show of dreams, safe in the arms of the young man who would save Hyrule. She barely even noticed when slowly, gently, dreams took the twilight princess away. She was far too warm to care.

Chapter Text

Ch. 2- Vignettes in Empathy

Aside- A Hero's Thoughts

It was far too bright.

He had never been an early riser, if he was honest about it. The comfort of a good bed and a full belly were two cravings he could never fully shake. Still, the light piercing through the window nearly blinded him as his eyes struggled open. He groaned and turned over, the heat still boring into the back of his head as he pulled the blankets up. Ah, blankets. The comforts of an actual bed had been missed dearly. Link couldn't remember the last time he had been so well rested. It took a few moments for him to start remembering the night before.

Foggy, half recalled dreams. A warm bed, a storm outside. Rain pounding the window. A body in his arms... Midna! His eyes shot open. He couldn't feel her. He wasn't sure if she could feel the connection when she was in his shadow, but he could. Like a slight hitch to his steps, like his body weighed slightly more than it knew about. He wasn't sure how to describe it- words had never been a strength for him. Still, he was used to it, and even with the comforting weight of the blankets, he could feel her absence.

He groaned again, and then sat up. Surely... that was real? Was it? He rose, a grunt of effort as he threw the covers off. He was wearing only his undergarments, but he had been seen in worse conditions. "Midna?" He called out hesitantly to the room. This didn't feel right at all. He was about to call out again when he heard the telltale sound of her peering in from the shadows, an almost musical chime from the corner of the room. "You're up late, Hero-boy. Or have you forgotten the castle and the mirror?" She sounded critical, chiding him from the darkness. He faced her as she materialised like shadow made liquid and forming into a small imp, her burning red eye fixed on him.

He met her gaze steadily, and then shook his head. Cleared his eyes, and then began to put his clothes back on. Waited for the next sharp retort from his travelling companion... but when there was nothing, he turned to see her staring at the window again. He walked across the small room until he was standing in the full light of the sun, it's heat casting reflections off his still bare torso. Her eyes turned to him as he stood, a step or two away. Waiting.

He cleared his throat, wishing it would do the same to the tension. "Uh... did you-" "You must have had some strange dreams, wolfie." She chided, cutting him off. "Twisting and turning and clutching your blankets- you were like a child." She smirked at him, and then turned to hide her smile dropping away. She could not help but notice how, facing her by the window, his shadow did not reach her dark corner. He was surrounded by a halo of light, as he would ever be.

He looked at her a moment longer, and then turned away as well, but with his own private smile only growing. This close, he could smell a rich scent as he had last night, like moonflowers and jasmine mixed with cinnamon. Even through all the muck of their adventures, her hair always smelled nice.

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She felt the crunch as the huge knight's shield collected him in the side of the head, knocking him to the ground. She urged him to move, and he felt it, as a quick roll was all that kept him from death when the knight's sword came tearing down. He dodged back to the sides of the room, as the huge black-armoured menace advanced on him. "Help?" He coughed out the word, spitting blood, but Midna herself could barely think. The violence of this knights strikes were nearly throwing Link across the room, and the last hit to the head has scattered her nearly as much as him. "I have no idea what to do against this Knight thing!" She cried out in reply, prompting a surly grunt from Link.

She knew it wasn't the most helpful thing to say, but it was true. Link had seemed distracted all day, and as they had ascended the tower in the Temple of Time, he had nearly been killed about four times now. The pendulum, the spiked rollers and the laser statues had been bad enough- Beamos, he'd called them- but it had been one of the cyclops spiders that had got him. Small, pitiful things, but one had snuck up on him, and she was beginning to think he had been poisoned.

He leapt aside again as the blade came down, but stumbled, and his graceful roll and counterattack turned into a fall that nearly cracked his skull open again. He fled to the far wall again, raising his shield in anticipation of further punishment. His breaths were coming hard and ragged, and he seemed to be sweating more than usual. Midna could hardly tell if she was struggling to breath herself because of their link, or because of the tension. She felt no physical tension in shadow form, but her emotions were tighter strung than the strings of a harp. As she appeared again beside him, the rush of nausea suddenly transferred from emotional to physical as she materialised in the light. He looked at her, eyes bloodshot. She met his gaze, a desperation fraying the edges of her voice.

"The only thing to do is to try all of your sword techniques until you find one that works." She paused as the knight came in hard, and Link responded. This time, it worked. He rolled around behind his foe and delivered a strike to the back, severing a leather strap or two. He cried out in victory, leaping back and narrowly avoiding the retaliatory slash. She swept back behind his head again, so as not to distract him. "Don't worry. You have what it takes to beat him, Link!"

She returned to his shadow, but the relief she felt this time wasn't just from her temporary loss of a nauseous stomach. She could feel it again, that resolution. He grunted, and then leapt confidently over the next strike, slashing at the Knight's helmet. The knight paused, stunned, and then shouted in rage. He threw his now broken helm aside, and shrugged off what remained of his armour. The two handed sword came flying at Link, dodged expertly, and then the duel was on in earnest. As the blades whirred between them, Midna swung, ducked and weaved along with the Hero. Sweat poured from his brow, flicking from the hair that flew loose beneath his cap. It took time, but eventually, the knight went down. He fell like the giant he was, onto one knee before collapsing on the ground in a clanking heap.

As the dark magic took his body, the gate he was guarding opened up in the back of the room. Wordlessly, she followed as Link staggered over, heaving the chest open to reveal... "It's a table leg." She looked it over. It had a strange glow to the end, clearly magic of some kind, but still. "All that for a fancy stick?" He turned to her, his filthy face breaking into a grin, as he held the stick aloft in the air in victory. He always did that. She could never decide if she found it idiotic or endearing. He gave a short laugh, and she snapped. "What? What is it now?" He didn't seem the slightest bit concerned about nearly dying, or being poisoned...

His grin faded a little, and then, suddenly, he collapsed to the ground. Midna materialised again at his side, but he didn't look at her. His speech was slurred when it finally arrived. "Wocha tink... bout dark nut?" He chuckled again, and coughed up some blood. His head must be ringing, because the reverberations through the shadows were nearly blinding her with pain. She looked up at him, wondering if he could see the tears threatening to form in her eyes. Her hand lay on his leg, right next to the spider-bite from earlier. Even through his tights, she could see the black veins creeping up. "Link..." She began, softly, before her voice turned harder. "You're getting sloppy. Wake up! Or you're going to get yourself killed, and then all of this will be for nothing! Zelda's sacrifice, our efforts restoring the fused shadow- nothing! Your world will be lost and I'll be stuck like this forever and you'll be dead!"

She shouted the last bit, and his smile faded somewhat. Slowly, she began to feel his shame creeping through her shadow, like the tendrils of the poison that was creeping up his thigh. She reached across to his pouches, withdrawing a bottle of the creatively named 'blue potion'. What do they put in this stuff? she wondered to herself, as she did every time he drank the miracle draught that seemed to cure everything. Still, she uncorked it and pushed it at his face. He looked back at her, his eyes foggy but soft. "Drink." She ordered him, her voice sterner than her resolve.

He met her gaze like a wounded puppy. She hated it. Hated that it hit her harder when he did it with human eyes than his wolf ones. "Drink, unless you want this..." She pressed down on the wound, and they both felt the stab of pain from the infected flesh, "to kill you." She watched as he drank it, feeling the vitality flood through him like a fire. He grimaced, the taste clearly no getting better for the frequency at which he drank the stuff. When his eyes met hers once more, they were far more lucid, far more alert.

He searched her gaze, as if he were struggling for words, before softly murmuring, "I'm ok. No tears." His words were as gentle as his look. Defensively, she turned away, angry at him for making this about her. She could feel his pain, of course she was nearly crying! Did he know what it was like to feel death approaching, but know you were totally fine? To feel someone else's life force slipping away from your own grasp?

A flash of self awareness drew her back to that night. The searing pain of the light spirit, burning away her soul. The bumping of her tiny almost-corpse on his back as he sprinted through the rain, maw red with the blood of monsters and path red with the blood of his feet, refusing to stop. Waking up as a light she never asked for flooded her soul, the wisdom of the goddess-touched princess melting past her consciousness. Opening her eyes to see a huge grey beast standing over her, burning blue eyes betraying the desperation and fear and hope in his heart.

Maybe he did know. Maybe he knew better than her what it was like to feel someone dying through your shadow. She turned back up to face him, a small smile upon her huge face. Her free eye looking him dead in the eye, as she responded, "Not crying. Laughing, at you. What in the name of the Goddesses is Dark Nut?" He looked back at her, his face visibly pinker than it's previous deathly pallour, and began to laugh. "Darknut? Dark Knight! Naming that thing!" He gestured with the stick to where the said knight had fallen. As he did so, the light from the rod disappeared, and a tone sounded somewhere above them, echoing throughout the lofty hall.

They both looked, confused, at the staff. Neither of them noticed her hand clutching tighter at his thigh, where the wound had already healed but her hand remained. He swung it again experimentally, and a crash from above them made them both leap out of the way. No sooner had they moved than the missing statue tumbled down from above the chest, the staff's light glowing within a cavity in it's torso. A few more swings revealed the functions of the rod, and as the light returned to the staff, Link beamed triumphantly at the twili imp. "You didn't know that would happen," she scoffed. Then, as he smirked back at her, "How could you have? You're an idiot. You think calling a huge black armoured knight a 'Dark Knight' is creative." He looked back at her for a moment, feigning offence, before a small smile cracked his fithy facade again. "Fine. Darknut." She groaned, and disappeared into his shadow again as he strode out of the room with his new statue friend.

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The monster was on it's last legs, surely. She cried out in victory as he swung his domination stick at the nearest statue, and a glowing yellow fist came crashing down upon the Armogohma's body. Gasped in shock and disgust as it's babies salvaged a giant, pulsating eye from the beast and tried to flee with it. Link slayed the last of them and brought his sword slicing through the revolting thing, and it finally disappeared in a puff of dark magic, the third shard of the Mirror of Twilight revealed. Link cried aloud, and ran into the darkest centre of the room to retrieve it.

Midna breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped from exposed beam of light from the roof, preferring to hide in the shadows still. Immune she may be, but habits are hard to break. Still, she shared his joy, and as they stood in the darkness, she looked at the mirror. "Three of the mirror shards are ours! Just one left!" He stood beside her, inspecting the shard while pulling out a rag to wipe his sword clean. She watched him thoughtfully.

"Link..." He looked up, not stopping but making it clear he was listening. "You saw how nasty that monster was, right? The evil within the shards is more powerful than you can imagine... You know we could be assembling something truly terrible here... It could be something that we'll ultimately have to destroy..." He nodded, sheathing his sword. He lifted the shard and turned it over briefly in his hands, mulling over her words, before passing it to Midna. She couldn't deny, when she grabbed it, she felt excited. Dark magic it may be, but it was linked to her people still. She felt the fused shadow resonate with it as her hands touched the glass, and a thrill travelled up and down her skin. Link sympathetically shivered.

She grinned a fanged grin, and then locked eyes with him once more. "We have to hurry! Let's find the last shard, Link! We have to reach the sky! That's where the last shard is supposed to be!" She cast quickly, and a portal appeared beneath her shadowy form. "I'll get you out of here. You're sure there's nothing else you need to do, right?" He raised a hand, telling her to wait. She paused. "Oh. Well... tell me when you're ready."

"One thing." He stepped towards her, and she felt something mixed with the jubilation of victory. Doubt, perhaps? Trepidation? Why would he be worried? We just won! Her own doubt mixed with his, forming a strong emotional cocktail. He stepped closer again, his feet at the edge of the portal, the tension between them building. She was confused. He was hesitant. Neither could fully read the others mind- just feel impulses. Yet here, in this near pitch black centre of the room, the sympathetic link was stronger than usual, and she could feel his mind with a startling clarity. She could feel his elation at winning, bolstering his confidence. His ever present resolution of spirit, battling with a lack of surety that he rarely had anymore. Hints of hope, and longing, and conflict, and all manner of emotions more befitting a usual young man than the quiet, stoic farmer from Ordon.

"Be here." His words were low, his eyes never leaving her. She gazed back through the shadow veil, one eye seeing through the magical lens of her helmet, and both trying furiously to ascertain his intentions. Still, she found it hard to resist the request (or command?) and so materialised properly, the teal glow of her tattoos casting a faint light upon his face. He smiled, and she frowned in response, deeply confused about what he wanted. She had an idea, and couldn't decide what she dreaded more- that she might be wrong, or that she might be right.

"Are you... are you ready?" She asked, the magic of the portal humming between them in the darkness, his eyes still burning holes through her spirit with their intensity. She felt him come to a decision, his own tension resolving as hers increased. "I am." He replied, and stepped forward... and for Midna, the Temple of Time earned its name, as time itself segmented along with their teleporting forms.

His hands made contact with her shoulders, and as they did, his feet began to tingle and disappear into the twilight magic.

He pulled her floating body closer to him, and his waist began to disappear along with her toes.

His lips met hers, and neither the horrors of the temple nor the bitter flavour of potion on his mouth made his kiss any less sweet to her taste.

Her eyes widened in shock, lost to the twilight as they disappeared together.

They were gone, and there was only the Sanctum of the Temple of Time. Sun streamed into the room through a few apertures in the ceiling, but no light touched the centre of the room. It was far too dark.

Chapter Text

Ch. 3- Questions of Trust

A Hero's Thoughts

It was far too slow.

He had made contact with her, his mouth on hers, surprise and alarm in her eyes as they disappeared into the twilight stream. He never knew how to describe it, but for once, he suspected that was not his own failings with words. There was no way for a hylian to describe what it was like to be one with the magic, to have your body pulled apart and transported without pain. The sounds, like the musical tones when Midna coalesced from his shadows. The sights, ambers and teals and greys and blurring, whirring hard edges and patterns. Not that he had eyes to perceive it, or ears to hear it. The smell, metallic yet reminiscent still of gentle spices, in his not-nose. He had gotten used to all that, though.

What he wasn't ready for was the taste of her mouth to disappear the moment he first experienced it. The twilight stream of magic only took moments to teleport him, and yet to have that taken away from him so immediately made him crave re-appearance. It was far too slow.

They re-materialised together, his hands reforming from the darkness around her small shoulders, her hair drifting down from it's magically raised position to rest upon his fingers. Not everything was the same though. Her eyes had closed, and for a moment, they stood there, as frozen in time as the temple they stood in. Slowly, gingerly, he stepped away, giving her a moment to catch her breath.

After a few beats, a red eye snapped open and fixed him in it's stare. For a moment he questioned his decision. He could feel emotions rippling through her, as powerful as the stream of magic that had carried them. Her mouth opened and closed, her teeth somewhat bared as she hovered both figuratively and literally, indecision seemingly wracking her. He waited patiently.

The twilight princess turned away for a moment, and then wheeled back upon him, anger in her eyes. "You... how dare... you idiot!" She cried out, and then without another word her hair snapped it's spectral fingers and she dove into his shadows. Her turmoil flooded into his awareness, filling the edges of his consciousness with fog and storm clouds and blurring his senses. Still, he didn't blame her. Maybe I was wrong? He could feel her closing herself off to him, her mastery of the shadow magic blocking his perception of her mood.

A deep sigh, and then a humble comment to the empty temple. "Forgive me. I thought..." The young farmer turned warrior trailed off as he awaited a response, but no answer was forthcoming. He sighed to himself, and moved towards the exit. Deep in the shadows of his steps, a young woman murmured in a hidden language. "You idiot..."

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The next few days went by like a blur. Too much to do, and an impossible task to achieve: to reach the sky. What was up there? How was it up there? How could they reach it? None of these questions had answers, no matter how much Midna wanted to pretend otherwise. Worse than that though was how, unavoidably, it seemed to be tied up with that Ilia girl. First they returned to Castle Town and Telma's bar, (The imp remaining in a sullen silence, despite the memories of the place), where they were waylayed by the postman with a letter about her. Renado seemed to think he had some sort of progress, and implored Link to return. Telma was hardly any better, encouraging Link to return to Kakariko as soon as possible to meet with not only Renado but the bespectacled Shad, some sort of bookish little man that worked with Rusl's adventuring party.

Back and forth they traveled, Midna only speaking when she had to and Link not pushing her. Each step of this journey carried a sort of urgency for him, and she knew it wasn't to do with their quest for the sky. She could feel the nostalgic want rippling through his shadows and it made her sick to her core. Worse again, the errands they were running for all these people who couldn't seem to leave their houses meant more warping, to and fro. Each time, a plethora of upsetting feelings rocked the twili imp. Memories of the wolf boy's lips as they darted through the twilight magic, increasingly uncomfortable shifts between physical and intangible forms and all the joy that rapidly acquiring internal organs brought... not to mention, she could only transport him in wolf form.

Each time he morphed, the people of Hyrule would scream and hiss at their passing. Guards would ready their spears at the twilight monster astride the dire wolf, her physical form exposed to all the world. Every scream of the Hylian people ringing their disgust in her ears. She was not welcome here, and she knew it. Yet there were nostalgic memories of her own entwined within the hateful experience. Her earliest days with Link, the playful hesitation mixed with distrustful co-operation that had characterised their early relationship. Remembrances of him carrying her battered body through the rain that night. The power of them both, her magic guiding his jaws as he tensed, leapt, jumped and weaved. And, to her shame and frustration, she could not deny there was an electricity to the physical sensation of riding him like this. Her legs astride him, his body moving under her, each formidably powerful muscle stretching and rippling under his fur against her... It was an intoxicating mix of sensation and emotion that did nothing at all to help her mood.

The emotional cauldron of shame, anger, sadness, elation and resentment began to bubble over into their interactions more and more. It started in small, passive aggressive fashion. She rode him as a wolf more aggressively than ever, yanking at his fur when he turned too slow, warping him the moment he thought it before he even had a chance to ask her properly. She even pushed him harder with her magic when he fought. There was a catharsis in his bloody jaws as he ripped apart monsters, a power in her dominion as her magic guided him to his next target. Before too long, her usually chatty discussions with him were nearly as curt as his own words.

In reply, he did not lash out nor fight back, but she could feel his hurt. He didn't understand, and she didn't care. Good. I want him to hurt. Him and his stupid peasant girl can be as miserable as they wish. The petulant thought kept turning through her mind. He started to close himself off more and more, and she let it happen, thinking him a fool each minute. How dare he treat her so poorly, presuming to kiss her and then abandoning their quest the moment his farm girl reappeared. He really was like a dog, simply chasing whoever showed him the slightest affection!

Midna skulked in her resentful shadow, hating every moment in Renado's stupid house. The Gorons were here, and those fools couldn't even keep themselves safe, so she didn't know why they were trusting them with any sort of task. Supposedly they were off to some secret village in the hills now? Hooray. Another errand. She watched him as everyone else talked around him, letting him sit quietly as they explained where to go. Link listened politely, but his eyes kept flicking to where Ilia stood in the corner, shy and uncertain. Midna could feel his split attention, but that was no mystery- even Gor Coron seemed to notice, and that dope seemed nearly oblivious to anything. The explanation finished, they made to leave, but Link turned to his cursed peasant girl first. She smiled at him, awkward and politely. "Please... Don't worry about my memory... Just do something to help the one who set me free. Please, Link!" Link nodded, a smile on his face, and slipped out the door.

As they walked towards the patch of reedy grass that would call Link's horse to him, Midna slunk into her shadow cloak and drifted about him. "Don't worry about me!" She parroted, her voice high and whiny, even for an imp. "Just save the one who set me free! Oh, please, big Mr Hero!" She mimed fainting, chuckling to herself. Link's only response was to shoot her an irritated look, before whistling for the horse. As they waited, Midna continued to float around, her voice harsh and cruel. "Goddesses, no wonder she got kidnapped so easily. She's helpless! Even the baby who runs the store in town has more backbone than that girl!"

Link ignored her, much as he had for the last few days whenever she got too frustrating. She wondered if he knew what he had done wrong. If he was clever enough to realise it was his fault. It was night time, and the shadows cast by his form were long and powerful in the flickering torchlight, giving a strength and confidence to Midna to keep pushing at him. Her form clung to his shadow as he mounted and sped into the darkness, and her words stuck in his mind like barbs. "I bet you can't wait for her to remember who she is, can you? Maybe she'll remember all her happy memories of you shoveling goat dung, and falling out of trees. Such a noble hero indeed. You could rescue her from her amnesia, and take her down to your little squalid treehouse, for your nice peasant wedding!"

Suddenly there was a droning buzz in the back of her mind, like a roaring wave approaching from a distance. The imp looked behind them, thinking they were in danger. But... nothing. They were completely alone. Just him, galloping through the field with his shadow. Then what was... Wait, it's him? She realised it a little too late, but it was Link himself, his anger pushing hard at their linked minds. He turned to where she was, though he couldn't see her at this speed. "You done?" He snarled, making her pause. She hadn't felt this kind of anger from him before.

"My world was broken, and my friends taken by monsters, when we met." His tone was vicious, and each emphasised word felt like a bark. She opened her mouth to rebut him, but Link wasn't done. "I'm no prince, or knight. I'm a farmer, but I tried to save them anyway. Next thing, I'm a damned wolf, and there is some evil creature shouting at me for my weakness!"

She reeled. He had never called her that before. Just... a creature. Some beast of the darkness, sent to torment him. "But I played along. I tried to work with you, even though I had no idea what had happened to everyone I know. You used me from the moment we met, and I still tried to help." Each word, a slash of his mighty blade at her heart strings. "And since then, I thought we were friends. I thought we had just started off on the wrong foot, and that you were a good person. I cared!" His eyes were watering now, and she doubted it was from the night air whipping at his face. The fields were so quiet save for the pounding of Epona's hooves, and in the dark and the silence, his shouting echoed off every stone and ridge, right back into Midna's soul. She'd never heard him speak so much.

He took a deep breath, and when he spoke again, she heard no more rage. Just bitter disappointment. "I still care. But I don't know if that's right now. I thought... things were different, but all you seem to want in the last few days is your mirror, and to hurt me whenever I don't instantly get it for you. I'm still going to try and stop Zant, and save the kingdom. But I won't apologise for trying to save my friends- like I didn't when I saved you."

They rode on in silence. His tirade done, Link seemed to focus inwards, and the raised hackles of his wolf spirit became a cold searing heat, contained within the glare of his eyes. Midna, for her part, stayed adequately chastened and quiet. She felt wretched, ripped to shreds by his words. The lack of her physical body wasn't enough this time to stop the overwhelming nausea over her feelings.

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Darbus was just finishing clearing the tunnel when they arrived. Link didn't say a word to the huge Goron, simply nodding at the report of the area and then letting the giant go. He stood, alone but not alone, in the dark tunnel for a moment. Finally working up the courage, Midna spoke from the pooled shadows at his feet. "Link, I..." The young man simply began to walk, his body language enough to cut her off. She could almost feel the glow of his eyes from here, blue and violent, as he withdrew his bow and prepared to storm the town. She fell silent, wondering if he noticed his shadow grow lighter as she watched him leave the tunnel.

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Link... Her thoughts raged like a tempest as she watched the slaughter. And it was slaughter, there was no other word for it. When he was in wolf form, there was a certain necessary violence that she had always found somewhat beautiful, but this was something else entirely. His muscles still rippled, his focus still as predatory and his movements as precise, but it felt unnatural in his human skin. Twenty creatures, Darbus had estimated. Each one seemed to go down harder than the rest. The lucky ones, he blew up using the explosive barrels. Most, he maimed in some way with his arrows. Each shot found it's mark, and most bulbin's took only one shot as Link's vicious aim took it's bloody toll on their numbers. He had thrown away his sword, shield and the rest of his extra kit so as to move quieter, using only his bow to kill the monsters. By the time he was finished, the town was as dead as the buildings made it look. A wasteland, painted with blood and corpses. Link stepped over the body of the final bulbin, a gurgle escaping it as he stomped it into silence. My poor Link. What have I done?

As she wove through the darkness, she overheard the door opening, and what sounded like an old woman. I suppose he's found who he's looking for, then. Her melancholy deepened, as she realised what this meant. This was it. She could feel it, this woman would restore Ilia's memory, and then Link would be happy again. He would be happy, and she would be alone. Oh, of course, she'd stay with him for the journey- she was not so unreliable as that. Still, there was some golden haired girl waiting at the end of the road for him, and only the darkness for her. Even if she returned to her true form, she could not survive in the light world for long.

I wonder if my friends are still OK? It was a thought she rarely had, as she knew how unlikely it was. She had been exiled by Zant, because as manic as that psychopath was, he had respect for her lineage. He didn't want to get royal blood on his hands. Her attendants, her court... she suspected they were less lucky. The shadow beasts were how he treated his citizens, so she wasn't holding out hope for his political enemies. She was tired, so tired. A break from all this, from the tension and the sadness and the rage, was all she needed. Maybe, in sleep, she would find some comfort that she had foolishly given up in the waking world.

Does he want me to keep on with him? Maybe. Maybe not. After all, she would have died without Zelda's help. Clearly, she was no match for Zant, even with her magic and the Fused Shadow. On his own ground, would things be any different? Despair crept upon her, and she sniffed back the tears. How could she feel so alone? How could she have pushed away the one true friend she had made? She screamed into her hands, misery boiling over into anger, before taking a deep, shaking breath. I'll have a rest. I'm sure he can find me if he wants... and if not, I'll know. She found one of the more hospitable rooms in the wrecked town, one without all the bodies or the stink of death. She found a small corner, and then placed down the things she had been storing in the space between worlds- three shards of the mirror, her dark crystal, a few other odds and ends. She kept the fused shadow hidden- no one else could use that, anyway- but this way if he decided to go on without her, he needn't wake her. That done, she found a comfortable part of the floor and closed her eyes, praying for the oblivion of sleep.

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He was buried in the bedding with her, his mouth at her neck and his hands on her waist. She stretched out luxuriously like a cat in his arms, as his lips traced up the elegant curves of her shoulders, to her neck, to her ear. It had been worth the wait. That dreadful nightmare time when she had been as an imp was barely a memory now, and she could truly enjoy the... spoils of her warfare. His fingers tightened on her flesh where her leg met her hip, and she gasped softly in faux indignance. A ripple of magic, and she had spun around to face him, the sheets flying about her as she lounged partially suspended beside him. "Some gentleman you are. Do peasants behave like this before or after they 'tumble in the hay' with their partners?" Her smile was wicked, purple lips glistening and slightly pointed teeth radiant. Her eyes, framed by the falling tresses of sunset-russet and burnished copper, were filled with mischief. For his own part, the muscled young man leaned up, the sheets falling away from his naked chest, the cyan streaks of his new tattoos peeking above the bedding and suggesting so much more to see below his toned stomach.

"I wouldn't tell." The hero replied, his voice low and sultry, stoking hidden fires deep within her with each phrase. "Words are never as descriptive as... action!" With the last word, he leapt upon her, the sheets flying about as she squealed in delight, his strong form guiding her back to the bed and lying atop her. His hands planted both of her long arms beside her head, his face mere breaths away from her own. He was small to her true form, but the goddesses themselves couldn't have sculpted a man more capable of handling her like this. Slowly, she released her magic, and they drifted down fully to the bed, his weight sinking down atop her in a most pleasing fashion. His eyes, burning blue and full of want, met her own red pools of desire, sparking an electricity that she couldn't believe was allowed to exist. A long toned leg wrapped around his hips and brought him down against her, and she sighed his name with relief. "Yes?" He replied facetiously, his lips brushing hers just before he moved down to caress her neck with his tongue. "I've missed you." He only hummed in response, his tongue chasing it's way along her throat before traveling back up her face. It felt cold, but also, far too warm.

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It was far too warm.

Midna awoke with a start, her dream fresh in her mind and her limbs shooting out, trying to gain purchase on the unknown location. Where am I? Wherever it was, it wasn't a bed. The ground was hard and cold, but she was wrapped up in elaborate furs... no, not furs. Fur.

"Ugh." The reply didn't sound human, but she still took a moment or two to realise what was happening. First of all, she was still an imp. It had been a dream. Second, her warm blanket was in fact the very large wolf known as Link, who had curled himself around her as she slept. Third, she had just kicked him in the ribs. "What are you doing-" She began, alarmed at the sudden wake up, but then paused. Her mind took her back to the previous night; no, the previous few nights. How they had been fighting, their words to one another, her anger and his hurt and... "Link. I thought you'd leave."

The wolf looked at her, blue eyes doleful. 'Lonely' She felt, through his gaze and their connection, and realised that he was trying to tell her he'd miss her. A rush of gratitude and affection hit her harder than the hammer of an armos, and she threw her arms around his big dumb fuzzy head. He opened his mouth to pant happily, and promptly licked her across the face. Sputtering from surprise and trying to get the taste of dog tongue from her mouth, she squirmed through her shadow magic to the air, and then reached across to touch his paw to the Master Sword. A brief liquid motion that even now looked uncomfortable, and he was human again, sitting up and looking at her quietly.

His eyes were always so expressive. He was such a quiet man, but he spoke volumes without words, and right now his eyes spoke of apology and regret. Her own emotional reserve nearly broke at the intensity of his sorrow. She managed a small smile, which faded almost immediately as she recalled the hash words again. "Link, you have nothing to be sorry about." His expression didn't change, though perhaps it softened somewhat. He went to speak, but she raised a hand to hold him quiet. "I was wrong to take out my anger on you. You have been... a very good friend to me." The word "friend" nearly choked in her throat. Why? What else did she want to say?

"I have not been kind to you, and you should be mad at me. Not only have you helped me on my journey, you've treated me as a friend and an equal. Even when I'm... like this." She gestured at her freakish imp body, a bitter taste on her tongue. He raised a hand to her as if to try and persuade her otherwise, maybe to touch her, but she caught his fingers and pushed them aside. "I'd never been in this position in my life, when I met you. I'd depended on others because they had to obey me, with friends who were in the same spot. We took joy from being powerful people. Suddenly I found myself cast into a hostile world, exiled from my kingdom, watching my people be turned into monsters. I was angry and scared, finding comfort only in taunting your own princess for being in the same situation... and then I found you. The beast with blue eyes, a legend from some half forgotten fable. A stranger from a farm who was supposed to save me, and you didn't even know. I..."

She stopped, to gather herself. He hadn't yet moved, holding the small woman in his gaze as she looked away. It was clear she was struggling now though, and so he reached out and took her hand. Such a simple gesture, but one that melted her heart no less than when he had taken her in his arms at Telma's bar. She breathed deep, floating a little closer to him, her hand in his. "I thought that was going to end. I think... I think I misunderstood you back at the Temple of Time, but I thought one thing, and then... we got the news about Ilia." His eyes flashed a little at her mention of the Ordon girl, and she hurriedly continued, "and it was good news. You hadn't had a good reason to hope for her recovery, but then we heard, and she's tied up in this sky place where the final shard of the Mirror is. Finally, the girl you left your town for might be coming back... and I felt like our partnership might be finishing up soon."

She took another break, holding back a yawn and looking at her hands. Her hand, in his. "Link, I'm glad she's recovering. Really, I am. I don't know why I said those things." His look suggested he didn't quite believe her. A raised eyebrow, and a slight squeeze of her hand. "Alright, fine. I'm a little jealous. You're... my only friend left. I didn't like the thought that you wouldn't need me like I..." she trailed off again, into nothingness. His hand gently squeezed hers again, and she looked up to see a kind expression, one with infinite patience but gentle encouragement. It wasn't fair that he could say so much without opening his mouth. She kept his gaze though. Feeling vulnerable she may be, but she was a princess still, and she had her pride. Her red eyes locked on his blue ones, she continued, "Like I need you."

His eyes closed, and she wondered what was going through his thoughts. For once, she had genuinely no clue.

It was a surprise, to say the least, when he pulled her in to his arms again and held her tight against him. He was just wearing his undershirt and pants, his armour discarded in the corner of the room, and his body was just as warm as his fur had been. She stayed tense for a moment or two before relaxing into his hug properly, letting herself be held. His arm wrapped under her torso as he pulled her gently to his chest, shifting her slightly so he could see her face. She looked up at him, visible eye brimming with grateful tears. "Link..." She began again, before he brought her to his chest again and she took a deep breath, relieved. She hadn't even been sure if he would be there when she awoke, let alone that he might be so good to her. She felt simultaneously vulnerable and comforted beyond measure as he held her, his breathing a steady rhythm that offset the beat of his heart.

When she finally looked up again, there was her usual impish, if slightly more self conscious, smile. "Link, put me down. You're making me feel like a child. I'm royalty, you know." He smiled tranquilly back at her without moving a muscle. "I don't see a child." His voice rumbled deep against her shoulder as it pressed into his chest. He didn't have a particularly low voice, but in the hidden confines of this hidden village, his tone was quiet, almost reverent. Two facts immediately came to her mind- one being that his hands were all over her, even if in a purely platonic way. His touch still lingered on her skin and skintight, inky black shadow clothes. The second was the nature of her dreams, who the subject was, and the effect that she was only now aware they'd had upon her. Between these realisations and his voice, she squirmed and blushed, the glow impossible to miss on her large cheeks.

"It's alright." She murmured, though she did not drop his gaze. "I know she'll be waiting for you to come back. Your friendship is enough." His eyes crinkled in a smile, but he let the sentence hang. To fill the silence, she continued in her usual sarcastic tone, "Of course, if you could see the woman I truly am, you'd change your mind." She winked at him, and let out a shy chuckle. He wasn't moving any further away. Why wasn't he moving away? She could feel his fingertips start to trace up and down one of her calves, but couldn't tear herself away from his eyes. "That woman like kisses?" He murmured, his lips looking altogether too tempting. Midna's muscles were all thrumming with tension. "Yes." She whispered in reply, her stomach feeling like the inside of Agitha's bughouse.

His smile was the glow of a Sol orb in the Twilight Palace. His scent, the winds soaring through the high towers, bringing the flavours of the twilight gardens to her windowsill. His breath, the furnaces that forged the obsidian that decorated every wall of her bedroom. But his kiss... his kiss was as potent as when Zelda resurrected her in the tower. As she was brought back to life that night, so it was here, and she felt alive. She kissed him back, even in her contorted form, kissed him as though she were still the fearsome twili sorceress monarch she had once been. Her hands found his face as his found hers, and as they explored this moment with another their friendship and love could be felt in every touch.

A minute or two passed before they broke away, both slightly panting. They both noticed what they hadn't previously- while Link remained relatively normal looking, Midna glowed. Not figuratively either. As she broke away from him, her tattoos started to fade from the brilliant green they had become, and her hair which had been moving and twisting with a deep amber glow began to fall back to a natural shape. They looked at each other, each of them with a sneaky look of satisfaction. He was the first to speak- perhaps a first for him.

"I need you too." It was all the excuse she needed to jump at him again, her lips finding his once more. Her hands explored his face, roaming his cheeks and his tousled blonde hair until they found a spot just beneath his jawline. The moment she touched it, his leg twitched, and the shock split them apart for a second before they both broke out laughing. "Wolfie like that?" He glared at her in feigned amusement. She floated back to him, her mouth just off his skin, and scratched him again in the same spot. To his chagrin, his leg twitched again, and he grabbed her and held her close to him so she would stop. Her helm pressed against his face, but he could bury his nose in her hair and kiss the top of her head.

As her wolf-boy hero gently nuzzled the top of her head, she smiled into his arms. I don't need to know where this goes. The thought lazily drifted across her mind as the young man rested his face against her. She squirmed approvingly against him. I'll just enjoy this moment, while it lasts.

It was going by far too fast.

Chapter Text

Chap 4 -Interlude- A Wolf's Nose View

A Hero's Thoughts

It was just quiet enough.

The so called Hero liked time to think, but everyone was always so loud. He preferred to stay quiet, himself. Time with Epona, or with the goats on the farm. Quiet walks in the woods. Quietly training away on whatever bit of swordsmanship Rusl had been able to show him. He just found the shouting and talking of others a little much, at times. As he looked over at Midna, wrapped up in his tunic and a traveling blanket just a reach away, he wondered if she felt the same about the dark. Whether things were too bright here still. Whether she wished she could just see things in the half light again.

Often, he imagined what she saw with her other eye. For a while, he assumed she'd lost it in the coup. The helm never left her head, after all. Still, once he had learned otherwise, often thoughts would drift to what she saw under there. Was it nothing? Was it a veil of magic that showed the world? What about if she could see things he could never imagine? Colours, shapes, whole different ways of understanding and observing the world? He stared up at the roof, pensive. The wolf was like that. Colours, sights, and even touch faded, and people were the most fascinating of all. When human, he watched people like an hawk, trying to read them. In Ordon Village, people would mock him for not understanding the nuances of the world. He was just Link- quiet, reliable, good for any odd task, as long as you explained it. Sharp, but not like that. He didn't mind, though. Had a knack for puzzles and problems, but never much for the written word or books. People were like books- there was information there, but you only got it by paying attention. So he watched.

The wolf couldn't watch. The wolf was all instinct, first impressions, understanding, flooding into his mind without warning or expectation. His senses were overloaded, so much so that in contrast, his eyes seemed like an unneeded part. Sure, he could see, but why would he when he could understand. A whole new world. That had hurt, for a while. Until he had learned to focus.. or rather, until she had taught him to focus. This strange imp, floating around, making a fool out of him and yet... directing him. Showing him how to move, what to do. Helping him, though you'd not know it from how she talked. He hadn't been able to talk back, not that he'd have said much anyway. He never did.

After a while, he learned to hone in. How to find the needles in the haystack, and after that he found understanding came easy. Some things, some people, made sense, and he'd been able to track them over long distances. The kids from the village were easy to pick. They smelled of dirt, and the river grime from Ordon. Their clothes of both soap and sweat, and a little bit of healing wounds. Talo was always healing from something. They were a greasy smell, but not unpleasant. Like hair left unwashed for days, familiar and comforting if you didn't think too hard about it.

Ilia was different. She still smelled of dirt, but the nice kind. Not mud, but finer clay and dust from the road. He wasn't sure why- she wasn't a traveller, but there was always a hint of the exotic dirt from other roads. Perfume, applied too sparingly because it didn't get delivered often and she had to make it last. Soap on her skin, but the clothes were sweet, almost like she had wiped honey on them once and the scent had never left the threads. She rubbed a sort of fruit juice in her hair before she washed it, which made it always sweet when she turned her head- that he had noticed even as a human. Mostly, though, a smell that he had never picked up before but once learned, could never forget. Horm Owns, he thought Midna had called it. Whatever it was, Ilia was strong with it. Wherever she had walked, he could tell it. It was something that young adults had, so Midna said, but his own clothes didn't smell like that. That was, they did, but... not like that. It was tangy, not quite sweet, but with a certain spiciness that made him paw at his nose unless he was careful.

He had learned what ghosts smelled like, what monsters smelled like, what grass in different fields smelled like. The weed that flavoured Lake Hylia's water was different to what flowed from Zora's Domain, and the earth of Death Mountain could never be confused with large rocks of the Gerudo Desert. It had taken him far longer to notice Midna.

Perhaps because she had been there the whole time, and so she had been associated with the dungeon, or his own smell. He knew what he smelled like, his fur was quite distinctive. He just thought it was some effect of the curse, or their time in the twilight realm, that had brought the strange foreign aroma to his nose, but that was backwards. The Princess didn't smell like Twilight, Twilight smelled like the Princess. It was an important distinction, though he couldn't say why. It sounded silly even to him, and he didn't know how to explain it as a human.

Twilight scents were confusing. They seemed to move, as though caught in a small breeze and then left to settle. Always in motion, or rather... changing. Like twilight itself, it was a between-things state. Midna herself always smelled somewhat metallic, as if someone somewhere had heated some weak metal like bronze or copper. It wasn't strong, but it was always there- he thought that was the magic itself that surrounded her. Her hair was a mixture of strange spices, some he recognised and many he did not. Hints of cinammon, some strange floral scents like jasmine, some quite earthy notes that nonetheless had a tang to them. Like... onions, but if you bit them, it would start spicy and then turn sweet. Human words weren't really enough. Her hair was incredible, a thing that he couldn't really wrap his lupine senses around. It fascinated him. The only exception was when she used her magic- the moment her hair moved, the smell that filled his nose was overwhelmingly metal tearing under pressure. The small explosions of acrid breaks in a rod or hinge, sparks in small room sort of smell.

Her body smelled a little different again. Still foreign, but mostly because she smelled like she was always stepping out of the twilight. He wasn't quite sure if she sweated, as such, but if she did it was a subtle smell, like a watered down fresh earthy smell mixed with some leafy herbs. He liked to cook, and it always reminded him of rosemary and potato stew. It was always masked by the strange breezier fragrances as well, which confused his nose even more. Made her hard to locate unless she was in front of him. That smelled like wheat fields in a storm, carried across just before a warm rain. Her face smelled of all that, but also of berries, which he knew she snuck off to eat whenever they were in Faron. That, he could clearly smell. Finally, also a little of the horm owns. It was a different aroma to either his or Ilia's, but he was certain of it. Something in him just knew.

She denied it. But she would, of course.

He turned his attention from the roof back to his companion, lying unmasked beside him. She barely moved with each breath, though he could hear it still. Even as a human, his senses were better for the time spent as a wolf. Or at least his focus. I have her to thank for that. His mouth widened into a gentle smile as he considered how far he had gotten because of her. We're not done yet. Still the sky to win. He didn't know how they would. If they did, what else could stop them? Who could stop a pair of heroes who could make it above the clouds without wings? His fingers reached across and caressed the cerulean skin of her face, his fingertips catching in her vibrant hair. He gently spun it in his fingers, curling it to his desires and letting it drape elegantly across her face. So elegantly, in fact, that it tickled her nose. She snorted violently, her eyes opening in alarm, before looking up at her attacker. Her hair rippled slightly, and that ever present wind carried it away from her face.

A mosaic of emotion flooded her face, with fragments of weariness, surprise and anger giving way almost immediately to warmth, comfort and hope. Her eyes, still half asleep, regarded him with a look that told a thousand stories, most of which probably focused on them not getting up and more than a few with alternative suggestions. "It's not time to move yet, is it?" She murmured, and her small hand reached up to grasp his own as it rested upon her cheek.

Slowly he shook his head. A pause, and then, "Didn't mean to wake you." Gesturing vaguely with his free hand to the doorway where sunlight could be seen streaming through. "Waiting for twilight."

One of the imp's eyebrows cocked in curious suspicion, though he didn't understand why. It made sense, moving by dark at the moment. They were getting near to their goal, and both to hide this village and their movements, they should wait until nightfall to set off. He felt like she'd missed something, since she just grinned a mischievous grin at him, and pulled his hand down to her chest. His hand could cup nearly her full torso, but she wrapped both her arms around his and cuddled it as if she was the giant. "She's been waiting for you too." She replied, with her musical laugh. The hero relented, and lay back down with her, wrapping them up in the blankets. Here in their hidden village, they were safe and comfortable. They were yet to find out what their newfound bond was, or what it meant, but for now it was enough to be here, alone but not alone.

He pulled her small form in against him, the floral and spiced scents nearly as strong to his human nose when this close. She positively trilled in satisfaction, murmuring something about the Twilight Palace before holding his arm like he held her and falling back asleep. He chuckled, kissed the crown of her head, and then closed his own eyes. All he could hear were insects, the breeze through the buildings, and the breathing of the cursed twilight princess in his arms.

It was just quiet enough.

Chapter Text

Ch. 5 - To Gain the Sky

He talked too much.

"Link! How in blazes did you move that statue?! And... what's this.... Amazing! Spectacular!" The imp watched from Link's shadow as this bespectacled lunatic ranted and raved at seemingly the only man capable of understanding any of this stuff. The owl statues were easy, once you understood the rod. But of course, the rod wasn't mentioned in any books, was it? This Shad fellow clearly only went outside when Telma forced him, becaus his real life experience was seriously lacking.

"How can one use this to get to the sky?" The young scholar rubbed his chin thoughtfully- Midna wondered if he was trying to provoke a beard into existence through retaliation. I imagine the same way one uses any other cannon? Her thought went unsaid as Link politely nodded, though something in the way that the corner of his mouth twitched suggested he was thinking similar thoughts. Shad finally trailed off, and Link gestured vaguely to the cannon before wandering off to the far side. Midna danced back and forth in his shadow, waiting until they were out of sight before materialising with a stifled laugh.

Her gaze glowed with malicious glee as she mimed spectacles with her hands and began gasping at it in mock surprise. "Well... a cannon, huh? What do you plan to do with this, Link?" Link chuckled briefly, swatting at the non-corporeal imp before him. She giggled as his hand passed through her chest, waving a finger to chastise the hero before flying up above the half buried armature.

She began striding in shadow form along the top of the cannon, as if she were a general inspecting an artillery line. "You might figure out something if you try to move it..." Her mime walking stopped, and she threw her hands up in the air in despair. "Oh, what to do, what to do?" She looked over to the target of her ridicule, who was himself looking straight back at her. Rarely did she expose even her shadow form to anyone else's eyes, not that this bookish young man was likely to know what she was. Or even to see her, if the thickness of his glasses was to be believed. No one would believe this guy anyway. She waved childishly at him, and was rewarded with a confused gasp, before turning back to the hero. Her hero.

"I'll carry it for you." The declaration came with an air of resignation. I am ever committed to doing the heavy lifting in this partnership, it seemed! "I don't mind. Why don't we show it to someone who might know something about it?"

A tactical pause, as Link glanced over in the direction of the 'sky city expert' who had thus far failed to turn up any particularly useful aid. "Mmm... Except that guy's still watching us..."

She disappeared cackling into his shadow as Link returned to Shad, who bumbled his way through a characteristically awkward reply before running off into the tunnels again. Midna returned to in front of Link again, her smile unmistakable against the silhouette of her shadow body. "...I wonder if I put him off?"

Link glared at her for half a moment before cracking up laughing himself. I knew it was annoying him too! She relished the moment of vindictive glee with him. Shad wasn't a bad person, but goddesses, what a bothersome young man! He needed to get out and see the world. Not like Link. Even as she watched him laugh, she found new facets of him to appreciate... and now that whatever they had was acknowledged, she intended to appreciate him a lot more.

Their time in the hidden village had been short, but sweet. Impaz had been largely happy to remain isolated, which had left most of their time to themselves. Granted, a lot of that had been spent asleep, getting some rest that they had both desperately needed, but... not all of it.

It turned out that Link and Ilia were... not like Midna had assumed. Childhood sweethearts perhaps, and good friends, but he didn't quite share those sorts of feelings for her. Not that he felt nothing, but he had spent a lot of time in that village, not knowing any other girls his age other than her, so it was more of an assumption born out of teenage hormones and social expectation. Both things that Midna was intimately familiar with.

To be fair to him, he had not explicitly said that there was nothing there. He hadn't said much, unsurprisingly. But they had communicated nonetheless. They spoke when needed, but Midna took the lead from this peasant hero and remained mostly quiet. His hands told her the story of his feelings, and his face spoke of his emotions for her. Her own fingers traced his jawline and cheeks, telling him of her own tenderness. Tenderness was not usually a word associated with the Princess of the Twilight Realm, and yet... she felt for this boy. Who could say what that feeling was? She didn't want to put a name on it yet, and he was atrocious at naming anything so she didn't entrust the task to him.

No, there was no name, nor were there really expectations. There were just feelings, and companionship, and a bond. They were friends, and confidants, and whatever else their time on the road saddled with it. They held hands, her tiny claws fitting within the palm of his hand but feeling no less natural for the disparity. Their eyes, forming a glow with their connection, the blue and red gazes meeting at smaller and smaller distances. They kissed, as friends and as lovers, depending on the moment.

She spent time running her tiny fingers across his face, his lips, his neck and shoulders. When she realised how little she could ease his aches and pains, she summoned her magic and her hair massaged his aching muscles, granting him relief he struggled for outside of the Goron Springs. She thought that he needed that. He seemed to want to just... be seen. Not as the hero, but as a person. She knew he had grown up living apart from the rest of the village, enjoying his share of solitude. She didn't understand how much of that was due to his parents disappearing from his life at a young age, or how much he had been an outsider as a result of his isolation. Even so, her acknowledgement of him and attempts to soothe his body seemed to ripple through his soul, bringing him a peace she could feel was foreign to him... she was glad she could give him that. Especially when she found that a belly scratch made his entire body relax almost immediately, like the wolf spirit he sometimes assumed.

He in turn ran his hands across her limbs, her back, her face. His fingers combed out her hair, and massaged her shoulders. His lips caressed hers, and he held her close to him. All of which made her feel wonderful... like a real person again. Just the simple act of treating her like he might treat any other woman went vast distances towards her confidence in this imp form that she had been stuck in. As the twilight hours crept closer, she dared to dream that even in this detestable shape, she would be happy if she were treated like this.

She even fooled herself into thinking she would be OK with it if it weren't him... for a time.

Over the course of that day they spent sequestered in that village, there was between them both the unspoken questions that plagued any young couple in such a situation. After all, what was intimacy if not shared experience, and after the trials of the past few months Link and Midna were very close. How close though? Would it mean anything when all was completed? Was it too risky becoming so intimate when both of their lives were constantly at risk?

Midna had a few questions up on the standard couple's anxiety though. Did he get the same feelings as she did when he looked at her? Did he feel the same butterflies, the same electric pull... the same deep, burning, aching want that made her crave her true form more than she liked to admit? Did he dream as she did of nights wrapped in midnight black silk sheets, or his homespun cotton equivalent? If she could get her form back, what would he think? He had never actually seen what she looked like, for crying out loud! Maybe that made what was happening more honest... but it scared her more than a little. Or the worst question of all.

Can souls of two worlds entangled stay together when those worlds are again separated?

She had voiced it briefly in the Temple of Time, but when this was all done she couldn't see a way that she could, ethically or logically, leave that bridge open. Her world was irreperably damaged by Zant's actions, and Zelda would need to enforce hostilities or lose the trust of her people. The safest and best course of action would be to sever the tie between worlds, but she wouldn't survive long in this realm without Zelda's light protecting her. She would need to return to take the throne and heal the Twili, and Link...

The bitter thought crossed her mind, bringing her back to the moment. Link was resting on a nearby stone, watching her, saying nothing. A flood of self consciousness swept her away and she groaned in frustration.

"What are you doing?" She exclaimed, gesturing wildly. He shrugged, and cocked an eyebrow at her, as if to ask her the same. "I was planning! Gathering strength, you know! Moving these things isn't so easy, or maybe you'd like to try?" She lashed out at him, but he only smirked slightly, before bowing from his seated position and gesturing over to the cannon.

"Grr! You are intolerable, you know that wolf-boy?" She floated across to the cannon again, getting a good look at the whole monstrosity. Taking a deep breath, she concentrated, and then relaxed, letting the magic of the Fused Shadow flow through her. This imp form might cripple her usual twilight magic, but the Fused Shadow worked like a battery which she could draw from whenever she needed. She didn't wear the damned thing for the aesthetic. Letting her body relax, she felt the hot tingle across her scalp and then her hair shot forth, dark magic coalescing in embers around her form as the hair formed a giant hand. Link had seen this many times before, but she hoped deep down he was still impressed. Let's see your gorons lift this kind of weight!

She grunted as she felt the counteractive pull of the ground, holding the cannon in. Relaxing, she opened the mental valve to her magic a little wider, and let the power flood through her, ripping the cannon from it's encasement and suspending in the air. As it came loose, she screamed slightly from a combination of effort and the electric shock through her muscles as the magic drew from her. With a thought, the dark crystal snapped towards Link and he assumed the wolf form once more. "Warp to Lake Hylia?" She grunted, and the wolf nodded in response. She closed her eyes, relaxed once more into the magical stream, and let herself, the wolf spirit and the cannon float through the river of power.

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A dragon. An actual dragon. She watched as he began, as ever after these enormous monsters had fallen, cleaning his sword. It was a simple gesture, workmanlike and casual, which absolutely belayed what Midna called the gravity of the situation. "You just slayed a dragon!"

His blue eyes flashed across to her, weary but pleased. "Mmhm." He nodded, the small laugh breaking through the exhaustion. Her mind reeled, flashing back through the images of the fight. He had flown through the air, chains ratcheting into place as the ancient clawed devices pulled him from pillar to pillar. She was astonished it didn't rip his shoulders out of joint, though she could sympathetically feel it trying. Just as she could feel the heat of the fire as it scorched his arms, nearly his face, and the wind coursing past him at such a height.

It was terrifying.

She wasn't scared of heights as such, but who could not be terrified of such a battle? The dragon had roared, snapping and clawing at Link, who had barely spoken the whole time. His muscles tensed like ropes of steel as the claws latched onto the back of the beast, which she would have appreciated a lot more in less life-threatening circumstances. When his sword had delivered the final blow and the beast came crashing down, she would have believed him dead. Yet his arm raised up, and slowly, he crawled to his feet, panting.

The heart container that fell from the beast's remains had healed his wounds, thankfully, but he was still exhausted, and sooty, and... gorgeous. As he flicked the sword back into it's scabbard and adjusted his tunic, Midna eyed up the hylian warrior one more time, and felt chills down her spine. What a man, to have come from nowhere and be... this! She grinned to herself. A man that could best a dragon atop a flying city was one to whom a mere twilit despot would pose no problem. And now...

"Link, you did it! It's the fourth shard! Now we have them all!" She grinned at him, and he returned it with the same infinite compassion that he always had. He could tell how excited she was, she knew it would be rippling through her shadow magic. Now that they were a bit more open the link had been strengthened too. If she was feeling this weary, he must be sharing her elation.

She kept chattering away as he finished up, and then they warped together to the cannon. She moved to fly into his shadow, but he held up a hand.

"What is it?"

He paused, tilting his head at her quizzically. "You missed a bit." She took a moment to consider the comment. What did he mean? She had never mucked up a teleportation, how could she have missed something? What, was his leg missing? What a ridiculous... Oh. OH! Surely he couldn't mean...

She looked him again, and he smiled and nodded. Blushing furiously, she materialised properly, squinting immediately at the bright sunlight. The light spirits may have been kept at bay by Zelda's gift, but she was not entirely immune. Still, it was worth it as she reached forward to meet his hands, and floated in to kiss him. This was worth being part of the ritual, she decided to herself. It was only fair.

He reached around to cradle her head, and she gasped at the gentle audacity of him. He's almost treating me like a lover! On a whim, she decided to test the waters, and opened her mouth to him. Instantly, she was rewarded as he deepened the kiss, his tongue flicking across the points of her teeth and dueling with her own. She let it finish naturally, and then floated away, grinning like a madwoman.

"What on earth made you think you could be so forward with a princess?" She demanded, her tone haughty but her voice rich like honey with want. He snickered, an innately childish response that she for whatever reason still didn't mind, and then counted off reasons on his fingers.

"Hmm... Just slayed a dragon. Thought you'd like it. And.... not on earth." She laughed at the last one. He had a point there.

Before they departed, they headed back to the shop to say their farewells to Ooccoo and Jr. Strange little creatures, but friendly allies nonetheless. The bird people seemed thrilled at the visit, and more so at the dragon-free skies.

"Thank you so much, adventurer! Gracious, you've done so much for us, adventurer!" Midna laughed to herself. They're not wrong there. Yet to see one of these pick up a sword, in all their dungeon crawling experience. "I hope you'll come see us again sometime! What did you think of the heavens? If you like it up here, you can live here as long as you like!"

Midna glowed through Link's shadow at that last comment. What a possibility. As they returned a final time to the cannon, the imp floated up to his side. His questioning gaze told her that he had felt her burst of joy.

"Can you imagine?" The question was rhetorical, but she could feel a gentle sense of hope from him as he did just that. "We could live here as long as we like! I mean, it's a strange propeller city full of chicken wizards, but..." She trailed off. He drew his clawshot from the satchel and looked at her, waiting for her to finish. Infinite patience and empathy, in the shape of a young, handsome warrior.

She returned his smile before beginning to melt into his shadow, hiding her embarrassment from those perfect blue eyes. "If it were with you, I don't think I'd mind." Her words disappeared along with her shape. She could feel the warmth radiate from him through the shadow magic, though. Maybe even love, if an imp might dream.

Sometimes, the quiet was response enough.

Chapter Text

Ch. 6- Step to the Dark

Link and Midna rematerialised together in the Mirror Chamber of the Arbiter's Ground, that harrowing temple of judgement and fear. While the place had, on the whole, always been haunting, even menacing at times, this chamber had been bright and airy in contrast. A reprieve from the horrors of the ghosts, skeletons, and memories of the grounds, where the sky was clear and the sages watched over. Now, however, it was quiet. Link growled quietly, but there were no monsters, no foes awaiting them. After a further sniff of the air to satisfy his suspicion, Midna gently touched him with the blade to restore his humanity once more.

Midna watched him as he stood up slowly, hesitantly. She could hardly blame him- she felt the same. They had worked for a long time for this, but now... now it was all paying off. His goal was achieved. Hers... she was going home. Finally. She could feel the tension in her, and wondered how much of that had held her to him. Had made her crave whatever comfort she could find. Briefly, she even wondered if she would feel the same once she felt the wind of her home upon her face. He growled again, but this time one of concern and in a human tongue. An awkward cough as his mind finally caught up with the transformation, and he looked to her, concerned. He can feel my doubt. She frowned to herself, invisible in his shadow for the moment. I'm doubting myself, you idiot... Her thoughts were wistful and sad, and swirling in gentle eddies around the vivid blue light of his eyes. My wolf steed, my travelling companion. My friend. I don't want this feeling to be false.

His own thoughts swirled through the inky depths of his shadow to touch her mind in response. She knew he wanted her to materialise. He would want to hold her, and comfort her, and yet... he could not. Not yet. There was business to attend to, and a world to reclaim. And with that world, the body, heart and soul of the Twilight Princess hung in the balance. She needed to be able to stand alone, no matter what she felt... how she felt.

He waited for a moment more, but said nothing. Finally, lacking a response, he sighed and moved towards the mirror. As he approached, both of them simultaneously felt the pull of the Mirror. Midna released it from the void, allowing the pieces to surface into this world, and not a moment too soon. They swirled about around their brother fragment, locking into place with a rocky thud- a sound that echoed their signficance more than their mass. The moment the fragments were back together, it began.

The light of the moon, sliver though it was, would suffice. Light world magic was afoot, but it reeked of the dark. Link sniffed the air, even his human form obviously able to taste the magic on the breeze. A shimmer, and a noise like someone was playing chimes, but constantly, without beaters... it was hard to describe. The light of the mirror reflected upon the stone block and it's chains, the latter of which started to glow with the pale moonlight that coloured it. Not glow as silver glows under light though... glow with the light of the moon itself.

The twilight princess watched it sadly. This would work. She knew it would. Her moment of vengeance was swift approaching, and yet... all she felt was a quiet resignation. When this was over... where would she go? And who would follow?

The chains glowed a cold white, and then disappeared. She felt Link's panic as he realised what would happen, and felt through him each muscle brace as the huge slab of stone came slamming into the ground. The earth shook beneath them, the tower itself a fragile artifact in the face of sheer elemental force. Like a Hylian punched by a Goron, and yet... it stood. Buried in the sand now was the target, and the mirror shifted accordingly, guided by the magic of the sages. Veins of pure light crept upon the surface of the stone, illuminating shapes that were invisible to the eye. Lines, circles, patterns of the mirror traced upon the rock by light, but wrong still... moving, twisting, almost serpentine in nature. Like multiple levels of rock were exposed in the single flat slab. Midna watched the familiar pattern, that pattern which hung in tapestries in the halls of her home, pushed open the door that she had left behind, and sighed, and slid from Link's shadow into full being, suspended beside him as he watched in awe.

She looked at his face, so quiet but so confused. Back to the stone and the portal, now fully emerged. "Some call our realm a world of shadows, but that makes it sound unpleasant..."
She did not take her eyes from the portal. His gaze was on her, she could feel it, but she continued, her words finally exposing the raw nerve of love that she felt for her home. "The twilight there holds a serene beauty... You have seen it yourself as the sun sets on this world. Bathed in that light, all people were pure and gentle..."

Her rueful gaze turned hard slowly as she continued, her fangs coming to bare. "But things changed once that foul power pervaded the world..." The sad look had formed a glare that sang of her rage... Huh. There you are, my fury. My vengeance. The deep seated emotions gave something of comfort in their consistency, at least. This, she was used to.

"It was all our doing."

Both Midna and Link whirled around, wide eyes, to see the sages standing below them. Midna's red eyes flashed with anger. Link's were more calm. He could feel her rage, even though she was corporeal beside him. He reached out emotionally, wishing so much he could do so with his hands... but knowing too that she needed to be in control right now. The sages continued ruefully. "We overestimated our abilities as sages and attempted to put an end to Ganondorf's evil magic... I hope you can find it in yourself to forgive our carelessness..." They paused, before bowing their heads. "Oh Twilight Princess."

She felt Link wheel about and look at her, surprised. She didn't know why- she had told him as much! Or did he think it a joke, some cruel play on Zelda's sacrifice? Foolish boy... no, that can't be it. She wondered if he was simply shocked to hear her recognised as such. Who could say? He felt a shade of her emotions, as she did his- perhaps he was just feeling her radiant shock at the Sages.

"So... you knew." Her tone was resolute, but her mind was scattered. "As a ruler who fled her people, I'm hardly qualified to forgive you." She thought back to the day she had been cursed... to Zant's horrifying power, that had come from nowhere! She could see it in her mind, him advancing on her, that disgusting lizard head with it's tongue revealing him for the perverted creature he had become. The way he had cast aside her magic with a gesture, and taken her body... warped her... deformed her... How dare he! How dare he touch me, how dare he visit this upon me! The rage bubbled anew in the festering wound of her soul.

He took my body from me, and left me as THIS! A misshapen lump, devoid of my ancestral magics, of my people, of my very essence! The mounting fury served her no more now than it had then, though. She had fled from him, deformed and violated, and staggered through the shadows of her home to the portal as it stood. She had stopped, doubting herself, and the reaching deep within the void for one of the few ancestral treasures she had retained in her escape... the Fused Shadow. It was but a piece, but upon this piece she might build her vengeance. She might build his destruction.

Yet then... she had found herself in the light world, only to realise she was too late. He had claimed this world too, and all the people were but spirits. All but two- the Princess, high up in a tower, her own golden light radiating like a Sol but... stronger. Brighter. More potent. And one more... a young man, snapping at his captors, twisting in their grip until he was dragged to the dungeons of Hyrule Castle. A boy turned not to a spirit by the Twilight wave, but to a beast... a beast with blue eyes. A child of prophecy and fate.

She had used him, abused his assistance and simple nature, and yet when the chips were down, he had saved her. Dragged her through monster camps and rain and muck and hatred until she was in front of Princess Zelda once again. The Princess had also saved her, not that Midna had any say in the matter. Deep down, she suspected she carried Zelda's consciousness within her still. All she knew for certain was that by the time it was over, Zelda was gone, though her body remained. And Midna... Midna was alive, revitalised... immune to the Light World. The first since the banishment. Zelda sacrificed herself for me.

Perhaps that was the turning point. It had taken some time to consider how she had acted, of course. She must do better... be better. She had begun to work more with Link, and together they searched for the answer to their mutual curses, until... Until that night. Until the night he held me.

That had changed everything. How could it not have? She felt herself wrapped in him, and realised that maybe there was more worth saving here than she had thought. She had already resolved to honour Zelda by saving Hyrule from Zant, but perhaps... She sighed, back in the moment. "In our world, we've long believed that the Hero would appear as a divine beast. That's why when I found you, I thought I could use you, Link. And I only cared about returning our world to normal... I didn't care what happened to the world of light, not at all. But after witnessing the selfless lengths that Princess Zelda and you have gone to..."

She trailed off again briefly, and then met Link's eyes. He was watching her, empathy radiant in his azure gaze. All of a sudden, an idea appeared to her that she had not tried before. She took a breath, sighed, and floated her mind into the magic between them. Their shadows rippled as her words continued, and her heart poured out it's thoughts as blood through her magic.
"Your sacrifices...
Have been too great, and yet you have never left my side.
I now know,
how I feel
in the bottom of my heart, that I must save this world, too.
There is no other way-
I can honour what you've done, what you've shown me of your world, what you mean to me.
If we can just defeat Zant, the curse on me will dissolve, and we may be able to revive Zelda.
We might stand together as equals, my debts paid. And you might judge the woman I am.

She took a deep breath, the effort of focusing on maintaining two dialogues, one through shadowwork alone, taking a toll on her. She wondered if he could even hear her. She supposed it didn't matter. Her words spoke enough. She summoned up another effort, and then put a brave face. "Let's go, Link! For Zelda! For all of this world!" He smiled at her, and reached out to take his hand. She smiled bravely back, and together, they faced the portal. As privately as she could, she tried to hold back the words from forming in her mind that she had truly been mulling over. If he had heard her thoughts during her speech, he might yet hear these... and she was not ready for that. Her heart was not ready for that.

With hands held and smiles grim, they took their first few steps upon the hard-light staircase. The twilight void began to pull, more and more... and then they both felt themselves drawn into it, and transported through the gateway. As they disappeared, a single word floated through her mind.

Home.

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A Hero's Thoughts

This land of Twilight had been nothing like he had imagined. The young farmer from Ordon had seen shades of the Twilight Realm across Hyrule, and how it effected the land and people there. The people would turn to shades, but fully unaware of what was going on, what was happening. Just knowing something was wrong. The land would darken, twist and turn, and become a distorted version of itself, where all was frozen in time yet... perverted. The monsters that he had stalked, fought and killed... the shadow beasts... these were monsters he imagined had far larger, even more monstrous counterparts in the actual Twilight.

He had thought so much, but in the end... Midna was right. It was beautiful. Like the cusp of dark, forever. The dying of the light, captured in a bottle for all eternity. Calming, soft, and gentle on the spirit. It was a strange thing... he could tell that his eyes were seeing wondrous things, but he could not find the words. The castle itself rose up from shadow into existence, the bridges and floats were made of light, and everything was bathed in such a glow that softened all the hard edges of this world... but he did not understand it, could not find the words to process it in his own mind.

As a wolf, however... as a wolf, he knew this world. It's fields upwind were the brush of Midna's passing by, and it's reflections the glint in her gaze. The sky was the colour of her hair, but the breeze was that same enchanting perfume that he could never place when she turned quickly, her amber-russet locks casting scent all about her. The dirt under her nails, even after their long journeys, was the dirt of her homeland, earthy roots and herbs that could not grow in the full light. There was darkness here that forced him back into lupine form, that was nearly the same strong metallic tang of the Fused Shadow's magic. Even Sol orbs that Midna said granted the light and life to this world reminded him of her breath... but only in laughter, when her spirit truly shone through. The Twilight was made of the same stuff as it's Princess, in a way that the rest of her people were not. She was born of the powers of this world, and reflected it in a way Zant had not, could not. Link truly believed that this realm could not be in harmony without her.

Midna herself had chosen to stay hidden... he could tell she was still scared of how she would be seen. But this was no pragmatic hiding from fearful Hylians, this was shame. That much, he was sure of. She didn't want to face her people, didn't want them to know what had happened to her. He wondered if they thought she was dead? He wondered if missing or runaway would seem any better.

He had met a few of these Twili, too. Briefly. They were a strange people, all transformed it seemed in some way of another. Thankfully, they could be healed, but Link wondered what the point was. Why warp your people, why cover their eyes and mouths? That was no way to lead. How many stories could he have heard in this strange realm, how many people had been taken in by Zant and believed it was for their good, only to be left with nothing? Was there a resistance here, as there was in Hyrule? He wanted to ask Midna her thoughts, but... no. He wouldn't add that burden to her. In this half-light, her shadow felt heavier than ever, and he knew it was her heart weighing her down. Not long now, little princess. He thought to himself. Not long now.

-----------------------------------

The Palace was hard on Midna. She spoke rarely as Link forced his way through the keep, fighting off the beasts and monsters of her land. Only... they weren't all beasts. Some of them had once been Twili, her people, but now... Now they were gone, and in their bodies were "Shadow Beasts" that assailed them as they climbed. She did her part to guide Link where she could, but for the most part she tried to keep her head down, not think about the casualties, and ignore what these halls had meant before they were filled with foes. It would have meant nothing to Link, being as he was a stranger, but for the Princess each room held meaning. The rooms through which they walked was the main path to the throne, where she had run and played as a child. Don't think about it.

Past the door to the dining hall, where she had sat with Mother and Father and refused to have more mushroom stew when there were nightberries to follow. Don't think about it.

Along a hall whereupon the guest rooms entered, where her friends stayed when they visited. The other aristocratic children that would shriek and cause havoc with her long after the sleep bell had rung, where she had sat and worked on her braids and learned to dress as a true lady of twilight. Where her maids had lived... when her maids had lived. Don't let yourself think about it!

As they stepped into the training hall, where her magic instructor had taught her the basics of the shadow-working, it began to get too much. Instead of Master Dustoc and his theory of light, there were yet more of those ghoulish Zant helmet apparitions... She screamed with rage in the shadow of Link's slices, holding back the turmoil in her non-corporeal stomach and heart as the Master Sword, blessed with the power of the Sols, tore through the phantoms. As the room cleared, she felt a decision from Link. Don't. Just let me be. She knew he couldn't, though. He hadn't before, and he wouldn't now.

"Midna... come out."

She remained in his shade, trying to push back the emotions. He waited for her, patiently but tirelessly... and eventually, she relented. She slid through the shadows of his hands to form in front of him, her face rebellious. "What? What do you want? We're nearly there, why are you stuffing around trying to chat? Both our people are depending on us!"

Her words bit at him, or at least she hoped. She wasn't ready to confront this, not yet. Not while that usurper sat upon her throne and held her people down. She'd kill him, painfully. As she should have done years ago.

Instead of the hurt or brusque response she was predicting, she just got his eyes. His damned, empathetic eyes. His look was resolute, but supportive. She turned away, hiding her own face from what she saw on his. "Goddesses above, Link. Can't you just let me have this?"

He moved to touch her, but she floated away, her own hands gesturing furiously at the room. "This entire Realm... my realm... has been torn apart by Zant's actions. A monarch doesn't get to just move on from that. I have no right!"

He stepped towards her, but she wouldn't let him near. She flew up again, her voice rising with her as the emotion bubbled over. "Here I was, spending all my time in Hyrule being so angry at what he did to me. At how he took my very identity away from me, my rule, my form. This stupid, cursed body- I can't even scream with my own lungs! I know you were transformed too, but it's just not the same! I'm sorry, but it's not. You were turned into a beast, but a majestic one, and then back to your true shape. I've been stuck, dwelling in a foreign world, in a foreign body, feeling worse about myself than the most vicious shrieks of the Castle town population. Recently, I had come to a peace with it though. I thought I was so grown up, accepting that maybe even if I was stuck like this, that things would be ok."

Her hair was pulsing with dark magic now, and Link had stopped trying to reach her. She forced herself to avoid his gaze, knowing that she would read into it whatever she needed to calm down- and what she needed was to not calm down.

"And then we step through this portal, and it all hits me! All that maturity, all that growth for absolutely nothing! Because who cares what I feel about myself, when this has happened to my world! I let this happen. I couldn't stop Zant, couldn't stop any of it, and now we're... we're..." She trailed off, sorrow finally overtaking anger. She choked on the next few words, and when they didn't come, she just stopped, her hands falling limp by her side.

She turned to the great Hero of the Twilight, whose sword blazed with the power of her own ancestor gods. Even that power hadn't stopped Zant, but somehow... Link would manage it. And she, the Twilight Princess herself, would have to watch someone else fix her mistakes. "I failed them, Link. I failed the Twili, and now I have to stand up and claim that my right to rule is valid... is fair. How can I do that, when I could not protect them?"

She could feel him, touching at her shadow now. The familiar, warm, confident feeling of Link of Ordon, wielder of the Master Sword. He must have felt it too, because he did not approach any closer, letting that feeling be enough. And damn him, but it was enough. She closed her eyes, holding back the emotion, and letting the wave of his tranquility bring peace to the storms of her mind. His voice, low and comforting, was almost a surprise. "You came back. You're saving them."

She smiled ruefully, not able to accept the comment. "I'm not doing anything. You're saving them, I'm just following you around." She had been doing well at holding back the stammer that threatened her voice, but it wasn't enough. She knew he wasn't going to let it go. Midna took a few deep breaths, hoping in vain it would hold back the tears on the edge of her gaze, when he finally spoke again. "You brought me here. I couldn't do it without you." A pause. "We'll save your people together."

Tear blurred red swung around to meet the loving blue gaze. His hand reached out and stroked along her eyebrow to cup her cheek. She wanted to turn away, to hide. Even to fight back, tell him not to touch her, not to presume he knew how she felt. How could some peasant boy know the trials of a failed Princess? But then... he wasn't just some peasant. He was the Hero, upon whose shoulders the fate of both worlds rested. It wasn't that he couldn't relate, it was that he could, far too well. She took a shuddering breath, and let his finger take the tear from her eye before replying.

"Yes. Together." He smiled softly but encouragingly, and her own sad visage morphed to one of cautious hopefulness. "And when we have taken back my crown, then perhaps... we could take a walk before we return? I want..." Another inhale to gather herself, and then an exhale to force honesty. "I need some closure here. Maybe I can tell you a little about these halls, and you can do that big dumb listening thing you do. I think... I think that's what I need."

He nodded his assent. "First, though..." He began, and then drew his sword and gestured upwards. He DOES understand. She grinned a vicious grin. "Oh yes. First, we deal with him."

---------------------------------------------------------------------

The lock whirred in place, and then fell from the door. The veins of the black stone glowed a bright green, and then the door shifted. A young man dressed in green stepped through and ascended the stairs, beside a strange imp with a intricate stonework helmet upon her head. As they reached the top of the stairs, both of them stared straight ahead at the figure on the throne. A long, loose robe hung upon his body, held down by a breastplate that stretched to cover the shoulder. Atop the man's head was a helm, tall and elaborate, in the design of a lizard. Under this large helm, however, the usually preset tongue was gone. Instead the pale blue skin of the wearer was visible beneath, revealing a thin lipped frown and shallow chin.

They regarded each other across the hall. It was the imp that first broke the silence, glaring at the lord with unconcealed hatred and scorn.

"Zant."

Chapter Text

Chap 6- The Monarch of the Evening

His presence was cold, too cold. Like the hidden face of a sinister moon, looming down from high on the throne. The metal of his helm glowed pale with the radiant light of the room, the green lines on the walls casting horrible reflections, making even the impassive lizard visage seem alive. The effect was terrible, but just that. An effect. An illusion... and to the Princess of the Twilight Realm, the illusory was as nothing. She tilted her head, a contemptuous smirk upon her face.

"Isn't this ironic? Here we are, all thanks to the dark magic curse you placed on Link!"

The comment rang out in the stone halls, empty echoes on impassive walls. The self styled King of Twilight's mouth twitched slightly.

"You speak of magic?"

Petty Zant. He had always been a strange man, but under that ridiculous helmet, his reedy voice sounded even more petulant than ever. Still, it carried with it a dark menace that had run through him since the usurping. He had changed that day, and with him, the fate of this world.

"Still your tongue for a moment, whelp, and I will tell you of both magic and the oppression of the ages..." His high tones were sinister, but she could hear it. The crack in his voice that had ever been there whenever he had played lackey to her mother, the hint of fragility that made him so dangerous.

He rose to his feet, and his segmented helmet clicked and mechanically retracted back away from his face. She had not seen his face for so long... it made her sick. From his tiny, straight cut fringe of red hair to the point of his lips as he sneered down at her, she could feel nothing but contempt and rage for this traitor.

"The people of our tribe... a tribe that mastered the arts of magic... were locked away in this world like insects in a cage."

A cold pause.

"In the shadows, we regressed, so much so that we soon knew neither anger nor hatred...nor even the faintest bloom of desire." His arms raised, he started to twist... his shoulders, arms, contorting horribly from a shape of worship into a corkscrew, like he had been broken upon some horrific torture device. "And all of it was the fault of a useless, do-nothing royal family that had resigned itself to this miserable half-existence!"

His shrill cry rang out in the halls, and the shadow of the false king lengthened for a moment. He straightened with an unnatural snap, and began to jump about in rage. How could he be so powerful, yet so broken? Zant had never been too impressive as a mage, but his very temper was bending the twilight. It was like a cruel parody of her own abilities, but... something was very wrong about it. She could feel his glare even without seeing it... like he was filled with a malice that he was barely keeping in check.

"I had served and endured in that depraved household for far too long, my impudent princess. And why, you ask?" Without warning, he flew at them, spinning rapidly. Link raised his blade, but Zant stayed out of range, flying in furious spirals until he landed with all the grace of a dancer. "Because I believed I would be the next to rule our people! THAT is why! But would they acknowledge me as their king? No! And as such, I was denied the magic powers befitting our ruler."

His jealousy, his deep seated sense of betrayed entitlement, began to warp the room. She could feel it, and gathered her strength. This was all part of the illusion too, but it felt so violent.

"It was then, in the thrall of hatred and despair, that I turned my eyes to the heavens..." his voice grew raspy as he cried out, bending backwards to stare at the ceiling as if he was lost in his own mind, exalting the very memory, "and found a god."

Midna felt the muscles of Link's body tense as her own twitched in sympathy. Zant towered over them, his form manic and distorted, monstrous in it's contortions. She knew it wasn't Zant that had Link tense... it was Ganon. Undoubtedly the so called god in question, a creature of uncontrollable power. Midna reached out to try and soothe him through the magic, but nearly choked when she realised there was no him.

No, he's not gone... there's too many of him? Something was happening in Link, and his consciousness was being touched by deep memories and knowledge... it felt like it had when he had spoken with the golden wolf turned ancient knight- but as if he was doing that again and again in an instant, and each contact was remembering the trauma of birth. She retreated from his mind, keeping herself strong, until she felt him snap back to reality. Zant's power seeped into the air around him like waves, but as she looked up to Link, his eyes were glowing blue with a viciousness that she did not recognise in him. His spirit, tied to hers through the shadows, radiated a sort of fortitude... like he was a being of pure courage. It was like a potion for her mind, and all of sudden, she was certain. No matter what happens, someone in this room would not be leaving it.

Zant reappeared at the throne, helmet restored and battle ready. Midna gritted her teeth and prepared her magics. The false king's words were frantic now, and his power boiling over, making the walls shimmer as if they were no more real than dreams. Zant's voice was became euphoric, rapturous and mad. "My god had only one wish... To merge shadow and light...and make darkness!"

He cried, and with that, the room disappeared. How? How can he pull out the world from under us? Midna whirled around, desperately trying to gain her bearings, but Link was not so disoriented. They were... in that temple in the woods? Where Link had fought off giant plant Diababa... but there was no temple guardian here. Instead, only Zant, already throwing magic at Link that was neither Twilit nor entirely foreign. Like he had power from elsewhere that he was using to fuel his own sorcery.

The hero did not hesitate. Midna clung to his shadow, beginning to chant under her breath counterspells to this illusion, but she could feel from the Link's movements and his resolve that he was confident. She could tell why, too- Zant was sloppy. For all his power, his imagination was lacking, and in his haste to disorient and attack them, he had simply mimicked the scenario of the their first battle in this room. Link, ever one for understanding patterns, had the advantage. The gale boomerang came flying out like a deadly missile, but missed Zant- he laughed, until the gust of wind brought him down towards the acidic poison pooled beneath him. He shrieked and hopped quickly to land, where Link was waiting. The master sword sang, still glowing with the power of the Sols and wielded by the only one who could do so. That proves it! We're still in the Throne Room! As the last slash came down, Zant disappeared, rematerialising in the air and opening his arms wide, and they
fell
   through
       space
   to
Fall onto the blue glowing crystal that magnetized the Goron Mines. Their foe here had been misguided, and no matter how strong had not realised that Link's iron boot-covers would bind him to the floor. Zant's mistake was identical, and the coward fell victim to a charge from the Hero once more, only narrowly keeping his arm from the powerful swings of the blade.

Midna, for her part, had managed to hold her concentration through the 'teleportation' that she was rapidly becoming certain was nothing more than an incredibly powerful illusion. For Link, it may as well have been real, but for Midna... The source of power is different, but the technique is traditional. Boring. I can beat this magic. Especially in the Twilight Palace, in the throne room, with the Fused Shadow that Zant had stolen so close by. Crippled she may be, but nowhere in any realm would Midna be more powerful than here, and she would not lose again.

Another blow glancing off Zant's shoulderplates, and once again they
   fell
       through
       space
   to
feel the icy cold rush of water!?

choking...

drowning...

fading...

NO! Eyes stinging with salt and lungs filled already with murky water, Midna gathered herself, immediately manifesting and snapping Link into his Zoran Armour. As it's magical properties created breathable air behind the mask, he gasped, choking water out of his lungs and squinting, trying to gather himself. Vicious trick! She could feel his pain, but urged him on, directing him to the edifice of Zant's helm that sat buried in the centre of the chamber. The burning sensation in her lungs faded as his did, and he grunted in anger. The iron boots he was still wearing brought him to the ground, and he charged through the icy depths, clawshots at the ready.

We can't afford another close call like that. Illusion or no, I need to counter him! She focused her energy once more, and began to pull at the illusory walls. Zant, for all his power, was distracted, and sloppy to begin with. She was sure she could find a gap in his armour. Link managed to catch his leg with a clawshot, and as Zant was pulled through the water to the hylian, she forced herself into the magic as well. It was enough to surprise him, bubbles catching in his throat as his own defences against the magic of his illusion failed momentarily.

He disappeared again, leaving a pause that matched the quiet of their sunken battleground. Suddenly, a rumble felt through the water, and six monolithic helms rose from the sand. Link removed his boots quickly, and Midna took hold of them into the shadows as he began to swim, rapidly searching. The moment Zant re-appeared, the hero was ready, and the clawed chains went out once more. The usurper caught them this time, and threw them to the side, rapidly casting another spell to transport them...
   through space, while
       Midna forced her will
       upon the magic
   to catch her friend
and he hit the ground with a roll, sword drawn. Dripping with water still, he charged at directly through the columns of a room from the FOREST again. Was he so unimaginative? Link sprinted on light feet, having been taken back into his usual tunic and armour by Midna through the warp. The moment Zant stopped to cast magic, the hero charged with his shoulder into the column on which he balanced, and knocked Zant to the ground. The shriek of pain let Midna know that this time, they had wounded the pretenter. As the glowing blade caught him once more, he cried out. Midna reached out to him, trying to wrest control of the power from him. Almost... almost...!

His reappeared above them, and his eyes snapped to her. An impulse of magic swept through her, searching her mind, claws of dark magic like those which had stripped her of the Fused Shadow and cast her into the light. She was stronger now, though. You'll find me as strong as him. We will defeat you! She clung to the thought of Link, drawing strength from him. The power of the Master Sword... no, not the sword. The power of Link himself flooded through her as he realised that she was fighting a battle of will, and he bolstered her strength. A brilliant golden rush swept through her mind as she struggled against Zant, and he fought to sever her link with the Hero...

"Got you, runt." She heard the voice like a dagger of ice, and suddenly the ground was ripped from them once again. They didn't fall, but ice rose up to meet them, the entire room freezing and taking the form of Yeta's bedroom as it was during their battle. Zant, in turn, began to grow, ready to crush them underfoot. This is where Link was hurt so much! She swore under her breath, wondering if Zant had somehow read in her that Link had struggled here. She turned to face the hero, hoping that he was more resistant to the mind games.

Link paused for a moment to get his bearing, and then roared. As she summoned the ball and chain from the void, she flung it towards him. His hand shot out, and even as it finished reappearing he began to swing it, the power of the Hero making his shadow feel as solid as iron. As Zant's foot came down, Link threw it, and even at his giant size she heard the crunch of bones breaking. Zant yelped in pain, the magic that kept him huge rapidly failing as he hopped onto his one remaining good foot. He tried to evade, but Link advanced, collecting the usurper's helmet with his sword. The blow sent the now small Zant sliding across the floor, and Midna used the opportunity to wrest control of his teleportation again. I can't let him take us anywhere more dangerous. If he drops us into Death Mountain again, or from the City in the Sky, who can say if we can make it.

She felt him try to bring his power to bear once more, but this time, it was Midna that screamed. Her veins pulsed with effort, her shadows growing darker than the void itself as she used her own
       magic to
       guide
     them
   to
 the
steps of Hyrule Castle town, right out the front of the southern entrance. Zant staggered as he landed, then looked around, baffled. He reached for his spells again, but the Twilight Princess held firm, pushing back at his every attempt at the twilight. Not again. Face us or die.

Link drew his sword again. He was ready to end this.

Zant stilled, his breath heavy but audible in his helmet. He then flexed his hands. From the twilight, a pair of scimitars appeared in his hands, and he took a step... winced, and then staggered. He's injured, and exhausted. Zant visibly slouched, and then advanced, menacingly.

"Link." She called out to him, as he circled the false king, reading his movements. "You can’t let Zant’s crazy movements confuse you..." She gritted her teeth, and focussed on his blade, tapping into everything she could reach through her ancestral magic. To her relief, the blade responded, and the light of the Sols flared up even brighter in the half light of this false Hyrule. She cried out in victory, and then continued as she channeled her power into the blade. "As long as you use the light of the Twilight Realm to your advantage, you’ll be fine, Link. The light in your blade can drive back Zant’s magic power! "

The Hero said nothing, only growled under his breath. He fought as a wolf made human, stalking, aware, ready. When Zant's attack came, it was reckless, furious slashing... no finesse. No ability. Even Midna could tell that he didn't know how to fight... but still, there was fury and ferocity there. A wolf, against a raging ape.

Link's shield came up with uncanny speed, and he ducked under the next blow to deliver a slice at Zant's back. The twilight king cried out, and a Midna could see blood on the glowing master sword. Another assault on the hero was just as unsuccessful, as Link dodged, then parried high, catching his foes attack and smashing his shield into Zant's head. The twili fell back, then rapidly disappeared. Midna could feel a feeble reach for his magic once more, but she pushed against him in return, and he leapt back further, frustrated. He paused, taking a deep breath, and then... vanished.

Link whirled around, sword at the ready, waiting. How did he...? Midna did the same, baffled. Had he slipped away entirely? She could not feel him at all, which was troubling. Then, a blood curling scream, and Zant was behind them, blades whirling in a cyclone of steel. Before he could react, one of them sliced clean across Link's back through his mail, and Midna cried out with him. She felt the blow upon his skin, felt the tear of the dark magic blades, but Zant was gone again. Another scream as he advanced from the right, Link's shield coming up in time to defend, but he was pushed back under the flurry of blows. Midna could feel his body weakening, could feel further blows coming upon his body, but Link seemed more surprised by them than pained. Eventually, he pushed back the Twili and returned strikes, aiming at the head, the neck, the shoulder. Trying to cripple the incoming attacks that were coming faster and faster upon him. This deadly dance between the two continued in a blur as Midna felt the pain of each movement that Link took, and the hylian simply kept fighting. His shield arm must nearly be broken, and she could see how drained he was in his face... but he kept fighting, losing neither speed nor ferocity in his replies. And then...

A burst of blood. Midna cried out in shock- Zant had sliced Link's cheek clean viciously, a huge gash seeping blood down his neck and onto the green of his tunic. She moved to help him, but then... she saw his blade. It was buried in Zant's shoulder, having cloven through the armour. There was a burning smell as the Sol-light of the blade seared the wound in the usurper king, before he cried out in agony and fell to the ground.

Just like that, the illusion fell. They were back in the throne room. Both warriors were bleeding, but the wounds did not look as bad... and yet Link looked especially grim. He raised his left arm, sword pointed straight at Zant on the throne... who simply collapsed on to it, and coughed up a mouthful of dark, burnt blood. His helmet and armour was gone, leaving him looking half the size he had been, and yet his injuries did not look so severe... Such was the power of Zant's illusions- the wounds were not so grave on the outside, but the damage had been done internally. Zant was dying.

Midna began to float to Link's side, but then stopped. Power flooded into her as the false king lay dying upon his stolen throne. A rich, wonderful power. Her ancestor's power. The fused shadow pieces materialised in front of her, and she felt the hidden magic of them flow into her body, making each twilight etching upon her skin glow with a radiant emerald shine. She looked to their foe with murder in her eyes.

"Y-You...TRAITORS!" Zant screeched across the room, his voice garbled by blood and bile. Midna rose up, affronted. Her rage still bubbled over, but it was rapidly turning to pure scorn.
"Traitors, ha! You want to know why none would call you king? It was your eyes, Zant." She glared at him, and he stared daggers back through bloodshot and foggy eyes. "All saw it, a lust for power burning in your pupils... Did you think we'd forget our ancestors lost their king to such greed?"

He sat quiet for a moment, his breathing coming ragged and hard. When he finally spoke again, it was closer to the cold, collected tone he had affected before, even as he struggled to breathe. "Midna... Foolish Twilight Princess... The curse on you cannot be broken..."

Midna snarled, her hair beginning to twitch with a pulsating, deep red glow. Link placed a hand on his sword again, ready, but Zant continued, his voice getting higher and more pathetic as it called out. "It was placed on you by the magic of my god! The power you held as leader of the Twili will never return! Already he has descended and been reborn in this world... As long as my master, Ganon, survives, he will resurrect me without cease!"

She snapped. Her hair exploded into three tendrils, redder than a sunset during a forest fire but white hot at the end. The incandescent spears dove towards the self proclaimed Twilight King, shearing through his body like a knife through hot butter and burying themselves in the back of the throne. He shrieked in pain for but a moment, before she channeled her power and tore him apart. His body was ripped asunder and disintegrated immediately, leaving only the reek of burning metal in the air as Midna returned to normal.

Link stepped back slightly, stunned by the ferocity of Midna's attack. Her hands immediately clutched at her face, and her eyes widened with shock. "I..." She stammered, her voice shakey. "I used just a fraction of the power that's in me now..." She paused, and her eyes became even wider as she realised what had just happened. "I did THAT using only a fraction of my ancestor's magic?!" Her hands fell to her side, and she stared at the throne. It was undamaged from either her assault or the battle, though she did not know how. All she knew was, it was hers once more.

She wheeled around, compartmentalising her shock for a moment. We've saved my world for now. Time to save his! "Link! Now is the time! We must save Zelda! The evil power Zant was wielding... I couldn't take it from him. But at least I still have the magic of my ancestors..." He was looking at her, breathing heavily but smiling vaguely at her. She couldn't stop staring at her hands. "With it, I can return the cherished power Zelda bestowed upon me... Now! Let's go!" She casually flicked at the ground, and a portal appeared again. "Princess Zelda is waiting! I'll get you out of here. You're sure there's nothing else you need to do, right?"

He paused, and shook his head. Nodding at her, he took a step towards the portal.

The world went dark as he collapsed.

--------------------------------------------------------------------

A Hero's Thoughts.

He dreamed. In his dreams, he felt cold... but also hot? He looked down at his own body, and realised three things. The first was that he was falling through the sky, just... free falling. He nodded, accepting this. The second was that he was bleeding, rather significantly. His blood left his body in beautiful rivers as it poured from his wounds into the sky above him, gravity taking his body at a fast enough rate that he left a trail. This is why I am also hot. The blood is hot. He nodded at this also. The third thing was that he was wearing only a simple linen shirt and trousers, though they were in a mangled state. He did not understand this part, but accepted it along with the other two things.

He took a moment to consider this situation. Overall, he felt calm. This made sense. It felt like where he was supposed to be right now, and that clarity gave him a lovely focus. He looked around, inspecting this world above the clouds. There was seemingly no break to the clouds below, save for a hole below him where he could see some greenery. Above him, through the red haze of his wounds, he could see strange shadows. They must be very large birds indeed. There were smaller shadows too, and they seemed to move. In fact, one was coming towards him rather fast. It looked like a bird... but no bird he had seen before. He had, after all, seen a few birds before. This one was huge, and red, and moving very quickly towards him. On it's back was a stranger, wearing pink, with blonde hair. They were... calling his name? He couldn't make out anything more. He closed his eyes again, content.

Hold on. Everything is red and moving. This isn't right. He opened his eyes again. He was still cold... but he was getting warmer. He seemed to be bleeding slightly less as well. How strange. He looked to his right. He was no longer in the air. He was on the ground, he thought. The grass looked... strange. He couldn't quite tell how long it was. Frowning slightly, he looked to his left. Ah, giant mushroom. That's better.

"This is nice." He mumbled to himself. Words were difficult- it felt like one side of his mouth didn't work? "Don't worry about the face, that'll sort itself out. Wake up!" A voice spoke to him from above him... or behind him? It sounded like an old man. He wondered if they knew about the bird. He closed his eyes.

No, still no good. Less swirling. More red. And... a sort of orange colour? He opened his eyes. So did the other three of him. He looked at himselves, and decided he should buy a purple shirt when this was over. It really brought out his eyes.

This time, when he blinked it was black. Dark black, with rippling green images across the back of his eyes. He couldn't trace the lines, and keeping his eyes closed was too bright, so he opened them again. He was in a temple. This place... looked familiar. As did this room. I got the Master Sword here. Yes, there it was, planted in it's pedestal. Behind it, a doorway illuminated in white. He had gone there to get... something. It had been important at the time. Jewellery of some kind? For a girl? That didn't sound like him... well, at least, not coming up with it on his own. He would probably do it for someone though. He vaguely recalled something important... gold, perhaps? It felt gold, in his mind.

"Hey! Look!" A flash of blue at the corner of his eye, and he started. "Link!!!" This place felt alarming. As he stepped to turn, his foot felt wrong, and he heard a dull clanking noise. He looked down, but couldn't focus on his own form. He was wearing... some sort of golden armour? No, tights. Tights? On what legs? He had no legs. He had a child's legs, sure, but even they weren't there. He reached down with skeletal hands to find his non-legs, and then stopped. How could he find child legs with skeletal hands? That was foolish. Children didn't become Stalfos. Somehow, that information seemed important.

Out of the chanting of the temple, there came a new sound. A pipe, or flute of some kind? A song, half remembered. It meant something to him. He paused, and felt... regret. Regret that no one would know who he was. Know what he had done, what he had been through. He would never be able to pass on his skills, for no-one would ever know how close Hyrule came to destruction. He would never find companionship, for no-one would ever believe what he had seen. He was alone, with nothing but memories of people who had not met him. The melody came across the wind, filling his ears with sorrow, begging him to accept his fate. Be at peace. A soft voice said to him, from nowhere. He sighed, and remembered... a small tree, no, shrub, with a face, withered and growing in a dark cave. The wail of a Goron high on a mountain. The last song of a Zora musician. The cries of a dying world, and... the light of a reborn one. A woman, blonde haired, dressed in regal robes, standing in the darkness with him as an enormous monster raged, and then... the temple turned to sky again. This time, he was not falling though. The floor was there, he just could not see it. He squinted in the sunlight, so clearly exposed to him. This can't be the sun, he reasoned. Sun is round. He looked to his left hand... the birthmark on the back of his palm felt like it was on fire.

His body began to fill with life, his skeletal limbs turning to those of a knight, and a new Feeling, like a voice but far more powerful. COURAGE. The Feeling said to him. ENDURE. RESTORE. THESE POWERS, YOUR CLAIM.

He looked down again. His injuries were gone. Why could he smell that strange, spiced scent? Like a perfume of flowers that only grew in the evening... The music was swelling around him, drawing him into a whirlwind of sound, and he could hear his name in every note. Every voice he had ever heard called to him, and thousands he did not know. But one... one, he could feel. This one, he would follow. He felt his arms tense as they regained strength, his legs flex and kick, and then...

--------------------------------------------

He opened his eyes, finally. Midna cried out in relief, wrapping her arms around him, her hair coiling in great spirals above them both. He took a ragged breath, and inhaled the scent of the strange imp as her magic slowly calmed and her form returned to normal. Her face was buried in his chest, the bare linen shirt showing gaping holes and scorch marks from the battle, but the flesh underneath undamaged. She didn't even care that he might be able to tell she had been crying.

"How... long?" He murmured, but she did not answer immediately. Instead, her hands grasped at him, and she pulled herself closer, trying to share her warmth with him. He was healing, but he was still so cold... She felt his arms gently curl around her, and hold her. His grip was weak, but he was awake at least. After a few moments, she replied in a very careful tone. "An hour or so. Not long... I was so worried..." She trailed off, her cheeks turning red even in this moment.

He took a few more breaths, and it sounded like each one was easier than the last. "I'm fine." He muttered, his chest vibrating with his voice rather than just with each inhale. Fine? FINE??? Her head snapped up, both eyes regarding him furiously. She had removed her helmet a while ago, when she thought... What does he mean fine? Her little fist slammed into his chest. "Don't talk to me about fine! I carried you here from the Throne Room, cold as the stone you were lying on! I raided the kitchens to try and make a potion, but you wouldn't drink! I nearly threw you at that Heart Container, hoping you could absorb it through your skin while unconscious! I even smashed every single piece of pottery I could find, until I finally found a stray fairy... five levels down! I.. I..."

Her screaming voice stalled as she searched for words, and she saw his eyes flicker around the room. There were a few broken bottles with a strange brownish liquid, and a dozen other vessels. He looked back to her somewhat sheepishly, and smiled... but this just caused her to rage more. Both fists began to rain down on him, forcing him to try and defend himself from her assault. "And you have the gall, the audacity, the sheer stupidity to tell me you're 'fine'? How dare you, Link! How dare you do that to me, after everything! Get up, you utter bastard! We have a (punch)-job (punch)-to (punch)-do!"

She ceased her attack and glared at him ferociously, her hair moving in threatening coils around her face. He looked back at her, his face obscured by the tears in her eyes. His own began to cloud slightly, and his mouth opened, as if to speak. She continued to stare defiantly, daring him to say something. His mouth closed, opened, and then closed again. A small cough, and then finally, he spoke.

"I... Excuse me, princess." Princess? He never called her that. His words were quiet, apologetic. He looked into her eyes... and she saw nothing but concern and care. It made her angrier, but at the same time... those were the eyes she had thought to have lost forever. Still, he did not break eye contact, instead continuing in the same hushed and reserved tone. "I do not intend to leave you yet."

Her stare endured but a few more seconds, and then a sharp sob wracked her body. He blinked back tears himself, and pulled her close again, kissing the crown of her head gently. Not yet... I just found you, Link. Things are too much now, but if you leave me before this is all done... before we have a chance to talk... Her thoughts drove through her head like a narrative arrow, speeding ever onward towards the goal she was terrified to reach. "I'll never forgive myself. Her sobs came to brief end when she realised she had said the last bit aloud. He did not question her, however. Just kept holding her and comforting her as she shuddered a few residual sobs into his chest.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, him saying nothing but holding her, and her murmuring her anxieties into his embrace. I'm more powerful than ever, and yet I'm a mess. The thought was bitter in her mind, making her cringe. He must think me pathetic. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but it caught in her lungs, and she cringed at how choked up she was. Determined to show strength, she called up her powers and her hair, with huge hand shapes and infinite gentility, removed his arms from around her. She hovered above him, and he sat up beside her, the blanket that had been around his stomach falling back.

He held her gaze, kindness meeting shame as she tried not to look away. Slowly, the corners of his lips turned upwards into a gentle smile. His lips are far more pink again... thank the gods. "Midna..." He began, and then offered up a hand. She reluctantly took it. "Thank you for saving me. In the battle, and after." Their eyes had dried, to the point where she could see him clearly as he pulled her gently through the air towards him and kissed her. She could feel her shadow rippling around his, but from him felt only gratitude. It was a slow kiss, gentle almost to the point of immobility, but when they broke away she could taste his lips upon her own, and feel her heartbeat pushing at her chest.

She kept her eyes shut, though she knew he was looking at her. Her head turned down as she floated slightly up above him. "Of course I saved you." Her reply, meant to be full of sass and confidence, came out as a mumble. Still, she would soldier on. "We made a promise, and like I said. We have a job to do. I didn't need... that... as a reward."

She heard him chuckle. "You're right." A pause. Then his mouth was on hers again, and she opened her eyes in shock. His hair was all about his head in disarray, and his eyes were closed peacefully as he kissed her. All the ice in her melted, and she leaned into it, feeling his hands run through her hair. Oh my. That feels... electric, now. The sensation sent shivers down her body, and she briefly wondered if that was part of her new magic... before a different sort of realisation hit her. She suddenly felt both very self conscious, and very warm. Still, if he noticed, he did not show it. Her hands moved to his face, and she was kissing him back, affection and comfort translated into action. She very specifically didn't think about where they were, but instead focused on this strange friendship she had with this man. This man, a person transformed of another world, who still seemed to see her not as a horrible imp or pathetic cursed wretch, but as Midna. A woman that he had never seen, and yet she had not felt so real until he had given her that recognition. She kissed him harder as his hands moved to cradle her, bringing her warm body in against his and letting her just be a person, no matter what shape she was.

She nearly started to cry again.

When finally they broke apart, she was cradled against him still. The points at which their skin was in contact felt like fire... she wasn't sure if she should move away, or if she wanted to feel like that everywhere. She looked up at him, her eyes nervously staring into his calm, blue oceanic gaze. "Link... what if I'm stuck like this forever?"

He frowned very slightly, considering the question. Eventually... he just shrugged. She laughed, but even that was nervous. "I mean... I'm not meant to be this. To look like this, sound like this. I don't even have my full powers, let alone my actual body. How can I..."

He stilled her words with a caress of her cheek. "You are Midna. The Twilight Princess who saved her people. Who will save two worlds." A brief kiss, and her insides fluttered again. "Your people will follow that, no matter what she can do or what she looks like."

She stared up at him, trying to conceal her bemusement. That's... not what I was thinking about. Still, he is right, I suppose. She shook her head, smiling. "You're a strange one, Hero-boy. Still... I think you're alright." He grinned softly back at her.

"How are you feeling? Are you ready to get up yet?" He thought about it, and then experimentally rose from the bed. He stretched slightly, and she tried very hard not to watch his every muscle dance underneath his tanned skin. He was still only wearing his linen undershirt and tights... He really is a work of art, and doesn't know it. It was madness. She continued trying not to think about it. He nodded, and then looked around, taking in his surroundings properly for the first time since waking and frowning. "Where are we?"

She blushed a little, despite herself. Memories of her dream in the Hidden Village finally broke through her resistance, and flooded her with images of...

"Uh... my bedroom." He nodded absently, and then it clicked. His eyes snapped wide open as he looked at her, then the bed, and then the room, and back to her. He grunted awkwardly, to which she just put her hands on her hips and glowered at him. "It's right next to the Throne Room, and the closest, most comfortable place I could think to put you. I'm sorry, should I have left you splayed across the staircase?" He grunted again, and shook his head, a blush rapidly creeping across his face.

I've never seen him so embarrassed. She began to laugh, and then glided over to him, slowly circling his head. "First man I've had in my room, you know. I hope you're honoured." He turned a particularly entertaining shade of red, and then commented gruffly, "I'm better. We can leave." She stopped circling, flying directly in front of him. This is too much fun. "Not yet."

She moved forward and kissed him again as a tease. She could feel the heat from his mortified face, as the implications no doubt tumbled through his mind- but that just made it all the more funny. She leaned into the kiss, her tongue pushing into his mouth and tracing his teeth. He didn't resist, but he didn't play along either, remaining largely passive until she stopped. "Sure. Shall we get ready to go now?" She asked, flirtation dripping off each word like honey. He nodded tersely, and she gestured to the door luxuriously. "As you wish. Throne room is out there. I'll be out soon, but you might want to take that Heart Container- the fairy could only do so much. Oh, and take the chance to check your gear. Who knows when we'll be able to rest again?"

He marched out of the room, the door closing loudly behind him. She held back the laughter, and then waited... Back through the door he came, a hand raised and his mouth hanging open, looking for words. She gestured to the corner, where his mail, tunic, hat and boots were. He nodded gratefully, and then quickly retrieved his clothes. "Ta-ta!" She called after his retreating back, winking at him as he stormed out of the room as politely as possible.

Then, she burst out laughing.

Chapter Text

Chap 8- The Power of a God

A Hero's Thoughts

For someone who's in a rush, she's taking her time. Midna had been right, they were running short on time. If what Zant said was true, that meant that Ganon was already reborn in the light realm, and they were far from the castle. Princess Zelda's body remained there, vulnerable, and Link was scared to think about whether that would still be so when they returned. If Ganon's goal is to claim Hyrule, then the first obvious move would be to get rid of the previous ruler... he shuddered. They would not let that happen.

That said, the other half of 'they' would need to be present. He looked again to the door of her bedroom, made of some dark wood. The wood itself he assumed was a sign of wealth, as nearly everything in this building seemed to be made of stone. He wondered if he should be knocking, checking in on her. It must have been at least 20 minutes or so- time was hard to tell in this place. The markings on the wall seemed to change, but if it meant time, Link couldn't figure it out.

He stood up, stretching his legs again, and then walked across, rapping his knuckles upon the wood of the door. He heard a cough, and then her voice calling out. "Go away. I'll be out in a minute, I'm almost finished." Link frowned. Finished what? It smelled strange too... like magic and spice and girls... mostly that last one. Maybe she's just happy to be back home. I know I miss home.

He wandered back and sat down again. After a few more minutes, the door slammed open and Midna appeared, a slight flush to her cheeks. "Sorry, had to just try out a thing or two. Lets go." He watched her float across to the portal, and then turn to him. He simply sniffed the air and raised an eyebrow, prompting a scowl from the twili imp. "What? You took your time for rest, and it was hard work bringing you back. I needed a moment to compose myself. Can we go?" Link said nothing, but eventually nodded, and moved towards the portal. As stepped onto the glowing void in the floor, he was face to face with her. The restored Twilight Princess, his ally since the beginning. All he could sense was her, this close. Even the magic couldn't dull her scent, stronger than ever. Her face filled his vision, and his hands met hers, forcing a tingle up his arms as she readied the warp. Without intention, he found himself smiling at her.

She grinned back, warming his heart a little. "Shall we?" He leaned in, resting his head against hers, and then simply replied, "Yes." Without another word, the pair disappeared into the void.

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She was worried. She didn't tell Link, but she wasn't sure how long she could rely on the power of the fused shadows here in the light world. Granted, it was a power that was channeled entirely through the artifact in this realm, but even when she had used it in the Throne Room, it had tired her out. She was hoping to save it for the moment they found their enemy, but the moment they walked up to the castle, she realised that might not be an option on the table.

"Ah yes. I'd forgotten about that." She eyed up the huge crystalline barrier that surrounded the castle. Link cast her a look that suggested his disbelief that she might have forgotten such a thing, and she was inclined to agree. It was a rather large thing to forget about. "I didn't forget it existed!" She insisted, somewhat defensively. "Just that we would have to remove it. I was sort of hoping that dealing with Zant might have effected it."

She stared up at the huge barrier, looking for a gap in the defenses. There isn't one. She thought to herself, dreading the acknowledgement. I'm going to have to force it. She took a deep breath, eyeing up the exact size of it. She figured she could probably force a break in that barrier, maybe even dispel it entirely, but she was going to have to use a fair bit of strength. More than she had hoped. She turned from the castle, and faced Link. This pretty, wholesome man who had worked so hard for this land. I can't let him down now.

With that realisation, she took a deep breath and summoned the fused shadow from the void. It spiraled around her in it's fragments, and she could feel the dark energy pulsing from it. That power... Her power. She quietly wondered how much of her people's magic Ganon had leeched to return to this world. What Zant had paid to resurrect his so called God. Then, no more thought. The helmet snapped on.

For a moment, nothing happened. She wondered to herself if the magic was being dampened... then again, she had felt it moments before. How could it be so still?

Ah no. There. It waits for me. Her realisation came too late as the magic took hold of her, flooding her system with arcane power. It seemed to have somewhat of a will of its own.. or was that was the will of ancestors long past? Sorcerers and magi who wished to claim the power of the light realm for their own? Maybe it was growing more lustful in the shadow of the goddess given power that was housed within the castle... within Link too, if Midna's guess was correct. Either way, when it accepted her as it's bearer, it hit hard. She gave a brief shout as it gripped her, and then suddenly it was pulling her in directions she had not predicted. She slammed into the wall of the castle gates, feeling the cold stone impact her. Why? She thought briefly, before being driven into another stone wall with as much force.

She grunted in pain again, and then focused inwards. I am your mistress! The power yanked at her again, and she felt the impact through her bones. She wondered briefly if she had broken anything, and then once more as she hit the upper portion of the opposing wall once more. Inside her mind, she raged for control. The powers of the Fused Shadow pulled at her, whispering to her. Take it... the power is yours... consume the boy... claim his power... The thoughts coalesced in her mind as if her own, but in tones she did not know. It felt wrong, a feeling that the Shadow had never given her before. Still, she fought, and forced herself upon it. I am your mistress, OBEY ME!

She was thrown over the wall, but... she had it. It was hers. She let out a low moan of agony as the power surging through her body came under her command, and then grew. Grew to the monstrous shape of an arcane monster, all arms and rage. A Twilight God. Slowly, she rose from the courtyard she had fallen into, her many hands finding purchase upon the walls. She was... enormous, and furious. She climbed up, until she perched atop the wall, and looked down at her traveling companion.

Link stared back at her, his gaze wary but... no hand on sword. No shield at the ready to defend. She could feel the near infinite power, the sheer dark magic, coursing through her like blood through her veins. Knew it distended her form and caused the monster of pure magic to pulse with arcane force, and yet he... trusted her. That only gave her resolve.

She looked to him, nodded briefly, and then turned her attention to the barrier. The helm moved like it carried with it a localised earthquake, and she could feel every nerve in her body thrumming with an electric power that threatened to overtake her at every turn. More than that though, it was the sheer shadow magic of her people. This darkness, coalesced into such a bound form it almost appeared at light. She could use this. I can break him with this. She looked up to the castle, and then leapt.

Her many hands found purchase upon the barrier easily, too easily. Her anger at this monster, what he had done to her people, fed every pulse of power, and that rage made her strong. She reached into the very sorcerous weave of the barrier, and started to pick at it's fabric, exposing the gaps in it. When she finally found what she was looking for, she braced, and then reached backwards. One of her arms coiled, and within it's form manifested a spear of pure shadow's edge- an ancient weapon from a bygone age. She grit her teeth within the folds of the magic, and then cried out as she drove the spear as far into the barrier as possible. It was... unwilling to relent, but so was she. She pushed harder, working the blade into the barrier and feeling the magic beneath her rippling and bending beneath the assault. There! Finally, she found a weakness, and wrenching the spear with an almighty heavy, she broke apart the entire thing.

There was a blinding flash of light as her efforts bore fruit, and she felt the release of magic wash over her, pushing her current form. The whispers of the Shadow took form once more in the back of her mind. Kill the boy take his power find the king claim his right force them to kneel before... She screamed with the effort, but pushed the helmet apart once more and off her face. It held fast for a moment, then broke like paper maché, and suddenly it had disappeared once more and she was falling, falling down fast. She put out her magic to catch herself, but found her reserves too spent for the moment. Is this how I go? She wondered briefly, as she plummeted towards the ground.

Then, footsteps, pounding across flagstones. She could hear it even past the wind. She fell faster and further, until she felt the impact... of someone catching her. Arms reached out to cradle her small body, catching her momentum awkwardly if effectively. She had closed her eyes for the fall, and was almost scared to open them, but... no, she was safe. Slowly, she dared to look.

It was him.

Of course it's him.

She looked up at Link, her farmer hero, held comfortably in his arms. He was smiling back down at her, his face beaming. She opened her mouth to speak, and then... decided not to. Nothing needed to be said. The look on his face told her enough, and for her part... she just shared his happiness, and allowed him to pull her closer to his chest. My hero. The thought was a cliche to say the least, but... she couldn't help it, when he was so heroic, working so hard to save people. To save her. Imp or no, this man would be there for her, whenever she needed. That was enough.

Maybe now is the time to tell him? She wondered to herself, lost in the sea of his gaze. It wasn't right, though. Not while they still had work to do. Together, they looked at the castle. The barrier dispelled, the whole grounds were now accessible.

There was a crack of thunder, and they both looked skyward as the heavens opened up upon them. Rain came pouring in, catching the hero as he cradled Midna close. She grinned back up at him. Of course there's a storm. How very dramatic. A quick sigh as she put her thoughts aside again for the moment, and then she turned into liquid darkness and slipped within his shadow once more. Link's arms fell limp, caught by surprise, and he looked a little indignantly down at his shadow. It simply responded, "What? It's dry here."

----------------------------------------------------

If Link was exhausted, he wasn't showing it.

They had fought their way to the highest keep of Hyrule Castle, right to the Throne Room. Neither of them had known how to find it until they had a map, but Midna had been pretty sure it would be at the tallest major point of the castle. Link had been skeptical, claiming that made no sense, but it was the case in Midna's own palace. She saw no reason for that to be different here.

Truly enough, they had found it up high. So high in fact that when they stepped through the final door and onto the balcony, the winds whipped viciously at them, threatening to carry them over the edge. Slowly, the pair made their way up the stairs and into the Throne Room. It was an enormous space, vast and airy with windows looking out over Hyrule Field in every direction. Were it less stormy, perhaps they could even see to the Arbiter's Grounds from there. Yet the clouds swelled around the castle like a miasmic fog, clinging to it's surfaces. As twilight had bathed the realm once, so too did this... But this is more than shadow. More than the amber half light of Midna's home, or the tranquil shade that hid rough edges in the faces of her people. She liked shadow. This was... darkness. True darkness, born of light and in direct defiance of it.

This was the air of a dark god, manifested in the very weather. This was the rage of the Demon King.

Midna drifted slowly beside Link as he walked the blue carpet towards the Throne. She had never set foot in here, despite her time spent in the castle. Zelda had told her of the day Zant invaded, but this destruction... she had not mentioned. There was rubble in the corners, great statues sundered from their locations by violent swings. One looked as though it had been beheaded, another completely ripped from the wall. She went to talk to Link, but found his attention distracted.

She followed his eye line. High above the throne was an ornate and ancient sculpted representation of the Triforce. Embracing two of the pieces was the remaining statues of the Goddesses. Only one was fully intact, holding forth the upper piece of the relic. And suspended between the three triangles was the body of Zelda.

Midna felt a tug at her spirit- no doubt the part of her that was given by the hylian princess. She looked cold... dead. Yet there was none of the peace that true death brought... if anything at all, her face showed pain. She glowed with an unearthly light, as if she was hollowed out and illuminated from underneath the skin.

Link gasped, and began to run forward, but the Twili held out a hand to stop him. Her eyes narrowed as she looked below Zelda, down to the figure sitting upon the throne of Hyrule.

He sat slouched, chin upon a fist, a dark cloud upon the red velvet of the throne. He was a huge man, hulking, in black steel and leather armour embossed with gold. Upon his lap sat an object that glowed with ethereal light- the sword of the water sage. The overall effect was one of condensed darkness, a literal spot of dark on the symbolic brightest point of Hyrule itself.

"Welcome to my castle."

His voice was low, resonant, and condescending. Midna could see his sneer from where she hovered, could see the yellow eyes fixing her from beneath red brows. This monster, in human shape. Her own eyes narrowed once more to a glare as she regarded the one who had brought her kingdom to ruin.

"So you're... Ganondorf." The name sounded wrong in her mouth. She could taste the evil that it carried with her, though she did not know how. Legends told of a monster that fit his description, but it was far more bestial. Like a perverted demonic boar rather than a human. Deep in her bones, she could feel that ancient and legendary monster was before her, wearing the flesh of a man from the desert tribes of old.

He rose slowly, the wind catching the cape behind him as he stood to his full height. He was a giant of a man, with power radiating from his every movement. The strange, foreign armour adorning him only served to make him seem even bigger, and the deep purple of his cape as it moved was enough to hide the entire throne. Atop his head was a crown, through which his fiery red hair was styled in some horrible parody of a monarch. The look was lordly... but sinister, and cruel. As he stood, both the hero and princess could see a jagged, glowing wound at the base of his sternum. The wound of a sacred blade, as yet exposed! Far from trying to disguise this, he seemed to be happy to leave it completely open. Visible, as a taunt to his enemies. Daring them to strike at the Demon King of Hyrule. His smug grin never changed, but he nodded slightly in confirmation of his identity.

Midna grinned, her face contorting into a malicious smile. This is the prey I've been hunting. Not Zant. This man. "I've been dying to meet you." Her words were polite, yet every syllable was barbed. I will kill this man. Beside her, Link's sword was drawn, and she could feel him tense up through the shadows.

The Demon King took a step forward, staring them down. This was a man with an emperor's patience, and it showed. Where Zant had been erratic, manic, constantly moving and shifting, trying to threaten them. Ganondorf just... was. He towered over them on the high throne, his every glance an imposition upon their existence. A declaration of scorn that they presumed to even stand in front of them. All this and more, conveyed only in the glare of his golden eyes.

"Your people have long amused me, Midna. To defy the gods with such petty magic, only to be cast aside... How very pathetic. Pathetic as they were, though, they served me well. Their anguish was my nourishment. Their hatred bled across the void and awakened me. I drew deep of it and grew strong again."

As he said this, he reached out a hand, and then curled it into a fist... much as he had around the throne of Twilight, and around this realm.

"Your people had some skill, to be sure... but they lacked true power." With this concession, he took a step to the side, and looked up at the dangling body of the hylian princess. "The kind of absolute power that those chosen by the gods wield. He who wields such power would make a suitable king for this world, don't you think?"

He turned to face them once more, and presented the back of his left hand. As he did so, a glow began to radiate from the back of his palm. A symbol began to form, that of the Triforce, a very similar mark to the one Link bore as a birthmark upon his hand. This one glowed through the armoured glove he wore.

Midna gasped. She had suspected as much since she felt the golden power radiate through Link, but this confirmed it. Not only was the Triforce real, but it was indeed the Golden Power of the Gods that the sages had mentioned. Not only that, but she could feel the magic from where she stood. It radiated from him like heat, and this was hotter than the deepest magma of Death Mountain.

Her eyes widened, but she stood her ground, Link glaring fiercely back at the wizard beside her. "Ha! Such conceit!" She met his gaze, eyes hard as steel. "But if you are one of the chosen wielders of power, as you claim... I will risk everything to deny you!"

Her scream of defiance rang through the room until it melted into the wind that whistled through the entrance of the room. He did not turn away, barely even blinked. Just continued smiling, his tone growing ever more sinister with every word.

"Shadow has been moved by light, it seems..."

A pause.

"...How amusing."

His grin only widened, and he began to summon power. Not just any power though. A twisted inversion of Zant's corrupted Twilight Magic. It was not the powers of her people, but it had every appearance of it. If it was at all tied to the Twili arts, then was he bending the very art to his own will? And it was strong.Very well... Deny me, then! Yes, try to deny me... You and your little friend..."

The Dark Lord glanced up at Zelda's body. He's going to use her! She realised, in a flash of insight. Before Link could stop her, she shot into the air, between the rising stream of darkness from Ganondorf and the hylian princess. She whirled around just in time to see the sorcerer disappear into a stream of darkness, a cloud that rose up in front of her.

No! She was desperate, beginning to summon her power before realising that it was never made for this. She had no spell to protect others, only to hurt him... and that would take too long. With my body, then. It was the only way. She flung her arms out wide, her tiny form standing between the tempestuous darkness and the princess of the light.

Before she could blink, it shot at her. She could feel each fragment of darkness slamming into her, beating her small form with thousands of tiny hammers. I will stand strong! The thought kept her there, but deep in her heart, she already knew. She wasn't taking the force of this assault.

It took but a few moments. Then, stillness. She opened her eyes, quickly checking for injury, but she was completely unharmed. Then...

She whipped around to face the princess. It's too late. He's already taken over. I need to pull him out of there... no matter the cost. She raised a fist, the spirit of magic summoning behind gritted teeth...

Zelda did not move. Her face, lifeless, looking colder and colder, as dark veins started to appear slowly across her swan-like neck.

I... I... She felt the tension release in her arm, and sighed deeply. I can't. Slowly, Midna blinked back the tears, and reached forward to touch her counterpart's face.

I'm sorry, Zelda. I couldn't save you. The realisation tasted like ash to her mouth. Her hand lay gently across Zelda's face, feeling the chilled flesh underneath her touch. This beautiful woman, full of kindness and wisdom, who struggled so hard to save me... Who sacrificed herself and placed her trust, her powers, in me. I've failed her.

She scrunched her eyes again, willing the tears to remain. Trying to find the anger beneath the sorrow, but dredging up only more misery from the depths of her soul. I failed. Zelda's eyes snapped open.

Midna screamed in shock, and then instantly in pain. Those were not the eyes of Zelda, Princess of Hyrule. The yellow glow of their foe radiated deep in her gaze, and she felt his magic like a crossbow bolt between the eyes. She was blasted back, the force unrecognisably strong, through the air. As she hit the ground, she simply bounced like a child's doll, her limbs shooting out after her. She felt a leg break from the first impact, and could taste blood straight away as her teeth sunk into her cheek from the second. The carpet was not enough to save the grazes she attained as finally her momentum came to a halt, and she collapsed outside the entrance to the hall.

The wind raged on, whipping at the walls of the castle, and against the broken form of the Imp. She strained to open her eyes, to see the man in green running towards her... Link... She tried to speak, to reach out through the magic, but she couldn't feel him at all. Her world went black.

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Such violent dreams. Screams, and blades clashing. This hiss of electricity, the cry of Link in agony. A deep, sinister laugh that set her very bones to fright. An overwhelming sense of rage, and ill intent... of malice itself. She heard the shouts of the hero-boy, a cry of victory... and the deep voice pause in it's laughter. It was pained. It was wounded. Wake up! A voice in her mind that was not her own told her. She took a deep breath, and tried to open her eyes. WAKE UP!

A deep scream, and the orange haze in front of her vision began to clear. She looked up through battered eyes to see Link, his sword flashing with reflected lightning, and the princess seemingly paralysed. Paralysed... That was bad. Wait... No!

Her mind began to catch up. Paralysed was good. Paralysed was vulnerable. I can still save her! Quickly, she reached into herself and withdrew the fused shadows once more. They craved the golden power, she could tell- but it did not matter. She would not be cowed this time. Her will was iron.

She struggled to her feet, and then rose into the air, the helmet locking in around her body, filling her with it's strange power. The whispers began again, but this time she did not listen. In front of her, the puppeted princess froze, muscles twitching, eyes glaring out not at the warrior but at Midna. He knows what's coming. She lit up in a wicked grin, and then released the monster, her hair morphing around her body and her form twisting into the giant leviathan monster of the shadow. Zelda's body tried to move, but it was too slow.

Midna shot out all of her hands at once, and slammed the body of the princess into the throne. Her grasp protected Zelda's true body, but she began to pump magic into the form, pushing Ganon out by sheer volume alone. She forced energy into Zelda, and as she did she could see the smoke and darkness escape from between her fingers, pushed out into the open once more. She squeezed tighter, and the arms glowed a brilliant white. The Demon King let out an unearthly howl of pain as he was wrung from Zelda like water from a washcloth, and when she removed her hands...

Zelda sat upon the through. Her skin, a natural alabaster rather than a sickly marbled green. Black veins gone. Eyes closed, as if in rest. Midna released the magic, forcing the darkness of the ancestors of the mask down and returning to her imp form as the enemy began once more to coalesce. Link stood with blade at the ready, a little battered but mostly alright, and she flew across to him to lean on his shoulder.

He glanced across to her with the eyes of the wolf he was. The glint of the hunt decorated his gaze, and his smile carried with it a wicked edge she was not used to. She returned the look, a warrior's satisfaction on her own face. "We've got this." She murmured to him, as the black cloud began to take form again. He looked back to the foe, his reply a confident assertion that carried all the implications of everything they'd been through.

"Of course. Together."

They continued to watch as the man took form... but something was off. Truly off. This thing in front of her wasn't a man... or if it was, there was something very wrong with him. Have I hurt him this much? She wondered briefly, but the radiating energy from him wasn't that of agony. It was rage.

He was bent over, contorted, his form blacker than pitch. A low groan came from him, a deep and agonising noise that carried with it a sense of indignant rage more than submission. His shape began to solidify, but even then it did not stop shifting, moving. He was becoming something else. The groans became lower, louder. The hands crushing the flagstones of the floor began to seem bigger, too big for any human of any race. As he manifested, Midna finally saw the beast she had been told of in so many ancient legends.

Dark Beast Ganon.

He was hideous. A boar, of sorts, but of such proportions that Link barely came up to his elbow... or knee? Who could say. No boar looked like this... no boar was born of such agony, or radiated such hate. She felt sick in front of it, but as much from his radiant and incandescent rage than from the monstrous sight. His hands slammed down upon the ground, and his roar nearly blew Link's cap off with it's force. This was the demon she had felt inside the man. Such power...

She began to fear. Could they defeat this? Without any further warning, the monster charged. Link raised his shield, but such a defense was paltry against a beast of such size. Thankfully, it was enough to defend him from being gouged on the nine-foot long tusk of the monster, but Link was thrown aside with enough force to send him sliding into one of the nearby pillars. The beast roared in triumph and continued straight towards the wall... whereupon it disappeared into a portal.

This bastard thing can teleport??? Midna cried out in alarm. How could they defeat this monster? She focused on Link, trying to tell him to run, but then she felt it. That same resolution, that same confidence. That same courage, that seemed to power this man like a battery. He was not scared. He was cautious, but not scared. She could feel it through his shadow, through the way he held his muscles, through his breath. Through his thoughts. She reached out to touch his mind with her magic, and for the first time, she heard him, as clear as day.

We will survive this, Midna. Stay by my side. We fight him together. He didn't say a single word, but she heard him nonetheless as if he was talking directly in her ear. She took a deep breath, and then nodded to herself. Together.

A roar, and the beast appeared behind them. The ground shook with his violence, but Link was able to dodge aside this time. Such a basic attack... it was fearsome, surely, but a bit brutish. Did he lose some of his intelligence in this form, perhaps? She thought to Link, who took on the traits of a wolf when in that form, and even somewhat in his human form. Of herself, far more prone to cavorting about in the imp form than her usual regal movements. Perhaps form is defining thought? It was an intriguing theory. She formed her shadow self beside Link, and began to watch the monster.

"Don't get distracted by his size, Link! Watch his moves!" She felt rather than heard Link's acknowledgement. He dodged another charge, and then reached for his bow. Nocking an arrow, he held it loose, watching the portals form around the room. Waiting... waiting...

Ganon appeared with a roar, to their right. Link wheeled around, elegantly loosing an arrow right at the crystal upon the beast's head. Ganon roared with rage and pain, stumbling in his movements and toppling to the side. The entire castle thundered with the weight of him as he crashed into a pillar, bringing a shower of stone upon himself.

Midna cried out in victory. "Did you see his belly? That's where he was injured long ago, during his sentencing. That's his weak point!" Link was already on the move, the Master Sword singing against it's ancient enemy. The blade tore through Ganon's hide, struggling with the flesh but singeing the wounds as it scored them. "Just like that, Link! Dodge his charge and attack his stomach after he stops!"

The monster finally righted itself, and swung it's huge tusks at Link. The angle was awkward enough for him that Link was able to parry it with his shield, but it was too late- Ganon charged off into a portal again. Link grunted in frustration, but nocked another arrow.

The portals flickered, a terrifying calm before the climactic tempest. When Ganon appeared, Link fired an arrow once more, but no! Ganon disappeared into shadow the moment he saw the bow. Midna groaned. "He's changing his strategy! Not only can you not confuse him, but you won't be able to attack!"

Suddenly, she had an idea. "Beast against beast! How about matching an evil beast against a sacred beast?!" She could feel his confusion. "No sword." The reply came as a grunt, and he readied his bow for another attempt that was avoided as easily as the last. He paused for a moment, but continued to dodge the monstrous boar, trying to think of another strategy.

The twili thought furiously, trying to think of how they could bring him down. Link had been able to stop the charge of a Goron with the iron boots, but that wouldn't be anything like this. No human could stop this sort of power, something of this sheer size.

Wait! An epiphany struck her like lightning, and she reappeared by her partner's side. "Rather than run around, let him charge you from the front! I'm going to do what you've been doing, Link, only with my power." Link shook his head, clearly unhappy with the idea. Whether he feared making himself vulnerable in his wolf form, or her safety if she was physically present again, she did not know.

She took a deep breath, and poured herself into him, letting him feel her confidence like she fed off his. "Trust me. I'll protect you." He was panting, exhausted, and paused as the portals began to flash once more. Then, he nodded quickly. She reached into the void, and took out the crystal of darkness, placing it to his face.

His muscles tensed like rope, and then he shifted into the wolf form. She leapt atop him, the magic of her ancestors thrumming through her like fire. Come at me, monster. Together, they waited.

Not for long. The beast materialised once more, and seeing the wolf and twili ahead rather than a swordsman, charged with redoubled confidence. Midna's teeth flashed into a rictus grin. Her magic rippled through her, the marks of her body flashing bright green as her magic hand shot out and caught the demon-boar by it's enormous crown. It pushed harder at them, but her magic was enough to force it to still. They remained there for a moment, locked in a stalemate.

How does he do this? She tried desperately to remember how to throw off foes as Link did in his human form. The wolf sensed her confusion, and flicked his head to the side- Ah-ha! She focused inwards again, and with a new wave of power, forced her fingers through the coarse hair between the crown and rolled his head across itself. Ganon's head was forced in the same direction, and as he kept pushing at them, she redirected his force. He crashed upon his face, dazed by the sheer force of the impact, and Link charged forward, teeth lunging instinctively for the huge gaping wound on the belly of the beast.

"That's it, Link! I'll take care of his attacks, so you counterattack when he's down!" She cried out, as Link ripped and tore into the monster's flesh. Midna could feel Link's fury, the wolf form warping his careful strategy into instinct and aggression. He wanted to grab Ganon by the teeth and tear him apart, and she felt herself grinding her own teeth against each other in sympathy.

This trick, Ganon did not adapt to. The wolf-hero sprinted left, right, dodging the enormous monster dexterously by slipping under it's feet and from it's grasp. It's size stopped it from reacting in time, which in turn forced it into the furious charge once again. Midna's power would catch him, and the wolf would tear once more into the glowing wound of the dark beast. Finally, it was too much.

Ganon roared, rearing up on it's hind legs with ragged breaths. It flailed briefly, trying to regain control of the form, but ultimately failed. Defeated, he collapsed upon the floor, his gigantic form falling to the ground at the wolf's feet.

Midna restored Link's humanity, and they stood up together. The Dark Beast lay before them, blood pouring from the open wound on it's stomach. The blood pooled gently before turning to a dark smoke, such as the one that blanketed the castle. Before long, it looked to all the world like it was burning.

Link stared at it, a look of disgust on his face. A brief cough. Then, he spat, a chunk of foul blood landing upon the ground. The evidence of his lupine ravages. She would have found it funny, if she could not feel the sympathetic disgust in her own stomach.

Instead, she scanned Ganon's body for signs of life. Perhaps that is the end of it. It was a nice thought to have. Midna watched their conquered foe with a warm glow in her heart... perhaps, if this was the end, then they could finally rest? Were they safe? And if they were, what did that mean for the future?

The warm glow filled her, until she felt like she was glowing. It's strange... I didn't think I'd feel so elated. She thought, semidetached. It felt like such a strong feeling, one that nearly wasn't part of her but instead imposed over the top of her. I swear, I'm actually glowing...

Link looked across to her, and then gasped, surprise taking even his exhausted breath. Oh. I am glowing?

Crystalline balls of light, like fireflies but solid, were rising up around her. The feeling of elation, of freedom, grew, and then the light began to drift towards the throne. Towards the Princess Zelda, lying with closed eyes...

Slowly, the hylian woman took a breath... and awakened. The light continued to pour into her, and Midna began to feel a tragic sense of loss along with the elated joy of victory. She had been carrying Zelda all this time... It felt like a part of her was gone. Even so, she could not lie to this woman, who had given her life for Midna's. The twili inhaled, and then began to speak, to apologise for the delay and the hitches and the failures...

"Pr-Princess... I... I..."

"Say nothing, Midna." Zelda looked back at the imp woman with only kindness and understanding. Her tone was musical and rich, like cocoa on a cold morning, and spoke to the depths of her soul. She closed her eyes, melancholy clouding her porcelain features momentarily. "Your heart and mine were as one, however briefly. Such suffering you have endured."

She could not bear it. Midna turned away, her eyes closed. Even after everything... Tears began to well in her eyes, and her hands came to her chest as if she might hold the very heart that was swelling with the hylian's kindness.

CRACK!

A huge shearing, bone cracking sound boomed through the hall like an explosion. Midna, Link and the Princess all turned to face the corpse of the Demon King... only there was no corpse. It had been replaced by a rapidly growing ball of fire... one that took on the appearance of the Demon King himself.

With a malicious, gurgling laugh, the demonic flame grew to half the height of the hall, it's heat and light nearly blinding in it's intensity. Midna watched in horror as the very vision of a nightmare, the horrible gleam she had seen in Zant's eyes, formed in front of them.

"My god had only one wish... to merge shadow and light... and make darkness!" Zant's raving's came trailing through her mind slowly, too slowly. Everything was moving too slowly. Link and Zelda took a step back, their feet infinitely delayed, the step resounding in her ears. The Demon rose ever larger, his face showing nothing but contempt regardless of their defeat of him.

They cannot fight this. She looked to the hylians, and thought back to Ganondorf's words. The twili have skill, but lack the power of the gods.

Link and Zelda did not have this lack. Inside them, reborn, was the power of the Goddesses themselves. She had felt it in the golden light of Link's touch, and in the absence within her own heart as Zelda left it. That power, the one for which her people had been sentenced to eternal twilight... the Triforce. Link and Zelda would stand a chance, but here and now? Ganon could simply bring the entire castle down upon them. They needed time. They needed space. They need to get out of here.

In that moment, she wanted to look to Link. Wanted to turn to him, and tell her what he meant to her. What he had done for her, how much she had grown with him. She wanted to pour out her heart and speak of the future, speak of endless twilit fields, and arcane secrets of generations, and towering onyx palaces and how she would give it away to spend her life helping him raise goats on a farm. How stupid and foolish she had been, and how stupid and foolish she was for having let things get this far.

For hoping that they could get so far, when she knew better. She wasn't a goat farmer, and he wasn't a prince. He was the hero, standing with the Princess of wisdom and destiny, ready for the light of a new day.

But Midna was Princess of the Twilight.

Her eyes closed, and the fused shadow resurfaced, floating around her. She was exhausted from the last use... honestly, she was exhausted from using it outside the castle still. Yet if her will had been iron before, it was the very bedrock of the earth now. She was unbreakable.

She heard him gasp. Felt his sudden panic through the deepening dark about her feet, as the fused shadow took in the power of it's princess. Her eyes opened, and she stared straight ahead. Refusing to look at what was behind. Her cold, harsh glare, only for the Demon Lord who would take it all from her. I will kill you.

She felt the farmer, the hero, the companion... the lover reach out, but he did not reach her. The sympathetic terror subsided instantly as he and Zelda were taken into the magic of the twilight stream, away from the throne room and it's perils.

Midna looked up, a smile gracing her face one last time as she watched them disappear safely away.

Most of all, she wanted to tell him she was sorry.

The helmet clamped on, and she turned, pulsing with the power and rage of the Twilight gods, sorcerers and kings of old. The core of her being was blackest pitch, the tips of her fingers incandescent brightness. The helmet jumped about over her head, the cracks revealing a blinding light of pure power. Every muscle in her deity body flexed in rage.

The Demon Lord scowled, and then roared his challenge. "You have nothing! Your petty magics are mere parlour tricks!" She said nothing, only rising up and manifesting the spear of her people. It was an ancient weapon, wielded only by the Twilight God in times of need. It had pierced the barrier outside this castle, and defeated his black magics before. It could do so again.

She reached up, two arms poised to strike down. His fiery mouth opened again in a scream of fury, as he began to fly up at her, each tendril of flame roaring brighter with a golden light as she plunged the spear into the very centre of his spectral forehead.

A thunderous boom resounded, and even through his form of pure haze and fire there was a sundering crack that appeared in his face. A huge glaring hole, and from it poured a power that could not be quantified. Fire coursed from the wound, spiraling around the spear in black and golden and purple and red, searing even the Twilight God's hands and arms.

She cried out in a booming wail of pain as a million needles of pure flame drove into every nerve she had. She had never felt pain as this form before, but even as this torturous agony swept across her mind, she could see he felt it too. He was weakening. The Twilight God pushed deeper, forcing the spear further into the apparition, and the Demon howled in pain. The fury only built between the two, and as she pushed down upon him, bleeding the very core of his magic from his soul, he pushed further up the shaft of the weapon and burned away at her.

Her remaining hands moved to take the place of the original ones as the damage continued to spread. His power was too much. She was hurting him, draining him of this omnipotent fire, but at a significant cost. If she didn't stop, and let him free, she would die.

The fused shadow drew on more and more of Midna, the stone cracking and burning under the assault of pure power. That is what these flames were. The power of the hylian goddesses, made manifest in this monster. As she tore at the casing that restrained them, she exposed herself to it, and uncontrolled it was burning her to nothingness. The light, the sheer weight of the power as it destroyed the last of the Twilight God's arms. Desperate to take as much from him as possible, she cast herself upon the end of the spear, feeling the agony rip through her very soul as she pressed the spear in with her weight. The crack grew, widening and widening, until suddenly... it burst.

The Twilight God, and Midna within it, saw nothing more.

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All was light... but all was dark.

She was far, far too cold.

Chapter Text

It was far too bright.

Far, far too bright.

The sort of brightness before which presence, consciousness, existence itself is eradicated- and so she was.

Pain, sorrow, regret, anger, hope... all these things disappeared in the face of such a blinding, vengeful, hate-filled light.

It was so bright, that all she saw was blackness.

Then, in the darkness so complete that even twilight was unfathomable, a star. A distant star, so far in a distance that could not be comprehended by the person that was no more, but nonetheless paradoxically, was. And just as the star was both there and couldn't be there, it was perceived by one who no longer existed to do so.

Time passed until it's end within the blink of an eye, and somewhere in the four thousandth cycle of all of history in that void, that star flared out into brightness, into tendrils and tails of iridescent impossibility, luminesence that shined beyond any and all understanding, that could only be perceived by the eyes of the godesses.

The flares curled and spiralled through the darkness, illuminating nothing in the void but themselves, completely alone in this place where all things that once had been resided, until they found what had been seeking. They curled around that which was not, and in making that contact, dematerialised from the nothing into an absence of nothing.

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Death is too bright.

The realisation was a harsh one. She had hoped that at least in oblivion she might be granted a reprieve from the blinding light of Hyrule. Yet she could not see a thing for swirling balls of light, as if the light spirits themselves stood before her. She longed for the rich evening light of her home, warm yet dim, comforting her in it's embrace.
Instead, this.

At least it felt right. Although she could not see a thing, she could feel the wind brushing across her skin, catching in the cloth of her robe as she lay upon the ground. Yet the ground felt rough and stony under her legs, the grass too dry for comfort, and she knew there would be burrs in her clothes for days.

Some afterlife this is.

She sighed deeply, waiting for the light to fade. At least she felt better. No pain, no shadow whispers. She had never truly believed in an afterlife, as one who knew themself to live in another world to the people of her ancestors, but if this was to be it at least she felt good. Her body felt relaxed, comfortable. Like it was brand new.

She looked back up towards the light, squinting slightly. It was strange- in the blinding white, she could almost make out the shape of animals.

Surely not. Had the light spirits themselves come to usher her to the beyond? Had they dominion here? That seemed unfair. Even here, in the place beyond life, that they should be ruled by spirits that spurned her people. Surely that could not be the case...

Moments passed, and her foggy mind began to piece together the fragments of her situation. This wind smelt like Hyrule. This ground felt like true dirt, as real as any she had felt. If she took a handful of earth, stones as ordinary as any fell through her fingers. Her.. long, slender fingers...

My body! Finally, it clicked. She was herself again! Not an imp, not a monster, not even a shadow. She was Midna, the Twili, once more! She breathed a deep sigh of relief, feeling the air fill her lungs, feeling her chest rise and fall. Not that of an imp, but of a true twili.

"In honour of your aid to this land..." The voice came from nowhere, making Midna jump in alarm. It seemed to boom across this windswept field she was lying in, and yet she knew it was only for her. "we restore to you what was taken."

She looked down at herself again, the blinding light having receded enough for her to be able to actually see, at least a little. Whoever this voice was, it was correct. She flexed her fingers, marvelling in the joy of even that. Her hands went to each other, and then traced up, feeling her forearms, her biceps, her shoulders... her face. She was truly whole again.

She looked up again at the bright lights before bowing to to them in deference and thanks. They did look a lot like the light spirits...

Hold on. Is that Death Mountain? She squinted, looking to the left of the bright light, where she could swear she could see the looming shadow of the volcano over the cliffs of Kakariko. Yes, the more she looked, the more she was sure of it. This was the view from Hyrule Field... Wait, she was on Hyrule Field! In the light world, with her true body!

As the light spirits (for that, they were) faded away, she could hear someone approaching. Footsteps pounding the turf behind her, ascending the hill upon which she stood. She knew those steps, was so familiar with that gait that it felt like her own. Her eyes closed, blinking back tears that she was certain were from the wind, as the footsteps came to a stop behind her.

She slowly got to her feet. It was difficult, if she was honest. She hadn't used her feet much as an imp, and even if she had these were not the same feet or legs she would have used. She rose to her full height, the robe falling into place as she faced the setting sun. It was still too bright, but this late in the day... it almost felt like home.

Finally, she turned. He stood there, eyes wide in disbelief, mouth hanging slightly open in a smile. His face was covered in grime, his tunic slashed through in dozens of spots, and he had blood coming from a few wounds, but he was alive. The goofy grin on his face belied the muscles glistening with sweat and the scars he carried. A peasant boy, become a hero. She did not know how she knew they had won, but with him standing there, that look on his face... it was over. There could be no other reality.

They stood there in silence, a million emotions racing between their eyes, memory and thought and hopes and wonder. She wondered what he thought, seeing her truly for the first time. She wondered how she managed to stand here, in the half set sun of the light world, and survive it. She wondered by what grace she had been brought back to life, for assuredly she had died. She wondered how Link had managed to save the day.

Neither said anything, and an age passed in thought. She looked into his eyes, felt his stare, until the tension finally became too much.

"What?" She demanded. "Say something!" He looked back at her in disbelief. She realised he had never heard her either. She gave him a coy grin, and tilted her head, batting her eyelashes slightly. "Am I so beautiful that you've no words left?"

Slowly, his smile became wider, and he began to laugh. She managed to resist for a moment or two, before joining him, revelling in having her own voice back to laugh with. Their amusement was a symphony of joy, ringing out across the windy field between them, before he ran to her and threw his arms around her. They kept laughing, his face tucked into the crook of her neck, bodies shaking with the joy of being alive.

As the laughter finally died down, they pulled apart. Link smiled at her the same simple, resolute smile that he had always possessed. She could tell he was a little confused about how to treat her now, but his joy was tangible. She grinned back at him, no longer an impish rictus but now a warm and gentle look of parted plum lips and straight white teeth. Her eyes, the same red upon yellow, looked down at him with nothing but affection for the hero-boy.

But if Link was there, where was... She cast her eyes above the head of the hylian man to find Princess Zelda a few steps behind him. A bow hung from her left hand, and her eyes looked exhausted, but as warm and welcoming as Link's had. She stepped away from Link, a hand caressing his shoulder to promise that she was not yet done with him, and then strode down the hill. Her legs were still somewhat shaky, but she would not show weakness in front of this powerful woman.

She stood in front of her counterpart- the princesses of Light and Twilight, before each other. There was silence for a moment as they took stock of each other properly for the first time. Zelda was the first to speak.

"Princess Midna. It is a true joy to finally meet you as you truly are." She placed the bow upon the ground, her hands clasped together in front of her chest, and she bowed her head slightly. The twili watched with bemusement, echoing the gesture half heartedly, before simply reaching out and embracing Zelda. The hylian jumped slightly, before relaxing a little and limply hugging Midna back.

Midna broke away and took Zelda's hands in her own, kissing her fingers with a little bit more etiquette than the hug. "I knew you could do it." The twili said, beaming down at Zelda. "Without you, I would be dead, my culture gone, my people lost to monstrosity. Congratulations, your highness, on reclaiming your kingdom, and I thank you for helping me reclaim mine."

Zelda smiled back, somewhat bashful beneath the elegance. "I could reply with the exact same words, and they would be no less true. The Twili have a noble hero and princess in you, Midna. You will make a no less noble queen."

It was Midna's turn to look bashful, and she simply bowed her head again in acknowledgement. Zelda kept smiling, and nodded in the direction of the hero, watching them from atop the hill. "I suspect there is another to whom we owe our gratitude, even more than each other. There will yet be time."

Midna followed her gaze, and looked to the lone warrior upon the hill. He cut a fine, if somewhat scruffy, figure, a solitary sentinel at the dying of the sun. Her thoughts would have wandered, if Zelda had not once again spoken.

"Unfortunately, night is falling. Ganon is fallen, but Hyrule remains perilous. We must find somewhere safe, where we might discuss what must come next."

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The three of them had decided Kakariko Village was the best place for the night. Link had preferred Telma's bar, but Zelda's wisdom had prevailed on the matter. They did not know what state they would find Castle Town in, nor what reaction the townsfolk would have to seeing their princess brought in by a solitary night and a strange sorceress. There would be questions, and guards, and a lot of time between them and the rest they needed. Kakariko had less people, they would be less likely to recognise Zelda on sight, and they knew and trusted Link. It saved a lot of trouble, and Renado would know how to contact the appropriate people.

It was decided that Link and Zelda would take Epona there, and Midna would warp. She wasn't sure how her powers would interact with the light world in her true form. It irritated her, but was sensible.

So it was that she found herself lingering atop the cliffs, waiting for Epona to arrive. She had already struggled through the conversation with Renado, trying to avoid the looks from Ilia and the others. He had sent Luda and the children to prepare the inn for Zelda and Link when they arrived, and offered Midna some company while she waited, but she didn't really want to be there. She didn't quite fancy the thought of entertaining Ilia and the shaman.

It didn't take long after she found her spot. She heard the hooves from her vantage point, followed closely by the screams of the children as Epona rounded the corner. They were quickly shushed by Gor Coron, who stood beaming at the door to the inn as the hero and princess arrived. "Welcome, your highness. Welcome back, Link."

He moved to help Zelda down from the horse, assistance she graciously accepted. Link dismounted as well, scruffing Talo on the head and letting the other children hug him in greeting. His eyes were scanning the road and surroundings, however. He's looking for me. Midna thought to herself, a smile gracing her features despite herself. She clicked her fingers, a flash of light appearing briefly. She could see him relax as he saw her, and wondered what he had been expecting.

By the time she had made her way down, everyone else was inside. Renado and Ilia had come across from the sanctuary, and even Barnes had left his shop to see what the commotion was about. Midna entered the inn quietly, only Link, Zelda and Renado noticing her. The shaman looked as if he wished to speak, but upon noticing Link's smile, stayed quiet.

"It is truly an honour to meet you all." Zelda's voice was strong, despite how tired Midna knew she was. She looked to each person assembled, statesmen and child alike, with equal respect in her eyes. She's good at this. "I am sure you each have questions, and I will need much help in the coming days. However, I ask peace of you for tonight. Rest safe in the knowledge that this day, we have had a great victory over the ancient evil in this land."

The children cheered, and the elders all looked greatly relieved. Zelda waited for the noise to die down before continuing. "Our victory was not without cost, and I am sure your worries in recent days have left you as weary as our battles today have left us."

Suddenly, Beth yelped in fear. She had been torn her eyes away from the beautiful blonde princess, and had noticed Midna's tall form hidden in the shadows at the back of the room. The other children who had not seen her at Renado's all jumped similarly, with Colin jumping to the ready.

Their immediate action was halted by a gentle laugh from Zelda. "Be still. This is no foe but a great ally to us, one who brought Link to me and who aided him in his travels across Hyrule. This is Princess Midna, of the Twili people."

Midna had hoped to avoid this, but it was now inevitable. She stepped forward into the lamp light, revealing herself to the assembled group. The reaction was mixed, everything from Colin stepping away from her anxiously, to Beth gasping at the exotic woman, to Barnes actively ogling her, to Renado's grateful smile. Link simply beamed at her.

Before anyone could ask anything, Zelda swiftly continued. "I'm sure we can answer questions tomorrow. Now, Shaman Renado, might I ask as to where my companions and I might rest tonight?"

"Of course, your highness." Renado bowed deeply, before ushering the youths out. Ilia cast a longing look towards Link as she departed, but then it was simply the shaman and the gorons. Gor Coron spoke up, gesturing to a few of the rooms. "We've prepared some humble dwellings for the night. Our apologies for their simple nature. We gorons will guard the inn tonight, and in the morning there will be a caravan to collect you and bring you back to Castle Town."

Zelda thanked the shaman and the gorons, and then bid everyone get some rest. They would discuss plans in the morning. She quietly retired to one of the rooms, leaving Link and Midna alone with the Gorons. They both began to head to one of the rooms, before coming to a halt. There had been so little time to discuss anything, and now that there was...

She could feel the eyes of the Gorons on them, and wondered if Link was feeling the same confusion she was feeling. Desperately, she wished to be in his shadow again, to feel his presence as part of her once more. She looked to him, and saw him staring straight back at her, the unspoken question on both of their lips.

For once, it was Link who broke the silence. "I suppose... we talk in the morning?" She tried desperately to see his feelings in his gaze, but that same resolve that had carried him throughout these trials made him inscrutable now. He's scared of saying the wrong thing to a princess in front of anyone. The realisation was a shock, given how open and free they'd been... but then, she had been his secret. Only Zelda knew how close they had been, and in front of these others, he was scared of saying the wrong thing.

Hero of Courage indeed. No wonder he never talks!

She smiled, trying not to let the disappointment show on her regal visage. "Indeed. Good night, Link." With a short sigh, she turned and moved towards the next available room.

"Midna?"

She paused, her hand upon the doorknob, and looked back over her shoulder. He had taken a step towards her but otherwise stood still, his hat in his hands and confusion on his face.

"I'm so glad you're alright."

She smiled sincerely back at him. "And I you, wolfie." She winked at him, and then continued into the room, closing the door to hide her emotions from him.

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A Hero's Thoughts

It was not an easy night.

He was, after all this time, not used to being alone. While the only wounds he had left from his battle were largely superficial, they still caused him pain and discomfort, so he had propped himself up in the bed. Renado had left some red potions for him, which took the edge off the pain. Still, he knew better than to think he would feel as numb in the morning. As such he had taken the position most likely to allow him to get up at all in the morning... but that wasn't what was keeping him up.

Nor was it the mental load of the battle, though that certainly was taking it's toll as well. It had without a doubt been his toughest battle yet, despite coming out of it cleaner than some others. Not least among the tribulations was Midna's death... or supposed death? Zelda said that the light spirits had gifted her life for her work saving Hyrule, which made as much sense as anything... but didn't make that image go away. Ganondorf, sitting unharmed atop his horse, the fused shadow crushed within his hand.

The horror of realising what was about to happen in the throne room had been bad enough. Seeing the magic grow around her, watching his fingertips disappear as he had reached for her... he had thought he would never forgive her for that. Yet when Ganondorf had reappeared, he had realised how foolish that was. She was slain, and he was resenting her for trying to protect him? How selfish!

He had frozen at that point. He hadn't even moved as Ganondorf had charged him, the combination of sheer disbelief and overwhelming grief freezing him in place. Yet they had prevailed somehow, and then atop that hill...

He had recognised her, even in her new form. Not just through the obvious things, like her skin colour and the patterns on her robe. No, it was her eyes. They were no longer huge and round, granted, and still. The look she gave him, that knew him through and through. That was the woman he had travelled with over this last year, who had saved his life again and again. He could never mistake those eyes.

He wanted so much to simply be in the same room as her, to talk. He knew it was improper, that now she had been restored to her true form he should be more careful. After all, no one yet knew that he had been travelling with a princess this whole time. He wasn't sure whether the realm would change anything, but if he had been sleeping out in fields with Zelda, the guards would have his head. Let alone sleeping with her in his arms...

He groaned to himself. He should have known this would happen. If he had thought it through... not that it had mattered then. Who had even known if they would survive? Now they were here though, and there were big, weighty questions. He was just a farmer. He didn't know where to begin with things like ettiket and stuff with royalty. He felt so awkward around her now, and it had only been two conversations!

He sighed deeply, and tried to put it from his mind. He had, as Mayor Bo would say, put his foot in it. He knew that much from how she had turned away from him. Maybe he would be able to solve it in the morning. He put out the lamp, shuffled the blankets slightly, and tried to close his eyes.

It didn't feel right in here.

It was too dark.

He awoke to the creak of a floorboard, his hand shooting out to grab the sword beside his bed. A warm hand caught his, pinning it to the bed before he could reach the blade, and he growled in response.

A voice, low and musical, called out in the darkness.

"Ooh! Aren't you scary."

Chapter Text

Ch 10- The Role of a Hero

He was sooo warm.

Perhaps it was the Red Potion, keeping him warm as he lay there trying to sleep. Perhaps some other way his body was trying to help him heal... he didn't seem feverish, but it was hard to tell. Still, she could feel the strength in him as she grabbed his arm. Remembered how it was to be held by those arms... and wondered how it would feel now she was herself once more.

"Midna?" The fatigue put a rasp in his voice that she had not heard before. She wondered what that battle had truly been like for him. His eyes flashed surprise for a moment, no doubt the instinct towards propriety once again taking hold. He shook his head and waved her away, concern in his eyes. Before he could voice any further concern though, she stopped him.

"Before you say anything, they won't notice unless they intrude, in which case they are as guilty as us. Also, how dare they tell me what to do. I can handle myself." She glared at him, daring him to defy her, but he was sensible enough to hold his tongue. "Anyway, I don't care. I think we've earned the right to speak if we want."

Link's eyes spoke his concern, but he said nothing. Instead, he reached over and gently removed her hand. As she felt his grip on her, she met his eyes once more and wondered if she had overstepped something. She halted her tirade for a moment, a hint of remorse entering her voice.

"Do you want me to go?"

For a moment, he did nothing, and her heart sank. Then, a weary smile, and he shook his head. She released a breath she didn't know was being held, and apologised briefly. "I never meant to just assume, but it felt wrong leaving things as we did. Anyway, I wouldn't have slept regardless."

He tilted his head in query. "Nightmares." She replied. "I... I was dead. I'm not sure what else happened, but that much I know. I saw... something... or maybe nothing. Nothing at all, so complete that it hurts to think about." Another pause, as she realised how vulnerable she felt. Still, curse it. She had come this far, and if she couldn't talk to Link then who? "I don't want to see that again right now."

His hand came to hers again. "Didn't know you felt fear." A half-hearted smile accompanied the comment, but anything further died on his lips as he searched her eyes. Perhaps he could see something of that darkness there. Instead, he simply asked, "Do you want to talk about it?"

She frowned, and shook her head. "I lost. That's all. But you didn't, and we're here now. Thank the gods. Are you alright?"

He dropped the blanket from his chest and shoulders, revealing the worst of the wounds. There were gouges and slices, but for the most part he looked like he'd recover. Some vicious scars, though. "I'll be fine. Thanks though." She reached out to place a hand on his bicep, just underneath the wound. Her frown intensified as she inspected it, but when she turned to him again she smiled. I don't like seeing him hurt. She thought to herself, knowing full well how ridiculous that was given what he'd been through. What we've been through. She corrected herself.

She locked eyes with him once more, in the dim light of the moonlit room. Her hand on his arm, his bare chest exposed, her sitting on a bed in her true form... If I just leaned in now... Before she finished the thought, he looked down ruefully.

"I'm not sure I'll be able to sleep in a bed."

She knew what he meant, despite the break in her train of thought. "It feels like an age since I was alone in a bed, let alone in my true body." The wordless acknowledgement of that night once again passed them both by. "Between that feeling and the dreams... this is much harder than on the road."

He nodded, taking her hand from his arm and gently squeezing it. She smiled at him before continuing, "Anyway, I know you. I'm surprised you're not curled up at the foot of the bed like the doggie you are." He blinked briefly at the jab, as if to question if she was truly making a dog joke. She only grinned in response, and he gave a soft laugh. "Says you. When'd you last sleep not curled up against that doggie?"

My, that was forthright. She raised a sculpted brow in response. Her hand flexed slightly in his, not quite a squeeze but clearly drawing attention to their contact. "Is that an offer?"

A pause.

He blushed and began to search for a response that would seem proper. "I mean... Clearly I didn't mean... I wouldn't..."

She sighed, exasperated, and took her hand away from his, turning her gaze to the boards above the bed. Is this what it's going to be now? Surely not.

"Is this about Ilia?" He shook his head. "Zelda??" He shook his head again, rather more emphatically.

"Fine. Are you embarrassed by me?"

He sat fully upright at this one, a frown on his face. "Of course not!" Her gaze was like a whip, and her tongue as sharp. "Then what, pray tell, is the problem?! By the Goddesses themselves, we've traveled together for nearly a year! We've shared every trial, saved each other's lives, we've slept together night after night!" His blush deepened at that, his ears nearly visibly pricking to try and ascertain if anyone was listening in.

Midna didn't care though. "Gods save me, we've been closer than that. I've spent so long sharing your shadow..."

She trailed off. Perhaps he didn't realise the implicit intimacy in such an act, though he damn well should. Had he so soon forgotten the feeling? How could he forget that?

A knock at the door disrupted her once more- a Goron, clearly hearing something. With what damn ears?? She thought, somewhat viciously.

"Mister Link, brudda? Are you alright in there?"

He cleared his throat, glaring slightly at the Twili before replying. "I'm sorry, Gor Ebizo. Night terrors."

"Ah, that all good, brudda. I know how these things be. You want me to make you some tea?" Link declined politely. "Get you some nice gems?" Link declined again, slightly more forcefully. "Well, if you sure, brudda. Just know we all hear for you."

"Thank you, sir. Good night." Link waited for the footsteps to slowly recede, but Midna was already on her feet. She desperately wished she could feel the usual wave of anger and spite that would accompany this sort of thing, but instead she just felt... hurt. Hurt and embarrassed. She placed a hand on her hip, looking at the young hylian with a cool stare. "You were right. I shouldn't have come."

He raised a hand to protest, but she silenced him with a click of her fingers. "Come find me when you're ready to talk to me as a real person... not just the imp that followed you around."

She heard him call her name, but she had already slipped into the shadows and back to her own room.

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A Hero's Thoughts-

He had spent the rest of the night restless, and he didn't know if that was the fault of his injuries or of the argument. Either way, he felt nearly as bad the following day as he had during the night, but that didn't seem like it would matter. Early in the morning, there had been a knock at his door, and now he was sitting around a table with a lot of familiar faces, saying a lot of unfamiliar things. If he were honest, a lot of it simply was going over his head.

Zelda sat at the head of the table, with Renado to one side and a large man named Busco wearing armour to the other. Apparently, he was the man in charge of the castle guard, but even Link could tell it was probably a thing that had happened overnight. Next to him was Ashei, then the other members of the resistance. Everyone was there, Auru and Telma, Rusl and Shad. Link sat beside Rusl, with Gor Coron on his other side. There was an empty chair beside Gor Coron that had been Renado's, but he had moved when they learned Midna would not be joining them. Apparently, she had been gone from the room at first light. No one had seen her leave, but there was a letter left that said she would be back when the sun started to set. The light must still be a bit much for her.

All he wanted to do was go and look for her. He had no idea what he would say, but... he knew he needed to find her. To sort this all out. He had never had problems speaking to her before, but now... his tongue got tied up, and he stumbled over basic thoughts. It wasn't just her new look, though that didn't help either. She was... beautiful, in a way he had never seen before. Even the other twili looked somewhat strange to him, and Midna wasn't entirely different, but... something about her that he couldn't place. Still, it was more that now everything was over, he had no idea what he was meant to be doing. He had only left Ordon to deliver a gift, and everything else had sort of... happened to him. Now that was over, was he meant to go home? Was he allowed to talk to Princesses, or Queens, whenever he wanted? Surely there were laws about that? The way Buscon looked at him made him think there were laws about that.

Why couldn't she understand? He had... feelings, ones that he had been so sure of, but the truth of the situation was becoming harder to ignore. He was just a farmer. He said as much when Zelda turned to him, asking his opinion on a plan.

Nine pairs of eyes turned to him. He looked around the room, trying to figure out what was being discussed, before giving up. "I'm sorry, Princess. A lot of this is... more than I know. I... Midna and I did everything we needed to, but she had the plan. I don't know anything about rebuilding a city or country." He looked down to his hands on the table, embarrassed. "I'm not really sure why I'm here."

Rusl reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Link, you have done more for this land than anyone. You deserve to be here."

Zelda nodded her agreement, and placed a hand upon the map in front of her. "Link, you are the hero of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm. There is nowhere on this map I could point to that you have not been to. Even though they could not all be here, you have spoken to the leaders of every tribe, every village in Hyrule. You have seen first hand the destruction this land has suffered, and where you were able you reversed it. We will hear from Princess Midna later this evening, but your voice is just as valuable."

He met her eyes, and she smiled at him with all the radiance of the sun. "Even had you not accomplished such great feats, I would still value your thoughts." She paused, and then reached up to remove one of her long, white gloves. When she had, she looked around the room, making sure to catch the attention of all. "This hand is the hand of a royal. Do you know what that means? That means that in all my life, I have been protected, and sheltered, and guided. For all my lessons and knowledge and wisdom, I have never had to plant a seed, or guide an ox. Everything I ever learned was from a teacher or nurse, never from trial and error. Yet, if I ask you, would you say this is the hand that guides the realm?"

She rose, and walked across the room to Link's side. Reaching down, she took his hand, and placed it upon the map. She reached to Gor Coron, and did the same. "I say that each of you at this table is the hand that guides the realm. My mother once suggested that the quality of a ruler is in her ability to take counsel from the many wise voices within her realm. To be at the throne and use her voice to speak as both loving mother and guiding father of her kingdom. To rule with love and wisdom, and always remember that she does so for the people, never for herself."

She gestured down to the map once more. "This is why I brought you all here. Each of you offers a perspective I cannot possibly hold. You are leaders, survivors. You are those who know what it is to grow a community, to rebuild after disaster. We have just witnessed the greatest disaster any of us will live through, and I ask the advice even of a lowly farmer from Ordon Village..." She looked to Link once more as she returned to her seat, clasping her fingers together in a gesture of strength. "For I know that such a man can save our kingdom. I saw him do as much."

Link smiled back at her, and rallied himself somewhat. "Alright. Ask the question again, and I'll do my best."

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The sun was already leaving the valley of Kakariko. From her vantage point by the hot spring, she could see half of the hateful orb fading, the bright white dimming to an amber as the clouds cut it's fury to a mere baleful glare. Midna returned it, her discomfort throughout the day fresh in her mind. She wasn't sure if the Light Spirits were protecting her still, or if it was the power given to the royalty of the Twilight. Either way, it was not enough to afford the same protection Zelda had gifted her. She could tolerate the light, but that was as far as she got. Midday terrified her, and even the cool morning had nearly blinded her and burned her skin. Even so, in this spot, the quietest part of the village, she didn't mind it. As soon as it had started to set, she had emerged from the basement beneath Renado's Sanctuary and made her way up here to watch the sun go down. She wanted to spite it as it fell, but in her heart the sight reminded her of home.

It was still falling when he arrived. She turned from the sight to see him, still in his green tunic and mail, but with no hat. Somehow, that almost made her laugh. The hat was always ridiculous, but now he had taken it off it looked somehow wrong.

"How did you find me?"

He already looked bashful as he shrugged and quietly replied, "Smell?" Her scarlet eyes held his blue ones, and she simply raised an eyebrow skeptically. He gave her a small grin. "Fine. S'where you were last night. But I could smell you downwind, that's true."

It occurred to her that she had never asked that question outright before. It had always seemed... too personal, perhaps? Still, everything was going downhill anyway so what was the harm?

"What do I smell like, then? How do you know?"

He shrugged again, but tilted his head back, thinking it over. "Hard to say." He began, before another pause. A hand came up in a vague gesture of fingers sweeping in front of him. "Like... the breeze near someone cooking something. Spicy and rich and exotic. But also... airy?"

He stopped once more, then sat down on a rock. "I don't know how to describe it without... a wolf nose. I didn't understand until I went to the Twilight Realm, but that place smells like you."

Midna frowned slightly, trying to think if she had ever noticed a smell to the Twilight Realm. What does he even mean? It was a big place, did it really have just one smell? What about the kitchens? Did he mean the throne room? Or... her bedroom? Or did the whole place smell like her bedroom? That was ridiculous! As she mulled over the complete non-answer he had given, he asked her if she wanted to talk about home, but she waved a hand dismissively. "No... I'm sure there'll be plenty of that talk with Zelda." She ventured no topic herself though, and they fell into yet another awkward silence.

She wondered what he might be thinking of. Why should I bring it up? I told him last night to talk to me when he was ready. Don't just come up here and be silent. She continued grumbling to herself internally. However, deep down she wasn't sure she was ready to talk about it all herself. Did he think she had anything more to work with? She hadn't even expected it would go beyond finding the fused shadows- everything else had been improvised as much for her as for him. Why did he expect her to have the answers? Was she expected to tell him what to think, how to feel? Ridiculous.

It was as she thought this that he spoke once more.

"I'm sorry, Midna."

She turned to him, but he was looking at his boots. One toe pushed some dirt around as the young man continued pensively. "I don't know what I'm doing here. Even if I was some destined hero, that's done now. Do I go back to goat herding?" He laughed a little, and she wondered if he could truly imagine returning to that life. It was different for her; she was a ruler. He went on, slowly. "I have no idea how to offer Princess Zelda advice, or even really how to talk to all these fancy people... what they want from me."

Midna sighed. It was hard not to sympathise on the one hand, but she was a royal herself. She had needed to answer those questions since she could speak. "How did you know what to do to save Hyrule?" He looked up to her, his eyes gentle but weary. "I just followed what I thought was right, and tried to help people. And I had a good guide."

The twili inhaled deep, knowing she was going to have to be harsh. "Well, if that's not good enough for this, maybe you need to grow up and take a bit more responsibility Link. You saved Hyrule. Zelda and I may have been there, but it was you who fell Ganon. That means people are going to look to you, and you are going to have to pass on what you've learned. Do you remember the golden wolf?" They both thought back to that fragmented, broken soul, brimming with regrets. Neither of them had ever voiced it, but she was confident that the shade who had taught Link so much swordsmanship was the Hero of a previous age. If he was, then did such a fate lie in wait for Link? Or was it a threat, to hang over his head?

She shook her head to dispel the thought. He looked as troubled as she did, so she took his hand again. "Thank you, for the compliment." She looked over his features. Even as tired and bruised as he was, he was striking. The purpose was somewhat gone from his eyes, but the compassion remained in the clear blue gaze. He was even starting to show the ghost of some stubble along his strong jawline, which she had never noticed before. This dumb, handsome boy.

"Link?" He waited for her to continue. If he just leaned forward... Or if I did... "What about us? We... We're further apart that we've been in weeks. Even before Telma's..." She trailed off for a moment. He didn't so much blush this time, but she could swear his eyes turned a deeper blue. She wondered if she looked as awkward as she felt. "Even then, we were closer. You once told me that you didn't see me as a child or imp, and I would have been happy to leave things where they were, but..."

Her words faded again. Goddesses give me strength. Why is this so hard? The conflict between leaving things and trying to press the matter raged in her mind until she came to a decision. No, I'm more than this. I won't keep being so immature about this man. She rallied, confidence ringing out in each syllable as she spoke. "But you kissed me. Now cursed feelings are involved."

There was a look in his eye she struggled to read, and yet again she lamented the loss of their connection. The emotional intimacy that had provided was one thing, but it had never been hard to read the tone of his words when they had been so connected. She rose, pacing into the warm waters of the spring, feeling the mud between her toes. Her robe dragged through the shallows, but she didn't care. Or at least, she wasn't sure if she had the confidence to discard it and stand before him in such revealing garb as her shadow clothes.

"I'm not trying to treat you differently.." the hylian began, but she would have none of it. "Maybe, but you never treated me like royalty, even when you found out. You certainly never gave me the reverence that you give Zelda. I'm not sure whether to be offended that you only started that after I looked like... well, this..." She gestured to herself, well aware of how the shadows of sunset were showing the curves of her body. "Or to be offended that you only wanted to kiss me when I looked like that."

He rose to his feet, beginning to protest this too. "It's not that I don't want to..." She whirled around, the robe following slowly through the water as she advanced on him. Her irritation with it getting the better of her modesty, she flicked the robe off, revealing herself in only the tight shadowclothes. He almost choked on his own breath. "Link, you've not shown me an inch of that affection since the battle. You hugged me when you found me again, but that's it. I've been through a lot too, you know. And here I am, standing in front of you, with no idea of what I'm meant to be feeling here."

The hylian took a deep breath to gather himself, and then let it out in a deep sigh.

"Midna... I'm sorry. I'm not sure either."

She stared back at him, looking for some sort of reaction that would tell her what she knew deep down to be true. "That might not be good enough, Link. I'm sorry, but that's life." He looked back up at her, and she tried to smile sympathetically. She knew it probably came out as a smirk, but she was trying. "You're a big boy now, a hero to this world and mine. I know you're better than this. I know, because I've spent months sensing your emotions, feeling your strength, seeing your compassion for others... but maybe I mistook that compassion for something else."

He opened his mouth, a thing she had seen him do time and again when he was struggling to find the right words. Eventually, some came out, but she suspected he had not been successful. "I think I know what you mean... that is, I think you think that I... I mean, I thought you as well... do you mean what I think you do?" For someone usually so reluctant to talk, he had just used so many words to say nothing.

"I'm not sure anymore, Link. I'm going to be the Queen of the Twili, I have enough other things to worry about. But I'm still here, standing in front of a peasant goat herder who was my best friend, and I'm looking for a sign that you still want me around. How do you think that makes me feel?"

He looked back down at his feet, his reply coming out in a murmur. All she wanted was to hear him speak to her with the same confidence he had done in the dark of the Temple of Time, or in the city in the sky, or the Twilight Realm. But no, a murmur.

"That's the problem." He sighed, and but his shoulders were set, and he regained a bit of his composure. "It doesn't matter what I want. You're a princess, and I'm a goatherd. All the feelings in the world don't change that."

The wind whistled down the canyon that protected the village, and made the water of the springs lap against their little banks. Her hair caught in it, swinging out behind her where it was not pinned down, in this moment of clarity she had been praying for all day.

"You're an idiot, do you know that?"

He looked back up at her, hurt, but her own gaze was iron. "Do you regret the way that we've acted?" He shook his head. "Do you think I would have done any of it, or this, if I didn't want to?" Again, he shook his head, and she advanced towards him. His eyes snapped back down in embarrassment and response. "If I was just another village girl, would you be acting so nervous?"

"Um... I don't think so."

"Then look at me!" She shouted at him, and his eyes snapped to hers once more. In their azure depths, she could see the spark of that same resolve that had kept her safe, and seen him through. "Touch me!" She snapped. He took her hand, but she frowned. She towered over him at this distance, but she leaned down and pressed her forehead against him, her voice becoming gentle, imploring. "I want to be here, Link. Touch me." Her hand took his, and guided it to her abdomen. She couldn't help but sigh as she felt his rough hands against her smooth skin. This was what she wanted, what she'd hoped for. The catharsis was incredible.

"You stopped treating me like an imp, and started treating me like a friend... and a woman. Just let me feel that now it's entirely true." She leaned more into him, her jewellery pressing into his hair as she exhaled slowly. Her eyes closed, and she focused entirely on the feeling, guiding his hand slowly across her skin... feeling his fingers caress her ribs, moving them up to where the shadow clothes clung to her... feeling the silky touch of his hand through the clothes as she guided him to her chest. He flinched as he realised, but she murmured her comfort to him and gently offered herself to him. He seemed indecisive for a moment or two, but eventually she felt his hand cup her breast through the clothes.

She let out a soft moan as shivers ran down her spine. It's not that she felt no pleasure in that previous body, but this one was... hers. It felt more sensitive that she had been in months, and she revelled in the sensation, but it was more than that. His hand there, rising and falling with her breath, stirred things deep within her that were more than just physical yearnings. It felt right. She could feel her heart beating faster than she could remember it being able to. She wanted to take him there and then somewhere private, for a few days, and explore all of the emotions and sensations she was experiencing. Still, she would settle for this right now.

Reluctantly, she stepped back. The two companions lost themselves in each others gaze as the wind whistled on and the last light of the sun faded behind the cliffs. "Midna..." His voice was quiet and breathy, and she could tell that she wasn't alone in being affected by what had just happened. His hands weren't fully by his sides yet, hovering awkwardly in the air somewhere near his stomach as his fingers fidgeted. She smiled at him, feeling a deep affection despite his obvious uncertainty.

"It's alright." The twili leaned forward and kissed him, their lips meeting for the first time in their true forms. It was no lovers' kiss, full of fire and passion, but that of the sort he had first given her. One that spoke of a deep connection between them despite the hesitations. A love, of some kind certainly.

As much as she didn't want to, Midna stepped away. Then, with a gentle sigh, "Look. I won't push this on you any more unless you bring it up. I can't. I have too much to do before I go back home, and even more when I get there."

She took a few steps back to retrieve her robe, shaking it off briefly before setting off towards the inn, and the meeting with Zelda and the others. Yet after only a few steps, she looked back over her shoulder. "I... I think I've been pretty open about where I stand. But I am still a Queen, and I'm not going to spend the rest of my life pining over a farm boy who doesn't know if he wants to take that risk. Next time we talk... please know what you want, Link. I don't like you being on the other side of my fights."

She set off once more down the hill, not turning to see his response. She swallowed, trying to let it all go for now. She had business of state to deal with... no matter how much she wished otherwise. And besides...

It was getting too cold.

Chapter Text

Ch. 11- Attention to Details.

Midna surveyed the map in front of her, crimson eyes blazing with thought. Her robes swept out like dark storm clouds behind her, revealing little of the body whose aches plagued her mind. Her carefully styled hair pulled at the roots, growing more and more irritating by the minute. This is why I always had Fosca tie it up for me. The thought crossed her mind, more bitter than sad. Fosca, along with all of her other friends, were probably dead thanks to Zant. If not for Zant, she wouldn't be here, having to endure the baleful stares of these light dwellers.

Zelda seemed to sense the twili's frustration, rephrasing the her initial question to the table at large. "The knowledge of the twilight is now with our people, and we do a disservice to our saviours by leaving the only gateway in such an inhospitable location. Surely there is a place more suitable we might move the Mirror to?"

Midna needed no magic to sense the tension in the room at such a suggestion. There was an almost palpable chill in the air, that made the hair on her neck stand up under her hood. The first to speak was Ralis, the young Zora prince. "It may be bold to suggest, Princess, but why do we debate this? Whether or not this Zant was the real king doesn't matter to the Zora people, nor I imagine the Hylians! With all due respect to you, Princess Midna..." She cocked an eyebrow at him, but otherwise said nothing. His voice was quiet yet firm as he continued. "Your people came here as invaders. That will not be so quickly forgotten."

She could hardly blame him. His mother had been executed in front of her people by the shadow beasts, leaving him as king apparent. Not that he was there to know- he had been sent to ask for help already, and struck down upon the road. His feelings towards her people would hardly be charitable. She didn't really have a good response for him on that front. Darbus, who had arrived shortly before the Zora, was less chaste. "That sounds like fear! The Goron people stood with Link, and he trusts her. That is enough for us!"

He still doesn't know what happened to him, or how he was saved. Midna mused quietly, watching as Ralis' ire began to rise in response. "So you would welcome an unseeable gate to a potential army within your mines? I was under the impression that your people had some struggles with such magic last time..." The Zora Prince's tone was acerbic, and the Twili frowned. Perhaps we should steer clear of this topic for a moment or three. She raised a hand to speak, but again Zelda placed her guiding touch upon the conversation.

"Your support is appreciated, Patriarch Darbus." She smiled at him, and the Goron positively preened. Link stifled a laugh, and the Twili could not help but be charmed by the gesture. The way his fingers clenched in front of his mouth as he feigned a cough, the slight shudder of his chest, the way the corners of his lips curled in mirth. She knew that laugh. She missed that laugh.

"However," Zelda continued, "Prince Ralis speaks not from fear but from pragmatism. As generous as your offer is, I suspect a volcano would not be hospitable to a people used to the cool?" It was framed as a question, and Midna nodded in assent, grateful to Zelda for her intervention yet again.

Trying to look more relaxed than she felt, Midna dipped her head to her hylian counterpart and smiled politely. "The offers and suggestions are... nice." Don't look at anyone else. Focus on Zelda. "Prince Ralis isn't fully wrong, though. There are... problems with my people rejoining Hyrulean society after so long in the dark."

There was a pregnant pause while they waited for her to continue. She bit her lip, wishing for a glass of water or something else to ease her dry throat. Trained or not, she had never been expected to speak to light worlders, let alone in such... uncomfortable circumstances. Focus on the basics, Midna. She quietly wished she hadn't heard that in Link's voice.

A deep breath, and then she spoke again. "As much as I would like to help it will be tricky. The twili can't stand your sun. I can barely do it, and I have magical protection from both worlds. It's also not going to look good to move a bunch of us through your lands. Too many look like another army. Too few looks like spies. And we have to rebuild our lands too. I... like the gesture, Princess." She looked to Zelda, hoping to find understanding just as much as she was trying to avoid the relief in the faces of her detractors. "It's a nice thought, and one I'd like to explore, but it's very complicated."

There was yet another pause. No one really seemed to know what to do with her, about her presence there. She felt more like an outsider than anything. She (perhaps foolishly) looked to Link for support, and found his eyes on her, supportive yet worried. It wasn't as helpful as she would have liked. She did not fail to notice Rusl's look to Link, and wondered how much of their relationship he had guessed. He knew Link more than any other here, except perhaps herself.

"It sounds like you are proposing that we keep our worlds apart, your highness."

Link jumped at that, and her heart with him at his panic. Still, the words, calm and reasonable, gave her pause. Is that what I'm suggesting? She turned to face Renado, who had made the comment.

"Not necessarily." Privately, no tough words could convince her that being cut off entirely from the light world... all it's people... would be a good thing. No matter what she said to Link. "It's just gonna be hard. This is the most recent, but far from the only bad blood between our people."

Ashei, the warrior woman of the resistance, leaned back on her chair beside Rusl. "Well that's risk, isn't it? No one was guarding the mirror, which was stupid. But even if we were, would we know if you had an army about to step through?"

Midna shook her head. Technically, no, there would be no way of knowing, and that went both ways. The portal to her side opened up right outside the Palace. An invasion could be at her doorstep by the end of the same day.

Auru agreed reluctantly. "No matter our friendship and good will, we cannot expect our descendants to take the same care as we do today. It is a border we cannot police, and ever since the Gerudo disappeared into the distant deserts there is no one to watch over the Arbiter's Grounds. Nor, I fear, would they help if they returned. Though the histories claim they bore him no love, Ganon was the last king that led them to dealings with the hylian people. They have been reclusive ever since."

"Well the guard and knights cannot spare the men." Busco chimed in from underneath his thick moustache. "We will be occupied with the rebuild, and restoring order." Ashei snorted, but it seemed the Knight Captain missed it.

Zelda looked around the table for another perspective, but coming up lacking she sighed softly. "Alas, I see this is a discussion to be considered further. I urge you all to look at it from whatever perspectives you can imagine- I truly believe that further distance between our people risks repeating history. However, let us move on for now."

The conversation shifted to some issues that Midna was less pivotal to, so she took her seat once more. Underneath the table, her knees pressed together, a substitute for the more visible rubbing hands that she tended towards in moments of anxiety. These discussions miss the core of my problems. The Twilight and the Light need time to heal before they come together, and I need to go home. My people need their queen. So why am I still here?

The answer to that, of course, sat a few seats away next to Rusl. His green cap once again on, his blonde hair tousled out roughly, still unwashed despite two nights in town now. Lazy. If he was royalty, he'd never get away with that. But of course, he wasn't. He was a peasant. A hero peasant with the golden tan and muscled body of a farmer and a warrior, but of no lineage, no peerage. A goat farmer, to be precise. He would still make a good king.

She turned her mind away from the table to examine that thought. Am I truly considering that? In a strange way, she almost wished they had more time to adventure, more time to explore. It would of course be catastrophic, and she didn't truly wish it, yet... more time to understand what this was between her and the boy in green would not be unwelcome. She longed to understand, to know his feelings, to know her own. How much of it was simply close proximity for longer than she could have imagined? Was it true beyond that? Was it the allure of companionship to the lonely, or...

Stop it, you moron. Her own inner voice came at her sharper than the Master Sword. You've laid your feelings out, for what they're worth. He can decide what he wants. You're a big girl, you've got a job to do. It was true, of course. Every moment she spent indulging her curiosity with him was another she was taking from her people. Her hands began to massage her palms unconsciously as she turned her attention back to the table.

"You've got some nerve, girl." The Knight Captain was accosting Ashei, whose very dismissive attitude seemed only to provoke the man further. "Someone's gotta." She retorted. "You and yours clearly have none, given how you're still here when the enemy got Zelda. My father always said that the Knights lacked a spine, and I see nothin' to prove him wrong."

The Knight Captain rose to his feet, knocking the table in the process. Zelda's hand shot out and a quiet instantly went about the room, even Busco stopping mid-motion and simply looking at his monarch.

Midna wondered if anyone else had seen the brief glint of magic from the Princess' palm.

"Busco, please. I asked everyone to speak their mind. I am under no illusion of your worth to the kingdom."

The big man snorted, his own rage seemingly loose and uncontrolled within his large frame, before he sat down once again. "Of course. My apologies, your highness." Ashei smirked, meeting Midna's eyes. She, at least, had noticed the clever choice of words.

Rusl, who looked sharp despite an obviously exhausted face, raised a hand to speak. "If I may, your highness. The people of this kingdom would benefit from seeing a unity among us. Perhaps a recruitment drive among the more rural villages such as my own for not only new soldiers, but also builders and craftsmen? Ordon has many, and we can't be the only ones. Let the people of Hyrule help to rebuild the kingdom of Hyrule. Maybe call in some of the old treaties of the Gorons, Zoras..." He looked to the named representatives, who both gave him a nod. Gor Coron, who remained behind Darbus' chair, gave the Ordon man a wide grin of approval.

"Our kingdom was attacked in regions, separating us. This could help to remind everyone of how our shared bonds make us strong. After all, it's not like we're lacking in talent out in the further towns. I challenge you to find any in the land more worthy of protecting you than a certain young man from Ordon."

His smile was a combination of sly and proud, an altogether endearing combination that belied the cunning set up. Link, for once in his life, got the hint, and looked to Rusl in alarm, but the cogs were already turning around the table. Midna, for her part, understood immediately what he meant. Deep in her heart, she felt a pang of something ugly, a cold sensation that no robes could soothe, at the thought of Link in that dull armour. Standing at the foot of the throne every day. By Zelda's side, every day.

Link himself seemed distressed at having been involved too- that infuriating private voice drew smug conclusions from that. "Ugh?" He grunted in shock, before gathering his words before Hyrule's most powerful. He looked to Midna's eye like prey, caught in the glare of a predator. She tried to catch his eye, but he seemed to look everywhere else as he mumbled a response.

"I'm not sure... the farm... I think... There's no one to tend the fields..." His face betrayed that he too knew how weak that sounded. He rallied briefly before being rescued by Zelda, who gave a laugh like rainwater across a lyre. At once beautifully natural and harmonic. "Why, that is an excellent case for such a plan! Rusl, you would not be angling for Auru's old advisor role, would you?" The older man blushed as much as Link had, but wasn't given a chance to respond as Zelda steamed ahead.

"Let us come to this recruitment later, and talk while we have our esteemed guests of treaties! Auru, Patriarch Darbus, Prince Ralis- how well do you recall the treaties of old?"

The twilight princess was impressed. Zelda's ability to control the room was second to none. As the table's attention swung in her breeze, the Twili looked to Link. His eyes met hers, and she could see flashes of desperation, hope, despair, confusion and a myriad other things in their azure depths. He smiled weakly at her, before looking back at his hands in his lap.

Midna sighed. This meeting was going to take a while.

Chapter Text

Wisdom from the Ages

The meeting had continued for another hour or so before it was called for the night. It was decided, among other smaller matters, that there would be a rebuilding team recruited from all across the kingdom in an effort to show solidarity. These crews would be split between Castle Town and the outlying provinces to try and best account for the damages done in the invasion. Zelda, for her part, would leave for Castle town the following day, meaning the loose council assembled would either disperse or follow her, as per their preferences.

The Twilight Realm issue remained unresolved. Midna had committed to 3 more days at the most before she returned to her Kingdom. If there was no decision made by that stage, then any further progress would need made by correspondence- the nuances of which would be established before she departed.

All in all, the Twilight Princess found it rather draining. She had slept for much of the daylight hours, but nonetheless found herself exhausted by the political process she still felt an outsider to. She had intended to spent the rest of the night under the stars to search for some form of peace. Nighttime was as unfamiliar to her people as daytime, but at least it was dark and cool. Further, she had gotten used to spending her nights under the stars while traveling. Those memories brought her comfort still, despite the turbulent emotions when she recalled them.

As she slowly walked down the dusty main street of the village, she paused, hearing footsteps behind her. Link? It was not his gait, but she dared to hope. Perhaps he finally wanted to talk to her, genuinely talk.

She turned to face the pursuer, but it was not her green clad hero. Instead, Zelda stood in the darkness, hooded and cloaked against the chill. The moonlight was shaded from her eyes, but Midna could still see a glint as the hylian woman smiled.

"Princess Midna. My apologies, but you have proven somewhat elusive during my free hours. I had hoped that we might speak a while, without a dozen others to interrupt?"

Midna paused, but then returned the smile with a gentle one of her own. "Of course." She owed this woman more than just her time, and would not deny her request. Still, she gestured vaguely about the light worlder and her smile turned to a grin. "But with no guards? Aren't you afraid you'll be taken hostage or invaded?"

Zelda walked to catch up and placed a hand upon Midna's forearm. The touch was quite warm for the Twili, and the smirk of Zelda's was most un-dignified. "That depends. Is a 6 foot sorceress a better protector than a tiny imp? If so, I'm sure I'll be fine." Both women chuckled slightly. They set off towards the spring, and Zelda continued, "After all, I've found guards to be fairly poor at guarding me. Who would have imagined?"

"Mmhm. You're not wrong." Midna agreed sagely. Her own had hardly been more effective. They lapsed into a silence as they walked, simply enjoying the night. Zelda seemed most comfortable with the quiet, and Midna couldn't bring herself to reopen the discussion again. That was, after all, surely why Zelda was here.

What to do with the interlopers? The only question that they must decide between them. Return them to their banishment, comfortable or not... or try to bring a people dangerous enough to warrant said banishment back into a fractured kingdom?

Water lapped at Midna's feet as she stepped to the spring. Unlike the heated one upon the cliff top, this was cool, chilled, and she flexed her toes to feel it. It made her feel alive, even this small gesture.

"What shall we do, Midna?"

The question sat in the air for what felt like an age before Midna turned again. Zelda stood at the water's edge, boots dry by virtue of an inch. Her smile had not faded, but the melancholic tint of the question had transformed it it into a look of sympathy.

The twili sighed. "There's no answer that leaves us both happy. No matter what you want to do, what wrongs you think you are righting, the facts are plain. The twili have spent too long in that realm to come back, and the hylians are spooks to us. Memories of a cruel people who refused to share the gifts they had been given."

Zelda's eyebrow raised, but Midna raised a hand before she could be interrupted. "No, it's not my opinion, but it is our legends. Just like the dark sorcerers who tried to steal the power of the Gods are passed down in your tales."

Another sigh, as Midna returned to the bank and sat down. "Any thoughts of returning that my people truly held before Zant were just illusions and ego. None of us expected to ever go anywhere outside the Twilight Realm. And... we were happy there." She paused, and then looked at the hylian. "When you were... with me. Could you see? Were you awake?"

Zelda shook her head. "No. I was alive, but it was like... a sleep. I felt emotion, dull echoes of your experiences. That was all."

"Then let me show you something."

Midna focused, and her hair began to radiate a faint amber light. The visible markings upon her skin began to glow too, a soft luminescent light like that found in certain stones around the kingdom. With a soft whisper and a flick of her hands, Midna summoned an image upon the water of the Twilight realm, as she recalled it. It was... a field. The large dark stone of the palace loomed in the background, and the grass was a yellow colour almost like that of wheat. Still, it looked soft upon the dark grey earth. There were figures, what looked like children. Their shapes were more... pronounced than that of hylian children, but they were no less recognisable as such. Red eyes flashed in laughter as they chased each other about. Further away, a woman looked upon them, her hair a dull and faded reddish colour like the cliffs of Kakariko. She seemed to be washing something in a bucket.

The entire scene was bathed in a beautiful orange light, exactly like that of a rare and clear sunset, and exactly that of Midna's own hair. It spoke of a serenity that words could not convey. Midna, for her part, simply smiled at the scene, the memory, and her ability to conjure both again. She had missed her magic.

"I once told Link that my land held a serene beauty... gentle, pure, peaceful. That is the land I remember. Zant said that we had forgotten our passions, had become meek. Maybe that's true too. No matter which is more accurate, I know my people. They long for that peace, for that calm. Do you think that if we tried to find a way to live once more in the same world, that they would have that wish?"

Zelda said nothing, only watching the image. Midna kept her eyes there too, observing as the young children played. The more slender of the two tripped, seeming to injure themself as they fell. She rubbed the scar on her hand in memory.

"I'm not sure, Princess. We could try it, but it would take time. Time for the wounds of the invasion to go away, so we didn't look like invaders and my people don't feel used... like they were by Zant." She shuddered at the memory of those horrible masks he had put upon them. The old, dark magic, that had twisted them into those monsters. "As it stands, we would need to find a way for our people to physically survive, let alone the politics... ugh." She had hoped she would at least get to wear her crown before having to have these sorts of discussions.

Zelda took a seat upon a rock and watched her counterpart as the magic image faded. "I understand. Just keep in your mind that sometimes, kindness today and kindness in the future require different actions. If you are seen to be the one holding that doorway closed, then it will not take long for some dissenter to use that against you. It happened with Zant, and even without Ganon it could happen once more."

The twili started a little at the rebuke. Is she suggesting that protecting my people is a weakness? "So what do you suggest?"

Zelda picked up instantly on the defensive tone, and kept her response calm and measured. "I suggest a solution that might allow us to slowly introduce diplomacy, and hopefully friendship, between our worlds. Say... an ambassadorial position? People with powerful magic who might be able to briefly visit the other, carry messages, facilitate discussions."

Midna thought on it. That was... much more possible than simply leaving the Mirror of Twilight open. There were such sorcerers in her court, assuming they were still alive. As members of the court, they might even be on board with such a plan... it had some merit. "It's not a useless idea. It would be difficult to test what protections they might need, but still. I think I know a few people who might be able to pull it off."

"Indeed." Zelda's reply was short, unusual for the hylian princess. Midna looked at her counterpoint, who seemed to be deep in thought.

"Would you have a... preference, for who might take on the role of our ambassador to your court? Perhaps one who has not only visited, but is proven to be immune to the effects of your realm?"

Link.

Midna sniggered somewhat harshly, and hoped it didn't seem too quick. "Link? And they call you wise. He's practically a mute. You've seen him around anyone important- he can barely get a sentence out. That's who you'd suggest to represent your kingdom?"

The hylian woman smiled enigmatically. "I would. He is empathetic. An excellent listener, and compassionate. He also was active in removing Zant, and bringing peace between us. I can think of few better candidates."

The twili rose to her feet, her robe billowing as she began to pace. "It couldn't work. I couldn't have him in a position of power there. He would undermine my authority, and people would suggest he might try to claim power like Zant did."

"Perhaps." Zelda shrugged. "Such things are always a risk. However, there are always ways around that. Make sure his title reflects your status. He understands people, their needs, but has no interest in ruling. Anyone who meets him would realise that. Additionally, he would make a fitting and excellent partner for you."

"What?" Midna wheeled on Zelda, the anger in her eyes almost disguising the blush on her cheeks. "First you try to send your greatest warrior to keep watch on my kingdom, then you try to marry me off to him?"

Zelda laughed that musical laugh again, taking a lot of the tension out of the air in an instant. "Not at all, my friend. I mean in the act of rebuilding your kingdom. You have, after all, travelled together as a team. I cannot see how that would not translate to effectiveness. Something to consider, perhaps."

There was a lull in conversation. Midna felt embarrassed and annoyed, but behind her facade the thought began to ferment. Link, the Hyrulean Ambassador to the Twilight. Dressed in moderate finery, twili silks of green and black. His unruly hair still untamed, the peasant still shining through in the stubble on his chin and the smile in his eyes. Walking into the court, lounging upon the throne and watching him try to discuss matters of state without meeting her eye... not knowing what secrets the court might read into a shared glance. Simultaneously, her stomach felt knotted, and an unexpected liquid warmth ran through her. She could not help but smile despite herself. How delicious that little thought is.

Zelda chimed in to break the spell somewhat. "Do you know, Auru once was my tutor on the histories of Hyrule. That is how I first learned of the interloper sorcerers, the twilight realm. Through his teachings. Though I always was stuck on the tales of heroes of old. I loved those stories. Maybe because I was in them... or at least, a princess named Zelda."

She giggled and clasped her hands, her memories bringing out the girl inside the woman somewhat. "I remember wondering if I would ever meet one. A hero, a boy or young man dressed in green like in the stories. He might ride in on a great chestnut stallion, eyes shining, and rescue me from an evil wizard. Sweep me off my feet, carry me to safety, defend me with his life... Can you imagine? I would tuck myself under the covers, dreaming of boys with blue eyes tucking me in, kissing my hands..."

She blushed, and gave a light cough. Midna was astonished at the change in tone, and in the woman. Despite all her nobility, Zelda looked like any other teen obsessed with a boy.

"But it's odd." She paused, feigning confusion. Midna had played this game many times, but she went along with the charade anyway. "What's odd?"

Zelda looked pensively at her hands, humming slightly. "The legends always gloss over what happens after that. After the kingdom is saved. It's never said if the hero and princess ever even speak again. That used to annoy me, even if it wasn't the point of the story. I used to pester Auru for days, asking him. Do they live happily together? Does the hero get to kiss the Princess?"

She giggled again, and when she looked up she looked a little sheepish. "I know. Embarrassing, cliche, but I was a little girl. Auru would never say, though. He would never make up another bit, even to please a petulant little princess. There was only one story that mentioned afterwards, and that was from so long ago that it's hard to believe. They say our country and royal family was founded by such a hero and princess, but who can say? Maybe all the heroes lived on to have happy lives and many children. It's a nice idea, is it not?"

Midna scoffed. "Maybe, but not much more than an idea. We met someone... a ghost, or shade. It was hard to say, but Link and I were sure it was one of your heroes. He was the most regretful person I've ever met."

A knowing look. "Regrets and children are hardly exclusive for men, Princess." Her comment was soft, and suggested more information than she cared to make explicit. Still, she continued on. "I have been lucky, or unlucky perhaps, to live in such a time and meet such a hero. My destiny is entwined with his no further, however. This I know. He would, of course, be welcome in the castle, but if it was his wish... I would not demand that he stay in Hyrule.

A not insignificant portion of Midna bristled slightly. No matter where I am, even in matters of state, I must contend with my feelings for this boy. Should have left him as a wolf. Zelda perhaps mistook her smirk at the thought, for she went on. "I may not have been aware, but there were feelings when I traveled with you. I feel sentimental for what I have not experienced, and fond of memories I do not possess. I recall the nature of this... shadow touch? This strange magic you shared with him. I know how he made you feel, and makes you feel still."

"Mind your own business, Princess. I'm not here to ask for romantic advice." Zelda remained undeterred.

"Truthfully, I am almost envious. You have had the trauma, yes, but also the romance that I dreamed of as a child. It's hard not to be jealous of that. Even if we set that aside, I know you are not unwise. Our kingdoms will not be rebuilt easily, and if we are to ever live in peace then we must do so together, unified in whatever fashion we might. Else we will foster nothing but resentment. All those who witnessed these events, who joined us at the council, have their own roles to play here. Yet I would not have you return unaided. My hands are tied, and yet I see before me one who is not only a good candidate, but who would join you. Would that not be in the interest of your people as well as yourself?"

The princess of twilight scoffed, but could not meet Zelda's eye.

A moment passed, and then her shoulders dropped in resignation.

"He isn't interested in joining me. Not really. I don't know what you think you remember, but all I recall is a nice fantasy. Nothing more."

Zelda's face crinkled in sympathy for her friend. She moved closer, and put those surprisingly warm hands on Midna's, pulling her in for an embrace. The taller woman resisted with a token effort, but then let herself be comforted by the hylian.

"I see how he watches you." Zelda murmured into Midna's shoulder. They broke apart, but continued to hold hands as Zelda spoke. "I also see how he doesn't, if he thinks it matters. Back in court, those sorts of looks would be thrown about. Courtiers looked at me in appreciation of my appearance, and with ambition for my titles. Noble marriages looked at each other with reluctant alliance. What he's giving you, though..."

She smirked. "That boy looks at you like a scullery maid seeing a visiting prince. Just aching to touch the untouchable."

Zelda was blushing now, but her blue-grey eyes sparkled with hidden knowledge. Midna snickered in response, her painted lips parting into a grin. "Saucy girl when you want to be, princess. Does your kingdom know you're like this?"

The hylian only raised a sculpted brow, but did not comment on the matter. Instead, she ventured, "He is hopelessly in love with you. You..." A cold look from Midna gave the the hylian pause, but she continued cautiously, "feel for him. Don't let his fear of making your life hard keep you both from a very achievable happiness."

Midna frowned, biting her lip in a nervous habit of youth. She tilted her head to the side, neither a nod nor shake- simply an acknowledgement of the point.

"So, ambassadorial contact is the best course?"

Zelda nodded. All of the implications of that sentence were not missed, and her words had hit their mark.

The Twilight Princess groaned softly, but conceded. "I'll go and think about it."

Zelda squeezed Midna's hands before releasing them. She watched the twili with a look of empathy, but simply replied, "Think about everything. Take your time."

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A Hero's Thoughts

Link sat with Rusl, closest thing he had to a father. The older man had needed time, but eventually drew out the story of Link's midnight raid on Ordon from the boy. Apologies were made, and the next question turned to the exotic travel companion.

"So, my lad. You've been spending your nights with a princess!"

Link shifted uncomfortably. "She wasn't like that when we were traveling."

"Wasn't a princess?"

"No... sort of. She didn't look like that."

"Ah." Link looked to Rusl, confused. What did that mean?

Rusl paused for thought, and then looked down questioningly at Link. "What does Ilia think?"

He frowned. Ilia? He wasn't sure he even wanted to think about that. "Why would that matter?" Rusl smiles softly. "She has feelings for you, my boy. But then again, perhaps your heart is with someone else?"

The hero simply looked at his boots. I should really clean them. There's caked mud from the Snowpeak on them still, I think. Anything to avoid the questions.

Rusl didn't say anything else for a while. Link wasn't going to talk first. He had nothing to say really about it. After a long and awkward silence, Rusl began once more.

"The first time I delivered the tribute to the castle, I met this lovely young woman named Banna, also from out of town. A farm or ranch or something, I can't remember anymore. My father liked her, and we decided to stay in contact. She and I would write each other, discussing our lives in our own little villages, the comings and goings. It was nice, and I began to wonder whether I would see her if I went back to Castle Town. How to see her."

"Then Uli and I began to spend a bit more time together. She would help out around the village, mending clothes, fixing the creek bridge, odd jobs. She was useful, handy. Practical. Over time, I came to just see her as a part of village life, and a part of my life. When time came to return to Hyrule Castle town, my father asked me if I wanted to write a letter to Banna, asking to meet up. I did write her, and we met at the market. When we talked, I kept quiet about Ordon though. I didn't know it, but I was worried to mention Uli."

Link smiled. "She guessed?"

Rusl chuckled heartily. "Oh yeah. Within about five minutes. She asked who I was avoiding talking about, since I kept changing the subject. I went to meet up with a girl I thought I might marry, and ended up speaking for an hour about Uli and what she was like."

The older man patted Link on the back. "You've been the exact same. Traveling with this woman for nearly a year, but when I ask you you won't say a thing about her. Does she feel the same about you?"

Link shuffled uncomfortably. "Yeah... but she's a princess."

Rusl laughed outright. "And? My lad, if she's a princess and she's telling you how she feels, it's a good chance she understands that more than you. If the goats have escaped and are charging down the hill, you don't stop to ask 'em if they know what they're doing. You catch them!"

The young man smiled. "Are you calling Midna a goat?"

Rusl burst out into laughter again. "No, it's a... you know. A metaphor."

Link did not know.

"A similar situation or example, to try and show you some perspective." Link was confused, but vaguely understood, so nodded.

Rusl gave Link a big hug before rising to his feet. "I had better be getting some sleep. Colin wanted to show me something in the morning. Even he's found his confidence, it seems!" He paused, and regarded Link with a fatherly love. "Maybe you should find yours. Think about it."

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She walked through the night air, feeling the chill on her exposed skin. She had opened up the robe now she was alone. The shadowclothes certainly kept her warm, but there was a lot of exposed skin under the robe, and even as her leg slipped through the slit in her skirt she felt the cool, dry breeze. It was quite lovely, in it's own way.

She didn't know where she was intending to go. She had just needed some time to think, and as everyone else was sleeping, she was just pacing the town. She headed up the gully behind Renado's sanctuary, avoiding the stones and loose debris. She could have magicked up some shoes, but the dust underfoot was almost as invigorating as the chill. Before she knew it, she was at the entrance to the graveyard.

What was it Link said? Twilight is when the spirits feel closest to us? Something like that, anyway. Maybe that was why, as she stepped through the threshold and wandered among the tombs, she felt closer to home. Something about the otherworld, that her own senses instantly picked up, made her comfortable. Even the usual birds, bats and monsters seemed to be absent.

As she paced, something caught her ears. A somewhat musical lilt in the air, strange and echoing. Was this music of the ghosts? She wondered if any musicians were buried there. It felt strange, ethereal, as the faint notes echoed of off the cool, rocky cliffs of the cemetery. She smiled, and continued on, listening to the music. It sounded like... voices. More than one, but they all sounded the same. Perhaps that was a trick of the echoes too.

The tune sounded familiar, too. Perhaps it was something she had heard along their travels? She paused in her wanderings, focusing on the noises. Laa da da, laa da da, laa da da-da-dum... one two three, one two three, one two three-four-three It reminded her of the sound of the howling stones. No, it was the sound of one, or at least the same song. The figurative scent acquired, she began to follow it, absentmindedly swaying as she walked in time to the music. It was not entirely consistent, but as she continued she realised it sounded like a man singing.

Perhaps the Hero's Shade has come back, to visit me? She mused. Perhaps I should tell him to sneak into Zelda's chambers. She sniggered to herself, but followed it until she found herself at the entrance to King Zora's grave. It was unmistakably coming from there.

As she emerged into the hidden chamber, she looked on in amazement. The sound of the water had masked it from outside, but it was certainly a man singing. Across the water, she could see him. He was wearing most of his usual green outfit, rugged up against the elements. His hair, shaggy and blond as it fell over his face, still looked wet from the swim across to the island upon which he sat. He was sitting cross legged, focusing on whatever he was doing with his hands... whittling?

As he worked, he sang. Far from his usual reserved tone of speech, or curt grunts in response to questions, his voice as he sang was melodious and rich. Tinted with the vocal colour of his lupine howls, it warbled slightly, but was deep and warm in a way that the wolf noises never were. There were no words, only tone, but such music she had never heard from him.

It was beautiful.

She watched him for a while as he cut into his target with the knife, wood chips flying off with each blow. Every so often, he'd pause his song as he focused on a more precise bit, but would resume again whenever he returned to broad strokes. Midna was thoroughly amazed.

After a few minutes of silent observation, she closed her eyes and stepped
through
the
shadows
to
the island, appearing noiselessly behind him. His song continued for a moment but the stopped as he sniffed the air. He didn't move, didn't say anything to begin with. And then...

"How long?"

"A few minutes." She replied. "I've never heard you sing like that."

She was pretty sure he smiled at that, though she still couldn't see his face. "Music calms animals. When there's tension in the herd, I sing to the goats. Same to Epona, her song. I've sung that to her for years."

Midna crouched down beside him, keeping enough distance that he might feel comfortable. "What are you making?"

He looked up at her finally. He looked... tired, but less conflicted than he had been. Perhaps this was the relaxation he truly needed. "Dunno yet. Wood's still guiding me." He offered it across to her, and she inspected it. It looked like... well, a blob. But with some sharp edges. Unformed, but full of potential. I know how you feel, blob.

"I've been confused."

The statement caught her off guard. "Really? You seem so confident!" She exclaimed, but immediately chuckled self consciously. "Sorry. Sarcasm is a habit."

He looked up to her, blue eyes clear in the moonlight. "I know." He was smiling at the joke, which was a relief. At least I didn't offend him. She was fairly tired of those sorts of misunderstandings.

He murmured something next that she completely missed. "What?Speak up, Link." She asked, leaning forward on the balls of her feet to hear him better. She had to put a hand out to steady herself, but she was close enough feel the heat of his breath as he spoke again.

"Rusl says I have to grab the goat by the horns."

...

That was... not what she was expecting. Midna frowned, trying to decipher any meaning in his words. Nope. Nothing there. "I'm sorry, but what? What does that mean??" She paused, incredulity building. "Are you calling me a goat?"

His hand snapped up to her, catching her by the back of the shoulders and pulling himself towards her. She saw just a glimpse of his smile before his mouth was on hers, kissing her as deeply as he ever had. His other hand came up to catch her face, his fingers bunching in the fabric of her hood just behind her ear... but all she could feel were his lips, soft and loving. His breath, hot on her face as he finally did what she had been longing for since she came back to this form. His nose, slightly cool as it pressed against her cheek. His hands, guiding their torsos together as they crouched on the ground.

Pulling him to her.

Pulling her to him.

Pulling her hand off the ground...

Surprised as she was by his kiss, she didn't realise until it was too late that he was as off balance as her, and together at last, they went tumbling straight into the icy waters of the hidden pool.

It was far too cold.

Chapter Text

Letting Off Steam

Midna wondered to herself if this had gone how he had hoped.

Both them were loitering in the bushes near the inn, waiting for an opportune moment to sneak in. They were doing this because one of them had pushed them both in a hidden lake. Running through a town in drenched clothes was something they had done before, but not particularly a good look during a diplomatic council.

They were both drenched and freezing. For all her comfort in the cool, the robe hung heavy and cold upon her skin, and Link had fared little better. At least her shadow clothes would dry quickly, but he could hardly magic up some new garments. So, here she skulked, looking for an easy way to get someone who couldn't shadow-step into the building.

"W-Won't work."

"Wouldn't need to work if you hadn't pushed me in a lake!" She replied with an acerbic tone, not looking at the man.

"D-didn't mean t-t-t-to."

"But you did. Unless you want to get naked here while your clothes dry, we're doing it."

The pair had climbed out of the water with equal parts laughter, anger and embarrassment. After all, the scenario that got them where they were was something good, or at the very least cathartic. The humour had worn off as they shivered their way back through the town, leaving a trail of sodden footprints behind them. Link made to reply to the previous comment, but his chattering teeth bit his tongue. He cursed under his breath, and she let out a quiet laugh.

"Look, it's fine. Like I said, it's not that I minded the gesture..." Her face cracked into a smug grin in full confidence that he could not see. "But don't try to talk if you're going to hurt yourself. It was nice, but you're an idiot, and this is your fault."

He grunted in argument. Midna whipped around to fix him with a crimson stare, challenging him, and he backed down fairly quickly. She returned her eyes to the front of the inn, where two gorons stood with a hylian guard. "Also, I can't believe I'm saying this, but don't tell me that this decision only came from thinking of me as a goat."

He said nothing in response. And that says everything. She scowled. There doesn't seem to be much chance of getting by unseen, either. Just as she decided this, another thought came to her.

She turned back to the shivering hylian. "Hang on. Do you even have any spare clothes?" She couldn't remember him carrying any with them.

He shrugged. "Sort of." However, the more she considered it, the more she was certain. She had never seen another set of clothes than his green tunic and armour. A few changes of undergarments perhaps, but otherwise he had either washed himself clothed or clean them in a river when the chance presented.

"I s-said it-t wouldn't w-work." His chattering teeth pushed out, somewhat sullenly.

Midna quietly groaned. "You idiot! Why didn't you speak up?" She gestured behind him and they both retreated to the deeper shadows. "Right. Where else is hot and dry?

"Bomb shop?" Ït wasn't a terrible suggestion. Barnes' shop was always arid for the benefit of the bombs, and had great ventilation. It was also quite comfortably warm. Then again...

That look he gave me. Not with 4 more robes would I feel clothed enough around Barnes, let alone disrobed... She gave a great shudder.

"Not an option." He raised his hands, gesturing 'Why?', but she continued on. "And you're freezing. Let's... let's go the the hot springs, and light a fire."

"We'll b-be seen?" It was a question, but she simply grinned.

"Let me worry about that."

----------------------

A Hero's Thoughts

Once they made it up the cliff face, Midna began to set up a simple drying rack. He tried to help, but she dismissed him with a wave, so instead he stood by the hot spring and claimed what ambient heat it could offer. He didn't really know what to say... even more than usual. He had kissed her properly, and then completely messed it up. She wasn't saying anything about it either...

He expected some magic trick or another that might help, so was quite surprised when she did no such thing. Other than assistance in carving a hole in the earth, she set up an entirely practical fire pit, the sort he used when he was trying not to draw attention. He watched as she gathered particular kindling and wood and positioned it behind boulders to hide the light into the valley.

She caught his curious gaze, and shrugged. "What? I'm not useless. Anyway, you showed me this trick."

Hmm. I must have. When did I... Suddenly he remembered. It was back at the fishing hole. He liked the fishing hole. It was always quiet and calm. There were no monsters there whenever he visited, and Hena had never seemed to mind him staying a while. She was so nice. Before they had worked more with the resistance, they had often ended up staying at the fishing hole when they were in the area. It had always felt a little wrong, abusing Hena's trust in him, but Midna had always encouraged the idea. "Safety and privacy are hard to come by." And she was right.

He remembered building it so it was hard to see from the main cabin. She had floated over, half invisible in just the moonlight. "How is that so dim but so warm? The hole isn't that deep."

He had smiled, looking forward to showing her something for once. Not just feeling like an idiot dog on a leash. Ah, the early days. It would have been just before they headed into the Gerudo Desert, and she was being far nicer to him than she had before Zant had attacked. So he had told her all the secrets. The depth of the hole to dig, the second chimney for ventilation, the placement so you could direct the smoke, that sort of thing. He thought she had not payed attention, fiddling as she was with her helmet the whole time.

That she remembered was... nice.

He smiled to himself, and brought his attention back. She was done, and having set up both the fire and some sticks for a drying rack, she shrugged off her robe.

Oh.

He couldn't help but stare.

The steam of the spring drifted through the air, blurring his vision as much as the smoke of their fire. Between that and the dim moonlight, she looked almost like she was half made of shadows... Suppose she is, sort of. Without the robe, all she had on were her shadowclothes, which... clung to her, like honey on a spoon. They barely ever seemed to have much thickness... he had once mistaken them for simple markings on her skin, in fact. So now she was wearing nothing else, in the half light she looked basically naked.

She reached up, grunting with frustration as she undid the last of the pins in her hair, letting the russet tresses fall in cascading waves across her shoulders and back. Finally ready, she gave a slight shiver- maybe if he were closer, he would see goosebumps on her pale, blue-grey skin. Is that all I'd see?

She looked over her shoulder at him, her hair floating almost independently around her head as she fixed him with a crimson stare. As if by magic, the steam was blown aside just enough for him to see her clearly.

Even with a better grasp on language than he possessed, he wouldn't have been able to describe it adequately. What he saw was this.

Her eyes seemed innocent, curious, yet with a hidden knowledge and depth that begged to be discovered. Her plum tinted lips were slightly parted, though as he watched she somewhat nervously bit the bottom one, letting the steam of her breath escape their confines. Her hair framed her face in a way it never had as an imp, nor wearing her robe. Long, voluminous hair glowed slightly in the moonlight, letting off an almost golden light as the pale silver of the moon threaded it's way through the errant strands and luxurious coils of her amber hair.

Her arms were slightly raised, unsure of whether the way she was standing masked her body from his curious eyes. Technically, she was wearing clothes, but the shadows clung to her in the same way that lovers wished to, adhering so closely to her form that they were as one. There were no distinguishing features of nudity, but he could see her curves and shape in extravagant detail. If anything, the shadows only served to highlight her form, contrasted against the pale ochre of the stones behind her. Where her skin may have blended with the background in the dim light, even as it glistened with leftover water from her robe and condensation, the deep black of the shadows made her lines very clear against the backdrop. She looked as if she had been imposed upon the world, completely separate and distinct.

All he truly thought of this was that she looked stunning, and beautiful. He would never have the words to describe how she looked that night. Not that he ever tried- it was a memory he kept to himself for the rest of his time. In the moment, though, his mouth fell open at the sight. He had never felt such a strong reaction to seeing someone before. His body felt like it was on fire, despite the chills and shivers.

As the steam drifted between them again, she noticed his attention, and smiled a wicked smile. The same smile as she had first given him back in the dungeons under Hyrule Castle, it was one of the few physical reminders that this woman, this twilit sorceress in front of him, was that same imp who had tormented him so much.

She winked at him, and then gracefully danced into the waters, disappearing into the shallows of the springs as she fully submerged herself.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

She could not help but relax as the water engulfed her, taking her into it's warm embrace. Link wasn't the only one lost in thought, though. As she dipped beneath the shallow waters, she thought back to their first time on Death Mountain, and finding the springs there. It had taken him that long to feel comfortable disrobing in front of her, and the springs were the decider. He had remained clothed mostly from the time she met him in the woods to that trip. She hadn't blamed him, in so far as she had cared. He had been too busy, running back and forth. Finding the Ordon kids had really changed the tone though. He had finally relaxed a little. Overwhelmed still, but trying his best had netted him some results, and with that some confidence.

They had bested the goron down the hill eventually using the iron boots from Ordon. Frankly, even with them she was surprised that he was able to move the rock beast, but there you had it. As he threw the goron aside, she felt a twinge in her lower back- like a pulled muscle, but from what she did not know. She had only been watching from the shadows, afer all.

They continued up the mountain, and she would have left it if not for Link rubbing the same spot on his back in discomfort. Ah. The shadow link is growing in power. The realisation felt heavy, like it carried a weight to it she was yet to truly feel. She had already been able to feel vague emotions and impulses for some time, but this was more.

Such things were not unexpected. It was a known effect of sharing shadows with another. The skill itself was not so common, and usually reserved for more... intimate friendships. She was starting to see why.

That said, she couldn't afford to drop it now. Not only because of the danger that this land's monstrous light posed to her, but... she didn't trust him. This hylian boy was willful, stupid, and stubborn, an altogether terrible combination. Yet, what he lacked in brains was made up in sheer guts, and she wouldn't put it past him to try and escape her if the chance arose. She hadn't yet felt any such inclination, but you couldn't be too sure.

It was what she would do in that situation.

He's handled himself well enough. She had thought in an internal counter-point. Even that giant plant monster back in the woods hadn't caused him too much harm. Clearly the boy fought for a hobby, even if he was a career farmer. A goat farmer. The hero of my realm is a damned goat farmer. If ever there was a better lesson in humility, she didn't want to learn it.

That phantom back pain had continued as they climbed, worsening with each awkward reach of jump. When they accidentally stumbled upon the hot springs, Midna had stopped him, demanding that he bathe.

He frowned, questioning it. She made up some excuse about him being clearly injured so she wouldn't have to explain the shadow-craft yet, and begrudgingly he accepted. And then promptly began to walk into the water, fully armed and armoured.

"Are you mad?"

He frowned again, the interjection confusing and irritating him. She manifested in front of him, her translucent shadow-form glowing strangely in the steam. "Who bathes with their clothes on? Have you ever had a bath before?"

He shook his head, and her jaw dropped. That would explain the smell. "How do you wash yourself, then?"

He met her incredulity with an annoyed stare, and then defensively grunted, "River." Oh. Midna had assumed that was simply a travel thing, but that was actually how the boy bathed? Peasants! She sighed.

"Well, for a recovery bath, you want to take your clothes off, and just soak yourself for half an hour or so. Can you smell that?" He wrinkled his nose, and she felt a wave of disgust through the shadow magic. "Yes, that. Those minerals will help your back, if you let them."

He stared back at her, or maybe through her to the baths. She sensed.. hesitation. "What? What is it now?" Her frustration was met with an awkward glance.

"You're looking."

"At what?"

"Me!"

She screamed in frustration. "Argh! I can't not look! This stupid place with it's stupid light would burn me. I have to stay in your shadow, which means I have to stay with you. Now go! Strip and bathe, you stupid dog!" He instinctively in anger, before catching himself. A loose hand gesture to the air as she disappeared once more, and he began to disrobe. She could not help but notice that while every wound on his torso was new, he had scars all down his arms. Presumably a farming thing. Explains his tolerance for pain, if nothing else. There was nothing wrong with the rest of what she could see, though.

Wait. I mean... She paused, backtracking on her own thoughts. If she could feel his thoughts, could he feel hers? He couldn't understand the magic that well... it's only been a week or two. Nonetheless, she kept those thoughts at bay, squirming slightly as she tried to focus on anything other than his increasingly naked form.

For both their benefit, he kept his underclothes on. Despite her bluster, she did try to look away as he made his way into the pool. The warmth flooded his body, and in turn, hers, filling her soul. She could feel him relaxing even as he grumbled. Gods... I can't wait to have a bath. She missed that sort of sensation, that comfort and serenity. She'd not felt it since being robbed of her palace. Still, for now, she would have to wait. She slunk through the shadows, clinging as close to him as she would dare. He couldn't tell, of course. While she was hidden like this, it was all the same to him.

Deep within those shadows, she closed her eyes and relaxed for the first time in weeks. It's so warm.

----------------------------------------------------------

Back in the present moment, Midna sighed. Oh, how things had changed since then.

He had begun to divert to the springs when in the area, taking the rare chance to recover when he might. Sometimes at night, she had even been able to join him in the physical world, once Zelda had... This moment was different, though. She slowly surfaced, feeling the water's embrace fall from the crown of her head, down past her face and ears... the chill of the outside was far more tolerable now. She had enjoyed the cool water, but walking around in soaked clothes was far from refreshing. This was better, and besides. This was with him.

She sat back in the pool, the water lapping just below her collarbone as her long legs stretched luxuriously. Her eyes tracked him as he stripped down to those same underclothes he had been wearing on Death Mountain. Hanging his tunic up on the makeshift rack, he turned to face her.

He looks stunning.

The scars and wounds that patterned his body were new, but they were as beautiful as the man they adorned. Hard, jagged lines of violence that segmented the sight of his lean, muscular body. As if the form he wore was cracking apart, and the warrior he had become was breaking through. His hair fell upon his face in shaggy blonde locks, but his blue eyes shone through with as much intensity as the wolf's when first she saw him. His legs were those of a runner, a climber, lean enough to disguise their strength. That described him on the whole, actually. When she saw him like this, so exposed, she was astonished at how unassuming he appeared when clothed. When this... majesty was hidden.

She thought back to some of her little fantasies, and blushed in the moonlight. The fingers of her right hand began to trace the linework upon her thigh, and she smiled, imagining that same artistry decorating this sculpture of a man. A man who kissed me. Her blush deepened, and she was thankful for the cover of steam. Some dignified princess she was. Zelda was right- sometimes it was good to just be a silly girl who wanted a boy.

And goddesses, she wanted this boy.

He joined her in the pool, his face visibly dropping it's tension as he submerged himself a few feet away from her. She snickered and murmured to him through the steamy air. "Better than the inn?" He nodded, his eyes fluttering shut. Privately, she wondered what he was thinking, if he was thinking at all. Then again, she had seen the look in his eyes as she entered the water. She didn't need a magical connection to read that feeling.

Goddesses, help me. She was not usually a blushing maid by any stretch, but this want was starting to make her feel like one. She craved his attention, his validation, his affection. Knew it would give her that same thrill as when she was an imp, but feel so much more natural. Knew it would make her heart pound and her fingers twitch nervously and her breath catch in her throat. She wanted that. Most of her fantasies when she had been an imp had been centered around a more... practical reason she wanted her body back. After all, there were some things that just wouldn't work as an imp, and she didn't want them to.

Ugh. No, the imp had limitations she was not interested in exploring. And granted, though rare, her little fantasies had been anything but wholesome. She had been waiting to return to her real body so she might have hands to touch him, legs to wrap around his waist, a proper mouth to kiss him and taste him. To have a body that would stir him in the primal way that his animal form hinted at. He might not always look like a wolf, but he snarled, sniffed, scratched, and barked like one even when human. His anger was a truly fearsome thing, as scary as any wild beast. Were other... passions so strong? Deep in her thoughts, she had often wondered if her body could elicit such a reaction in him. She hadn't gotten far enough to plan for the actual possibility of it, though.

Given all that, it was surprising to her that now, in front of him wearing some obscenely form fitting clothes, she wasn't thinking such thoughts. Well, not entirely. There was no point lying to herself that he wasn't stirring warmth in her that the hot springs couldn't come close to matching, but there was so much more than that. There was a vulnerability that she had been entirely unprepared for. She craved his body yes, but his heart even more.

She still knew it was madness. The limitations, the problems that did and might yet exist were a list that could stretch from here to Lake Hylia. Yet even so, she had asked him to tell her what she meant to him, and in response he had kissed her. A few hours late, but still.

She smiled at him, coming out of her own head enough to watch the hylian man recline underneath the water. Dismissing for the moment thoughts of both his love and his body, she drew closer to him. He glanced across to watch, within reach yet not touching... yet.

"Midna." He began, but trailed off immediately.

She smiled back at him with a look warmer than the pool. "It's ok. I know words aren't a strength of yours." He gently laughed, and simply nodded.

The pair sat for a moment, feeling the pool ease the chill that had set in as they walked from the graveyard. If there were more words incoming from him, she couldn't tell, so instead she took the initiative.

"It's alright if you're not sure."

He looked at her, his eyes inscrutable.

"Truly, it is. I'm unsure too. This is all a little... unexpected, for me."

She looked at her hands, massaging her own palms underneath the water. "I never meant to pressure you into anything either. I just... It was difficult. I never expected you to be more than a convenient and temporary ally. Then you became a friend, and when you saved my life, more again A best friend, someone who I could trust with anything. That was already so far beyond what I was looking for. But now..."

She trailed off again. He sat quietly beside her, letting her gather her thoughts. So many people think he's simple, because he doesn't speak. Midna mused to herself, coming to an overdue realisation. That's not true though. He's just got more patience and empathy than everyone else combined. It's not that he can't speak, it's that he always wants to listen. Her eyes found his again, shining in appreciation.

"And... we had something. I'm not sure what it was... and I'm not asking you to tell me. It was there, no matter what it was called. I liked it."

She smiled nervously, astonished at her own bashfulness.

"I liked you. This. Us."

A soft sigh. "When Ganon began to revive himself again... I lost all hope. I felt so empowered when we beat that monster, and all I could think was that we were unstoppable together. That whatever else came next, that moment was a culmination of whatever we had made between us. The bond that had given us the strength to win. And then Zelda came back, and I got caught up in that, until..."

She shuddered, remembering the feeling. The dread. Even now, the deep, dark feeling threatened to take hold of her, the near gravitational pull of his inescapable power. Her thoughts were interrupted by Link's hand, taking hers under the water. She took a deep breath, gratefully squeezing it back before continuing.

"We couldn't beat that sort of power, not there. I knew that he was capable of bringing the whole place down on us, and we needed to get away. To regroup. But if we could just slow him down... if we could tire him out, then maybe we could force him into a fair fight. So I made up my mind."

His hand remained tight around hers, but she could see the sadness in his eyes. He opened his mouth to speak, but hesitated. Eventually, he muttered just one sentence.

"I would have stayed with you."

She felt her heart swell with those words, with the simplicity of that gesture. She knew he would have. Knew it, in her very bones. "That's why I didn't ask." She replied, sorrow in her voice. "I had the magic to fight him, to maybe even wound him. You didn't. You would have been crushed, or could have been used against me... we both would have died."

It was Link's turn to look away. She felt the pressure in his hand drop off, and then return almost to the point of pain.

"You still did." The pain in his voice was agony to her. She fought back tears of sympathy as she went on.

"I'm so sorry. I was resigned to that, if it happened. If that was the price of saving Hyrule, and the Twilight... of saving you, then I would pay it. I'm sorry that I had to do it, but I'd do it again. For such high stakes... one foolish imp girl is a small price to pay."

He didn't meet her eyes. She didn't blame him- that was the core of the problem between them. Beyond the etiquette, beyond the worries about the future, and no matter the justification. She had sent him away, and as a result he was not there with her when she died. It seemed indulgent at first glance, but on an emotional level she understood. Even someone with as little sentimentality as her could understand how that might feel like a betrayal.

When he met her eyes again, she swore she could see the ghost of tears, and her heart broke a little. She continued, trying not to let her voice break. "I know. I just thought... if I could drain his magic, if I could wound that spirit enough that he needed time to recover, then you would be safe. Better one of us gets out alive, and with Zelda too... you could both make things right."

She paused, taking another deep breath. She felt the steam rush into her lungs, and then exhaled heavily, squeezing his hand right back. "And then... I came back. I was alive. It was an alarming experience, to say the least."

She grinned at him, and he returned a small one, lightening the mood somewhat. "Back in my real body, like I've wanted for so long now... but it still felt wrong. True form or not, I was too used to our connection, to your company. Without it, everything still felt foreign."

They fell back into a silence again, their muscles relaxing but their minds both tense. The air was clearer regarding their shared past... but significant questions still overshadowed the next steps.

"So." Midna broke the tension, her fingers tracing his wrist. "Where does that leave us?"

The pretty farm boy shrugged. "I'm not sure." He was staring at their hands, and the muscles in his arm twitched at the delicate contact of her fingertips. "Decisions were easier before. I knew your opinions... didn't feel like an idiot."

She giggled, her fingers tracing further up his forearms. "You're not an idiot, Link. But you are a little foolish when you say things like that. I'm right here, you can ask me whatever."

That elicited a grin, but instead of doing exactly that, he looked down. The small space between them was dark, hidden from the moonlight by their shadows. "Wait. Our shadows are touching. Why can't I tell? Was that an imp thing?"

"Thank the goddesses, no." Midna laughed softly. What a curse that would be, to have that wonderful power come from such a hideous form. "It's an old twili magic. It's usually seen as a bit... forward, if you're not already close to the other person." He frowned, confused. "Forward? It seems useful for helping people learn, though."

Her eyebrow arched up in surprise at the man's naivety. "Maybe... think of it more like this. If someone was feeling strong emotions about you, and you didn't know them well, it could get uncomfortable. But if you knew them very well, then..." He nodded slowly to signal that if he didn't get it, he would follow along with the premise.

She waited a moment, and then suddenly Link's face went red.

He looked back down at her hands, which had stilled in his again. "So, you can use it to make someone... feel..."

"Yep."

"Oh." He paused again, the blush taking over his face entirely. "Well... I'm honoured."

Midna burst out laughing at how stiff and formal that was. I just told him I had connected with him like that for a year, and he says he's honoured? Sweet, polite fool.

Link grumbled under his breath as she managed to reign her amusement in.

"Midna. I meant it."

Her laughter died down, and she met his eyes. He looked entirely serious, and suddenly she felt terrible for laughing at him. "Oh. I... Um..."

She struggled for any words that felt appropriate to respond to that with. What do I say to that? She bemoaned internally. While she laboured for a fitting response, his earnest look dropped, and he began to laugh. She scowled disapprovingly. "What?" He only laughed harder, and she turned away, annoyed. "What's so funny?"

"All this time..." He began, and then reached across, gently guiding her shoulders until she faced him again. "All this time, I thought I was reading more into our friendship than you meant. And you were magically... 'thing-ing' me since we first met!"

She sat up, gaining an extra foot of height on him from sheer indignance. "I was not 'thing-ing' you! Don't say it like that! That makes it sound so filthy!"

He only laughed more, his voice rich with a humour and life she hadn't seen much of since they fought Zant. Still, she tried to explain it a little better, so she didn't sound like she'd been magically taking advantage of him. "It's nothing like that! Done properly, it's... tender. Emotional, intimate. You could do it as lifelong friends as much as lovers. That sort of thing. I mean, it's not just some sex thing."

At the word 'sex' he froze, and then his laughter redoubled. She grunted in frustration. Fine. She pulled both of his hands to her and locked eyes with him, letting the shadows flow between them like they used to. The effect was instant. He stilled, relaxing fully, and his face froze in it's laughter as the shadows connected with his spirit. And through him, she... felt.

She felt his uncertainty, his nervousness at the situation. You don't know what this means. She could understand that. In response, she calmed herself, like water she poured that calm into him. Slowly, she felt the change as his walls began to lower. There was a thrill of recognition too, a spark of joy in their connection being restored. She recognised that instantly, for she felt it too.

All his doubts were not assuaged, though. Gently probing, she asked him, "What is it? What do you fear?" He grimaced, but responded, "You'll take your hands away, and this will be gone." She gave a gentle shrug, but a beatific smile. "Perhaps. I'll need to move eventually. For now, just let yourself feel it."

She inhaled, and then with her exhale the shadows darkened beneath the waters. It would have been invisible to an onlooker, but she could feel in her heart that the bond between them was pulling them ever closer. He followed her lead, relaxing further into the connection and in turn allowing her more access to his soul. Good. She thought, loudly. She was unsure if she could transmit actual thoughts, but the intentions should be easy enough. This is what I meant. This is closer to the feeling.

Even closer than she let on, too. Thanks to years of practice, she could withhold some of herself from him, especially since he didn't himself know the magic. Link was not so fortunate. No matter the exact nature of their relationship, he remained a young man nearly naked in a pool with a beautiful woman- and those thoughts, she could detect. She tried not to focus on it, but lust was building inside him, and it radiated to her through the bonds. It was a odd sensation, but enough to make her understand the taboos and guidance around making these connections. Maybe I am thing-ing him...?

She held the doubts back, not wanting to scare him again, but the effects of his thoughts were undeniable. They echoed within her, amplified and amplifying her own natural reactions, creating a vicious feedback loop. She wasn't cold blooded, and had been admiring this man for months now. She breathed in, hoping that the simple act of breathing it out would help cool the inferno building in her body. Her stomach felt like the sea in a storm, her heart was pounding, and every slight movement of his hands against hers felt like electricity running to a very specific destination.

It's too much. She reluctantly began to pull back from him when suddenly she felt something else. Something that excited her as much as the lust pumping through her brain, but in a different way. He was staring into her eyes with a look of simple, unrestrained affection, the kind that Zelda had been describing from her dreams.

She began to melt in that gaze.

Surely, he doesn't realise how much he's passing on his emotions? She wondered quietly about it as his eyes held hers, and her face broke into a shy smile. It certainly felt intentional to her, almost as if he understood how to use this skill as well as she did. Surely not. Whether intentionally or not, she could feel it, like heat from a fire as it pulsed through the shadows that tied them.

Love. He loves me.

Her heart fluttered, her mind went blank, and she gasped in shock as the weight of the emotion sunk into her.

Looking deep into his eyes for some sort of understanding, she could find only a gentle, bare spirit, exposed to her magic. Finally, with a regretful sigh, she pulled away both physically and magically. She did not break eye contact with him, and his gentle loving expression turned to a quizzical look. The twili's breath caught in her throat, and she looked away briefly to cough. When she came back to him she smiled, but it was tinged with a little shame. That was invasive, and selfish. She chastised herself, upset at how easily she had given in to temptation. She wanted to know how he felt ever since she returned, and when given permission...

"Midna."

His voice brought her back to his fine features, his beautiful eyes. Her breathing was shallow as she stared into their depths, equal parts thrilled and nervous. I'm feeling... this is too many emotions!

"Midna." A little firmer this time, catching her before she could fall back into thought again. She smiled timidly.

"Yes, Link?"

He looked like a vision in the steam as his face moved closer to hers.

"Thank you."

His voice was a murmur that pulled her heart to his. His eyelids lowered slightly as he moved closer again. "I feel like... I can understand you again." His lips formed into a smile, in the moment before they met hers. She closed her eyes, reveling in the sensation. His mouth, so soft. His tongue, gently pressing against hers as their mouths opened into the kiss. His fingertips as they brushed the wet hair away from her face, before his hand cupped her cheek. "Thank you." He murmured again into her mouth and slowly, the pair of them leaned back, letting the water take their weight.

Resting on elbows, just enough to keep above the water, they became a couple once more, tenderly kissing each other in the heated pool. Midna had shown him her magic, now he was returning the favour as best he could. Slowly, their bodies came closer and closer, pressing against each other and validating the connection they had both craved for so long. Midna sighed into the kiss as Link's hand massaged her back, gently rubbing the tension from her muscles almost absent mindedly. Her hands found his torso, and with a somewhat obvious glee she finally was able to feel with her own hands the body that had fascinated her for so long.

Her body was on fire, but the wild emotion in her mind overruled everything, craving only to walk this road with him, at whatever pace he set. She drank in his affection, letting it heal all the little wounds in her soul. The water rippled around their bodies as they moved, eyes closed, hands exploring each other like neither ever had before. She let the shadows touch once more, and instantly felt herself cradled in everything he felt for her.

"Midna... I..." He began to speak in between breaths, but she cut him off. "Tell me later." She murmured, and then reclaimed his mouth once more.

They remained like that for a long time, she could not have said how long. Midna knew it was indulgent, that if anything she was giving herself more to lose. All her hesitations, all the problems in the future remained. Yet for now, it was enough.

For now, she had him.

Chapter Text

Ch 14- Turns and Fears

A Hero's Thoughts.

The sky was a dark, brooding blue with only the first suggestions of sunlight when he was awoken. He blearily opened his eyes to see Midna kneeling beside him, lithe form still catching the moonlight. He smiled groggily, reaching out for her, and she took his hand softly into her own.

"Wake up, sleepyhead." Her voice was soft, kind... he was immediately reminded of every other time she had woken him up, the kicks and shoves and shouting. Now, the affection clung to each word like morning dew to a flower. "You fell asleep."

Blinking hard to clear his eyes, Link sat up. He had been lying on her robe, which was probably why she was still so... visible. He shifted slightly, adjusting the tunic and remembering the night with a growing grin. She cocked an eyebrow, her own lip curling up against her will. "Wipe that smirk off your face. And stop looking at me like that- I'm royalty you know." Her stern facade immediately cracked, and she giggled at him. It was a beautiful sound.

"Come on, get up. People will already have noticed we're gone, and we don't need the rumours. We should get back."

Link placed his hand on her hip, feeling the softness of her skin and the velvety texture of her clothes. Those skin tight clothes. He could feel her muscles tense up in response, and his nose tingled instinctively to detect a mood change before he stopped himself. Some dog habits took hold swifter than others, it seemed. "What rumours?" He asked, focussing on her face instead. Enjoying the moonlight in her eyes, the curve of her lips as she spoke, remembering the feeling of kissing her.

"Really? You and I, together all night, and you don't know what people might think?"

"Let them." Midna's breath caught in surprise. He gave her a simple smile, no artifice or cunning behind it, and continued. "We're great friends, more even. I don't mind if people think we're wooing each other."

His smile remained resolute, and he took her hand and held it firmly. Let people think what they wanted! I would proudly step out with Midna!

"...Wooing?"

He nodded firmly, offering her a supportive look.

Her face responded in a river of emotions. First, stunned surprise, moving swiftly onwards through confusion, recognition, amusement, pity and finally a gentle care as she gently clasped his hand between both of hers. "Ah. Link... think for a moment. If we are 'great friends', and our class means you're not likely to be able to... court me..." Her words were slow, and he frowned. What was she getting at?

"Then perhaps an assumption might be made that if we're disappearing together, we are... doing something that a man and woman can do where we can't be seen."

What is she talking about? Urgh, didn't she wanted me to be open about my feelings, and now... His internal monologue slowed, and then his mind rapidly sped up as he realised what she was saying. Memories from back on the farm jumped to the front of his mind, and he felt the blood rush to his face as he pictured... Us. He met her eyes, and there was a mischievous sparkle of understanding.

He looked down at his knees, breaking eye contact to avoid the embarrassment. It wasn't that he had never considered that sort of thing. He wasn't so naive as to not know what men and women could do, and it wasn't that Midna didn't stir any desire in him. Far from it, attested to by his attempts to distract himself in that moment. It was more that, for all his rural upbringing, he came from a small village, and with no family. He always had needed to tread lightly around anything like that, even in teenage fumblings with Ilia. He had tried to be respectful, and never pushed boundaries in case the orphan boy was caught trying it on with the mayor's daughter.

Now, Midna was suggesting that people might think that very same thing about them. Suddenly thoughts that had been pushed to the back of his mind to deal with at a more appropriate time came rushing to just behind his eyes, guding them back to the twili woman's legs, hips, chest, face, eyes. Eyes that glowed a pale crimson in the moonlight and spoke of deep understanding of those particular yearnings. Wordlessly, they gazed at each other, and he knew those thoughts were playing out in her mind too.

After a few moments, Midna broke the silence. Link could not help but notice she seemed slightly shorter of breath as she spoke. "So, clearly, we can't have people saying those things." She paused, licking her lips, a simple gesture that sent shivers down Link's spine. "And there are a lot of people around who might talk. It's not like we're alone, like we used to be."

Link shuffled slightly closer, trying to ignore the pressure in his chest. Now, even in the warm air by the spring, he could feel the heat of her breath on his face. He felt all sorts of emotions bubbling up in him, but this darker flavour of his affection screamed in him for some sort of release.

"Midna... would you mind if I..." She cut him off with exactly what he wanted, kissing him passionately. He fell back under her assault, letting her drape across him as her tongue pressed into his mouth. To his own embarrassment, he groaned a low noise of release as she did so, his hands finding the small of her back and holding her to him. Other feelings began to resonate through his body like wind through a howling stone, thrumming deep in parts of him that he should definitely feel more guilty about.

Then, like a cloud passing over the sun, she was gone. She sat up, looking a little shy as she towered over him. He didn't get up yet himself, instead taking a few deep breaths to calm his nerves. "That was... nice."

Her shy look didn't move, but she smiled slightly. "Yeah. Is that... what you wanted?" He nodded, trying to ignore the other things he now wanted that she had put in his head. She broke out into a grin before finally getting up to her feet.

"Good. My other points still stand though. Come on, up you get." He grumbled, but rose up and dusted off his clothes. "Oh, and while we walk, I want to run something by you. Try to hear me out." That doesn't sound good. Still, he agreed, and they gathered their things, beginning to trek back to the inn.

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The last meeting went by in a blur for Midna. Now that they had covered most of the practical ground, there were only a myriad small things to attend to, most of which didn't concern her. Instead, she spent most of the meeting watching the others, trying to gauge their demeanors and gain some confidence in her decision.

Link still seemed a little... on the fence regarding her plan, but she could see no other way forward in the short term. Particularly, when considering the looks the Zora prince and Guard Captain kept throwing her.

The time finally came when the conversation turned once again to the Twilight Realm, and she steeled herself. Zelda stood, her quiet confidence radiant as she began to soften up the council for what they had discussed. "All that remains is the question, once more, of the Twilight Mirror. Princess Midna, I trust you've had some time to consider this? Perhaps we might hear first your proposal, and then any discussion might be had."

She took a deep breath and steeled herself. Even as she rose to her feet, she saw the eyes of everyone in the room on her.

"Indeed, I have made a decision."

She wanted more than anything to see those blue eyes of the Hero on her, to feel his shadow touch and bask in his courage and bravery. She could not though. He had his doubts about the plan, and she was worried that she would feel little else if she reached out.

"I have decided that the best course of action is to close the mirror, and return to the way things were."

There was nought but silence around the table. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the Zora's eyes widen somewhat in surprise, but he tactfully held back his words.

Even Zelda, who had been unflappable for every meeting, seemed somewhat taken aback. She visibly searched for words for a moment, her eyes flickering about the room, before she as obviously regained her grace. "I see. That is... your decision, however I will admit, I find myself somewhat surprised by it."

"I understand, and apologise to have taken you off guard." That thought was genuine. Zelda had given her an easy out, a way to have her proverbial cake and eat it too, and it was oh so tempting. She could feel her stomach turning over already with the little she had said, but held back her fears a little longer. Zant longed to rule with only self interest at heart. I must put my people first.

Midna smiled sympathetically at her counterpart and continued. "There are of course actions that might be taken to create a better relationship between the two realms in the future. A particularly wise suggestion I have heard is an ambassadorial role, and that is something I am open to, in time. However, I'm not so foolish as to have missed the words of this council, both spoken and unspoken."

A few choice looks were cast about the table by the various factions, but Midna did not wait for comment.

"A long time ago, my ancestors were sent to the Twilight Realm for terrible crimes... and I cannot change that. However, I will bear no responsibility for the interloper sorcerers, nor do my people, let me be clear about that."

The words settled like dust on the statues about the table, her crimson glare enough to silence even Busco as he opened his mouth to rebut her. Once she was satisfied with her audience, she went on. "What I want is only for our realms to both see peace, and my decision is for that reason alone. There are divided opinions here, and I can respect that. My people, however..."

She paused, and finally looked to Link for confidence. Her fears were unfounded, it seemed. He smiled at her, all the support and love he had ever shown her manifest in his eyes. She inhaled deeply once more, and continued with a soft smile of her own.

"I don't come from a dark realm of monsters and evil. The Twilight Realm is a place of beauty, serenity... calm reflection. We live each day feeling the tranquility of a gentle evening here. We live, love, hope and dream as any do, and though we do not have such a bountiful land as yours, we are for the most part a peaceful people."

"This is the land I wish to restore. And that land won't flourish under constant threat. Zant perverted my people for his own ends, and in doing so presented Hyrule with a threat. If some people want to hold the path through the Mirror hostage, my people won't feel safe. So I ask we close the pathway, and I will discuss with your highness a time when the Mirror might be opened once more."

The speech was met with silence. Midna had turned from her clandestine lover during it, and now found herself unable to meet his eyes once more. How could I? I know how he's feeling, but it will be for the best. And then, in time...

Renado was the first to break the silence, his deep voice quiet yet commanding.

"There is great wisdom in this decision, Princess Midna. It would be remiss to not address the risks, however. By your own admission, the Mirror can be activated only in one direction. If it remains inactive, there is no passage from the Twilight to our lands. That is quite the trust you put in the Hyrulean people."

Midna nodded. "I do this as a gesture of good faith. I trust the protection of the Mirror to Princess Zelda and the Hylian royal family, to be used as agreed or in times of crisis. Besides, it takes great power to navigate the Twilight Realm for an outsider." She could see in her periphery Link smiling slightly. She turned from him to face Renado, and kept her shadow particularly close. "Nor are we helpless in such an occasion. But I am willing to put my trust in Zelda."

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The council was over, and with it's departure time seemed to advance at an ever faster pace. Goodbyes were said, as each leader went their separate ways. The Gorons ascended towards the mountaintop again, and Rusl left to find a wagon to bring the children home to Ordon. The Zora Prince headed off with Ashei as an escort, saying a polite farewell and thank you to Link and Midna but stopping by Renado's to say kinder words to the shaman, his daughter and Ilia. Zelda, Busco, Auru and Shad would also soon leave, traveling together at noon to make the castle by evening. Zelda was firm on that point- they were to arrive at the fall of twilight. The twilight princess supposed that it was symbolic, after a fashion.

Shortly before the royal party departed, Auru called Link and Midna aside. Kind words were shared, but they were both surprised when Auru guided them into the inn to meet once more with Zelda. Midna could not help but notice she looked uncharacteristically tired.

"You surprised me, Princess." Zelda's voice was measured, but Midna wondered if she could not hear a hint of frustration there too.

"Sorry, for what it's worth." The twili replied. "It's not that you didn't have a point. I just don't think trying to find a mix will work, not yet. My people need time to heal, and I think yours do too."

"And what of you and Link?"

Midna's court training held, but Link flinched at it being mentioned openly in front of Auru. Zelda's gaze softened markedly. "Link, fear not. I approve. However, I wonder how you factor into all this."

Auru's brow cocked too, eager to hear the explanation, and Midna heard Link gulp as he summoned a response. "We... It's hard to say..."

"We're going to give it time." Midna jumped in, trying to save him the trouble. "I won't lie anymore. I like Link a lot. I want him to come with me."

Everyone in the room reacted, none more so than Link at the brazen declaration. With all the careful diplomacy done, Midna's naturally sharp tone returned as she continued. "Most light worlders can't survive in the Twilight Realm. I'd be open to trying things in the future, but for now you would turn to mere shadows, spirits. My people burn in the light here. But Link... he's different. Better. So there's no reason he can't join me... if he wants to." The addendum seemed almost like an afterthought. She hadn't meant it dismissively, but they had already discussed it between each other, so she balked a little at having to justify her personal wants as well as her political ones.

Zelda and Auru shared a look between themselves. The twili thought it was a little ominous, but didn't understand why until Auru began to speak. "Neither Her Highness or I wish to dictate to you a personal life... you have both earned rest and comfort. It may be... more complicated than that, however."

Midna could feel her temper begin to stir. What, after all this, could possibly be the problem? Her mood must have been less hidden than she liked, because Auru's placating tone sounded nearly apologetic when he went on. "Her Highness and I have discussed the nature of that protection. Why, when all others were turned to spirits, were some spared? Her Highness and Link alone could resist the twilight, and he less than her. Why is that?"

"The Goddesses' protection, and the sword." She snapped back. Did he think her a fool? She had thought this through already. Zelda nodded quietly, but let Auru hold the conversation for now. For once, Midna thought the woman looked visibly uncomfortable. "Indeed. The Goddesses' protection, and later, the Master sword. However, for the good of the kingdom, we must ask Link to relinquish his hold of the sacred blade and return it to it's pedestal."

What? She stilled, a cold doubt starting to creep into her heart. In whose hands was it safer than Link's? She asked as much, but found little comfort in the answer.

"The blade of evil's bane," Auru began, "works as both a weapon and a key of sorts. It's true functions are not entirely clear, but this much has been passed down. It's a weapon that can only be wielded by the hero of courage. The hero chosen by the goddesses to protect this land. None other can draw it, so it stands to reason only he may return it to it's pedestal. But more than that, it is part of an enchantment that we no longer understand. An ancient magic that, if neglected, we may not be able to repair. The sword's purpose has been seen. It must be returned."

Midna looked to Link, who looked a combination of pale and confused. He drew the blade from it's scabbard and inspected it, as if trying to see the ancient magic that the old man spoke of. He seemed to be holding it at a slightly further length than usual, and Midna suppressed a giggle. Poor boy doesn't understand a whit of magic. She would be curious to inspect it herself, but she suspected any magic her people knew regarding such an enchantment had probably led to their banishment in the first place.

Instead, she focused her energy on Auru, irritation growing to try and keep pace with the fear it covered. "Fine. Take your stupid sword. I can probably restore him now I have my magic back, if he gets turned to a wolf again. He's still protected by his power, isn't he?"

Neither Zelda nor Auru answered her.

"Isn't he!?"

"I'm not sure." Zelda spoke this time, and as she did so she removed a glove on her hand. "This mark, that Link and I both bear, marks us as chosen by the gods. Bearers of an ancient power and blessing known as the Triforce. I was born with this, and I assume Link was too." The hero nodded in confirmation. "This is, again, something that is difficult to be certain about. However, legend states that this power is traditionally unified, in perfect balance. I do not know what caused it to be broken apart, but I know that the third piece was held by the man known as Ganondorf."

Midna shuddered involuntarily, remembering the horrible power that had broken her, pulled her physical form to shreds and left her to the void. The sinister face, the harsh scowl of contempt, the muscles rippling on coarse haired, leathery skin as the beast charged them. Suddenly, the feeling went away as she felt Link take her hand. She looked to him, and took comfort yet again in the simple look of confidence he gave her. We won. We killed it. We survived.

Zelda grimaced with her own memories briefly. "Before he died... this power was taken from him. I do not know how, or by what... but I believe the Goddesses took from him that which he was unworthy of. I can only hope they are so benevolent... but if so, what has become of Link and my pieces? Do we carry them still, or are these marks simply remnants of our time as vessels?"

It was, she had to concede, a good question. The wrong question, at the wrong time, but... Not inaccurate. Her lips curled up into an angry snarl, even as her tone remained calm...ish. "Are you telling me that you can't tell if you have the power of a god in you? Some magician you are! What's the point of magic if you can't understand it?"

"Watch your tone..." Auru warned, but he went no further. Whether it was Zelda's stern commanding gaze or Midna's furious glare that silenced him, she could not tell.

"Please understand, Midna." Zelda's tone was as gentle as could be, but her words still grated on Midna like gravel on the shore of Lake Hylia. "I take no pleasure in this. I have my abilities, but that power only manifests itself subtly, as guidance and influence when needed. I never knew it was there until after I had acted. Link bears the mark of Courage, and I imagine he is the same. A resource when needed, indistinguishable from our own characters. Only one part allowed direct use of power, and that one disappeared with Ganon."

Midna's crimson eyes bore into Zelda's blue ones, seeking some sort of twist or joke. She had been so supportive, so helpful last night, and now this? It seemed beyond belief. The twili could feel Link's hand in hers, grasping tight, but with a slight shake. Even he was at a loss. Auru was politely looking away, trying to avoid any emotional involvement in the whole thing, and Midna silently cursed his cowardice. How dare you be complicit in this and try to hide from me, old man!

Link's grasp was tightening still, and she turned to him to see his eyes worried, looking at just above her face. Suddenly, she realised her sol-etchings were brighter and her hair had started to glow with a malevolent amber light. She reached out to touch his beautiful, handsome face, and he met her eyes with so many emotions that her heart nearly broke. Those eyes, the most empathetic of any, trying to hide his sadness. For me. He wasn't alone, either.

Calming her magic, she turned to Zelda again. "When were you going to tell me this? Before or after our little conversation about friendship and finding perfect solutions? Or was that just so I'd say the right things in front of your council?"

The words were sharp, and found their mark. Zelda seemed genuinely hurt. "Midna... I am truly sorry. I would never have misled you had I known. I had never considered that my power might disappear after it was needed, but when Auru asked me this morning I... I could find no answer. I will not say it is certain, nor that without the power of the gods there is no way that Link might survive in the Twilight Realm. I felt it was important that you knew the risks, and that I told you everything I knew."

Midna squeezed Link's hand, composing herself. As angry as she was about this, it wasn't Zelda's fault. Not really. The old Midna would have blamed the hylian princess for everything under the moon, but in truth she believed her story. Zelda had shared her soul, her life force, and there was no malice that the twili had ever felt from the other woman. Slowly, Midna inhaled, and then breathed out her fury into composure.

"I see. Well... thank you for being honest."

"You'll have to wait for the sword."

Midna started, as Link spoke out beside her. It was as confidently as she had heard him speak in front of other before, to her memory. He addressed Auru and Zelda both, but focussed on the older man, his hand still clasping hers.

"Midna is returning tomorrow evening, and I will be seeing her off at the Mirror. I'm keeping it until I know she's home and safe."

The twili held back a grin at the affronted look on Auru's face. He had never seemed stuffy during his time in the Resistance, but Link's bold disobeying of their directive had caught him off guard as much as anything Midna had said. Zelda simply waved a hand to settle the matter. "Of course, Link. I will be there too. We can discuss the rest afterward."

The hylian princess rose up from her chair, and gestured to the door. "Come Auru. We have much ground to cover."

Auru looked between Zelda, Midna and Link, as if searching for the appropriate way to interject his opinion between these three powerful figures. His shoulders stiffened as he gave up, and instead decided on a militaristic exit, marching out the door with a curt farewell to the others. Before Zelda followed him, she looked once more to the pair.

"Link, Midna. I wish it were otherwise. I promise you, I will have our kingdom's best look into ways to get past this. For the sake of our two realms... and my two friends." She cast them both a rueful look, before stepping out the door and leaving the pair to themselves.

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Now, it was just them.

They had spent some time in near silence, only discussing vague matters or greeting those who were departing. Midna was still unable to walk in the direct light, and so they kept mostly to the inn as all the others departed, until the building was as empty as it had been nearly a year ago when the wolf and imp had found it.

She didn't know what to say, let alone what to do. She oscillated wildly between outright dismissal of what Auru and Zelda had suggested to them, to wild hope of some loophole they had missed, to depair. She knew deep down that it was a small loss in the grand scheme of their trials. Their kingdoms were both saved, their people both safe from tyrannical menaces, their friends and family as restored as they could be. All would be well, if not for one small tie they both shared.

It wasn't small though. It was everything, in a way. For her, not only was it potentially the only friend she knew was still alive, but it was the only one who could understand her. SHe was such a different person to who she had been a year ago, and when she went back she would be even further removed from others by the throne. Even more, if she made new friends or connections, who could understand? Who could understand what they had been through? They had saved two lands, slain a god, fought monsters and spirits and so much more. The friendship they had grew into a relationship out of so much more than attraction or mutual interest- they were the only people who could relate to the experiences of the other. They were close, and only a day ago had decided to let that exist as they both feared, and now... this?

This?

"It doesn't matter."

His words broke her from her depressed stupor. She looked at the man, all lean muscle and kindness. Right now, he was sitting on the edge of a crate, legs hanging off the side uselessly. His sandy hair fell over his face, long overdue a cut but never quite hiding the brilliant blue of his eyes. The peach fuzz on his chin was starting to get darker, slowly, though she wondered if he knew it. His clothes, stained with months of travel and half constructed of repairs by this stage, hung limp on his slouched frame. He looked haggard, in so far as he ever could.

He still looks incredible.

"What do you mean?" She asked, raising her head from her hands and leaning back on the bed. From the look of the light, they must have been sitting there for an hour or so.

"The sword, the goddesses. It doesn't matter. I've gotten past bigger obstacles before."

She had to admire his persistence. That was the old farm boy again, the dog who growled bloody intent at an imp offering to free him, just for being an outsider. "Don't you think there might have been a bit of... I don't know, prophecy to that stuff? I mean, if the gods are going to just give and take blessings, it all feels a bit more difficult."

He looked at her, and she could swear she saw the flicker of the wolf in all of his features. He must be really angry. She took a quiet, sick comfort in knowing that he felt so strongly about it. She hated seeing him so upset, though.

"No. That was us. And we can do it again. I can do it again." As he spoke, his teeth flashed at her, bared like the wolf going for the kill. Sometimes she wondered how much of the dog would stay with him if he never transformed again, but in moments like this it was not how much would stay with him that she doubted. It was how much would ever leave him.

"Maybe." She didn't say anything else for a time. Simply thought it all over in her head, trying to weigh up various possibilities. So lost in her head was she that she gave a small yelp of surprise as he sat down beside her, taking her hands and holding them to his lips. His eyes were resolute, and she could see his words before he said anything in that gaze. I'll finish my business in Hyrule, and then I'll come find you. That's what you're thinking, my dear sweet wolf, isn't it? The valiant plan, to rescue the princess' heart? After all, you've already saved every other part of me.

She thought back to the previous evening, and how full of love and hope they had been. It felt so wrong to have that taken away from them, and with only one day to spare. Still... they did have that one day left. That was more than nothing.

She reached up to embrace him, pulling the smaller man into her arms and against herself. Then, without another word, she pulled him down to the bed until they lay next to each other, faces level. She smiled, feeling the difficulty but pushing through, and then placed her lips on his. Her kiss was gentle, tender, trying to impart as much as his every look did. When they pulled apart again, her words were as gentle as her expression.

"I'm tired, Link. So tired. Stay with me, let's sleep until night falls. When it does... let's enjoy this. You and I, together, without a battle to fight or argument to have. No matter what tomorrow brings, we can still have that."

His eyes were shining, but with tears or hope she knew not. Still, he nodded again, and put his arms around her to kiss her once more. She smiled, shifting slightly in his embrace. Safe in the arms of the man who had saved Hyrule, and so much more. For now, that would be enough.

Chapter Text

Ch 15- See You Later

Dawn of the final morning passed with no ceremony or acknowledgement. Both Link and Midna were asleep, limbs tangled in each other underneath some blankets. Outside the window of Link's extensive tree house, the sun rose higher into the sky. Only at it's unduly harsh presence upon her skin did Midna finally stir.

Where am I? She asked herself, looking about the room in a sleepy daze. Suddenly, the memories of last night came flooding back. They had left the inn at twilight, and she had warped them to Ordon. She craved privacy, and a few days in this body had been enough to bring her confidence in her magic again. They had holed up within Link's house for the night, and there...

She let out a deep, contented sigh. Her hand reached across to tousle Link's hair, the shaggy blonde locks even messier than usual. He was snoring away, but if anything she found it endearing.

Looking about the room, she quickly closed all the curtains, reducing the light of the morning to dull glow. She had never really taken the chance to look about Link's house at any point in their travels, so did so now. It was a nice enough place here. As far as these tiny little houses go, he seems to be doing fairly well.

Scattered about the room were remnants of the life he had lived. She could see a few of those wooden sculptures that he liked to whittle about the place. A book or two. Loose cups and wooden plates. It was a simple house, quaint but homely. Despite all her misgivings and attempts to keep her mind clear, she could not help but imagine her life here. Would I make a farmer's wife? Maybe a lousy one. No one ever taught me what I'd be supposed to do.

Still, the thought made her laugh. She looked back to the hylian hero, memories of the last few days running through her head. Her smile faded slowly as she caught up with the present, and then considered the rest of the day. Parting ways with Link, going home.

Will he understand? Part of her wanted to sit down with him, to discuss it with him. To try and explain herself, her fears, her doubts. Maybe even to tell him she loved him, that she wanted to stay with him. To give up everything to live in this stupid forest and this tiny house and make him terrible breakfasts every morning and learn to live with whatever that brought.

Part of her wanted that. But she knew it was a fantasy. While still miles better than Zant, she had always been a selfish princess. Abandoning the entire land on a romantic whim would carry with it all the shame of knowing she had let down her people... and she couldn't let that be. So she must return, and leave Link here.

She also was fully aware that he intended to follow her. She wasn't sure what to do about that. She had a backup plan, but was very much hoping that she might have an epiphany before it came to that.

She ran her fingers through her hair, idly de-tangling it from the night's exertions while she took a moment to steady her emotions. I'll need to be on guard today... when all I want to do is share myself with him. Resentfully, she stood up straight, breathing out all her angst and focusing on the day to come. Well, I can at least make him one terrible breakfast. With that in mind, she set off to find something to cook with.

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A Hero's Thoughts

Link awoke to the sound of cursing in twili, and something clattering to the floor. Alarmed, he leaped to his feet, blankets flying off him like sand from a Leever. It took him a moment to remember where he was, another to remember why, and then after a third he covered himself and reached for his breeches.

Throughout, Midna did not turn, still busying herself with a series of pots over the fireplace. Now at least partially dressed, Link turned his attention to his twili lover. She's so beautiful. He tried not to run his eyes over her, he really did. Still, when she turned to him finally, she only raised an eyebrow as he rapidly snapped his gaze up to meet her face.

"Morning?" He ventured, at once both a question and a greeting. She grinned, presenting with great pride a plate of... food?

"Good morning, sleepyhead. I made you some breakfast. Figured I owe you for all the times you cooked on the road."

He took the plate, eyeing it suspiciously. "You mean... every time?"

She nodded cheerfully. "Yeah! I know I don't have as much practice, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out!" He smiled weakly. She had rarely looked so pleased with herself.

Taking the proffered knife, he poked around the plate. That was definitely a sausage once, and maybe that's a potato? There were some leaves, burned to a fine char, on the side. He could smell butter too. The hylian massaged his jaw idly, trying to relieve a surprising amount of tension, and figured out a plan of attack.

Not wanting to disappoint her, he took a chunk of the sausage off with the knife and placed it in his mouth. Sausage is probably the safest. After all, he didn't know what the leaves had been, and the potato had visible sprouts.

Slowly he chewed, and eventually swallowed, the ex-sausage. It was... edible. That much he could say. She beamed at him. "How'd I do?"

He ate another bite, gaining confidence that this wouldn't poison him. "Uh... Good. Good first try."

"Huh, really? Great! I was worried for a bit there."

He swallowed again, the grittiness of some of the meal scraping at his throat. As they settled in, he realised the best comparison. "About as good as the time with the shield."

He could see her thinking it through, before her expression turned to a scowl. "What? That wasn't even that bad! I was protected then- I was basically half head anyway. Shields are dumb."

He chuckled along as she sputtered indignantly. As she kept trying to defend herself, he reached over to her knee. "It's great."

"No it's not." She retorted, defeated. "It's garbage."

"Midna." He locked eyes with her. "Thank you."

She blushed, looking down to her hands. When she looked back up, she held his gaze from under her eyelashes, her lips turning up into a shy smile. "You're welcome, wolfie."

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Terrible food aside, it was a nice enough day. They didn't much leave the house, for even Ordon's trees weren't enough to cover the painful light of the sun.

She wished she could reach out with her shadow, feel his soul. She missed him. She wanted him in her being. No amount of pleasant chatter, no private kisses, no tender and intimate touches could reach the comfort that she had enjoyed over their journey. That which she had touched again in the hot spring, and last night.

Still, it had to be so. She couldn't let him in, it would only hurt him more when the time came for her to leave. She became more and more convinced of that the more he spoke. Usually taciturn, or at least quiet, he was surprisingly vocal on this particular day.

In particular, he wished to get her opinion on plan after plan of how he could get back to Twilight Realm. All she wanted was for him to stop, to to tell him she'd considered everything, to just hold her and give her some nice memories for their last day. But she couldn't. If she said anything he might guess her intentions, and try to stop her. Would he understand that I can't let him try unless we're certain? If he appeared in the Twilight Realm with no more protection than a regular hylian, he might as well be dead. He would disappear, trapped as a spirit, unable to see her or anyone else. She would have to watch him wander, lost in the half light, until he died or gave up on her. She didn't want him to go through that... nor could she put herself through it.

Still, the plans kept coming. There may be another sacred relic. Some magic, that could make him adapt. Maybe the goddesses power hadn't yet left him, or he was still naturally resistant? He could go over to the Twilight, and she could use her magic to protect him. He would carry a Sol around with him on his back. Maybe she could come back and visit as well?

The list went on and on. Each time, she smiled, offered some inconsequential comment or piece of advice, nodded along with him. And then he would light up, take her in his arms, reach up to kiss her, they would have half an hour and he'd start again on a new one. Each time, the pattern repeated. Each time, her heart broke a little more as her fears were affirmed.

If he can, he'll come after me. Safe or no.

As the sun began to fall in the sky, she knew the time was coming. They should get ready to move. She pulled herself in closer to him where they snuggled by the fire, kissing his neck. Tasting his sweet skin, her teeth nipping at his ear playfully.

"Come on, hero-boy. We need to move."

Together, they extricated themselves from their comfortable spot once more and reluctantly began to dress for travel. Link reluctantly donned his tunic once more on Midna's advice, despite protesting that he had cleaner clothes. "It is the uniform, after all. Just once more." For her part, she simply had to tie her hair back up in it's elaborate knots and don her robe. Despite her little show disappearing from Kakariko, she couldn't deny that the less rumours about Link and her the better. And either way, she wanted to arrive home a queen, not a disheveled mess.

"How long will it be?"

The question caught her out, and she turned, hands still tied in the complex web of her hair. His smile was gone, replaced by a sad stare as Link finally asked the question he'd been avoiding all day. She sighed, steeling herself.

"I don't know." That much at least wasn't a lie, not really. She knew more than he did, but that wasn't much when it came to this matter. "I'll need to get my country back on it's feet, and Zelda might need your help here. Perhaps a year, maybe two?"

His face fell. "I was hoping months."

She held back a sigh of frustration. Not at him, but the situation. If only...

"I can't make any promises, Link. I need to protect my people... but I'll do what I can for you too." She forced a smile, hoping it would be enough to placate him for now. Thankfully, he dropped it, finishing up with his clothes and pulling on his boots.

Without any more words, they moved out to the balcony. Midna squinted in the dappled evening light, estimating they had about an hour. She threw the hood further over her face, and then took his hand.

He looked to her, melancholic and brooding. "Midna... I..."

"Shhh..." She brought a finger to his lips, quieting him, and then kissed his tenderly. She could feel him, his soft lips against hers, the heat of his breath and taste of his mouth, and wondered if this would be the last time she would ever know them.

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A brief stop in Kakariko to grab their things, and then they moved to the Arbiter's Grounds. Midna still squinted somewhat in the light, but she was able to handle the last few hours of the afternoon far better than the harsh midday light. They stepped together through the arches and looked upon the vast stone obelisk. On a separate raised platform before it was the Mirror of Twilight, cold and quiet without the touch of magic to warm it's glass. Only a matter of time now.

"What if I find a way?"

She turned to look at Link, whose was staring out into the desert. Please don't make me lie to you again, Link. He went on, his voice quiet but intense. "I know some places to look. Could do that, find a way to survive. If I did..."

The question remained unspoken, but she knew it nonetheless. Every suggestion he made, she had considered. She had gone over and over in her mind, trying to think of another way to live on the wrong side of the Mirror. Nonetheless, she came up with nothing. There was just no history to learn from. Her people had no record of those who were first thrown into the twilight- at least, no record that wasn't a litany of resentment written by powerful sorcerers. Nothing useful. The only light worlder who had come across was Ganondorf, and he was a whole other story. She wasn't sure what had happened to him, but if anything he was more powerful than the interlopers, so again not a great example to learn from.

She took a deep breath, trying to hold back the frustration and pain. She didn't like this. She didn't like being so vulnerable. It had been easy to put up the uncaring, confident front as the imp, because she had nothing to lose. Now, though, she wanted him to know her heart. She didn't want him to think she didn't care, because despite her best intentions she did care. Over the course of a year, she had gone from disdaining some dog boy to being head over heels for Link, the rancher turned hero. And yet for all her power, she still had to say goodbye. All she wanted was to be able to truly say goodbye, for him to understand, to have closure for both of them.

Instead, there would be none for either.

She moved to his side, casting a her arm about his shoulder and pulling him in. She couldn't rest on his shoulder, but she lowered her head atop his, embracing him as they both stared into the wastes.

"Alright." Gently, she spoke the lies into his hair, massaging his arm gently and kissing the crown of his head. "If you know it's safe, I'll see you there."

A high pitched noise sounded near them, and they turned to see a faint glow began in the arches. Midna shielded her eyes as the light grew to a brilliant shine, finally manifesting in the form of Princess Zelda. She was dressed as immaculately as always, not a hair out of place. She also looked like she had finally gotten some sleep, which Midna was relieved to see.

"Well met, Link, Princess Midna." The hylian woman stepped into the circle, looking upon the Mirror and it's portal stone with fascination. "I admit, I am excited to see this work. I've never seen the Mirror, let alone watch it used."

Midna was glad that Zelda could join them. The twili hadn't quite forgiven her for the way their fate was sprung on them, but when all was said and done, Link would need someone wise to speak to. Someone to help him through. Zelda had been there when Midna lost her own kingdom, no matter how petulant and childish the twili imp had been about it. She had taken the time to listen. There was no better confidant she could hope for Link.

"Welcome, Princess." She replied, still holding on to Link's arm. "Certainly took your time getting here, didn't you?" She paused, a haughty look upon her face, but then broke into a smile. "Didn't fancy the ride over the desert?"

Zelda raised an eyebrow, the ghost of a smile haunting her lips. "In this dress, with this jewellery? That would hardly be wise, would it? I'll meet you both over there."

She tilted her head, and then tactfully left the pair alone, going to inspect the Mirror. Midna turned to Link, her red eyes holding the man kindly in their gaze. "It's time."

"Does it have to be?"

She grimaced, but nodded. He sighed, adjusted his tunic, and then the pair linked hands and went to join Zelda.

The sky glowed a gentle lavender, the final rays of sunlight painting the entire Arbiters Grounds a rich gold as they sank for the night. Midna and Link stepped out of the long shadows to the platform, still held in the soft glow of the twilight.

Midna gestured, the Mirror leaping to life. The hylian princess let out a small gasp as the entire obelisk lit up with arcane symbols, and the central reflection folded through space into the rock, revealing the tunnel to the Twilight Realm. Link was holding on tight to Midna's hand, but as she stepped in front of the Mirror itself she let go and he reluctantly followed suit.

The Twilight Princess breathed deep the desert air, looking on the hyrulean skies once more. Finally ready, she faced Zelda.

"Well... I guess this is farewell, huh? Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But..." She paused. The light and shadow comment had been a small dig at Zelda, granted, but she could not deny her gratitude to the princess of Hyrule. She had saved Midna's life, given her advice and confidence, and guided her through the roughest time in her life. She would genuinely be sad to lose her as a friend. She steeled herself again and softly continued, "never forget that there's another world bound to this one."

"Shadow and Light are two sides of the same coin... One cannot exist without the other." Zelda replied gracefully, holding eye contact with Midna, her hands clasped in front of her. "I know now the reason the goddesses left the Mirror of Twilight in this world... They left it because it was their design that we should meet. Yes... That is what I believe."

Midna looked to the ground, momentarily unable to meet their eyes. The design of the goddesses... perhaps. She had seen to much folly in the last year to believe that fully, but it was a nice sentiment. She looked back up to Zelda, a melancholic smile on her lips.

"Zelda... Your words are kind, and your heart is true. If all in Hyrule are like you... then maybe you'll do all right." She nodded at the pair, and then stepped up to the gateway. The wind caught her cloak as she stepped, joining in on the drama of the moment as the stairway of light manifested in front of her. She turned back to the hylians. "Thank you..." She uttered, having no idea to whom it was directed.

Link looked back at her, a brave smile on his face. He's trying to put me at ease. The realisation was like a cold dagger in her heart, but she had to continue. She smiled back, and committed to the course.

"Well, the princess spoke truly, as long as that mirror's around, we could meet again. Link..." No... it's too much. I can't... but... I have to. She could feel it now, the tears she had been holding back starting to break through. Like cracks preceding the breaking of a dam, the first drop slipped from her eye. She caught it, knowing what she had to do despite every sense in her body begging her not to.

"I..." Love you! Need you! Want you to come with me, want to stay, want anything but this, I...

The tear stayed, suspended in the air by her magic, the physical manifestation of her indecision. She took a deep breath, trying not to let a sob escape with her exhale, and pushed the tear to it's fate.

I'm sorry.

"See you later...."

The tiny orb of water floated, shining with a power that looked to all the world like light magic, and landed almost imperceptibly on the centre of the Mirror. It glowed for a second, before becoming the epicentre for a hundred cracks that shot out along the entire surface of the glass. Link and Zelda both whipped around at the sound of glass cracking, the hero letting out a gasp of shock and dismay, but she was already racing up the stairs. As she reached the portal itself, she turned around, her robes flowing around her like water made of shadows. She smiled at him with tear-laden eyes, beautific and humble and so, so apologetic.

He stood in stunned shock, and simply watched her. She could not read the expression on his face through the light, shining from the breaking mirror, bathing her in it's pale glow. That didn't matter though. The least she could do was meet his eyes. He deserved so much more.

Slowly, she could feel the magic taking her feet, her knees, her waist. It felt different, not at all like the twilight magic that she worked. Instead, it was like she was stepping into a warm, comforting bath. The final beam of light from the Mirror of Twilight took her arms, her shoulders, and finally her head. The last thing she saw in the realm of light was Link's eyes, agony and betrayal deep within a face paralysed by shock.

Goodbye, Link.

It was far too cold.

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Chapter Text

-Epilogue-

The young man ran a hand through his blonde hair, freshly washed for what he expected would be the last time. Do I have everything? He checked his supplies- pack and bedroll, check. Waterskins and rations, check. Short sword at his side, shield slung off his pack, check. Lantern, check. Blank book for all the notes, along with writing supplies to last a year or two? Check. Definitely that stuff. What else is the point?

"All ready to go?"

He turned around to see Royal Archivist Shad leaning in the doorframe. The man was only in his early thirties, but grey already peppered the copper hair by his temples. The man adjusted his glasses upon his nose, a wry grin on his face as he looked at his apprentice.

"I believe so, sir!" Colin adjusted his belt nervously. "I'll only be gone a few months, I think."

"Well, be careful. The roads are safer now, but the wilds still hide monsters. Are you sure you don't want me to requisition some Green Hats to escort you?"

The young man shifted uneasily, but his face was resolute. "No thank you, sir. It's been seven years since I made that promise to him. I won't be helpless again." He touched the handle of his sword. Deep down, he still held doubts, but he would not let them control him. Anyway, how could he hope to find his target if he couldn't even handle a few monsters?

"I'm going to find him, Shad." Colin's blue eyes flashed, a hardness in them that called to Shad's mind the man that his apprentice sought. "I'll find him and learn what happened. When I return, it will be with the tale of the Hero Chosen by the Gods."

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He knew the first part- he was there, after all. He already had the story until a year after the Dark King's defeat. To begin with, Link had come back home to Ordon, much to the delight of Colin and the other children. He was like a big brother to all of them, and now he was the hero they had always suspected him to be it was even better. He would teach them skills, how to fight and shoot and camp, and take them on adventures in the woods. It was never quite the same as when they were young though. Link would do all of the things they wanted, but he never felt like he was one of them in the way he used to. There was a distance that no one seemed to be able to bridge. He seemed fond of Lina, Colin's little sister who was named after him, but that bond seemed all the stronger that the baby didn't expect him to to talk.

The families in the village were glad to see him back too, particularly Mayor Bo. He was very protective of Link, inviting him to come and live with Ilia and himself more than once. Even though Link declined, Bo obviously had hopes to rekindle some sort of marriage between his daughter and the young hero, though it never amounted to anything.

Colin had asked Ilia if she wanted to add anything, but she had declined. Despite all the children being taken, Ilia seemed to most understand Link's sorrow. They would occasionally go for walks in the woods, just the two of them. No matter how much Talo and Beth spied on them, it seemed they never said anything interesting. They would simply walk silently, companions in loneliness. When he asked about those walks, she simply sighed. "What do you want me to say, Colin? We all changed that year. Link, me... we grew up. It's hard to be a kid again when youve been through that sort of thing."

He had even asked Fado, but had gotten as surface level an answer as he had expected. "Quiet man, good with the horses and goats. He'd be doing well now, I hope!" Link had gone back to work with Fado on the ranch whenever he could. Over time, he seemed to sleep in the barns or fields as often as he would in his own home. Colin had found Link hidden between two rocks fast asleep one morning, and hadn't had the courage to wake him. Even to the youth, it was obvious that Link was haunted by something. No matter what he tried, he couldn't get through.

It was therefore no huge suprise when Mayor Bo announced at a town meeting that Link would be leaving in a month. The man himself was at the back of the room, quietly listening as Bo explained that Link had unfinished business in Castle Town, and was giving no indication of when he would return. If he would return. There were of course rumours and suspicions. Talo thought he was going to be a knight. Malo suggests that the town was too boring, and he's off to collect a hidden fortune and live at the castle. Beth, in a surprisingly private move from the outspoken girl, confided in Colin that she thought there must be a hidden doorway in the Castle. She thought that Link was headed there, so he could go live his life as a prince alongside the strange, tall sorceress that he had been secretly travelling with.

Ilia made no suggestion. Only watched from afar as eventually, Link donned his green tunic once more and rode off into the forest. Once a week, Ilia would go to Link's house and maintain it, making sure that if he returned it would be in good shape.

Occasionally, people claimed to see Epona in the woods, or a light on at his house. Ilia even went on a trip for a few weeks, and rumours were that Link escorted her along the roads as she traveled, a theory she never confirmed nor denied. Either way, it was clear, he never truly lived in that house again.

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The first step, therefore, was to go where they knew he had been. Outside of the village, it was common knowledge. Link had travelled to Castle Town and gotten the permission of Queen Zelda to form a new fighting force from the guard- The Green Company. Link the rancher became Captain Link, and he was assisted in this by his second in commmand, Sergeant Ashei, much to the reputed horror of Guard-Captain Busco.

The unit was a small team, less than 12 members even at it's peak, but they were exceedingly talented. There uniform bore bright flashes of green over their mail, and they wore slouched green berets in homage to the uniform of the hero. Their task was to travel across Hyrule, helping with the needs of individuals and communities, no matter how far from Hyrule Castle. Unlike the perpetually overstretched Hylian army, who had been weakened massively by the invasion two years prior, their task was not to maintain stability in the kingdom. Instead, they were to give hope to places overrun and unable to defend themselves.

AIso unlike the castle guard and standing militia, these soldiers were trained in a number of weapons by Link himself, and were only permitted to remain in the company by excelling in a variety of skills. Each member could shoot a bow, use flails and boomerangs, make explosives, all the sorts of skills Link himself learned on his journey. All were exceedingly skilled swordspeople too, though none reputedly ever matched up with Link- though Ashei came close.

"Link was a good man." She said, sitting down with Colin between training sessions. In the courtyard below, men and women sparred ferociously, putting Colin's own journeyman skills with a blade to utter shame. He tried not to focus on it, and instead listened intently to Ashei's words. "Kind, and sorta warm in his way, yeah? Like a gramps, sum'un whose seen some real stuff, but tryin' to get past it." She took a drink of water and leaned back on the chair, thinking back. If Colin didn't know better, he'd have commented that she seemed almost wistful about her old captain. Instead, he tried a different tack. "Was he close to his soldiers?"

She shrugged, leaning over to spit on the ground before continuing. "The guy knew how to fight- they respected that, ya know? After beating the snot out of some kid, he'd pick them up off the ground, give 'em some tips, treat 'em like an old war buddy. Everyone liked him, but he wasn't real close, nah."

She paused, casting her heavy lidded eyes to the castle as if her memories lay upon it's stone walls. "He never drank with them. With us. Didn't stay in the same camp neither. If he came on the missions, which he didn't like to but ya know, if he did. He'd camp separately on the outskirts. Mostly he just stayed in his little house in castle town though, yeah? Not really the social type, ya know."

Well, that's not very useful. Still, it's painting a picture. Colin scratched it all down in his book. Meanwhile, Ashei watched the soldiers training, occasionally rising to scream some criticism at one or another of them before sitting back down, adjusting her own green cap, and waiting for Colin again.

"Right. Did anyone ever visit his house? Did you ever see inside it?"

He immediately regretted the question, as she fixed him with a murderous glare. "You implying somethin, kid?"

He waved his hands. "No, no, of course not. Just as his second in command, I assumed you'd be as close to him as anyone."

She kept glaring for a moment, before settling back into her leaning chair. "Hmph. Nah. Never saw inside the place- no one did, I don't think. He sold it a while back, it's some fancy boot shop now or summin." She paused again, and then leaned in, looking Colin dead in the eye. "Lot of people spoke to him, but he didn't like speakin' to many back. It's not he was a bad guy, he just... distant. Ya know? Even when ya tried to get close to him, to take some of that bloody weight off his shoulders..." She sighed, a rare expression of genuine emotion coming across her features before they reset to their usual stern look of boredom.

"Look, you wanna know where he went? I dunno. Have you tried the Queen, she knows a lot of shit. Or I dunno. Maybe Telma? She sees a lot from that bar of hers. Lot of travellers, lot of information. That's how we learned stuff, back in the dark days."

Colin sighed, putting his book away, and thanked Ashei for her time. She nodded, then waved at his sword. "You know how to use that thing?"

"Well enough." He replied defensively. She snorted, an eyebrow raised in skepticism. "No you don't. But you could. Trained by Rusl, as well as Link? By the time he left here, he was the most powerful warrior in Hyrule. You're wasted on Shad. Come find me when you're ready to learn how to really fight."

He smiled politely, and bowed to the woman. She shrugged and headed back to training.

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So, one year in Ordon. Three in Hyrule Castle Town, starting and training an elite group of warriors. That much, we knew already. Where did he go next?

He opened the door to Telma's bar, immediately assaulted by the smell of smoke and booze. It's mid afternoon, how is it already so busy? He thought in disbelief. Still, Ashei was right, this was a regular stop off for travelers and locals alike. Telma looked across from the bar, calling out to some of the staff to take over the bar before making her way across to Colin and giving him a big hug.

"Colin! My goddesses above, you've grown! Last time I saw you you were what, thirteen years old? Now look at you. You're a handsome little man!"

He extricated himself with some difficulty, rubbing the back of his neck in embarassment. "I'm sixteen, Telma. That's what happens. It's good to see you too, though."

"Sixteen! My, how the time goes. I assume you're here to talk about Link?"

"What? How did you hear?"

"Oh, sweet boy. Shad's told me all about your little pet project." She winked conspiratorially. "Man falls apart after his second ale, and never stops talking! Quite a pick for a secret keeper, I don't know what the Queen was thinking. Anyway, let me grab us a booth."

Colin set up his book and quills, and set about querying Telma. Initially, it was the obvious stuff. She said Link would pop in from time to time, often just sitting in the corner and listening to the conversations. Occasionally he would take notes on a scrap of paper ("Ooh, just like you, my boy you do remind me of him!") but mostly he would just listen. He never drank alcohol, only the occasional milk, but the rumours alone of his frequenting the bar drummed up more than enough business. Not that anyone recognised him- he dressed differently, and that was nearly always enough. He had been coming there on and off for years until about a year and a half ago.

Colin perked up at that. A year and a half? That's over a year past when we last thought he was seen! He was here? "What happened that night?"

"Oh, you're asking me to remember a specific night over a year ago? Colin you sweet thing, I'm not as young as I once was! But I'll try."

"Well, I remember it was a quieter night. He arrived early, and I asked him as I often did why he wasn't visiting his little group of soldiers. Ashei is a dear but she pines, and when she pines she drinks, so I hear about it. It would do her some good to have a man in her life that she can respect!" Colin waved a hand to hurry her along, and with a huff Telma got back on track.

"So he tells me he's waiting to hear something, that he'll be staying at the inn a few nights because he's expecting someone. I ask him who, and he says he doesn't know yet. Sounded like something that kook Fanadi would cook up, but I tell him that's fine, he gives me a purple for the board and he goes to the corner like usual. Nothing much happens. Then later that night, three men walk in. Two of them look fine, but one of them is all cut up, looks like he's been at the wrong end of some bandits."

She looked about, and the façade of kind obliviousness dropped to a cool and conspiratorial tone. "These men come in and start arguing the moment the drink flows. The friends claim that their cut up pal is a liar, but Mr cuts over there claims the old road to the desert has been opened up again. Not only that, but he says he was got in a fight with some beautiful women. He loses, and they take all of his money and wares for selling in town, but then they ask if he wants to come back with them. He says they tell him he can have his things back if he does them a service. But then he claims that his friends showed up, calling his name and waving torches about in the darkness, and that these women cut and run with all of his stuff, back into the desert!"

Colin was skeptical, but he decided to give her the benefit of the doubt. "So Link hears this story. Sounds like a ghost story to me. Then what?"

Telma sat back in her chair, her usual affectation restored. "Well then the pretty lad comes up to me, tells me to keep the money as payment, he had what he needed, and he's leaving! I haven't seen him since."

Fascinating. Colin's thoughts raced, putting together the information. Assuming that this was all a true story, what could be ascertained? Had Link been interested in the men, the bandits, the desert? Who were the bandits? The idea of someone getting jumped near the Gerudo desert was nothing special, but specifying that they were all women- that had significance. Those sorts of legends dated back a long time, to when the desert tribe was still around. Surely he had just heard one of the old tales and made it up, to save face?

"Telma..." Colin began, the wheels still turning in his head. "Do you know much about the Gerudo tribe?" The barkeeper's eyes narrowed, an unusually closed expression on her usually broad and grinning face.

"I know them."

"Do you think Link might have been looking for them?"

Telma kept frowning, but rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Hard to say. If he was... well, I think they don't want to be found. They left Hyrule long ago, for a reason. If they're back... hard to say how kindly they'd take to outsiders."

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Colin groaned, looking at the vast expanse of sand before him. He had trekked out to Lake Hylia, made his way down the treacherous slope until he had found the 'way to the desert' mentioned in Telma's story. It was indeed open, something he was surprised that was not bigger news in town. According to Shad, the only way out of the desert was by magic or scaling nearly impassable cliffs, which was not an easy task in such sweltering heat. Yet here was a way in that required nothing but walking. He could even feel the hot desert air on his face, see the stone outcrops in the distance.

This is not a place I can search.

Despite his confidence, he didn't fancy his chances if the Gerudo tribe had indeed returned. They were always unparalleled swordswomen in the legends, and while Colin could defend himself, we was no Link. Maybe if had swallowed his pride and accepted some green caps with him, but alone? Not a chance. He turned, and made his way back to the lake. On a whim, he decided to check in with the Cannon-shop owner. The man had been there for as long as anyone knew, perhaps he had seen Link?

Fyer had indeed seen Link.

The man had only grown his paunch in the intervening years, showing no other sign of aging through his cracked makeup. Still, he was eager enough talk to Colin on the matter, puffing on a pipe as he held court to the young scribe. "Yeah, I seen him. I seen him bit over a year ago. Man walks up here, not even a hello or how's the old girl doing," He gestured to the window where an old cannon on legs sat, presumably gathering rust. "And he sets off into the blasted desert! I mean, he's taken the Oasis flight before, so I knew he'd be fine, but after all old Fyer's done for him, he just... he just goes into the desert on his own two legs!"

He puffed some smoke into Colin's face, seemingly without noticing. "Rude, that's what it is. He probably knows where that tunnel came from too. Takes away a man's business like that, not even a hello. Rude." Colin gritted his teeth at a second assault of smoke before replying politely, "And did he return?"

"Oh, yes indeed!" Fyer replied, a tad more cheerfully. "Burnt as the sands themselves, but he came back. A week or two, maybe? Comes strolling out there, right up to me, as if he didn't ignore me the first time. Tells me if I nail this bit of paper to my door I'll have no trouble from the desert, which I wasn't having anyway so frankly I don't see the point, and then has the gall to add, 'As long as I stop firing stuff into the desert!' Threatnin' me with a thing that wasn't happenin' for a thing I've always done! The gall!"

"But then I look in his eyes, and he's got that look. You know the one, like when he brought me that big ol' beauty out there and told me he's going to the sky. You don't cross a man with that look, let me tell you that boy."

Colin sighed. A dead end then. "Did you see where he went?"

Fyer shook his head. "Nope! But Faldi did. Said the lad tore off on that horse of his down south."

South? That didn't make sense. Colin mulled it over in his head as he left the cannon shop. The only thing south of the Lake was the field, and then Faron and Ordon. But he hadn't returned to Ordon then, and no one had seen him in Eldin or the Castle Town that he knew of. Unless...

The search had lost it's heat, but Colin still had hunches. He was a smart man, and he had known Link. As well as that, he had the knowledge of a Royal Archivist on his side. He decided it was time to follow a hunch or two. As he left the shop, he glanced quickly at the bit of paper mentioned. It was weathered from a year there, but showed clearly the mark of the Gerudo tribe, along with a script he could not read. A mystery for another time. He thought wistfully. He got back on his pony and headed to the Faron Woods.

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He stood at the entrance to the Forest Temple. This is where those monkeys took Talo, I think. The scenery matched the decription. He had no interest in entering the temple, but if you stood at this particular spot...

Yes, there it is. The entrance to the Lost Woods. Colin had heard about them from his father and Shad both. Difficult to access without special gear or the ability to fly, it was supposedly in there somewhere that the Master Sword lay hidden, back where Link had placed it seven years ago. He considered exploring there to follow his hunch, but even if he could get across the chasm, he had heard the stories. He had heard, read and translated the stories, in fact. The Lost Woods had that name for a reason, apparently a combination monster lair, magical spirit forest and pathway to strange and twisted places.

It was that last one that interested him in particular. He was starting to have a suspicion about what Link had been doing, what he had been looking for. Those same strange places that legends of the woods told of fit that bill fairly well. Even more so, since the Temple of Time was hidden, warped through this world, locked by the Master Sword. What I wouldn't give to explore that place! Still, the fact remained he would likely die in the attempt to get to the woods, let alone inside. The rumours of what lurked within there were nearly as scary as the rumours of what happened when you weren't killed by monsters. He had no desire to end his quest here.

He sighed, resigned. He was running out of leads. There was one more he could think to follow, but his time limit with Shad was reaching it's end. Before long, he would have to return, and it would be years before he would get a chance to seek Link out again. Still, better some hope than none.

He turned, and headed back to his pony. From the trees, two monkeys and a parrot watched him with interest, and then descended into heated debate about what to do if he came back.

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Slowly, he trotted up the road to Kakariko Village. Even now it gave him a bit of a fright. He remembered King Bulbin, rampaging through the town, and waking up sporadically to terror, only to be knocked out again on the way here. He certainly kept his hand on the handle of his sword during most of the trip from Faron to Kakariko.

Still, he arrived without incident in the town. As he hitched his pony, a young woman's voice greeted him from behind. "Well well, look whose finally come to visit?"

He turned to see Luda, Renado's daughter, leaning against the entrance to her father's house. She had grown up into a quite charming young woman, one who eyed the ordonian with a look of interest. "It's great to see you again, Luda." Colin smiled warmly at his old friend.

"You could have seen me sooner if you came back sooner, you know." She grinned, and brought an arm up to her chest in a rough greeting. "Maybe I wouldn't have minded either, if I'd known you looked like that."

Colin blushed, completely unable to match Luda's audacity. The woman broke out into a harsh laugh, something approximating a crow, but it was still somehow endearing. "You're here to see my dad, aren't you?" He nodded, and she grimaced. "A pity. You could have answered that better, you know."

He chuckled and wandered across to her. "You've certainly gained some confidence. I'm on a bit of a quest at the moment, but when that's all done, I'll come by. Not that you've ever come and visited me in Castle Town, mind you. But I'll ask Shad to come visit on a weekend or something."

She gave him a playful punch in the shoulder. "Oh, I see. It's my fault now, is it? Pah. Castle Town is a terrible place, all stone and rupees. Come out here, we'll go for a walk. You'll love it." He smiled and agreed, before heading inside. As he closed the door, she called out after him, her voice far less jovial. "You won't find him, you know."

Colin whipped around, but she simply shrugged and set off down the street.

Turning once more into the house, he found Renado at work by a bench, making some sort of paste out of herbs. Colin explained why he was there, though he got the feeling that everyone tended to get when speaking to Renado- that he already knew what you wanted to say, but was politely letting you say it anyway. Still, when he finally asked the question, he got an answer he had been looking for.

"I saw him a year and a month ago. Just before the end of summer."

"Really?" Colin was stunned, why hadn't he come here sooner? In fact, why hadn't Renado told anyone? Link was nearly as legendary as Zelda herself, and as such the location of the traveling warrior was pretty noteworthy. "What was he doing?"

Renado smiled compassionately, and Colin realised how this conversation would end. Still, he would pursue it. The shaman flicked his greying hair behind his shoulders and turned from his work.

"He was doing the same thing we are all doing. Seeking wisdom."

Colin held in a groan of irritation. He liked Renado, the man was practical and understood the world with an insight few possessed. But by the Goddesses, he could be needlessly esoteric. "Well all right, but on a more... tangible note. He was traveling all over Hyrule, clearly looking for something, but then seemed to focus. I know he went to the Gerudo Desert, and suspect he visited the Lost Woods again, but both of those were before you saw him. Surely, there must be something he said!"

The shaman remained quiet, no answer immediately forthcoming, seemingly waiting for Colin to come to a conclusion. The younger man took a breath, settling himself, and then thought about what Renado had said. Slowly, carefully, he changed his question. "Wisdom isn't a physical thing, that can be located in one place and picked up. So why would he need to travel so far to find it, as if it were a lost artifact? He could as easily have visited the Royal Library and had all the wisdom that's been recorded since ancient times."

Renado smiled, satisfied. "Wisdom is no physical thing, true. Which is why one can only find it by searching." The answer was enigmatic, but felt like it held some kernel of truth that Colin was missing. Renado went on. "You who are wandering the land in search of your friend must know that in doing so, you gain wisdom and insight. Do you perhaps feel that if you find Link, that the value of the trip will be in the finding? Or will it have been the journey you undertook and your ability to complete it that you learn most from?"

Colin had no answer for that.

"I'm sorry Colin." Renado placed a hand upon the ordonian's shoulder and fixed him with a gentle look. "I wish I could help more, but as to where Link has gone I do not know. I have not seen him since that last visit, and he offered no information as to where he might be headed. He took time to discuss with me matters of thought. He was quiet, as he was ever wont to be, but each word he spoke was precise and focused. No breath wasted. I was impressed."

"He then left. He did not say his destination, and I did not ask. He did wish me farewell, however, and leave me with this." Renado went foraging through a chest, and pulled out a book covered in strange characters. "This is the Sky Book!" Colin exclaimed. He had heard of it from Shad, something that the archivist had been very keen to get his hands on. The trip was nearly worth that alone.

Renado smiled at Colin's excitement. "I believe that means something to our friend Shad. I had been meaning to have it sent to you, but it seems in safer hands now. Perhaps it might put you in good graces with the good Archivist, and he will permit you another sojourn or two?" His eyes sparkled, and Colin realised he had overheard Luda's conversation before. He blushed furiously, but thanked Renado and left.

As he mounted up and set off back to the Castle, his eye was drawn up to the clifftop by the springs. He grinned up as he saw Luda, one arm holding a hawk, the other waving down at him. "See you soon!" She called out after him. He gave her a flamboyant salute, and then left the town.

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He had exhausted his options, travelled across half of Hyrule, and though he was closer, there was still at least a year missing. It was the crucial one too. No one had seen Link in the last year, either in town or out of it. There was only one person left he could try.

He made his way up the stairs of the library and greeted his master Shad. The man welcomed him back warmly, offering him a hot meal and suggesting politely that he might enjoy a bath before resting. "That can wait, I need your help first." Colin replied, and then produced the Ancient Sky Book. Shad's eyes nearly popped his own glasses off in surprise.

After a careful negotiation, with a lot of bluster on Colin's part and a combination of stern orders and woeful pleading on Shad's, an arrangement was made. Colin thanked his master, bathed and ate, and then went to bed.

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It was the following evening when a guard came to collect Colin from his studies. He swiftly collected his book and quills, and then followed the guard up, up, higher into the castle. Eventually, he found himself at the doorway to the throne room.

It had been rebuilt since the last battle, more of a circular design than a rectangle. The works had taken years, but they were largely complete now and the entire hall looked resplendent. Colin was ushered through the hall to a small antechamber off to the side, and waiting in there was his last hope for answers- Queen Zelda.

Colin bowed, but she gestured him to sit, and then sent away the guards. He could not help but notice she wore her rapier at her side even now, and wondered privately if she ever let it leave her sight.

"Junior Archivist Colin. I hear you seek an audience with me."

He nodded. "Thank you, your majesty. I..."

"Zelda will do."

Her eyes were gentle, but in the same way that one could gently hold a knife to someone's throat. He had never seen much of her as Princess, but as Queen she was known to be simultaneously kind, generous, and made of utter steel. Seeing her, he did not doubt it.

"Zelda. I have been journeying to try and discover what happened to Link." She showed no reaction, so he continued cautiously. "I have traced him from his time in the Green Company, and beyond, a further two years in fact. However, his trail goes cold after a visit to the Lost Woods, and then to see Shaman Renado. I thought perhaps he may have been seeking out the Master Sword once more, though I now doubt that. I now think... I think he was seeking a path to another world." At this, she raised a delicately plucked eyebrow, but nothing more. "I believe that's what he was doing in the Lost Woods. Whether the sword or the path, I cannot think of any other who might know except yourself."

She said nothing for a moment, though her eyes flickered down as if considering something. "You're intending to write a story, are you not?" He nodded. "It is to be a historical account, I suspect? Not some grand adventure narrative, the Legend of Hyrule or anything like that?" This time he shook his head, and to his surprise she gave a small sigh. Before she could say anything else, however, they were interrupted by a maid bringing tea out. They both waited patiently as they were served, and only when they were once again alone did Zelda continue.

"I believe you to be earnest, and a young man of true heart, Colin. I know Link put a lot of faith in you." That almost made Colin blush as much as Luda had, but he was determined to seem capable in front of the queen so he simply tilted his head to acknowledge the compliment. "I will tell you, though I will also warn you. Sometimes, there is power in not knowing the end to a tale. While you may learn what you seek, I have faith that you will use your judgement when you write your book."

Ominous words. Colin nonetheless agreed to the terms. Zelda clasped her hands in front of her, and told a short tale. A tale that he had heard in pieces before, but never told like this. A tale of an ancient artifact with the power to bring one's wishes themselves to life, bestowed by the Golden Goddesses themselves, and guarded by a sacred bloodline. Of a trio of people, seemingly by providence bestowed with fragments of this artifact, bound to their very souls. A legend told in calamity and fates and crisis averted, and traced through the bloodlines and birthmarks.

"Of course, there is no way of knowing if such fancies are true." Zelda concluded, waving a hand dismissively. "After all, can you imagine the temptation such a thing would bring? The power of the gods themselves, available to any who sought it? The blood that might be spilled in search of such an artifact?"

Colin could imagine. He imagined men with the face of King Bulbin, great spiked clubs and axes in their hands, rampaging across the land, seeking such a power. He shuddered, and Zelda smiled out of the corner of her mouth. "Not that any could handle it. The legends passed down through the royal family claim that it could hardly be wielded by most, as it requires one to be balanced in their souls. To have not only the courage to seek it, but the power to control it, and the wisdom to know how to. So claim the legends."

A number of things instantly fell into place in Colin's mind. Like great stone blocks upon a mesh, that balanced on the top until the exact positioning was right and they might find their natural place. If so... Beth would never cease bragging. He almost laughed at the sheer complexity of such a simple answer. He put his quill away.

"This artifact supposedly brings one's wishes to life?" Zelda nodded sagely. "Such a powerful object, if it existed, would no doubt be hidden away deep in some secret place, though. Somewhere that required a test of such things to achieve."

"It would be fitting to think so."

"I see."

He rose, and thanked the Queen. "Might I read this book of yours, when it is finished?" She requested, her head tilted in curiosity. "It would please me to see his legacy honoured."

"Of course, your majesty. Thank you for the audience."

Colin smiled, and returned to the library. He knew how to end the book.

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One Year Prior

Alone, he sat, long hair tied behind his back, his scratchy beard a sign of weeks without a shave, deep within the woods. The words echoed in his ears as they did nearly every night now, holding more relevance by the day than when he had heard them seven years prior.

Tell me… Do you ever feel a strange sadness as dusk falls? They say it’s the only time when our world intersects with theirs… The only time we can feel the lingering regrets of spirits who have left our world. That is why loneliness always pervades the hour of twilight…

He sat upon a stump, focusing inward, focusing on every part of his form that he could hold in his mind. It wasn't a skill he truly possessed, but it was one that once felt was difficult to forget. He relied on that now, as he had many nights before, and tried to calm his mind. As he sat, the shadows grew longer and longer, until just before the dusk had completely fallen, the shadow of a small sapling met his own.

His eyes snapped open.

It was no easier now than the first time he had managed it, but it was more frequent. He suspected because he had help now. Deep in the woods, exhausted but resolute, he reached out with every sense in his body. He could feel it, faintly, but it was definitely there. Sorrow. Regret. Confusion, but not anger. And perhaps, a small sense of relief.

He reached out with his own feelings, trying to let them resonate through his body. Hope. Intention. Resolve. Confidence.

In return, Doubt. Fear.

He breathed deep, and then projected again. Comfort. Patience. Confidence. Trust.

Nothing for a moment. Then, finally, Hope.

That was all he needed. He was about to move, when he felt one more thing. Hesitance. And then... Pride. Affection. Protection.

He couldn't figure that out. Not for the moment, and the twilight had nearly passed. He had to get moving.

Sharing. Protection. Affection. Pride. Ours.

That made no sense, unless... Curiosity.

Affirmation.

The connection abruptly broke as the warrior leapt to his feet in surprise. He could no longer feel the connection, but he knew what was said. He choked back a sob of joy, and then gathered his things. Now he had two reasons.

He shouldered his shield, tightened his belt, and then set off into the Woods, never to be seen in these lands again.

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The End... again.

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Chapter Text

The rebirth of the author

Hi everyone! This is not another narrative chapter, but instead a reflection on my first fic here, the writing process, and the decisions made. I'll chuck it up here because that keeps me accountable to writing it at all, and for anyone who was commenting or following along and is interested in why I wrote the bits I did. This will be ranty and loosely edited, but I think it's worth putting it out there as I think it.

Before I kick it off, I want to give a huge thanks to any and all readers, and in particular those who commented. I reply whenever I can, and often try to check out the works of those who have commented, so honestly it'd be a lie to say I haven't been influenced along the way by those writers.

Also, as a preface, a very strong recommendation to look at some of the stories that somewhat inspired me to write this one:
The Chiaroscuro Suite, by Mertiya - https://archiveofourown.org/series/235101
Misery loves Company, by Vorpalinas - https://archiveofourown.org/works/2024436
Dusk to Dawn, by Japo_Chan23 - https://archiveofourown.org/works/23712379
Midna's Realization, by AlchyHolic -
https://archiveofourown.org/works/22864513
Chiaroscuro, by XekStrin -
https://archiveofourown.org/works/18416579
Cuddlin', by orphan_account -
https://archiveofourown.org/works/4894156
Dreading the Daylight, by Zelda Charm -
https://archiveofourown.org/works/7561003

There are doubtless more, but these were the ones I could still remember months on. Check them out, they're a combination of smutty and sweet but all of them helped inform my versions of the characters.

Chap 1

Right, so first up! I wanted to write a one shot that simply featured Link and Midna cuddling up. The way that people do who are comfortable with each other, even if there's an unspoken attraction or whatever behind it. Two people who are close through travel and shared experience, being comfortable in each other's presence, and simply enjoying the comforts that brings. Often, if there is further attraction, that can tend to develop or have other tension, which of course develops here too.

I also loved the idea that through the shadow magic, there was a bit of a link in their thoughts. Like, when she was borrowing his shadow that it was still tied to him, and so there was an empathetic link that could not be avoided. It made sense to me that if that's the case, then there would be a certain implicit intimacy in that connection which, little jerk that she is, Midna would neglect to mention. Seems obvious in retrospect, but it became a bit of a lynchpin, so that's why I wanted to mention it.

Final note on this chapter was the unexpected positive feedback- I sorta wrote this for me. I couldn't find a fic that really captured the mood I was looking for at the time, so I wrote one myself. As it happened, the day after mine was posted AlchyHolic posted Midna's Realization (linked above) which also hit the nail on the head, so if I had just waited... hehe. I had no idea what to expect, or if people would read it, but Pan and Ian Bulpett's comments made me realise that not only did people like the concept, but also the way I was writing the characters. Which was kinda encouraging. So I decided why not, I'll add another chapter or two, just really round it out.

Chap 2 and 3

How to go on from a one shot? Well, logically, spend a chapter discussing the ramifications that such a small gesture can have. Small but significant.

Midna is bad at processing her own stuff. Really bad at it. So of course, she denies it even happening, and mocks him. Still, as the first part from Link's perspective, I tried to focus on a different writing style. This developed over time (i.e. I cleaned up my shit) but in general, I tried to focus on a simpler language and tone with Link, as well as a stronger focus on smell and sensation. It didn't always work, and to be honest I'd revise these sections the most if I rewrote it, but the idea was basically Link spent his time absorbing the world with all his senses, people being just a part of that. Midna is entirely goals and people focussed, and her perspective in turn focuses less on the environments.

Next step was trying to challenge Midna's avoidance of feelings. I tried to basically elaborate on both the link between them and how Midna works in combat in general, giving it a bit of narrative sense. I wanted her to be valuable in battle, not just there for exposition and direction. So as such, she became the tactical advisor for Link, turning her hint system into a bit more of a substantial role. (More like a navigator in the Persona series.) But, when Link gets in trouble, she starts freaking out, and he becomes sure that she has deeper feelings for him. Even if it's just familial love or similar, it reinforces his memories and thoughts about her. Also, just a nice chance to show some angst and pain between them.

And then, for the levity- I like the silly names of things in Zelda. I like even more the idea that Link just goes around calling things dumb names for the sake of categorisation. After all, he'd not have seen most of these things before- what is a rancher meant to call a statue that shoots laser beams? Beam... oes. Beamos. That'll do.

I'd done a battle scene now, and was wary of simply narrating the game, so jumped to the next quiet moment they get in game- that would become a bit of a theme. You usually get your exposition after a boss fight, so I tried to run with that. Still, I loved writing Link's first kiss with her- the idea that he can catch her so off guard by being sincere felt right.

Then of course, the next chapter was a logical follow on. The ongoing theme that Midna can't handle her own emotions rears up again. I was really concerned that I would simply write a lot of he said, she said, she did, he did, etc. so I tried to use whatever breaks in the dialogue to establish setting, scene, build a mood. I think I did this better at the start of the story, where I was less concerned with time. (that became an issue after the Zant chapter.)

Midna freaks out, and as a result, their relationship becomes super strained. Midna reads seven million different things into Link's silence, everything except for simply a fear of rejection, and it turns them toxic to each other until it finally explodes. Jealousy is horrible, and by indulging in some high minded selfishness, she triggers Link to actually state his mind.

I tried, wherever possible, to have Link avoid speech. Or at least, to speak in clipped tones. I think some others have done this a lot better than I, but the idea that he can speak but rarely feels the need worked for my story. As a side effect, I really enjoyed the feeling of him actually lashing out, ranting a little, and saying unnecessary words. It felt more impactful. ANd then, silence again.

The attack on the hidden village, as cool and western as it is, always felt particularly vicious to play for me. It's like you stop playing Zelda for 10 minutes and suddenly you're in the Last of Us. Therefore seemed a good use of thematic tension, to demonstrate that Link is a bit of a one man army and can rip through twenty monsters like it's nothing. It's something that is rarely directly shown in games (BotW excepted) but as with any action protagonist, there's something to be said for taking a moment and actually considering the efficacy of them as a warrior.

Midna, in return, simply takes this as further condemnation, and worries that she's lost her only remaining friend.

The wet dream sequence--- I was inspired by far too much smut, and the angst was getting pretty heavy for a story that really began as a simple story about friends cuddling up for warmth. Time for a little spice, as I was already suspecting this story would continue along this path, but would not arrive at anything close to a happy conclusion.

I am aware that this is a very quick resolution, but I felt the tension was the cause of the argument, not a genuine dislike. As well as that, I think that Link traditionally in any game is a peacemaker between his factions, reads as very empathetic, and even if he is a bit stiff he can mostly make friends when needed. And Twilight Princess as a game centres so much on loneliness, particularly the loss of that friendship that happens at the end. It felt needless to continue the argument between them when what needed to be said had been said.

I think maybe this last section of this chapter is some of my favourite writing between the two. I'm not certain I topped it.

The first interlude- chapter 4

My gosh, I learned a loy of synonyms for smell. Most of them felt like they didn't fit, but I learned them!

I really like this chapter. I tried to avoid writing from Link's perspective too much, but I was so golly darned pleased with how this turned out. I also got some incredibly lovely feedback from nOtOk and SabineLiebling, and as I noted in my responses I felt it was fascinating to consider how we romanticise people based on senses- the look of a person, the sound of their laugh, the smell of their hair or the like. If he's spending the whole time as a wolf detecting scents, and she's riding with him, and he's into her... that would be overwhelming. There's a distinctly more risque take on that in the chiascuro suite linked above, the second work of which sort of focuses on a similar point in the story. This chapter was heavily inspired by that.

Between here and chapter five was where I decided I would keep going until the end of the game. I had half intended to leave it at chapter three, and as that didn't get as warm of a reception at the time and I had no strong ideas of what to do, I decided to write the interlude to figure out how I wanted their relationship to develop. There's a lot of stuff in that chapter that exists as a way of developing that original one shot idea, the feeling between them, and trying to make sure I was writing honestly and interestingly. It took a while, but was really well received, and so I thought damn it, if I've got the inspiration I'll go for it.

Chapter 5 and 6

I don't really love Shad. Sorry for those who do. Still, he and Ooccoo were both great characters for this chapter, since they are both somewhat comic relief characters, and Link and Midna could be a bit more pal-around-ish than dramatic with them. I really liked being able to explore that side of their dynamic, which I think comes across great in the game but hadn't really had much chance to play in my story so far.

It also felt right to pay off the moments in the previous chapters- one of my early drafts had the only moment of physical intimacy they got being a few days spent in the hidden village. The idea being that, things being somewhat stable, they spent some time there letting the relationship be what they wanted. That said, as discussed in the chapter, I really felt the issue of dysmorphia was one that really applied to Midna, and so she rarely is comfortable with physical affection in her imp form. The next interlude plays with that a touch, but for the most part, the touches she appreciates are the things that help her forget her imp form- that seemed pretty important.

She also begins to think ahead, both in terms of the difficulties of keeping the Mirror (more on that near the end) and staying with Link, and what that could look like. What a nice thing to give them a happy ending.

Chapter six is, as noted at the top, more about making sure I hit narrative beats that were important than any of my own stuff. I tried to basically remix the scenes in the games with my own narrative scaffolding, but ultimately it's Nintendo's architecture.

I wish I had been able to better develop the quotes from Midna about her homeland here. They're some of the most poignant in the game, I feel, and though I opted to let them speak for themselves, I think they get lost in both the game and this story. They really speak to the nature of the Twili, both these comments and those of Zant, and there's a whole other political/philosopical tale to be told about a land of people who are basically too chilled out to care about war or ambition. (I know that's a simplistic take, but hopefully you see my point.)

Also- I absolutely misremembered where the reveal of her being the princess was. I thought it was when Zelda saves her, not here, and there's a bit of retconning previous moments in the fic to adjust for that. I decided to leave it ambiguous, as it might be read as a bold narrative choice (tm). I cannot say if that worked.

The whole section in the Twilight Palace- I loved writing this. I was very pressed for time IRL and things were very chaotic, so I had nowhere near enough time to write it as I would have preferred. I wouldn't have wanted to write more, but I would have liked far more intricacy and nuance in the bits I did write. It was received well, which I was glad to hear, but I was a little disappointed in this section. Still, as noted at the end of the chapter, it was all getting away from me a little bit, and so I was more worried about my ability to finish the story at all. At this stage, I was expecting to end it after Ganondorf's defeat, on the cliffhanger of Midna's supposed death, and thus I wanted to get to the end without getting too bogged down in retelling the already narrative heavy end of the game.

That didn't really work.

A side note on predictions and comments-

A huge thanks to ShireBeast and Duke Serkol, who both commented quite regularly after this chapter, and each time offered encouragement, insight, and opinions that very much helped me finish the piece. It would not have been anywhere near as long or as sweet without both of you- cheers!

Serkol made the fairly salient observation that since I was adding in a bunch of stuff, it could perhaps be seen as an A.U. I personally didn't see it that way, as explained in my response, but it was a fair comment and gave me cause to examine how I was adding to those moments, which probably helped me to stay the course in retrospect. In that same comment, Serkol stated it would be (paraphrasing) 'nice if it has a different ending to canon, since Midna leaving Link behind is sad enough when thinking they never confessed (implictly or explicitly) to each other.'

While I fully agree with the sadness of that, I always had in my head the idea that it was done fairly implicitly at a few points, or would have been had Nintendo cared to show it. It felt to me that it was something heavily implied, but not relevant to the main narrative which ultimately was not a romance. As mine was, I mentioned it, but I had already resolved to do a few things about that specific departure scene.

Midna says "Link, I..." and then changes her mind, with it being fairly heavily implied that she wants to either tell him she loves him or something similar. I had it in my head that instead that she wants to apologise or explain, but that either way I would not have her explicitly say she loves him at any stage, nor justify her departure. This particular comment solidified that decision in my head, and I ended up adding other elements in an attempt to further obfuscate that final unsaid remark. I'll touch on it further when we come to it.

Chapter 7- the Zant fight

I'm really happy with this one. Not sure what commentary to offer, but mostly because all of the excellent nuance that was in this fight in-game has been disected by far more eloquent minds than me. Look it up on youtube, if you care to. I recommend Aleczander's piece on Twilight Princess, or Lorerunner's rumination analysis on it.

Zant is a pretender, and a fool, and a maniac. He is a screaming child with power. To play my cards a little more openly, one of the things martial arts has taught me is there are few things more likely to injure you than an idiot who cannot fight, but is not afraid to try. As such, I wanted to have Midna and Link both recognise him as a threat, even though he is a clown.

On top of that, this is far more Midna's battle than Link's, and I didn't like that Link just waltzes in there and fixes the Twilight's internal power struggle. As such, I wanted Midna to be countering Zant's magic as often as Link countered Zant's attack strategies. I'm really happy with how it turned out, and frankly it felt like the narrative final fight in a way the Ganon one did not. This was the one that mattered to Midna, and Midna is our protagonist in this story, more than Link.

I blatantly stole Jay Kristoff's way of describing teleporting through shadows from his Nevernight trilogy. Read them, they're great, and if he has issues, I'd be more than happy to recieve a personal admonishment.

The dream sequence was fun too- Zelda never seems to know how much to lean into it's own lore as a series. Sometimes, they explicitly avoid it, such as with Breath of the Wild, where everything is referential and nothing is concrete. Other times, they go out of their way to say it, like in Twilight where the Hero of Time is in the game as well. I liked the idea that basically the Triforce of Courage sustains Link, that it's power manifests in the ability to endure, and so as it does so there are echoes of previous incarnations of it's holder.

When Link wakes up- like the Darknut fight, I loved the idea that Midna just went and forced healing on him. Also, nowhere are heart containers explained, potion ingredients change from game to game, and a fairy being captured to save him from death amuses me.

A few more moments to discuss the fact that they both now realise, after each nearly dying to Zant in two separate encounters, that they're not done- that felt relevant.

Second interlude- Imp times

I didn't really feel like sexualising her as an imp. As mentioned earlier, Midna not being comfortable in her own body felt like a big enough obstacle, but I felt at this stage of victory that she might finally start to feel more like herself again even without the body. As for whether in a tense moment, it's appropriate to quickly masturbate- eh. That's why it's an optional chapter.

Chap 8 and 9-The Ganondorf fight, and the aftermath.

The Ganondorf fight in TP is less personal than Zant's, to my mind. At least on the hero's side- I want to explore the opposite perspective in the future. That said, I think the sinister nature of Ganon is far more obvious in this than in most, and it's maybe his most prideful one in the series? Either way, I wanted to explore the magnitude of his presence. The idea that, after someone like Zant, Ganondorf's very existence is oppressive, that being in a room with him is a force of will. I have mixed feelings on my results, but I think I did as well as I could. The fight was hard to write, but fun, and I liked doing it all from Midna's perspective still, because it is one of the few times we are directly keyed in to Link's solo experience in the game.

The ending- I debated how the last fight would be between Midna and Link. It is, for Midna, almost the goodbye that she expects. So taking Link's choice away is her way of trying to show she cares, even though she doesn't expect to beat Ganon. There's a lot to debate about how valid that expectation is, but taking the events of the game and working backwards, my decisions went as follows.

We know that from the field onwards, Ganondorf fights in his body, no more transformations. He does summons and projectiles, but that's fairly low level compared to his magical ability in the rest of the series. And Midna's whole schtick is her magic. So the concept was basically that as long as they keep fighting in the castle, Ganon would up the ante again and again, eventually getting Link through virtue of his mortality to falling rocks as much as through actual combat. So Midna's plan is to force Ganon to expend as much magical force as possible, in the hope that when she falls, he'll be tired enough that magic is no longer an easy option.

That's why instead of flashy combat, it's simply a big ol' dragon ball power surge thing.

The actual Ganondorf duel was never part of Midna's story, so I felt it relevant to leave it out here, and simply move to her revival. Also, went on a holiday in the middle with some pretty big life changes, so her coming back felt like a rebirth in real life too. Which was nice.

I don't have heaps to say about chapter 9, other than it was fascinating to begin working in entirely uncharted territory.

Chapter 10 and 11- Too many cooks

I loved writing all the other characters. I struggle sometimes to maintain the perspectives, but the other character voices came fairly naturally. I got a bit too bogged down in politics for my own liking in these and future chapters, but I was trying to maintain the complications of the situation, as well as hint to a number of other issues that would naturally occur after such a traumatic event. I tried to edit down, but the stuff in there felt necessary for the story, even if it wasn't important to Midna specifically.

Link gets lost in these discussions, because it's all wordcraft and statesmanship, and it's above his head. Midna can do it but is either not trusted by or not interested in the conversations happening. The Gorons are plain and simple but with some wisdom, Ralis is clever and earnest if a bit too bureaucratic, and the resistance is just plain fun to write. I liked all of this, but mostly writing Zelda. Particularly this version of Zelda, who we see standing with sword in hand as her castle is invaded. TP Zelda takes no shit, and I like the idea that even in a council room she is a warrior and general. She holds no ill will to any of them, but she controls the room with nearly every word. I loved writing Zelda.

At Serkol's advice, I gave the resistance a bit more play after chapter 10, because frankly it's good advice. They're fun to read and write, I feel.

Link and Midna go off the rails, mostly because their entire relationship dynamic is thrown into chaos. Link is the tag along as far as anyone else is concerned, and his 'job' is done. Midna doesn't see why he's being strange, and so distances herself. Relationships are messy.

Chapter 12 and 13

Everyone gets a talking to! Zelda was great fun here. Midna being both another royal, and someone who would not be around to talk to others, she became the perfect person for Zelda to be a little less composed with. And, as I said in a comment on this chapter, "dirty fantasy teen Zelda is perhaps my favourite side character at the moment."

Rusl is the father figure to Link, and the person he most tries to emulate at various stages, so it made sense for them to get a moment. What better father son moment than talking about girls?

And, for their time together afterwards, I was just really happy to let that flow. That was closer to chapters 2, 4 and 5 where they get their own time together, to talk and let their awkwardness subside a little.

When they're at the spring... I don't know, friends. Just catharsis. Finally. Some catharsis. People seemed to like this chapter, which is good, because to me it's as close as I ever got to the first chapter's tone again. I really liked it. :)

Chapter 14

It's all exposition! This late in the game. Why? Because, as mentioned in the notes, this was where I had to finally commit to my idea of why they had to separate, and I was still indecisive. I knew what I wanted to do, but second guessed myself so many times, and then over explained it, and then under explained it, and then tweaked it... ugh.

A hard chapter to write, but I think it turned out alright. If you want perspective on my choices when it comes to the whole triforce thing, check out my monstrous comment in response to DukeSerkol on this chapter. It's too long, but goes through my reasonings fairly well. TLDR: It's still separate from the OoT appearance of Ganondorf where he gets in during the execution. It's passed on through their bloodlines (Link and Zelda) thus being considered as a hereditary thing rather than a gift, but only because the person who split it (time paradox whoo) still holds their piece- thus the OoT explanation still holds for Link and Zelda until something happens to Ganondorf.

If you have a hotter theory, let me know!

Int. 3- Finally!

I don't know what to say about this one either. It was my first time (har har), and I had a few goals in mind when it came to the writing, but... I don't know. I think it turned out pretty well in some regards, and wish it had gone better in others. I like it as a moment for them, though. I like it as the culmination of all the fantasies they cannot have, and a taste of what could have been. I don't know how many people consider this or the other interludes vital to the story, but I liked them a lot as optional extras.

Chap 15

OOOOOOOhhhh, this was a hard one to write. I think I did it justice, but... still, it hurt.

The Epilogue

I think this was the most fun to write since the Zant fight. I loved doing this. I had it in my head from before about chapter 6 or so, but it began as simply Link in the woods, sitting at twilight, trying desperately to reach beyond the veil to the Twilight realm. A basic form of communication, both of them knowing the other was there, but that's it. But as I worked more and more, I wanted to explore what life he could have lived while he waited for a method to show itself.

In the intervening years, as Ilia states, Link was changed. He becomes more patient, more focussed, and more sombre. He still wants to help people, but given his heroics are over it takes the form of weaning people off needing a hero. I don't think the (effective) PTSD would let him just settle into the farming life again without some sort of anchor. He tries for a little, and Ilia helps to keep him sane by simply understanding him a little more than the others. Still, he eventually leaves, knowing that even without Zant and Ganondorf people needed help. Thus, the green hats.

Ashei deserved her own commando squad, so I like the idea of effectively building the elite version of the knights of hyrule, as seen in ALttP and similar. I think Link's tendency to not talk works with her fairly clipped speech, and I really wanted to expand more on this whole concept, but it wasn't their story. Still, they were a fairly early concept too. Ashei also (in my headcanon) really longs for anyone to live up to the ideals of bravery and knighthood that her father talked about. So, she holds a candle for Link a bit, even though she knows that he won't return the affection.

I wanted to feature more about the return of the Gerudo too, but it never ended up particularly relevant to the journey of Colin finding Link, so it mostly got cut. I didn't actually include the whole Colin framing device of the epilogue until fairly late in the concepts, but I'm glad I did.

Luda and Colin- gosh, I could write another whole fan fiction about them in the wake of Twilight princess. I really like the idea that Renado is some vague mystic whose job up until the invasion was being the wise man of the village. After he is no longer needed, he's just a vague shaman who does medicine and advice for a living. Luda, as a result, became incredibly insightful, knowing how to read people as well as her father but with more practical skills as a result of the fear growing up in the shadow of an invasion. Luda is secretly the hero of the next generation in my mind. Maybe one day, but probably not.

Zelda simply becomes the older version of who she was already. However, we see her previously from the eyes of heroes and princesses, not subjects. To Colin, she is a person to fear as much as love. She is not malevolent, but she is as strong as steel, and a little suspicious of others by default. I do not think she is any less kind, but she guards that kindness, and Colin wouldn't know her well enough to get past that in my thoughts.

And then, the actual epilogue for Link and Midna, the bit that I knew was going to happen already... I didn't know if Link would make it back to her. I knew that she would be trying to move on, but to my mind, they would both keep their eyes open in case they saw the shade of the other. It was important to me to leave it a little ambiguous as to what was happening, and what might happen, and I do not wish to clarify here what I left open there. If you're of that mind, ignore the next paragraph.

Conceptually, in the original thing of them talking through the veil, Link would see her with a young girl, a twili with blue eyes. However, he wouldn't be able to get to them. It was going to be a new version of the same bittersweet ending, and it's why I wrote them sleeping together before the end. Midna carries his child, both as a political choice and so she might have something of him with her own world.

I genuinely don't know how much of that is in the final script. It's only hints, and if forced I would say it's Link's interpretation of the feelings, but with no tangible proof. To state the obvious and really dig into the mechanics, he has decided that based on the lore of the triforce, he wishes to become the most powerful warrior in the land and acquire wisdom, so he might use the entire Triforce to grant a wish. Thus his plan, thus Renado and Ashei's comments, thus Zelda's hint. Still, I leave it to readers both how he goes and if he could have succeeded there.

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Thanks to everyone for sticking with me throughout the entire writing process. I am sorry the notes took so long to come out, and I can't say when I'll put the next story up. It's been awesome to do this, and the feedback has been both invaluable and the only reason I kept the story going so long without dropping it off at earlier points. I'm very satisfied with how it all went, and really hope people enjoyed it both at the time and now it's complete.

Oof. Thanks for reading all this too. It's been a slog, but I needed to put my own thoughts down, and given the great comment threads I've had, I wanted to detail everything a little more. Let me know if you got anything from it, or wanted to ask any more specific questions- I'll answer any comment I can. :)

If there's a request for a future story, or if people have any ideas, I'd love to hear them. I'm currently musing over a few more plans for stories. A few Zelda ones (one about Time Link after the events of the game, one about Ganondorf throughout all the games, maybe a Sheik focused one, I don't know) one or two in Persona, maybe another idea or two. If people have any suggestions or interest in particular thing, I love working to prompts. In theory. I've not written fics to prompts before, but I used to write RP's, so have a little practice.

I don't know how to end this. So...