Chapter Text
“C’mon mutt, move it!”
“Oh, is Wolfy showing his fangs again?”
“You better get moving so we can get the Fused Shadow back. C’mon, let’s go!”
“Enough!!”
Midna stopped at Link’s shout, emerging from his shadow with an unnoticeable shiver of fear. The spark of worry in her chest only grew as she saw his face. Link looked near tears, his eyes showing even more ferocity than when he fought.
“I am not just your pet! You think I don’t want to get my friends back!? You think I want you around, constantly nagging me!? Hell, you have a piece of the Fused Shadow on your face, so maybe you’re just doing this for kicks!”
Midna’s heart nearly shattered before becoming hardened with her own anger.
“Kicks…kicks!? And what do you have that makes you so noble, Mr. Hero? Do you have an entire world on your shoulders? Do you have the knowledge that you could have stopped an invasion, and you left out of cowardice? Do you have the shame and screams of your people in your head every night!? Do you have a tiny, pathetic body that needs a handicap and can’t even help yourself, let alone your people!?”
Both heroes stopped, snapping out of their tempers to see all-consuming shame on the other’s face. Tears slowly fell from both sets of eyes, but they tried to hide them. Link took a deep breath before returning them to Hyrule Field, settling underneath a tree and looking to the sky.
The stars were shining brightly tonight, but that did nothing to ease their burdens. Link reflected on what had led them to this point, looking at the past few weeks with a painful eye. Midna had been grating at first, but Link could sense her touches of sentimentality from time to time. Letting him rest after a long dungeon crawl, pulling a fairy out of his shadow when he was badly hurt, softly stroking his fur when hunting Shadow Bugs as a wolf left him exhausted. Midna was a pain, sure, but she also cared about others, no matter how much she tried to hide it.
The imp did her own memory-walking as she emerged and sat beside him, remembering her surprise at seeing the newly-born wolf walk with courage and dedication, even when he literally stumbled during their escape from Hyrule Castle. The Hero’s care and heart were always present, whether it was absorbing Zelda’s words fervently or helping those he met on their travels. Even…putting up with her…he still did his best to be respectful, no matter how much hell she gave him.
“Link…”
“Midna…”
The duo shared a small blush and stumble as they spoke, encouraging the other to go first. They finally settled on Link, so he took a deep breath and looked out to the field before speaking.
“I’m sorry…about what happened back there. It’s been rough these past few weeks, and I’m tired, but I shouldn’t have lashed out at you.”
“I…deserved it, honestly.” A humorless laugh escaped Midna’s mouth. “I’ve been nothing but a pain in your ass since we met, always pushing you more and more. I just…” A few more tears escaped. “I want to set my people free. I can’t let Zant do this to my world. I need to be strong for them, even with this curse.”
Midna shrunk into herself as more tears fell freely. Link understood that this was a rare time for both of them, one of both hardship and reconciling, so he slowly put his hand on Midna’s shoulder.
“We both have worlds on our shoulders, Midna. And we’re both cursed. But pushing others away won’t help. We can work together to save those we care about. You’re not alone in this.”
Midna looked up, seeing Link’s eyes hold much more age than before. Just what had those eyes seen in this life, or lives past? Still, they carried care and trust, allowing Midna to lean on and hug Link as more tears fell with the realization that Link was right. They both had a stake in this.
“Link…Don’t tell anyone about this, okay? It’ll ruin my reputation.”
The Hero felt a small smile grow on his face, “Of course. It’ll be our little secret, as cursed beings.”
“Thank you…For putting up with my bullshit.”
“Thank you for being there when I need support. Friends?”
The imp looked up to her wolf, pondering the possibility. She had put aside her own innate desire for a connection to focus on saving her world, but it clearly wasn’t working. She and Link were both struggling, and would only go mad if they didn’t have support.
‘Besides,’ Midna thought, ‘He’s not that bad looking, and he’s certainly a good fighter.’
“Friends.”
The duo shook hands, a yawn escaping Midna before she could stop it.
“Go ahead and rest. I’ll take first watch.”
The imp smiled as she drifted off, subconsciously snuggling further into Link. The Hero paid no mind, a faint blush painting his cheeks at the trust that Midna had in him with this gesture. He would be sure to pay that trust back, to help his friend save their worlds, together.