Hey everyone. I decided to take a little break from the main story I'm working on to do some other things. I was inspired by another one-shot and I thought "it would've been good if this had happened, too." So this is similar but different. There really wasn't much point to this, just something I felt like doing. MidLink fluff. Like it, don't like it, R&R either way please.

Through the Cold, Dark Night

Why did one of the mirror shards have to be in Snowpeak? Why couldn't it have been somewhere else? Snowpeak was so cold…I was miserable, but with his thick coat of fur, Link was oblivious to it. I gripped his neck fur tight, trying to get his attention, but it didn't do any good. I tried and tried to get his attention, let him know that I was freezing to death, but he just barreled onward. I'm not sure how far up the mountain we traveled before I blacked out.

When I finally woke up, I was shivering so violently that I hurt myself against a rock at one point. We were in a cave, although I don't really know where. Where is Link? I thought to myself. At first I thought I was alone, but then again, I was so cold I couldn't even open my eyes all the way. Finally I saw him, trying to get a fire started, but he wasn't wearing his tunic or his hat. Then it occurred to me that those articles were around me, as a makeshift blanket. Outside the mouth of the cave the wind howled awfully. I pulled my legs in and hugged my knees, trying to keep in heat.

"You're awake," said Link. "I wondered if you would wake up. I was going to just let you sleep."

"I thought…you'd left," I said. I was so cold it was difficult to even speak, but still I tried.

"I would never leave you," he said, "especially not now."

I held my hands out, groping at the air. My muscles felt frozen, but the pain would be worth it if this went the way I wanted it to.

"What is it?" he said. "Oh, wait," he said when it finally dawned on him, "I get it." Then, just as I had hoped he would, he scooped me up in all my wrappings and brought me against his chest. In my ill state, though, there was one thing I'd forgotten about.

"Uuunh!" I whined loudly. I'd forgotten he still had on his chainmail, and the cold metal stung against my already cold skin. Still, I was glad he'd done as I hoped. I knew as long as I was next to him, I could make it through any kind of discomfort.

"I have an idea," he said, recognizing the pain I was in from the biting cold. Before I knew what had happened, he had transformed into a wolf. He curled his body around me, so that I was surrounded by fur and in direct contact with his body heat. After a few minutes I felt at ease, and then I realized how tired I was. I yawned a wide yawn, and he raised his head up to look at me.

"I know you can't answer," I said as I looked into his beast blue eyes, "but when you said you would never leave me…what did you mean by that?"

Then he did something I hadn't expected; he licked my face. Normally I would have felt disgusted, but this time I was happy for it.

"I hoped that was why," I said. I wrenched an arm free so I could pet him, and then I kissed his nose. As I shut my eyes I saw his tail wag. I settled in to his form and let myself drift off to sleep. I remember saying something, but I don't know if I actually said it out loud or if I dreamed it.

"I love you, too…Link."