A/N: Hello, and welcome to my first ever Twilight Princess fanfiction (although by no means my first ever fanfiction). My name is saintjoanofsnark, but you can call me Joan.
TP was the first Zelda game I ever finished, so it hold a special place in my heart. I just love it to pieces: the music, the atmosphere, the game play, the characters, the story; everything. I'm also a huge Midlink shipper. This is a slight AU, I suppose, although there really isn't much different from the game. I changed Zelda's title from "Princess" to "Queen" because it makes more sense (she is the ruler now, after all), and Link does speak in this story, but that's kind of necessary to the plot so I hope you'll let it slide.
A quick disclaimer: this oneshot is based on the song (lullaby?) "You Are My Sunshine," which I thought fit Midna and Link really well. I don't really know much about the song or who it belongs to, so, to cover all my bases, it doesn't belong to me!
Also, disclaimer part 2: I wrote this in the span of a few hours, so it is not beta'd. if there are any mistakes, please notify me so I can make the appropriate changes!
As always, comments, questions, reviews, and helpful criticism are highly appreciated.
Midna had never been one for patience, and this was no exception. She paced up and down the long corridor, pausing occasionally in front of the room where Princess- no, Queen now- Zelda's best healers were hard at work saving Link's life before huffing angrily and continuing her endless walk up and down the hallway.
"Midna," a steady voice interrupted Midna's racing thoughts and she looked up. Queen Zelda was standing in the doorway Midna had just abandoned. Midna couldn't read the other girl's expression and her heart plummeted to the floor, assuming the worst.
"Is he…?" Midna whispered, her throat closing up and leaving her unable to finish.
"He's alive," Zelda responded, sounding tired. Midna could hear the "but" and clenched her fists tightly, blinking away the tears that blurred her vision. "But… Midna, I'm sorry, but he has not woken up. My healers are unsure of he ever will."
It was at that moment Midna's heart shattered. Her throat burned with unshed tears and Midna felt like she couldn't breathe. She felt lightheaded and slumped to her knees, unable to stand, her splintered heart throbbing in her chest. Queen Zelda appeared at her side and Midna could feel the weight and warmth of Zelda's hand on her shoulder and she could hear Zelda speaking but she couldn't make it out.
"… see him?" Zelda's voice echoed from far away and Midna looked up, having not registered what the other girl had said. Zelda smiled sadly. "Do you want to see him?" she asked again, and her voice was so gentle and kind and sympathetic, like she was sorry, like she knew what Midna was going through when she didn't, she had no idea!
Midna shot to her feet, furiously rubbing her cheeks dry. A part of her wondered why she was so angry all of a sudden, but it felt good (and more importantly right) so Midna pushed that thought away.
"Why? Do you think I want my last memory of him to be his broken body lying on some bed? Do you think I want to see him, knowing full well that he's gone, and that he'll never come back?!" Midna snapped at Zelda. Zelda didn't look shocked or angry like Midna had expected (and wanted, a part of her whispered); instead, she looked concerned. Midna wanted to scream, to punch and hit something, anything, until her fists ached because how dare Zelda be concerned about her when Link was in that room dying!?
"Why can't you heal him?!" Midna screamed. "Why can't you fix him like you fixed me?! It's not fair!" Midna knew she sounded like a spoiled child, but she didn't care. "It's not fair that he's done so much and been through everything and now he's going to die and leave me all alone when he promised, Zelda! He promised me that he wouldn't leave, that he'd be fine! It's not fair!" She lashed out blindly, her fist striking the wall painfully, but it felt better than the pain in her chest so she did it again and again and again until someone grabbed her hands in their own firmly, forcing her to stop.
"I know, Midna," Zelda said quietly. "I know it isn't fair. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."
Just like that, all the anger drained out of Midna, and she was left feeling sore and empty and oh so tired. She looked down at her hands and saw the dark red blood on her knuckles, spilling onto Zelda's hands and dripping onto the floor before looking up and seeing the blood staining the stone wall. Midna finally broke down, bawling loudly and clutching Zelda close to her as she let out all the pain and the anger and the frustration and the happiness and the joy she'd built up over her long journey with Link, the empty stone corridor echoing with her cries.
Zelda merely held her and let her cry, smoothing down her hair and whispering soothing words.
That's when Midna realized something so very, very important, something she'd known for a long time but had ignored, something she couldn't pretend didn't exist anymore.
"I loved him," Midna sobbed, because it may have been too late to tell Link but that didn't mean she couldn't tell anyone else. Midna felt Zelda smile.
"I know," Zelda responded softly.
The sun was just beginning to rise over the desert when Midna and Zelda arrived at the Mirror of Twilight.
"Are you sure you don't want to say goodbye?" Zelda asked her. Midna shook her head. Her people needed her, and Midna was afraid that if she saw Link again she'd never want to leave. It hurt, of course, but she had her duties. No matter how much she loved him, Midna had to put her people first.
"I probably won't return," Midna told Zelda quietly.
"Leave the portal open," Zelda said. Midna glanced at her, surprised, but the queen was looking at the Mirror and didn't seem to notice. "If there's any change, I'll send word."
Hope burst in Midna's chest and clung there, and Midna knew she wasn't strong enough to push it away, so she only nodded, determined not to look back for fear that she wouldn't be able to leave.
As Midna entered the portal, she smiled at Zelda, who smiled back. Just before she was all the way through, Midna looked up one more time at the castle looming in the distance. She gazed at the high towers for one second, two, before it was gone.
Midna drew in a deep breath and pushed away all thoughts of the blue-eyed Hylian she'd left behind. Her people needed her now more than ever.
Midna and Link sat next to each other, both staring into the dancing flames in front of them. Midna yawned widely and sighed. They should really get to bed soon; they would need their strength for the following day's climb up Snowpeak.
However, when Midna turned her attention to her partner, she realized he was humming softly to himself. He did that often, she had noticed, and it was always the same tune. Midna's curiosity got the better of her.
"What are you singing?" she asked Link. He looked surprised and blushed faintly.
"Sorry," he said in his usual soft-spoken way. "I didn't even notice."
"It's fine," Midna waved him off. She peered closely at him. "It's just that I always hear you sing that and I don't think I know it."
"Really?" Link asked. "It's a lullaby. Uli used to sing it to me all the time, to get me to fall asleep. Colin makes me sing it to him every night." Link smiled, lost in thought.
"Well, I've never heard it," Midna stated. She eyed Link, hoping that he'd offer to sing it to her. She didn't want to ask and make herself look desperate or something.
"I'll sing it to you, then," Link told her. Midna grinned. She knew him too well.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy when skies are gray. You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." Link's voice was very nice, Midna thought. She didn't quite get the meaning of the song, but Link's voice was very pleasant and she liked the tune.
"That's the first verse," Link said.
"How many are there in total?" Midna asked. Suddenly, she wanted to hear him sing to her, this song about sunshine and happiness and love that made something stir inside Midna that she didn't recognise but wasn't at all uncomfortable.
"Three," Link responded, using a stick to adjust the logs in the fire. The light from the flames danced in his eyes and highlighted his face. Midna shifted away from the fire, wondering why it was suddenly so warm. "Do you… do you want to hear the rest?" he asked shyly. Midna nodded a bit too enthusiastically, but Link's smile made her feel less foolish so she let it slide.
"The other night, dear, as I lay sleeping I dreamt I held you in my arms. When I awoke, dear, I was mistaken, so I hung my head and I cried.
I'll always love you, and make you happy, as long as you will say the same. But if you leave me to love another, you'll regret it all one day."
"That's a pretty song," Midna commented. "You've got a wonderful voice." Link blushed and busied himself with the fire. Midna snickered. She loved to make him squirm.
"Yeah, i-it's a nice song," Link muttered. He wouldn't meet Midna's eyes, much to her delight. "Anyway, we, uh, we should get to bed. Lots to do tomorrow," Link announced loudly, now making a show of adjusting his blanket roll and fluffing his hard-as-a-rock pillow. Midna grinned to herself as she tucked herself into the blanket Link had given her, watching as he crawled under his own blanket.
"Goodnight, sunshine," she called. Link spluttered and Midna laughed, turning away and curling up. Her last thought was of Link's blushing face as she drifted off to sleep.
That night she dreamt about the sun, and about Link.
Zelda had gotten up earlier than usual that morning to check on Link. When she entered the room, the healer on duty got to her feet and curtsied. Zelda nodded in response and settled herself in the chair on Link's other side.
"How is he?" she asked, brushing stray hairs away from his face and checking the bruises and cuts on his face. They seemed fewer than they had been nearly two weeks ago, but the slow healing made the queen nervous.
"His cuts and bruises have been slowly yet surely healing, my lady," the healer replied. She sat back down and lifted a washcloth out of a nearby basin, wringing it out thoroughly before laying it across Link's forehead. "His fever seems to be going down slightly, but there are no other signs of life."
"I see," Zelda said, gently stroking the hand she held. "Thank you."
"It's my duty, your highness," the healer responded. "And I am grateful to do it. He has done so much for us; now we will do all that we can for him."
"I must go," Zelda said at last. The sun was beginning to rise and so was the castle. Zelda had queenly duties to see to. "Notify me immediately if there is any significant change."
"Of course." Zelda paused at the door, glancing back at the hero lying so still and small on the bed, and her heart clenched at the sight.
"I will post guards at both ends of the corridor," Zelda decided. The healer glanced up, surprised, as Zelda went on. "They will allow no one except my most trusted healers and myself through."
"Of course, my lady," the healer said. She hesitated before asking, "May I ask why?"
"Just in case," Zelda responded. The healer nodded, looking satisfied, and Zelda left. What could she have said? That there were rumors spreading in Zelda's Court about the Twili people and Link's connection to them? That there were some who whispered about Link being a cursed Beast, how it was said that he could transform at will into a terrifying wolf? How there were many who distrusted and even hated him because of this?
Zelda knew, of course, about Link's wolf form, and she knew about his attachment to Midna. She knew that neither Link nor the Twili meant any harm, but she also knew that it would take time to convince her people of this. For now, it was safest to assign her most trusted guards to protect Link while he was vulnerable.
Two days later, Zelda was in a meeting with several of her advisors. They were discussing the idea of raising taxes to speed up reconstruction of the city and the castle, something that Queen Zelda adamantly refused, when there was a knock on the chamber door.
"Come in," Zelda called. The door was opened and a servant entered the room. He bowed low. "What is it?" Zelda asked.
"Your highness, the guards in the Healer Corridor caught a strange woman trying to sneak into the hero's room. I was sent to inform you at once," the man replied, still bowing respectfully. Zelda frowned.
"Thank you. I will come at once." She turned to her advisors. "I'm afraid we will have to postpone this discussion for a later date. Something urgent has come up." Although several of the men looked upset, none dared to challenge the queen. With a short nod of dismissal, Zelda strode to the door, gesturing for the servant to lead the way.
As Zelda approached the room the guards had detained their prisoner in, she began to hear a familiar voice that she hadn't thought she would hear again.
"I demand you release me at once!" the voice exclaimed. There was a crashing sound before the yelling continued. "How dare you treat me like this! What has this world come to if a friend is not allowed to visit when the one she loves is injured!"
Zelda opened the door quickly, hoping that she'd be able to prevent any injuries or further property damage. Already Zelda could see the table had been tipped onto its side and the chairs thrown haphazardly around the room in various stages of wholeness. Standing in the middle of the room, ranting and gesturing wildly with what looked like part of a broken chair leg was Midna.
She looked furious. The hood of her cape was down and her red hair stood out violently against her teal and black skin. Her skirt was rumpled slightly and her face was twisted into a snarl.
"Excuse me," Zelda said. Both the guards and Midna spun to face her, and Midna glared at Zelda.
"Tell these incompetent guards that I'm not your enemy!" Midna snapped at Zelda. The queen stared back, unimpressed.
"What are you doing here?" Zelda asked instead, motioning for the guards to stand down. They did so reluctantly. "I thought you said you weren't going to return." Midna looked uncomfortable and she shifted, looking away from Zelda as if suddenly interested in the chair leg she held. Zelda crossed her arms and waited.
"I had to see if he was okay," Midna said quietly. "I… I need to see him." Her voice cracked and she turned away to wipe her face.
"Come on," Zelda responded. Midna followed her eagerly. "I must warn you, though," Zelda continued, stopping outside the door. "He… hasn't really improved." Midna nodded and Zelda opened the door.
Midna let out a strangled whimper and rushed to the empty seat usually reserved for Zelda. The healer, an older woman this time, glared at the Twili but didn't comment. Zelda followed slowly and stood to the side, giving the Twili and the hero their privacy. Midna was crying and clutching at Link's hand, squeezing it tightly with both of hers and pressing kisses against his fingers almost desperately. With a jolt, Zelda remembered that Midna hadn't seen Link since he had collapsed after his battle with Ganon.
Quietly, Zelda motioned for the healer to follow her out of the room. The woman looked affronted but she obeyed her queen. Zelda shut the door behind them.
Midna didn't remember much from when Zant exposed her to the Light Spirit. She remembered bright, searing white light and pain and then… nothing.
She woke up later in Castle Town, sprawled out on Link's back. She felt so weak and her entire body burned. Sharp pains shot from the areas that chafed against Link's fur and Midna let out a tiny, exhausted whimper. Link stopped and ducked into a dorrway to get out of the driving rain that Midna could feel like little needles on her skin.
"I'm okay," Midna rasped, struggling to lift her head up, but she was too weak and she flopped back down, panting. Link let out a whine and carefully slipped her off of his back and onto the ground. Midna shivered and huddled close to him as he curled around her, sniffing her worriedly.
He began to rumble deep in his chest, almost as if he was humming along to that tune he always sang. Midna had never asked him about it, but she recognized it now and it soothed her. She sighed and relaxed, feeling Link gently maneuver himself underneath her so that she was resting on his back once more.
As Link ran, he continued to growl-hum the song to her. Midna clutched at his fur, hanging on as tight as she could. Somehow, she knew they would be okay.
Midna couldn't remember seeing Zelda leave, but when she looked up again both the queen and the old woman were gone. It didn't matter, though, because Link was still asleep and he might not wake up.
Midna bit her lip to contain her sobs as she looked down at the Hylian lying motionless on the bed before her, so pale and small and fragile-looking that it made Midna's heart hurt. The bed looked so big, Midna thought, and he looks so lonely. Carefully, Midna stood up and began to climb into the bed beside Link. The healers would probably kill her, but Midna honestly didn't care. She had been gone for nearly two weeks and no matter how hard she'd tried to, she couldn't forget Link's smile, so if she wanted to lay down next to him then she was going to, damn it.
Midna was still clinging tightly to Link's hand as she settled next to him on the bed. Finally, when she was comfortable, Midna began to sing.
"You are my sunshine, my only sunshine," she sang softly. Her eyes were filling up with tears, but Midna determinedly pushed on. "You make me happy when skies are gray." And, oh, she hadn't understood before she came to love him, because how could she? She was a creature of the Twilight, and she had never seen sunsets or sunrises and didn't know what it was like having the sun warm your face. Then she had fallen in love with the Light and now her sun might never shine again. "You'll never know, dear, how much I love you. Please don't take my sunshine away." Midna's voice cracked as she sang the last word and she couldn't hold back the tears any longer.
However, as Midna was laying there beside Link, holding his hand tightly as she cried, something amazing happened.
Link squeezed her hand.
Midna sat up abruptly, staring down at Link and hoping that she hadn't imagined that. She watched, holding her breath, not daring to move a muscle for fear that she would ruin whatever was happening. She peered closely at Link, and he moved.
His fingers twitched and he squeezed her hand again and his eyelids fluttered slightly and Midna's heart stopped working.
"Zelda!" she screeched. "Zelda!" Link flinched slightly and turned his head away from her and Midna could feel the tears coursing down her cheeks anew but she didn't care because he was alive, he was okay and she loved him.
The door burst open and Zelda rushed in, looking panicked. Four healers followed close behind her.
"Midna, what's wrong?" she asked urgently. Before Midna could respond, Link opened his eyes. Zelda gasped and the healers rushed to Link's side, trying to push Midna out of the way, but she didn't budge.
Link looked confused at first but quickly began to get overwhelmed. Midna saw him begin to panic and turned to look at Zelda, silently pleading for her to do something.
"Everyone, please, back up," Zelda commanded. The healers stepped back to give Link some breathing room but they still hovered. Midna, however, ignored them.
"Link, are you okay?" she asked, searching his face, her eyes drinking in the familiar blue that she had missed so much.
"Midna?" he asked. His voice was small, like it always was, but at that moment, it was the most beautiful thing Midna had ever heard. She nodded, smiling tearfully at him and holding his hands tightly in hers. "Was that you singing?" Link asked. Midna laughed.
"Yes. I remembered the song you taught me," she said. Link smiled back and Midna couldn't hold herself back anymore. She lunged forward and her lips met Link's. The world seemed to explode all around her, and Midna was aware of nothing but Link's lips against hers and the salty taste of her tears and the way Link's hands felt in hers, holding just as tightly as she was, and then Link kissed Midna back, his lips against hers tasting like sunshine and grass and open air, and Midna had never felt happier.
Link pulled away first, his wide eyes meeting Midna's. He grinned foolishly at her and Midna smiled back, leaning forward to plant a kiss on his nose and making him laugh. She kissed his face all over, feeling his skin heat up below her lips as she pressed them against every spot she could reach.
"I love you," Midna whispered into his ear. Link's only response was to wrap his arms around her and pull her even closer. "Don't you ever scare me like that again."
Link laughed again, the sound lighting up Midna inside and making her feel more alive than she ever had. She glanced over her shoulder and met Zelda's gaze; the queen smiled.
Midna knew that Link still had a lot of healing to do, and the road to recovery would be a long one. She knew that her people also had a lot of healing to go through, and that she would have to find a way to protect both her people and Zelda's from any further danger. But she also knew that they'd face it together. After all, there was nothing she couldn't do with her sunshine by her side.