Another fic that takes place when Midna and Link and collecting Mirror Shards.
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"Midna."
That voice…Midna could hear it; hear his soft voice, the wind's whisper-but she couldn't see anything but pale blue and dull red. Oh! Blood?! Panic swelled into her throat and the acid in her stomach rose.
"Midna! For Din's sake, open your eyes!"
Oh. The red and blue was the inside of her eyelids. She was still groggy from sleep. Of course. Duh! She scolded herself, embarrassed, blinking at a rapid pace. Sitting up, she came eye to eye with the gray stone walls of Castle Town. "Sorry!" She gushed.
"Where…how…when did I…?"
Link chuckled, amused by her bewilderment. "Honestly. If I defeated both Zant AND Ganon while you were tired, you wouldn't remember!" Link shook his head, his shaggy blonde hair cascading over his tanned forehead. Midna's body slightly froze when he did that, for a reason she didn't understand. "We're just outside of Castle Town, silly." He gestured to the wall.
Midna waited for control of her body to come back to her, and she was rewarded. Slowly, the control faded in. "Oh, that's cool, I guess…" She knew he was short of supplies, and did not want to force him into battle unprepared.
"Anyway, I thought you might want to do some shopping. So when we defeat Ganon and Zant, you'll have something to remember the light realm by!"
Midna's heart ached, lurching. "If…" She fumbled uselessly for words. "Umm…." Get your head out of the lake! "Uhmm…sure?" It sounded more like a question.
"Great! Hide in my shadow until I step into an alley or something…" Link stood, brushing off his ivy colored tunic. She nodded, snapping her fingers and then dissolving into particles of black, blending into Link's shadow. Silently and unnoticed in the ever growing and noisy crowd, Link entered the town.
For a while, he shopped for himself. Arrows for his Hero's Bow. Bombs, normal and water. A sharpening knife for the Gale Boomerang…anything that could be used to help him fight.
While he did that, Midna (unnoticed in his shadow), watched the endless sky pour down heat. It was the exact shade of crystal blue that Link's eyes were.
After a little while more, the sky turned gold, flanked by streaks of purple and black. The crowd of shoppers—wary of the Twilight in such times—thinned until only about ten remained on the streets.
Link seemed to be fixed on a stall, near an alley, its beige wood pale in the sunset. Midna knew it to be a jewelry stall. One of the carts that had a tarp over it for cover; owned by yet another short stop greaseball that usually tried to scam you into buying their products.
She heard Link barter the owner—yet another talent of his—and then he excused himself and stepped into the alley.
"Midna, how old—" He stopped, pursing his lips, thinking deeply. Link did not want to ask her something so personal. "What is your life sign?"
"Ranshari…" Midna spoke slowly, nervous. The Twili's Zodiac System was easy to translate into Hylian. She would never tell a Twili what her zodiac sign was; she was disgraced and disgusted by it. It…Midna searched her memory for the definition. Then she stifled a gasp, remembering it.
|||Ranshari-one who wastes power by tying one's self to a light dweller.|||
If he…
Would he…
Did she?!
Midna pushed herself, trying to make herself think I don't love him, but she knew what a huge lie that was. She gritted her teeth.
Link started to walk again, this time, he was in some sort of hurry. He paced up the now moonlit street, not stopping at the gate to Hyrule Field. Midna's eyes couldn't stay open any longer; a sudden wave of exhaustion crashed against her imp body-she had gotten out of shadow form when they entered the field. Now, she melted back into it…
_______________________
"Midna, wake up. I made us some soup." There was a hint of anxiety in Link's voice. It matched the curl of panic in Midna's small stomach. Her eyes opened, and she sat straight up. They…they were at a cave's mouth on Death Mountain. If the rocky steeps were not proof enough, Midna could feel the humid steam in the air.
Link handed her a small bottle of soup from across the campfire. Midna gulped it, still blazing hot, in one chug. "Here," Link reached into his tunic pocket, pulling out a small object and dropping it into Midna's lap. Her eyes went to the small thing, and she let out a cry of surprise and shock.
It was a black ring, entwined with golden vines that traced around the texture of the Triforce etched onto it. Over the Triforce was a black and blue X—the Ranshari symbol. The vines, she realized, were a symbol that made the ring a promise. A promise ring.
"L-l-l-link!" Midna stuttered, unable to comprehend what he was telling her? Was it some sort of joke? Or had Link just given her something that swore his soul to her?! "I am…I told you exactly what I am—who I am—in the desert. Don't you understand?" Her voice dropped.
"Perfectly," He responded. "Midna, you are what you are. And I am the exact translation of Ranshari in Hylian. Midna, you are the most…interesting and quirky girl that I've ever met. You cannot understand how much you mean to me."
So sure of himself. "Link, you can't tell me that you—" She waved her hand at him, gorgeous in the glow of the flame, "Love me." Her body, small, pale blue with orange spikes of hair surrounded by the gray crown of Shadow, the amber-red eyes and the white fang.
"I can never resist a challenge," Link winked at her. "Midna, I—the Hero of Light, Hero of Shadow, and anything in between; love you, being of the Twilight and current resident of Light. I will follow you anywhere."
Her heart thumped furiously in her chest. Her mind was screaming at her not to tell him the truth, because the second he had said love you, she had devised a plan. She would shatter the mirror…to keep him safe. To keep him from dying or from grieving for the worry of his friends or for Ilia's memory. But her mouth ran, as usual. "Iloveyoutoo!" She whispered so quickly that it was one word.
Love. The compassion of any being, no matter where or when…dark images of Link's future filled her mind. Zant, taking the Fused Shadows and using them to slowly tear Link's flesh—in her realm…Link taking a dagger to his heart after she shattered the mirror…
Stop! She commanded herself. She had made a choice, and she had accepted the consequences as soon as she said I love you too. Sorrow coated emotions crushed her heart and she slipped the ring absently on her index finger.
"I wouldn't have told you if I doubted that," He responded.
Silent seconds lapsed into minutes and the campfire burned its way back to ash. Midna yawned, body frail and tired again. "Looks like somebody needs sleep. We'll set off at first light."
They both lay on their sides, Midna facing the drop off at the mouth of the cave, the starry sky above, and the vast plain of Hyrule; Link facing the blackness of the cave. She let out one whisper that she would never get another chance for. "Link…I'm sorry." I'm sorry that I'm going to crush your heart. I'm sorry that I'm not going to let you keep your promise.
He must have suspected that he would find out soon what she was sorry for. "I'll always forgive you, Midna…"
Always.
000
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