Twilight Bonds

Chapter one: The Blame Game

Is something wrong Midna? Is something wrong!?

She had scaled the upper ranges effortlessly after that, bounding from shill to "agonyizongly sharp" in tone and pitch in mere moments. In less than five minuets she had hyrule's "hero" scuffing his feet, looking sheepishly at the goats he'd irresponsibly left milling around him, and feeling a touch... juvinille. Carefull to lay enough emphasis here, and a little there, Midna managed to gloss over the fact that the goats milling about were half her fault as she had interupted him while he was herding.

But that wasn't the important part, so she pressed right along.

Lowering both pitch and volume so the last came out as venomous hiss she deleivered the end of her ultimatum, waving a clawed hand to indicate the field, it's milling occupants, and that nicely shut barn door.

Looking around, as if it was the first time he'd ever seen the familiar field, Link winced. He never asked one question, dared one protest, over all it was a nice that the tension soothing tantrum had not only settled her nerves but made her point perfectly clear. Smug with triumph, Midna smirked at the downcast man in forest green, and arm still dangling ordered him to "fix this up, we have to go".

It was then her perfection went out the window, dropped several stories, and died with a shrill sreech.

"But... what about the goats?"

"Do something about them then. Herd them up and put them in their pens if you must, we need to go."

Nevermind she was ordering him to do what she had just ordered him to stop doing. If he moved quick enough and worked hard enough he might miss the contradiction. Luckily, for the Twi's pride, he did miss the contradiction, but that's because he saw the a more significant problem.

"I can herd them if you want... but the door's closed."

"Open it then!" The Imp snapped, arms crossed, red eye glinting.

"I'd love too but-" a heavy "clunk" sounded from behind as the barn door's thick wooden bolt being slammed shut. "-I think the door's locked."

"Go... go away! I'm not opening the door until the monsters are all gone!" Mido squealed from the shadows of the barn.

"This is your fault." Link groused, then heaving a Goron heavy sigh he trooping up to the locked door.

"No it's not!" Midna snapped. Arms crossed, red eyes thinned to malicious slits, her show was wasted on Link's retreating back. Hardly satisfied with the hero's stoicism in face of her outburst Midna trailed after him, trailing gloom and protests all the while. Used to her many oddities Link easily ignored them. Finally, when the Imp's "defending herself" became acidic and provoke rising the ranchhand gave into her little game. With a snort that brought images of his lupine self to the Twi Imp's mind the Hylian folded and began to banter back.

Now, no longer bored, all peevishness faded from the Twi Imp's face. With a toothy smile Midna reclined on the air and thus they continued, stopping at the barns door.

"Mido!" Knocking on the thick wooden doors with one fist Link looked past Midna, the goats were starting to stray. "Open the door and I'll bring them in!"

"Y... You're not Link!" Came the shrill, squeaky voice from the ranch.

"Of course I'm Link." The Hylian snapped, giving the Imp a "go away" look that she read and pointedly ignored.

"The... The Link I know wouldn't talk to monsters!"

"Mido, please, it's getting late, just let me bring the goats in and..."

"Go away!"

With a wicked giggle Midna spun out of her recline, shade swirling from her claw tips she crooned and beckoned to one of the open windows. "Open the door little man and I'll eat your soul."

For a long moment all was silent, then claoked in whimpers arose a shaking, pale, hand. It crept with a skultilla's jitteryness along the frame of the window, questing, then all five fingers closed over the knob of the shutters. With it's quest complete the hand jerked back, a thunderous smash hearlded the closing of the shudders. A smash and a squeal, as Mido not only closed the window but caught his fingers in the bargin.

Arms crossed, eyes thinned to venomous slits -some mannerisms were contagious after all- the Hylian glared at the Twi Imp.

"That did not help."

I know, said the Imp's grin and wicked giggle, with a twinkling of claws she descended into shad and shadow, disappearing into the dark under his boots.