Chapter 9—Bright Side
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This wasn't hell. It wasn't heaven either.
Bear in mind I've been to heaven; wasn't any fun at all.
Reluctant to open her eyes, Midna simply lay on her back and enjoyed the warmth that surrounded her. Perhaps it was an even better version of heaven? She wasn't sure that was even possible. Maybe she was actually dead, and people just misinterpreted that hell was a bad place to go. Besides, a person such as herself probably didn't deserve to go to a heaven filled with light-dwellers—she probably wouldn't fit in anyways.
Maybe I have to open my eyes to find out.
Did she want to find out? Perhaps she would be at eternal peace if she just kept her eyes closed, ignoring the world around her. But just one peek wouldn't hurt.
Midna opened her eyes. Next to her, Rusl's eyes stared at her while he was seated in a stool.
"Good morning." He said as he smiled softly.
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Rusl knocked on the tree house's door and shivered under his cloak. To his surprise, the door opened almost immediately after he had knocked on it. Before him, Link stood without saying anything, so Rusl took the initiative.
"Well, good-morning to you, hero! How's my boy faring this chilly morning?" Link seemed to glance at the sky slightly, as though he actually did care how the weather was. Grunting as a way to say, "Sure", Link stood unfazed by the arrival of his old friend. Not sure what else to say, Rusl scratched the back of his head. "So… are you going to invite me in?"
Continuing with his silent behavior, Link simply moved aside to let Rusl past. Hanging his cloak on a nearby coat hanger, Rusl grabbed a stool from the dining table and sat on it. Link closed the door so slowly that every squeal it made was distinct until it clicked shut. Even with his friend seated, Link stood staring at the door, a good twenty feet away from Rusl. Rusl scratched his head again.
Either the wood on that door is absolutely stunning, or something is wrong with Link.
Desperate to hear him say something, Rusl heated up another conversation. "Well, I'm sure you've got a lot of stories to tell the other villagers. People back in Castle Town have been coming up with some far-fetched tales, and I honestly wouldn't deny a single one of them."
Link didn't look away from the door, but Rusl was delighted to discover that Link had a voice box. "I guess you could call them somewhat 'far-fetched'."
Rusl fumbled with his thumbs; a long silence followed. Rusl was half-expecting his ears to go insane—Link was always one to contemplate things quietly, but such as then was almost blasphemy.
"Is there something on your mind, Link?" Rusl was definitely worried. For an instant, Rusl believe that Link had glanced in his direction, but set it aside as his imagination. Ready to give up, Rusl prepared to let out a large sigh. As soon as he began it, Link interrupted.
"I always believe that 'kicking someone out the door' was only a figure of speech." Rusl raised an eyebrow in confusion. It is a figure a speech, isn't it? "To be honest, doing it literally is almost strange. I didn't expect so much screaming and pleading."
Literally? What in the world is he talking about?
"Link, you have to fill me in on some details. Whom did you throw out?" Rusl leaned forward. "And why was your friend pleading?"
"She's not my friend." Link snarled almost immediately.
A she… is he talking about the stranger?
Standing up, Rusl leaned against the table. Eyeing him suspiciously, Rusl noted that Link was deliberately avoiding eye contact. Rusl finally released his sigh. "You know Link, the way you're acting is more than childish."
Link finally turned to face him.
His eyes looked bloodshot even from a distance, but that was not all. They spoke of something… an unforgivable sin—they spoke of murder. Link clenched his teeth in rage, glaring at his friend before him. "Childish? You say that I act childish?" He took a step toward Rusl. "Is the lone wolf of the pack childish? I think otherwise; I'll tell you what he is: he is cunning."
Rusl frowned. "Link, I didn't say anything related to a lone wolf. All I'm saying is…" A madman was upon him.
Link had run across the room and grabbed Rusl by the collar of his shirt, virtually choking him. Rusl gasped in shock and for a need of air. "Do you want to know why he's cunning? Do you?" Link's voice trembled in malice. "He is cunning because he takes an audacious risk that no one dares take: to be lone. He protects only himself, and most of all he trusts no one." Now a mere two inches from Rusl's face, Link was almost screaming. "He trusts no one! He knows that your allies and companions will take your trust and friendship and slice your neck with its cruelty."
Link shoved Rusl onto the floor, with the older of the two whimpering in pain. Growling, Link glared at his friend. "Everyone will die with at least one betrayal; some will just get it worse than others."
Coughing from the grasp that Link had had on his neck, Rusl stared wide eyed at his dear friend. "Link, what has happened to you? You are not the child I once knew… Don't you know who I am? I have known you for all your life; I have raised you, sheltered you…" Rusl finally caught his breath. "Link, you are like a son to me."
Link's malevolent stare did not waver. "Such a shame; I hardly think of you as a father."
Rusl turned to ice. The harshest of words to say to a father, even if he was not his true patriarch. Did he truly mean such words? Could a man be so vengeful? Rusl didn't know.
Slowly lifting himself up, he took one final look at Link. "I don't know what has occurred on your journeys, but let me give you a single advice, should you wish to heed it. While a loss is the sharpest knife to the back, a friend is not more than a set of stitches: even the deepest of cuts can be mended."
He turned and grabbed his cloak, heading out the door. Link's bloodshot eyes remained, filling themselves up with tears to see a father go. But the lone wolf was exactly that: alone.
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Staggering down the ladder, Rusl hardly knew where he was going. His footsteps had no rhythm, and his face was gaunt. Where did he go now? He could not look his wife in the face after that. But if not home, where else? There was only one other path: to the bridge. But the bridge only led to the forest; what would transpire there?
We'll see… some alone time would be good.
Gradually, Rusl pushed his legs to continue their erratic walk toward the forest. Yes, the forest was an excellent place to go. The soft breeze that rustled through the leaves and the singing birds would help clear his mind. It was difficult to comprehend what had occurred; it was almost as though he could set the whole event aside as his imagination. But Rusl knew that it was reality. His closest friend had just thrown him out the door with little hesitation, and it was a hard fact to face.
However, Rusl knew Link. The actions of his friend were not only strange for him, but also strange for anyone else at all. If this was the case, what was his motive? He spoke of a lone wolf… what did it signify? Such maniacal behavior could not happen for no reason. There had to be a reason behind it all.
I have no idea what to think right now.
Knowing that, he finally decided that silence in the forest truly was the answer. Peace, quiet and a moment of thought would clear everything up.
Reaching the bridge to the forest, Rusl began walking on its rickety surface. Rather than watch his step to avoid falling, however, Rusl stopped in his tracks instantly. What was that sitting on the edge? A black-cloaked figure…
It's the woman! Rusl realized. But what business did she have here? Walking up from behind, Rusl silently watched her. She was whispering something, but the sounds were carried away by the wind.
Not sure what to do, Rusl raised his voice to call out to her. Just as he did, she lurched forward and toward the chasm below.
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"So, you are sitting where you are now because of yours truly." Rusl gave a half-hearted smile. Midna stared at her hands and her eyes saddened. "So you have seen him in the state that he is in…" Rusl crossed his arms and slowly nodded. "Indeed, I have. It is not like him to behave in such a manner." He paused. "It is not like anyone to act like that.
"However," Rusl leaned forward and gazed at the princess before him. "That does not answer the more important question: What in the world were you thinking on that bridge?"
Midna winced at his words. Even after being saved from certain death, a part of her still hungered for peace and eternal rest. It still told her of the freedom that she would attain from the wind that would brush across her face. But, a larger, more dominant part was telling her to resist. It told her of the future and what it could hold, that being saved was in fact a sign for her to continue moving forward, regardless of what happened. Were those notions true?
"I'm not sure I could give anyone an exact reason." Midna bit her lip. "I can tell you this, however. I feel as though my reasoning was confusing." Rusl raised an eyebrow. "Confusing is an odd choice of word." Midna finally looked up and met Rusl's eyes. What she saw was surprising, however. They showed something… were they showing concern? "I felt as though my judgment was clouded by, as afore said, confusion. It were as if nothing had meaning to me; all that existed was the chasm and myself…" Suddenly realizing what she had just said, Midna instantly stopped her speech. Of all the people in the world, if anyone, why was she telling him of her mental instabilities? She didn't even know him.
Almost as a response, Rusl put his hand on her shoulder. "Friend, I have gone through the same experience as you." Midna noticed that his eyes were beginning to water. "He is your friend, and a dear one at that; I can tell. But you must never lose your hope of the future. It holds many things for even those who have fallen. I know it must be difficult for you, but hold on…" Rusl wiped his eyes. "Just keep holding on."
A small flame began burning inside of Midna. In a place frozen over with ice, the warmth it provided was extraordinary. What was this feeling? She had to know. "Rusl…" Saying his name welled her eyes up with tears. "Why do you insist on helping me? I have done nothing for you in return." For the first time since she had seen him, Rusl smiled out of joy. "Friend, a family member of Link is a family member of mine."
He had said it. The flame that had appeared was now a bonfire, with almost all the ice melted away. Rusl had offered her a simple gift that was the most precious to her: to be her friend.
Wiping her tears away, Midna attempted to smile. "You are just like him; you give me something that I have never had before, yet I have always needed." Finally getting the smile in its proper position, Midna leaned forward and hugged Rusl. "Thank you."
Not substantially sure what had just happened, Rusl hesitantly patted Midna on the back lightly. This person had just lost the only person that had cared about her… Link, you need this person by your side more than ever, Rusl thought. Releasing Rusl from her grasp, Midna felt slightly embarrassed. "I'm sorry…" Cutting her off, Rusl stood up. "Think nothing of it; we all need attention sometimes."
Turning around, Rusl walked into his kitchen and grabbed a kettle and set about to boiling some water. "Do you mind if I ask one question?" Midna nodded. "You know my name as though you have known me forever. How is that?"
Midna stood up and stretched. "Link wouldn't shut up about you; he always had a story to tell when it came to you." Rusl chuckled as he set the kettle on a hook over the fireplace. "I guessed as much."
Walking back towards her, Rusl stood before Midna and smiled. "You have lost a dear friend, and I will be by your side until you can regain it." Holding out his hand, Rusl offered it to Midna, a symbol of trust. Smiling, she took his hand and shook it warmly.
"So," Rusl said as he walked back toward his kettle. "You know my name, but what do they call you?"
Midna sat down in a chair and sighed. If Rusl told her that the future was going to be okay, then she was fine with that. "My name is Midna."
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Link lay on the floor and stared at the ceiling with a cold stare.
I have thrown my own father out the door…
What more did he have to do to attain true peace? Was he doing the right thing? He had thought he would feel good about what he had done, but an emptiness engulfed Link's stomach. That was an understatement, however.
It was more painful than losing a friend—the pain was that of throwing a friend out. To do so on purpose was even worse than before.
What have I done to deserve this? Link squirmed on the floor from the pain. He had already come this far, so why stop?
Yes… Why stop when I'm so close?
A tiny fragment of Link that still bore sanity and the ability to trust people asked, "So close to what, though? What goal are you reaching by doing this?" The thought was blotted out by the dominant force of his consciousness, and Link never heard it. For all he knew, he was close to something.