Author's Note: I don't own any of the Zelda characters or games, Nintendo does. The characters and story I add are my own (no stealing!). My thanks to those that read my works. Please read and review.

Chapter 12: For Dear Life

The wind was stinging and pulling my ears, ears that were much longer when I was cursed. Or am cursed, as the case may be. My little pointed fingers held onto a small rail on top of the 'van', as Tyler called it, and I cursed my stubby, tiny feet. While it was convenient to be small in this form, which even seemed to have its own charm according to Tyler, I still found myself longing to be back in my own body.

I scowled at Zant as he followed us. His presence would explain the interference with my magic back at the place where the prisoners had been kept. Fortunately, he hadn't reckoned on how much stronger I had become. I could have easily floated over the vehicle and kept up with it, but I couldn't do that and attack Zant at the same time. Hence, I was hanging on for dear life as we sped through the strange city. This was made harder by the vehicle swerving about. Hearing the objections of other cars we passed, as well as seeing a few rude gestures, led me to conclude that Tyler was being quite reckless in our attempt to escape.

The Fused Shadow on my head didn't impede my vision; the magic of it saw to that. But there was something different about it this time. If anything, my vision was enhanced: I could see Zant and my surroundings as clearly as if it had been daytime. Not to mention the power I felt coming from the Shadow. It was more intense, as if more power was inside it than before. Added to the fact that it shouldn't exist and the thing just felt wrong. But I couldn't focus on that now; Zzant was still pursuing us.

Zant was closing the distance, his robe flapping in the breeze. He was close enough to attack with magic, but I couldn't let him have that chance. The victor in a battle of magic was the one that struck first. Fortunately, there were objects nearby that I could use, but it was hard to focus on any one object at this speed. I kept my eyes on Zant as I reached out with my magic, hurling things at him semi-blindly, not getting a feel for what I was throwing before it went at him. They turned out to be smaller things: garbage containers, a blue box with papers inside, some shrubbery, and even a few signposts. He dodged them all, spinning about and laughing in that insane manner. It frustrated me to no end.

Finally, a stroke of luck. My magic touched an unoccupied vehicle. It took no more effort to throw it, and was too large for Zant to avoid. A crunch of metal made me smile, but that smile faded as Zant burst through, rending the car in two. I needed a new tactic.

Before I could think of one, Zant hurled the two car halves at us. I only had enough time to deflect them outward before they could hit. I then noticed that Zant's robe was wet with something, though what, I couldn't tell. But I couldn't focus on that now. I blinked in surprise as lightning began to crackle in his hands. Manipulating the elements was one matter, but conjuring them at will was another. I hadn't had the time to learn that yet, and the fact that he knew such advanced magic worried me. He put both hands forward, sending a bolt towards us. I directed it away, forcing it to strike elsewhere. Zant started yelling as he kept throwing lightning bolts and it took all I had to direct them away. One even grazed the van, leaving a black mark. The other bolts impacted whatever happened to be in the way, leaving a path of destruction in our wake. Hopefully we could still get away quietly after all this.

Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the goron Mag moving towards the back of the van, though still rolling forwards to keep up. I had forgotten he was there. He was slowing down to get behind us. I fixed my gaze on Zant again, trying to send his bolts back at him. The lightning was too fast to be accurate with, but it did keep Zant focused on me. Mag slowed until he was rolling between Zant and I. I smiled as the goron jumped up, his heavy body impacting with Zant in midair. They fell behind, but Mag was quickly on the ground, trying to catch up again.

Hang on! Tyler's warning thought was all the warning I had before the vehicle made a hard turn. I gasped as I was rocked one way, then the other, before settling back to the roof. I needed to end this before I got thrown off.

Zant turned the corner not long after, Mag still pursuing. It was then I noticed large metal discs in the ground. Looking up again, I waited until Mag was passing over one to tilt it up at an angle. Mag was launched into the air, crashing into Zant's back and driving him into the road. Mag sped up to catch up with us, leaving Zant fairly crushed. I smirked to myself; there was little possibility of him surviving that, let alone continuing the chase.

My smile vanished when I heard Zant's scream of frustration, even over the increasing distance and whistle of the wind in my ears. He was coming after us again, and now he was mad. I saw magic forming in his hands, not unlike what I had used on so many foes with Tyler. Before I could think of a plan, he hurled it at the van. All I could think of was that I needed to deflect it somehow. My hair did it for me; lashing out to swat the magic away. That was worrying, but I couldn't think of it now; Zant was preparing more magic to throw. My hair acted on its own, continuing to knock the spells away from us. My hair had never acted without me channeling magic through it before. Was this because of the fused Shadow? Was it taking control of my actions?

A pause in the attack brought me back from my thoughts. I looked at Zant, who was just following us. What was that madman going to do next?

Have you thought about my offer?

I stiffened. I had just heard Zant's voice in my mind. I never thought him capable of such communication. I closed my eyes and shook my head. Stay out of my head!

Oh yes, the mind is the last refuge, isn't it? As you have seen, I've become more powerful. You've never shared this kind of connection outside of your training, have you?

He was wrong, of course, but I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction. I sneered at him, even though he probably couldn't see it. Shut up. I'm going to kill you again, and this time I'll make sure you stay dead.

Still so feisty. Fight all you want, your majesty. In the end, I will win.

I stared at him, seething, feeling my anger rise. He was the bane of my existence. Nothing would make me happier than to be rid of him forever. My hair lashed out again, three tendrils reaching back to stab at him. One pierced his right arm, one pierced his left leg, and the last just missed his neck, cutting his shoulder. My eyes widened at the sight, Zant howling in pain as my hair returned to my head. He threw a lightning bolt wildly, and this time I was able to send it back at him. Then his robes ignited, fire engulfing his injured body. He vanished, finally having taken more than he could bear.

I breathed a few times as I tried to calm my mind, reflecting on my new abilities. I had only been that violent on one other occasion: when Tyler and I had routed Zant from my palace in the Twilight Realm. My hair, my magic, was more powerful now, reacting faster by responding to my emotions rather than my directive thoughts. Last time I was worried that I might lose myself in the power of the Fused Shadows. Now I was worried that they might take me over.

Midna? Midna? What's going on? It was Tyler.

Zant is gone, I replied. I've beaten him back for now.

There was a pause before he replied. Are you all right?

I'm fine. I closed my eyes and slid through the shadows to return to Tyler's. Most shadows feel the same: cold, empty, just another place to hide. His felt different somehow; it was almost warm, even comforting, a place of safety. I relaxed a little in my dark haven, resting after the tension of the battle. Are we close to your home yet?

We're still a little way out. I took a long way home to give you more time to get rid of Zant. There was another pause as he made a turn. I saw Mag drop back in my mirrors for a little while. Did he try to help?

I couldn't help but giggle a little. He did. Used his big body to deliver a couple punishing blows.

Tyler chuckled mentally as well. Must have hurt Zant pretty badly.

I sighed. We'll have to talk about that later. For now, take care of the others.

I let myself rest, watching and listening to the conversation that Tyler had with those he had rescued. "Zant's gone now. He's not following us."

"How do you know?" asked a middle-aged woman. I think it was Tyler's mother.

"My friend took care of him."

"You mean Midna?" asked a teenage girl. She must have been Karin, Tyler's little sister.

Tyler nodded, and then promptly changed the subject. He always respected my desire for privacy, and I liked him for that. "Mom, I know this is asking a bit much, but can they stay with us until we find a way to send them home?"

He must have meant the other prisoners, four of which I got a good look at for the first time. There were two gorons outside, one child and one adult, two Hylians, one young man and a young woman, and two zora, one adult male and one adult female. Tyler and I had no idea how to send them back home, so who knew how long they would be 'houseguests'.

Her answer was surprisingly quick. "Yes, they can. We talked a lot while we were captured. I still find it hard to believe that a video game world is real."

"It's a hard idea to grasp, but it sets in after a while." Tyler glanced over at Karin. "I assume that you told them everything?"

That was slightly surprising. Tyler had mentioned that Karin suspected that something had been happening during our last journey, and apparently she had, or Tyler had told her.

"Yeah, but I don't know if they believe me." She looked back at the others.

"If I could get a good look at his face, I might believe you," said the male Hylian. "I was part of the battle at Hyrule Castle and I heard the hero in green speak."

"Oh you know that no one got a good look at his face," retorted the male zora. "I was there too. He was up on the parapet. All we know was that he wore green."

So they never did see when I was myself, only when I was still Link, Tyler thought. It's probably better that way. Even so, I could feel his disappointment. Unlike me, he wanted recognition for what he had done. I felt sorry for him and wanted to put my hand on his shoulder, but I couldn't do that here and now. "We're almost there," he said aloud. "We have a pool in our backyard, but it has chemicals in it, so I'm not sure if you zora will be okay with it."

The male zora spoke again. "I shall try it first to see if it is suitable. But why put chemicals in a perfectly good pool?"

Tyler smiled softly as his mother answered. "To make it clean for humans to swim in. To keep bacteria from growing in it."

"Bacteria?" The zora tilted his head, clearly puzzled. "This is a strange land."

I couldn't help myself, laughing loud and long between Tyler's mind and my own. They have no idea.

Tyler smiled as the van slowly came to a stop. Indeed.