A/N: This chapter was revised as of 12/6/14 – Polished, minor errors and typos fixed.
What Makes a Hero
By: Selphie Kinneas 175
Chapter 53: Betwixt and Between
.:.
"Link?" Midna's voice trembled as she lowered herself beside him.
He opened his tightly shut eyes and looked up at her wearily. She gazed back into his drowsy pupils, his expression displaying an unimaginable agony that he was trying so desperately to mask for her sake.
He swallowed hard with a furrowed brow before croaking, "Is he dead?"
Midna nodded, a tear sliding down her cheek as she did so, her heart literally aching to see him in pain because of her.
His eyes closed in a grimace momentarily, giving Midna the opportunity to look him over. Protruding from the middle of his abdomen was the hilt of Zant's blade, a ring of crimson surrounding its insertion point. She had no idea if the usurper king had successfully punctured any vital organs or not, and there was no way for her to find that out here. She also wasn't sure if it would be wise to leave the dagger in place to act as a plug in his wound, or if that would only cause more damage. She hated not knowing what to do for him in times like this, and, unfortunately, times like this happened much too often.
"Link?" she called again, getting him to reopen his eyes and look up at her. "I don't know what to do. I'm sorry… I never know what to do…" she sniffed, "I should be the one helping you, you shouldn't always have to walk me through how to handle something like this every time it happens!"
He gave a nearly inaudible chuckle, clutching near his wound as the gesture proved to be quite excruciating.
"What's so funny?" she demanded, "You never could take a serious situation serious enough, Link! I'm not joking in telling you that I don't know what to do, you're lying here practically dying in front of me, and you start laughing? I don't know how to get you to Kakariko in time, I don't know if I should even move you because I don't want to hurt you more, for Din's sake, Link, I don't even know what to do with that damn blade sticking out of you!"
Without a word or a second's hesitation, Link grasped the hilt of the dagger embedded in his torso with his left hand and yanked it out in a flash. Midna gasped, covering her mouth with her hands as Link winced and let out a low groan upon release. He tossed the weapon aside and quickly covered the now-bleeding wound with his other hand.
"Link! What the hell!" Midna screeched.
Lifting his upper body and resting momentarily in a seated position with his arm still wrapped around his middle, his imp partner was beginning to panic even more, causing her to grow angry.
"Link, don't be stupid! You're gonna hurt yourself if you try to get up! Just let me figure out a way to get you to Renado myself!"
He moaned a bit as he slowly got to his feet, his face contorted in pain all the while as he mumbled, "I don't want you to… w-worry," a miniscule whine involuntarily left his lips as he tried to straighten himself up, "I can handle it myself so that you don't have to worry."
"Link!" Midna screamed in pure agitation, throwing her fists down at her sides, "Don't be so Goddess-damned stupid! You know that's not what I wanted you to do when I said that! Please, just lie back down so we can figure this out! You're only making it worse trying to walk around!"
When he opened his mouth to try and argue, he started to fall backwards again. Midna dove her hair-hand quickly underneath his back and caught him before he could get hurt. She cradled him gently, and she smiled upon realization that the full accessibility to her ancestors' magic allowed her to effortlessly hold the hero in her hair-hand now, and she knew what to do.
She pulled him closer to her as she demanded, "Now you be quiet and relax. I'll get you to Kakariko on my own."
He gave her a pained smile and a reluctant nod before closing his eyes.
From then on, she didn't waste a single, solitary minute. She knew her way out of the castle like the back of her hand, and she hovered down the dark, mostly-empty corridors with ease. The few enemies that tried to assault them were easily flown above and avoided. Once outside the palace, a few of her loyal subjects were curious and had many questions, but she didn't stop in her trek to the mirror, telling them as she passed by that they need not worry, that she would be back and they would rebuild the Twilight Realm together.
The Mirror of Twilight transported them to the familiar, hot desert. That was when she realized that she had to transform her hero into a wolf in order to get him to the shaman's town.
She laid him down on the stone floor and whispered, "I'm sorry, Link, but I have to do this."
Without giving him even a split second to do or say something stupid, she placed the dark crystal to his forehead. After the spark of light, the four-legged beast was sprawled before her, crimson sticking in his fur on his underbelly. His tongue hung out as a canine as he panted like a dog in desperate need of a drink. She frowned upon the sight of him, but quickly diverted her thoughts to concentrating on the portal above them.
It was just past dawn when they teleported into the dusty village. Midna glanced around nervously from the spirit's spring, trying to see if she was safe staying out in the open.
The Gorons were rolled up into their tight little balls, the early morning being the only time they would indulge in a few hours' rest. Being rock-creatures, they didn't really need to have a proper sleep schedule like most other living beings. Tiny flames were still burning inside all of the lanterns throughout the village, but the only living souls that were outside at the moment were the resting Gorons.
Noticing that it was safe to pass through the town and knowing that it might not remain that way for long, the imp hastily returned the hero to his natural state and scooped him back up into her stronger hair-hand.
She zoomed down the length of Kakariko Village, and once she approached the door to the inn she could hear loud talking and chattering coming from inside. She peered carefully in the window and noticed Renado, Ilia, and all the kids sitting around the table eating breakfast together. Her heart stopped – what should she do? Would she have to reveal herself to them?
Just as she was debating it in her head, she felt the weight in her magical grasp suddenly lighten drastically. She turned around to see what was going on, and she saw Link getting to his feet and hobbling towards the door.
"Link!" she yelled in a whisper, "What are you-"
"I'm not…" he heaved an agonized sigh as he stood upright and glanced over at her, "…going to make you compromise yourself for me."
Her jaw dropped, her voice stilling in her throat at an utter loss for words. She was touched but at the same time… angry!
"Link! Ugh!" she tried, but before she could say or do anything, the wounded Ordonian was already turning the doorknob to the run-down hotel, forcing her to hurriedly dive into his shadow.
Everyone sitting around the table suddenly jumped at the abrupt disturbance, turning to see Link stumbling through the door with his left hand wrapped around his stomach.
"Link! You're back!" Colin shouted eagerly from his seat. Just as he was about to go in for a hug, he noticed just how awful his brother looked and murmured, "Link…?"
Ilia furrowed her brow in worry as she approached her friend with haste. He was slightly doubled over and unstable on his feet, still wavering a bit from the entrance. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder, leaning forward a bit to try and get a look at his downward face. His eyes were closed, and his expression was contorted by pain. She noticed his hand clinging tightly to his abdomen. A familiar shade of red stained his tunic around and underneath his tense palm, obviously the source of a bad wound.
"You're bleeding," the young girl gasped, but just as she was about to call his name to snap him from his stupor, he started falling forward.
Ilia reacted promptly. Having already been there, she stuck her arms out and braced herself as the hero's form tumbled into her grasp. Not being strong enough to hold both herself and him up, though, she eased him down to her lap where she flipped him over gently to lay on his back.
Renado hastened to the two on the floor, the kids all looking on in fear from the table. The shaman didn't hesitate in lifting Link's hand from his torso to get a look at the damage. The flow of blood seemed to double upon the removal of his hand, and that was when the healer noticed that Link was clutching to a rolled up piece of cloth that he had ripped from his own tunic to staunch his bleeding – he was getting too good at this, Renado thought.
"What's wrong with Link?" Beth asked nervously.
Renado placed Link's hand back on top of his wound before turning to look at the young Hylian's weary face. His eyes were closed, a pained scowl present on his features even in unconsciousness. The older man glanced up at Ilia for a brief moment; she was gazing down at her life-long friend in her lap with an immeasurable amount of concern on her delicate face.
The shaman scooped Link up into his arms as he answered vaguely, "He's injured," and began making his way up the stairs.
He lay the hero down in what had become his own personal bed in the last room down the hall, followed at the heels by the children.
"We figured that much out already," Malo mumbled in his typical, disrespectful manner, taking his usual place beside the door.
Renado ignored the words of the rude adolescent as he removed the hero's dirty tunic, beaten-up mail, and ripped undershirt in turn, setting them aside on a nearby table. The eyes of the children did not falter, and he knew everyone in the room was wanting answers. Truthfully, though, he was still trying to figure it out for himself.
Link's chest and stomach were terribly bruised, numerous purpling blotches covering his front from head to toe. Midna knew the bruises were from Zant's blasts of magic having hit Link multiple times, but the shaman just assumed they were from several strikes that were not strong enough to pierce his protective chainmail. His puncture wound sat right in between two of his abdominal muscles, just slightly to the left of center, and now that nothing was restricting it, it was bleeding quite profusely. Renado had noticed when he lifted him up to remove his top-half clothing that the injury did not carry through to his back, which was at least one positive. There was no blood escaping from his mouth or his nostrils meaning that his internal bleeding was at a minimum, which was another good sign. From the size and shape of the injury the healer was able to make a diagnosis.
He began dabbing a clean cloth around the wound, soaking up the stray blood that had begun overflowing. He could feel multiple eyes on him, and he knew they were all waiting for him to say something. He didn't want to bluntly tell them that their big brother had been stabbed, so he took a moment to think and worded in a much more obvious, but subtler way.
"It seems Link has taken a deep cut to his stomach."
Ilia knew what the healer was getting at, and it was clear to her what he meant, but hopefully it had eluded the children as they watched with puzzled looks.
"Is it… bad?" she asked anxiously.
"Truthfully, it is, but our hero has returned to us much worse off in the past. He is in pain, and he will require some days of rest and mending, but he will be alright," he answered honestly.
Ilia's gaze did not falter, "You're sure?"
"Yes," he said plainly, returning his concentration to his patient.
The young girl seemed to be only a bit comforted by the shaman's words. She sat at Link's side and held his hand as Renado worked diligently on fixing up his latest injury. The kids soon after made their way downstairs to better play and occupy themselves as they had grown bored of doing naught but sitting, watching, and waiting. Even though they were still worried for their brother and it plagued their young hearts to see him hurt, they had become so accustomed to it by now that there was never a doubt in their minds that he would be up and around in only a short day or two at most.
Ilia just prayed to the Goddesses that that would always be the case, and that the kids would never have to witness a day in which their hero wasn't able to overcome his wounds.
Hours passed by as the early morning faded into the afternoon and slowly into the evening. Renado had cleaned and sanitized Link's lesion, stitched it closed, and then wrapped white gauze all the way around his waist. Ilia had stayed at his side the entire day, but now that the moon was taking the sun's place high in the sky and it was getting later, the young girl – along with all the others – took to their respective rooms in order to sleep for the night, knowing that their hero would be fine until morning.
That was when Midna took it upon herself to enter the world of light completely uninhibited. She eased herself down onto the soft cot beside her comrade, resting on her shins as she leaned in a bit closer to his warm side. He looked serene in sleep, and she was glad to see him so tranquil. She wondered if he was having pleasant dreams.
She couldn't help but giggle at how adorable she found him. Renado had placed his loose, ivory undershirt back over the hero's bare chest just before retiring to his chambers for the night, and he had also laid a damp cloth on the young man's forehead in an attempt to lower his slightly raised temperature. Link's shaggy blond hair was messily splayed across his pillow, his right hand was resting gently on his lower chest, and his left lay straight at his side, giving Midna plenty of room to sit between his hip and his arm. His lips were just slightly parted, and his breathing was heavy, signaling that he was in a much-needed deep sleep.
She let him get his rest, simply sitting beside him and watching over him as he did so. She didn't care that she was in the light world and that she was visible to anyone should they decide to walk in; she wanted to be the first thing he would see when he awoke.
The events that had transpired in the throne room of the Twilight Realm kept replaying in her mind over and over again. He had almost died in the fight against Zant alone – having almost drowned and all that nonsense – and then he had to go and take the usurper king's knife to the gut… She couldn't understand someone doing something like that for her. She couldn't understand someone putting their life on the line for her. She couldn't understand so many things about her hero…
Her curiosity had started to plague her concerning his wound. She pulled the blanket down a bit, followed by lifting his shirt just slightly, and she could see the mostly-clean bandaging around his stomach. There were multiple dots of crimson just to the left of center, signifying that his injury was still bleeding beneath its bindings, but it was at least significantly less than earlier.
She had found herself thinking about him differently than she used to. She couldn't explain it, and it also didn't make any sense to her, but she knew there was something there that wasn't there before.
Sometime after the moon had reached its zenith in the sky and was beginning to descend to make way for the sun, Link began to stir. She covered him back up as she watched him slowly come to. His eyelids fluttered open sluggishly, and she could tell he was struggling to focus at first. Then it was apparent that the pain in his middle suddenly came back to him as his brow tightened just ever so slightly, his eyes shutting firmly for a moment before he gradually reopened them.
What he saw as his vision cleared was the joyful, smiling face of his friend and partner. He couldn't help but smile in return as he took in the sight of her sitting beside him and felt the warmth of her leaning against him.
"Midna," his voice cracked a bit as he blinked a few times and rubbed his eyes, wondering if his vision was betraying him, "Aren't you worried someone is going to come in and see you?"
She shook her head, "I don't even care. I wanted to be right here when you woke up."
Link gave a crooked smile and a low chuckle, "Oh, I see. You wanted to be the first to chastise me."
"No," she said plainly, "I… I guess I just want to know why you did that."
His smile faded as he furrowed his brow, "What do you mean?"
"I don't get why you would risk getting yourself killed just to keep me from getting hurt."
He seemed taken aback; he was even at a loss for words as he remained silent.
She noticed this, and continued, "Your life is so much more valuable than mine. You have countless people that love and care about you. You have people that are depending on you. If you had died… this world would have been doomed."
"Midna… If you had died, I would have been doomed."
She hadn't realized that her jaw hung open as she tried to find some kind of response, but she was completely dumbstruck. Did he… Did she really mean that much to him?
"Don't say that my life is more valuable than yours - don't ever say that. I don't hold myself above anyone, and certainly not you… You mean everything to me, and I would dive in front of a thousand more blades to save you if I had to."
She felt a quick burst of butterflies in her tummy, and her cheeks were threatening to flush an embarrassing shade that she would dare not utter.
She still could not find her voice, so he went on, "To say that your life isn't important would mean that my actions to save it were just the same… I did it because I couldn't keep going if something were to happen to you. You ask why I did it as if you didn't expect it of me… I thought I had made it pretty clear up to this point in showing just how much you mean to me."
"Y-You have…" she stammered.
"Good," he smirked playfully before closing his eyes again.
"Are you still tired?" she asked, desperate to change the subject.
"A bit, I suppose," he answered with a yawn.
"Are you in pain?"
"A bit, I suppose," he replied equably with another teasing grin displayed on his thin lips.
She giggled, "Can I ever get a straight answer from you?"
"Mm…" he yawned again, "Maybe."
She shook her head as she smiled to herself at his constant lightheartedness that never seemed to waver – no matter the circumstance.
Before another word could be said, he was already far away in a distant dreamland once again, and Midna was left with the silence and her thoughts.
She knew that they had each grown extremely close to one another over the past year, but the way he spoke and his choice of words… made it sound like there was something more.
But she was probably just over-thinking things – as usual.
He merely considered her his best friend and irreplaceable companion that he couldn't finish his journey without, and that was it.
Wasn't it?
She shook her head again, trying to clear her mind of her reeling thoughts.
Why was her heart beating faster? For Din's sake.
Why was she even contemplating what he thought of her or what she thought of him? Why was she even debating what this relationship was - if it was even anything at all? Why… when she knew that even if there was something there, it could never be…
Could it?
For the love of Nayru! She couldn't get her head to stop spinning! Her palms were sweating… Her heart was racing… He looked so handsome lying beside her fast asleep… What in the world was wrong with her?
"Ugh!" she whispered under her breath as she flew out the nearby open window, desperate for some fresh air.
She hovered high above the roof of the Elde Inn, taking in a deep breath as she took higher and higher into the sky. She exhaled slowly once she was a good dozen or so feet above the top of the hotel. She gazed out at the horizon, watching the moon disappear in the west beyond Death Mountain as the sun rose in the east above Lake Hylia. She inhaled and exhaled several times in an attempt to calm her rapid heartbeat and clear her racing mind. As she turned to look at Hyrule Castle, however, she saw something strange.
She squinted as she struggled to make out what she was witnessing. She flew a tiny bit closer, just barely past the borders of Kakariko Village, to try and get a better look. From afar, it was just a large, dark mass of Din knows what, but the closer she got, she was able to tell that it was a huge group of Bulblins.
She reverted herself into a shadow and moved ever closer, now hovering over Hyrule Field, eager to see what was happening. Now that she was near enough to make it all out, she saw that it was dozens of Bulblins marching through the field and heading towards Kakariko.
Her eyes widened as she glanced back at the small town and realized that they didn't have much farther to travel before they would be at the village's doorstep. She gasped more loudly than she intended as she hastily whipped around and soared as fast as she could back towards the dilapidated inn.
The sun was still on the rise, and the dark sky of night was no longer visible. The Gorons were all awake and beginning their morning routines, and if the villagers had woken up this morning as early as they had the day prior, she assumed that they would already be awake and eating breakfast in the hotel.
She hurried to the window she knew to be Link's, but when she arrived, she noticed that he had company. She hid in the shadow of a nearby tree that was dancing on the window sill, staying as invisible as she possibly could as she looked in on her hero.
That was when she noticed that it was only him and Ilia in the room. She was sitting on the bed beside him with her hand grasping his that lay atop his chest. With her other hand she was stroking his slightly sweaty locks as he continued sleeping peacefully.
When the young Ordonian girl leaned in and pecked his forehead, Midna's cheeks grew hot with a jealousy she had never felt before. The motion caused Link to stir, and since the window was open the imp was able to make out their conversation.
"Hi, Link," she chimed happily as he slowly came to alertness.
He smiled weakly, but remained quiet as he was still in the process of fully waking up.
"I wanted to be the first one you saw when you got up," she added with a grin.
A burst of anger suddenly erupted in the imp's chest – that was what she had said…
Link blushed, remembering that Midna had said something quite similar, "Oh… well," he cleared his throat, "It looks like you succeeded."
She smiled again before asking, "Are you feeling okay?"
"Yeah… Well, I mean, it's not the worst thing I've felt," he grimaced and gave a dark chuckle.
Ilia smiled a bit grimly as she added, "I was so worried when you stumbled in here yesterday. When you collapsed in my arms… I thought you weren't going to be okay."
Trying to make light of the situation, Link cut in with an awkward laugh, "I've survived worse."
She ignored his attempt at ending the conversation there and went on, "You need to be more careful. We're all so worried about you all the time. Maybe try not to be so reckless?"
Link sighed inwardly – she really had no idea the gravity of the situation, "You're probably right; I could be more careful," he gave in, not having the energy to explain everything or argue at the moment.
"By the way, Link… There's something I've been meaning to ask you," she began, a sudden flirtatious look on her face that frightened Link – he had an idea of where this was going, and he was not feeling up to it right now. "Why is it I've told you that I love you, but you've never said it back?"
"U-Uh," Link stuttered, his heart skipping a beat as he tried to think of what to say.
Ilia giggled sweetly, "You don't have to be shy, silly."
"I-I, uh…" Link's mind was in a flurry; Midna could spot it from the window.
He did love her, he knew it deep down, he just wasn't sure if it was the same kind of love she was wanting him to reciprocate. His heart did flutter around her, he did see her as incredibly beautiful, and he did always enjoy being in her company… perhaps that meant it really was the same kind of love that she had for him? Trying to figure out his heart's desires only proved to frustrate him. He had no idea what love was; he had no idea what he was feeling – for Ilia, or…
"Link?" she called again, snapping him from his rampaging thoughts. She furrowed her brow, taking his look of concentration for one of pain, "Are you alright? Are you hurting?"
He shook his head, "I'm okay… I was just thinking about what you said."
She perked up and smiled, "Oh?"
"I think… I feel the same," he finally said as he gazed into her eyes that seemed to sparkle upon hearing his words.
"Oh, Link!" she chirped gleefully, and Link couldn't help but smile at her reaction. It was good for her spirits to hear him say it, whether it was true or not – he truthfully didn't know what his heart wanted. He figured… why not make her happy until he knew for sure?
Unable to control her emotions, Ilia leaned in and pressed her lips firmly to his. His eyes went wide upon impact, and he stared at her closed lids as he registered what was happening. After a moment, he gave in, his heart beating a million times a second as she ran her fingers through his hair. He hadn't been expecting it in the slightest, and it shocked him to say the least. But above all… he liked it.
Just outside the window, Midna's heart fell into her stomach. She watched the two embrace for mere seconds that felt like eons. She didn't understand why it was eating her up so much… She had witnessed his lifelong friend fawn over him before and it hadn't gotten to her like it was now. Now… it felt like she had been the one to take Zant's knife to the gut.
Loud shrieks and screams suddenly reached her ears, and she was quickly reminded of what she had seen in Hyrule Field. She cursed herself inwardly for getting caught up in the matters of her heart when she should have rushed in and warned Link about the impending assault. She had gotten so overwhelmed by what she was seeing that it completely slipped her mind.
Just as she was about to dive in through the window and warn him despite the fact that she would be seen, the door to his room swung open.
Colin stumbled in and shouted, "Link! Come qui-"
The sudden disturbance caused the two on the bed to quickly separate.
"Link? Ilia? Wha-" Colin hesitated as he realized what he had just witnessed.
Link cut him off in order to avoid the question, "What is it, Colin?"
He shook his head, refocusing on the problem at hand, "It's the others! Downstairs! Monsters are attacking the vill-"
"AHH!" Ilia suddenly screeched at the top of her lungs as a Bulblin burst in through the door behind Colin, shrieking as it did so.
Link shot up, a loud moan of pain escaping his lips as he was reminded of his wound. He paid it no mind as he pushed Ilia behind him and moved in front of her on the edge of the bed, glancing frantically around the room in search of his weapon – or anything else that could be used as a weapon that was in reach.
Colin screamed as the beast lifted its club overhead, preparing to strike the young boy. Unable to quickly locate the Master Sword, Link instinctively grabbed the next best thing. He leapt off the edge of the bed and grasped the end of the fiend's own weapon. With it still holding on to the handle, Link swung the opposite end of the club around, causing the Bulblin to go flying into the opposite wall. Link glanced over his shoulder to make sure that the troll wasn't going to get up and take him by surprise, but another fiend bursting in the door in front of him drew his attention away from the former.
With the previous Bulblin's club still in hand, the hero whacked the second intruder harshly against its skull, sending it to the floor in a flash. Colin cowered in the corner behind the door before screaming his brother's name and pointing at the first attacker that was preparing for another go, eager to get revenge after having been flung across the room.
Finally spotting the blade of evil's bane resting against the wall beneath the windowsill, Link went for it with haste. That was when he spotted a small, shadowy figure hovering just outside the window with one visibly glowing eye. He knew it immediately to be Midna, but he was confused – what was she doing outside of his shadow?
"Link!" Ilia yelped, drawing his attention back to the battle.
He whirled around, knowing that the Bulblin was directly behind him due to how disgustingly loud the creature was. He impaled it clean through the heart, ending its life in a split, painless second. Ilia screamed at the sudden spurt of the monster's blood, covering her face with her hands in terror. The hero doubled over temporarily, grasping at his middle as even simply standing was excruciating.
But he wasn't given even a moment's respite as Colin suddenly grabbed him by the hand and shouted, "The others are in danger, Link!" and started dragging him down the hall.
He heard Ilia's footsteps behind him and called back, "Stay in there, Ilia! I don't want you getting hurt!"
"No! I have to make sure you're okay!" she spat back, chasing the duo down the stairs.
He huffed in frustration, but he knew there was no arguing with her, and he didn't have the necessary energy to do so anyway. Once they were halfway to the first floor, he spotted the rest of the children hiding in the kitchen behind Renado. The shaman had overturned the dining table so that it was resting on its side, allowing the flat surface to serve as their shield as the mindless creatures bashed their clubs relentlessly against it.
Link noticed that there were only four of the ogres, and he began instantly figuring out what he was going to do in his mind. Hoping to draw the demons away so as to avoid slaying them mere inches from the eyes of the kids, Link banged the steel of his blade against the stairwell's banister.
"Hey, uglies," he called vociferously, "Over here."
They each turned instantly and snarled at him. As they began making their way over to him, Link motioned for Colin and Ilia to go find safety behind the table with the others. They obliged, Renado waving for them to hurry as they did just that.
Link spun the hilt of his blade once in his hand before tightening his grip. He wanted to end these beasts as quickly and cleanly as possible in order to keep the children from seeing, hearing – or even smelling – something too gruesome. He knew just how to do it to keep it as simple as possible, that wasn't the problem. The problem was that he had only been stabbed a day ago, and his abdomen was still aching something awful.
He lunged forward and pierced the first Bulblin straight through the chest, pulled out his sword, and did the same with the second. The third had gone around to Link's back, and he would have normally responded by whirling around and either lobbing the monster's head from its shoulders or slicing deeply across its front, but he knew both would be too messy. Instead, he did the same thing that he had done to the two prior. The fourth, however, picked up on the hero's routine, and as Link was about to spin back around to finish the last one off, it smacked him painfully in his middle with its club.
Link yelped out loud in pain, crumbling to his knees on the ground as he grasped at his torso. His weapon fell from his hands and clanked a couple of feet away. He looked down at his stomach through his now-watery eyes, and his undershirt was now soaked in crimson – his wound had been reopened, and it felt almost like being inflicted with it all over again.
"Link!" he heard someone gasp, but he couldn't tell who. He couldn't get up, couldn't move; he was momentarily paralyzed in sheer agony.
The kids watched on in horror as the pesky Bulblin cackled above their hero, raising its club and preparing for another swing. Colin, however, knew what had to be done, and since no one else was brave enough to do it, it was up to him.
He leapt up from his safe place behind the shaman, causing the older man to bark angrily at the boy to get back to him. Colin paid him no mind. He dashed across the room to where his brother was crumpled on the floor. He looked up at the Bulblin's hideous face as it snarled and crowed, saliva dripping from its dark mouth as its red eyes chilled the little boy to the bone. He was afraid, but he ignored it. He quickly ducked down and picked up his hero's dropped sword. It was extremely heavy in his hands, almost as if it was resisting his touch, but he grasped it hastily nonetheless and wrapped his pudgy fingers around its hilt in the manner that Link had shown him previously.
As the Bulblin shrieked a loud battle cry thinking that it was about to be the victor, Colin hurriedly plunged the sword through its belly. The boy's jaw fell slack as he watched the vile creature writhe on the end of the blade. It gurgled and choked as its own blood overflowed from its mouth. Colin freaked out at the sight and let go of the hilt, causing the Bulblin to tumble backwards with the sword still sticking out of its middle.
Having heard the loud thud beside him, Link was brought back to reality. He stumbled to his feet, almost having fallen if it weren't for the stable hands of his younger brother at his side. Link looked down at the dying fiend, still sputtering and expiring slowly. The hero grabbed the blade's handle, pulled it from the monster's gut, and instead pierced it through its heart, ending its suffering. Its burbling stopped in an instant as its final breath fled its lungs.
"Are you alright?" Link asked, turning to Colin.
The boy seemed utterly shocked, his eyes wide as saucers as he stuttered, "Y-Yeah… I'm ok-kay…"
Link nodded, taking the Master Sword from the enemy's body for the final time before wiping it and sheathing it. In the back of his mind, he was curious as to why the Blade of Evil's Bane had allowed itself to be wielded by Colin, when in the past no one else had been able to so much as lift it. In his weary state, however, it was not the most important thing to be fretting over. The little boy had stepped forward and saved his life; the 'how' or 'why' didn't matter at the moment.
"Is it safe?" Beth's quiet voice called from behind their makeshift barricade.
Link went to the closed window beside the exit to get a look at the outside. He could see countless Bulblins storming through the town, matched by much fewer Gorons. The rock creatures were doing well to exterminate most of the pests, but it was clear that some had been able to slip past them – and it could probably happen again.
"It's safe in here, for now," the hero stated, turning back towards them as they apprehensively stood from their hiding place, "But there's still a lot of them out there. I need to go out and h-"
Renado quickly cut him off, "Absolutely not," he demanded, making his way across the now-messy room, "I can see clearly that you are in pain, and it seems you have torn open the stitches in your wound. No," he shook his head firmly, "I will not stand aside and let you get yourself injured any farther, or even killed for that matter. The Gorons can handle it just fine."
Link heaved a sigh, but he knew that the shaman was right.
"Alright… Then we at least need to secure this place a bit better," he gave in as he walked over to the table that they had turned over in the kitchen and lifted it up. After taking only a few steps with it, though, he winced and groaned, dropping it to the ground as the strain was too much on his injury.
Renado went to him, "Let me," he said, placing a gentle hand on the young man's shoulder for a moment to calm him and to let him know that he knew what he was trying to do and that he could take it from there. The healer lifted the table from where Link had accidentally dropped it and carried it over to the door. He left the table on its side, but angled it so that the doorknob rested on its edge, making it impossible for anymore of the fiends to get in through it.
Link nodded when Renado turned back to him, signifying his thanks.
"We will be safe in here now," Renado reassured, calming the young one's rapid heartbeats.
"Ohhhh MAN!" Talo suddenly shouted, bounding across the floor to Colin. He wrapped his arms around the blond boy squealed, "You killed that thing! That was so AWESOME!"
Colin feigned a smile in his direction, "Y-Yeah…"
"You were very brave," Luda added as she, too, approached him.
"Yeah! You totally reminded me of Link!" Beth chirped.
"I guess it was kinda cool," Malo muttered.
Link noticed that Colin was a bit uncomfortable with the whole situation, and after composing himself he went to the boy's side and placed his hand on his shoulder. He turned to the other kids and said, "Let's give him some space to relax, alright?"
The kids groaned, but still took a few steps back to give him some breathing room. Link glanced down at the timid boy and gave him a half-smile and a reassuring nod – he understood that he was still trying to cope with what he had just done and seen; he could remember very clearly what it had felt like to witness death at your own hands for the first time.
"Link," Ilia called sweetly as she walked over to him with a concerned look on her face, "You're hurt, why don't you go lie back down?"
"Yes, Link, she's right," Renado added, "I need to re-stitch that wound of yours. Let's get you upstai-"
"No," Link said flatly, "I agreed not to go out there and help fight, but I need to stay down here to make sure no more of those beasts get inside, to make sure everyone is safe."
Renado appeared as if he was about to disagree with that as well, so Link went on.
"I won't be able to rest without knowing if everyone is alright. At least if I'm down here, making sure nothing is getting through this door, I will be able to sit and recuperate with my peace of mind."
The shaman exhaled in defeat, "Alright, my boy… I understand. Luda," he turned to his daughter, "Could you please fetch my tools?"
The quiet girl nodded obediently before heading upstairs. She came down only a moment or two later with her small arms full. Renado picked up two stools that had been overturned in the commotion and set them upright. He sat in one and motioned for Link to sit in the other. The hero removed his now-bloodied shirt and sat upright as the healer began his work.
The kids and Ilia tried talking to him through the process, both of trivial and unimportant things, but Link could hardly focus on their words. All he could feel was the horrible stinging of alcohol on his open flesh, followed by the excruciating burning of the needle repeatedly piercing his skin. He bit his lip and held his breath with his eyes shut tight, praying that the torture would end soon.
In truth, it had lasted only around fifteen or twenty minutes, but to Link it felt like hours. Once Renado was done, Link stumbled over to the window to have another look at what was going on. The battle was beginning to slowly die down, but there were still monsters outside. He plopped himself down on the hard ground beside the door, and was unintentionally out cold in a matter of seconds.
Renado allowed him to rest there for quite some time, knowing that if he awoke and was in his bed before the turmoil outside had come to an end that he would be livid. The kids had peered out the window at the mighty rock creatures valiantly defending the village for the remainder of the onslaught, and they cheered excitedly when the battle was over and they were determined the victor.
Link remained asleep through it all, and once it was over, Renado lifted him up and moved him gently to his bed. For the rest of the afternoon and even once again into nightfall, the hero was unconscious. He slept peacefully into the dusk, the shaman having left a glass of water and an apple at his bedside should he awaken during the night and need to quench his thirst or quell his hunger.
As the twilight faded into complete darkness, the villagers took to their respective beds to rest for the night. Renado had stepped outside just before sundown to ask the Gorons if they could double the watch, ensuring that the inn was well-guarded. Even Barnes - who usually preferred to stay by himself in his bomb shop - had closed his store and settled into the empty guest room of the inn for the night.
It was apparent that evil was gaining far too much strength; it had to be stopped.
Sometime in the middle of the night, rustling at the hero's side caused him to shift to awareness. He awoke to see none other than his best friend and companion sitting next to him on his warm mattress.
He smiled at her and croaked, "I'm glad to see you. I got worried when I saw you outside the window earlier."
She didn't say anything.
He narrowed his eyes in perplexity, "What were you doing out there anyway?"
"Does it really matter?" she spat angrily.
He was taken aback.
She sighed, quickly changing her tone, "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you – it's just been a rough day."
He shook his head, dismissing her apology, "You didn't get hurt out there, did you?"
"No," she answered honestly, "They couldn't see me. Some of the gutsier ones actually tried climbing in through this window; they must've seen that it was open. I just took them by surprise, grabbed them, and launched them over the mountain," she laughed, "They had no idea what even hit them."
He still wore a confused expression, "I just don't understand… Why were you out of my shadow?"
"Ugh," she huffed, "I just needed some fresh air! Okay? I went out there, saw the Bulblins coming from the castle, and I came back to warn you but instead I saw… I saw…"
He furrowed his brow, "Saw what? What would stop you from warning me about an attack?"
She looked into his deep, cobalt eyes, and then quickly looked away, "Um… I saw…" She hesitated. She glanced back up at him, then away again.
"What, Midna?" he pressed.
She exhaled once and quickly blurted, "I saw you kiss her."
Link's cheeks instantly grew hot as they flushed a dark shade of crimson.
He looked away from her as he stammered, "O-Oh, that?" he said it in an attempt to sound nonchalant about the situation, but Midna could see right through it, "You mean, when she kissed me?"
The imp scoffed, "Does it really matter who initiated it? You seemed to be enjoying yourself."
"W-Well," he stuttered, still very much flustered by the whole topic, "Why do you even care? It's not like you have a reason to be jealous; it's not like we have feelings for each other or something," he finished with an awkward chuckle.
Midna stared up at him with a look of bewilderment on her petite features before turning away. Her heart ached with a pain she had never felt before. She didn't understand it. After all, he was right, wasn't he? They didn't have feelings for each other, and therefore she did not have a reason to be jealous.
…Right?
She looked at him with wetness in her lashes that she was desperate to keep him from seeing, "I guess you're right," she whispered with a shaky voice before taking off out of the window, giving him not even a second to reply.
"Midna, wai-" he stopped himself, knowing she was no longer listening.
He heaved a heavy sigh, relaxing the muscles that he didn't even realize he had been tensing throughout the entire conversation. He pulled the blanket higher over his bare chest, realizing that his ivory shirt was likely being washed and mended by Luda or Renado – or even… Ilia.
Ilia… She had finally taken the initiative and kissed him; Din knows all of the villagers back home in Ordon had been anticipating a romance between the two young lovebirds for as long as Link had been living there. It was expected, predetermined, and predictable. She had always been there, and would likely continue to be there long into the future. Honestly, at one point in time he had seen himself with her for life just as his neighbors did.
But now? He had no idea.
He didn't know if he could even think of ever settling down after all that he had been through. He was beginning to come to the grim realization that life would never be the same again. He would never again find the simple joy in tending to the goats – as he thought of it now, it sounded dull. He would never again find peace in the towering trees and enclosing foliage – as he thought of it now, it sounded claustrophobic. He would never again consider a life where every day was the same from dawn until dusk comforting – as he thought of it now, it sounded dreadful.
Would he give up his happiness to live in the village with those that raised and loved him when no one else would?
Or… would he see those same loved ones suffer in order to fulfill his own desires?
He sighed again; he was thinking too much into it. He could still be happy with Ilia, he thought to himself. It was true, he did love her, but he wasn't sure if it was simply a love of the familiar, a love of something that he knew would always be there no matter what, or if it was truly a romantic love for her.
Either way, she was happy, and he couldn't lie and say that he didn't enjoy her kiss.
But… Midna had seen it, and she seemed so upset…
Why? Link wondered; she had never shown any sign of jealousy in the past, and he had had multiple intimate conversations with Ilia that she had witnessed before. So… where was her behavior coming from?
Had he been wrong in saying that they didn't have feelings for each other? Of course not! They were friends – best friends, even – two individuals who found everlasting comfort and solace in one another's company. Two individuals who had shared every day of the last year at each other's side. Two individuals who had witnessed the other's best days along with their worst days, but had accepted and loved them on both. Two individuals… Oh, Din…
Was he wrong?
He looked to the window, hearing nothing but the quiet chirping of crickets, and seeing nothing but empty darkness. He dropped his head back into the soft pillow with a sigh.
She had no reason to be jealous… They had no feelings for each other…
She had no reason to be jealous.
Was he wrong?
Pfft! Link chuckled to himself. Of course he wasn't wrong! This was the same girl that chastised and teased him day in and day out! The same girl that loved watching him squirm and blush in embarrassment! The same girl that laughed at his mistakes and constantly pointed out all of his flaws! The same girl that… cared for him when he was sick… patched him up when he was wounded… carried him when he was weak… listened and reasoned with him when he panicked… comforted him when he was lost… loved him when he was unlovable…
He was wrong… wasn't he?
She had a reason to be jealous…
They did have feelings for each other…
Oh, Goddesses…
How does one choose between what is familiar and what is fresh?
