I asked Midna and she said this totally wasn't a first date but idk it was pretty sus to me :l

The Magic Awakens

Chapter 11

My Life to Risk

Link stepped in front of Midna, sword drawn and rage stirring within his soul. "You can't have her."

Idiot, Midna thought sorrowfully. He shouldn't be protecting her. He should be trying to escape. How stupid she was to involve Link in her personal issues.

"Don't be so dramatic," Ghirahim said. "I'm not here to threaten her. I want to recruit her."

Midna's guilt vaporised into anger. "I'm right here, you ashy-faced menace." She stepped forward, disguising her limp as best she could. "And the answer is no. Sending your cronies to smash up my house doesn't have me frothing at the mouth to join your stupid cult."

"Then allow me to-"

"I said no!" She thrust her hand. A blast of magic forced him to disperse. He reappeared.

"If you would let me-" Another blast. Every time Ghirahim tried to get a word in, Midna hurled an attack. He reappeared atop the rim of the tree with a scowl. "So, you choose death?"

"I'm choosing to kick your ass!" Midna was livid. Incensed. Those spandex-wearing cronies had deceived her, attack her, and it was all because they wanted to recruit her? She wouldn't ever inflict the same strife onto others, and she was insulted that they would even think she'd consider it. "Get down here and fight me, coward!"

Ghirahim rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers. A vial of pudgy black and magenta goo glinted in the moonlight. "Funny thing about these woods," he said as he popped off the cork. "Things rarely stay dead, especially when there is darkness nearby." The malice slipped from the vial. With a wink at Midna, Ghirahim dispersed.

The moment the malice splattered onto the corpse, it stirred. Flesh formed between the rapidly mending cracks and gaps. A guttural squeal sent birds fleeing.

Link dashed towards the trapdoor to find it closed without a handle. He pulled out the Master Sword and dug it into the crack. All efforts to pry it open were futile, as if it were just a square carved into wood. "Midna, use your magic to- MIDNA!"

The fully-formed Gohma leered over her with its bright yellow eye. The exoskeleton was black with a bottle green sheen. Midna as she limped backwards, eyes wide with terror, until her back bumped into the wall. "Hide in the shadows!" Link ordered. She didn't register his voice. All she knew was that monstrous eye.

Link sheathed the sword and bolted. Gohma raised a claw. He hurled himself into Midna. They tumbled across the floor. The claw thumped into wood. Link rolled to his feet, drew his sword, and sliced at the stuck limb. The blade bounced off with a metallic clang. The talon ripped free and swung at him. He dove aside.

As Link kept the creature distracted, Midna slowly gained her bearings. There were two things she was afraid of: arachnids and the undead, so an undead super-arachnid was the height of terrifying! Her breath was erratic. Her body trembled. Her heart banged against her ribcage like it was trying to break out and run. Yet her body refused to move.

A talon descended upon Link. He leapt to the right, then left to avoid another. With both claws buried in wood, Link ran at the eye with the point of his sword. A hard eyelid clamped over, rebounding the blade. Gohma's head rammed into him. He fell hard on his back. His head throbbed. His vision blurred. He sat up groggily and cradled his head. The sound of splintering wood barely registered, and neither did the approaching talon. A magical force jerked him back, but the sharp tip tore through cloth and skin. An agonised scream ripped from his throat.

His barely conscious form zipped into Midna's arms as she knelt. Blotches of blood spread from the large tear in his green jacket. She swallowed down bile and faced the approaching creature.

She blasted at the eye. It clamped shut. Her magic rebounded. Midna ducked. The attack scorched the wood just behind her.

Huge. Menacing. Invincible. The chosen hero and his sacred blade were unable to even scratch Gohma. But he was just a boy with a slicing weapon against an armoured creature. Midna was nothing more than a tired, frightened girl with a few useless magic tricks. What could she do?

The Fused Shadows once held great power, but also great darkness.

It might go horribly wrong, or it might not work at all, but they were out of options and out of time. She gingerly lay Link down, summoned the relic, and slipped it over her head.

The darkness shot through her like a scorching heat. Wicked thoughts dug into her consciousness like thousands of long, tiny fingernails. Succumb, they said. Succumb to power. Succumb to darkness. But Midna refused to succumb. She knew darkness. Long ago, she had succumbed to her own darkness. If she could claw her way out of that, then she could claw her way out of this as well.

Midna dedicated her every thought to telling the shadows that she was the master. It was going to serve her. She stubbornly pushed two simple goals through the overwhelming darkness to the forefront of her mind. Kill the monster. Get Link to safety.

Black and yellow goo gushed from the Fused Shadows and swallowed her form. They shaped into seven long, thick, pulsing arms. Midna rose above the creature's height and stared it down. With a squeal and a roar, they lunged at each other. The creatures wrestled, rolled, and smashed about the area. Talons dug into goo but left no damage. Midna's pounding fists made no mark on the exoskeleton.

Link's eyes cracked open. A second monster. Midna gone. He tried to sit upright but the slightest contraction of his abdomen forced a ragged cry of pain. His blurry vision focused upon the new monster's helmet. The Fused Shadows! They tumbled towards him. He needed to move. Now!

Flesh squelched against flesh. Blood squeezed from the wound. After five seconds of agonizing eternity, he was on his feet and half-running, half-stumbling out of the monsters' path. His right hand clutched his middle. A feeble attempt to keep his insides inside.

Midna flipped Gohma onto its back and pinned it down with four arms. It thrashed in her grip. Two hands dung beneath the eyelid and pried it open. The flails increased, forcing Midna to still it with her remaining arm. Not a single limb could be spared to attack the exposed eye.

Tiny, uneven footsteps ran towards the creature. A pained battle cry melded with steel trailing wood. Link buried the Master Sword up to the hilt. Gohma screeched in pain. He pushed the blade back and forth, widening the hole and completely maiming the iris. Yellow fluid spurted. The screeches and thrashes died down into gurgles and twitches. Then silence and stillness.

The blade dispersed. Link's trembling legs buckled. His knees thudded against wood, followed by the rest. A yellow arm coiled around his torso while a second cradled him. His arms and legs hung limply as the giant crept up the wall, over the rim, and down the tree.

At the base, Midna gently set him down and released the transformation. The goo retreated into the Fused Shadows. With a snap of her fingers, the relic disappeared.

She doubled over. Panting. Head throbbing. It was as though a supernatural force had delivered a swift punch to her skull at every conceivable angle.

Link's pained groans restarted her adrenaline. Beside her, he struggled to prop himself up with trembling arms. "And just what do you think you're doing?" Midna sharped.

"Leaving," he said hoarsely.

"Do you honestly think you can just get up and waltz out of the woods right now?" He either ignored her or answered by getting to his feet, poorly hiding the pain it wrought. On the second step, he crumpled. Midna caught him, struggling to keep them both upright on her injured ankle. Blood soaked her abdomen. Though she was exhausted, she mustered just enough magical energy to ease Link onto his back. He tried to sit up again, but Midna pressed him down with a hand. "No. You're hurt."

"I'm fi-" He coughed flecks of blood.

Oh. Shit.

It slowly dawned on Midna just how dire the situation was. Sure, she knew he was in bad shape, and she knew he could barely stand, but that could've been the injury tied with exhaustion. It didn't mean death was so close! When Link met her on the stairs of Hyrule Castle, he chased her as if his injuries were mere decoration. She now knew that was after he had been flung around by a killer plant, so for Link to be in this state meant there was something very, very wrong.

She reached towards the buttons of his jacket. "Can I?" No response. His eyes were half closed. His breath shallow, as if he only had the energy to intake just enough air to prevent suffocation. Through the slash of his jacket, there was only red.

Midna frantically unbuttoned his jacket. The blood made her fingers slip and fumble, but she somehow did it and ripped the jacket open to reveal- Oh gods-fucking dammit, Link!

The sight made her gag. There were parts of him exposed that she shouldn't ever see. She hated herself for not pulling him out in time. Maybe even pulling him out at all. Being cleaved in half would have been a nicer death than slowly bleeding out in the middle of the Lost Woods!

Her mind fumbled for a plan. She couldn't carry him out, magic or otherwise. Her powers were spent. She couldn't call for help because there was no signal this far out in the woods. If she left him alone to find help elsewhere, that trench coat-wearing bastard could jump out from hiding to finish the job.

There was no option other than to.

Sit there.

With him.

As he passed peacefully.

Perhaps Link would appreciate her company in his final moments, or at least appreciate it as much as he could in his current state. She wasn't oblivious, having picked up on the hints that he felt something for her that he shouldn't. Nothing about it made sense to her, but it was kind of nice that someone had the capacity to like her when she struggled to like herself.

He murmured something inaudible. She leaned in so her ear was inches from his mouth. "Zelda…" he quietly croaked. "I-I'll be okay… Always… am…"

After holding herself together second-by-second, Midna finally broke. Zelda. She would have to confront Zelda. She would have to knock on Zelda's door, drenched in her brother's blood, and explain that he wasn't coming home because stupid Midna had dragged him into stupid danger and was too stupid to drag him out of it. She would have to witness Zelda's tears and trauma and know that she was responsible for it. All over again. Midna would sooner run away to the Dark World than face that.

Tears cascaded down her cheeks. Her hands clasped over her mouth to muffle her sobs. Link mumbled again. "W-why are you crying, Zelda?"

"Shut up!" she cried. "I'm not Zelda, and I will never be Zelda." Midna hadn't felt this awful about herself since-

A small light twinkled in the corner of her eye. Her breath caught. It had a pinkish glow with clear, iridescent wings. Midna dared to hope it was just the miracle she needed. A healing fairy.

They had spotted a few on the way to the Great Deku Tree, fluttering about the silent princesses. This one was about ten metres away. She shakily stood and limped over to it as fast as she could, ready to pluck it from the air with her bare fingers. The fairy chimed in shock and disappeared in a puff of glitter. Great. She had chased away Link's only lifeline.

But fairies were said to flutter close by each other. Midna picked the silent princess and limped through the woods as quietly as she could. Exercising patience in such a time sensitive situation was a true test of her remaining willpower, but she had to trust that Link would hold on long enough.

Then she saw it. Another fairy floating aimlessly between the trees. Midna's steps softened as she approached, extending the flower. The mind of a healing fairy wasn't as bright as its glow, so it hardly noticed the offering until Midna held it inches away from its front. The fairy casually fluttered after it as Midna took great care to not spook the creature. When they reached Link, he was pale, corpse-like, with an expanding pool of blood beside him.

She lay the flower atop his chest. It had the barest hint of a rise and fall. The fairy floated down and upon sensing the young boy's dire state, jingled in alarm. It fluttered in rapid circles above them, sprinkling his entire body with glowing dust before disappearing into the cool night breeze.

Blood receded into the wound. Organs melded together. It was like watching the injury being inflicted in reverse, except the skin formed a nasty scar straight across his abdomen.

After a tense moment, Link's eyes flew open. He gasped and sprung upright, as if he were still mid-battle. "What just happened?" He caught Midna's wide stare, tear-stained cheeks, and hands clasped over her mouth. "Are you okay?"

How in Din's name was she supposed to answer that? Less than a minute ago, he was drifting off to the Sacred Realm. Now he looked healthier than ever. Even his bruises and cuts from the molduga fight had vanished. He looked… fine. Completely fine! And Midna was completely unsure what to think about it.

She stared at his abdomen. Link assumed that she must be flustered seeing his bare chest, so he reached for the first button.

"I've seen your stomach lining," she breathed. "We're well past modesty."

Confusion flashed across his face. He glanced down at himself and jolted. "Din almighty!"

"What do you remember?"

Though Link's mind was clear, his memories were hazy. "I remember hitting my head, and then there was a lot of pain right here." He traced the scar on his abdomen. "I think there was also a giant yellow spider fighting Gohma? Maybe I was seeing things."

"That was me, asshole," she said in jest.

"Thought so," Link said. "Interesting look for you."

"Shut up and keep going."

"Right. Things got really blurry after that. I remember stabbing something." He glanced over himself. "Is that why I'm covered in bug juice?"

"It's also why you stink of it," Midna said. "You maimed that thing's eye."

"Yeah, that's the last thing I remember. Other than pain. Wait. Did I try to walk it off at some point?"

She chuckled. "You couldn't make it two steps."

"I'm sorry you had to see that. Stomach and all." He frowned. "How'd you heal me?"

Midna relayed the tale. She did not mention Link's mumblings or her breakdown. As the events played out in her mind, she realised that the fairy had circled both of them. Her ankle no longer ached. Curious, she removed her shoe. The bandage had a few spots of blood. Upon removal, there was only a ring of scars. She also traced the thin scar on her face. "The little sprite healed me too." The bags under their eyes had faded, and they were feeling as refreshed as if they had just taken a nap.

"Guess that means I won't have to carry you out," he teased.

"Oh, how disappointing!" Midna held the bandage out. "Want your shirt back?" He flushed and buttoned up his jacket.

They discussed their next course of action. Midna would hold onto the Fused Shadows for now and try to stay in areas where the Yiga would be forced to cause a scene if they ever attacked. Link insisted on stronger protections, but Midna quickly shut him down. "Stop worrying. I can take care of myself."

He sighed. "I know you can."

Since Midna was very much opposed to a 30-minute bike ride with someone caked in blood and bug juice and Link wasn't a fan of the grime either, they stopped by a pond. Midna sat behind a tree, back to trunk, as Link quickly bathed his torso. She used her magic to siphon off as much mess as she could from the jacket and her own attire. It was an… interesting situation, but thankfully Midna gave him a break from her teasing remarks.

"Link, can I ask you something?" He hummed an affirmative as he washed his lower arm. "Why do you think Ghirahim wanted to recruit me?"

"Dunno," he said. "You're a powerful mage. Probably didn't want you siding against him."

She tossed the somewhat clean jacket behind the tree without looking. "Yeah, but I don't know why he thought I'd consider it. Like, does he think I want to be evil?"

"He seems a bit dim." Link retrieved the jacket and slipped it on. "First time we met, he confused Ganondorf for the Demon King or something."

"Wait. Seriously?"

"Yeah. Ganon wasn't having it. Almost strangled the poor guy."

"Can't blame him," Midna said. "If someone referred to me as evil incarnate, I'd be pissed too." Link's revelation made her feel a bit better about herself. Ghirahim being terrible at scouting members was a far more comforting theory than how much dark potential he saw in her.

About half-an-hour later, they reached Link's motorcycle, still leaning against the tree it had smacked into.

"Are-you-sure-it-will-work?" Midna strained as she and Link hauled it upright. "Looks pretty banged up."

Link hopped on and turned the key. It took a few tries, but the engine caught. "It's been through worse."

Midna didn't expect the ride home to be as pleasant as it was. Sure, she was having to grip Link's still-grimy jacket, and she was as tired as a cursed princess, and she had witnessed several unpleasant things that night. But it had also been exhilarating. She understood why Link was a thrill-seeker. A shame she would never get to experience that for herself again.

But now, as the horizon revealed a sliver of pink, there was no danger after them. No creepy woods or demonic cultists or bleeding wounds. Just her and Link on a calm ride at the crack of dawn.

This was another moment she would never experience again.

Midna's chest tightened the moment they rounded the corner to her house. The light of the bedroom next to hers was on. "Zant's awake! I gotta go." She leapt off the cycle and threw her helmet at Link. It smacked into his chest. Before he could offer a goodbye, she dove into the shadows.

He blinked at the spot she disappeared into, jarred by the sudden exit. Not wanting any other members of the Ozul household to catch him, he stored the helmet and reluctantly drove away.

Without any grand objectives like hiding ancient relics or protecting classmates, Link's mind could finally wander a little as he drove home. Perhaps he should be reflecting on how close he came to death, but he really didn't want to dwell on that, so it was easier to reflect on more trivial matters. Like his heart.

His crush on Midna was never something he denied to himself. Just other people. He simply acknowledged that it was there and nothing could come of it. Unrequited feelings were a part of life. It still left him with a desire to know her, befriend her, and spend time with her, and he had no qualms with following those desires as long as a certain line wasn't crossed.

Tonight had drawn him closer to that line. She openly showed sides of herself that he had only seen glimpses of beyond the curtain of her shrewish nature, and that was the essence that had made him fall for her in the first place. It was dangerous to like Midna this much.

But he was loyal to Zelda first. That was a non-negotiable fact. That was why the line had been drawn.

The moment Link's bike rolled into the garage, the door to the house burst open.

"LINK RUNE HARKINIAN!"

Zelda stomped towards him. Her face was red with anger, her eyes ringed with dark purple, and her cheeks stained by tears. "Do you have any idea how long you've been out?"

Link parked. "About eight hours?"

"Precisely! I've been worrying about you for eight hours. I am at my wit's end with you."

Link did not answer, but his stomach did.

"Inside!" Zelda barked. "Breakfast will be ready soon."

The kitchen was a mess of dirty dishes, empty ingredient bags, and batter stains. A whole night's worth of stress baking in a feeble attempt to calm Zelda's nerves. Usually she would tidy as she went along, so Link had never thought her capable of creating such a mess.

"I've been worried sick, Link. So worried. Do you know what happened when I ran out of cinnamon?"

"No?"

"I used paprika. Paprika! Would you like a paprika bun, dear brother?" She shoved fresh-out-of-the-oven tray in his face.

"Uh. Sure."

Zelda slammed the tray down, fetched a plate, and threw one of the buns onto it. She seized a bowl and threw a dollop of icing on top. Then she looked him dead in the eye and tipped the bowl upside down. Icing splattered all over the plate and counter.

Link grimaced. "That's too sweet for me."

"I hope your teeth rot."

She held the plate out to him. He kept his arms tightly crossed over his abdomen. "I should go to bed."

"Shut up and eat your breakfast, you ungrateful jerk!" Link still didn't take it. She prodded the plate at his chest.

"Look. I'm sorry for running off with Midna."

"Midna? This has nothing to do with Midna. This is about you." The hand holding the plate trembled, so she set it down. "You ran off with barely any explanation for the entire goddess-damn night and then wouldn't answer any of my calls."

"I've done this kind of thing before."

"Stop acting like everything is the same as it was before! It's not. We have a demon assassin after us now. I thought you had walked into a trap. I thought he killed you! I thought…" She trailed off. This was usually the moment when Link would reach for her, comfort her, tell her that he was fine. But his arms were still crossed protectively over his abdomen. Dark stains peaked from behind.

"Are you hiding something from me?"

He backed away. "No, Zel. I'm fine."

She paced closer. "What's wrong with your jacket?"

"Nothing."

"Take it off, Link."

"I'm going to bed."

"Jacket. Off. Now."

They glared at each other for a short stalemate, and though Zelda's features were screwed up in rage, Link couldn't bring himself to say no to those pleading eyes. He reached for the first button. A blood-soaked tear witn no injury beyond it. Until he pulled it off. She clasped her hands over her mouth.

The thick, gnarled scar cut diagonally across his abdomen, just shy of his belly button. A thousand gruesome images rushed through her head. "What happened?" she demanded.

"It's a long story."

"I've been waiting eight hours to hear this story, and I won't wait a moment longer." Zelda fetched a blanket from the nearby couch and threw it over his shoulders. Then she took his jacket, opened the laundry cupboard, and threw it in the washing machine. "I'll put on the kettle. Sit down and start talking."

Link explained everything, though toned down some of the more upsetting details for her. "Gohma got a hit on me during the fight, but it was fine. Midna found a healing fairy."

Zelda almost dropped her tea cup. "A fairy?"

"Yeah. Anyway, we decided that-"

"Do you have any idea how astronomically lucky you were?" He pulled the blanket tighter around himself. "Link, it's scaring me how little you care."

"It doesn't make a difference," he said. "I lived, didn't I?"

"Yes, but-"

"But what?" he snapped. "Everything's fine. I'm fine. You don't need to worry."

"You always do this!" Zelda screamed, hot tears pouring down her face. "You always tell me not to worry about you. I know I tend to overreact, but every time you say that, do you honestly think it makes me less worried?" He said nothing. "It just invalidates how I feel."

She glared at Link with those puffy eyes. Those tears he hated to see. Those tears he had caused and couldn't fix because Zelda had just obliterated his usual method. When Zelda worried about him, he was forced to worry about himself, but if he worried about himself, he couldn't be the hero Hyrule needed: someone who could throw himself into danger headfirst and tumble out for another round every time.

"You know how it is, Zel," he said. "Someone's in trouble. I have to help out. It's going to be dangerous. You need to accept that."

"That was, without a doubt, the most condescending thing you have ever said to me," she seethed. "I don't think you understand how hard it is to have a brother like you." The words stung, but he listened patiently. "I love you, Link. I really do. But this," she gestured at his abdomen, "is something I've grown up with. Broken bones. Concussions. Even a rubber bullet once." She prodded the blanket, near a scar on his shoulder. "I've sat by you in the emergency room more times than I can count. You're a thrill-seeker, I respect that, but it feels like you never want to consider all the risks, and that is why I'm worried."

Link pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's my life to risk," he said, fighting back the urge to raise his voice. "And I always come out fine. You shouldn't worry about it."

"Worrying about you is a fact of life!" Zelda exclaimed. "And frankly, this quest has me more worried than ever. You're facing deadlier obstacles than ever before, and you don't even care. I just want you to ask yourself, 'What if the worst happens?' more often. Maybe I'd worry less if you thought to worry about yourself for a change."

Her words cut deep, down to his soul, but he shouldn't dwell on them. He couldn't. If he wasted time thinking through all the possible consequences, doing whatever it was that Zelda demanded, the March sisters would still be trapped, the molduking would have crushed dozens, and Midna would've been abducted by the Yiga Clan. Yes, he was facing unimaginable danger like never before, but not once did he regret how he handled it. The strategy was simple. Survive minute by minute. Worry only about what matters in the present moment. Personal consequences can and should be dealt with later, because they only matter later.

But right now was later. He had almost died, and now he needed to resolve the conflict it caused with Zelda. He just couldn't afford to be overly concerned with his own mortality. As the supposed hero of Hyrule, he didn't have the privilege of dwelling on his fear.

"I don't regret doing what I had to," Link said, "but I'm sorry for making you think your feelings don't matter. I'll do better."

Zelda sighed. "That's the best I'm going to get from you, isn't it?" Link hung his head. She threw her arms around him. Tears soaked the blanket on his shoulder. "I love you. Don't you ever make me lose eight hours of sleep ever again."

"Yeah, okay." He returned the embrace. "I love you too."

They stayed in that moment for a while, simply appreciating the fact that they could hold each other after a long night. Another growl from Link's stomach interrupted them. He was famished.

Zelda pulled away. "Do you want to try some of my baked goods? I made brownies, biscuits, three different kinds of cake. Only one thing, though." Impa was very strict about healthy eating. "I'm going to have to hand most of this out to my friends."

"I'd like to try one of those paprika buns," he said. "Without icing, though."

With a sniffle and a nod, she went to the kitchen, plated up two buns, and set one before him. It smelled… interesting. Smokey, yet sickly sweet. He took a large bite and almost choked. The taste of burnt sugar combined with spice filled his mouth. He forced himself to chew and swallow it down.

"You don't like it?" Zelda asked.

"No, no. Just wasn't expecting it."

She scrutinised him as she had a nibble, then coughed. "I knew I shouldn't have replaced the sugar with treacle. It's horrible."

"I'd have another go at paprika buns," he said. "If turmeric lattes can exist, these could work out too."

"A waste of ingredients if you ask me."

"Says the one who just used up everything."

Zelda swatted him playfully. "Oh, shut up."

They went into the kitchen to test taste all of Zelda's baked goods and declared the cinnamon swirl cake the most edible by a thin margin. They each sat down with a slice and an apple with a third serve on the table for Impa who would be home any minute.

Link prodded at his last remaining bite, which had an unusually large lump of flour in it. "Hey, Zel?" She hummed attentively. "Are you sure you don't blame Midna for what happened?"

"She saved your life, didn't she?" He nodded. "Honestly, with so much on our shoulders, I don't see a reason to hold onto some petty grudge." Zelda smiled mischievously. "Besides, I can always show her up in the debate tomorrow."

"You mean today?"

Most of this chapter wasn't planned and the stuff that was was intended to be part of Chapter 10. Link's near death experience and the fairy ex machina came to me as I was writing the last chapter. Stress baking Zelda was made up on the spot and I am honestly so proud of myself :D

Who will you be rooting for in the debate next chapter?