There are two things things I forgot to put on the content warning list when I first posted Chapter 12 that are relevant to this chapter. The first is mild queerphobia, and the second is that occasionally a character will fake a disability or mental illness. Though it is not my intention to invalidate the experiences disabled people, without a disclaimer, I was afraid that might be the outcome. (Maybe it still is. Feel free to comment.)

The Magic Awakens

Chapter 14

Midna's Torment

Tahk pinched the bridge of his nose, his eyes screwed shut. "Your mother and I were away for two days," he said, rage simmering beneath every word, "and you ran off with some boy, and not just any boy. Link Harkinian."

He was seated at the far end of the dining table, beneath two shelves. The top was loaded with first place trophies, medals, and certificates won in spelling bees, sports carnivals, gymnastics competitions, and more. The shelf below it displayed less: mostly second place accolades, and only for academic and business pursuits.

Yet Zant sat on Tahk's left, smiling at Midna as if he had swiped first place away from her.

On Tahk's right was Midna's mother, Solaria. She was a tall, slender woman with high cheekbones and thin, dark blue lips in a perpetual frown. Her burnt orange hair was pulled into a bun as uptight as her attitude, and her modest attire was the opposite of Midna's revealing style. A billowing white linen dress cinched at the waist. The sleeves cuffed her wrists and a long peplum reached her mid-calf. Lab-grown diamonds hung limply from her ears. Hands with pristinely vanished nails were folded in her lap. Hylian priestess but make it a wealth flex, Midna thought.

Midna was slumped in her seat opposite from Tahk with her arms crossed. She refused to make eye-contact with her family as Tahk lectured her for being "promiscuous", Solaria called her behaviour "unrefined", and Zant gave his testimony, the latter of which made Midna's blood rise from a simmer to a rolling boil.

"I saw them leave," Zant said like a little boy who had just seen a blupee. "I saw her get onto the bike without a helmet," Bullshit. "touch him up," Bullshit. "and they drove off above the speed limit." Bullshit! "She came home eight hours later. Her hair was a mess, and so were her clothes."

Midna shot to her feet. A fist shook the table. "For fuck's sake, we weren't fucking in the forest!"

"Then what were you doing?" Solaria asked pointedly.

Midna bit her lip, fighting for an excuse. She couldn't expose her magic, and she couldn't expose Link's quest, but she refused to be seen as some sexually irresponsible teenager. "He was behind, way behind, on our assignment. We needed to go to an all-night library to sort it out."

"Bullshit!" Tahk barked. "No one comes back from the library looking like you did. We all know what his sister said this morning."

"It was a lie! She's a bitch trying to trash my campaign."

"From what I can tell, you trashed it yourself."

His words stung like a bari. If only Midna's parents knew what she had really been dealing with while they were off playing Happy Anniversary at the hot springs. What if they came home to find the house in shambles and Midna abducted into some demonic cult? What if they knew Link was the reason why that didn't happen? What if they knew, but didn't care?

The room was silent, waiting for Midna's confession. She kept her mouth shut, daring them to punish her for a crime she did not commit. "Fine," Tahk growled. "If you won't own up to what happened, I'll have to ask the Harkinian boy a few questions myself."

It took every ounce of self-control Midna had to not explode into a magical rage right there. She was tempted, so tempted, yet even with magic on her side, she still had no power. She swallowed the impulse down, and keeping her voice still was like walking a tightrope. A good thing she was trained in both. "Congratulations, captain. Guilty as charged." Midna sank back into her chair. "But let me make something clear. It was my idea to do it, and only as a one-time thing. He was the one who remembered protection." The lies were absolutely rancid on her tongue, but they needed to be said. She'd take the foul taste and the punishment over Link's incarceration weighing on her conscience. That was the only reason why she did it though, so she wouldn't have to feel bad for him.

Solaria stared down at her like she was a stain on the family. "We're very disappointed in you, Midna."

"It won't happen again."

"Like hell it will," said Tahk. "We're putting bars on your windows and scheduled motion sensors at your door. You will only go out with my say so, and you are to send hourly selfies of where you are outside of school."

Midna's fists shook in her lap. It would be so easy to just throw him into a wall. "You're a control freak!"

"If you're sneaking off with delinquents in the middle of the night, then I haven't controlled you enough."

"It's because we love you, sweetheart." Solaria never used sweetheart unless she was displeased with her. "And a word of advice, the bad boy is never worth it." Like you have high standards, Midna thought bitterly. You married a cop.

The family court martial ended with Midna and Zant being dismissed to their rooms for study, although Midna was ordered to hand over her slate lest she be caught "sexting". Urgh. Solaria would give it back just before school the next day.

The moment Midna and Zant were alone in the hallway, she grabbed his shoulder and spun him around. "What was that?" she spat. "You promised not to tell."

"I didn't expose your little secret. Zelda did. They would've found out eventually, and then we'd both be in trouble."

"Let's pretend you didn't just lie through your teeth right now," she said. "Why'd you make it sound so suggestive?"

Zant rolled his eyes. "I was saving you from yourself. You like him. Deny it all you like. If you haven't fallen for his charm last night as you claim, then you would have eventually if left unchecked."

She was enraged. Completely. Utterly. But it wasn't because he was backing the same stupid rumour as everyone else, and it wasn't because he sided with their parents against her. It wasn't even because he lied to win some Favourite Child Points.

It was because what he had just said stirred a hidden infestation of butterflies in her chest. Zant was right. It was dangerous to like Link this much.

Midna and her friends sat on the bleachers as they did every morning before school. They huddled together, chatting about new releases on the high street while Midna remained silent, only contributing to the conversation when directly asked. (She preferred boutiques anyway.) She tapped away on her tablet, trying to brainstorm some way to recover her campaign. If she did something that made her parents proud, they'd finally loosen up. They always did.

But this was a situation she didn't know how to recover from, because there was no way to expose the truth. That morning, her friends said they had her back, but their conversation slipped into intrusive territory.

"How did he perform?"

"What does he look like under it all?"

"You don't have to be shy with us."

"It's always the delinquents who come after Daddy's Little Girl."

"I think it's kinda sexy."

"Midna Ozul; living the fantasy."

All she did was deny, but without an explanation, she had no choice but to let them believe it. When she refused to provide details, they made up their own. Speculating on Midna's supposed sex life. Reducing her and Link to a canvas which they projected their own fantasies into. No matter what, she could not shut it down. She was almost ready to throw hands when they all stopped, heads turning in the same direction.

To Zelda.

She clutched fistfuls of her vintage dress. "Um… Midna. I was hoping we could talk." Her gaze darted about the posse. "Privately."

All the girls burst into cruel laughter, except for Midna, who stared down at Zelda like she was a stain on the carpet.

A stain on her conscience.

"Wow. Isn't this an interesting turn of events?" sneered Celeste, a Twili girl with space buns and a white tennis skirt. "Come to beg Midna to give you your brother back? Did being a conniving little bitch not work?"

"That's not what I-"

"You know, I really hate girls like you. Acting like you're the perfect little school girl." Celeste put on a mocking impression of Zelda's voice. "'Look at me! I follow the dress code. I get good grades. I'm so nice. Everyone loves me!'" Midna fought for her hair to stay still. To not shoot forth and throttle a throat. Zelda's face paled and her eyes brimmed with tears. "But the moment someone better than you comes along, you show everyone how much of a two-faced bitch-"

"Shut up, Celeste!" Midna was on her feet. All heads snapped towards her, mouths ajar. "Why am I even friends with you?" She stole a glance at Zelda, whose eyes glittered with hope. "You're just stooping to her level."

As Celeste stammered her defence, Zelda's face of utter defeat and betrayal almost tore Midna in half. Almost. Zelda covered her mouth, choked back a sob, and ran away. "Keep running!" Celeste called. Midna smacked her over the head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"For making me look bad!" She glared at each and every girl with fire in her eyes. "Zelda is a conniving little bitch, we all agree on that, but she is my problem. Your job is to ignore her. No more talking about her or her stupid brother. Got it?" They all said nothing, glancing at each other awkwardly. "Got it?" she repeated through gritted teeth.

"Look, Midna," said another Twili. "You're kinda the school slut now. The best thing you can do is own it."

"Yeah, you don't get to tell us what to do anymore," said Celeste. "We're the ones doing you a favour now." The other girls hesitantly nodded along.

Midna's hair bristled. "Excuse me?"

"Either accept us as we are or find new friends," another said. Midna's shaking hands gripped her tablet so tight that it was a miracle she didn't snap it in half. The bell rang. Midna snatched up her bag and spun on her heel without so much as a goodbye.

Zelda waited at her usual desk by the door in Midna's homeroom. She sprung to her feet as soon as Midna entered. "Midna, I want to apologise-"

"Stay away, you two-faced bitch!" Zelda plopped back into her seat and buried her damp eyes in the folded arms on her desk.

Rage simmered within Midna the entire day. First period wasn't so bad, until a pair of boys flanked her on the running track. They whistled at her and said that Link totally "high-scored". As they ogled her "bouncing tits", two thin tendrils of hair reached down their shorts and yanked the elastic of their underpants sky high. Their simultaneous squeaks sent Midna cackling as she sprinted ahead.

Next came morning tea in the cafeteria, where Midna begrudgingly chose to sit with her "friends" as they made all sorts of unsavoury claims about Zelda.

"She's so uptight. She must be a virgin."

"I bet she only wears the bi pin on her bag to make everyone think she can get banged by whoever."

"And the ace pin so she has an excuse for why she can't."

Midna weighed the pros and cons of being convicted of homicide as she emptied her tray into the bin. She spied her friends' table over her shoulder and narrowed her eyes. It jolted, causing a spray of food to rain on them. Yelling. Pointing. Blame hurled around like bricks. Good, Midna thought, but it was followed by a sickly feeling. These were her friends, so easily provoked to toxic behaviour. Friends who brought out her worst. Friends who mirrored her worst. What was she doing with her life?

After morning tea was Language and Literature Studies. With Link. Part of her wanted to take comfort in the fact that at least they both knew the truth. It was a part she quashed. Her goal was simple. Be distant. Hold him at arm's length. He greeted her awkwardly. She nodded curtly.

During the lecture part of the lesson, they were silent, stealing the odd glance to see how the other was doing. Both their expressions were too blank to tell.

Then came the part Midna had been dreading; their first conversation since the debate. Link lay out his notes and talked through them as he had on Monday morning. Midna listened for the most part, thinking about how to best phrase her feedback, when she noticed that Mrs Twinrova wasn't wandering around the classroom like usual. Instead, she sat at her desk. Hands tightly clasped. Watching them. As if the moment she turned away, Midna and Link would scramble to undress each other right then and there.

It was like a bucket of warm sewage had been dumped over her. She turned back to Link, his handsome face, his earnest effort to work through the awkwardness, and forced herself to see him as nothing more than the other half of her scandal. Anyone related to Zelda must be just as vile. Just as capable of ruining her.

"This is so basic," she said, referring to his outline. "Like really basic."

"Any tips to flesh it out?"

"Oh, I don't know. Maybe try harder? Figure it out yourself? Or are you such a cucco-brain that I have to do everything for you?"

He pinched his nose with a deep sigh. "Midna, please. Just give me actual feedback." His flat tone was but a thin sheet covering frustration. Somewhat similar to how her father spoke yesterday.

"Oh, you want a medal because you asked for feedback? You haven't done anything to fix it yourself since Monday."

"It's been a rough couple of days."

Midna mock gasped. "Really? I hadn't noticed."

Taking another moment to collect himself, Link shuffled his notes together. "We'll try again later," he said. "Can you show me what you've done?"

She did, having caught up on her side of things yesterday afternoon. Her outline was far more detailed, and Link found little wrong with it, but for every criticism he did bring up, Midna used it as a springboard to antagonise him further. "Why should I even listen to you? Your outline is crap."

He didn't recoil. He didn't cut back. He took every hit and the bruises that came with it. She felt rotten, but she needed to do this. She needed everyone to know that she did not find Link alluring in any way. Everyone had to believe that she hated his very soul. That would dispel the rumours. That would recover her reputation.

Right?

After more lessons and a lunch break in the library to catch up on more study, the school day ended. At first, Midna was relieved to finally escape the halls that echoed her alleged sins, but at home, those same rumours would be smacked across her face like a wet cloth over and over again.

The rideshare home should provide a moment of peace.

Midna paused just before her hand touched the handle. The driver was craning his neck over his seat, like a predator watching its prey. Alarms sounded in her mind. A look around the carpark. Plenty of people milled about. She tapped on the driver's door with her boot. He rolled down the window and put on the most plastic grin. One that rivalled Tahk's. "Can I help you?"

"I'm really sorry about this, but could you please help me put my bag in the boot?" she asked.

The smile vanished. "Can't you do it yourself?"

She gasped. "That's not good service!"

"Ma'am. I'm really sorry, but I can't touch passenger property without a good reason."

"But I have one." Midna held up her limp hands. "I have weak wrists. I needed help just to put on my bag all day. If I try to take it off myself, I won't be able to pick it up." He drummed his fingers on the steering wheel. Midna batted her lashes. "Please?"

"Alright." He put the car into park and swung open the door. Midna stepped back into the sunlight and shrugged off the straps. The bag landed on the grass with a soft thud. Shooting a scowl her way, the driver emerged from the shade of the car.

His baggy clothes and overgrown dad cut did not match his shadow's skin-tight silhouette and spikey wolftail. Just as he reached for her bag, Midna threaded her arm through one of the shoulder straps and pulled away. It swung from her elbow. "I just realised I left something inside. I'll be right back." She bolted towards the school building, threw herself into the empty hall, and dove into the first shadow she saw.

She caught the bus home that afternoon.

The bars and motion sensors had been installed in Midna's room during the school day. Though her shadow-walking could bypass both, she couldn't risk sneaking out alone. The tools became a cruel reminder of her imprisonment, of her parents' desire to mould her into the perfect child they could boast of.

The Yiga didn't try to attack that night. Perhaps the new security deterred them. She hated the thought.

At the dinner table, Zant boasted about his internship to their parents. For the first time in forever, they actually listened, especially when he tossed in snide remarks about how much better he was at staying focused than Midna.

When everyone was asleep, Midna briefly stole back her slate. Link had texted her. She left him on read.

Thursday was a retread of everything wrong with Wednesday. Zelda tried to "apologise" before school, in homeroom, and during lunch breaks. Each time, Midna would shut her down with incessant guilt-tripping that brought Zelda to the verge of tears. In LLS, Midna continued to antagonise Link. He wasn't available to study that weekend because of Impa's training regime? His stupid little treasure hunt could wait until after they aced the assignment. No, they would not take an extension. Midna's parents would view it as a ploy to steal more time away with him.

Link tried to corner her after class. She slipped away.

There was no happiness or security to be found in friendships, family, or even her own company. Honestly, she had known for far too long, but this was the first time it hit Midna as hard as it did. Celeste and friends continued to gossip about Link and Zelda, and they probably gossiped about Midna when she wasn't around. At least they had the decency to be heavy on the passive aggression. Her parents always assumed she committed debauchery every time their eyes weren't on her. Alone time was not only scarce, but dangerous. The rare few times she wasn't having to look over her shoulder or double check passing shadows, she was left feeling ugly in her own presence, convinced that everyone disliked her.

She encouraged it, because open dislike of Midna was safer than that which was masked by sweet words.

Thursday afternoons was gymnastics, the highlight of Midna's week. Finally, a chance to focus on something she enjoyed for once. To have complete control over her body and do remarkable things at a time when she felt so powerless and unremarkable. To receive praise from her coach who said she would definitely qualify for regionals…

Her heart sank. The comment was a harsh reminder that Midna was never allowed to be in anything just for the fun of it. There was always the expectation from her parents that any time she did anything, she had to bring home gold.

Midna stayed behind to help pack for as long as possible. Any excuse to delay going to meet her rideshare. She hadn't come up with a plan to determine if today's driver was a Yiga agent. The same trick probably wouldn't work twice.

She was the last to leave the gymnasium. Alone. Big mistake. Link was waiting by the entrance. "We need to talk." Midna walked past him, into the sunlight. He followed her. "Midna," he said, more urgently this time. She ignored him. "Midna!" He seized her wrist.

She whipped around, hair flailing, as she tried to tear from his grip. "Let go! I'm not joining your stupid cult!"

"It's really me."

She checked his shadow, and her hair settled. Relief flowed through her. Wait, she shouldn't be relieved. She should be enraged! Her hair pulsed again. "Apparently the real Link is a stalker and a creep."

Link sighed and let go. "I'm sorry," he said. "I shouldn't've grabbed you. There's no excuse." Except there was. Midna knew perfectly well that he didn't have any other options, and she also knew that he was going to annoy her until they had whatever conversation he was dying to have.

Midna crossed her arms. "What do you want?"

"Hear Zelda out."

He might as well have smacked her across the face. "Hear her out? The last time I did that, she ruined my life!" Her hair rippled about. She was done holding back her anger. Now Link would see it on full display and he would finally leave her alone. "The rumour mill is bad enough. Do you know what happened when Dad heard that I 'ran off with that Harkinian boy'? He's trying to lock me up in my own room like a criminal! So no, I don't need to hear Zelda out. She screwed up everything for me, and there is nothing she can say or do to make up for it!"

"Are you done?"

Midna shot him a scathing glare. "For now."

Link took off his hat and wring it in his hands. "What Zelda said hurt me too. Like really hurt. I'm still mad about it. The things they say about you, they say about me as well."

"Oh really? I've only heard them speak of your conquest."

"They've said plenty of other things, but nothing hurts more than hearing them degrade you like that." He sighed. "I won't say I have it as bad as you, but I do know where you're coming from."

He was right. He was always right and she hated him for it. "Get to the point."

"You have every right to be angry," Link said, "but I won't let you hurt my sister."

I won't let you hurt my sister. He had said those words to her before, yelled them actually, on the school playground when they were eight. Midna's defences finally cracked, allowing the guilt to seep back in. He delivered the final blow. "You're better than this. I know you are. Zelda said you've been trying to make amends for years. You should know firsthand how hard it is to say sorry."

Yes, Midna did understand, but she did not understand how Zelda could be ready to apologise the moment she messed up while Midna still struggled with an apology that was nine years overdue. "It doesn't matter what she says. I won't forgive her."

"I'm not asking you to," he said. "Just hear her out. We'll deal with everything like adults. After the assignment, we can all move on."

Move on? What was that supposed to mean? Surely not going back to how things were before, where they sat on opposite sides of the classroom, barely spoke to each other, yet still felt a lingering tension.

Sweet Nayru, Zant was right. She did like him, and she liked being liked by him. The nature of that "like" was still something she was figuring out for herself, but one thing was for certain. She was desperate for real, meaningful relationships, and Link was worth taking a chance on. As friends, of course. Nothing more.

Tell him you're sorry.

"I… um…" Her fingers trailed her forearm. "Things are confusing right now. I don't know what to do about anything anymore, but I'll do my best to figure it out, because I don't want…" to be the person I used to be, "to be a bitch anymore."

"Don't call yourself that."

She rolled her eyes. "I can call myself whatever I damn well please."

Link raised his hands in surrender, smiling. "Okay, okay. And what if I called myself a cucco brain?"

"Only I get to call you a cucco brain, cucco brain." They both chuckled.

"Thanks for listening," he said. "I won't hold you any longer. Farore forbid the captain finds out you ran off with that Harkinian boy again." Another laugh shared between them. Felt kinda nice to joke about it now.

The moment Link turned to leave, Midna was seized by an impulse. "Wait!" Their eyes met, and the flutters they summoned forced Midna to avert her gaze. "I never thanked you for helping me on Monday."

"Oh, that?" He waved it off. "No problem."

That amused Midna, because it was a very big problem. "Actually, I was hoping you could help me again." She toyed with a lock of hair. "I could use a ride home from someone who isn't trying to kidnap me for, like, the next week. If that's not too much trouble."

"Oh." He rubbed his neck. "Will your parents know?"

Midna shook her head. "I already have a cover story for them. If you drop me off at the street corner, they'll never know."

"In that case, I'd love to help."

On Friday morning, Midna ditched her friends at the bleachers, instead choosing to loiter just down the hall from Zelda's locker. As expected, soft footsteps approached, and a shy voice addressed her. "Midna?"

When Midna turned to her, Zelda flinched. No insults were thrown. No scathing looks. Just a patient Twili ready to listen. Zelda exhaled. "I'd like to apologise for how I behaved during the debate. There is truly no excuse for what I said, and I want you to know that I'm doing everything I can to clear your name," she said. "I'm telling everyone who asks that I made up the rumour out of jealousy. There were no woods, and there was no fraternising."

"You didn't make up anything," Midna grumbled.

"That doesn't matter. I started this mess, and I will do whatever it takes to clean it up. If anyone gives you grief, tell them to come to me, and I'll confess to them as well. If we keep it up, maybe everyone will stop saying those awful things."

Midna nodded slowly. "Thank-you." Your turn to apologise, but she couldn't. There was still so much bitterness regarding Zelda. So much fear. "I appreciate it but…" She sighed, struggling to put her thoughts into words. "Could you maybe… give me some space?"

Zelda backed away. "Of course. I'll leave you be." With a parting nod, she retreated to her locker as Midna wandered down the hall.

An unfamiliar mix of emotions swirled through Midna's chest. The anger, bitterness, and guilt were still there, but it had been diluted by something new.

Hope.

Little by little, she could untangle her messy insides, and she could learn to weave them into the kind of person she always wanted to be. It was a nice thought, even if she knew it would never come to pass.

This is another chapter that I both adore and am nervous about, but I think it's easier for us all to imagine Midna showing toxic traits because of how she was at the start of the game.

I'm dying to know what you think of Midna and Zelda now. Has Zelda redeemed herself? Does Midna still have some redeeming to do? Tell me tell me tell me!