Seven Day Vacation

Chapter 6: Day 2 Part 2.

Lakeside Refection

Arthur's notes: Sorry about deleting the previous version of this chapter, I wasn't pleased with it and I wanted it to turn out better than what I wrote before. I apologize for the inconvenience.

With the Hylian settled on the nice, soft comfy towel: Midna already began to scold him for his careless nature as she continued to lay on top of him. "Link, you need to be more careful! You could have bumped your head against that edge of earth…"

The Hylian blinked a few times before he responded. "I mean, it's just dirt. I wasn't even going that fast." Honestly, he just had the face of confusion and shock mixed in. He thought she was being a bit weird.

"Maybe so, but…" She rose into a sitting position, her legs tucked beneath her and hands on her lap. "I do think it's best to pay attention to one's surroundings." She chided.

"Sure…" He lifted his head and put one hand to pillow it, he used the other to twirl his wrist nonchalantly before he pointed at the imp. "But I think in this instance it wasn't that dire."

She coughed into a balled fist, her eyes darted to the left. He did have a point, it wasn't. But she still has to look out for him, even if it's small. "Anyway... would the Big-Time-Hero care to retrieve some firewood for his imp companion so she can make some lunch?" She folded her arms confidently and tapped the side of arm with her clawed fingers.

He smirked at the imp. "Okay, but I'm going to need my 'axe'. You still have it, right?" He asked with a quizzical look.

"Of course…~!" She slurred suavely, she snapped her fingers and the Master Sword locked within its sheath appeared at his side. While her magic is technically evil by nature, she is at least able to store it in her pocket dimension as long as it's harbored within its scabbard. Where else would the holy weapon go once its wielder gained claws and a pelt of fur? "Also: Make sure to get some extra, will ya? I don't feel like repeating that horrible trip up Snowpeak." She finally floated off his chest.

"Ugh…" He shivered from that horrible, horrible memory. "Don't remind me." He quickly rubbed his arms to get the sudden chill out of his skin and claimed his blade before standing up. The sword singed free from its prison and Link let the sheath clatter to the ground. He placed a hand on his hip and brought the weapon's hilt to his shoulder. "Okay, give me like… five minutes. Tops." And with that, he walked towards a few trees with a kick in his step. But then he remembered, how is he supposed to get up that cliff side? Sure, it's not that big but still… he doesn't have any climbing equipment in his possession at the moment. He halted his movements, and turned around slowly to meet the imp who now has a bewildered expression, she wondered why he stopped. "Um, can you also give me my Clawshot?" He rubbed the back of his neck in embarrassment, he pointed to the cliff behind him. The only sign of trees around these parts of the Lake.

Midna's eyes followed the path his finger pointed to with her mouth slightly open and proceeded to giggle when realization dawned on her, she forgot about that. How did she think he was going to get up there without that thing? Now she felt a tiny bit stupid. With a snap of her fingers, the clawshot materialized around his other hand. Her knuckles tapped the side of her head as she adorned a goofy expression, complete with her tongue sticking out. "Sorry. Should've realized you would need that, too. Eee-hee!" She retracted her tongue.

Link waved his Clawshot in a nonchalant manner. "Eh, don't worry about it. My dumbass forgot it, too until now. Don't feel too bad." He shot her a goofy smile before he turned around and clicked the trigger of the gadget and the claw was fired, it latched onto a tree that rested above the cliff and the hero was rocketed at incredible speeds "WOOHOO!" He shouted at the top of his lungs, his adrenaline pumped through his veins and giving him a rush! The swordsman landed with graceful elegance, and struck a pose. Goddesses he loves the Clawshot, it's honestly his favorite gadget in his arsenal. Soooo much better than that dinky Spinner he got from the Arbiters Grounds, he found it to be so situational, right up there with the Dominion Rod. ("Time to get to work"). He wiped his forehead with his arm as the adrenaline faded from his system, then he readied his Master Sword, concentrating hard on the tree before him before he slashed at the base horizontally. It toppled once the blow was dealt and crashed onto the earth, which caused it to tremor slightly. Link then started to cut the downed tree into planks for the fire.

Midna meanwhile used her telekinesis to pull rocks big enough to suit her needs out of the lake and placed them into a pile for the moment. She snapped her fingers and Link's Ordon Sword appeared and floated above the ground. She performed swiping motions as Link's first blade cut the grass until there was nothing but dirt left, she then assembled the rocks into a ring-like formation. The imp has watched the Hylian make a bunch of campfires on their travels throughout the land, so it's not surprising she's learned to do it as well. After all: the best way to learn is through observation.

Link kicked the newly cut planks and branches off the cliff and let them clatter to the ground. Since he didn't want to shatter his kneecaps (he doesn't feel like wasting a blue potion right now), he dove into the water on the other side of the cliff instead and swam to shore. He sheathed his blade, dropped the Clawshot onto the soft grass and scooped up some of the spoils and strolled over to his imp companion. "Hey, Midna! Will this lot do?"

Midna turned her head and took a look at the wood. She looked pleased with his findings. "Yeah, that should be more than enough! Who knew the mighty Hero of Hyrule also doubled as a lumberjack! Eee-hee~!" She teased with her hands on her hips and boasted her trademarked sassy flare.

Link set down his pile and kneeled before the fire-bed. "Well, hey! I have a large variety of skills!" He boasted as he erected his freshly cut planks into a pyramid formation. "Farmer, swordsman, archer, fisherman, clawshot master and all things that go 'KA-BOOM'. Quite the hefty set if I do say so myself~!" His voice dripped with confidence and arrogance.

Link backed away as Midna used her magic to set the stack ablaze and roared into a magnificent flame. "Yeah, yeah definitely quite the resume. Oh!" She covered her mouth with one and stared playfully at Link. "Except for the last part, all you do is throw and shoot bombs randomly. That's not being an expert, wolfy." She then summoned a pot that already had broth in it beforehand and set it over the fire. Pieces of carrots, potatoes and cucco breasts hovered above the boiling broth and were cut into pieces by her powers.

"What are you talking about? I landed most of my shots! And I use my bombs effectively!"

She dumped the ingredients into the pot and summoned a ladle to stir the concoction as the imp giggled at the Hylian's defensive bravado. "Oh, so you're telling me…" She summoned a bomb from his bomb bag, it hovered just above her raised claw. "If I toss this let's say…" She looked around the area until she found a Kargarok flying about near the Bridge above the lake. It looked none the wiser, goooooooood. "There!" She flung the thing at the avian menace.

The monster was looking around for its next meal… until it spotted the Postman, he ran along the bridge at lightning speed with grace and urgency. Totally obviously to his surroundings. The bird took notice, it licked around its beak eagerly and narrowed its eyes menacingly. With its sights locked, it prepared to swoop down and sate its hunger… until it was blown to smithereens by a bomb. Once the smoke cleared, the only thing that remained of the monster was feathers that fluttered in the wind. The Postman heard the explosion and turned his head towards it but set his sights back on track, his schedule was far more important than to worry about such things that would impede his duties. However, the now charred and hollow beak of the Kargarok plummeted below, right towards the island of the unfinished Sky Cannon.

Fyer at this time hammered away at the weapon, the sound of the hammer banging against metal was so loud he didn't even hear the explosion. His face was drenched in sweat as he worked on the sun-scorched day. He wiped the liquid off his forehead, he looked exhausted and drained. He panted slowly as his thirst became too great for the clown. Luckily, he brought along a water bottle he kept on a miniature table for just such occasions. He didn't even turn around as he reached for it. Suddenly, the beak crashed into the bottle's tip and destroyed the container instantaneously, the beak soon disappeared into a puff a black smoke seconds later. Fyer not only jumped and turned around in shock because of the noise but also because water splashed all over him. He clenched the left side of his chest, his back pressed against the leg as his face was riddled with fear. But the fear soon turned into annoyance, he saw the remains of his water bottle, bits of plastic darkened spots laid everywhere. He looked around in an attempt to find the asshole who ruined his drink! But there was no one around. He gave up, his thirst returned tenfold as he waved his hand to his face to try and cool off. He had no other drinks in his shack, and he didn't want to die of dehydration. His eyes slowly trailed to shimmering water around him. He gulped, a wave of disgust consumed his face once he realized there were no other options left… he's going to regret this later, he's sure of it.

Back to the duo, both unaware of what transpired. Midna, pleased with her aim, turned her head back to Hylian with a smug expression. "Does that mean I'm an expert on bombs as well?"

Link watched the entire thing in awe, but shook his head and turned his attention to imp beside him. "No." He stated bluntly. "You used your magic and homed in on that monster, that doesn't take skill."

"What do you mean it doesn't take skill?" She chimed "I hit my target dead-on, it went BOOM!"She spread her arms apart dramatically to emphasize her point. "I say I'm pretty qualified. And as for the magic part: it's not so different from you shooting a bomb-arrow, wolfy. Sure, it homed in, but I still have to guide it." She folded her arms over her chest, her snaggletooth poked from her lip. "And it was a long-range target, too. It takes years of concentration and prowess to handle such powers, therefore it does require skill to do so. In other words, my way is more effective."

"But that doesn't mean you know how to handle bombs. Anyone can shoot a bomb arrow or lob it. You must be careful and know when it is right to use explosives in any given situation. Being an expert on bombs requires thinking and placement, you must make sure something won't be a cave-in or any other collateral damage. Bombs are not toys." He proudly said, a wave of triumph filled his soul.

Midna took in everything he said, but her smug expression didn't budge an inch. "Hmm… in some ways: you're right, they are certainly not toys. But, uh…" She floated off the ground and came close to his face and placed her hands on her hips in a superior way. "Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't you the same guy that wanted to buy the Magic Armor…" She took her left hand off her hip and poked his cheek with her index claw, she leaned forward with her expression turned slightly serious. Link froze, he knew what she was about to bring up. He had hoped she would forgotten about that. "Then make a pile of bombs, put on said armor, lay on top of the bombs, then light them off and go soaring through the air." Poke-Poke. "And you just justified it by saying: 'it's magic, I can't get hurt once I get it', then a wise imp who cares way too damn much had to remind him that kinetic force is still applied, no matter how tough the armor is." She chided.

Link turned his head away from the imp in shame, he looked back on that day and realized how stupid that idea actually was. If she didn't warn him, he might have gotten the armor and… he doesn't even want to think about the results. "I guess you're right, sorry…"

The imp looked at his apologetic face and decided he had enough. She sighed and patted his head gently, her face softened. "It's fine, as long as you learn." But her face became serious again. "But if you ever try doing that… Not only will I take away your bomb privileges, but I will keep you as a wolf for a week! Understand?" She stared into his eyes, she hoped he realizes how serious she is, she doesn't want him to turn into a red splatter on the ground. The thought alone terrified her.

Link saw how serious she was, but also saw how much care she had for him through her eyes. Instead of a fearful look, he instead adopted a sincere look and nodded. "I do, I promise I won't do that ever again." He stared into her eyes, which ignited a heat in her face with that look of his. "But hey, can I say something?"

Midna's eyes darted to the side in an attempt to avoid his gaze. "What…?" Her hands were now behind her back.

Link grinned to himself. "You're cute when you're serious." He felt brave enough to boop her nose, he chuckled slightly once her face heated up even further and she recoiled slightly and stared into his eyes.

An unknown feeling dwelled within her before she covered her hands with her face. "Don't touch my nose!" She growled. She quickly remembered about the lunch and turned her attention back to the pot, she tried to hide her blush from him with her hand-hair, but this only earned more laughter from the warrior.

They both sat in companionable silence for a while as the stew cooked, Midna had recovered from her embarrassment and Link watched the boiling stew. But he finally noticed something was off, he looked closer into the pot and noticed the vegetables and meat within, he was too busy with their debate that he didn't realize about the vegetables. He never saw carrots or potatoes grow in Ordon nor Faron Forest. The Cucco breast made sense, since he had always seen some running about in the forest over the years, which is where the village usually got theirs. But where did she get the vegetables from? "Hey, Midy. Where did you find these vegetables in the forest? I never saw any grow there." He asked quietly, in turn broke their mutual silence.

Midna's shoulders tensed up for a bit, luckily it wasn't long enough for Link to notice. Thank Goddesses. She then spoke in a casual tone. "Oh, I found these in the Sacred Grove." She pillowed her head, leaned in the air and crossed one leg over the other as she formed a small smile. "Yeah, you wouldn't believe that there's a whole patch of vegetables just a bit beyond the area of the Master Sword's pedestal. Who knew, am I right?" She pulled a hand away and pretended to inspect her claws. She finally dropped the ingredients into the pot and started to stir their upcoming lunch with a ladle that just materialized from her storage space. She's a bit nervous on the inside, she thought for sure those vegetables grew in the forest. ("Where did this skepticism come from? Does… he think I'm a thief or something? Ugh, great… I should've just said I shapeshifted into someone and bought them! But, then he would find out I have been holding out on him financially, would he get mad…? It's not that I wanted to, I just wanted to make sure we have enough repees in case we're flat on our luck...Wait, what the devil did he just call me?") She shot him a furrowed brow. "Did you just call me 'Midy'?"

A blush spread across his cheeks, the swordsman rubbed the back of his neck and averted his gaze away from the imp. "Um… yeah. You always called me 'wolfy' as a pet name, so…" He trailed off, not sure how to continue. Already he's forgotten his interrogation. He shrugged his shoulders as he put on a sheepish smile. "I thought I could give you one…" His smile disappeared, replaced with a timid frown. "Uh… you don't mind that, right?"

Midna just stared at the Hylian with a blank expression for a few seconds, but then the frown on his face was too much to bear and she gave him a smile to reassure him she's fine with it. Besides, she finds it a bit cute he came up with one at all, and if she's going to call him 'wolfy' or 'my wolf': it's only fair he gets to call her by a pet name as well. "Sure, I like it! But whatever you do: do not call me 'impy'. THAT would sound weird, K?" She turned her attention back to the boiling stew and watched the ladle stir it.

Link breathed a sigh of relief as he held his chest, this caused the imp to giggle at his reaction. The warrior offered her a thumbs up with a smirk. "Hehehe, you got it." He continued to watch the imp make their meal, only for him to remember that question he had about the vegetables. ("Damn, I forgot! Then again, she did provide an answer… and it's possible there's vegetables like that growing in the Sacred Grove somewhere. But then there is the convenient, matching colors of our towels that she got from the Twilight Realm… Maybe I'm thinking too much, I shouldn't doubt her.") He shrugged mentally. ("If I continue to interrogate her and she didn't steal anything, she'll think I don't trust her and she might end up hating me… Okay, let it go for now, Link. Do not say anything for now, until you have more proof. Besides, even if she did steal anything, I just tell her to stop and hope she listens.")

The duo mostly sat in companionable silence as the stew cooked. After a while, the hunger got the best of Midna and she wanted to taste the stew to see if it was ready for consumption, a bowl appeared in her hand, the ladle was taken out of the pot and she dumped some of it into her bowl. The stew had a brownish tint for the broth, pieces of carrots, potatoes and darkened cucco meat swam within the thick liquid. The aroma wafted into both of their nostrils, they both felt their stomachs growl in anticipation and their mouths watered in excitement and desperate need to satisfy their growing hunger. She held the bowl in her left hand and pulled a spoon from her pocket dimension. She scooped some of it up and slurped it down. It tasted hot enough and tasted good enough to her taste buds. Lunch was now served. "Soup's on!" The Twili announced with glee as she dunk the ladle back into the pot and dumped more stew into the bowl until it was nearly full. "Here ya go, Wolfy!" She poured him stew as well and offered him another bowl and spoon.

He graciously accepted the meal, nodded in gratitude and offered his dear companion a smile. "Thank you!" He dipped his spoon and took a bite eagerly. He chewed it slowly, he savored the taste of the carrots, the potatoes and cucco. The salty broth really added to the experience, so thick yet flavorful.

"No problem, wolf-boy~!" She twirled the spoon by the edge before she took another bite. She entered into a blissful state, pleased with her work. Like the omelettes, she knew how to cook a good stew. She does want to try more advanced dishes, but she does need more practice and know-how. For today, she just wanted to stay in her comfort zone. Besides, Link does look pleased enough. That's good enough for her.

As he ate, he noticed something odd. She was actually eating with a utensil. "Huh, that's a first!" He quipped. "Using a spoon instead of magic, Midna? What's the occasion?" The warrior chuckled.

The imp blankly stared at Hylian, a piece of cucco meat was hanging out of her mouth once. She quickly slurped it up and swallowed. "I mean, I kind of have to." She looked down and slowly stirred her stew with a blank expression. "If I used my powers on any type of liquid, no matter how thick: my magic would encase the entire thing." Her eyes locked onto him, her blank expression turned into a wave of disgust. "Which means if I try to do that to eat: It would drip everywhere. And just so you know, I like to keep my fur pristine and clean, thank you very much." Ugh, she just reeled at the thought of her fur being stained and imagined the amount of hours it would take to wash it out. Way too time consuming.

"Ah, I guess that makes sense." He took a spoon full of the potatoes and plopped into his mouth. He chewed it for a few seconds before he swallowed. "You always have been one to be nice and tidy. Hehe!" He flashed her a smile before he dug back in.

"Of course! A lady must try to look her best!" She left her spoon in the bowl and ran her fingers through her ponytail and stared mischievously at the man.

Link took a bite and chuckled slightly, he finally found an opportunity and decided to take it. "And best you do~." He said in a genuine tone of voice, but with a tad of flirtatious undertone.

Midna picked up on this immediately, and decided to play along. Her eyes fluttered halfway, she slowly stirred as she made contact with her wolf. "Oh~? Was that a compliment? I usually don't hear such things directed at myself." ("At least in my imp form, that is.") She spoke in the same flirtatious tone, hers being a bit more… strong. Usually she would try to deny that her current form even looks good, but she doesn't want to ruin the moment. She is curious as to where he will take this.

"Well, they say beauty is in the eye of the beholder." His blinked his eyes slowly at the imp, his gaze softened. "And, I know for a fact that my eyes do not lie." He spoke confidently.

"Pfft. 'Beauty in the eye of the beholder, huh'? So, what are you saying, Mr. Important Hero?" She furrowed a brow. "Are you trying to tell me there is something beautiful about the creature before you?" She asked in a flirtatious tone.

"..." Once she asked that question, Link now realized he went in too far. A heat flared in his cheeks. He was silent for a moment and took a bite of the stew. He tried to formulate an answer, but then he found one. He stared deep into her eyes and nodded. "I do."

Midna watched the man in disbelief, she couldn't believe what she had just heard from his mouth. She halted her stir and just… stared. But then her flirtatious expression faltered, and her eyes betrayed something… alien in her irises. "I don't see how." She turned her attention away from the man and looked at her reflection from the pot's shiny surface, and she saw nothing but the imp she despised. "Something draped in fur, claws and mischief. How can there be something beautiful about an imp… monster?" She burrowed her gaze into her bowl and sighed. "Your eyes must be faulty." Unbeknownst to her, a lone tear slowly slid down her cheek, it left a stained trail until it dripped off her chin and into her bowl.

Link saw her sorrow, he meant to only compliment her. Did… he say something wrong? He heard her sniffle and she turned her body away from him. He wanted to hug her, but he felt like that wouldn't cure her sudden grief. But then he realized, she talked about herself in such venom. Link now understood what he must do. "Midna…" He trailed, he tried to find the right words to use in this situation. He squinted his eyes, hard in thought. Then he found his voice. "You might be covered in fur, clad in claws and mischief. But, you're no monster. Monsters are brutal creatures who kill and pillage without any remorse. But… the person I see before me is none of those things, the person I see is beautiful… in a way that most people don't see."

Midna didn't turn around, but she ceased her sniffles and twitched one of her ears, to let him know she was listening to him. She finally responded in a slightly shaky voice. She breathed a low sigh. "Then what do you mean, hero? What else is there to see?"

Now that Link was on a roll, he knew how to continue. His eyes drifted to the lake. "People only look on the surface for beauty, but they don't bother to look at what lies beneath, at what truly matters… their inner beauty."

Midna's head shot up, her mouth hanged agape. "'Inner beauty'…? She repeated thoughtfully.

Even though she can't see him, he nodded anyway out of instinct. "The beauty of their soul, their character. And you, Midy… are the most beautiful in my eyes. You have a blunt personality, you tell things how they are without sugarcoating anything. Your mischievous personality brings out your cunning and admittedly cute side. And finally, and most important of all: you have the biggest, caring, strong and kindest heart I know. A woman who never backs down, stands her ground no matter the danger. A woman who is both kind and caring, and isn't afraid to show it. Even if she shows it in the oddest of ways sometimes, but cares deep down nonetheless. To me, Midy, is why you're the most beautiful woman in the world."

Midna's form trembled slightly, and Link thought he heard her cry a little but they ceased seconds later. She quickly wiped her face with her left arm and teleported in front of the hero, with the biggest grin she could offer. "Link…"

Link saw her tear stained face, it made his heart drop and desperately he wanted to comfort her despite her grin. But before he could do anything, two long arms snaked around his neck and she rested her chin on his shoulder. He was shocked by the embrace, but didn't waste another second to put his food down to the side and return the kind gesture.

"Thank you…" She inhaled deeply before she let it all out, she leaned her head against his. Her fur and hair brushed the exposed skin of his face, it kind of tickled slightly.

The warrior chuckled lightly and put on a smile for his companion. "Hehe! No problem, what are friends for?" He quipped.

The imp pulled away slightly to look at his face, her arms still wrapped around his neck. Her eyes darted to the ground as a blush surfaced, but then set them back to his wild, but gentle azure oceans. "Yeah..."

A blush spread across his face upon as he watched the adorable sight before him. His gaze softened once more. "You know, getting a closer look at you: you're definitely beautiful and adorable inside and outside. You're eyes are like golden gemstones, they glow with a beautiful, magnificent radiance. Your flaming ponytail is like a neverending sunset that I can just gaze into and your face is just plain adorable with that grin of yours."

Midna's grin turned bigger with each compliment, as well as her flushed face. But said grin soon turned into a snarky smirk as she tapped his cheek a few times with her hand. "Are you trying to compliment me genuinely? Or are you just saying bullcrap to make feel better?" She narrowed her eyes slightly.

He shook his head. "I meant every word."

She rolled her eyes at the man. A warmth spread through chest after she heard all of that, almost like a giddy feeling of sorts. She booped his nose in revenge from before, the warrior closed his eyes in 'annoyance' but soon had replaced with his trademark goofy grin. She turned away and pretended to be disgusted with his sappy compliments. "Ugh, you're such a nice guy. I don't understand how anyone can stand you." She leaned her body back slightly, her left arm hanged down and she brought the back of her hand to her forehead dramatically. But flashed him a smirk seconds later to show she wasn't serious.

Link chuckled at her antics, just another thing he loved about her. "Well, you seem to stand me just fine, Midy!"

She slowly got back into her previous position, her face still oozed smug. "I suppose so… 'Linky.'"

His face went into overdrive at the new pet name, but before he could respond… the imp teleported on his shoulder with her lunch in her hands.

"You better eat up, you're going to need your strength for our next activity." She took scooped up some of the stew and shoved it into her mouth.

The warrior had no idea what brewed in the imp's diabolical mind, he knew her well enough that it will not be boring at least. She always knew how to keep things interesting. "Alright, but just know I will be ready for anything you throw at me!" His bravado shone through as he resumed his meal.

But as they ate together, Midna took another look at the pot's reflective surface and smiled softly. This time, both of them were together as they enjoyed each other company. The princess, and her knight. Maybe… even king one day. She giggled at the thought, she hoped maybe, just maybe he will accept her feelings when the time comes. But for now, she has to plan their next activity, which will involve that double tube she purchased. Hopefully he can handle her thrill-seeking nature.