Like the southern entrance, a thick and spiky iron gate blocked all passage into and out of Kakariko. Zach approached it and rested his hand between two spikes. "I don't suppose either of you have lockpicking skills?"
Gorko rubbed the back of his head and said, "Sorry, boss, that ain't a skill we practice."
Zach turned and stared at him, half a smile on his face. "'Boss'? What are you, my lackeys?"
"Just a figure of speech," Gorko said. He walked up and patted the gate, nodding. "This is good work, I'll give those Bulblins that. Solid as a rock!"
Zach raised an eyebrow. "As a rock, you say?"
"Are you thinking what I think you're thinking?" Midna asked, though she already knew the answer. With a snap of her fingers, the Goron hammer materialized in Zach's hands.
Zach hefted the hammer somewhat easily; even with the Silver Gauntlets boosting his strength, the hammer was cumbersome. "Midna and gentlemen, I'd like to demonstrate the concept of 'progression': Once you get an item from a new place, it's usually going to come in handy when getting to the next area. Observe."
With a mighty yell, he lifted the hammer up and brought it down on the gate lock. It bounced off, but not before leaving a large dent in the metal. He swung again, this time shattering the lock entirely. With one final swing of the hammer, the gates flew open and embedded in the rock walls.
"Now they'll have to fix the gate to get it locked again. That's not gonna be for a while. Hopefully." Zach flexed his arm as Midna vanished the hammer. "I wonder how close the Twilight Wall is."
Midna hummed in thought. "It feels close. We'll probably reach it some time tomorrow." She excused herself from further conversation as they journeyed through the valley out of Kakariko, deciding it prudent to focus on the situation ahead. With Zach more or less carrying her in his shadow, she did not have to worry about travel. Not yet, anyway. Once Zach passed through the final wall, he would transform into a wolf and they would brave the northern wilds of Hyrule together.
Together. At first that word just meant the princess and her little pet gallivanting about in the forest. Then it became two stubborn fools butting heads in the mountain. But now? Midna promised herself that this was going to be better. They were going to be friends and allies working side by side. What could go wrong?
Midna sighed. She knew exactly what could go wrong; Zach could get seriously injured or lose his composure, Midna could run out of magic power or get caught in the sun. Even if none of that happened, there were far too many other things that could happen. She took a deep breath. One step at a time, just take things one step at a time.
Why did she never study the healing arts? That would have saved them so much trouble! Midna could have cured Diababa's poison, healed the shadow insect's sting, and cleansed the burns from Fyrus' trap.
What she would not give to have just a bit of skill in healing... Even if Zach placed no blame on her, Midna nearly got him killed with her lack of foresight. With healing magic at her disposal, Midna hoped... she needed to believe being able to heal him would make things right. Twili magic had the power to heal any wound, even self-inflicted ones. She would never tell Zach but the truth was that her people learned that particular skill early in their exile for a reason.
"Wow!" Zach patted his shoulder and thus Midna's shadowy thigh, shaking her from her thoughts. "You gotta see this, Midna!"
She popped out and stared in awe at the sight before them. Immediately ahead was a great plateau that connected Kakariko to the lands in the north and Hyrule Caste to the west.
Hyrule Castle itself was a sight to behold! Even from this far away it towered over its own surrounding city. Brick for brick, Midna estimated the castle was twice as large as the Palace of Twilight, maybe even three times! How was Zelda faring in the castle? Quite some time had passed since Midna last saw her. With a slight roll of her eyes, Midna hoped Zelda and her child were all right.
Midna was happy to call Zach a friend but she had her pride. Caring for every single light dweller was just a little too sentimental for her tastes.
As for the plateau, it was enormous! Trees dotted the grassy areas while stone towers lined the path leading to the castle. Where there were no trees or towers, there were boulders and foliage. The sound of animals going about their business filled the air. With so much in their path, it would take Zach all day to get from one side to the other.
"You know," said Zach, "it's times like this that make me wonder; do I even want to go back to Earth?"
Midna glanced at him. "Why wouldn't you want to?"
Zach's expression darkened for a moment, but not quick enough to escape Midna's notice. "Why would I pass up this view? Hell, I might just retire here. Live in Kakariko as a... well, something or other."
The other Goron, Roko, laughed and slapped Zach's shoulder. Midna had to giggle at him being sent straight to the ground. It was funny!
"Maybe not Kakariko," Zach grumbled good-naturedly as he climbed back to his feet. "Anyway, shall we?"
Midna nodded and dove into his shadow. "We shall. Onward!"
"To waffles!" With Gorko and Roko behind him, Zach marched across the stone bridge leading to the plateau. He walked with a certain degree of confidence, which in turn inspired Midna's confidence in him. She had no doubt he still had issues to work through, much like herself, but they would handle that together.
With a slight blush, Midna hoped they would be spending time together after all this hero work. She fully intended to enjoy Hyrule but without Zach, it would feel... a little empty. Plus, she wanted to see his world, and seeing that all by herself was just depressing.
As Zach entered a forested area, something pinged Midna's senses. She snapped to attention and focused on the source. "Zach, stop. I'm sensing something."
Zach motioned for the Gorons to stop. He leaned against a nearby tree, one hand hovering over his sword. Gorko and Roko crowded behind a boulder that just barely concealed them from the path ahead. "Inside voices now. What do you sense, Midna?"
"I'm not sure," she said. "I feel several creatures nearby. Big ones... and they're carrying smaller ones."
With a quick breath to gather his nerves, Zach chanced a peek around the tree. "Bulblins riding Bullbos. I bet they're patrolling the plateau, probably to keep traders from entering or leaving the castle."
"Without trade, the castle town will run out of supplies if it hasn't already."
Zach nodded. He tapped his chin and sighed. "We should clear them out before we get to the Twilight. I'm sorry but I can't let the castle starve."
"I agree," Midna said. She was secretly glad for the detour, much to her own shame.
"Let me tell the Gorons real quick." Zach peeked out again. Seeing that the enemies were not looking, he scurried over to the boulder and explained the situation. Gorko and Roko both gave a thumbs up in approval.
"Well, now's a good time for you to practice with that bow from the marsh." Midna snapped her fingers and summoned said weapon, plopping it in Zach's hands.
"I've never used a bow, I don't know how good I'll be."
"Nothing to it." Midna positioned Zach's arms and stance accordingly, adjusting for his strength and reach. "Just stay focused. The bow is an extension of you, just like the sword. Keep your arm extended but don't lock your elbow. Keep your wrist steady. You'll be aiming slightly off-center, so keep that in mind when leading your target."
Zach took a deep breath and let it out slow. He checked around the boulder but the bulblins were none the wiser, so he bent down on one knee and scooted out from his hiding spot. "Which do you think I should aim for?"
Midna inspected the creatures. There were two boar-like bullbos, each almost the size of Gorons. They bore heavy saddles that fit two bulblins on top. The leading bulblins held the reins while their partners wielded bows tipped with flaming arrows. The way they were arranged gave Midna an idea. "Aim for the bulblin holding the reins of the trailing bullbo."
"Ahh, I gotcha." Zach readied the bow and nocked an arrow. Midna smirked at her genius; it would take months if not years for Zach to gain the strength needed to pull a proper bow, but the silver gauntlets bypassed that entirely. Now he just needed to practice his technique and aim, which were trifle matters with an expert like Midna at his side.
She placed her hand atop the hand holding the bow, setting her other on Zach's shoulder. Technically she was still in the shadows, so to onlookers it would appear as though someone were casting a shadow over Zach. "You're doing great. Now, when you're ready to loose your arrow, make sure to keep your grip. Otherwise, you risk the bow flying out of your hands or rebounding at your face."
Zach's grip tightened. "That's a comforting thought, thank you."
"Just giving you fair warning."
"... thanks. Really this time."
"Eee hee! You're welcome."
Zach took a few breaths and then loosed his arrow. It sailed through the air, closing the distance in seconds flat, and...
TWANG!
... got stuck in a tree behind the bulblins. Zach clenched his jaw and squeezed his eyes shut. He kept a firm grip on the bow, perhaps a bit too firm.
"That was good," Midna said. "You were really close! And they didn't even notice, those dummies."
It took a moment or two but Zach collected himself and nocked another arrow. "So much for beginner's luck," he grumbled.
"Eh, I was terrible at first too." Midna patted the boy's shoulder. "We all start somewhere, after all."
"Hm." Zach loosed the second arrow. It whizzed just past the targeted bulblin's ear, causing the creature to look around. "Fucking damn it!"
"Do you want me to try?"
"NO!" He palmed his face and inhaled between his teeth. "I'm sorry, I just... one more try, okay?"
Midna frowned. At this point his frustration would empty their entirely supply of arrows. She had half a mind to call it in and just take the shot herself, but would that actually accomplish anything? Not only would Zach not gain the necessary experience with the bow, but interrupting him might discourage him from attempting it again in the future. Besides, she was feeling a little lazy. "Okay, one more."
Ducking behind the boulder, Zach closed his eyes. Soft music echoed from his mind, a nice quiet tune to soothe his nerves. "I am frustrated that this is harder than I expected," he said. "And I am feeling embarrassed that I keep missing." He spared a glance at Midna. "A therapist once told me it was a good idea to vocalize my anger. So I'm doing just that."
"That's good advice," she said. "You really are doing much better than you think. Give yourself some credit."
"I will."
"No, I mean right now." She chuckled and patted his cheek. "Believe in your strengths."
Zach shuddered like someone dropped something icy down his shirt. "That's so egotistical, bragging about myself like that."
"It's neither egotistical nor bragging to bolster your self-confidence. Go on, say something good about your previous shots."
"... I... Well, I didn't miss that badly, I guess."
"That's right, you didn't."
"And... um... well, I gave that bulblin a good scare, didn't I?"
Midna grinned. "You most certainly did."
Zach looked like he wanted to say something, but he instead readied a third arrow. He moved out from the boulder, aimed at his target, and let the arrow fly.
The poor bulblin never saw it coming. The arrow pierced its neck and knocked it right off its mount, only for its foot to catch on the reins. The bullbo, now startled and pained by the weight pulling on its lip, charged forward in a panic. This in turn panicked the leading bullbo and sent them both careening out of the forest and straight over the edge of the plateau.
Zach pumped his fist in triumph and declared, "That's how that works!"
"You did great!" Midna emerged from the shadows while Gorko and Roko congratulated him. He held out his palm but Midna only looked at it curiously. "What's this?"
"It's a high five. When someone has a victory, we clap hands." He tried to demonstrate with Midna but her current lack of physical form left him clapping nothing but air. "Huh. Well, we can do it later."
"Eee hee! What an interesting ritual. Is that the only way to celebrate a victory?"
Zach shook his head. "We also do fist bumps. That's pretty self-explanatory." This time he demonstrated it on the Gorons, bumping fists with both of them in turn. Nursing his fist, Zach addressed Midna. "Thanks for believing in me, by the way. I don't think I'd be doing half as well as I am without you."
She smiled and gave him a thumbs up. "Always nice to be appreciated."
He returned the thumbs up and asked, "Now, can you sense how many are left?"
"Let me see... I think two more nearby, but I can't be certain. Big plateau, y'know?"
"Right." Zach clapped his hands together. "Okay, fellas, we got at least a few more packs of bulblins to clear out of this place. I say we start from... or maybe... Sorry, I need to think on something first." He leaned against the boulder, arms folded together. "Actually, I want to run something by you."
Midna dove back into Zach's shadow. "Go ahead, I'm listening."
"So I'm thinking... nothing across the Bridge of Eldin is actually important, at least not yet. Zora's Domain is, to the best of my knowledge, blocked off except from the river which flows to Lake Hylia. It's the lake we need to get to first because that's where the spring is... Ah, damn, I forgot that because Zora's Domain is frozen, the lake water will be reduced."
"Keep going with your thought," Midna said. "The spring is in the lake, right?"
"Right. The only way to get to the upper river junction is from the lake. Therefore, we go to the lake first, get the vessel of light, then go from the lake to Zora's Domain."
"Sounds good to me."
Zach turned and looked west, to the castle. "If we go to the castle town, we can bypass the entire northern area of Hyrule Field and shave a lot of time off our journey."
Midna thought it over. In theory, it made a lot of sense. She summoned the map into Zach's hands and studied it thusly. There was indeed a lot of terrain to cover north of the castle, but since the lake was their destination all of that was unnecessary time lost. "I agree, but we should clear this plateau first."
"Definitely, I just wanted to hear your thoughts on how we proceed. I'm thinking we go from east to west, that way we'll end up right by the castle bridge when we're done."
"Thanks for including me in the planning stage," she said with genuine affection. "Sometimes I didn't know what was going to happen back in that forest, what with us improvising the whole way. The mountain as well, for that matter."
"Me neither, I hated it." Zach cracked his knuckles and explained the plan to the Gorons. Once again, they gave him big smiles and thumbs up. With them at his side and Midna in his shadow, he set off for the eastern side of the plateau.
Our hunt was steady. Midna's initial prediction of two was more like ten, but the bulblin hordes were too far from each other to give us away. The sun had begun to set when I reached for my quiver, only to find I was out of arrows. I tried to reuse ones from missed shots and bulblin quivers but the arrows were so crappy I decided it wasn't worth it. So, we just handled the rest directly.
Gorko and Roko were pretty handy whenever the bullbos caught wind of us. Every time one charged, one of the Gorons caught it dead in its tracks just like how Link caught Gorons in the game. Quite a little shout out, eh?
Midna remained very helpful as mission control, pointing us in whichever direction we needed, keeping tabs on any newcomers and pesky pests. She and I were a pretty good team after all. As well... it was nice having her around. Just chatting with each other, helping each other. Being friends, real friends, you know?
Much to my surprise, there were no Kargaroks to be found on the plateau, but there was the occasional Deku Baba and Keese. Nothing a sword or magic hair fist can't handle! And with the Gorons helping us, we had that much easier of a time.
It was when we reached the center of the plateau that we ran into real trouble.
No bullbo, but there was one bulblin left in a wide clearing. That set alarm bells off in my head, but then I saw that it was circling a fire with a fresh slab of meat cooking over it. Nothing wrong with that, I was just getting hungry. "That smells good."
Midna hummed in agreement. "Saves our own food supply too."
I nodded and crept forward, but the fact that the clearing was large enough for several bullbos set me on edge. "Gorko, Roko, you stay here. If worse comes to worst, roll in and grab us." I hoped I was wrong but hoping never got me anywhere.
Slowly and steadily, I approached the campsite. The bulblin had its back to me so I went ahead at a decent pace. Just a little closer, just a little closer... Made it!
"ZACH!" Midna jumped from my shadow and pointed up. "A Twili portal is opening, you need to get out of here!"
Too late. A barrier formed around us, caging us with the bulblin and not one, not three, but four Shadow Beasts.
"Balls," I said as I stabbed the bulblin. By this point the sun had completely set, allowing Midna to physically interact with the world. The fire illuminated the area, allowing me to see all four Shadow Beasts. Two were just across the fire, while the other two congregated at one edge of the barrier. Gorko and Roko were stuck just outside but it looked like they were testing out ways to get in.
"Okay, bad news," Midna said as I dodged a swipe from the closest beast. "I can't use my area attack while you're in this form."
"No worries." I scored a lucky hit along one of the beasts' knees, sending it to the ground. It was finished with a stab to the chest, but I left my attention off the other Shadow Beast for too long, a mistake that it quickly capitalized on by grabbing me around the waist. With a roar that soaked into my bones, it hoisted me up and threw me straight into the electrified barrier. I bounced off and landed flat on my back, crackling energy coursing through me. I couldn't breathe or move, I could barely even think properly. Something grabbed my face. Panicking, I blindly swatted at them amid my convulsions.
"Zach, it's me!" Midna? Shit, it was Midna! I tried to stop swinging but for the damn electricity still coursing through me, I caught her in the stomach. My blood ran cold the moment I made contact. I forced myself to be still, twitching and trembling out the rest of the electricity. A small part of me worried I was going to bite off my own tongue with the force of my clenched jaw, but I had bigger priorities than that.
Once I was sufficiently recovered, I immediately sat up and cried out, "Midna, I'm so sorry!" I found her doubled over, one hand clutching her gut while the other propped her up from the ground. "Midna, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry!" Damn those silver gauntlets, that must have hurt like a truck!
"I'm okay," she said, but even her mental voice sounded like it had the wind knocked out of it. "Caught me off-guard is all."
"I swear it was an accident," I blabbered, "it just happened, I swear I didn't do it on purpose!"
Bullshit, you little shitbird. You fucking knew what you were doing, don't you dare lie to me.
"I'm not lying!" A dull drone pressed into the back of my mind. Every beat of my heart was a massive drum pound.
Midna managed enough strength to give me a puzzled look. "I didn't say you were..."
You really thought you could be the hero? You're so goddamned pathetic. This is easy, you have no reason not to fuck this up.
"It's not easy," I muttered, my hands pressing against my temples. Every time I tried to think, panic ran through my brain in blinding jolts. Every time I jolted, my anger rose. "It's not easy."
Yes, it fucking is! You know why you're fucking this up? Because you're doing what you always do: The bare minimum.
"I'M DOING THE BEST I CAN!" I smashed my fist down in the dirt, the pain in my hand providing only a modicum of comfort.
Such a little martyr. You're just like your father, always blaming everyone else for your problems. Why can't you be a man for once in your life? Why can't—
Small arms wrapped around my neck. A slightly cool cheek pressed against mine. A voice—Midna's voice—whispered in my ear, "It's okay, Zach. Come back to me. It's okay." Her fingers threaded through my hair. Every time my breath hitched, she hugged tighter. "Come back to me. Come back."
I wanted to, I really did. I wanted to shrug off the damage I did to her and forget about it and move on with my life, but I still hurt her. I said as much, only for her to vehemently shake her head.
"It was an accident," she insisted. "Please don't blame yourself. It was an accident. You made a mistake, one for which I give you no blame."
"It still hurt..."
"Well, duh. You got me right in the stomach."
"Why do you forgive me?"
Midna pulled away and cupped my face. Her own was just inches away, her helmet gone. Her eyes glowed in the firelight. "I think the bigger question is, why are you so hard on yourself?"
"Because I deserve it!"
"Why?"
"Because...!" I bit my lip and turned away from her. That allowed me to see that the closest Shadow Beast was already dead, and Gorko and Roko were distracting the remaining two by doing some weird ritual with Gorko rolled into a ball and Roko dancing atop him. "I promise I'll talk with you about it but only after we take care of this situation." Midna frowned but nodded anyway. My cheeks burned with shame and guilt. It felt so wrong to just let it go, but as one movie quote once said: What has felt right for me doesn't work, I need to try some wrong. I took a few deep breaths, shutting my eyes so I could focus on breathing. "I promise. Thank you for helping me through this."
"You're welcome." After a moment, I rose to my feet. Midna smiled at me and, to my surprise, I smiled back. "You got this. We got this. Together, we are going to save Hyrule, the Twilight Realm, and hopefully ourselves."
I drew my sword and spun around, facing the Shadow Beasts. Together. I remember when that just meant the two of us bickering in the forest or on the mountain. Now? Now we were a team. Or trying to be, for my part. Midna was doing much better than I was, but... I was getting better-ish.
A running jump was all I needed to close the gap between myself and the beasts. They stood side by side facing the Gorons on the other side of the barrier, allowing me to take them completely by surprise. I barreled into one, ramming my shoulder into its back. The force of it knocked the beast right into the barrier, where I saw the fruition of Gorko and Roko's plan.
They weren't doing some dance number, they were gearing up to propel Roko over the barrier just like how Link climbed Death Mountain! With a tremendous boom! Roko flew into the air. Even for a Goron, he got some good air-time. I pathed out his trajectory, deducing that he was going to land right on top of the stunned Shadow Beast in less than five seconds.
Midna apparently thought the same thing. In perfect synchrony, she summoned the Goron hammer and swung it with her hair while I attacked with my sword. Together, we crushed the remaining Shadow Beast's mask and stabbed it right through the chest just as Roko landed.
I held my breath. One... two... three...
Success! The Shadow Beasts vanished into Twilit particles that reformed the portal from whence they came. I sank to my knees in sheer relief, breathing in and out slowly and steadily.
Gorko cheered as he approached us, clapping his big Goron hands. "You did great, boss! Those squishy baddies never knew what hit 'em!"
I gave him and Roko a thumbs up. "We couldn't have done it without you guys."
"Well, we could have," Midna said.
"I agree but they deserve credit."
"We all do. Including you, Mister Hero."
I nudged Midna with a tired laugh. "Really, we did great. We cleared the plateau, got rid of these things, and didn't get seriously injured. I call that a win any day."
"And look," Midna said, pointing to the warm fire topped with cooked food. "They even went through the trouble of catering for us."
It took a little while to get settled in and shake off our nerves from the battle, but it was totally worth it. Gorko and Roko helped themselves to some quality rock sirloin while Midna and I enjoyed the meat over the fire. It was overcooked and bland but meh, food is food. And besides, I was more than happy that the Gorons didn't comment on my little episode.
"So tell me," Roko said between gravelly chomps, "what will happen to you once you cross the wall of Twilight?"
"I'll turn into a wolf," I replied, shrugging. "Then Midna and I will have to navigate the rest of Hyrule on our own. Sorry to have you along for only a small portion of the journey."
Roko waved me off. "We owe a debt to you and are grateful you saw fit for us to accompany you."
"And besides," Gorko said, "it was nice to get out of the mountain, boss. We miss going to the castle town and trading with other merchants."
I nodded and said, "Well, you'll be able to soon enough. What'd you guys like to trade?"
"Mostly armor and weapons. The occasional mining tool or even working out labor contracts."
"Contracts?" Midna asked.
Roko nodded. "Sometimes you need a good old-fashioned Goron expedition to handle projects. Who do you think built the castle? The Zora?"
"Heh, no."
"Hey, boss."
"Yes, Gorko?"
"You think you can make some of that magic music play again?"
I blinked at him. "You want some music? Sure, what do you have in mind?"
When I pulled out my phone, Midna scooted closer. "I wanna pick one!"
"One at a time," I said. "Gorko asked first."
"Heh, you can let the boss lady have the first song," he said. "I just like music, boss."
Midna swiped the phone from me and grinned ear to ear. I laughed and asked, "I take it you have one in mind?" She nodded emphatically as she scrolled through the list. It did not take long for her to find what she was looking for as the music started immediately. "This is one of my favorites," I said as I made myself comfortable. "It's called 'Clocktown' by an artist named Theophany. No words to it, just very pleasant music."
"Will you dance with me?" Midna asked. I looked up at her and maybe it was the light of the fire but it looked like she was blushing. "I'd like to dance and, well, I don't really want to dance alone."
"Like waltz dance?"
"I don't know what that is. I just mean dance. Throwing your arms and hips and legs about to the music, you know?"
... "Ah screw it, why not."
Zach was not much of a dancer at first but the music had a soft beginning. He and Midna had the same idea; subtle movements in the shoulders and fingers that followed the harp plucks and string drums. She was very thankful for this song, its cheery tune would serve as a welcome reprieve from the stress of the battle.
She removed her helmet and unclipped her ponytail, making damn sure her broach was safely tucked away. Her hair now freed, she let it swing about in beat with the song. Her eyes drifted shut as she gave herself to the music. It encompassed her, enveloped her, enshrouded her. Her stress flowed into the music, transforming tension into passion.
When the main melody began, the Gorons joined in as well. They hopped from one foot to the other, linking arms and dancing in circles, both of them sharing ear-to-ear grins.
Midna smiled at them and then at Zach. He seemed to be enjoying himself as well; he smiled at her as they danced to the two melodies included in the song. He moved with the slower secondary melody while Midna followed the faster, more upbeat one.
"You seem to be having fun," she said.
"Yeah, but I can stop if you want."
"Not at all! More, more I say!"
Zach laughed and grabbed Midna's hands. She yelped in surprise as he spun her around, his grip surprisingly gentle. Even when he was cutting loose he was still being careful, at least with her. Despite his own rigidity, he really was having fun just like she knew he would. With a flourishing twirl, he drew her in and embraced her, still dancing with the same degree of passion and relaxed care.
His smile... that smile was perhaps the most genuine that she had seen him. And he was really warm! Midna had been getting cold even with the fire but Zach's body heat melted it away.
As the music slowed down, so did they. Midna stifled a yawn and rested her head on his shoulder. He held her closer, both arms easily bearing her weight even without the gauntlets. She was just a fragment of her true self yet he never seemed bothered by it. Heck, he even called that impish form cute! He thought she was cute, he even said he liked her eyes with no hesitation. Whether or not they were having a romance, she deeply appreciated his compliments.
He had a lot of issues to work out but let it never be said he did not know how to make her feel good about herself. He did not treat her like royalty but she was glad for that. In fact, she was glad for him and felt no small amount of pride at the progress he had made with her help. She just wished he could see himself the way she did; a good man with an honest heart that needed healing.
Midna briefly wondered why she was so determined to help him. It was not like they were childhood friends or infatuated lovers, right? Until very recently, they did not even like each other. He did have a point in that it was costing her a lot of energy to keep him afloat, but... maybe she was trying to redeem her own soul as well as his. If she had been there for her parents, maybe they could have stopped Zant. Maybe it was simple pity for Zach. Maybe it was guilt. Maybe it was just something to do. Maybe all of the above, maybe none.
Maybe she did like him like him but that was completely beside the point! So what if she liked the way his eye lit up when he looked at her? That was just her natural charisma, nothing at all to do with feelings and all that mushy stuff! Not that she had feelings for him, of course. It was just... adventurous affection. Yeah, that was what she called it.
"I'm sorry I hurt you," he said. "I really am."
Midna blinked up at him. By then the music changed to a version of the Song of Healing that allowed Zach to hold her and gently sway to the beat. Gorko and Roko apparently tired themselves out as they were both in balls and snoring very loudly. "It's okay. You didn't mean to."
He flinched. "It doesn't matter if I didn't mean to. I hurt you and that's horrible, it should never have happened."
She bit her lip. What she said next was probably going to earn a bad reaction but she had to ask anyway. "Zach, are you saying that because you resent your brother for what happened to your eye?"
Zach stopped swaying. His heart pounded in his chest hard enough for Midna to feel it through his chainmail. "It's not his fault. He was just a kid, barely a year older than me."
"Maybe... maybe it's not about blame. You were how old when it happened?"
"Five."
"Five years old?" She shifted and settled her arms so she embraced him around the neck. Without even thinking, she pressed her lips to his cheek. "I'm so sorry that happened to you, Zach. I am so, so sorry."
Slowly, ever so slowly, Zach returned her hug. His knees buckled, sending him to the ground. His breath hitched. "I was never allowed to be angry about it. I've had to put up with losing my eye, having invasive surgery, getting implants, getting fakes made, and getting made fun of for it for fourteen years. But I was never allowed to show any sign of not being happy. Because that would hurt his feelings. And his feelings are so much more important than mine."
His anger bled into Midna's mind. She wanted to find the nearest breakable object and snap it over her knee. She took several deep breaths to cool her nerves. "That must have been horrible for you. To suffer such a traumatic injury and no one... no one to help you through it."
"I got through it by myself."
She pulled away from him, resting a hand on his cheek. The light from her runes caught in his good eye. "I'm sorry but no, you didn't. There's a part of you that is still living in that moment, still suffering from it. I wish I had the power to heal it but I don't. I'm sorry."
"Why do you care? I mean, I know we're friends but... I don't get what's so friendly about me."
"And you never will if you don't start believing in yourself," she said, lightly poking his cheek with every word. She could not help the smile on her face as she continued, "You wish it never happened. So do all who live to see such times but that is not for them to decide. All you have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to you."
Zach stared at her for a moment before he broke into tearful chuckles. Despite his best efforts, he failed to hide the shine in his eye. "That's cheating."
"Not cheating; winning," she said, wiggling her eyebrows.
He laughed and wiped his face. His lip trembled beneath his smile, the corners of his mouth twitching up and down. "Thank you for this. I'm sorry you have to—"
"Quit apologizing." She hugged him again, nuzzling her cheek against his. "Quit worrying about me. I'm a big girl on the inside."
Zach snorted but it died quickly. "It's just not fair to you. You have so much more to worry about than me. It's not fair that I get all the attention."
"Then let's define what fair is, shall we?" Midna stroked the back of his head, her fingers catching his hair in loose knots. "Is it fair that I am in this form and can't return home for a long time? No. Is it fair that you lost your eye years ago and haven't recovered from the emotional scars? Also no. Are our personal issues equal to each other? Not even remotely. Are they equally valid? Yes, absolutely."
"Huh?" He pulled away, one brow raised at her. "How does that work?"
Midna nodded, glad she had his attention. "Allow me to illuminate you, pun intended. You keep assuming that because our personal issues are not equal from an outside perspective that mine must take priority, which sounds pretty messed up all by itself. But I know you want to move through your issues, yet you're clever and using that as an excuse to not do that, and because you aren't doing that they're overwhelming you even at the best of times. Is that fair to either of us?"
Zach averted his eyes, shaking his head.
"So we have an agreement of what isn't fair. What do you feel is fair?"
"I... I..." He sighed. "Working through our issues together sounds fair to me. But it's more than my eye, Midna."
"I've picked up on that. I appreciate that you've been working on calming yourself down but the next phase is to confront your inner demons and lay them to rest. That's scary, terrifying even."
"And it seems to be taking more work for my issues than for yours."
"That's the second half of my little speech," she said with a half-smile. "Are you familiar with the concept of equity?"
"Er... short answer, no."
"I thought not. Simply put, equity is accommodating people with different needs to meet the same goal. Our personal issues are equally valid but they have different needs. I think we can both agree that I'm a little more emotionally healthy than you, which means I don't need as much help as you. And that's okay. As for why I'm so willing to help you... well, I like you, Zach."
He simply looked at her, his face carefully neutral.
"I mean, I like you as a friend," she added, blushing slightly. "You know. Companions. And besides, I'm being selfish because I see a good person deep, deep down inside you. Someone who is nice to talk to and likes to joke around. And I want to see that person more often."
"... you really are the rightful heir to the throne," he whispered. "You sound like a true leader. Your people are lucky to have you, Midna."
Midna 'casually' brushed some hair from her face as an excuse to look away, her cheeks bright red. "You... you really think so?"
"Absolutely."
"Thanks."
"And... you look really cute in this light."
Now her cheeks were really on fire! "So do you." When his expression soured, she pointed a finger at him. "None of that. You're good-looking and I'm allowed to return compliments."
Zach sighed, making himself comfortable. "You're right, and I did promise to be easier on myself."
"That's better." She scooted over to him and plopped herself in his lap. "I think that was a good talk we had. Made lots of progress, yeah?" He did not answer. He held his hands away from her as though he were afraid to touch her. "What's wrong?"
"You're... you're in my lap, Midna."
"Oh, that's where this is? Eee hee!" She tried to keep her smile but that fearful glint in his eye melted it off. "Do I frighten you?"
"... a little..."
"Want me to leave?"
"... no..."
"So...?"
"I just... don't know what to do in this situation." He cleared his throat, his own cheeks turning red. "I've never had a girl in my lap before."
Her face slowly broke into a grin. Frankly she was willing to talk about anything to move on from all that heart-to-heart. "Well, what's the first thing to come to mind?"
Zach flinched like someone struck him. "Nothing good."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"My last... relationship didn't go so well. To make a long and painful story short, I don't have a solid grasp on how relationships work and it... blew up in my face."
Midna nodded, letting her eyes shut. She set her hands behind her head and relaxed in Zach's arms, her grin turning into a content smile. "So what'd you learn?"
"To never try again."
"But you want to anyway."
"I...! Well, um... maybe but what if it ends badly?"
"What if it ends goodly? Seriously, you need to get a confidence boost."
"Hm."
"..."
"Midna?"
"Mmm, yes?"
"I'd like to set up a tent please."
"Huh? Oh! Oh, right, of course." She floated off him and rubbed her temples while he went about preparing sleeping arrangements. Did she really feel...? Nah, of course not. That was for people who bonded and chatted and joked and, and... well, it still was not for her! Honestly, the princess of Twilight with some troubled emotional wreck? What did he even have to offer? Besides making her laugh, making her smile, making her feel happy to be alive... Whatever!
Zach clapped his hands clean and stood proudly beside his work. "Ta-da!" Midna had to hand it to him, he was a fast learner. The tent was immaculately made and there were two blankets and pillows for them inside. Zach himself had already changed into a sleeping shirt and trousers and waited eagerly for Midna's approval.
"Looks good," she said, obviously referring to the tent and only the tent. She scurried inside and bundled herself in a blanket, already shivering now that she was further away from the campfire. The air cooled even more when Zach put the fire out, earning a tiny whimper from Midna.
Zach yawned on his way into the tent. Once inside, he joined Midna and turned on his phone to play some music. "In the mood for anything in particular?"
"Something that m-makes me feel warm and toasty," she said. "Why is it so c-cold?"
"Must be the winter air from Zora's Domain. Guess it's frozen after all."
"You mean it's going to get even colder?!"
"Oh yeah."
Midna whimpered again. She was already so damn cold, how could it possibly get any colder? The mere thought of it chilled her to the bones, pun unintended. "It's never this cold in the Twilight Realm!"
"Midna?"
"Yeah?"
"... you know, in times of frigid weather, it's not... it's not uncommon for two people to... Ah screw it, you told me to have some confidence."
"What are you talking about—AH!" She was mostly surprised at the gesture, not any particular fear. Zach lifted her from her spot and pulled her in close, only his clothes keeping their bare skins from touching. She immediately latched onto him, basking in the glow of his body heat. "Waaarm! Goodness gracious me, you're so warm!"
"I fully understand this is just because it's cold," he said in the middle of another yawn. "But I wanted to help you be comfortable. Equity and all that. I just... I make no presumptions about this situation. It's just because it's cold."
Midna's entire face heated up. This was so embarrassing! Cuddling with a light dweller, practically nose to nose, and goodness he was so warm! "I understand. It's just temporary but thanks all the same."
"Your pleasure."
She could not help but giggle at that. "You think you're so clever."
"I think I'm adorable."
Midna openly laughed, happy for some banter to relieve the tension. "You're just a big furnace, now hold still while I absorb your warmth."
"Nooo, my precious warmth," he said, not sounding worried in the slightest. "Now you've gone too far. That's all I can stands and I can't stands no more!" He tried to pull her off him but she was determined to keep her grip. "Hey, find your own body heat."
"Nope, want yours."
"This is getting a little... heated."
"That was terrible."
"Terrible-y good."
"No, I deny you that."
"On whose authority?"
"Mine! Muahaha!"
"The province of Zach does not recognize the Twilight Princess at this time."
"The gall! You leave me alone and uncared for in an unforgiving world?"
"... I can't make a joke to that. I'd never abandon you like that."
"Aww, that's sweet."
"I'd abandon you like this."
"Wha—HEY!"
Zach rolled over, smushing Midna against the tent floor. Caught by surprise, she lost her grip and was left by herself while Zach rolled to the other side of the tent. "Ha ha ha-ha ha!"
She whimpered and crawled over to him. "Zaaach, I'm cooold! Really cold, actually."
"Right, sorry." He embraced her again and pulled a blanket over them, allowing her to cocoon herself in his arms. Once they were settled in, he yawned a third time. "Okay, enough roughhousing. I'm sleepy."
"Get some sleep then. Good night, Zach."
"Have a good rest, Midna."
Despite her own fatigue, Midna failed to find sleep just yet. There was too much on her mind for her to focus on sleep, and those Gorons with their snoring did not help!
Being a creature of darkness, she had a natural ability to see in the dark. She looked at Zach, watched him as he fell asleep. His muscles relaxed a bit and his heartrate slowed to a steady beat. He was an emotional wreck, tormented by painful memories and phantom voices, but that seemed so far away in that moment. Why did Midna want to help him? What prompted her to give him such excellent emotional counsel if she did say so herself?
Perhaps it was because she was afraid, and he gave her courage. He would not agree, pointing out his own missteps, but she wanted to focus on what he did right. What they were both doing right: No matter what they were going through, they kept going. That was what made him a hero in her eyes. Or at least, a hero in the making. It made her a hero too! She was going off to what just might be her death for the sake of her people. That was pretty damn heroic in its own right! And, well...
"... Zach?"
He stirred slightly but did not fully wake.
"Zach?"
"... mm?"
"... what would you say if...? I mean, heh, what do you think of... that is to say, um... Thank you."
"Mmforwhat?"
"For... for being my friend, I guess. For making sure I was okay too. Looking out for me, you know?"
"Mmhmm..."
"And I just... It's not that I like you or anything, but... I mean, I'm not opposed to the idea... oh forget it."
"Mmforgetting..."
