Midna insisted on watching each movie to the last second. She drank in every moment, falling in love with the music and the visuals and the weight of the story itself. There were things she would have changed, to be sure, but she could honestly say these were the best movies she had ever seen.

And to think there were hundreds of thousands more movies!

"So what was your favorite scene?" Zach asked. "Well, scenes plural. One for each movie?"

"Can I just pick the movies? Eee hee!" Midna wiped her eyes, having teared up quite a few times from both the movies and memories of her loved ones, and tapped her chin. "Hard to say. I genuinely love all three movies. Thanks again for playing them for me."

Zach smiled. "You're welcome. It's nice to share this stuff with a fellow fan."

Midna nodded in agreement. They had more common interests than she thought, mostly because she had not known that Earth had the same stories as the Twilight Realm. Why was that so? Ah, who cares why. It gave them more things to talk about, so she left it at that. "For Fellowship, probably... wow, that's tough. I think I like the Shire scenes the best, especially the fireworks. Arwen and Aragorn's scenes would be a close second."

"Nice. I like pretty much all of Aragorn's scenes but personally, I love Moria the most. Gotta love that Balrog!"

"Huh, I would have thought after what you just went through, you'd be a little less fond of giant fire monsters."

Zach tilted his head in thought. "Huh, I guess that would make sense. But I'm honestly fine, the Balrog didn't bother me at all."

Midna was unsure if that was a good or bad sign. On the one hand, Zach may have been truly able to separate his trauma. If that was the case, why would he be triggered by random things that made him angry? On the other hand, Zach may be lying and was genuinely upset during that scene. However, he showed absolutely no signs of it and Midna did not see any dishonesty in his eye.

Perhaps this was related to his mentality; he did not blame Midna for the exploding cannon, so maybe he did not blame the Goron patriarch either since Fyrus was under the control of the Fused Shadow and King Dodongo was just a mindless beast. If so, that would mean he did blame the person who said such cruel things to him. But the underlying fact was that he did not seem traumatized at nearly dying and cutting his own eye open. That was not a good sign... then again, she had no compunctions either.

Midna shuddered, both from that thought and to get her to focus back on the conversation. "Well, that's a relief. For Two Towers... Hm, I think it was my least favorite of the three. Not that I think it was bad, of course."

"Right, I get that. My favorite scene is a tie between Gandalf fighting the Balrog and when Gandalf frees Theoden."

"I'm sensing a theme here," Midna said with a chuckle. "Mine would probably have to be... huh, nothing really comes to mind. Most of the really sad and serious stuff happens in that one. Oh! Arwen and Aragorn again. I love romance, it's so... well, romantic."

Zach nodded emphatically and said, "I agree, I like romance too. One of my favorite scenes in Return of the King is when they're finally reunited. My absolute favorite is when Elrond gives Anduril to Aragorn, which happens because of Arwen."

Midna grinned and nudged him playfully. "Look at you, liking romance and such. I hate to break the mold but my favorite scene is at the very end, when Samwise finally gets to go home and live his life in peace. It... it feels really relevant to me, you know?"

Zach rested a hand on her shoulder. "Yeah, I know. Can I ask a question?"

"Oh boy, you're asking questions now." Midna laughed but Zach did not, so she cleared her throat. "Sorry, go on."

"After what I told you earlier, that I—or rather, future I—am the main villain... why haven't you, like, done anything? Said something about it?"

Midna raised an eyebrow. "What's there to say or do?"

"It doesn't freak you out or anything?"

"I admit I'm concerned, but I've seen enough to judge your character by itself. You're a good person, and I haven't met your future self yet so I can't make assumptions."

"..." Zach lay on his back and threaded his fingers. "It's just... technically speaking, if I were to be the villain, I would have been the one to give Zant his power."

Midna pinched the bridge of her nose. "I see where this is going..."

"Which means Burak died because of me."

"Stop. Just stop right there." Midna sighed, placing her hand on his. "Don't take responsibility for it. You are right here, you did nothing to anyone, and there's no way you could have done anything to help her. It's okay to be scared about your future, but that isn't your future if you don't want it to be. As far as I'm concerned, you and this mysterious future you are two completely different people."

Zach frowned. "Midna, you can't just ignore the evidence."

"I'm not ignoring it," she said. "But you're under enough pressure. You don't need me nagging you every step of the way."

Zach opened his mouth to respond, but a knock at the door stopped him. Instead of carrying on the conversation, he opened the door and let in Sahasrahla. "Ah, I trust I am not interrupting?"

"No, honored elder," said Midna, bowing her head.

"Wait, you can understand him?" Zach asked.

Midna nodded. "He can speak my language." She turned her attention to the elder. "As I was saying, you did not interrupt. What can we do for you?"

"I wished to inform you both that Darbus of the Gorons has come to the village. He intends to host a ceremony in your honor, but first he wishes to thank you in person."

Zach grimaced behind Sahasrahla's back, but his voice showed none of it. "That'll be nice. Where is he?"

"Right outside." The elder chuckled. "Our houses are not built for Gorons of his stature."

Midna donned her poncho and took extra care to ensure all the Fused Shadow pieces were safely tucked away. Once she helped Zach look presentable, she led him outside to the great Goron patiently sitting by the door. Midna had not had a chance to note his appearance when she left him up on the mountain. He was not as large as that big Goron that gave Zach so much trouble, but he still easily towered above Zach even while sitting. Midna also noticed the night sky; watching all three movies must have taken up most of the day. She enjoyed the cool night air on her skin, though she was also glad for the poncho.

The Goron—Darbus—remained seated as he and Sahasrahla exchanged greetings and introductions. When he saw Midna, his demeanor changed. He sat up with his legs crossed, his expression serious yet grateful. He bowed his head to her and extended his hand, which could easily fit Midna even in her true form. She grasped his index finger with both hands and gave it a firm shake. He then turned his hand palm-up and low enough for Midna to step on, which she did after a moment.

Darbus raised her up carefully until they were at eye level. He glanced to Sahasrahla, who nodded back. "Th... thank you, Princess Midna." He spoke in her language!

Midna grinned ear to ear. The fact that he took the time to learn it meant so much to her, she hardly hesitated when she pressed her forehead against his just as she had done before. He gently set her back down on the ground and said something to Zach.

"You're welcome but Midna did most of the work," said Zach. "She's the real hero, not me."

"Hey, give yourself some credit," she said. "You defeated King Dodongo."

"I can't ignore how I did it. Sorry, but that's not something worth celebrating."

No, but he wanted it to be. Midna could tell that much from him. As he and the two elders talked, Midna sighed. "Orochi, am I doing the right thing? Being his friend, I mean. He's... not well."

"The boy is entitled, resentful, and petulant. He yearns for personal freedom."

"... I thought as much. He's a good person, though."

Orochi chuckled. "Noble, if not also naïve. The heart of the matter is not whether he is good or evil, but if his evil nature will overcome what good he has."

Midna thought back to the quote Zach said. Is it better to be born good, or overcome your evil nature? But what makes him evil, his desire for freedom and control? Midna had the same desires yet she did not feel condemned. "What do I do? What can I do?"

She thought she heard a sigh. "He hides the truth from everyone, including himself. He has grown skilled at diverting attention away from it, but he is constantly aware of it."

Midna stared up at Zach with wide eyes. He was still chatting with the elders, even smiling with them as they discussed something or other. The smile... something was wrong with that smile. It was too tight, too rehearsed. Too casual after such a serious discussion. "Is he... is he insane? I mean, insane insane?"

"No, he is simply unwilling to bare all his flaws out in the open. The boy spoke true: he is a narcissist who perceives his own emotions as weaknesses that can be exploited against him. His 'humility' is both genuine and a ruse; without realizing it, he is attempting to manipulate you into viewing him with sympathy. In turn, you would be less likely to press the issue and more likely to, in his vernacular, leave him the hell alone."

"Midna?"

"Huh?" Midna blinked up at Zach. "What'd you say?"

He gestured to Darbus and said, "He's going to send two Gorons with us when we head out tomorrow morning. They'll escort us to the next Twilight Wall and head back once we're through."

"We're leaving tomorrow morning?" she asked. "Sorry, I missed everything before."

There. A slight twitch in his nostril. Zach had said it himself; sooner or later he was going to show signs of irritation. He was getting frustrated at having to repeat himself, though he masked it well. "No worries. According to Sahasrahla, my eyelid should be healed up enough for us to head out in the morning. I'll just have to administer some eye drops every morning and night for a few days."

Midna wanted to retaliate to his irritation per her own nature, but what would that accomplish? It would lead to an argument and nothing would get done. So she decided to let this one slide. "Ah, that will be great. I'm very glad your eye is going to be okay."

"Me too," he said. "In the meantime, they're setting up a firepit so we can sit and eat and party and such."

That did sound appealing. Midna looked down the street and found multiple Gorons hard at work digging the pit just in front of Eldin's spring. From the look of it, they were nearly finished. "Not going to lie, it would have been nice if they had been here earlier."

"Tell me about it," Zach grumbled as Midna led him to a set of chairs near the soon-to-be firepit. "At least a few are coming with us."

Midna hummed in agreement and seated herself and Zach together. "Hey, you know what I just realized? We haven't taken a picture! Didn't you want one every time we beat a big monster?"

"Oh yeah, let's do it!" Zach lifted his eye patch and set the camera up while Midna scooted her chair closer to his. "Ready?"

"Ready. Cheese!"

"And thus the third picture in Hyrule was taken." Zach checked the picture but grimaced. "Hm, not sure I'm going to look back fondly at this one."

Midna leaned over and inspected the picture as well. "I agree, but hey, we can take more pictures for the rest of the journey."

"Midna, you cannot ignore his darker nature."

"I am not ignoring it," she replied carefully, deliberately. "I am just trying to be friends with him. Maybe in this alternate future, I kept being my usual self and it helped push him over the edge. If I actually work on my own little flaws and get along with him better, maybe he'll be more inclined to not destroy the world."

"And if you are wrong?"

"Then I can say I tried," Midna snapped. "I am sick of everyone telling me to beware of Zach—including Zach! How is he supposed to change if everyone keeps treating him like he's a murderous villain and that's all he'll ever be? Especially since he hasn't done anything to anyone! What gives you the right to judge him? We are literally searching through this world to find your missing pieces, which were separated because they were deemed too dangerous to keep together! Are you fit to judge him?!"

"... Perhaps not."

With a triumphant sigh, Midna reached over and grasped Zach's hand. "Hey, can you promise me something?"

"Huh? Um, sure. What is it?"

She took a deep breath. "Can you promise to be less hard on yourself? I know it must be difficult, but can you promise to try? I promise I won't judge you for making mistakes. Think of what you did right, not what you did wrong or could have done differently. Please promise me this."

"Uh..." Zach sighed, running a hand through his hair. "What if my mistake ends up hurting or killing someone?"

"Then you'll have to take responsibility for it," said Midna. "Just as I will if that happens to me. You're not alone in this. I don't know how far this journey will push us, but I know we'll be able to tackle anything as long as we can keep a relatively positive mindset."

"..." With a final deep breath, Zach extended his hand to her. "Okay... I promise."

Midna shook his hand once, twice, thrice. "Thank you."

The Gorons dusted their hands off and nodded proudly at their work. One of them walked over to Zach and swatted his shoulder, a big grin on the Goron's face.

Zach yelped and fell from his chair, earning a laugh from the Goron. "No, I'm fine," he said. "Love getting the shit scared outta me."

Midna helped Zach up, smiling with pity at him. "I think you made a friend."

"Yup. Midna, this is Gorko, Gorko meet Midna. He'll be escorting us with his friend Roko when we leave tomorrow."

The Goron looked indistinguishable from all the other Gorons, though Midna noticed a growth of rocks on his chin and none on the top of his head. Did Gorons have stone hair? In any case, he nodded at her and said something to Zach, his voice like crushing gravel.

"Good, I wasn't going to anyway." Gorko laughed and walked away. Zach chuckled and turned to Midna. "He said I didn't have to return that big hammer, consider it a bonus reward for helping out."

"Neat! Could you ask him about mining schematics?"

"Oh, I already asked Darbus," said Zach. "He's offering to send a whole group of Gorons to your realm once this is over, they'll help repair and upgrade your... uh, I forgot what exactly you called them, but the point is Darbus is willing to send his people to help your people."

Midna's jaw dropped. "That... that's amazing! He's really willing to do that for me?"

"Yeah, he said something about you and him having a 'kinship'."

Such good fortune! Granted, it was going to take a while but Midna knew that would be the case. These... these were good people. Kakariko Village and the people of the Gorons will be well-rewarded, Midna shall see to that personally. However, their generosity had come at a cost... "I'm sorry for what happened to you."

"We've been over this, I don't blame you for the cannon."

"I know, and I thank you, but the fact remains that you suffered the most from this." She smiled and rested her hand on his arm. "Once we get to the Twilight Realm, you'll be the guest of honor."

"That's a little much, don't you think?"

"Not at all! You'll be introduced to the royal court—including my mother and father—and you'll have your own luxurious room complete with servants and the finest clothes in the Twilight Realm."

"That... that does sound pretty nice... sorry..."

Midna gave him a questioning look. "Why are you sorry? If you're worried that you'll sound like an egotist, you're not. You're being treated as a hero deserves, by order of me! Eee hee!"

"Well, thank you."

"What about your home?"

"What about it?"

"Well, what will you do when you go home?"

Zach fidgeted in his seat. "I... haven't really thought of it. Probably go back to college."

"College?"

"Big fancy expensive school."

"Ah. What will you study?"

Zach shrugged, dragging a hand through his hair. "Not sure. Probably just general studies like before. Then I'll get some menial job and eke out an existence."

"That doesn't sound very ambitious," Midna said, pouting. "Won't you receive a hero's welcome?"

Zach's expression turned dark. "Heroes don't exist in my world. No one cares about doing good, they care about what's either safe or politically correct. You save a girl from choking, she sues you for sexual harassment because you had to do chest compressions. You donate money to a good cause, you get flak because you didn't donate to some other 'good cause'." He made a sound like clearing his throat. "Just impossible."

"Wow, no wonder you're so high-strung."

"The sad thing is I'm not even exaggerating. Those things actually happened. Granted, not to me personally, but still."

"Right." Midna patted his arm, humming softly to herself. "Well, you can be a hero here. And in my home. You don't need the approval of a bunch of random faces."

"No, but it'd be nice."

"Oh absolutely. Eee hee!" A cool breeze rolled through the village. Midna shivered, hugging her poncho closer to herself. "You could tell the story of your adventure here."

"I'd never be able to make money off it. Copyright and all." He hummed and tapped his chin. "Could make a good hobby, though. But then again, writing fanfiction isn't exactly smiled upon—"

"Ah, who cares if it's smiled upon," Midna said, sputtering her lips. "Zach, you faced down giant monsters. You got blown up. Treat yourself to a creative hobby."

Zach snorted. "Sorry, you just reminded me of a TV show. A couple of characters sometimes do this thing where they spend lots of money pampering themselves one day a year. They start it by singing 'Treat yo' self' and then the year they do it."

"Finally, some good characters," Midna said with a laugh. She leaned back in her chair and folded her hands behind her head. They spent a good part of the day just watching Lord of the Rings—a very good part if Midna said so herself. She closed her eyes and listened to the world around her. Zach seemed content to do the same, judging from his relaxed deep breaths.

Midna still missed her home, her family. Her mother would be in the gardens right about now, lounging on a stone seat and placing flowers in her hair. Her father would be in the library researching some random subject that held his interest. Midna herself would be out with her friends, either playing a game or perusing the latest fashion.

Even if the three of them survived, Midna knew nothing would be the same. She knew she was a different person now, she... damn it, she cared about this world almost as much as she cared about her own. These were good people just doing what they can with what they have.

Speaking of these people, the village folk emerged from their various dwellings and joined the two. A large fire was lit, shading everything in a comforting orange-red glow. They all gathered around the fire, some in chairs, some seated on the ground. The children seemed distant, though it made sense they would be more rattled than the rest. They were just children, after all.

Renado said something, forcing Midna to nudge Zach to translate.

"He says that we have the gratitude and respect of the village, and that he wishes us great fortune on our journey."

Darbus joined Renado and spoke, his voice echoing around them like crashing boulders.

"He says we are now Sworn Brothers to the Gorons. No big ceremony, but if we need anything, they'll do their best for us."

Midna grinned from ear to ear. She was not a man but the title sounded nice enough. It seemed to be held in high regard among the Gorons; it meant she had made a successful bond to a foreign power. Not bad for an exiled princess. "I am honored," she said, bowing her head.

Zach addressed Renado and said, "I remember when my family would gather around a fire and sing songs. I'd like to do the same now if that's okay with everybody." Everyone, including Midna, voiced approval, in turn making Zach chuckle. "I have no skill with an instrument but I have something that can do it for me, if that's all right." Renado nodded and Zach turned to his phone. "You want to sing one too, Midna?"

"Uh, I guess I could." Sing a song? Midna had a decent voice but no one but Sahasrahla and Zach would be able to understand her. Ah well, music is music. "I'll think of one, you go ahead."

"This song is very close to me," Zach said. "I've known it ever since I was a kid, it was something my brothers and I would sing to each other when we were feeling down. I think it'll help everyone here from time to time when you're feeling down yourselves." With that, he pressed play and the music began. It was a very light and dainty tune that brought feelings of playfulness and camaraderie to Midna.

You've got a friend in me. Midna blinked. He was singing a song about friendship?

You've got a friend in me. Yes, he was singing a song about friendship.

When the road looks rough ahead,

And you're miles and miles from your nice warm bed,

You just remember what your old pal said.

Hey, you've got a friend in me.

Yeah, you've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

You got troubles, and I got 'em too;

There isn't anything I wouldn't do for you.

We stick together, we will see it through.

Cuz you've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

Some other folks might be a little bit smarter than I am,

Bigger and stronger too,

Maybe, but none of them will ever love you the way I do.

It's me and you, bud.

And as the years go bye,

Our friendship will never die.

You're gonna see,

It's our destiny.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

You've got a friend in me.

Midna stared at him, her heart deeply touched by his song. It fit them to a tee, being miles from home and having recently declared each other friends. It was a promise that he would be there for her through thick and thin, just as she promised for him. His singing voice was halfway decent as well.

"You're up," he said, smiling.

"Err..." She needed to think of a good song to follow that. But what? The song would have to be something that spoke to the heart and soul—of course! "Lemme see your phone, I need to find it first."

Zach passed the phone to her and explained her intentions to everyone. "It's not your lullaby, is it?"

"No, but what would be wrong if it was?"

"Nothing, it's just the versions I have aren't very upbeat."

"Hm, fair point. Too bad the song I'm looking for isn't upbeat either. I remember hearing it on your phone ages ago and haven't come across it again."

"Oh, what's it called?"

"The Song That Cleanses and Purifies Dark Thoughts."

"Uh... How does it go?"

Midna played a gentle version in her mind, without the lyrics since he was about to hear it in full anyway.

"Oh yeah, the Song of Healing. You know that one?"

"Yes, and please tell them this as well. It's a song that promotes healing of the soul, whether from grief or fear or depression. We used it extensively to help with trauma and other matters that can't be remedied with potions."

Zach repeated that and assisted Midna in finding the song on his phone. She was learning but had yet to fully master his alphabet. Ah well, practice makes perfect. The instrumentation was much more melancholy than Zach's song, but this was not about being peppy and upbeat. Midna picked this song both for its familiarity and for its utility. Music had a special magic in the Twilight Realm, enough that even using normal magic had its own musical quality.

This song would help them both, as well as the villagers and the Gorons. It would not solve all their problems, but it did not need to. This song was a tool to help guide the listener to a better path, one of emotional strength and maturity.

In Twilight,

Beyond sight,

Let this song heal you;

Let it soothe,

Face the truth,

You are not alone;

Your heart weeps,

Your pain seeps,

Down to the bone;

Tears will fall,

But stand tall,

You are not through;

All this pain,

What's to gain?

Will it ever end?

Yes it hurts,

Beyond words,

There is no doubt;

Heal your soul,

Pay the toll,

Let all your pain out;

Your heart shall heal, my friend;

You shall be free!

The atmosphere of the group changed. It felt... free, like a weight had been lifted. Midna looked around and noticed the tension had left the majority of them. She reached up and wiped her cheek, absently realizing she had brought herself to tears. It was part of the grieving process to sing this song, yet she foolishly hid from it. Now, immersing herself in the music, her heart embraced the pain of her loss. As Zach said, it may never fully be okay, but that did not mean Midna could not think fondly of her family.

She glanced at Zach, smiling at his own lopsided smile. At the tear rolling down his cheek, she said, "I hope you liked the song."

I had to fight so hard not to react with violence. Normally, listening to that song just felt nice. It was calming, soothing, relaxing. With Midna adding words, however, the magic of the song overwhelmed me. I had too many thoughts running through my head, none of them pleasant.

I wanted to tear myself apart. Memories I worked so hard to bury came rushing back up. Petty little squabbles, random acts of injustice, all the pain through the years, all the repressed anger in my heart, all the hatred in my soul... I was never the person I wanted to be. I was never good enough, either by my standards or others. I was never enough.

"It was nice," I said finally, clenching the fist that Midna couldn't see. I was not mad at her, it was just my own failures that bothered me. Why did the song wake up those feelings? And shouldn't I be cleansed of them now? What a stupid, useless song!

But it wasn't stupid or useless. I was angry because I knew the truth, and the truth reflected poorly on me. I would rather bend or break the truth than admit I was wrong, because being wrong meant I was not enough. Again.

And that's okay. Being wrong is... okay. It hurts, but this is how I grow as a person—

Bullshit! Why should I spend so much time growing when no one else is?! Why should I put in the effort when everyone else should just get the fuck out of my way?!

"It really got me thinking," I said, nodding at Midna. "I had no idea it was a staple of the Twilight Realm."

"I forgot about it," Midna replied. "The only time I ever heard it myself was after an accident when I was about twelve years old."

"Hm, it seems being accident-prone is our business." With a chuckle, I looked to the kids and froze. They all looked to be on the brink of tears, even Malo. Something ached in my heart. I felt an innate desire to reassure the kids and console them. Anju beat me to it when she wrapped a large blanket around them and pulled them close to her. They clung to her with desperate hands, their pale fists clutching the blanket for dear life.

Midna reached over and rested her hand on my arm. "I forget that they're in a situation just like us. They were taken from their homes, separated from their parents, attacked by monsters."

My nerves flared up again. Bubbles of animosity formed in the corners of my mind. "They'll get over it. A little childhood trauma builds character."

"I refuse to believe that," Midna said, though she did not raise her voice. "Trauma does not build character. Trauma is horrific and damaging, as you've shown quite clearly."

"Hey, that's not fair."

"No, it isn't. Trauma isn't fair, nice, or even consistent. Trauma does not define a person; how they handle it does. Anyone can be pushed to the ground and told to stay down. It takes character to refuse and to stand back up. That is what I believe."

"Some people can't stand back up, Midna. There are extenuating circumstances, you know."

"I'm not arguing against that. The road to recovery is different for everyone but it's still there. It's difficult and painful and soothing and ultimately rewarding. Some people can recover in good time and some will spend their whole lives trying to recover."

I had to fight very, very hard not to glare at Midna. Disagreeing with me? I'm fucking right, damn it! ... wasn't I? At any rate, I was tired of arguing. "I'm not asking this as an accusation but what exactly happened to you when you were twelve?"

Midna sighed, shaking her head. Evidently it was a topic she did not want to discuss. I trusted that she would tell me in time, so I accepted her avoiding the question. "Look, my point is that I sympathize with the children. I understand how they're feeling and I truly hope they recover from this in time. They'll need all the help they can get."

I looked over Midna's face. Reading expressions was never a skill I exceled at, so at the risk of appearing creepy, I took the time to really take in what I saw. Her pale skin reflected the light of the fire, illuminating her face in a warm orange glow. The game really did not do her justice; she is very beautiful in-person. Her nostrils flared slightly as she inhaled through her nose. Her lips tightened and loosened as she half-pouted. She seemed contemplative, probably thinking of her own family. She watched the fire, or perhaps the kids across the way, and it struck me how bright her eyes were.

What struck me more were the bags under her eyes.

A cold, slimy guilt washed over me. Midna was tired, probably mentally fatigued more than physically exhausted. And I played a part in that, whether I intended to or not. She was shouldering so much and I was giving her a hard time. AGAIN!

No! I refused to get worked up again. I took deep breath after deep breath, I focused on the positive and not the negative, I paid attention to the actual words and not the subtexts and pretexts. It was so much easier to just be angry, but something occurred to me. I didn't like being angry, I liked the feeling of power it granted me. But it was fake power, an illusion designed to protect me from pain and truth. It was time to move on, and the moment I thought that, I felt a weight leave my shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I said. "I... I'm sorry for arguing with you."

"That was an argument?" Midna smiled. Not a grin, not a half-smirk. Just a smile. That was the moment when... well, it was the moment certain other things started to click for me. "I thought we were just having a conversation."

I shrugged and leaned back in my chair. "I disagreed with you."

"And?"

"And isn't disagreement bad?"

"Says who?" Midna nudged me with her shoulder. "Agreeing all the time sounds like a nice concept but disagreeing can be nice too. You and I disagreed about our favorite moments from the movies, after all."

I blinked. "Huh. I hadn't thought of that."

"Eee hee! I'm sorry too, for what I said about your trauma."

"Thank you. I... I really appreciate your thoughts. It's refreshing after being in my world all my life. Everyone is so cynical and jaded. It feels like no one believes in hope and justice and love anymore."

For some reason, Midna scooted her chair over and gently moved my arm so it lay draped over her shoulders. She leaned against me, rested her head against my chest, and said, "I appreciate your thoughts too. I'm sorry for whatever your world is going through, but have faith. Trust in good people as we trust in each other."

I grimaced. "I have to disagree there. It's hard to trust good people when they do bad things."

"Hard, but not impossible," she said. "I'm not saying we ignore what they did, I just think it doesn't take away from their good point. Maybe them doing something bad means they need to be removed from their position, but their good is still there. I don't believe we should punish the goodness made by bad people just because it comes from bad people."

"I agree," I said, smiling at Midna. I realized then that while we did disagree on a lot of things, we also agreed on a lot of things, and that I felt tremendous respect for Midna. She was someone I wanted to be around, and she seemed to want to be around me too. I was starting to like the person I was when I was with her. And I think she did too.

Author's Note: Chapter 40! Wow, this fic will be 8 years old in April. And I'm not even halfway done! I want to thank everyone who has read and reviewed and enjoyed this story so far, and I hope you'll be there for the grand finale(s).