The celebration of their victory was not Ilia's idea, though, considering the amounts of times Midna had listened to her talk about it in the day it took for her and Raven to prepare for the journey over the Eldin Mountains, back to the Twilight Realm, she would not have blamed anyone who might have thought otherwise.
As much as Midna wanted to celebrate alongside her friends, to just let go and for once allow herself to be happy for the fact that she was alive, the more she had to hear about it, Ilia practically shining as she told her about how they would make sure to invite everyone from Castle Town, using the occasion to also remember those who had died, the stronger the urge to just stay at the base until she was sure that the celebrations were over became.
It made no sense, Midna knew that. She should have been happy to see the way Ilia had grown close to a little group of people from the town, but Midna still forgot the name of every single one of the people Ilia introduced her to, telling her about how they had helped her hide both herself and Epona, showing her the way to a secluded glade in the forest after her airship had not been able to remain in the air anymore, the moment after she had heard it.
If she was being honest with herself, Midna was almost certain that, had it not been for the fact that the maid had looked so disappointed when Midna had responded to her offer of preparing one of the guest rooms in the castle for her by telling her that she would not stay there for very long, she might just have done it. But in the end, the sight of the little emblem coupled with the way the maid had looked down towards her feet, her fingers instantly searching for the embroidered symbol, had been more than she had been able to take, so she had given in.
That was what had brought her to stand in the corner of the ballroom of the castle, trying to keep herself from moving even closer towards the wall behind her. She had nothing to fear, there was no reason for her to continue to look over her shoulder, nor did she have any reason to continue to try to see if she would be able to catch a glimpse of Zelda in the crowd, but despite that, Midna did both of those thing, all attempts at recalling the peace that had come to fill the abandoned fortress she had returned to only a few days before as a way to force herself to relax failing her.
"Enjoying the party?"
She must have been distant for a moment, for she could have sworn that Link had not been standing there just a second ago, though it was obvious that she had simply missed him. In that case, Midna must have been distracted for longer time than what she had thought at first, for she almost leapt up into the air, barely able to control herself in time. With a smile that she hoped was able to hide all of the thoughts that were still whirling through her mind, Midna prepared herself, hoping that she might be able to fool her best friend into thinking that nothing was wrong as she turned around to look at him. "Yes, I am, actually."
"You are lying," Link observed, twirling a little cake in his hand.
Midna had heard some of the maids lament that they had not been given enough time to prepare for the celebration, that they had not been able to make sure that all of the different cakes and platters of food were as good as they could have been, but the copy of the symbol of the Resistance, the light and the shadow, that decorated the cake, drawn on with a mixture of sugar, water, and some kind of colour, looked better than anything Midna would ever have been able to make back at the base.
Maybe Link was thinking the same thing as he followed he glance, smiling at her when he saw how she was looking at the cake. "If you want one, I am sure that Ilia would be more than happy to go get one for you."
That much was true. Even from across the room, Midna could see Ilia talk with so many people she had no recollection of having ever seen before in her life that Midna stopped trying to mentally assign names to each and every one of them by the time she had used 'woman with blue hair' three different times. But although she knew that Link was right, Midna could only shrug, taking a step back, bringing herself a little closer to the wall. "No, I… I am not really that hungry. This celebration—I know that it is good and that they are talking about how it is supposed to represent a new beginning for both Hyrule and the Twilight Realm, but I am just tired."
"I get that," Link answered. Of course he did. It never seemed that there was anything he did not immediately understand, that there was anything Midna would have been able to tell him that would not have earned her a sympathetic nod and a little hug, Link holding the cake far away from her to keep the sticky decoration from touching her hair. Moving back, away from her, he tilted his head to the side a bit. "It is exhausting, is it not?"
Midna could only agree. While she doubted that they found the celebration and all the people who came over to her, some of them struggling to get a word out, instead staring at her with wide eyes, some of them speaking so quickly that Midna could barely understand what they were saying, and others again simply crying, trying to get out a thankyou between the sobs, exhausting in the same way, it was nice to know that there was at least one other person there who felt the same way about the festivities as she did.
The silence that settled between them was at once comfortable and one of the most unpleasant things Midna had ever had to experience. Comfortable because she knew Link well enough to know that he did expect for her to say something, that he was not waiting for her to bring an end to the silence, trying to force herself to seem happier than she really was, but also unpleasant because the silence provided her with the chance to truly lose herself to her own thoughts.
It had been a mistake to tell Zelda. Midna could see that now. It had felt fantastic in the moment. When Zelda had kissed her, everything had been perfect for a moment. Closing her eyes, Midna could still recall the feeling, the way Zelda had hesitated for a moment. Waking up the next morning, knowing that she would open her eyes to find that Zelda had wrapped her arms around her while sleeping, had been the best feeling in the world. But then, rather than staying there with her, Zelda had barely opened her eyes before she had let go of her, sitting up to, with her hair a mess around her head, tell her that they had so much they still needed to prepare if they wanted to have a chance of being able to convince the leaders of the Resistance that they did not want the thrones, and, ignoring the way she could feel the doubt set in, the little, creeping feeling that maybe there was something she had misunderstood, Midna had followed along, pushing her feelings away.
That had been the first in a long line of mistakes, she could see that now. If she was being honest with herself, she did not really believe that Zelda had regretted anything, nor than the kiss had been little more than the result of the joy of knowing that the battle was over. It simply did not make sense for that to be the case, not with how Zelda had looked towards her during the meeting. But even that had not been enough to keep Midna from having to make everything worse between them by refusing to do something as simple as inviting Zelda to come with her, instead hoping that she would be the one to ask. And now, Midna was here, standing in the corner of the room, slowly finding herself with no choice other than admitting that Zelda was not there with her.
But, even if she could not find Zelda anywhere, it did not mean that there were not plenty of people in the room that Midna could recognise. Not only had Nabooru, the newly appointed leader of the council that would take care of governing Hyrule and the Twilight Realm until the first election, come up to her only a few seconds after she had entered the room to talk with her about what visions Midna had for the future of the countries, only for the conversation to come to a sudden end as none of them were able to ignore the fact that Midna really did not have any idea about what she could tell her other than everything she had already said about how she wanted to create peace, but throughout the night, most of the other leaders of the Resistance had also come to talk with her.
In fact, as Midna stood there next to Link, she caught a glimpse of Cremia's red hair halfway across the room, Cremia sprinting through the crowd of people, barely avoiding a collision with a group who were in the middle of a complicated dance. A second later, Midna realised the reason for her excitement, as Cremia did not slow down even a little, instead letting the collision become a hug as she reached Anju. As Midna watched, she could see how Anju instantly responded by bringing her arms around Cremia, pulling her closer, almost like she might otherwise have disappeared the next second, before turning towards Kafei, gesturing for him to come join her. Midna looked away before he reached them. It did not feel right to watch and envy them their happiness.
The unspoken agreement she could feel between herself and Link about how none of them wanted to speak with anyone right then was broken the next moment.
A man whom Midna could not remember having ever seen before, a feeling she was able to confirm as she got the chance to have a closer look at him with how she doubted it would have been possible for her to forget about him given his bright red hair and the cape he wore, having pulled the collar of his shirt up to cover most of his face, stepped over to them.
For a moment, Midna was almost sure that he would continue past them, that he was just looking for someone and would leave once he knew that he had not found them yet, but that hope soon died as he did not leave.
"Yes?" Midna asked, hearing how she failed to keep the hint of annoyance out of her voice. "Do you want anything?" already, she was hoping that he would not move the collar down to reveal an emblem. As grateful as she was for everything the rebels had done for her, right then, Midna only wanted to be left alone, waiting until it would finally be appropriate to leave and then head back to her room.
The stranger nodded. "I do. Could I maybe steal a minute of your time? I want to speak with you." his gaze flickered over towards Link. "Alone."
"I—" Midna was less than a second away from telling the man that he could tell her what he wanted to say right then and there, that she was not going to ask her best friend to leave her, but before she got the chance to do so, Link had moved in front of her.
"Sure. I think I saw Ilia gesture for me to join her as well a little while ago, so I should probably get going if I don't want to let her wait." pausing for a moment to look back at Midna, silently asking her if she really would rather have him stay, giving her a little smile as she shook her head, Link left.
As the sound of his footsteps was drowned out by the sheer intensity of the celebrations, the man took a step closer to Midna. Pushing the collar back down, the change only making him look a little less ridiculous than before, he extended his hand towards her, sending her a cautious smile. "I just wanted to thank you for everything you have done."
"You have nothing to thank me for. I only did what I had to do—really, it was the people of Hyrule and the Twilight Realm who were responsible for making sure that the king fell." it felt like she had repeated those words hundreds of times. Maybe she had. Midna would not be surprised if that was the case. After all, the first hour of the celebration had flown by in a blur of people whispering to each other while looking at her, some of them coming over to thank her.
But unlike what Midna had expected, the man did not nod at her, show her how he had hidden an emblem beneath the collar, and then leave, nor did he try to convince her that she had somehow single-handedly brought the king to fall. Instead of doing any of what Midna expected of him, he just sent her a long look, making her feel almost like she was the one who did not understand what was going on, like she was the one who had simply walked into a conversation.
"Believe me," the man said with a smile, "you have done so much more than just that. Just… I know that you most likely did not realise it at the time, that you did not do it for my sake, but let me tell you that you changed my life for the better the moment you made it so that the princess would not have to travel to Labrynna to marry the crown prince."
It felt almost like the words passed through her brain and then out on the other side, Midna finding it nearly impossible to make sense of what she was hearing. The things he said, the way he was clearly trying his best not to be seen, even now moving to stand with his back turned towards most of the guests, the expensive fabric of the cape—Midna could only think of one explanation that would be enough to explain it all, but it simply did not make any sense. From what she had heard, it was not possible for him to really been there.
But she had to know, and so, preparing herself for the moment he would frown, perhaps insulted that she had mistaken him for someone else, Midna cocked her head. "Crown Prince Ralph?"
He smiled. "At your service."
After everything else, after all the things that had happened over the last couple of months that had also not made any sense, Midna supposed that she should really not have been all that surprised. A prince from a neighbouring kingdom was standing in front of her, how different was that really from walking into the storeroom of the Shadow, thinking that she would just make sure that the food she had been able to steal would be kept safe until they were able to reach the base, only to find that the chest was already in use by the princess of Hyrule?
But although she should perhaps have been able to just shrug it all off, Midna could feel how the questions bubbled up towards the surface, all manners let behind for a moment as she instead just stared at him. "Forgive me, You Royal Highness—"
Ralph interrupted her before she was able to reach the end of the sentence, signalling for her to stop. "Please. I don't want to be recognised right here."
He had not told her not to address him with the proper respect, Midna noticed, he had merely asked her not to ruin his disguise. Fighting to keep back a smirk at the way he was so obviously not going to tell her to just call him by his first name, Midna nodded. "All right. Ralph it is then." pausing for a moment, she tried to tell if he was annoyed by her antics.
If he was, he was able to hide it well, his face a mask of complete calmness, making Midna have to admit that maybe she had been wrong about him. But right then, she really did not care all that much about the personality of the prince Zelda would have married had it not been for the fact that Midna had unwittingly brought her the weapon she would use to kill her father when faced with a situation where she had to choose between standing by and watch Midna die or acting, so she did not hesitate for long before continuing. "May I ask what you mean? What do you mean that I changed your life for the better? You do realise that I am the reason you are currently unmarried, do you not?"
"I do. That is why I have to thank you."
Following his line of sight, Midna looked towards the other end of the ballroom where one of the women she had seen Ilia talk with before, the one among the blue-haired women who had spun around in a sea of blue silk, the quality of the fabric being apparent even to Midna, was looking at them.
She turned back towards Ralph, and in that moment, it all made sense to her. The reason why he had wanted to come all that way to celebrate with the rest of them even though he had to hide, why he had sounded so sincere when he had thanked her—all of it made sense.
"What is her name?" Midna looked back over at him, already knowing that she would not have to specify whom she was talking about. It would appear that Ganondorf had not lied about that part after all.
As Ralph answered, all of the smugness disappeared from his voice, leaving only a fond tone behind. "Nayru." he must have noticed her surprised look, for he smiled. "Yes, like the goddess, I know. It is fitting, you know, it really does feel like she could be one of the golden goddesses having assumed a mortal form—but," he said, interrupting himself, a blush rising into his cheeks, "I did not come here to tell you about how amazing she is. If that was the case, none of us would ever leave this room again, for I am certain that there are not enough words in this world to ever allow me to even come close to being able to describe her." Ralph must have noticed that Midna was coming closer and closer to just deciding that, prince or not, she was not going to stay, rolling her eyes, and leaving with every passing second, for he hurried to clear his throat, reaching out to take her hand. "Midna, I can't thank you enough for what you did. I am not conceited enough to even entertain the idea that you would be thinking about me when you made the decision—of course you weren't, no one would have thought about a prince they had never met—but even though you might not have known about it, I wanted to tell you that you truly changed my life for the better, and that, if there is anything at all I can do to repay you, just say the word. Then, I will do everything within my power to make it come true."
She shook her head. It all felt unreal. Not only was she here, having had to try to come up with a way to react to the never-ending crowd of people who just wanted to talk with her for a moment, who just wanted to shake her hand, just wanted to stand next to her for half a second, now she was also standing here, talking with the heir to the Labrynnan throne, having him promise her that he would give her anything she might ever ask of him.
In the end, even though Midna did not doubt that she would easily have been able to think of something she could need a prince's help with if she had just tried, she shook her head at him. "That is very kind, Ralph, but it would not feel right to ask anything of you. You are right that I was not thinking about you when I made the decision to act. If it can stay between us, I will have to admit that I really was not thinking about anyone in this room when I made the decision. It would simply not be right to expect anything in return."
At least Ralph did not try to argue with her though he did lift his brow at that. "Who did you think about then?"
The memory of how Zelda had looked only a couple of days ago, the smile she had sent Midna when she had leant down to kiss her, the joy that had fluttered in her stomach for the few days of almost perfect bliss she had had before her own doubts had come between them, making Midna push Zelda away again, ignoring the way everything in her yelled at her to explain to her what was wrong, why she was acting the way she was, rose to the surface. Almost like the clouds that would sometimes surround the ship for hours at a time, making it difficult for them to be able to watch out for the signs Ganondorf's ships being close by, it refused to leave her, instead allowing for the grief and regret to seep into her words as Midna shook her head. "I—please don't take this the wrong way, but I really don't want to talk about it."
She had expected for Ralph to feel insulted, but, to Midna's surprise and relief, he just shrugged, changing the subject almost immediately. "Don't apologise, I can understand that feeling. Back when I was still meant to marry Princess Zelda, back when both Nayru and I thought that we were living on borrowed time, that I would one day have to choose between her and my duties to my people, it was easier not to talk about her with anyone, to only allow her to be in my thoughts when we were able to spend time together. But, no matter what, I want you to know that you will always be welcome in Labrynna. Should you ever decide to visit us, just say that you were invited by the crown prince—I will make sure that we will have a room ready for you , should you ever want to spend time at the palace." Ralph blinked at her. "And, trust me, no matter how beautiful Hyrule and the Twilight Realm might be, they are not able to compete with Labrynna. Imagine it, blue oceans that seem to continue on for forever, a perfect beach, enormous forests, and mountains that almost seem to be able to touch the sky. Just… think about it." with a final glance in the direction of Nayru, Ralph turned around to leave.
"Wait!" Midna was not even aware of how she had raised her voice to a point that could hardly be considered polite, how she had reached out to grab the prince's hand until she had already done it.
Really, she should probably consider herself lucky when Ralph did not respond by pushing her away, revealing how he had brought guards with him from Labrynna who would rush towards her, ready to save their prince, but as Midna looked up at him, she knew that, even if the relaxed expression on his face was just a way to hide the fact that he had already gestured towards the guards, she would not have been able to worry about it.
No, in that moment, all she could think about was how she had to know how much Ganondorf had lied about, so, trying her best to calm down just a little, she moved closer towards him, keeping her voice down. "I thought—well, that is, I was told that your parents would view it as a grave insult for the princess not to marry you when it had already been agreed so many years ago that you would marry one another to strengthen the ties between Labrynna and Hyrule. Was that all a lie?" inwardly, she was whispering to herself, whispering a prayer to any goddess who might want to listen, Midna hoping that perhaps the fact that there was a person in the room who shared her name would make Nayru more likely to help her, especially given how Midna had come to learn that she was the goddess Zelda felt the closest connection to, or at least the one she would address with a quick prayer the most. If Ganondorf was wrong about this, then perhaps he would be wrong about other things as well. Maybe it would be enough to make the world change a little, pushing everything into place.
"I would not say that they were happy about the fact that my marriage was never even made official," Ralph said, his voice sounding too cheerful considering how they were discussing an issue that might potentially make it even more difficult for the council to negotiate with Labrynna, "but, in the end, I was able to convince them that it was better for Labrynna to maintain a friendly relationship with its neighbours than to allow our pride to lead us onto a course that would ultimately do nothing good for anyone in either country. And, while I still would not exactly say that they are happy about what has happened, I think that they are able to admit that it is better this way, that having a more stable country to the north will be better for everyone. Well, I suppose I cannot claim that I was the one to convince them of that."
"Nayru?"
"Of course." Ralph paused again, once more looking towards Nayru. It was not until Midna tried her best to discreetly clear her throat that he looked back over at her, sending her an apologetic look. "Forgive me, but it is still so new… all of this. Just a couple of weeks ago, I knew that, in just a couple of weeks, I would have to marry the princess of Hyrule and that from then on, the only thing I would be able to hope for would be for her to agree that it would be better for us to remain friends And now…" he shook his head, "I am sorry, I am rambling again. I did not come over to you to begin to tell you about Nayru, no matter how much I pity those who will not be able to get the pleasure of getting to know her. But," he narrowed his eyes a little, and for the first time during their conversation, Midna could feel how, underneath the fancy cape and the hair that was unlike anything she had ever seen before, Ralph was a prince, someone who had been raised to be able to cast a single glance at someone and know exactly where the conversation was heading, predicting exactly what he would have to say to make sure he would remain in control before a single word ha even left their mouth, "I am sure that that was not really what you wanted to talk about either."
"No," Midna admitted, Trying to lie to him was an hopeless idea, she could tell that already, simply by how little time it had taken for him to see through what had not quite been a lie, but also not been the full truth, "I suppose it was not really what I wanted to get the answer to."
"You are wondering about whether the rumours of Labrynnan troops arriving to help the rebels in the southern parts of Hyrule are true, and, if they are, if they acted on the orders of the royal family or if they had just decided to help those they deemed most in need of it." Ralph stated it like it was simply another rumour rather than something that, if it was true, would mean that Labrynna had not remained as neutral in the battle as Zelda had told her that Queen Ambi wanted to appear as. "Am I not right?"
Midna could only nod, all words feeling like they disappeared in her throat as she met his gaze. Even by just looking at his face, the way he was so clearly trying to hide a hint of a smile, she could see what the answer to her question would be, and still, it felt almost too self-satisfied to think that she might be right about the look she thought she could see in his eyes.
Finally, Midna was able to force herself to speak, having to practically push the words out of her mouth, forcing them to become more than just a whisper in her head. "You are. That was what I wanted to ask about."
"I thought so." Casting a glance at the people around them, Ralph moved a step closer to her, clearly trying his best and failing to make it seem like he was not trying to figure out if he would be able to answer her without risking anyone overhearing.
When it finally seemed that he was satisfied with their odds of having their conversation go by unnoticed, he looked back at her. "Now, it would be a political scandal if it turned out that they had really acted because they had received orders to help the rebels in Hyrule. I trust you not to let my answer reach anyone but the two of us." he fell silent, refusing to continue until Midna nodded. "Good. I… while the soldiers were not exactly told that they would have to go to Hyrule to risk their lives for a cause that had, until we got a message from some of our spies that the rumours about how the Twilight Princess might have turned out to be more than just a tale that mothers would tell their children to give them hope, seemed like nothing more than a lie that the Resistance would try to tell its members to try to make them believe that they might actually be able to change something, I also had… ahem, let us refer to them as private meetings with one of the generals not that long after I heard about you. And, well, while I don't want to say that I was the reason for why the battles have already ended in the southern parts of Hyrule and why there are currently ten airships heading towards the towns that have yet to bring an end to the battles to provide the Resistance with the help and weapons they might need, I might have made it clear to her that, as the crown prince and heir to the throne, I would consider every single person willing to participate in the mission a hero."
"You—" Midna could not bring herself to finish the sentence, she simply could not. Here she was, standing in front of a person who had, until that very moment, honestly not seemed all that bright, only to learn that he might have been the reason for why the battles in the south had been over before they had truly begun, before they would have claimed any lives.
Of course, Midna had had her suspicions about how the little army she had heard rumours about had most likely not consisted of a bunch of soldiers who had decided to travel to Hyrule all on their own, but she had always assumed that if the order had come from someone within the palace, then it would have been given by the queen. But now, as she looked at Ralph, she knew that she had been wrong.
Finally finding the strength to speak again, Midna shook her head, struggling to believe that this was really happening, that she would not wake up any moment to find that she had just been dreaming for the last couple of minutes, perhaps even for the past couple of months, "Ralph, I—I can't thank you enough. If what you are saying is true, then…"
"Then I am a part of the reason for why you are currently able to celebrate your victory." Ralph smirked at her, but where Midna would probably have rolled her eyes at him before, now, she just kept smiling at him as he continued. "I suppose that means that we are both struggling to find the words to describe how thankful we are, so why don't we just agree that we owe each other a favour?"
There was no part of her, not even a single whisper in her head that wanted her to stop, to tell him that he did not know anything about her, as Midna nodded. "Yes, let us do that."
"Great!" clasping his hands together, Ralph stepped away from her again, allowing for the sound of the festivities that were still going on right next to them to stream back into the air between them. "Now, if you will excuse me, I am already missing Nayru again. We have to enjoy the one life we have, don't we? No matter what, I know that I am going to enjoy every single second of mine, and with how Nayru is without a doubt the best part of it, I don't want to miss out on any second I might have spent in her presence." but, despite his words, Ralph still only took a single step away from Midna before pausing to turn around and look back at her again. "Oh, and Midna?"
Deep down, Midna already knew what he was going to tell her, how she had not done enough to hide the fact that they had both been talking about the same person, albeit for quite different reasons, when they had discussed the fact that Ralph would not have to marry the Hyrulean princess anymore. But that did not keep her from at least making an attempt at acting like she was not perfectly aware of what he would say, instead lifting her chin a little as she looked back at him. "Yes?"
The smile he sent her was enough for Midna to know that she was not able to fool him. Still, Ralph was merciful enough to not say it for everyone to hear. Instead, he gave a toss of the head in the direction of a set of double doors as he smiled at her. "Go talk with her! I promise you that you will not regret telling her how you feel." then, not giving her even a moment to tell him that he had misunderstood, Ralph twirled around with more grace than what the cape should have made possible and began to head over towards Nayru.
She did not leave the ballroom because Ralph had told her to. Midna wished that she was able to convince her that she did, that she did not feel like she was pulled through the hallways of the castle by an invisible force, and that she was only letting her feet carry her in the direction of the tower because she had been told to do so by a prince. But, beneath all the lies and the fear, down where there was only space for the truth, Midna knew that she did not leave the ballroom because of any outside reason—not because she wanted to escape from the noise and the people who continued to treat her like she was some kind of hero, all of them at once acting so much like Zelda had done in the beginning while still being nothing like her, and not because Ralph had advised her to do so—that she was walking towards Zelda's room because she had to talk with her, because she had to at least make an attempt at trying to explain to her the reasons for why Midna had acted the way she had for the last few days.
The world rushed past her as she all but ran up the stairs. And then it came to a sudden halt as Midna reached out to open the doors, only to find that she stepped into an empty room. It was all it took for the courage she had so painstakingly collected to disappear.
As Midna walked back down the stairs, it felt like the air itself was pushing down on her, making her unable to stand up straight. It was not sign, a message from some goddess Midna was not even sure she really believed in, that she had been too late, that she had spent too much time walking around the castle, feeling sorry for herself. Midna knew that, but it was difficult to remember as she turned around the corner, beginning the long walk back to her room that was not even her own, but rather something she had been allowed to use for the time being, which meant only as long as she made sure that the people of Hyrule would not notice that she did not deserve all of the praise, all the thankyous they sent her way, all the flowers she had been given over the days she had spent at the castle.
She should perhaps have returned to the ballroom to let Link and Ilia know why she was leaving, but the walk back to the other wing of the castle suddenly grew in her head, feeling like a distance that was not meant for a human to be able to walk. They would figure out where she was. Midna had to trust that either Ilia, Ilia with all her advice and kindness, would be able to tell Link the reason for why she had left, or Link would know her well enough to not even have to worry for a second if anything had happened to her. Right now, she would not be able to tell them herself.
"Midna! Wait for me"
Midna was so busy feeling sorry for herself that she almost did not hear how someone called out for her. But the moment before she would have turned around the corner, her mind caught up with what was going on around her. Recognising the voice already before she even realised that it was her own name she had just heard, Midna turned around, trying her best to prepare herself for when she would find herself face to face with Zelda again.
However, no amounts of trying to convince herself that she was really ready to look over at Zelda, to see the way she paused, clearly beginning to question whether it had been right to just yell Midna's name after her, would have been enough to prepare Midna for finally being so close to her after she had failed to tell her what she wanted to hear, after she had ignored the way Zelda had all but asked her to invite her to come with her when she would leave Hyrule.
Zelda was standing right there, barely ten metres away from her. In her lilac gown, her hair having been pulled up into an intricate hairstyle on top of her head, Midna would not have doubted that she had indeed meant to go to the celebration, but with how much time Midna had spent looking for Zelda, she knew that she had never been there, that Midna had not simply failed to spot her among all the other guests.
And then, the metres between them became seven, became five, became three, two, one, and then only a couple of centimetres, Zelda pausing in front of her, the momentum she had carried when she had hurried over to her, clearly having decided that the only way she would be able to move over to Midna without giving herself the chance to realise how she was making a mistake was by hurrying so much that she almost was not able to slow down in time, nearly sending her crashing into her. But, despite wobbling a bit, Zelda was able to stop in time to instead look up at her.
"So," Zelda said, bringing an end to the silence, fake politeness in her voice, "I see that you have left the celebration already."
If Zelda wanted to pretend that everything was perfect between them, was willing to pretend that Midna might not very well have just made what fragile thing that had grown between them shrivel up and die, Midna could do the same, so, trying her best to mirror Zelda's stance, the way she was able to relax, Midna returned the little smile. "Yes, I did. Please don't tell Ilia. I don't think she will be glad that I left without telling her." she also would not be glad once she heard about the reason for why Midna had not talked about Zelda for the past several days, avoiding the subject whenever it would be brought up with what Midna hoped might have been at least a hint of tactfulness but knew was more likely a not at all subtle hint that something was wrong between them, but Midna did not mention that. There was no reason to make Zelda feel like she was in any way responsible for the fact that Midna was bad at making decisions about her own life.
"Oh, no, don't worry about that. If you don't want me to tell her, then I will make sure to let this stay between us." for a moment, Zelda smiled at her acting almost like nothing had happened, but then it all came rushing back, falling over them just like nightfall, making Zelda look down towards where she might have been able to see her feet if she had still been wearing the trousers she had worn while living with them at the base, clearly searching for something to say.
In the end, Midna could almost feel how Zelda only looked up, only spoke, because, despite everything else, the horrible silence between them was worse than any awkwardness that might occur if they made the wrong move, all of that and so much more present in her voice. "But, Midna may I ask why you did not feel like staying there anymore? From what I heard, almost everyone who was able to make it to Castle Town in time for the celebration was there."
"I don't know." because she had not felt at home in the castle ever since she and Zelda had stopped talking. "I suppose it felt a bit too crowded for me." because Midna knew that, if she wanted to remain true to her plans for herself, she would have to leave by tomorrow morning, and the thought of leaving without having told Zelda the truth about why she had left so suddenly made her heart ache. "That, and I also did not know how to dance." because Midna was in love with her, but knew that she had ruined anything that might once have been between them with the way her instinctive reaction to the idea of letting someone come close to her was to push them away before the intimacy of realising that she cared for someone would get the chance to hurt her. "I don't really know. Take you pick from those explanations."
"Midna…" Zelda said her name almost like it was something precious, "I—if you are worried because you do not know how to dance, well… I am sure that I could teach you a thing or two, although it would, admittedly, not be in time for you to be able to make it back to the festivities."
It was an invitation, Midna could hear it. She knew that Zelda was not asking her to dance, or that it was at least about so much more than that.
But if she was just able to force herself to look at Zelda and only hear what she said, making herself believe, even if it was only for a moment, that Zelda was merely offering to teach her how to dance, then Midna was able to open her mouth, gaining the ability to speak. "I would like that very much. Thank you."
"It is nothing," Zelda responded.
Already, Midna hoped that she was lying. She wanted so badly for it to mean something, for the way Zelda reached out, hesitating for a moment before leading Midna's towards the side of the hallway, showing her how she was supposed to place one hand near her waist, throwing the other over her shoulder, to be more than just her proving that she could still be polite to her.
They moved around like that for a moment, Zelda taking a step back and Midna following her, never moving more than a metre away from the spot where they had begun. Midna did not even have to think about the way she had seen some of the women twirling around inside the ballroom, the combination of silk, satin, and wool sweeping over the floor, the women laughing just as warmly no matter the fabric of their dress, to know that this, the way she was tripping back and forth, trying her best to avoid getting lost in Zelda's eyes, was nothing like the impressive dances she had seen back there.
"Midna—"
"Zelda, I—"
The words filled the air at the same time, Zelda moving her head a little, a faint chuckle bubbling up from her chest as she finally looked over at Midna with a little joy in her eyes. "I am sorry. Do you want to begin?"
Midna really didn't, but she knew that one of them would have to be the first to bring an end to the uneasy feelings that had been between them for those last couple of days, so she swallowed all the objections her mind was already providing her with, instead nodding at her. "Yes, I… I know that you are probably going to tell me that everything is all right, that I have nothing to worry about the moment I finish speaking, and, as thankful as I am for that—because, believe me, I know that I do not deserve that—I just want to ask you to let me speak and not to interrupt me until I am finished with my apology."
"Apology?" Zelda frowned. "Midna, there is no need for—"
"Yes. Yes, there is actually a need for me to apologise for the way I have acted for the last few days. So, please, will you promise me that you will let me finish? Then, we can begin to argue about whether or not the apology was needed."
A moment passed, Zelda looking almost like she was on the verge of denying her that much. It was both what Midna feared and what she wished for, a way for her to escape, not having to face the fact that she knew deep down that she had made a mistake, that she had made a long series of mistakes, all of them born of the belief that everything might have been better for the people around her if they had not been unlucky enough to meet her, unlucky enough for Midna to pull them directly into her life, making it so that her problems became their problems as well. But, with how Midna knew that she would not be able to leave tomorrow if she did not tell her this now, at least not without regretting it for the rest of her life, regretting both the fact that she had left Zelda behind in the exact place she did not want to be in, as well as the way she would no longer be able to wake up in the morning, already knowing that Zelda was only a few metres away from her, she found the strength not to choose the easy path.
And then Zelda nodded. "All right. If you want me to wait until you are finished with your own apology, then that is what I will do."
"Thank you." Midna had feared that she would find herself without the words necessary to let Zelda know how she was regretting the way she had allowed the last couple of days to pass by without the two of them getting the chance to talk to one another, but as she stood there, almost pressed up against the wide skirts of Zelda's dress, the two of them having stopped moving a long time ago, instead standing still in a deserted hallway in a remote part of the castle, she found that the words came to her. Rather than her having to fight not to give up, allowing herself to choose the cowardly way out of the situation, they rushed to her, almost pushing to make her allow them to move out of her mind and into the world. "I just… I wanted to apologise to you for the way I have acted for the last couple of days. I know that it was not right, and—"
"You don't have to apologise for anything," Zelda said, only pausing as Midna sent her a glance.
"I knew that you were going to tell me that. I knew right from the very beginning that the moment I would try to explain to you that I knew that what I had done was wrong, you would immediately try to assure me that I had been right to act that way, that my behaviour was somehow justified. Which is also part of the reason for why I knew that I would not be able to pretend that nothing had happened. You—" Midna nodded towards her, hoping that it would be enough to get her meaning across. She did not dare to move her hands even a little, not when she was finally feeling like she was able to stay close to Zelda without running away. "I suppose that I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?" Zelda asked, before her eyes became wide again, the little, jerky motion of her hands letting Midna know that maybe in a different world, Zelda would have moved to cover her mouth with her hand. Now, she simply sent her a little shake of the head. "I am sorry. I know that I had just promised—"
"No, it is all right. It was a dumb promise anyway. Really, I should know enough about you by now to realise that you would not be able to stay quiet." that comment, the poor attempt at humour, finally earned her a smile, but Midna forced herself not to spend too much time thinking about it, instead making sure that she would say what she had to let Zelda know before she would lose what little courage the smile had given her. "Zelda, that was among the reasons for why I left the way I did Sunday."
"What?" Zelda drew her brows together. "That I am unable to stay quiet while you insult yourself?"
"No, that you are just—well, the way you are. That you always believe in the best in everyone, even me."
"Well, give me a reason for why I should not do that, and then I will stop immediately."
Even trying to imagine a place where Zelda would not always be the first to look at Midna and think that she was a hero, unselfish and self-sacrificing, was almost more than what Midna could take, but she forced the tears back. She had to focus, now was not a time for tears, not when she had a feeling that she would get plenty of time to cry later. So, trying and failing horribly at sounding calm, Midna looked down at Zelda and shook her head. "See, that is exactly what I am talking about. I suppose that I was scared that you were going to wake up one day and realise that you had made a mistake back… that day in your room. I was afraid that, if you would come with me, if I had asked you if you would do me the honour of leaving this place with me, you would wake up one day and realise that you had made a mistake. In the end, I suppose that I was afraid that I would lose you, that it was inevitable, making it so that it would be better, more merciful, for both of us if I just got it over with immediately."
She had promised herself that she would not cry, that she would not break down completely, showing Zelda that, despite the first impression she might have got of her, Midna really was not as cold as she had wanted to believe she was. But as Zelda let out a little sound, almost a whimper, Midna could see how the colours became fuzzy around her, her eyes stinging as the tears began to stream down her cheeks.
"Midna…"
The next thing Midna knew, Zelda had pulled into an embrace so tight that it felt like she would never let go of her again, the sheer strength behind the hug making it so that, even though Midna was tall enough to make Zelda have to turn her head to the side to avoid colliding with her shoulder, Midna felt much smaller than her in that moment.
Stroking her hair, Zelda continued. "I am not going to leave you—not as long as I am still able to stay with you. I thought you knew that."
"I know." Midna was not sure how she was able to get the word out. "I know. I know that I am not supposed to feel like this, I knew the second you left me back then that everything would have been perfect between us if I had just been able to act like a normal person for two seconds without losing it completely and pushing everyone away, but I just—I could not make myself go back to you, not when I knew that I had already hurt you once. I thought that it would be easier for both of us if I just let you go, freeing you from having to reach the conclusion that I am not a very likeable person on your own and then having to tell me that you want to leave."
"Whoa, Midna, how long have you felt like this?" Zelda's voice grew lower, more concerned, but even as Midna tried to focus on her face, she was unable to make out the exact details, tears making the world blur in front of her.
However, she was still able to talk, so that was that she did. "I don't know. For—well, for years, I think."
"Oh."
And that was really all any of them would ever have been able to say. Oh. What else was there to say when faced with the fact that, even though she was sometimes able to pretend otherwise, Midna really was the first person to turn away and leave any situation that might have brought her to a place where she would have to be honest about how she felt?
But Zelda did not let it end there, instead continuing, leaning closer towards Midna again, holding her so tightly that it felt almost like she had convinced herself that she would be able to change all of this, that she might be able to make it so that Midna would actually be able to, for just a few seconds, act like she was supposed to do, rather than turning around and leaving nothing but a shattered reflection of what might have been behind her, murmuring the words to her, soft and yet so loud that Midna would not have been able not to hear it. "I wouldn't leave you. Not as long as I would be able to stay with you."
She was barely able to keep herself from scoffing, having to remind herself that this was not Zelda's fault, that, really, if Midna wanted to be angry, she had only herself to thank for the fact that she was now standing here, in this situation. "Everyone is bound to leave sooner or later."
"Midna… let me ask you, did you think that as well back in my room? Where you thinking that I was going to leave in the end back then, did you believe that the moment was only a tiny glimpse of what could have been, that it would not be able to last?"
"Yes." the answer came promptly. Midna did not even have to recall the way it had felt so important to memorise every little detail of what it had felt like to kiss Zelda to know that it was true. "Yes, I did think that it was going to end soon, that such happiness could not last."
Zelda let out a little, whimpering sound, the realisation that she had just brought her close to tears making Midna's stomach turn. But then, before she got the chance to react, Zelda had moved, bringing her hands op to rest against her cheeks, Zelda rising to stand on the tip of her toes. It was not quite enough to bring her up to the same level as Midna as she looked directly into her eyes, into her soul, but there was such an intensity behind it that Midna did not really notice it, not when Zelda leant in, bringing her forehead to rest against hers. "I… I know that this will not change how it was back then, but I can assure you that I was not thinking that it was going to end. I wished that it would last forever, that I would never have to let go of you again."
"So did I." Midna could hear the frustration seep into her voice as it became clear that, despite the fact that she had already said too much, telling Zelda much more than she would have liked to, she still did not understand. "It's just—I am sorry, but it is complicated."
"Perhaps, but it doesn't have to be."
"What do you mean?"
Zelda laughed, the sound dying a second later, making way for the frustration Midna had been able to feel just beneath the surface for so much of their conversation. "That I am standing here in front of you, telling you that I did not wish for it to end, that I wanted nothing more than to be able to come with you when you leave this castle again, and yet, you still refuse to accept the fact that it might be true."
"I am not saying that it isn't true!" Midna protested.
"Oh, really?" Zelda cocked her head. "Well, then what are you doing? Because that it what it sounds like to me."
"I am—I am just…" but she could not find the words.
Really, Midna doubted that there were even enough words to allow her to try to explain to Zelda what it had felt like to know that everything she could ever have wanted might be within her reach after years of believing that she would die at an early age, meeting her end alone and afraid, and know that, even now, she would not be able to reach out and achieve it, that the thing that had done the most to keep her from finding happiness was not an outside force, but rather herself.
"It is complicated. I—I suppose it is just easier to give up before it has even happened. That way, I will not have to wonder about what could have been." it was a lie, Midna knew that already before the words had left her mouth, bringing back the memories of how Zelda had smiled, the way she had reacted instinctively the moment Midna had been in danger, standing up to her brother despite the dangers of doing so.
"Really?" Zelda lifted an eyebrow. "You don't think about what might have been every single day?"
"I…"
"Forget about it. You don't owe me an answer. I suppose I just wanted to talk with you for a moment."
She was going to leave. Midna could feel it. In just a couple of seconds, Zelda would let go of her, turn around and walk towards her chamber. It did not take much for Midna to realise that if she did that, she would not let her in, instead keeping to herself and only coming back out when Midna had already left the castle. She could not let it come to that. The force of knowing that, that despite what might happen, she could not just stand by and watch herself push Zelda further away from her, was stronger than everything else, forcing the cry through her throat, out of her mouth and into the air between them.
"Zelda, wait!"
"Yes?" Zelda might still be standing right in front of her, but mentally she had clearly already begun the process of turning around, saying goodbye to Midna.
"I am sorry. For everything. I—I don't want to leave. I mean, of course I do want to leave this place, but I really do not want to leave you, especially not when it is like this between us." Midna had thought that it would be all she would be able to say before her throat would close up again, but it seemed that once she had begun, she was not able to bring herself to stop again, the words continuing to spill from her lips. "Back then, I wanted to ask you if you wanted to come with me, I wanted to know that we would leave this place together, that we would remain close to each other, but… well, what can I really say that will not make me sound like I am unable to read any situation?" she shrugged, hoping that the tiny chuckle did not sound like the sob it felt like it should have been replaced by. "It did not feel right to ask that much of you, not when I knew that I was… that I was the way I am."
The silence between them was mortifying, making each second feel like it should have been her last, but then, finally, Zelda opened her mouth, the way her voice trembled a little making it clear that Midna was not the only one struggling with keeping back the tears. "And what if I had wanted to ask you if I could come along, but did not want to risk having to look at you while you stared at me, knowing that you were wondering how I could ever have thought that you would want me to come with you?"
"I don't know. We would both be quite stupid then, I suppose."
"Indeed. I would have to ask myself what I had done to trick everyone in the country into thinking that I had ever done anything to deserve being known as one of the wisest persons within the castle."
"But you would have said yes, had I just asked?" Midna was not sure why she asked, not when it should be clear to everyone how her chance of actually asking Zelda, of opening her mouth and trying to communicate with her rather than just assuming the worst, had passed a long time ago.
"I would not even have had to think twice to know that I wanted to come with you."
Midna did not know who initiated the kiss. All she knew was that, in that moment, she did not worry about how she would have to memorise each little detail of it. There was no need for it; she did not have to try her best to remember the exact way Zelda reached out, halfway placing her hands on her shoulder to be able to pull herself up to meet her lips, halfway to pull Midna down a little. It was all right, she had time and she would have time after this. For once, Midna was able to let go of the feeling of it all being nothing more than a moment of stolen happiness, letting go of the feeling that told her that no matter how pleasant all of this might feel, it would not last forever to instead enjoy the moment.
It could have lasted hours, maybe just a second. All Midna knew was that they were both crying when Zelda let go of her, moving back down to stand normally, though she had a feeling that, just like herself, Zelda was not crying because she was sad as much as it was a reaction to the fact that, maybe, everything might turn out all right after all.
"Midna…?" Zelda's voice was small, barely more than a loud whisper as she looked up at her, but Midna was still able to hear each and every single word as loudly as it would have been if someone had yelled directly into her ear.
"Yes?"
"Do you think that there might be space for another passenger on the Shadow when you leave?"
"That depends. Who would this passenger be? Because if it is Ilia, I think that I would have to also grow used to the idea of bringing half of the country along with how many friends she found at the celebration."
Zelda laughed, the sound of it seeming almost broken, though, this time, it was not because it should really have been a sob, but rather because she shook her head at her. "No, it is not Ilia I was thinking about."
"Well, who was it then?"
Reaching out to take her hands, Zelda pulled Midna closer to her. That, or else she brought herself closer to Midna, there really was no way to know which one of the two options was the truth, not as Zelda looked up at her and spoke. "Me."
It was so tempting to try to make fun of the situation, to try to trick herself into thinking that, right then, it did not feel like she might as well have stopped breathing, but, somehow, in some inexplicable way, Midna was able to push down the instinctive urge to respond to any difficult situation by making fun of it, to instead smile at Zelda, hoping that she was able to see the joy that shone through. "If it is you, I know that there will always be a place for you there."
Once more, Midna was not sure who was the first of them to move, to lean in and kiss the other. All she knew was that it felt like the moment would never end.
"Promise me that you will remember to visit us!"
With how tightly Ilia had wrapped her arms around her, acting almost like she was entertaining the thought of never letting go of her again, forcing her to stay with them right there for the rest of their lives, Midna found it almost surprising that she still had air enough to force out an answer. "Of course I am going to visit you again from time to time. Who else would you be able to complain to whenever Link does something rash?"
Ilia laughed through the tears. "Exactly! I need you to come back here every single week, just to make sure that I will be able to remind someone other than him to take care of themselves! You know, maybe it would be better if you did not leave just yet, even if you only stayed for a couple of more months, I know that it would be a greater help for me than you could ever imagine."
"I know." Midna tried to chuckle, but it sounded almost flat as she felt the moment where she would have to move away from her, where she would have to let go of Ilia to climb up onto the deck of the Shadow with Zelda, approach. "I am just that amazing, I suppose. But don't worry; I am sure that you will be able to figure something out without me. If not, then I suppose that you will just have to wait for when Zelda and I have seen what lies beyond the Twilight Realm. That, or plan for you and Link to get married soon, because I promise you that I will not miss that for anything in the world, not with how great you seem to be at taking care of making sure that I have an unlimited supply of food at gatherings."
Before Ilia got the chance to do anything other than making another attempt at wiping away the tears, trying her best to force herself not to cry, Link came over to them. Placing an arm around Ilia's waist, he looked over at Midna, directing a lopsided smile towards her. "What is it I hear about Ilia and me getting married?"
"Oh, I was just telling Ilia that if she really wants to make sure that I will come back soon, then she would have to hurry up and ask you the big question."
Link shook his head at her, sending a short glance over at Ilia, the two of them pausing for a moment as they almost seemed to melt towards the other. Then, clearly being brought back to the moment by the little cough Midna tried to make discreet enough to not have everyone turn around to look at her while still letting it be enough to let Link know that she was still standing right there, that she had not disappeared just because he and Ilia seemed to have disappeared into their own world where it was only the two of them, he looked back over at her, sending her a grin. "Midna, as much as I am going to miss you, I can assure you that when Ilia and I marry, it will be for more than just to have an excuse to force you to come back to be with us for the entirety of the duration of the celebration."
Placing her hand over her heart, Midna tried her best to hide the wide smile on her face, instead trying to look hurt. "You wound me. How dare you try to tell me that you are not thinking about getting married solely to gain a reason to have me come back here?"
But it was Ilia rather than Link who answered. Moving towards Midna, just enough to be able to poke her in the side, staying close to Link through it all, she laughed at her. "Well, when it happens, you better believe that I am going to make certain that the ceremony will last a month just to be able to ask you to stay with us for several weeks in revenge for how you are leaving us now!"
Unable to see how much of it was just Ilia trying her best to make them both smile, wanting their goodbye to be a happy occasion rather than a reason to cry, Midna raised an eyebrow. "I will keep that in mind."
For a moment, she thought that Ilia was going to say something, was going to pull her in for another hug, but then, taking a step backwards, Ilia nodded instead. "Good, then it is settled then. Once Link and I marry, you and Zelda will have to come back here to stay with us for at least a month. Now, if you will excuse me, I have to go tell Zelda that you have already promised me that!" the next moment, Ilia had moved past Midna, pushing her way through the crowd that had gathered around the ship to get to where Zelda was talking with Ashei, the captain clearly trying her best to keep back the tears but struggling more and more as the seconds passed, bringing them closer to the one where Midna would take to the sky alongside Zelda.
That left her alone with Link.
It was strange, really. Midna had known that she would have to say goodbye to him. She had known right from the very moment she had made the choice that she did not want to stay in Castle Town, that she would not be able to accept the offer Nabooru had extended towards every former resident of the base to make it so that they would have somewhere to stay in the town, Midna having tried her best to explain to her how she would not be able to stay in a place where everyone would still look at her like she had single-handedly saved the entire world, only for Nabooru to interrupt her, cutting in to tell her that she understood, that Midna had nothing to apologise for, that leaving would also mean having to say goodbye to Link. But it was almost like the full extent of it had not dawned on her until that very moment, like it had always been something Midna knew would have to happen, but had not really allowed herself to picture until she found herself with no choice other than to confront it. After everything they had been through together, after the way she had first reached out towards the only person her age she had found on the streets, deciding to share what little food she had with him, the two of them soon realising that it would be easier for both of them to survive if they worked together, it had begun to feel almost like saying goodbye would just be yet another word, that they would not leave each other, not really.
Maybe they would still not do it, or at least that was what Midna hoped as she stood there, neither of them moving to say a single word to the other. Maybe she would not really have to try to grow used to the idea of knowing that Link was far away from her, of no longer having the comfort of knowing that, even if he was not always the most talkative person, he would still be there for her, ready to try to help her however he could.
Perhaps Link was thinking the same thing. Midna hoped it was the case, for, if not, she could not imagine how awkward she would have felt.
And then, his voice almost breaking, Link made a little sound and moved towards her, almost reaching out as if to bring her into an embrace that would have been able to rival Ilia's, but stopping himself the moment before he would have taken her hand to instead smile at her, a look in his eyes that Midna knew as well as she knew herself.
"Well…" he said, digging his boot into the gravel on the ground, "I suppose that we will have to say goodbye now."
Perhaps that was what they should have done. Midna already knew that it might have been the easiest thing to do, to hug him and try to forget about him the moment she was back in her usual spot behind the rudder of the Shadow. But right in that moment, all Midna was able to think about was how she did not want to have to say goodbye, that she did not want to have to grow used to the idea of letting go of the person who had been her closest friend for so many years.
And so, rather than repeating his words back at him, Midna shook her head. "No, not goodbye," she said.
Link did not even look surprised. Midna supposed she should have expected that much from him, that she should have known how he would not even find her response confusing, instead just sending her a sad smile. "Well, then what do you want to say then?"
"That I will see you later?" Midna could hear how her voice rose on the last word, the tears finally making their way to her voice as well, but she refused to try to stop them. If she would have to cry now, if she would have to lose her ability to control her feelings, then that was what she would let happen.
For a moment, Link simply stared at her, looking almost like he could not believe what she was saying, but then he smiled at her, the gesture small and almost non-existent at first, but soon becoming a real smile as he nodded. "You are right. Let's not say goodbye. I will look forward to seeing you later, Midna."
"As will I."
There was nothing more for any of them to say, not now that Midna was able to instead see every single thing neither of them had wanted to put into words, making it so that the rest of the people who had gathered to say goodbye might have been able to overhear it, reflected in Link's eyes as he looked at her.
So, rather than making herself feel even sadder by continuing to stay right next to those she would be leaving behind, Midna turned around and began to make her way over to the ship, only pausing for a moment as she reached Zelda who had just then been able to convince Ashei that she would be all right.
It felt almost like they might have been alone despite the fact that half of Castle Town must have come to say goodbye to them when Midna leant towards her to whisper to her. "Are you coming?"
"I am."
It seemed like Zelda was thinking the same thing as she took Midna's hand, letting her lead her the last couple of metres towards the airship, not taking her gaze off her for even a moment.
As Midna stood there on the deck, looking out at the crowd below them and seeing how Link was standing with an arm around Ilia, Ilia waving up at them with tears in her eyes when she noticed that Midna was looking at her, spotting Rusl who was smiling towards them from his spot near the entrance to the castle, Colin and Uli standing right beside him, Uli holding their little daughter in her arms, she almost felt like there was nothing in the world that could have brought the moment any closer to perfection. But then Zelda was by her side, and although there was still a couple of centimetres of air between them, too much space when compared with what Midna had preferred, as Zelda rested her head against her shoulder, waving at the people who soon became little more than tiny dots as the balloon above them filled with warm air, lifting them off the ground, it was the happiest Midna had felt in as long as she could remember.
The town grew smaller beneath them, and yet, they did not look away.
But if they had, they would have seen how the snow was melting, the water dripping from the trees in the forest below them.
Spring had finally arrived.