A/N: Oh dear, it appears as though I'm two days late. Alas, more chronic pain and then some personal drama! Yay~! There was also a rather rude fly interrupting the editing process.

Baby chapter is baby. This one and next are the closest thing you're gonna get to a beach episode. I think we all need a good beach episode after the last chapter we spent with Link and Midna...

Heads up for a passing mention of BDSM by the way. I saw an opportunity to make a joke and I fucking went with it.

The Light Invasion

PART II - LIFT THE LIGHT

Region by region, dungeon by dungeon, trial by trial, Link and Midna build a fragile trust.

Chapter 34 - The Desert Harbour

After such a public tragedy, it hurt to leave Luce Prima to fend for itself, but the quest must go on. Midna had said so, and Link agreed. There were still people wasting away in the shadows of Arudici Province, and Hyrule was still without its precious sun.

With Midna on his back, Link plodded –well, limped– by Nova's side as she escorted him to the warp station. Her hair was unkept and greasy at the roots, and her eyes were dark and heavy.

For the past four circums, she had only done the bare minimum to care for herself, her patients, and her guests, but Link and Midna didn't mind. They helped around the house whenever they could. Link would carry dishes in his teeth to the kitchen and Midna would scrub them (although she wasn't thorough). Link would groom the kittens the way a mother cat would and Midna would clean up his inevitable hairballs. They'd also do Nova's errands so she could stay in the safety of her home. The only reason why she accompanied them now was because, with Midna's tattoos destroyed, someone needed to warp them.

The streets were ever more deserted now, more so than Link and Midna's return from Tenebria. Ever since the Canis and Equu incident, no one clamoured for Nova's service or left offerings at her door. Even as their fabled protector wandered past their homes, the residents didn't assume it was safe to emerge like they had on Link and Midna's circum on the city. At least they were learning.

The only other presence on the streets were the projections, but those had changed too. No longer did they display the likeness, names, and ages of the missing persons. They were replaced with the grainy ghosts of shadowbeasts, with a bold message in Twilit that must surely be warning civilians to stay away from the alleys or never leave home alone.

Directly under the swirling portal was a marked square the size of Link's basement. An identical one existed to the right of the first, and that was what Nova led him to.

She exchanged goodbyes with Midna in Twilit, handing her a top-up of medical supplies, and then a key. "So you can let yourself in next time," she said wearily. "No barking or howling or making a scene necessary." Perhaps she meant to say it with an edge of humour, but her fatigued betrayed her.

However, being devoid of humour didn't make Nova devoid of kindness. She knelt before Link and tenderly took his left paw, the nail of her thumb gently grazing the crusted fur peaking from his cuff. For the past four circums, she had apologised over and over for not being able to rid him of it, and as a wolf, he couldn't assure her that it was okay, it wasn't her fault, he could tolerate the pain just fine, and it wouldn't continue to chaff him once he was human again.

Thankfully, she didn't apologise this time. Instead, she sighed. "You know, in my professional opinion, you really ought to retire this quest." Nova gently placed his paw down. "Personal opinion?" She did something that made Link's tail twitch, something she hadn't done since before Canis's death: she smiled. It was slight, but unmistakable. "Go get them, sweetheart."

With a final scratch behind his ears, she stepped back, and with Midna on his back again, Link plodded onto the 'exit' square (the one adjacent to the portal) and turned to face their hostess-healer one more time.

Nova continued to smile, though it was a brave front. Should they leave her? Have faith that she'd make it home? "I'm… glad to have had you both as my guests. Just remember, no matter how harsh the rays burn…"

"The day won't break us," Midna finished. "Thank-you, Nova. You've been lovely."

"I… needed to hear that. Thanks."

With that final exchange, Nova raised her arms. Midna and Link relaxed, surrendering themselves to Nova's spell. Their bodies split into a thousand fractals, bound for the final daylight.

There was something about this fantastical town that made it like nowhere else in Twilux. Something that took Link a while to puzzle out.

It wasn't the dry heat. It wasn't the curtain of Lanayru's light entrapping the bay, silhouetting the fishing boats as they bobbed on the black water. It wasn't the water lacking in shimmer or the reflection of the twilight sky. It wasn't the lack of salt in the air or foam on the waves. It wasn't even the fact that this whole town floated just above the lapping water, its undersides aglow with the energy of the sols.

No, it was a sound on the breeze that was months extinct; the babbling laughter of babies. On a front porch, a parent swung on a chair, breast-feeding a child. Two others strolled along the piers, laughing, hand-in-hand, each with a twin toddler on their hip.

Then there was the skin of the locals. In Luce Prima and Malogra and the mountaintop monastery, the residents in twilight always had at least some burn scars, from the moment the light invasion began to when they found a shadow to shelter in, but not here. They had skin scarred by cuts, scrapes, and callouses. They had bruises and freckles and acne, as any regular person would, but no burns.

It was as if this town hadn't been touched by the light invasion at all.

Then it hit Link like a bulblin's club. There was one spirit who hadn't been corrupted and sent to Twilux, forced to make the children burn as their caretakers toiled in shadow: Ordona, like this town, had been spared, and all because the fourth fused shadow had been in Midna's possession all along.

Perched on his back, Midna marvelled the miracle with parted lips. The suckling infant. The twin toddlers. Even the parent on the bench behind them playing peekaboo as giggles bubbled from the floating cradle.

Midna caught his gaze and hastily wiped her wet lashes. "You didn't see anything," she mumbled in Hylian. Link rolled his eyes, but his tail was wagging, so she'd know it was in good humour.

"Anyway." She hopped off his back and floated over the water, devoid of her reflection. Her rippling shadow threw out its arms. "Welcome to Port Duun. This is where we– Hey, my eyes are up here!"

Whatever knowledge she was trying to impart could wait until after Link figured out what the deal with this water was. He pawed at the ripples. It prickled. He lurched back, as if shocked by a bari, and fell over the other side of the pier. His eyes were screwed shut, couldn't tell where was up. He frantically kicked, kicked, kicked in whatever dry 'liquid' he was submerged in.

His head broke the surface and gulped down lungfuls of air and fine grains. He coughed, hacked, inhaled more as something glowing and orange coiled around his middle and heaved him towards the pier. When it came in reach, he scrambled onto it, blinking the grains from his watery eyes and coughing up the last of them. They clung to his fur too, irritating, so he shook them off.

Midna hissed, shielding her face. "Watch where you're shaking!" She brushed the grains off her arms, legs, and belly. "You've been here five minutes and almost drowned in the sand."

Sand? But sand was supposed to make up the deserts or beaches. It certainly wasn't the lakes or the oceans. It wasn't supposed to move like water! He plodded to the edge and gingerly peered over. Only his shadow stared back, but sure enough, fine grains lapped and rippled. How was this even possible?

Midna floated against the backdrop of the light boarder again. "So, I bet you're wondering how this is even possible." Oh thank gods she was going to explain it! Link sat obediently and nodded. "Port Duun and Arudici Province happen to have rather unusual geography. The bedrock of this place stretches over a few hundred kilometres, and it's full of holes." But shouldn't all the sand have fallen through the holes?

"I know what you're thinking, Wolfie," she continued. "Shouldn't all the sand have trickled through the holes? The answer is yes, but the bedrock happens to float above a powerful updraft. That air pushes the sand up and makes it loose, so it behaves like large bodies of water do in your world, ripples and waves and all."

How exactly an updraft made sand act like water was still beyond Link. Wouldn't it just make a large dust cloud instead? But that was like asking why all the floating landmasses in the twilight realm didn't plummet forevermore. Things like these just… were.

Midna floated closer. "Now, as much as I'd love to sightsee with you…" She hopped onto his back. "Let's find a tattooist first." About time. Every tattoo place in Twilux was closed yestercircum due to the shadowbeast terror, so Midna said she might as well try her luck in Port Duun. Given how lively and untouched this town was, there was no doubt that there would be at least one willing to serve them.

Link's tail wagged as he cantered down the pier. The cuff that had been rubbing against his ankle for over two decems was painful, but tolerable, for this was the last circum that it would ever bother him.

Did Wolfie know how they typically did tattoos in his world, with ink and a needle and a lengthy healing process? As he sat at the foot of the tattoo chair, watching her, was he judging her for chewing her lip and shuddering through a far more forgiving process?

As the only tattooist in Port Duun drew the pen along the fingers of Midna's second hand, it wasn't exactly painful, but it was simultaneously a biting cold and a searing heat. This was pure energy being painted upon her and eagerly welcomed by her skin, but sols, was it uncomfortable.

"So, what brings the blue-eyed beast and their servant to Port Duun, Ms Midna?" asked the tattooist.

"Companion," Midna gritted. Thank Ora the conversation was in Twilit, as had every other mistaken mention about Midna being Link's 'servant'. If he knew, Midna would sooner jump into the Mariana Valley than suffer his teasing.

"Oh. Apologies." They didn't sound sorry at all, more concerned with the tattoo touch-up than the wound to Midna's ego. "Does your companion have a name?"

Was it wise to share with a stranger? "Wouldn't you rather keep calling him the blue-eyed beast?" Midna asked.

The tattooist shrugged. Well, at least they didn't care enough to pry. They hunched over her hand further. "Anyways, I think we're just about…" The tattooist finished the final line. "Done!" They set the pen on a nearby table. "That'll be 200 silvers."

"Two hundred?" But it was just a quick touch up! Those were supposed to be 70 silvers, tops. If they were able to fix Midna's forearm tattoos as well, then the price would be justified. Alas, they were beyond saving.

"Yep. Economy's been messed up ever since the light invasion" the tattooist said. "We may have been the only spared settlement, but that wall's been cutting off our fish supply. Costs triple to get a decent meal around these parts." They presented their palm. "Now pay up."

"Urgh, fine." Midna summoned a few plum-sized sacks of coins, hovering above her fingers. Thank Ora for those offerings left at Nova's clinic.

The tattooist reached for the money, but Midna pulled away. "First, I want more service for my silver. Know where we can find a sailor willing to lend us a boat? Teach us how to use it?"

"Hmm. Old Ruther could help you out, but rumour has it he got caught up on the cusp of this light invasion. He's still in town, but not in great shape."

"Where can I find him?"

"He and his partners have a cabana by the northern boat house. Do I get my money now?"

With the flick of her wrist, Midna tossed the money to the tattooist. "Spend it well."

"Will do, Ms Midna. Will do."

With that, Midna led Link outside the tattoo parlour and onto the pier. The sea and the port was a sight to behold. No sketch or projection Midna studied ever captured the tranquil beauty of this place. While her mother had often brought Midna along on diplomatic missions, Zant had left the young princess behind on each one of his.

"You'll only be a distraction to us and yourself. If you really want to learn how to be a good ruler, then keep your head down and study."

On this adventure with Link, Midna had seen and learnt more about her realm than any textbook, picture, or projection could ever teach her. The sights and the sounds and the tastes and the people. The natural wonders and the ingenious constructions. The cultural differences region-to-region.

And Port Duun was the most beautiful to her. Full of life and laughter not yet stripped away by Fabian's invasion. The perfect place to start anew with the wolf at her side.

She beckoned for Link's left paw, held his crusty cuff between her palms, and called upon thin strands of shadow to jimmy the lock. A tricky technique to pull off with her lesser powers as an imp, like threading a needle with shaking hands, but she hadn't forgotten the method: General Cygnus had drilled into her how to escape from the Twili's complex chain designs should a certain someone have her cuffed in a coup.

Link was patient, silent, with only minute winces as she worked. At last, there was a click, and a sharp breath from both of them. Slowly, Midna opened the cuff, revealing an ankle rubbed raw with sticky, half-dried blood and puss. A putrid smell, a painful sight, but Link's tail was already wagging.

She made quick but careful work of cleaning his ankle with the alcohol (he whimpered and twitched, but faired better than he did in the maze), then bandaged it in shadow. With that done, she picked up the crusty chain by the final link and dangled it before him. "What should we do with this?"

Without a second of hesitation, Link bit the chain, sprinted for the bay, and hurled as far as he could. They never saw it 'splash', for a boat sailed in the way. Oh well. May the vile thing hit the bed rock and rust away.

But the chain had evaded that fate. A fisher cried out in disgust. "Yuck! Who threw their crusty fetish gear on my boat?"

Every head in the harbour turned towards the voice. Parents covered the ears of their children, muttering in indignation. Midna's cheeks burned purple, then she doubled-over, clutching her sides and cackling until she was in stitches. Just as she began to settle, Link's confused head tilt set her off again, and this time she fell to the pier and pounded her fist against it.

His shadow fell over her. He was glaring, silently demanding an explanation. Midna forced down her laughter (mostly) but still had the widest grin on her face "Sorry, Wolfie. Such words are unfit for puppy dog ears."

He huffed in her face, but as a wolf, he couldn't pester her for a translation. It was for the best.

Midna rose to eye level. "You know, now that you're free of that awful thing, and I've got my shadow weaving tattoos back, I think it's only fair we take some time to celebrate. Explore the markets, get a bite to eat, find a gift for Nova. What do you say?"

Link wagged his tail and danced on the spot (with the slight hesitation of his left paw).

Midna smiled and scratched him under the chin. "Alright, Wolfie." She hopped onto his back. "Lead the way! I'd like to see where your nose takes us."

A/N: Woes of Malogra Village: monkeys dragging the local Twili into the searing light.

Woes of Tenebria Monastery: glowgors smashing their cultural heritage to bits.

Woes of Port Duun: the economy.

Fun Fact: This desert ocean is actually based off Real Science! If you pump air under sand, it really does move and behave like liquid. Highly recommend looking it up because it's super cool!

Okay, this setting wasn't originally inspired by Real Science. I just made up the idea and justified it with Fantasy Logic but then someone told me how sand that moves like liquid is already possible in real life, so I decided to include the updraft and the Swiss cheese bedrock as part of the worldbuilding. Honestly love how it all just fell together because I really wanted to showcase what kind of natural wonders would exist in a world of floating landmasses other than, well, floating landmasses.