AN: So disappointed in myself for leaving this chapter out. I really liked this chapter too because of how I imagined the fight scene. I'd love to put more details but I'm a bit too lazy. If in my off time I'm comfortable enough, I'll draw it out and post a link on my profile to it.


Chapter 9: More like a shove…
Link stirred in his sleep as he rolled over in the grassy field. He adjusted his arm and pulled the long black cloak onto himself more.

"Mmmm…" He murmured covering his head with the dark soft fabric hiding from the light of the rising sun.

"Link?!" Bo said aloud coming up and shaking the sheet.

"Mmmm…." Link groaned once again.

"You ok boy?!" Bo shouted.

"Yeah… why?" Link yawned aloud.

"We heard howlin' last night and was concerned. All the goats but one is accounted for and we assumed you went after it!" Bo said standing and motioning with his hands pointing at the barns then pointing at Link.

His eyes widened as he held his head thinking to himself, oh she did not… He laughed nervously to himself softly.

"Is there somethin' goin' on Link?" Bo asked.

"I went after the beast for sure," Link said sitting up as the cloak was still on his shoulders, "but the thing dragged the goat so far in I don't think the goat could last."

Link's lying skills were improving. Bo looked at Link and touched the cloak on his shoulders.

"Didn't know you had one of these, boy," Bo said, "fancy feel too…"

Link lifted his arms up and saw the cloak was on him. He gasped and held it touching the soft but strong black fabric that light didn't penetrate nor make him burn up wearing it.

"I forgot I took this out," Link said feeling his lying skills go down. But luckily for him, Bo believed him since he's gone out on so many adventures who knows what he's gotten.

"Well get ready to work boy. There's double chores and duties coming up soon to prepare for the festivities," Bo said nodding.

Link felt part of him get hurt. This meant a damper to things on Midna and him being to hang out. It also meant that he'd be on his own when it came down to his emotions as he was finding it harder day by day to express himself to the others. He stood up as the long cloak flowed behind him. He took it off and folded it properly and walked home to get ready for his day. He climbed up the main ladder to his house and opened the door. There on the table was a meal of tomato soup and a cheese sandwich covered by a napkin. He picked up a letter next to it reading it carefully.

Dear Link,

Last night we heard a monstrous beast's howl! We were all afraid and had everybody hide in our house but you weren't there. We were concerned and knowing the hero that you are, we guessed that you went after it. Still a bit upset though that you didn't come over for dinner. I made you some still and it should be good when you come back home.

Love,

Ilia

He sat down putting the cloak on the table and began to eat. The cold soup wasn't bad at all, it was quite good that way. He dipped the sandwich in a few times to eat it as well. He finished it up and wiped his face with his sleeve as he looked at the letter again.

Love… He thought to himself.

He picked up Midna's cloak and draped it over one shoulder climbing up his indoor ladders. When he got to his bed area he sat for a moment and looked at the dark cloak. He touched it gently and looked carefully at the design. It was a work of beautiful craftsmanship. He smelled something quick as he lifted it up and it wafted against his face. It was the smell of her. He closed his eyes and smelled it gently and shook off the feeling. Link had work to do and like hell he would not let people down. He folded it onto his bed and decided to just change his shirt and to rinse up a bit. He grabbed a sleeveless top and grabbed his arm sleeve. He looked near his bed area as the wash bowl on his dresser and mirror were still there. He found a pitcher of water and began to wonder when was the last time he got this water and if it was still fresh to use. He filled the bowl and opened one of the drawers to find a rag and dipped it in as he looked for the odorless bath salts. It was said to cleanse the body well without smelling like a pretty little thing thus why he liked them better than the spice bath oils Zelda had given him. He wasn't meant to smell 'pretty'. He soaked the cloth in getting it wet and twisted it to get out excess water. He began to cleanse himself rubbing his face and ears to his neck and shoulders down to his chest and cleaning the rest of his body as he changed his pants and undergarment.

Once finished he changed and quickly dashed out of his house and breathed deeply stretching as the sun motioned that it was in the early morning. He checked his pouches and began to wonder curiously. He couldn't find his horse whistle.

"What the…?" Link said confused tapping and checking his pockets. He ran back inside the house and began to search everywhere for it. He became confused and sat on the chair near his table. Tapping his lips he kept on wondering where it could have gone or where he could've lost it. He shook his head unable to think and got up running off. Link ran, sliding down the ladder to his house, to the closest plant to his glad that it was the kind that was able to whistle Epona's song on. He whistled for her and she came dashing forth. Link put his head against hers and patted it gently.

"I hope you had a good days rest, girl… The next few days are going to be hectic and you know all too well from previous years," He said whispering to her. He noticed her saddle was all set and ready and her reigns were on. "Ilia must've done this," Link whispered, "I should thank her later."

He got on Epona and rode off. That whole day it was crazy. He couldn't remember the last time harvest time was this wild. With the extended fields that lead off from another path of the animal barn area, he couldn't explain how hard it was. Pulling the pumpkins and the carrot fields all morning long, not even getting to the other fields since those two by far were the first to go otherwise they would rot. Link breathed hard wiping his forehead of sweat as Ilia came up smiling shyly with tea.

"Here we go hun," Ilia said with a smile.

Link smiled back taking the drink. They had a short conversation as she had to help the other ladies pulling and peeling the corn. She came up and gave him a kiss on the cheek after he had thanked her for prepping up Epona and for the tea.

The day was long but Link and Ilia kept on bumping into each other in the fields. It felt like old times happily being together and helping out during harvest time. Both smiled and laughed and talked the whole time as the villagers peered around a few times smiling and giggling. Even Bo passed a glance and couldn't help but to give a few grunts of satisfaction.

They were finishing it off by placing all the vegetables they had picked into a cart. They had finished one out of four large quadrants. But things wouldn't be this easy. Pulling out pumpkins and carrots are just the start as the rest of the fields were so vast with more vegetables. When Link looked up he stood a bit shocked. Twilight was setting in and Ilia was still around him. Link just sighed and wondered if he could rush home. Ilia had two horses on the cart already and she looked at him.

"C'mon, get on," Ilia said with a smile. Link breathed in deeply and nodded as he sat with her. Unknown to him at that moment, his shadow had faded since he was more concerned about fretting with Midna's arrival. "Boy the cart sure seems a bit heavier…"

Link got off the cart as Ilia rode by his house. "You sure you don't want to come by for dinner?" Ilia asked. Link smiled and held his hand waving and shaking his head. She took his silence as a sign that he was seriously in that much pain from working all day long in the heat. The upcoming fall season wasn't terribly cold, but the heat between the changing seasons is killer on a person. "Well I'll try to stop by a bit with some extras," She said sincerely riding off with the cargo that was going to go into the new store houses that was built along with one of the newer parts of the village.

As she rode off Link gasped with his mouth agape. There sitting on the back of the cart was Midna who was filing her nails with a metallic file. She looked up with a smirk and waved with her hand up and just twinkled her fingers at him as he made a dash for the cart.

"ILIA WAIT!" Link shouted.

"Huh?" she said.

Link bit his lip looking at Midna who sat there on the vegetables then at Ilia as she looked like as if she were ready to get off the cart. Midna tilted her head raising an eyebrow as he bit his lip. He ran up to Ilia and held her cheek and kissed her. She blushed staring at him but then enjoying it. She closed her eyes kissing him back. Link opened up one eye and made a motion with his hand for Midna to move. She just gave a sly smirk and gently lifted herself off flying a bit in the air then floated to his house.

As she looked around making sure nobody was around, she shattered into the twilight sparkles dissolving into his house.

"Comfy looking place," she said as she touched his table and looked around curiously.

"Link," Ilia whispered as their kiss faded.

He smiled shyly with a blush realizing this had to be his first kiss ever given. "Good night," He told her. He ran to his house feeling a bit light. "That was pretty… nice," he said as he climbed up. He burst through the door and slammed it right away behind him leaning against the door grasping his chest again unsure of the feeling he had.

"Bold move," Midna said with a smile as she leaned one hand in her palm resting it on the table as the other hand held a book she read.

She sat cross legged on the table as Link began to gawk at her realizing how she looked without her cloak. Her form was gorgeous when it wasn't hiding. Her tight black cloth with symbols on certain parts that covered her well rounded chest, shoulders, arms, and continued in the back down to her hip where it made a twirl design as it stuck tight to her skin. Then it ran down to one of her legs as another part rested on the other side of her hip showing the strap that hung on, as the chain to her flowing skirt was under it having to rely on resting on her hips to stay on. She closed the book with a heavy clumping sound resonating from it.

"Where's my cloak?" She asked as her tiara hung from her hair.

"No, not until you tell me… did you take a goat?" Link asked.

"Yes, I wanted one," Midna said with a pout.

Link sighed. It was just one goat. The village could easily recover it by having the goats mate or buy a new one from someplace. He came up and patted her on the head. "Ok," he said lightly.

"Such a drastic move," Midna said walking around the first floor of his house. She looked at the bookshelves and the table then moved to another area where the stove was with a few bits of food in the cupboards and shelves near it. "Brave and courageous to make a move," she murmured on. I wonder if it even meant anything, she whispered on to herself. "So did you feel anything?" Midna asked turning around facing him as she put one hand across herself as the other she rested her chin in her hand.

Link shyly smiled and looked down. "It felt good… like that part of me was reawakened again. The simple farm boy," Link said.

Midna motioned an 'okay' with her lips then pursing them together to look around. "Link," She started, "The castle in the twilight is going to be busy for a couple of days… I may not be able to see you much anymore. And today I guess I gave the proper push as your dimwitted attempts at pulling wasn't working so well."

Link frowned at this. "No way," he said with a sigh. He leaned against the door once again like as if he could block her exit. "Well… I guess that makes two of us since the harvest festival and the royal ball are coming up," Link said trying to hide his hurt, "And it was more like a shove than a push…"

"Where's my cloak?" She asked.

Something in Linked looked at her as if she were dangerous. It was something that he liked, being near danger and all, though he'd like to come out of danger alive. And her appearance with out the long cloak was alluring. Link looked left and right wondering how he could go up to his bed and grab the cloak and his Hylian shield. Midna looked at his glances and saw where he was looking. The second ladder up that leads to the third floor, that's where her cloak must be hidden. She began to fly up as Link jumped onto his table. He launched himself by kicking off the table and jumped high near his stove and fireplace area where he grabbed the Hylian shield that hung above. Once he grabbed it he kicked off to the second floor of the house and balanced on the railings that were on the edge of the floor and quickly jumped onto the wall to once again kick off jumping onto the bed. As Midna was about to touch her cloak he landed right on it. He held his shield up as Midna hissed angrily. He shifted to take the cloak out from under himself. She scratched the shield with her sharp nails as sparks actually flew off. Link smirked as he jumped from the bed onto the railings of the third floor. He smirked confidently as her eyes pierced him with a stare that meant certain death. He balanced as he put the cloak on having to put on one arm first and then trading shield to the other arm to slide on the other sleeve. As he was about to shift the shield back to his right arm she came at him with a screech that outdid a shadow beast. Link lost balance and fell back but he held onto the edge where he sung himself back onto the second floor. Midna came at him once again shooting a blue flare which dissolved instantly when it hit Link's shield.

"Give… it… back!" She hissed at him with each swipe of her hand which clashed with a spark against his shield.

"Take it off of me first!" He hissed back at her in a teasing tone.

"Humph!" She breathed kicking the shield hard.

Once again he lost balance on the small second floor area and back flipped off onto the first floor. Midna and Link were at it for quite some time causing a large mess in his house. She was careful not to damage her cloak but yet having to go at Link like this was tiring as the evening was rising. Throwing sparks, clawing with her nails, kicking, and even a cheap shot to his pride, all her attempts were blocked as he too threw a few swings which she dodged as well. Link started to put her on the edge though. He summoned enough strength to knock her with his shield and palmed her in the middle of her chest when suddenly his Triforce mark emitted a light which knocked her back high onto the third floor. She hit the ceiling and fell back on his bed. He panicked, dropped his shield, and quickly climbed up the ladders. He ran to the bed and loomed over her body touching her face and cheeks softly unsure what to do with that moment. All of a sudden a smirk appeared on her face and she pulled the hood of the cloak over his head and towards her.

"Did we forget that a while back Princess Zelda and the Light Spirits had given me light to live on? Your power only gave you enough to knock me hard off my block, but it's not going to damage me," her voice said turning into a venomous hiss as her lips were drawing close to Link's.

Both felt their eyes slowly close as their breaths were against each others' lips until somebody knocked at the door. Link gasped as their eyes opened wide. The door opened and a gasp was heard. It was Ilia.

"Link?! LINK!?" She screamed.

Midna put her arms under Link's and hugged him close. Link blushed. He began to panic as Midna winked at him.

"Stop… stop!" He hissed.

"Link?!" Ilia said. She put the food down on the only chair that stood straight in the whole house.

"Hi…" Link nervously said stuck, smushed down on the bed since Midna dissolved into his shadow, a shadow that felt more like a weight that could control him and hold him down.

"What happened here? Did somebody try to attack you?" Ilia said rushing to touch is side as he looked so ridged on the bed.

"There were a bunch of… squirrels… that got into the house through the chimney. I tried to catch them but then I just tired out fast," Link said still feeling stuck.

"Let me go get the food and bring it up to you since you're so worn out," Ilia said as she began to turn around.

Link felt his arm reach out and grab her but it wasn't of his doing. "Ah, hey," he whispered. Link's hand held her arm and pulled her back towards him.

"Link!" She said with a gasp as she was pulled to his bed and into his arms. Ilia blushed as they laid there.

Part of Link was enjoying this as the other part of him was horribly getting frustrated and angry at Midna. It was embarrassing what she was making him do. He was forced to hold her close and brush her cheek with his hand then started to run his fingers through her hair. Ilia just blushed in his arms not noticing the frigid nervous expression on his face as she nuzzled close. Ilia began to fall asleep as Link jittered a bit unable to move. The girl he admired and, debating upon making his ex-, best friend were pinning him down.

This cannot be a good moment if this foretells anything, Link thought to himself irritable as he felt himself lighten.

"I'll take my cloak and I'll take your nice little country meal as thanks for this evening," Midna said patting his head.

Link gave a whimper looking over his pinned body as she began to straighten his house silently with her magic. She began to melt the cloak into a shadow but somehow Link's hand gripped the shadow and wouldn't let go. Midna growled and pinched his hand but he still wouldn't let go. She sighed and just let it go for now. She noticed the cloak wouldn't come off of him either which frustrated her. It was part of him almost like the rest of her clothes. She pulled out a small flask from the air and opened it.

"Hey," Link whispered but too late, with that opening of his mouth to speak she dripped a drop of goat's milk that had some other magic property to it. His eyes began to flutter and they closed.

"Huh?" Ilia said stirring a bit.

Midna turned and went into her shadowed form and dropped a drop into Ilia's mouth as well. Midna looked at the two and something over whelmed her. She shook her head as she skipped down to the first floor. She fixed the table and chairs and placed everything back where it belonged with a snap of her finger. She sat comfortably in a nice chair in the house as she pointed at the food. It rose and was set before her. She took the spoon and the fork and ate the bit of mashed potatoes with gravy, steamed vegetables of carrots, peas, and broccoli, and bread.

"That was pretty good… I guess he'll have a nice house wife," she whispered finishing it off and wiping her face gently with a napkin. Midna opened a portal and walked in wondering where was a good place to go and rest until the morning twilight where she'd go back to her own world. "I'll get my cloak later… Hmmm… Maybe I'll crash at the Princess of Light's castle without her knowing." And with that said she disintegrated with light sparkles as a gold tear began to roll down her face with out her knowing.


AN: I feel bad about it but I'm going to rush through. If you can't tell, it's the summer – fall time where when the season passes, it'll be winter in which the ball will be held. After that time, I'll be ending the Ilia Arc and continue with the Midna and Zelda one.