A/N: Hello there. Welcome to this little story. I don't know why this has become a thing. But it has. I sincerely hope to do some kind of justice to Linkle's, or Lila's – as she is known in this story – struggle. There is a good reason why she doesn't go by Linkle, one that will eventually become apparent. If you read the prequel (Sorta. It's more like... a proof of concept that also is a prequel? It's not my best work, but it's still solid enough.) 'Melancholy and Twilight', then you probably know why. If you haven't, don't feel obligated. There's nothing in that story that won't eventually be addressed in this one. I promise you won't be lost forever.
Also, there will be smut. It will not be the focus of this story, but it is going to be present. Your only warning.
Also, also... this pairing (Triad, I suppose) is entirely unique, as far as I am aware. So... yay! I hope that I set a good example. It's kind of intimidating I suppose, but I'm up to the challenge!
Also, also, also... I love the Zelda series. I grew up with it, my dad got me hooked when I was three. I literally learned to read, so that I could play Ocarina of Time to hear him tell the tale. I've played and beaten almost every game in the series. I also love Magic as a general concept, but also in Zelda. I want to really dive in and explore it in this one.
Zelda's magic seems like a soft system on the surface, but when examined any deeper truly feels like a very technical thing. With it's many rules and workings. Looking at all the artifacts and weapons and spells and the 'technologies'. I plan to really explore the ideas there and present a (hopefully) well thought out and interesting take on it all. I hope that you all enjoy reading this one as much as I have writing it so far.
I'll see you at the end!
– Prologue –
Part 1: Displaced
Lila can taste it now, the darkness in these ancient caves. Like the most bitter tea on her tongue. One that has left steep for so long that the taste has become stale and biting. The smell of it is just as stale, like the very air itself has begun to mold and wilt. No... It's not the same Darkness that awakened beneath her stomach all those years ago. That Darkness is like the swaddle of a warm blanket, this is like the cold of a crypt. A tainted and sick darkness, one almost as foul as the Calamity.
The only sounds to reach her ears are the trio of footstep and the crackling of a torch. She holds tightly to the Princess's hand as she follows her through the tunnels. Lila can hear the change in Link's cadence from his place just a few paces ahead even before Zelda speaks, "Staircase ahead."
"Right," Lila acknowledges and with Zelda's help she begins to carefully descend the stairwell. She would use her magic to help navigate, but... The foreboding air makes her nervous to draw any potential attention.
"This strange gloom keeps getting thicker," Zelda mutters in a tone thick with curiosity. Lila smiles at the tone. That's one of her favorite qualities in the other woman, her unbridled passion for knowledge. Everything is a puzzle to her self-proclaimed sister.
"It's foul, Zel. It's a disgusting, foul darkness," Lila states as they pause on flat ground. "I feel my throat clogging with every breath." She hears the sharp intake of breath, can only imagine the concerned look her family shares.
"Are you going to be alright?" Link, ever the worrisome twin, asks. She feels the comforting presence of his hand on her cheek. "Do we need to turn back?"
Lila touches her brothers bare hand as his calloused skin presses to her face. "I shall be fine, dear brother." How many times had she tried to get him to wear gloves? He'd finally accepted for his sword arm, but refused to veil his other hand. A consequence of her earliest days with her debilitation. His touch had been such a comfort and still is, so she's just come to accept his loving gesture. "Let us press on."
"We have come a rather long way," Zelda admits as her hand tightens on Lila's. "I wonder what we shall find ahead?"
They linger for only a moment more before Link withdraws his hand and continues down another flight of stairs. Lila follows Zelda's lead once more and presses her free hand over her cheek. Over where his rough hand had been. What did his expression look like, she wonders idly. Did he and Zelda share a private look? Some unspoken conversation that she could no longer examine?
Zelda's hand offers a silent, reassuring squeeze. Lila turns her head towards the woman and offers a small smile, a reassurance of her own. She's fine really, other than the rancid Darkness making a solid attempt at strangling her.
"People have been getting sick, after coming into contact with this gloom," Zelda states though it's in a tone that tells Lila it was more to herself. She does that often, think aloud... Lila wonders if it was something she's always done. "Though here it seems almost misty and not concentrated enough to harm us... I worry about you though Lila, I know you're far more sensitive to this than us."
"It will take more than some foul air to bring me low, sister," Lila replies easily. Amusement colors her tone. "I never would've made it through those trips to Death Mountain otherwise. That sulphur smell? Whew... this stuff doesn't hold a candle."
Zelda's airy laughter warms her heart. "Alright then. We shall continue along." Her tone takes on a heavier quality as she adds, "Especially with it coming from beneath Hyrule Castle..."
She doesn't need to say more. The thought is heavy enough as it is. Could it be connected to the Calamity? Or something else... could it be something more sinister, or perhaps it's something less evil. Lila can't tell from the gloom alone. What she does know is that it needs to be stopped, and as the resident expert on all things Dark... She had to be here.
Their journey continues in relative silence from there. Lila can here the stones clattering across the floor with each step, the distant flow of some weak underground stream, the faintest buzzing of some strange origin. As they pass the stream, she can almost feel the buzzing pressing in on her from all sides. "Zelda, is there something around us?"
Their movement doesn't halt but Zelda says, "There are some glowing crystals of some kind on the walls. They're buzzing with magic or energy of some sort. A bluish-green. Does that sound familiar?"
"Hmm... not particularly... Here take me to one?" Lila asks and they stop walking.
"Just to your right," Zelda states and Lila nods her understanding.
She lifts her hand and gingerly stretches it towards the buzzing. Her fingers make contact with a smooth, strangely warm surface. She extends the tendrils of magic through her fingertips to poke and prod at the stone. There's a faint reaction and after a moment longer she pulls back her hand. "It has almost negligible traces of spirit magic. There might be more to it, but we'd have to take some for experimentation."
"You're as bad as Purah, whenever it comes to magic," Zelda's teasing tone earns an unladylike snort.
"Imagine the Princess trying to shirk responsibility," Lila retorts with her own playful tone. "Everybody knows that you're just as nerdy."
Link's amused chuckle makes her grin. The silence settles once more as they continue along rough paths and worn stairs that feel unsteady under her feet. She hears the Master Sword sing to life. The gentle tone of that most sacred of blades never fails to burn away the worst of her fears. She wonders how beautiful it must've been to hear it sing in during its prime. The weapon is long faded and missing much of it's former glory, but still it is a powerful tool against evil.
Their small party comes to a stop and she hears the blade leave its scabbard with a light sound of steel against blessed steel. "Something evil awaits," Link states, giving voice to thoughts they all must share.
Progress slows from that point on. Their steps are slow and careful... until Zelda gets distracted by the ancient ruins of some strange tribe. The Zonai she calls them. Lila doesn't hear too much though, too focused on the sudden sense of malefic darkness ahead.
She stands tense and still as a stone while Zelda flits too and fro in the hallway that they're standing in. She can feel her brother's eyes on her as her blindfold bound eyes search the darkness ahead. It's all she can do to not draw upon the Dark magic. It's clawing at her, begging for her to grasp it, to fill her veins. It seems almost... afraid.
Zelda finally takes her hand once more and begins leading her deeper into the abyss. Towards the evil presence. Link takes point once more as they all descend down yet another staircase. The walls are tight enough that she can drag her fingers along the brick work. Thick layers of dust fall away beneath her fingertips. She hates this place. Even in the constant darkness of her life, this place feels claustrophobic. Makes her skin crawl and itch like she's trapped with no hope of escape.
She does her best to keep it from showing. It wouldn't do to distract the others with her terror. If her breath quickens, let it be contributed to the thickening gloom. If her hand turns cold and clammy, let it be the sweat from their exertion. Just don't make them worry.
Suddenly they're passing through another doorway, then the screeching of Keese fills the air. Link's breathy grunts mingle with the singing of blessed steel through the creatures of malice. Lila has hope once she hears them, that they would be the source of the tainted presence that reminds her so clearly of... No. She won't even think it. The Keese are gone but the presence remains. It must be some vestiges of the great evil. Some last remnants clinging to a false life.
Zelda drags her along this time, to examine some ancient murals. Lila tries to pay attention, she does. But it's next to impossible with that faint tinkling that fills her ears. It's a bright sound, too bright for what she's sensing. A strange sense of dread settles on her chest. The Master Sword's song changes, as if in answer to her sharp panic. It's a song of comfort, reassurance... It's going to be okay, the sword seems to sing. No matter what happens, it tells her pounding heart, everything will be alright.
Lila continues to let herself be led in silence. So desperate she is, to tame her panicking breaths, that she doesn't realize what's happening before it's too late. They reach the bottom of another long staircase and the sharp gasp that escapes her lips makes Zelda squeeze her hand tightly. "By the Goddess..." Lila breathes.
She can see it. She can see it, even if it's only a faint glow of magical essence. The bright green magic that stands suspended above a flow of crimson Darkness. What an evil Darkness it is. The consuming hateful presence threatens to bring Lila to her knees. "No... nonono..." She breathes the words in a stream as the world seems to close in around her. Vertigo over takes her and if it weren't for Zelda's sure grip, she would have actually fallen.
Link takes her into a warm embrace and she buries her face into his shoulder. She desperately clings to his tunic and swallows the almost noxious air with a greedy desperation. "Lila... We can't leave this here," Link's words have her shaking her head with an almost violent speed. "Lila. We have to."
She slams a weak fist into his shoulder even as her traitorous heart finds its courage in the truth of his words. It's just so hard. For a moment she was back there, sealed in with the Calamity. With the brightness of Zelda's light scorching her eyes for a hundred years. With the evil of that beast assaulting her physical and spiritual form. She doesn't want to go down to that self same evil once more.
But Link... her dearest brother, is correct as always. So she does the only thing she knows how to do anymore. She clings to her twin's arm and blindly takes the next step.
Their descent is swift as they approach the font of Gloom that burns behind her eyes. When they finally come to a stop; it's just a few paces from the lurking evil. Zelda takes another step forward and everything stops. That energy that she could see sealing the evil... fades. Silence fills the air except for the tinkle of an oddly familiar Golden power bouncing through the darkness. She hears Zelda pick it up and suddenly her sister's Golden magic flares with a surge of power.
"No!" Lila screams, but its already too late.
She hears the single powerful heartbeat, stirred to life by the siren call of power, as the ancient evil awakens once more. She doesn't hesitate to act, drawing on her Dark power she launches a magical assault at the evil presence. She batters at it and strikes at it... only to be ignored, as if she isn't even there. The Gloom flares with an unspeakable strength and she feels her doom coming in crimson shadows.
She's surprised when death doesn't come. Instead she hears her brothers grunt of pain as the Darkness begins to consume him and swallow the Master Sword's song. No. No, not her brother! She brings forth every last ounce of power and blasts the Gloom with her magical strength. It's enough to force it off Link for only a moment. Lila collapses to her knees as the evil strikes once more. The sound of shattering metal fills her ears as the Master Sword falls silent.
The intense malefic aura becomes subdued once more. Silence permeates the space for a blessed moment... then it speaks, "Was that the sword that seals the darkness?" It's voice is almost a hiss, raspy and thin like it takes great effort for the being to speak. Even still, its words echo themselves with an impossible strength. Its movements sound jerky and rubbery. The sound makes her teeth itch. "A blade that shatters so easily against my power cannot save you from me."
"Run! Both of you run!" Lila screams. They have to survive, they have to get away! She can't let them fall here.
"Zelda..." The creature rasps. "And you who wields that fragile blade must be Link..." She feels its eyes on her. Feels its hatred like maggots under her skin. "You... are Lila... What a piteous shadow you truly are..." She feels the Gloom bubbling to life. Tastes its evil like syrupy poison. "Rauru placed his faith in you... and that was all you could do?"
"How do you... know our names?" Zelda's voice doesn't contain enough fear. Not near enough, Lila thinks as the seemingly endless hatred floods upward like a crimson font of blood and death. The world begins to tremble beneath her legs.
"Run, please!" Lila begs over her family. "Go!"
She can hear her brother faltering, over the rumbling earth. Hear his gasping breath and feel his fading life force. "Link!" Zelda exclaims then she gasps as well. Lila can feel her sister's presence beginning to descend, as if she's falling. Link follows after without hesitation.
Lila is left behind, suddenly alone on her quaking platform. She feels the swell of Golden power before Zelda's presence is lost to her senses. "No..." Lila breathes the word as her heart breaks and shatters. Her sister in spirit and suffering, gone... just like that.
Then that greenish power flares to life once more and she hears a strange sound. "I'm sorry... I don't have the strength... for you both..." The voice speaks in her ear. Then Link's presence too, is lost and she's left alone in pure darkness once more.
She didn't sense evil in the strange magic... so she has to believe her twin is safe. Lila can die peacefully then, knowing that he'll be there to save Hyrule once more. He won't fail. He never does. Even if she won't be there to witness it this time. She can't escape this death trap. Without her sight? Without her strength? No... She'd expended everything to keep her brother safe and had only succeeded in dooming herself.
Wait... what's that? She feels a the prickling sensation of magic in the air. "Brace yourself!" A feminine voice shouts. As the ground beneath her finally gives way, a strange form tackles her through the air. An even stranger sound – like a song of pure melancholy – fills her ears while her very essence is condensed and pulled through some distantly familiar form of teleportation.
/-/
Midna doesn't know how she's gotten here, to this strange ruin beneath dirt and stone. The last thing she remembered was that she had been on a delegation visit with her father to the kingdom of Hyrule. That reborn kingdom that he'd pledged the Gerudo to. She certainly hadn't expected that considering-
Her thoughts cut off as the ground around her began to quake with a disturbingly violent intensity. "Run, please! Go!" She hears the scream echo up, from the stairwell before her. The strange Darkness begins to thicken and swirl, as if coming to life.
The feminine cry is practically soaked with terror. The Twili blood in her veins demands that she lend aid. Moving with the grace of a trained Gerudo warrior, she sprints down the rest of the stairs. It exits into a massive cavernous space, almost submerged entirely in darkness. Where is th- There! Her eyes land on a trio of people standing in the dim lighting of a torch.
"Link!" One calls as the sword wielder seems to falter. Is that Zelda? The strange Hylian should be at Rauru's castle, what is she doing here? Midna watches as the ground crumbles beneath Zelda's feet and she begins to fall into the darkness.
The Twili is sprinting down the stairwell to get closer, even as the sword bearer launches after the blonde woman. Midna watches as Zelda disappears in a flash of golden light. Then some strangely familiar power catches the falling warrior. Midna meets his wide blue eyes just before he's pulled through a portal. That just leaves the last one.
Midna sees them collapsed on the last of the unsteady ground. A dusty violet cloak conceals most of their form. But she can see that their head is bowed even as the cavern collapses around them. Why aren't they trying to save themselves? No matter. Midna has long since completed her training at the Twilight Tower. She can get them both out.
"Brace yourself!" The Gerudo shouts before launching herself towards the collapsed figure.
It's a close thing, when the ground beneath the other figure begins to collapse. Though they don't offer up any reaction until their deceptively lithe form is in her arms. A sharp feminine gasp is swallowed by the sound of her shadow magic. The portal draws them in and she hopes that she picked a decent landing in her panic.
When their essence is reformed, the first thing Midna sees is an armored Hylian pointing a spear in her face.
"I would put that down, before you get yourself hurt," Midna growls out as even as she pulls the bundled person in her arms closer. Her fingers itch for the scimitars at her waist.
"W-who is there?" The quivering form in her arms asks.
Her voice is soft and gentle, as meek as her very body. That's when Midna notices it, glancing down at the woman. The royal purple blindfold around the woman's hooded eyes; its silken fabric is trimmed with golden thread. A pair of dark violet braids hang low, framing her pale round face and its soft features. Who is this Lorulean, that she was in such a dangerous place? Something to worry about later, Midna supposes as her eyes return to spearhead pointing towards them.
"A Hylian soldier... the voe bears the crest of the royal family," Midna explains as she stares down the brown eyed man.
"Soldier, please stand down," The Lorulean's uncertain order carries across the moss covered cobblestone square that lies underfoot. On closer inspection, the spear is corroded and ruined just like the soldiers armor. Where are they? "It is merely myself, Lila."
The soldiers eyes widen and he immediately straightens to attention. "Lady Lila! The Lookout is in an absolute uproar," He steps forward and Midna narrows her eyes at him. A silent warning. She doesn't know what's happening, but she doesn't trust this soldier. She doesn't trust anything about this situation. "Please, we must get her Ladyship to Miss Purah immediately."
A searching hand finally makes contact with Midna's bare abdomen. Her eyes flicker down to the cloaked form that she's half curled around in a protective embrace. "It's alright. I shall let no harm come to you..." Midna's heart clenches in her chest. It's not herself that she's worried about. But this soldier seems to know what's going on, and knows the woman in her arms... Maybe it would be best to listen. "Please, my mysterious savior, I understand that you must be confused and perhaps scared, but at least try to trust me. I owe you a life debt, after all."
Midna bites at her bottom lip and looks around the area. There are a few Hylians rushing around the area most seem to be simple citizens while a small contingent of soldiers are lining up towards the North. That's when she sees the floating castle. A massive ruinous structure supported by a malevolent Dark magic. How? Who? Why? A million questions flood through her head as she numbly rises to her feet.
The blind woman – Lila, the soldier called her – allows Midna to aid her to a standing position. "You can... hold onto me, if you would like," Midna offers and her heart tightens at the sight of the almost shy smile on the Lorulean's face. Midna lets the shorter woman loop her fair-skinned arm around her own pale blue and rests her free hand on the pommels of her scimitars. The soldier watches their interaction with a curious expression before motioning for Midna to follow.
She does so but at a careful pace, supporting her ward when ever they need to traverse stairs or more treacherous ground. It seems like they're being led past the gathering soldiers and towards a large wooden building, with some kind of device on the roof. The encampment is surrounded by a makeshift wall of planks and she wonders how recently this must have been built.
Where are they... where is this? Actually, now that she thinks about it, the old square that they appeared on had the symbol of the Royal Family as well. But it doesn't make sense for it to be so faded and worn. That castle isn't familiar either. Nothing is familiar. Even the Hylians look a little off... almost like Zelda.
A sharp fear strikes through her heart. What if it isn't where that she should be asking... but when? Zelda had claimed to be from the future hadn't she? Had something happened that had sent Midna herself to the future? What had she been doing last? Why can't she remember? Wh-
Her ward stumbles as they climb the last of the wooden steps to reach the top of the wall. Midna catches the Lorulean against her chest easily. Then that soft face is tilted back and her warm breath mixes with Midna's. A warm flush begins to flood Midna's face and she clears her throat as she helps the woman stand straight once more. "My apologies," Midna mutters through her embarrassment. "I became distracted."
"All is well," Lila replies in her gentle voice. Midna thinks she detects a hint of amusement, and maybe something else, in the woman's tone. She takes the chance to get a proper look at the woman. A frame that's as lithe as her own, despite being a full head shorter. Under her violet cloak is a fine blue tunic and a pair of dark shorts peak out of a short ash gray skirt. Similarly colored boots climb all the way past Lila's knees, leaving a small ring of pale flesh visible between the shorts and top of the boots.
Her mouth goes dry before the sound of a door slamming open cuts through the moment. Midna immediately places her ward behind her as she faces down the white haired woman stomping towards them, evil red eyes glinting in the fading daylight.
"Stay right there!" Midna orders as she takes a battle stance, hand hovering over her scimitar. She knew this was a mistake, she thinks as she prepares to draw on the magic energy pooling in her head. A Sheikah scoundrel in the flesh, death and darkness trails their every step. "You shall not harm the Orrvehvi, foul Sheikah." The woman's heavy steps stutter to a stop as she regards Midna with wide almost confused eyes. The Hylian soldier seems taken aback at her reaction. Then she hears the faint giggling from behind. Midna glances back to see Lila covering her mouth politely even as she laughs.
"W-what?" The Sheikah questions dumbly. Suddenly, feeling like she's made some kind of major error in judgment; Midna straightens out of her combat stance. The Sheikah woman twirls a metallic recorder between her fingers as she examines Midna. Her gaze makes the Twili woman feel as if she's being dissected for some kind of study.
"Interesting... Who are you I wonder?" The Sheikah steps forward and it takes all of Midna's willpower not to draw her blades. A gentle hand presses to the center of her back, just off center of her spine.
"It's okay, dear hero," The warmth in the blind woman's voice helps ease her tense shoulders. "This is just Purah. I fear that she might not hurt a Moblin should it attack her. At worst, she might question it until it dies of exhaustion, but I promise that she's safe otherwise."
The smirk this 'Purah' wears, speaks to the contrary... But Midna supposes that much could change in the many years between this time and her own. That certainly seems to be the case at this point. Perhaps this Purah could even prove her hypothesis. Fine, she thinks as she loosens her stance, she'll give the Sheikah a chance. As Lila steps up to Midna's side, Purah's eyes fall on her ward.
"Lila you look awful. What happened at the castle?" Purah's question seems to drain whatever semblance of life was left in Lila. Midna is quick to loop her arm around the exhausted Lorulean's waist and easily supports her lithe weight. "Oh dear. Let's get you inside and settled down, then we can talk."
Her own problems can wait, Midna thinks while practically carrying the gentle woman towards the building. Her eyes turn to the dark corruption that holds the unfamiliar castle aloft. What has happened here? What was this Lorulean doing down there? Those questions and so many more... She'd get answers soon enough.
/-/
"So... Princess Zelda is missing," Pyrrha begins as her fingers drum against the tabletop. The noise is grating and uncomfortable, but Lila doesn't know how to broach the subject politely. "Link is missing. There's some strange being that's essentially the second coming of the Calamity. And all we have to show for it is somebody whose name I don't even know?"
"My name is Midna. You would do well to treat it with respect kalba," Lila can't help but be amused at her saviors grouchy disposition. Midna... What a beautiful name. It carries the comfort of the dark, of midnight. She likes it. "By the golden gods, stop with that incessant drumming. It is aggravating."
The fingers stop tapping and blessed silence reigns for a moment. But, only for a moment, as Purah speaks up once more, "Do you have any clue where either of the others might be Lila?"
"I don't know," Lila replies meekly. She shrinks in on herself. She misses her twin's touch, misses Zelda's voice. Her heart twists and aches in her chest.
"I've already sent out a contingent of soldiers to the castle. They should be reporting back in the next day or so..." Purah pauses before asking, "Do you have any idea what they should be looking out for?"
Lila shakes her head. "I don't know..." She's so tired. It's so hard to think. Everything has fallen apart because she failed. She failed, again. She's lost everything, again...
"Did you find anything else in the caves? Anything at all that might be relevant?"
"I don't know!" What is she supposed to do? What is she supposed to say? Her nails dig into the palms of her hands. She can't do this. She can't do anything. She couldn't stop the Calamity. She couldn't save her brother. She couldn't even save herself.
Purah's tone takes on an annoyed quality, "Well what do you-"
"Hey," Lila jumps as the table rattles from the force of an impact. "Open your eyes Sheikah. Can't you see that she is suffering enough already?"
"She's the Hero of Sha-"
"It does not matter if she is Hailiya incarnate," Midna cuts her off with a sharp growl. "Right now, she is just a vai. A woman who has just lost her family. I do not know if you have any clue what that is like and frankly, I do not care. Either way, I will not allow you to continue this madness. I am taking her to bed. She needs rest."
"I'm not letting you wander off with Lila! We don't even know who you are!" Lila curls up on herself even farther. She wants it to stop. They shouldn't be fighting over her like this. She can't take it.
She hears Midna take a deep shuddering breath. She hears knuckles cracking over and over. "Listen, Sheikah, I do not trust you either and there is no way I shall be leaving her in your care either. But look at her..." There's a momentary pause and she wilts further under the attention. She can feel their eyes prickling against the last reserves of her magic. "This argument is not helping. I have saved her life once today; I am not about to harm Lila-va myself. If you truly care for her, then is there a bed in this building that she can use?"
Purah lets out a soft breath. She can hear the woman tapping the recorder against her fingertips. "If Lila is willing to trust you, then..." She hears Purah sigh again. "I have private quarters she can use upstairs. You may watch over her if you wish."
"Who's going to stop me? You?" Midna's laugh is almost caustic as her chair scrapes across the wooden floor. Lila allows the woman to help her to her feet. She can hear Purah's agitation in the sharp clack of her shoes against the floor. She can't find it in her to care at the moment. About anything really.
"Thank you, Midna," Lila says quietly as she follows the Gerudo woman upstairs. "I wish you wouldn't provoke her, but I'm grateful that you're looking out for me."
"Think nothing of it, Hililini. I..." She hears the quake in Midna's voice, feels the slight trembling in her hands. "I am... grateful... to have someone to look after. Truthfully, I am afraid too... and, I find it easier to be brave for somebody else."
Lila bites her lip while trying to summon up the vestiges of her own courage. She doesn't know anything about this woman, other than that she saved her life. She certainly doesn't want to be alone right now either. "Perhaps... You will tell me about yourself while I lie down?" She hears the sound of a door opening in front of her. "It... Just knowing someone else is there helps..."
"Yes, I can do that for you," Midna's acquiescence eases the claustrophobic pressure on her chest. "Do you need aid in undressing?"
Lila feels her cheeks warm and she shakes her head. "N-no... I can't possibly trouble you so."
"I don't mean to question your capabilities, just to be clear," Midna's quick but firm reassurance fills Lila's chest with warmth. "I am certain you can take care of yourself. It is just... You seem so exhausted, Hililini." Exhausted is certainly the word for it. Lila catches her lower lip between her teeth as she nods her consent.
She feels the movement with the clasp of her cloak as Midna continues to explain, "It's a bit of a selfish request as well... I... It is easier for me to relax when I can distract myself with a task." Lila smiles as the weight of her hooded garment lifts from her shoulders.
"I am grateful truly," Lila admits as she carefully sits on the edge of what seems to be a rather comfortable bed. Her curiosity finally gets the best of her. "I'm not overly familiar with the Gerudo language. What does that word mean? At least, it sounds Gerudo, I don't to make assumptions."
"It is a good one," Lila hears the smile in the other woman's voice. The sound of steel shifting sounds, then she hears the steel on steel along with a gentle thud. Midna must've set her weaponry against the wall. She then hears something land lightly on the floor in front of her and feels movement on the laces of her boots. "I believe it translates to 'my flower', in Hylian." Midna's voice comes from lower down and she thinks the woman must be kneeling.
Her Dark magic writhes at the thought, pushing against it's bounds as if reaching for the other woman. Lila's face immediately floods with heat that crawls all the way up her neck. It's with a practiced effort that she lulls the recovering magic to rest once more. Still, she only just hears the slight hitch in Midna's breath.
"I... see..." She manages to get out the strangled words before clearing her throat and trying again. "What was it again... High-lee-lee-knee?"
Midna slips the boot off her leg while replying, "Yes, good job. Hililini. The first part, hilili, means flower. The suffix, -ni, adds the possessive 'my.'" Lila nods her head to show her understanding.
Lila feels her second boot slide off but hears no further movement. She starts to reach out, to try and get some sense of their positioning, but hesitates. "How would I say 'your flower'?" Midna's calloused palm slips under hers and she lets the woman guide her fingers. She feels warm skin and taught muscle where her fingers are carefully positioned.
"The suffix for that would be -so. If I were to say Zenso, that means 'your sword'." Midna replies in a slightly thicker voice. Lila slowly, gingerly explores the space and determines that it's the woman's shoulder. She glides her hand to the right until her fingers brush against cool metal and the curve of a neck.
"So then I..." She bites her lip as she traces the metal around the front of Midna's throat. She discovers fabric attached to the metal and leading downwards, while she feels a thick bundle of hair across the back of her hand. She can both feel and hear the woman's thick swallow. Lila's heart might just burst from the rapid pace with which it slams into her ribs."I would say... Hililiso?"
She hears the breath hitch again and gently trails her fingers up the side of Midna's neck. She can feel the woman's pulse racing almost as quickly as her own. She hesitates to move farther. The moment has already become so intimate. Lila doesn't know that she's quite ready to make this something more than what it is, but she isn't entirely opposed. Though... she worries that it...
"If you'd like..." Midna offers in a thick, breathy tone. "I can stop though... if you'd prefer."
Lila wets her lips as she finds more courage than she'd thought she possessed. Her fingers move up just a little further, until they're resting against a sharp jawline. "I..." Lila sucks in a breath as Midna's hand gently rests against her forearm. "I think that I... would like to continue... being able to say it. Hililiso... It's beautiful."
A low rumble rolls out of Midna's throat, and she mirrors it reflexively as a sharp thrill strikes her chest. "It does," Midna agrees in a thick tone. "It sounds utterly beautiful... coming from your lips."
Lila doesn't know why she's breathing like she's just run a marathon. Doesn't know where all of these intense emotions and sensations suddenly appeared from. They scare her and draw her in at the same time. There's shifting movement and Midna suddenly feels much closer. Lila's hand is still on that smooth jawline and she can feel Midna's warm breath stretching across the thin gap between them. She's suddenly terrified to close the distance. It feels like it would be a mistake.
Then there's more movement and her fingers no longer find purchase. She can hear the soles of Midna's shoes on the wood as she puts distance between them. "I... I apologize," Midna states and Lila knows that she must've seen the terror on her face. "I'm not certain what came over me."
"It's... quite alright," Lila replies quickly and feels a small, shy smile pull at her lips. "Midna... how does one say 'thank you', in your language?"
"I- Uh... sarqso," Midna's uncertain tone is accentuated by breathless words.
"Sarqso then. Sarqso, Midna. For saving me. For looking after me... for being patient with me," Lila plucks at the fabric of her long tunic. A nervous habit that she should probably stop. She feels a weight settle on further down the bed and turns her head towards the direction.
What does she look like? Lila can't help but find herself wondering. Is she dark skinned like the Gerudo women that she remembers? What color are her eyes? What of her hair? What color are her clothes? She knows that she can ask aloud, but... it's not the same. Not even close.
Suddenly her exhaustion comes back full force. She slumps forward and buries her face in her hands. The silk cloth of her blindfold feels constricting and oppressive. She wants to tear it off. The idea of Midna seeing her eyes stays her hand. Baring herself in such a way, feels more intimate than stripping naked. Only Link and Zelda... have ever seen her without it.
"Lie down, Hililini," Midna's soothing tone does wonders. Maybe its the fact that she was there, in that cavern. That Midna had saved her in her darkest moment. She thinks that might be why she feels so close and comfortable around the woman. It might be naive, but... if Midna had wanted to harm her... Simply not acting would have done the job. "I shall be here with you the entire time... the pillows are to your left."
"Perhaps... might I..." Lila shakes her head and her braids hit against her shoulders. "Sorry, nevermind. Just ign-" A gentle touch to the back of her hand.
"Do not fear to speak your mind. I am not going anywhere."
Lila turns over her hand and brushes the pad of her thumb over Midna's knuckles. She trails the length of each lithe finger. The back of her hand is so smooth and soft, compared to the layer of callouses on her palm. It reminds her of Link. Midna has the hands of a warrior. The thought endears the woman to her heart even more.
"Might I..." Lila swallows against the thick knot in her throat. "I fear being alone... right now. Could I..." She can't do it. Can't put voice to the words. It's too shameful, too open. She feels the other weight on the bed shift farther back.
"Come here," She lets Midna's guide her down until her head is positioned comfortably in her lap. The intimate position should be more embarrassing than it feels. Lila reaches up to brush her fingers against the fabric of Midna's loose fitting trousers. They're very baggy and feel close to silk, if they're not actually silk.
"What do you call these?" Lila asks and a shiver wracks her spine as Midna's fingers start gliding up and down the length of her side. Even through the tunic, her touch raises gooseflesh.
"Sharwal. They are breathable for the hot desert, but also, very stylish and perfect for fighting in. Their length and loose fit allow for better maneuverability." Lila smiles at the playful tone the woman uses, despite her words being informative.
She thinks she could get used to the woman. She might already be getting there. In the comfortable silence, Lila's exhaustion takes her into the loving embrace of sleep.
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A/N: Massive shout out to Seiboz07 on Reddit and the Gerudo Language Academy on Facebook. They've put together a really sick language system. I definitely intend to showcase that here as well. I hope that you enjoyed and continue to enjoy! Updates every other Wednesday.