Chapter 36 - The Pool
The world spun violently as Link tumbled headfirst down the collapsing rockslide. His body twisted out of control, battered by fist-sized stones that hammered his back and limbs.
Momentum launched him skyward for a split second, just long enough to realize he had no idea which way was up.
Then, he slammed into a boulder. Pain exploded through his ribs, and the impact ripped the air from his lungs, leaving him to gasp sharply.
Somewhere in the chaos, Midna yelped.
The sound was sharp. Alarm, pain or both. Before he could process it, he was rolling again, dragged down into the avalanche.
He saw a flash of orange light. Midna.
Between the tumbling darkness, he caught a glimpse of her.
Her hair ignited, searing against the gloom like a burning brand.
She wrenched herself from the rockslide, twisting her glowing hair into a powerful extra limb, forgoing the taboo of her people.
For a moment, the bound hair held her above the chaos.
Then, a grunt and a sickening impact. The light vanished and Midna fell back into the torrent of earth.
The world kept tumbling.
Link was dragged deeper and deeper, his body bouncing off jagged stone as the avalanche swallowed him whole.
He had no control. Only motion, weight and pain.
Then, something shifted.
The chaos around him began to narrow, the slide funneling into a rocky choke point.
The rolling force slowed, debris grinding against itself, trapping or swallowing some of the tumbling boulders.
Link felt himself slam sideways against a wedge of stone as his momentum was suddenly stolen.
He came to a violent stop, his body battered and cut, but finally still.
A few last rocks clattered down around him, and then silence as the dust began to fall and settle.
It was over.
Shaking, he rolled on to his front as his entire body strained and convulsed. His throat scratched fiercely as he started coughing violently.
His sides hurt with each powerful cough, so he held himself, trying to blunt any more pain from appearing.
The pain dulled a little and his throat, mercifully, had cleared the last of the dust out. He tried to slow his breathing as he sat still, trying to recover.
Somewhere, suddenly, he heard her.
She screamed, a blood curdling cry. Something was horribly wrong.
Getting to his feet quickly, he couldn't see a thing. There wasn't even a pinprick of light down here.
He spat dust, hands fumbling at his belt.
Lantern. Where was it?
His fingers brushed metal. He yanked it free, flipping open the latch with shaking hands. The last time he'd used it was in the Goron burial grounds…
Focus, he told himself.
Igniting it, it blared light around him. The rockslide had levelled out, leaving a massive slope, gently rising to a peak somewhere in the distance. Dust was still settling around him.
"Midna?" he said with a weak wheeze, his breath still returning.
He dared to walk forward, towards the screams.
The loose ground beneath him began to slide away gently, far before it could become another avalanche of earth.
Her wails pierced the air.
As his breath returned, he moved faster. Latching the lantern to his belt, he saw he was caked in dust, turning him almost entirely tan coloured.
She wasn't far now. He needed to see her.
Another cry. Shorter and weaker.
Then, he saw her.
She lay in the dust, chest heaving, fingers clawing at the ground as she writhed with her left leg twisted at an angle it never should have been at.
His breath caught.
For half a second, his body refused to move. His mind struggled to process what he was seeing.
"Oh shit!" he barked, suddenly aware again. He lunged forward.
She didn't notice him, her eyes shut tight and her teeth bared.
"Midna!" he said aloud to no response.
He looked over her, checking if she had been hurt anywhere else. She was covered in cuts and welts from showers of rock splinters. A dark blue tinted blood seeped from her wounds.
Midna sucked in a sharp breath, her teeth clenched so hard he thought they might crack.
"I'm going to splint it" Link said, already unfastening his belt. "It's going to hurt."
Her golden eyes flashed as her pupils became pinpricks.
"Fucking really?!" she snarled.
He grabbed two flat shards of rock and tore a strip of fabric from his sleeve.
"Ready?"
She hissed through her teeth, gripping the dirt beneath her fingers.
"Do it!"
He did.
Midna jerked violently, a scream ripping from her throat before she bit down hard on her own knuckle, enough to draw blood. Her entire body shook, fingers clutching at the dirt like she could dig her way out of the pain.
By the time he was done, Midna was trembling, her body barely responding to her own commands. Sweat slicked her forehead and her breath was thin and uneven.
She swallowed hard, once, then twice.
"You…" she whispered, "…you're going to pay for that later."
Link let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding. He rubbed a hand down his face, suddenly aware of how heavy his arms felt.
"…You're welcome."
She bared her teeth and shut her eyes again, doing what she could to bear the pain.
Link couldn't think of anything else to do for her. He had no water or provisions, just his equipment belt. None of it could be more helpful than the lantern.
He went and dusted himself off, away from Midna for a moment as he took deep breaths. At least there was air down here.
Even with the lantern, no other light came from wherever they had fallen from. The entire area he could see was nothing but the remains of the rockslide they had narrowly survived.
"Midna?"
"What?" she replied quietly, straining her voice.
"I need to look around. I have no idea where we are or how we're going to get out of here. But I'll see what I can find" he explained.
"Okay" she uttered.
"Don't go anywhere."
Silence, apart from her laboured breaths.
Link dragged his feet through the loose debris, each step sending small cascades of rock and dust tumbling away. The sound echoed strangely in the cavern. Too soft, too hollow, swallowed by the vast emptiness around him.
He didn't want to risk getting turned around in here. A single mistake could leave him wandering in the dark forever
So, as he walked, he'd leave a trail.
He reached down, scooping up a handful of dirt. It was dry, silt-like, and cold. Holding it loosely in his palm, he let thin streams of it slip through his fingers every few steps, leaving a faint breadcrumb trail leading back to Midna. It contrasted with the dark stone of the cavern.
It wasn't perfect. But it was far better than nothing.
The slope finally leveled out beneath his feet. The shifting, unstable debris of the rockslide ended, giving way to something older.
Beneath his boots, the ground became solid stone, the natural foundation of the abyss itself.
Link exhaled, staring at the sheer size of the cavern around him. The lantern's glow stretched only so far, illuminating rough stone walls that seemed to stretch endlessly upward before vanishing into complete blackness.
No sky or light. Just emptiness.
Moving forward, Link traced his fingers along the cavern wall. The surface was rough, worn by forces older than he could imagine.
He craned his neck upward, but even with the lantern, the wall stretched far beyond sight. It was enormous, not something that could be climbed or broken through. Just an immovable, monolithic divide cutting through the abyss.
No getting through it. He needed to find another way.
As he followed the curve of the wall, something caught his eye. A faint glow. It looked faintly blue and it was shifting.
Further ahead, around a bend in the rock, thin ribbons of some ghostly blue vapor drifted from a narrow crack in the stone.
The mist curled and coiled, weightless, moving like a living thing. Unlike the dust and dead air of the cavern, this was strangely vibrant. A pulse of colour in an otherwise lifeless abyss.
Link tightened his grip on the lantern, its dim glow cast long and flickering shadows along the cavern walls. The air here felt strange, as if it hadn't moved in centuries.
Ahead, the faint glow of blue mist coiled through the cracks in the stone, shifting and curling like smoke trapped in water.
He stepped forward cautiously, boots pressing into the loose dirt as he rounded a bend. His fingers brushed the rough stone beside him, steadying himself as he walked deeper.
Then, he saw it.
Beyond a narrow passage, something pulsed. A deeper light, soft but unwavering, emanating from within the cavern. The mist seemed to be seeping from it, spilling lazily into the abyss beyond. Whatever was inside, it wasn't just reflecting light. It was the source of it.
Link exhaled. The glow didn't feel hostile. It was steady, as if it was right where it needed to be.
He stepped closer, peering through the narrow stone opening. He couldn't see much beyond the mist, but the cavern floor inside looked level, with no sign of another drop-off or hidden chasm. Safe enough.
Link frowned. He'd need to get Midna there.
No sane person would make her walk and leaving her alone wasn't an option. He turned on his heel and made his way back, retracing his path with careful steps.
The moment he came into view, he saw her, still lying where he left her. She wasn't screaming anymore, but her breath was shallow and her hands still curled against the dirt. She was trying to hold still, but he could see how much it was draining her.
She looked up as he approached, eyes dull but searching.
"Tell me something good" she rasped.
"I found…something" Link said, kneeling beside her. "I don't know what it is yet, but I think we should get to it. Could be the only safe place we'll find."
Midna grunted, shifting slightly before hissing in pain as she moved her injured leg.
"Yeah, that's… that's great, Link. Let me just get my best dress shoes on."
He smirked. "I'm carrying you."
Her expression turned sharp.
"No."
"Midna—"
"No!"
He sighed, settling back on his heels.
"Why not?" he asked
"Because…" she started. "Because this is how children get carried, Link. I'm an adult. And also queen here"
She turned her head, unable to meet his gaze. Link thought he might have an idea why she was fighting him so much.
"Look, I can't leave you here, and you're not walking on that leg. You want to stay behind, alone?"
He asked, realising that she likely didn't want to appear weak and dependent on him.
Midna's jaw tightened, frustration flashing across her face. She hated this. But she wasn't stupid.
She exhaled sharply. "Fine"
Link nodded, shifting closer. "Alright. Just hold on."
She barely had time to brace before he scooped her up, one arm under her knees, the other around her back.
The moment her weight shifted, she sucked in a sharp breath, fingers gripping his tunic hard.
"Fuck!" she hissed.
"I've got you," he murmured, adjusting his grip. "Just breathe."
Her forehead pressed against his shoulder for a second, just long enough for her to steady herself. Then, her grip on his tunic loosened.
Then, she sighed. "…Thanks."
Link grinned, adjusting his hold. "See? That wasn't so bad.
She gave him a long, slow glare.
"If you ever tell anyone about this, I will end you."
Link chuckled, shifting her weight slightly in his arms. "Oh, don't worry. I wouldn't dream of ruining your fearsome reputation."
"…Good."
"Still, you're surprisingly light for someone with an ego that big."
Her eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Keep talking, hero. I dare you."
Link just smirked. With Midna secured in his arms, he turned toward the light ahead and started taking measured steps across the huge mound of loose rubble.
Some time later, with his arms and legs starting to burn, they arrived at the entrance he had found earlier. Midna looked at the faint wisps coming from the cave mouth, trying to learn what she could.
Link ducked slightly as he carried her through the narrow stone passage. The lantern's glow flickered along the uneven rock, casting shadows that stretched and curled along the walls.
The cavern opened, its ceiling stretching high above, lost in a shimmering haze. The walls weren't solid, at least not in the way normal stone would be. Veins of luminous blue ran through the rock, casting soft light in rippling waves as it pulsed. The entire chamber looked half-formed, suspended between reality and something else. It was as if one wrong step would send it all drifting away like mist.
In the center, a vast pool lay perfectly still. Its surface was thick, more like liquid glass than water. It was a deep opalescent blue that swirled with ribbons of silver and violet. Despite the cavern's vast emptiness, the pool reflected nothing.
But the strangest part was the air itself. Shapes moved across it.
At first, Link thought it was dust caught in the lantern light. But no, they were floating.
Wisps of vapor drifted aimlessly, no larger than a clenched fist. Each one pulsed faintly, flickering like dying embers. There were hundreds of them, some reaching the surface of the pool only to be absorbed into it.
One of them passed too close and the air around it shuddered. A ripple of motionless wind brushing against his skin.
Midna, still resting against his shoulder, shifted slightly. She had been silent since entering, her fingers barely clutching his tunic.
"…What is this place?" she murmured.
Link swallowed, his own voice suddenly feeling small in the cavern's presence.
"I don't know..." he said, standing still for a moment as he looked around the strange new place.
It was otherworldly, even counting that he was in the Twilight Realm. Something about the smoky wisps in the air felt as if they were always meant to be here. Then came the unshakeable feeling that it was something he was never meant to lay eyes on. The pool itself made no sense. Still, nothing existed without a reason..
"I'm going to put you down. There's a flat bit of ground here" he said gently.
"Alright…" she said, bracing herself for the shift.
He lifted her as smoothly as he could, thankfully she was light enough. She inhaled sharply as he moved his arms from under her.
"Sorry" he said, hating the notion that he had caused her pain.
She, however, said nothing. Her wide eyed gaze was fixed on the wisps.
As if stirred by sound, they twisted, turning their invisible attention toward them. Not aggressively, there was no sense of threat. It was clear that they were aware.
A soft pulse rippled through the cavern, a strange sensation neither warm nor cold. It was enough to make the hairs on his neck prickle.
Midna exhaled slowly.
"…Nothing about this feels right."
Link took a careful step forward.
"Agreed" he admitted. "But it's far safer than that rockslide outside."
The pool's surface didn't ripple, even as he moved closer. It was too still, too perfect. And yet, something about it called to him.
At the edge, he kneeled and looked closer.
The strange liquid inside gave away nothing. Up close, it looked like liquified marble. The swirling patterns undulated peacefully. As he leaned closer, the air itself seemed to tense. Either something anticipated him or was trying to warn him.
Curiosity got the better of him. He touched the surface with a fingertip.
The second he did, a bright burst of colour radiated around the cavern. From the walls, pool and the strange wisps.
Midna looked around as frantically as Link did. As they tried to make sense of what happened, the wisps around the room changed.
Now, they showed glimpses of something. Link tried to calm himself, taking his finger out of the pool.
At once, the colour faded from the room as well as all sensations of liveliness that had come with the burst of colour.
"Link…" Midna whispered in the now still room.
"I think those…things…they were showing memories" she said, unable to believe herself.
"What? Did you see one?" he asked, suddenly nervous.
"Yes. I saw what looked like an old man from Hyrule working in a field somewhere…"
Link let his mouth fall open.
"Wait…how did you know it was from Hyrule?" he asked.
"In that…memory? I think I saw Castle Town in the distance."
He looked back to the pool, wondering. It didn't take long for his curiosity to win again. This time, he put his whole hand in the pool. The liquid was viscous and impossibly smooth as it enveloped him.
In a moment, the radiant colour bloom illuminated the room once more. It felt cold, but the colours made him feel otherwise.
This time, he saw it. The wisps around the room all seemed to paint a picture that moved.
One drifted in front of him, letting him see things in further detail. The image that played inside the wisp looked very familiar to him.
He saw a younger Ilia. She must have been eleven. Then, he realised that the memory was from his own perspective, in the first person.
He watched the memory, focusing hard. It was when he and Ilia were playing in the trees when they were both younger, daring each other to jump from higher and higher branches. He watched as Ilia lost her nerve, but recalled perfectly that he hadn't, watching himself jump from the branch and completely misjudge the landing as he bit dirt.
Then, the memory faded as another took its place. Keeping his hand in the pool, he wanted to see how Midna was doing.
"So, see anything more?"
"Yeah…I think I've seen a memory of yours"
Link felt his stomach clench. What had she seen?
"What was it?" he asked, trying to sound as neutral as possible.
"Oh, nothing much" she teased. He could practically hear her smile without looking at her.
Turning, he looked her straight in the eye.
"No. What did you see?" he asked, polite and firm at the same time.
She actually managed to laugh a little at his reaction.
"I think you were younger. You were trying to fix a…fishing pole? There was one of those kids with you. What was her name…not Ilia…" she said, trying to recall a distant memory.
"Oh! That was Beth. Yeah, she broke the rod by mistake and asked me to help fix it, so I did."
Midna, despite looking pale from the shock of her broken leg, smiled with some warmth.
"You just can't help fixing everything, can you?"
"I don't mind helping out" Link shrugged.
Looking around the room, certain colours seem to follow certain wisps. He wondered if that determined what particular memory got brought forwards. Suddenly feeling a little exposed, he took his hand out of the strange liquid. In hindsight, he was silently grateful that the liquid hadn't been corrosive at least.
He was about to stand, then go and check the splint he had made for Midna. But he noticed his hand as he pulled it from the pool. It looked as if it had been cleaned. Even the frayed parts of his gloves looked as if they were brand new. Flipping his hand over, he saw the dirt from his fingernails had gone too.
He looked back into the pool, wondering what it could possibly have been. Sliding his glove off, he looked at his palm. There were so many nicks and scars on it. Rather there had been. Even they had been wiped clean, his whole hand looked as good as new. Flexing his fingers, he found them exactly as responsive as before.
His pulse quickened.
Then, he turned as a burst of enthusiasm washed over him. He quickly made his way back to Midna.
"What is it?"
"Look! Look at my hand. Do you see it?" he said, holding it in front of her.
"...What?!" she asked, utterly confused.
"My hand! It's the one I dipped in that pool. Look, there's no scars!" he said jubilantly, showing her every angle of his bare hand.
Taking a moment, she looked over his hand as he shifted it around.
"It even looks clean…" she said in a stunned whisper.
"Exactly! So, I'm thinking if we put your legs in the pool–"
"Hold on!" she said, raising her hand again to silence him.
"Link, we have no idea what this liquid is. You also have the symbol of the goddesses on your other hand. I don't. There's a chance that this liquid could do far more than just heal. Suppose it swaps my gender? Or perhaps it melts me? Or even–"
"You have a broken leg" Link said, raising his hand to stop her this time.
"I still don't know how we're going to get out of here, but I know we will have a far better chance of that if your leg is fixed. And…why was the liquid possibly changing your gender the first thing you thought of?"
She looked away, scowling, clearly hating how reasonable he sounded.
After a beat, she exhaled through her nose. "No such thing as free miracles, Link."
Link took a breath.
"Look, you're right. I have no idea how it work, but I wouldn't suggest this if I thought it'd hurt you. But I can't carry you forever." he explained. "For what it's worth, I'm not a woman either."
She stared at him blankly for a moment. After blinking away her surprise at his quick remark, she managed to laugh at the absurdity.
"Alright… fine. I appreciate you're willing to try new things, but have mercy on those of us with common sense" she teased.
"Of course. Now, may I?" he asked impishly.
She nodded quietly, but still smiled.
Leaning forward carefully, he picked her up again. He took careful steps with her as the wisps lazily floated around the room. Kneeling by the pool, he sat her at the edge of it as her feet dipped in to the marbled liquid.
"It feels…strange" she muttered as she took sharp breaths, trying to ignore the pain shooting through her. As her legs submerged, she stiffened and clung on to his arm. Whatever was happening to her leg was anyone's guess.
Before either of them could say anything else, the radiant colours bloomed around the room once more, though this time there were more tints of reds and purples.
The wisps took on a form as her memories unfurled in front of them both.
"Well, it's only fair," Midna mused, tilting her head toward the swirling colors. "I got to see inside your head. May as well let you see something from mine."
"Oh. Are you sure? I'd be lying if I said I wasn't wondering. But this pool looks like it uncovers every memory" he said, looking at the multitudes of memories on show.
"Then I'll tell you the ones you can see. Though I don't think I've anything particularly embarrassing in there"
She went quiet as she winced a few times and looked around the floating memories.
"Ah, here's one"
Link followed where she was pointing and found the memory floating above the middle of the pool.
Looking into it, he saw from Midna's eyes when she was a child. She wasn't much taller than an elder Twili's waist. He was berating her over something. But, focusing on the memory more, he heard the voices.
"Your Highness, listen carefully. The royal gardener has two hundred and one flowers and wants to plant them in neat rows and columns. He can't just throw them on the ground like a barbarian, he needs order! So, we need to figure out how many different ways he can arrange them into a rectangle."
Then, he saw the young Midna put her hands on her hips defiantly.
"Maybe he should just throw them on the ground! Flowers grow however they want!" her younger self barked.
The patient old tutor rubbed the bridge of his nose as he closed his eyes hopelessly.
"Yes, well, unfortunately for us both, the gardener is not an agent of chaos. Now, pay attention. The number two hundred and one can only be split evenly a few ways. We are looking for pairs of numbers that multiply to make two hundred and one"
Then, Link saw the tutor write something on a board, whilst the young Midna doodled something in her book.
Eventually, the younger version of her looked back to the tutor.
"...in rows of one, three, sixty-seven or two hundred and one!"
The young Midna huffed and folded her arms.
"Well he should just plant two hundred in a circle and give the last one to me!"
The poor tutor slumped his head.
"Why do I even bother?"
Link couldn't help himself. He laughed at her impish nature, far more unrestrained than it had been since he'd known her.
"Oh that poor man… I'd like to buy him something nice" Link teased.
Midna laughed along with him.
"I wasn't always an arrogant brat. I actually apologised to him once a few years ago"
"I bet he still hates you"
"He does not! He said it was nice of me to apologise!"
"Doesn't mean he doesn't hate you"
Midna giggled and Link couldn't help laughing either. It was somewhat surreal seeing a memory right from her own eyes as a child. But it felt nice to see a part of her life like this.
"So, any others you'd like to share?" he asked eagerly.
"You can have one more, but I'm not some picture book. You want to see more, then I want to see some of yours in exchange."
"Deal" he said, without hesitation. "Oh wait a minute, how's your leg doing?"
Looking at her thigh, she took a deep breath and tried lifting it, only to hiss and let the leg drift down into the pool.
"Still hurts" she said through gritted teeth, taking deeper and longer breaths. "But not as bad as before. Might just take more time?"
"Probably" he shrugged. "Until then, lets see some interesting memories"
He sat next to her at the edge of the pool, dipping his own legs into the strange liquid. As he did, the colour bloom changed too. Instead of being streaks of random colours, they started to blend together, creating a strangely soothing haze.
They both sat and stared at it for a moment, trying to make sense as well as just enjoying the shifting colour gradients.
"Ah, here's one I like" Midna said after a few minutes.
Link leaned forward, arms on his knees and eager to see.
The memory was from her perspective again, but this time she seemed older. Maybe an early teenager.
The scene was in some kind of ballroom, it looked a little like the dining room he had crashed through. Elegantly dressed Twili filled the room. The fashion looked ridiculous, ruffles all over the outfits, an entire bouquet of flowers pinned to broad lapelles and the like.
"My lady, I have led hunting parties across the northern forests, slaying beasts thrice my size!" declared one to the teenage Midna, adjusting the golden clasps on his absurdly embroidered doublet.
"That is nothing. I have personally commissioned a fleet of caravans to bolster the kingdom's trade" another cut in smoothly, flipping his jewelled signet ring between his fingers as though it alone proved his worth.
"My poetry has been celebrated by the finest scholars! A woman of your grace deserves to be immortalized in verse."
"Ah, but does she not also deserve security? My wealth alone could keep her in the finest silks and jewels for lifetimes."
The voices blurred together, a cacophony of self-importance and empty words. Through the memory, he could sense that she had been tense and barely contained pent up frustration.
One of the nobles presented a gilded rose right in front of her eyes. He heard the sharp breath she took in the memory.
"Enough!"
The word cracked through the room like a whip, slicing through the meaningless posturing. The suitors fell silent, startled by the force of her voice. All eyes turned to her, wide with disbelief.
She stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over them, her anger a barely leashed storm.
"Is this all any of you can talk about? Your gold? Your carvans? Your conquests?" Her voice dripped with scorn. "Do you think I am some trinket to be won by the highest bidder? Some empty-headed fool who will swoon over a well-rehearsed compliment?"
A few of the nobles shifted uncomfortably, glancing at each other, uncertain.
"Not one of you has spoken an honest word since this parade of arrogance began. You talk of yourselves as if the world should fall at your feet, yet none of you have the slightest idea what it means to rule. What it means to serve something greater than your own mirrors."
She took a step closer, her voice sharp as steel.
"You flatter yourselves with grand speeches, but I will tell you now: I have no use for a man who cannot look beyond his own vanity. No use for a suitor who believes he can buy my affection with coin or impress me with hollow bravado. How is there not a single earnest story of humility from any of you? A moment you used your strengths for the gain of those who could really do with the help? No?"
Silence stretched between them. Some of the suitors bristled, their pride wounded, while others looked away.
"I am not surprised" she seethed, then turned on her heel. "I have no interest in entertaining another word of this nonsense."
Link sat back, leaning on his arms.
"Midna…that was incredible!" he said, still unable to believe how honest she had been.
She smiled proudly.
"Thank you. I've always enjoyed putting people in their place" she remarked casually. "I think we've seen enough of me for now though. I'd like to see something from your head"
"As you wish, your majesty" he said, with an overly dramatic bow from the waist.
"And I had such a good opinion of you before…" she said dryly.
Link smiled as he started looking through the swarm of memories floating around the room. They were hard to sift through just by how many of them were there. Instinct, however, guided him. He thought through earlier memories from his life and recalled one he was fond of. As he focused, a wisp caught his attention with a faint pulse around itself. It started drifting towards them both.
As it settled, the memory played out exactly as he recalled. Midna sat wide eyed, taking in every detail.
It was when he was around eight years old. He had been helping plant pumpkins in the farm for most of the day. At this point, he was used to it. He had been working on the farm for nearly a year at this point.
It was sunset and he had found a perfectly sized stick near his home. He gave it a few swings, trying to imagine how knights became so skilled with using them.
Unused to things like balance whilst holding the stick, he swung too hard at a tree branch and connected with a beehive.
"Oh no…" the younger version of him whimpered.
The swarm of bees was all over him in a second, their stingers mercilessly piercing his arms. Shouting in pain and panic, he ran from his home to the river, screaming with every step he took.
"No, no, no, no!"
Eventually, he dived into the deepest part of the whole river and stayed under the water for as long as his breath could hold.
A minute later he swam back up and broke the surface, gasping for air. Though the swarm of bees had thankfully given up.
As he lay on his back, drifting around the water, he saw the broad frame of Rusl appear at the edge of his vision.
"So, mind telling me why you're in the river?" he asked gently.
"I found a cool stick. I wanted to swing it like a sword, but I hit a beehive instead" he explained, voice far higher pitched than he recalled.
Rusl laughed warmly, as he always had.
"Oh, poor Link. Come on, let's get you out of there."
The vision of the memory flickered as Rusl pulled him out and stood him on the river bank.
"So, you took one swing at a beehive and broke clean through it?" he asked.
"Uh, kinda? I think it broke apart" the younger Link said as he twisted his clothes.
"Ah, alright then. You're stronger than you look for an eight year old" he said as he looked at him thoughtfully.
"Tell me, would you be interested in learning to actually use a sword properly?"
His young vision snapped straight to Rusl and nodded eagerly.
"Excellent! Well, come with me then. You're going to be learning a lot of basics for a while" Rusl said happily, patting his shoulder as he walked him to his home.
The memory continued to relive itself in front of them both. Midna had laughed gently at him being swarmed by the bees, but now she was softer.
"Aw, that was so sweet of Rusl. Instead of telling you to behave and never do it again, he encouraged you to get smarter…" she said, almost affectionately.
Link thought of Rusl, the solid and dependable man who had been effortlessly patient with him over the years. If not for his care and skill, Link felt like his own skill with a sword wouldn't have been enough to get him this far in his life.
He let himself smile at the memory. For a while longer, they both took turns looking into each other's past, fascinated by the exploits of their younger selves.
Midna showed him a time when she had tried cooking something, only to have the royal chef lie through his teeth about how good a first attempt it was. Her younger self had seen right through the lie and insisted he eat all of it to make her happy.
Then, Link showed her a memory of the first time he had gone on a patrol into the forest with Rusl. It was uneventful, but along the way, Links instincts were primed as he jumped at every slight noise and investigated everything diligently. They had both found no dangers, but Link did end up finding a bird's nest with young chicks in it. He had cut up an apple into tiny chunks before putting it by the side of the nest.
"…You know, I don't think I've ever done this before" Midna murmured.
Link turned to look at her.
"Done what?"
She exhaled, staring at the glowing wisps above them.
"Sat with someone like this. Just… remembering."
There was something soft in her voice. Almost wistful. She leaned her head on his shoulder.
"I think I like it."
Their hands lay next to each other, skin to skin.
The colours in the room continued to blend softly as the wisps floated around.
He leaned his head against hers.
Another of the wisps wandered into view. Looking into this one eagerly, its edges tinted gold.
"I love you"
Alarmed, Link saw himself in the memory, pulling back from a hug with Zelda. It was the dining room at the Castle, no more than a week or so ago. She looked so happy, tears in her eyes as her lips quivered.
Then "I love you" again a moment later, the voice in his memory catching as he said it.
Then the vision of the memory faded to black, when he had closed his eyes to kiss her. The sound of it was audible in the memory.
Link's heart ground to a halt as a pit formed in his stomach, threatening to swallow him whole.
He had promised himself he would have told Midna about this. Now the pool wisps had shown it to her.
Petrified to the spot, his breath went still. He could barely turn his head to look at her. She no longer rested her head on him.
She stared blankly into space, nothing registering on her still features. Then came the quiet and timid thing she said.
"Oh…"