Chapter 32 - Hidden
The Zora Royal Family's shut-away grave was just as beautiful as Isha remembered it, in spite of the dreary weather that dulled all other scenery. Waterfalls still flowed in from the surrounding cliffs, though their flow had slowed considerably. The small trees that grew around the perimeter of the tomb had finally lost their foliage, leaving naked branches clawing for the overcast sky. Still, she found beauty in their flowing lines and their silvery bark.
Isha stopped at the edge of the pool that separated the tunnel entrance from the Zora burial mound. Standing in front of a cerulean stone shrine was a young Zora with rose-tinted scales and soft features that leant themselves to a quiet beauty, quite different from the usually striking features of most of the Zora Isha knew.
Prince Ralis must have heard her scraping through the tunnel, for he turned to face Isha as she finished slapping the dirt from her clothes. His jewelry clinked and swayed with his fluid movements. "Are you… Isha?" he asked. His voice brought to mind the image of mist drifting above the waves. Soft, delicate, and refined.
No wonder Peras is so blatantly smitten. "I am." Isha bowed respectfully, mostly just to have an excuse to look away from his dark eyes, which were clouded with a deep pain she knew all too well. "I hope you don't mind my intrusion, but I thought you might like some company."
The Zora prince crossed his arms and turned back to the shrine. "I am in mourning," he said. "I appreciate the part you played in my rescue, but I fear I am not fit for entertaining visitors."
"I respect that, Your Highness, but I didn't come just to bask in your presence." Isha lowered herself to the ground beside the water, favoring her scarred side, which had been a bother since leaving Snowpeak. I'm afraid there's none in this village who understands the loss you're experiencing more than I do. I just thought I'd let you know that you aren't alone in this, and that I'm here if you'd like to talk about it."
Prince Ralis snuck a quick glance at her over his shoulder. Isha caught the look, and his eyes darted back to the ground before him. "I'm sorry to hear that," he said slowly. "I would not wish this pain on anyone."
Isha nodded and dipped her fingers in the water. "It's a blessing to love someone until the day you lose them," she said softly. "And then, it starts to feel like a curse."
"How did you deal with it?" the Prince asked in a whisper. "How do you live with this pain?"
That empty ache struck Isha as if summoned by his questions. "I…" I still don't know. Her words caught in her throat. Truthfully, she'd been more avoiding the subject as much as possible rather than dealing with the pain it brought her. Perhaps this was a mistake.
Unfortunately, it was far too late for second-guessing. Noticing his visible disappointment, with her failure to answer, Isha cleared her throat and tried to pull her thoughts together.
"I guess... I met new people, and sometimes the pain isn't so bad when they're around," she said. "I didn't really have many friends growing up, but after losing my mom, I left my village for the first time. I found friends I would have never known otherwise. I feel like I just… started life over, in a way."
Prince Ralis turned to face her once more. "So, you just forget it all, then? Replace the old with new?"
"That's not…!" Is that what I've been doing? Isha stiffened and tried to control her tone. "No, prince, I could never. You don't just forget things like this…"
The Zora sat at the edge of his little island, legs dangling in the water. If he was bothered by the cold, he made no indication. "What is it, then? How can you bear to watch the world go on around you, as though nobody of importance was lost?"
Isha lowered her head, the answers escaping her. How in the hell does Link always know what to say? She couldn't help but wonder.
"Is this the best you can do?" a voice whispered in Isha's ears. She flinched and bit back a surprised yelp. Her eyes darted between her faded shadow and the Zora Prince, who did not seem to notice the third voice.
Midna giggled. Her voice had an echo to it, though it was hardly louder than the trickling falls around them. She sounded as though she were right at Isha's side, but the imp was nowhere to be seen. "Perhaps you should mention the value of having someone comfort you when your unstable emotions collapse?" she said, suspiciously helpful.
Suspicious or not, though, Isha knew good advice when she heard it. "You know, my mom wasn't some well-known noble. She was just a merchant in a tiny walk-through village, and a widowed mother to an unruly kid. But… The day I found her body, I met this person who had probably never even heard of our village before. A complete stranger... and he stayed by my side while I mourned. We didn't talk or anything, just… sat there together."
Isha threw her head back and closed her eyes. "From his perspective, the world was unchanged by the death of an unknown woman. But he still put his life on hold to sit by my side for hours. I'm… I'm not sure I would have picked myself back up, if it weren't for his friendship. I don't know how it helped, but…it did."
"Bit dramatic, but you got the point across."
Isha wished so desperately that she could slap a shadow.
Prince Ralis crossed his arms and swirled his fins in the water. He seemed to be mulling over her words, and the silence between them stretched on. Isha fought the urge to fidget. Should she be trying to say more?
"You know, I can think of at least one Zora who would be more than happy to be that person for you," she ventured when the Prince still did not move to speak. "Of course, I know it's not really my business but… any reason you're avoiding letting them know of your recovery?"
The Prince rose to his feet, his expression growing distant. "I'm sorry. Perhaps there is wisdom in your words, but I am not fit for visitors at this time, no matter who they are. I will think on what you have told me, but I insist that I be allowed to mourn my mother in peace." He turned away and went to lean against his parents' shrine, his back to Isha.
"What a brat," Midna hissed.
"Shut up," Isha bit back under her breath as she rose to her feet. "I understand, Prince Ralis. Should you decide you want to talk again, know that you are welcome to come to me any time, whether in person or by letter." She bowed, though the prince still did not look at her.
Though some might say differently, Isha did know when to quit. She turned and made her way back through the tunnel, leaving the prince to mourn his losses in the quiet tomb.
"You know, I am royalty too," Midna quipped, separating herself from Isha's shadow as they reentered the graveyard. "You really should be more respectful towards me, like you were with that spoiled child."
Isha stopped and put a hand to her hip. "Apologies, Your Majesty, but it's not like you act much like a noble, aside from your self-importance." She narrowed her eyes with more suspicion than Midna felt was warranted. "Why did you say anything at all? Since when you do offer help so freely?"
Midna's shadow cloak rippled as she hovered in the air and regarded Isha's strangely distrustful expression. Why does something feel off here? "You clearly needed it, Buggy. Should I have left you to fail on your own?"
"It just seems so…uncharacteristic of you," Isha said, her jaw tightening. "To my knowledge, you only seem interested in helping when it benefits you."
The shadows flickered with Midna's irritation. Where did this woman find the audacity? Did their moment in this very graveyard earlier not mean anything? "Excuse me? You have no idea what all I've done to help-"
"Oh, I know plenty, dear Princess of Twilight. I've heard all about it. How you manipulated Link's emotions into working with you, how you insulted him and twisted the truth to get him to jump when you said jump, and go where you said to go!" Isha's voice rose in volume as the girl worked herself up. "You're being suspiciously helpful to me today, and I struggle to trust that this is anything more than you setting up to use me in the same way you use him!"
"You're really on one today, aren't you?" Midna growled and smothered a stirring in her magic. Don't stoop to her level. Do not lash out over assumptions. But oh, did the little dust mite make it so difficult when she chose these arguments! "I only reminded him of his priorities and sent him down the best path to accomplish our goals. The Fused Shadows were just stops on our way to find his friends. And I did help him find them again, just as I promised I would!"
"No, you didn't! I saved them!" Isha slammed her palm against her chest. "I am the reason the children escaped those monsters at all! How long did you two spend in that damn temple in Faron, going after that worthless Shadow? Link says you always complain about delays, what about the ones you cause? Would my village have been spared, if you two had only come to our aid sooner? Is it your fault that we had no Hero to defend us?"
Even cloaked in shadow, Midna's silhouetted face took on a violet hue as her anger boiled. "You insolent little worm! You make so many assumptions on such little information that it feels pointless to try to set things straight! I am just a Twili doing all she can to save her people. You two are Hylians trying to save your people. We share a common foe, we should be focusing our energy on fighting him and not each other!"
They paused to hold each other's glare. Midna thought she caught a flicker of fear in the woman's eyes. Good. Maybe it would do the girl well to have some sense scared into her.
"Look, Midna, I don't doubt that you want save your people," Isha said slowly, trying to level her voice. "But I fear what you're willing to do to reach that goal. Your pain has turned you into a monster befitting your cursed appearance. You manipulate your allies and insult innocents who don't deserve any of your bitterness." Isha swung her hand back towards the tunnel they'd climbed from.
"That is a grieving child in there, mourning the loss of a mother who loved him so dearly, her spirit refused to rest until she knew he was safe. And you call him a brat for wanting to process all of this alone? A spoiled child because it hurts too much to talk about what he's lost? Have you no empathy left?"
This is maddening. Midna was going to give that wolf a stern talking to. Intentional or not, it was clear he'd done a poor job of recounting their early adventures, and now she was left to deal with his overprotective flea. I knew this woman was going to be a problem…
"Look, girl, I do not know what has gotten into you, but I am not going to entertain your delusions," the Twili spat. Her shadow cloak was writing with her anger, excited by her very emotions. A few shadowy tendrils snapped at the air, punctuating her words. "Nothing I have done has been done out of maliciousness. I did what I must to set the Hero on the path that would save both our realms from Zant. I am harsh on the Zora child because he is a King now of his people, and he should be acting as such."
"He's had a week to deal with the pain!" Isha cried, though she took a cautious step back. "King or not, as far as the Zora are concerned, he's only just entered adulthood. Just because you don't feel any-" The woman slapped a hand over her mouth to cut herself off. Her eyes widened, as if shocked by the thought that had crossed her mind.
Midna raised her brow. "Oh? You were brave enough to start the thought, why don't you finish it?"
Isha shook her head. She looked truly horrified.
"Spit it out, Buggy," Midna commanded, clenching her fists at her side. "Don't be a coward. Let's hear what your disrespectful little mind has come up with this time."
The girl studied Midna closely. She observed the way the shadows flicked back and forth along with Midna's words and winced. "Just forget I said anything, please," Isha all but begged.
Midna knew if she actually brought harm to the girl, she'd lose all hope of ever getting home or making things right. But damn her! Isha pushed every button Midna had. The assumptions, the emotional outbursts, the short-sightedness…
I can't afford to throw away my last chance on a petulant child. Midna took a long breath. "I'm sure it was just as pathetic as your other attempts at insult," she said with an exaggerated sigh. "Empty, meaningless, and a waste of breath." She forced her anger back down, and the shadows around her fell still once more.
The two stared at one another, the tension between them so thick that Midna felt she might suffocate in it. "I am not interested in rehashing this fight, or any similar to it," the imp finally spoke. "You always seem so concerned with how others might feel about unheard comments, but have you even once considered the things I have been going through? Or does your sympathy only extend to those from the world of Light?"
"Of course I have!" Isha snapped. "I've tried to be somewhat understanding of the pain you're no-doubt fighting on a daily basis. But that doesn't give you the right to be so callous to everyone! You step on the feelings of people who have nothing to do with your suffering!"
Midna dropped her shadow cloak, returning to a physical state just so she could grip Isha's face between her hands. Let the loud-mouthed creature feel Midna's jagged claws pressing against her skin. Midna couldn't bring harm to the girl, but sometimes a good threat was needed to make a point.
"Nothing to do with my suffering?" she hissed. "You damn roach, how have you survived this long using so little of your brain? Have you already forgotten what you've learned of Hyrule's use of the Mirror of Twilight? It was the people of your world who used ours as a dump for their worst, to either become spirits or demons for the Twili to deal with! For our entire history, we have been dealing with the ramifications of your world's self-absorbed ways!"
Isha stared wide-eyed at the imp. "I-"
"That is why I act and feel as I do!" Midna continued shouting. "When I found Link, I had no way of knowing that he might be different from the world that raised him. All I knew was that this world hated us, and it was my last chance to find help for my people. I did what I had to do in order to bring him to Zelda, who would show him I could be trusted. And let's not forget your attitude at our first meeting!"
Midna dropped her hold on Isha, whose hands rose to rub her face as she stumbled back. Dramatic, the imp thought, considering she hadn't even broken the skin.
Since the woman seemed too stunned to speak, Midna carried on. "Your first thought was that I was just another agent of Zant. Where's your thousands of years of history to justify your assumptions? Even I have managed my disdain for the Light World better than that. By your logic, would that not make you worse than me, and even less worthy of trust? Or do you only feel empathy for those you personally like?"
"I'm not-"
"Recall how you felt back then," Midna cut her off, for she wasn't looking for an answer. "Remember those vile thoughts and the hate you shouted in my face. Now, imagine if you had lived through a thousand Kakarikos. A thousand Zora's Domains. Imagine if every one of your histories were tainted with the callousness and brutality of another world, over and over again, and you were powerless to stop it. Do you not think that you would struggle to find any one of us worth understanding?"
Now, Midna waited for Isha to respond. The girl had stopped trembling, at least. Isha wrapped her arms about herself and looked to the dirt beneath her feet. "I felt awful for the things I said, Midna. I still do. I was wrong, and I think about it often. But just as it was wrong for me to say those things, it's wrong for you, too."
Midna knew there was wisdom in her words, but the fact that it was all coming from this scuttling little pest really stung. "I did not ask for a lesson in morality," she growled.
"No, but you clearly need it."
The glares were flying once more. Is this really going to be the rest of my experience in this dreaded hell of a world? Midna wondered. Was there no end to this woman's stubbornness? She raised a clawed hand to the bridge of her too-thin nose and pinched it between her knuckles. "You are a frustrating child."
Isha scrunched her nose in distaste. "As much as I wish differently sometimes, I left childhood long ago."
"Compared to me, you are hardly more than a rowdy toddler," Midna growled. "Complete with the incessant, pointless questions and a mind that is simultaneously sharp as a knife and dull as this disgusting sky."
"Perhaps my questions meaning nothing to you, but many of the answers mean quite a lot to me. There's one in particular I demand an answer to." Isha's arms fell to her side. "Tell me, Midna. Could you and Link have saved Kakariko, if you hadn't forced him to go after the Fused Shadow first?"
Midna shook her head. "The dust had already settled in your town by the time I found Wolfy down in the dungeons, so no. It is not my fault that your village was incapable of defending itself."
Isha looked at the clouds overhead and scowled. "Perhaps it is your fault my village was in danger in the first place."
Midna did not offer a counter, and Isha wondered if she'd finally found a line. She hated that it nearly made her happy to have found something that would silence even this mouthy Twili. I don't want to feel this way every day.
Isha's shoulders slumped, and she felt her anger slipping away. "Is this what we have to look forward to? Constant arguments? Insults? Distrust?"
"We never had to meet, you know," Midna reminded her with a scowl. "I would have preferred to stay hidden to all of you, but someone decided she didn't need to listen to the Hero and thought she could take the Fused Shadow for herself."
"You should have stayed hidden. Let me learn my lesson the hard way."
Midna crossed her arms behind her head and lounged in the air. She hung there for several moments and offered no reply.
"Given everything I know about you, I struggle to understand why you didn't do just that," Isha mumbled, turning away from Midna and taking a seat on a nearby bench.
"I had to consider our ever-valiant swordsman," the Twili finally replied. "The Shadow would have corrupted you just like it did the Goron leader, and turn you into something Wolfy had to kill. The Goron's survival of his ordeal was a miracle, and one we couldn't count on happening a second time."
"I'm sure Link would have managed just fine," Isha replied. "I struggle to believe you cared whether I lived or died."
Midna sighed. "Then you are even more dense than I feared. He is loyal to his friends to a fault. Even if the Shadow granted you a new form entirely, stripped away everything that made you who you are, I doubt he would have ever raised a weapon against you."
"It doesn't matter either way," Isha said quickly. "What's done is done. It was all for nothing anyways. Lot of good those damn Shadows did you."
"Not entirely. You two have a better idea of what we are up against, and Wolfy has that fancy sword now. As far as we know, Zant believes that I am dead. We gained the element of surprise." A fanged, malicious grin crept across Midna's face. "As long as you both listen to me, we can still defeat him."
A cold gust swept through the graveyard. Isha pulled her cloak tighter around her shoulders and looked away from the imp. "You can still defeat him," she said softly. "I have a feeling I'm not going to be leaving the desert once we find the shrine."
Midna thought better of a particularly scathing remark when she heard the dejected tone in Isha's voice. "You said they promised you that your journey is far from over, did you not? I'm unsure how they could be any more clear."
"All I asked was whether or not I could leave after I met with them. They refused to give a direct answer. That 'journey' may be a pointless one spent wandering in the desert forever, for all I know." Isha hugged herself tighter. "This entire thing has felt like a punishment for all I've said, and for not being grateful for the peaceful life I had been blessed with."
Midna scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Your gods are not allowing the world to meet its end just because you said some things they didn't like. Whether we like it or not, it is clear that you play some greater role in everything happening to our worlds. Delaying your visit to them is not going to change that, you know. In fact, it'll probably only make things worse."
Isha shrunk under Midna's glare. "I'm not delaying anything." But they both knew she was lying.
"We aren't getting into another argument, and especially not over this. Get up," Midna sighed and pulled on Isha's arm. "I've had enough of this. For the benefit of both of our worlds, we need to reach some level of understanding."
Isha gave Midna another suspicious look, but allowed the Twili to pull her to her feet. She dusted off the backside of her clothes. "I'm sick of it already," the woman agreed. "But I can't be the only one who holds her tongue in this. You have to stop acting as though all of us are beneath you. Stop insulting everyone who doesn't behave exactly as you want them to. Spare us your bullshit, and we'll have far less to argue about."
Midna crossed her arms and rolled her head from side to side. "I will save my comments about the other Light Dwellers for myself. As for you," she descended into Isha's shadow. "Use your brain a little more, and we shouldn't have a problem." She giggled before disappearing entirely, which Isha found entirely inappropriate.
Must be nice to not have a conscience, the woman thought. She slowly made her way across the graveyard, steering well away from that cluster of fresh graves. As she descended back into town, Isha couldn't help but feel as though nothing had really been resolved between her and Midna at all.
Midna left Isha's shadow shortly after they arrived back in the village. Surely, Link was done amusing the children by now, and would provide to be less troublesome company than the dust mite.
It came to no surprise to the imp that Isha did not trust her, despite all that had transpired since their meeting. Damn good thing we decided not to tell her about Zelda's fate, she mused as she slipped from shadow to shadow. No doubt in my mind she would assume I did it on purpose.
The thought soured her mood further. Midna never wanted Zelda's life. She never wanted any of this. To be outright blamed for the princess' death might finally send her over the edge, worse than whatever had caused Zant's madness.
And, if Midna was honest with herself, it hurt to even consider that the woman might still see her as just another one of the evil creatures of shadow. Despite her best efforts, Midna had found herself growing fond of the few good sides of Isha she'd seen. She did have admirable qualities buried amongst the undesirable ones. Her refusal to back down in the face of danger was respectable, if not foolish for someone with no true power to speak of. And Isha may not have been a well of knowledge like Princess Zelda, but it was clear that what the girl did know, she knew well. Isha could recite facts off the top of her head as if the scroll she read it from was stuffed between her ears. Like Linnae.
Sniveling little bookworm that he was, there was never a better mind in the Palace of Twilight than Linnae. If only he could have lived forever. The Twili kingdom would never again lose a piece of history, not with that steel vault he called his memory at their service.
Unfortunately, time was ever a cruel mistress, and he had passed of old age just days after seeing his last student take the crown. His last view of the Palace of Twilight was once of peace and prosperity.
How lucky he was. Midna closed her eyes and shook her head as if to physically clear the thoughts away. She really should focus on finding Link. She poked her head around the building, leaving the shadows for only a moment to make sure no one would see her cross the road to get to the next shadow. The town was as empty as ever, from what she could see.
"Um… Is someone there?"
The small voice nearly startled Midna, and she snapped back into hiding. She wasn't out of shadow enough to be seen clearly, of that Midna was certain.
Midna looked for the source of the voice, which she found belong to one of the Ordon children, the younger girl. She must have just come around that corner. What was her name? Belle?
"I know I saw something," Belle or Becky or whoever she was mumbled to herself, lifting a hand to cup her small chin. "Prince Ralis?" She took a few tentative steps towards the shadows.
Well, that would be quite convenient. These children always seemed to gravitate to Link when he was in town. Far better than Midna having to search the entire ghost town by herself. The girl drew closer, her shadow overlapping with the one Midna was hiding within. The Twili easily slipped into the girl's shadow unseen.
The little brunette stared at the empty wall for a few seconds longer before she shrugged her shoulders and turned, her attention back on whatever task had brought her this way in the first place. "Wishful thinking, I guess," she mumbled under her breath.
Midna made herself comfortable in the girl's shadow as best as she could, something that took more effort on these days when the clouds above cast their own completely useless shadows. It was difficult to force herself into shadows that barely existed, but Midna had not spent decades mastering shadow-state for nothing. She could use shadows that even these Light dwellers could not see, at her full power.
"Luda! Do you have the Yelson crew's lunches ready yet?" The girl called as she drew near to the inn. A dark-haired woman appeared in an open window on the first floor and smiled.
"Almost! I fell behind on the Tolson lunch. Come help us finish!"
The girl skipped up the stairs and through the doors of the inn with little hurry. She slid to a stop and gasped in surprise. "Oh, Link! You're back!"
Midna, who had all but dozed off now that she was comfortable in a new shadow, jolted to attention when she heard his name. Too easy! She thought triumphantly. The Ordon children were so beautifully predictable.
"Oh, hey Beth," Link replied absently. He sat by himself at a small table, his chin resting in his hand and his eyes darting back to the kitchen every few seconds. "I think Luda was looking for you."
Beth, Belle, Becky, same thing. Midna slipped from Beth's shadow to Link's, embracing the familiarity of his shadow. It was almost like coming home.
Almost.
"She is, but I always have time to say hello to you!" Beth cooed, making Link look more than a little uncomfortable. Midna rolled her eyes. Children were hardly the epitome of class, nor were they expected to be, but this girl couldn't be more obvious if she painted a sign and carried it about.
"Beth! Come on!" A voice called from the kitchen, one that belonged to a doe-eyed girl with a blonde bob and a swooping cowlick who poked her head into the dining room. Link tensed, his eyes looking anywhere but the kitchen door. "We really need to get these lunches moving!"
Everybody's got too many damn feelings, Midna thought with mild amusement.
Giggling her goodbyes, Beth waved and bounced away, too young and oblivious to see the emotions Link was clearly struggling with. Ilia glanced briefly at Link, but did not linger long in the doorway once Beth passed by her.
"Ugh, don't tell me you're an emotional wreck, too," Midna projected her voice only to his ears. Link started at her voice, but the surprise was quickly replaced with something akin to relief. "Your little dust mite has pushed me to my limits already. Weren't we supposed to all be relaxing here?"
Link stood and made his way up the stairs, seeking his room. Good. Midna was really starting to appreciate the way he followed her direction so easily, even when her demands went entirely unspoken. He seemed to understand her a bit more these days.
Once he'd closed the door, Midna hopped from the shadows and sat upon the dresser, legs hanging over the side. "What happened with Isha?" Link asked.
Midna narrowed her eyes. "Oh, just seems she's gotten the wrong idea of things. Again." And I'm fine, by the way, thanks for asking.
Link frowned and sat down in one of two armchairs in the room. "What do you mean?"
"Well, she seems to believe that I used underhanded methods to get you to work with me at the start. And I know she hasn't come to me to ask about how we met, so I can only assume where she got her wild ideas from." Midna gave him a harsh glare, but Link did not wither like he once might have. She almost missed those days.
"Midna, I've only told her what happened since all this started. If she's jumping to conclusions, it's not because I pushed her there." He crossed his arms and met her glare with a bit of defiance in his eyes. "Did you bother setting the record straight? Or did you just let her get worked up again?"
Midna intended to deny it, but the way he stared at her indicated he had already assumed the correct answer. Perhaps I've let him get to know me a bit too well. She clenched her jaw. "I did nothing wrong. You know that. I should not have to defend myself against wild accusations."
Link sighed. "I'll talk to her about it, if that's what you want. Whatever I said to lead her to the wrong conclusions, I'm sorry. I'll fix it."
At least he's still loyal to me, at the end of the day. Like any good wolf should be. "Good." Midna swung her feet idly and made no further comments.
"Do you want to tell me exactly what happened?" Link asked when the silence went on for too long.
Midna turned away. "What is there to tell? She made her assumptions, I found them rude. We had an argument about it. When it finally ended, I decided I'd had enough of following her around."
"Why did you go with her, anyways?" At Midna's raised brow, he added quickly, "I mean, you can do whatever you want, I guess. I'm just… asking. You two haven't exactly hit things off."
The Twili shrugged. "As soon as I heard you had plans to entertain a child all morning, I decided to see which rock the little bug was planning to crawl under today. I did intend to get along with her, you know. Thought I'd try to show an interest in whatever dull way she found to pass the day."
"I'm sure you did."
Midna wasn't too fond of his tone. "I did. And until she decided to attack me for her interpretations of your stories, we almost could have passed for friends."
Link looked at her for a long moment, then sighed and leaned forward in his seat. "And what does your idea of 'getting along' with Isha look like, exactly?"
At her glare, he had the audacity to chuckle. Damn dog. "We took a nice long walk through the headstones of her dead former villagers and talked about her father." If she'd been in a better mood, Midna might have delighted in the way his face seemed to pale slightly. She could still get under his skin, shouldn't that bring her joy?
"Please tell me you didn't disrespect her parents or-"
"Of course I didn't!" Instead of delight, Midna only felt insulted. "I may not like somebody, I may find them foolish or stupid or annoying, but even I know better than to insult the good dead!"
Link shrunk back, and Midna knew her rage was getting the better of her once more. What is wrong with me? Surely, after all of this time, she wasn't losing her grip on her emotions now. Perhaps spending time around that emotional little roach was corrupting her, somehow.
Keeping her eyes on her wolf, Midna slowly exhaled and let the shadows coiling about her claws drop away. A part of her felt as though she should apologize. She made no effort to do so.
"What's going on with you?" Link asked, in that same kind voice he used for all his other hurting friends. Midna despised it. She didn't want comfort, not from him or any other Light Dwellers. "Don't tell me it's nothing, either. Even when we first met, you acted nothing like this."
"I don't know what you mean." Midna crossed her arms and looked away, but that only spurred Link to stand and approach her. This is all such a waste of time.
"It's nothing new," she growled. "Only just that my people continue to suffer and-"
"I know it's not just that," Link cut her off, slamming a hand down on the desk beside her. He loomed over her, and for once it was Midna who shrank under his icy gaze. "Ever since Isha returned with that mirror, you've been acting differently. While I'm glad you decided to reveal yourself to the Resistance, I know you only did it because you let your anger get the best of you. You've been asking everyone a ton of questions about cultures and places in this world, but the moment Isha asked you about the Twilight Realm, you shut down completely. You got into another argument with her, and it almost feels like you're trying to get me to go start one, as well. What's gotten into you?"
Midna felt another crack in her armor, another chip in her pride. How lovely it would be… But she was a Princess of Twilight, and these were peasants who were far beneath her. Link had some exception, being a Goddess-chosen Hero, but that didn't mean they had to be friends. Beyond that, these people were from a world that hated all she ruled over.
That's not right, the weak part of her mind whispered. It had appeared shortly after she was forced to accept Zelda's life to extend her own. These people don't hate you, it told her. Over and over, as if that would somehow make that fantasy true.
The longer she failed to respond, the less intense Link's expression grew. He pulled back to give Midna space. "Sorry," he mumbled. "It wasn't my intention to scare you. I'm just worried, Midna. You're supposed to be the strongest one of us. If there's something bothering you, please don't leave us in the dark. I care about you, and Isha would too, if you'd give her a chance."
They don't hate you, that voice refused to be smothered today. Midna tried to form a scowl, to find the energy to reprimand her wolf for daring to be so… so…!
"Why is it not good enough to let me remain in your shadow?" Midna asked, her voice hoarse. "Why do you want so badly to drag me into your life?"
"I… I don't know what you mean by that Mids," Link said, furrowing his brow. "You're already in my life. You've been here since I woke up in those dungeons."
"That's not what I mean, Wolfy," she snapped. "Why are you so insistent on being my friend? Why do you want to know things about me or my world? You were only supposed to be my arms and legs in a world I didn't belong in. You were just supposed to help me get home, and nothing more! We are from two completely different worlds who hate each other, who were created out of hatred for one another. So why waste your time trying to befriend me at all?"
She wanted to say more, to scream about how ridiculous this whole idea of getting along really was, but the pain in his eyes stopped her. Why? The silence between them was deafening.
"Well… when I met you, you really looked like you needed a friend," Link admitted finally. "And I really needed a friend, too. Yeah, I wasn't fond of some of the things you said or did when we first met, but the more I got to know you, and the more you did to help me survive those first few days, the more I felt like… you and I were the same. Just two people who desperately wanted to save the people they care about."
They don't hate you.
But they would, she knew, if they learned the full history of her people. If they knew where her world came from, why the Twili existed in the first place. Isha already clearly struggled with seeing Midna as separate from the beasts that ruined her life. If the girl knew of the origins of the Twilight Realm…
I can't hide it forever. The dust mite was too damn smart, and Wolfy was growing too insistent on forcing a friendship upon Midna. At some point, the imp knew the truth would come out. Most likely, it would come out when they found the Ancient Sages, the ones who acted as her realm's wardens.
"Would you still have felt that way if it had been an actual shadow beast that came to you?" Midna whispered. She tucked her legs against her chest. "Or what if Ganondorf himself came before you, bearing his pain and begging for your friendship, for your help. Would you have offered them the same grace that you did me?"
Link crouched before her, his eyes level with hers. "Midna, where's this all coming from?" he asked.
"You wouldn't, would you? You'd never have given them the chance."
He ran his hand through his hair and looked away. "Midna… I did think you were one of those shadow creatures when we first met," he admitted, shame clouding his features. "I thought you were just one who was… nicer. So, you're wrong. I... Kind of did already."
Midna wanted to think him a liar. She wanted to believe he was only being nice to keep their little rag-tag group from falling apart at the seams. But when he met her eye once more, that quiet voice in her mind grew louder.
He's never hated you.
"Will you please tell me why you're having these thoughts now?" Link begged her once more.
Midna hugged her knees to her chest and ducked her head into her arms. Just because her wolf could look past an assumption that she was little more than a beast with emotions did not mean he nor his flea would be so eager to look past an ancestry riddled with treachery and greed.
But she was no fool. Midna knew what a danger hidden secrets could be, both to herself and those around her. I might as well reveal it all now, where I can control the conversation.
"You really want to know?" She finally asked. "Find the dust mite and drag her back here."
"Midna?" She felt the warmth of his hand on her back, and for once Midna did not retreat to the shadows to avoid the contact.
"If I am to tell one of you about this, I might as well tell you both and not have to repeat myself. Just go find her. I need the space." She did not lift her head, not even when her wolf promised to return soon and closed the door behind him. Midna held herself tighter, until she thought she might break her ribs with her knees.
If they leave because of this… Midna knew just as much information as the two Hylians about where to search for her only way home. Thanks to Zelda's sacrifice, she could travel this world freely, without having to hide away in the shadows. She should be able to soar over the desert day and night looking for that shrine. She could find the other pieces herself, repair the mirror by herself.
Go home by herself.
Necessity had not kept her bound to the blue-eyed beast and his loud-mouthed flea. Midna could deny it no longer. How ashamed her people would be, if they knew how much she had come to care about so many of the creatures that made up a world that despised them?
But her people weren't here. These creatures of Light were all Midna had, and she knew in her heart they were nothing like the monsters who filled her realm with criminals, vengeful spirits, and demons. Would they feel the same about her, once they knew? Or would they finally join the rest of their world in believing the Twilight Realm to house nothing but demons?
She could already feel the hole they would leave in her tattered heart when they parted ways.
I survived the massacre of my people. I'll survive this, too.
"Thank you again, my dear Lady! Oh, I just knew if I kept my patience I would find something of worth in these ruins!" Shad exclaimed, his voice far too chipper for Isha's still-sour mood. He'd taken to using a title with her since he'd met Renado, for whatever reason. She didn't care enough to ask anything other than for him to stop. And he clearly did not care to listen.
"I told you, you don't have to call me that," she was forced to say once more. Isha rolled her eyes, a gesture that went entirely unnoticed by the bespectacled man who plodded several paces behind her. "I don't have any titles."
She rolled her fingers over a small figurine of Eldin, given to her by Renado just before he ushered her off with the scholar from Castle Town. Isha lifted the tiny black bird above her head and squinted against the bright grey sky. The weak sunlight peeking through cracks in the cloud cover brought forth a familiar rainbow shine within the curves and edges of the figurine. It certainly looks like Morion, Isha thought.
Renado had hardly recognized the name, but said he had a collection of small figurines of the Light Spirits made of something that looked like the stones from her staff. He'd gifted her Eldin, likely intending it to be something of sentiment.
Isha only felt the urge to smash the thing against a rock. Even if Telma confirmed that it was Morion, what good did that do her? They had no knowledge of how to repair the weapon, and this little toy certainly wouldn't be enough to replace what was lost.
"Um, Lady Isha?" Shad's voice pulled her from her thoughts. He was standing ahead of her on the road now, looking quite confused as to why she'd stopped.
Isha slipped the figurine into her rupee pouch. "Sorry, got lost in thought. It's just up the hill, here. Follow the fence."
"Oh, I know how that goes!" Shad chuckled, pulling his scarf over his nose as a chill wind blew past. He leaned into her as they walked. Isha was in such bad spirits that she might have shoved him off, if she didn't despise the cold so much.
"What sort of things take your mind?" he continued. "Of course, for me, it's always the Sky Folk! Did you know it was said they worshipped dragons, and might still live alongside them to this day? Imagine if we discovered dragons alongside the Oocca! Our discoveries would be known around the world for time ad infinitum! And if there are dragons still, there are even more likely to be Lo-"
"We're here," Isha interrupted, finding little patience for discussing his fixations at such length. This stop in Kakariko seemed to result in one disappointment or disaster after another for her. For once, she was in no mood for theories and the like.
Unfortunately, Renado had passed on to Shad that Isha might have books on his interests, and Isha had made the mistake of returning to the sanctuary after her fight with Midna and her failure to properly console the Zora Prince. Shad seemed under the impression that Isha needed to take him to her schoolhouse to find the book in question immediately. Isha tried to delay this trip by questioning Renado about the strange staff he'd given her, but he proved useless for information as always. That conversation had hardly lasted ten minutes.
Isha stepped past the broken fence gate that still hung on by one bent hinge. As soon as the gate squealed, the ground beneath their feet began to shake. Shad grabbed at her shoulder and yelped.
A hulking shape came lumbering around the schoolhouse, ivory tusks gleaming against a dark body. Isha smiled. Gleaming red eyes locked on to her, and the hoofbeats slowed their rhythm.
Kariko slid to a stop in front of Isha and snorted, blasting her with his hot breath. "Ew," she said with a laugh. She looked over her shoulder to the cowering redhead. "Shad, this is my bullbo, Kariko." She scratched between the beast's eyes. "And this is a great example of why you don't go wandering onto people's property without permission."
"Right, yes… quite. Good thing you warned me, yes?" He adjusted his glasses and took a tentative step forward. "Aren't bullbos… you know…?"
"Monsters? No, just domesticated by them. And this one seems to have the sense to want better for himself." She pat Kariko's muscular neck. The bull pushed his head into her hand in turn, and Isha felt her bad mood melt away. She'd never been a fan of large beasts, but this one was special. Kariko was more than just a beast.
Isha looked at Shad again. "You can pet him. He'd probably like that." She stepped aside, removing herself from her unwanted position of human shield. "Let him know you're not a threat."
The man lifted a shaking hand to the boar and inched forwards. Deciding that Shad was taking far too long, Kariko lunged forward. Shad fell back into the dirt with a yelp, and Isha had to lean against her bullbo, she was laughing so hard.
"That was rude, you little brat," Isha reigned in her laughter and gave Kariko a playful smack. She extended a hand to Shad, which he took gratefully. "Sorry. You hurt?"
Shad shook his head. "No, just… just shaken, I suppose." He offered a nervous smile and was slow to release her hand.
"Alright, you've said hello. Now, go," Isha said to Kariko, snapping her finger and pointing back to the empty yard. "You and I will have plenty of time together on our trip."
With a swish of his spindly tail, Kariko bounded away, rattling the ground as he went. Shad pulled his scarf higher over his face, as if it might hide him from the boar. "What an interesting beast. How long have you had him?"
"A while, though I haven't been here to give him the attention he deserves. It was before we met Telma," Isha said as they made their way up to the sad, broken schoolhouse. The story distracted her, so she was glad to tell it. "The same band of monsters that attacked Ordon and kidnapped the kids came back for Colin. During the fight, I killed his riders and hopped in the saddle. Told him I'd give him a name if he survived the fight."
"And the beast just… listened?" Shad asked with awe.
"Didn't just listen. I thought I left him for dead. The battle was long over, and we were almost back to town when he came running up behind us, beat to the Gods and back but still alive. He looked like some kind of hound coming back to heel."
Shad whistled, though Isha wasn't sure if in regards to the story, or if he was wordlessly commenting on the dismal state of her old classroom.
The door on her schoolhouse was gone. Had it been there during her last visit, or were her memories already becoming so unreliable? She pushed into the dusty, dark classroom. The desks were in a worse state than she remembered. Most of them had chips and cracks in their wooden surfaces, and their iron joints were as orange as the canyon walls from rust.
There was no sign of the children's art that once decorated her walls. No signs of the maps she'd painstakingly made and hung around the room. Even her bookshelves were in miserable disarray and missing much of their contents.
"Well. Guess it was foolish of me to think looters wouldn't have found their way out here." Despite her best efforts, Isha's voice cracked. She slumped against the wall. Why would anyone take a child's drawing?
"Do you think they would have recognized the value in your book on the sky people?" Shad immediately began rifling through what remained on the shelves. If he noticed her shift in mood, he did not comment.
You can do this. Just breathe. "I doubt it," she said. "They're usually after things with monetary value. Or food."
Her schoolhouse wasn't outside the village, but it was located at the outer ring, sat atop a large plot of empty land. Such a place would have been low on the list of places to post a guard, and Kakariko had few of those to spare for quite a while after the attack.
I am curious how they slipped past a territorial bullbos, though…
Isha dropped the thought. What did it matter? The sentimental things were already gone. Isha had told Renado she didn't intend to return to this place, anyways. Let the desperate rifle through her scraps, if it benefitted even one person. It certainly would do her no good, especially if she was headed to her death in the desert.
Think about that later. Not now.
"Feel free to take anything you feel would be useful, whether for your research on the Oocca or anything else," Isha said, her voice a little more steady. "You should be looking for… Mm, I think it was penned by…"
"Hadlock?" Shad spun around, a triumphant smile on his face and a red-covered book held above his head. "Wonders Beyond?"
"That's it."
"Wonderful," Shad chuckled to himself and tucked the tome under his arm. He resumed combing through her books. "Many of these are quite old!" he remarked.
Isha winced, feeling it was an insult. "Well, I'm afraid Kakariko has never been-"
"What is this?!" Shad heaved an impressive, hard-backed tome from its place on the bottom shelf. "From Hylia's College of the Three? How did you get your hands on one of their textbooks?!"
"I think it was a gift?" With some effort, Isha seemed to recall Gil giving her the cumbersome book as a birthday gift, when he just so happened to be making a delivery on the same day. Even at fifteen, the writing inside had been far beyond her understanding. Isha had nearly forgotten the tome existed.
"Oh, my, this is old," he gasped, fluttering through the pages. "They still cite sources from Termina as credible! Hah! Amazing! This may be from the very same print of books my great grandfather studied from! I have never been able to convince the college to sell me any of their textbooks without enrollment!"
Isha tipped her head to the side. "Why didn't you just enroll? I struggle to see why you'd be anything less than qualified."
The scholar's face fell. "Unfortunately, my grandfather and the current headmaster… They were old friends turned bitter enemies later in life. I'm afraid I don't know the details, but my very blood bans me from study until that man no longer runs the college."
"And they can just… do that?" Isha frowned. "Ban someone because they didn't like their grandfather?"
Shad snorted. "Oh, my Lady, it is so relieving to know there are still people who see such things for what they are. I'm afraid these things are a mainstay in the collegiate world. Prestigious schools have reputations to maintain, for the sake of both the past and future alumni who are usually among the most important names in the kingdom, and whose wealth benefits the school in return. They may refuse whoever, for whatever reason they see fit. More exclusivity to manufacture a shining reputation, a shining reputation to attract the elite. It's all politics, at the end of the day." He waved his hand in the air and continued flipping through the textbook.
Isha crossed her arms and laid the side of her face against the cold stone wall. "Well, more fool to them, then. They've lost out on a great mind in you, and no doubt countless others for equally petty reasons."
Shad blushed, hidden in the dim light of the ruined classroom. "Kind words, my Lady. Kind words." He closed the gargantuan college book and placed it alongside Wonders Beyond. "I shall take no more, these two books are beyond what I could have hoped to find. Thank you very much, Lady Isha!"
Isha didn't much care for his bowing. "I wish you would stop. I am no Lady, nor do I wish to be one, and I told you our village has never used such titles. Just call me by my name, please."
"Oh, but you have more than earned that title in my eyes," Shad smiled and approaching Isha, taking her hand. "You are a scholar among your people, and an inspirational warrior. You are right-hand to the Legendary Hero! There is none more deserving of a title of respect!"
"Your words are kind but I feel you may have the wrong idea of several things." Isha frowned and tried to pull her hand away gently, but his grip only tightened. Why me? "I will ask only once, please let go of my hand."
"I don't mean to offend you, Lady Isha, I only wish to-"
"Unless you are prepared to fight, let me go."
"There you are."
Shad started at the new voice, but Isha felt nothing but relief. Just like a Hero to show up at the best time, she couldn't help but think. Isha pulled her hand free while Shad was distracted and backed away.
Her back thumped against Link's chest, who steadied her with a hand on her arm. "Shad, nice to see you again." His tone indicated that he felt otherwise.
"Ah, it's our missing swordsman! Lady Isha didn't mention you had found your way back, as well! How have you been?"
"We've been good." Link squeezed her arm gently and lowered his voice to speak directly to her. "If you're not too busy, Isha, I need to talk to you."
She looked up over her shoulder and nodded, patting his hand. "I believe we were on our way out, anyways. Right, Shad?" She quickly stepped from between the two men and made her way to the door, eager to leave behind the uncomfortable atmosphere.
Once outside, Isha found Kariko lying beside the steps. "Good boy," she cooed, dropping to her knees in front of him. She scratched the bridge of his nose. "I'll have to brave the store again and find you something special before we leave on our trip."
Kariko gave a low snort and nudged her with his leathery snout. Isha giggled, feeling her discomfort melt away. "Maybe some carrots? I bet you've never had a carrot in your life."
"Should we be worried that you're talking to the animals?" Link asked as he ducked past the door frame, his tone lighter than it had been a few moments before. Shad followed behind, carrying his new books and looking even more sheepish than normal. His scarf was practically pulled up to his glasses. I almost feel bad for him.
"You talk to and about Epona as though she were the love of your life," Isha said to Link with a roll of her eyes and rose to her feet. She matched his step as the three of them made their way back to the village proper, Shad staying several paces behind. "The only one we should be worried about is you."
"Well, she is the only woman who's never given me trouble," Link quipped. "Great listener, too."
"Sounds incredibly boring," Isha said with a smile, one she truly meant. She stepped closer to Link and dropped her voice. "Thanks, by the way. Don't know what got into him. All I did was give him some books."
Link shrugged and looked away. "Sounds like I had good timing. I did need to talk to you. Well, we need to talk to you."
Isha nodded, understanding immediately. "You have great timing, dear Hero."
Midna lifted her gaze to the door just before Wolfy returned, the little dust mite in tow. The former Princess of the Twili was still perched at the edge of the dresser top, still holding her knees to her chest. Isha looked to Midna with trepidation, but Midna couldn't find any motivation to scowl at the girl as she might normally.
If she thinks a little coercion is bad, this will go miserably.
Midna could still keep this secret hidden. She could brush it off, talk about only part of what ate at her soul day-in and day-out. She could focus entirely on missing her home, on the fear that the mirror may not work again even if they were to repair it. She could make it believable, and keep the past buried a little longer.
"Hey um… Are you good?" Isha asked, always too observant when she didn't need to be.
But what if Midna withheld this information, and they discovered this information on their own at this shrine in the desert? Surely they would hate her worse for hiding it, and there was no guarantee the Ancient Sages wouldn't twist the story to ensure that the Hylians never again trusted Midna or any of her kind. At least here, in this dinky little room in a dusty old ghost town, she was in control. Sort of.
"Just sit down." Midna pointed to the two armchairs she'd placed in front of the dresser. "Please."
The two Hylians did as she requested, sharing a look between them. If one turns away, they both will. Midna supposed she would deserve it.
"Is this about earlier?" Isha, ever impatient, asked before her rear had even settled into the chair. "Because I-"
"Stop talking," Midna commanded, although it felt more like a desperate plea.
The bug clamped her mouth shut.
Midna rose to her feet and started to pace the length of the dresser, her hands clasped behind her back. "There is something you both need to understand about me, about all of my people. I cannot in good conscience continue to ask you to risk your lives for my sake, not knowing the full history." She turned her head to Isha. "Did Link ever tell you about the vision Lanayru gave him?"
Isha looked to the swordsman, who shook his head. "I try not to think about it anymore than I have to," he said with some discomfort.
"Must be nice, Wolfy." At least for him it was little more than a dream.
"I told you all about my visit with Lanayru," Isha frowned. "Was it that bad?"
"It was a history lesson. You may already know the story, bookworm that you are," Midna took back control of the conversation before these two could yap their way to conclusions. And if you do already know it, then I doubt anything I say about it will make a difference. "I believe your historians called it the Interloper War."
The woman laid her chin in her hands and tapped her cheek in thought. "The one where an order of powerful mages broke into the Sacred Realm, right?"
Midna nodded slowly and resumed her pacing. "Do you know what happened to them?"
The girl didn't respond immediately, and Midna knew she'd crossed the point of no return. She looked at Link, whose eyes were only on Isha. If he, too, knew where this was going, his face betrayed nothing.
"It's said the gods chased them from this world," Isha replied softly. "Banished them to a place of no return."
"Into the Twilight Realm?" Link asked, though his tone implied he already knew the answer.
"Catching on quick as always, Wolfy." Midna sighed, closing her eye and steeling her nerves. "The Interlopers weren't just among those tossed from the Light World for crimes against the gods. They were the first."
She dared to peek at Isha, whose face was a mask of calm. "That old geezer at the bar was right about one thing. The Twilight Realm was created by your gods as a prison to house what they believed to be the worst of criminals. I, and all of the Twili, are descendants of that tribe of interlopers."
"That's why you knew about our world before you ever came here!" Isha smacked her armrest, her voice full of surprise. "Your ancestors made sure their past home wasn't forgotten! And why we don't know anything about yours aside from rumors!" Was that a hint of awe in her tone?
"I… yes, I suppose." It wasn't the reaction Midna was expecting. She hesitantly turned to look at Link, though it felt strange to expect the harsher judgement to come from him.
Instead of angry, betrayed, or even shocked, her wolf only looked amused. "This isn't really new information to me, Midna," he said when he noticed her puzzled look. "I saw the interlopers use the Fused Shadows in Lanayru's vision. It was… kind of obvious."
Midna felt her face flush. She had the displeasure of experiencing the vision from afar, but even she had recognized the Fused Shadows when they were revealed. Link had been a part of the vision itself. How had she forgotten such important details?
"Then… you don't care that I'm the descendant of the people who once threatened your world?"
Wolfy shook his head. "I had some questions, but I got my answers the longer we traveled together." He flashed a goofy smile, his little fangs sparkling. "Should I have been more worried?"
Was that her heartbeat pounding in her ears? She might have mistaken it for a stampede, if her chest wasn't feeling so constricted. Midna looked back to Isha, who was still staring at her with those big green eyes. "What about you, bug?"
The girl shrugged. Where was her rage? Her disgust at Midna's hiding of the truth? Your one talent is your ability to over-react and the one time you might be justified in doing so, you're completely unphased?!
"That war happened a long, long time ago," Isha said matter-of-factly. "The Sacred Realm is long gone, permanently sealed away by the Three in the aftermath of the war. And, well," she glanced towards Link's left hand. "The Triforce is no longer just some mythical relic sitting around waiting for the next person to try to steal it. Honestly, I think I'm more upset with myself for not figuring this all out for myself." She slumped dramatically in her chair and crossed her arms.
Midna felt the overwhelming urge to sit, so she did. They all sat in silence for a few moments.
"So this is why you've been acting… well, you know…" Link waved his hand in the air.
Midna nodded. "I know that my people are good. I know that we've left that dark stain on our history far behind. But, your very gods despise all of us the same. We are an abomination in their eyes. Working alongside a goddess-Chosen Hero and a girl who sees the Ancient Sages in her dreams… I have had much to worry about. Much to…doubt about the sincerity of our relationship. I felt that, if you knew you were helping the descendent of an ancient enemy, you would abandon the cause. And without your help, I don't think-"
"It doesn't matter, you're not without our help," Isha interjected with some force, pulling Midna's attention to her. "You aren't your ancestors any more than I am mine. The only problem I have with you is when you start acting rude or cold towards us out of nowhere and refusing to…" she trailed off, and Midna could practically hear the thoughts clicking together in her mind.
Isha rose suddenly and dropped to kneel in front of the dresser, eye-level with Midna. "That's why you tried to help me console Prince Ralis," she breathed. Midna felt like those enormous eyes were staring into her soul. "Because he's isolating, just like you've been trying to do. And you know how much that hurts."
"I only wanted to remain focused on my task. I did not need the added worry of losing friends over the choices of a bunch of old idiots I've never known." The Twili rose to hover away, but Isha reached for her hand. Midna hesitated to pull free of the girl's gentle hold.
Link joined Isha in Midna's personal space. She almost sunk into his shadow by habit, a guaranteed escape from any uncomfortable conversation. "Well, we aren't going anywhere," he said, placing a reassuring hand on her head, unknowingly halting her retreat. "A group of people made some bad decisions in the past. I didn't know those people. But I do know you, and the entire time I've known you, you've been completely dedicated to saving the people you care about."
"Actions speak far louder than words," Isha added.
Midna pulled away from their touch and hovered above the dresser. She supposed she should have felt relieved that this had gone so well, and a part of her certainly did. But largely, the Princess of Twilight only felt foolish. All that time spent worrying, all that energy wasted on toeing the line between working together and true camaraderie, and for what?
She wasn't done making a fool of herself yet. Taking a deep breath, Midna prepared herself to do something that a monarch of the Twilight Realm would rarely, if ever, do for any below their station.
"I sincerely apologize," she breathed, the words coming easier than she thought they might. "For the way I've treated you both, for the things I've said in anger, and for failing to control Zant in the first place. I know my apologies cannot undo the damage, but if you both are still willing to help me fix the Mirror of Twilight, I promise to do a better job of valuing your kindness."
Midna took another deep breath and contemplated dipping into the shadows now. She'd said all she intended to, no need to hang around and milk it any further.
Link put his arm around her, despite her protests. "I knew you'd come around, eventually."
"Why are you always so touch-" the rest of Midna's sentence was cut off in a rush of air as Isha crashed against her from the other side, trapping her in a three-way hug. "Augh. Get off, both of you!"
The Hylians complied, albeit slower than Midna would have preferred. Once she was free, she lifted herself out of range of their grabby little hands, just in case. "Well. That's all I had to say, really." She crossed her arms and looked down upon them both. "You two… thank you."
"I owe you an apology, too, Midna," Isha said. "I'm sorry for allowing my assumptions to cloud my better judgement. I can't exactly get upset about the way you treated Link at your first meeting, when I hardly treated you with any more respect than that when we met." And then, as if Midna hadn't been surprised enough this evening, the dust mite dropped into a low bow.
Out of the corner of her eye, Midna caught Link's twinkling gaze. Glad you're feeling great.
But, well, seeing this little thorn in her side finally show some proper respect did bring Midna a bit of satisfaction. However, too much of a good thing spoiled it quickly. "Oh, get up. You can't make up for lost time by over-doing it."
When Isha straightened, her stomach released a growl loud enough for all three to hear. She laughed nervously. "Uh... I've done a lot of walking today."
"Go eat," Midna ushered them both towards the door. Even she could smell the rich aromas of whatever the kitchen had thrown together this evening. No doubt these two were three sniffs away from salivating a small river.
Isha left for the dining hall without hesitation, throwing a wave over her shoulder before disappearing around the corner. Link, however, stopped when he realized Midna was still hovering inside the room. "Are you not coming?"
Midna shook her head, a small smile on her lips. "Once my people are restored, I will return to my studies on other realms. I might as well bring back a wealth of first-hand knowledge to my people. What better time to take a look around than when the world is covered in the shadow of night?"
"Oh," Link smiled, though he still looked unsure about leaving her alone. Try as he might to deny it, he was every bit as great a wolf as he was a swordsman. "When will you be back?"
"Dunno. By the time you wake up tomorrow?" Midna shrugged, then disappeared into the shadows. She projected his voice only to his ears as she slipped out the window. "See ya later, Wolfy."
A dazzling blanket of stars watched over Kakariko Canyon that night in the company of a brilliant half-moon. The day's melted frost had refrozen after only a few hours without the warmth of the sun, reflecting the light of not only the moon, but also the golden shine of a Light Spirit come to roost at his spring.
Though Link had been gifted many opportunities to witness the beauty of the Light Spirits from all across Hyrule, he never lost his awe for the way each one chose to light up their home. Ordona's light infused his trees. Faron's flooded into the lush undergrowth. Lanayru preferred to keep her light within her own glorious form.
Eldin, of course, gave his light to the stones. Not just the ornate ones that could be found at every Spirit's shrine, but the very walls of the canyon itself. The light swirled and waved across rough surfaces, breathing life into the cavern that Isha was leading Link through.
"It's a wonder you had a place like this all to yourself," he commented, following Isha up a mud-slicked slope.
"Knowing that the village problem child liked to come up here with her weapons was enough to deter anyone from poking around," Isha replied with a shrug. "It was never really that well-known of a place, anyways."
Before he could consider a reply, Link' legs slipped from underneath him on the slick mud. Isha's hand latched onto his wrist with shocking reaction and pulled with far more force than he expected. Instead of tumbling back alongside him as Link thought she might, Isha steadied him with what seemed like little effort.
"Careful," she advised with a small laugh. "I can tell you from experience, this glowing mud is much less pleasant when it's covering you."
"Thanks." Link looked at Isha and tried to mask his surprise. Their initial reunion at the Lake had been so brief, he'd hardly had time to take in any changes in her. But since returning from Snowpeak, it was obvious that she was no longer the same woman he saw all those weeks ago at the spring, with her ribs so pronounced they cast their own shadows in the Spirit's light. At that time she was still recovering from severe malnourishment and life-threatening injuries, and looked hardly fit to take on a Deku Baba, let alone the monsters they'd faced both together and apart.
When did you go and get so strong? He thought, his eyes lingering on her well-toned arm. And why had it taken him so long to really see her?
"Hey, don't fall behind," Isha's voice cut through his thoughts. Link realized that the golden light in the walls had been moving alongside them, and was now threatening to leave them behind. Already, the way back was completely dark.
He turned and quickly rejoined her side, but kept his eyes straight ahead. "Sorry."
"If you think this is worth gawking at, wait until you see what's around this next corner," Isha laughed and looped her arm through his.
The ground leveled out beneath their feet, and the tunnel twisted to the left. The last of the golden light faded from the walls, but it did not leave them in darkness.
An enormous cavern stretched before them, moonlight falling down through a hole in the roof as though sent by the gods themselves, just for this one small place of beauty. A rounded ceiling gave way to smooth walls that seemed to cradle the room. Great pillars of grey stone stretched from the ground around the perimeter of the room, and Link supposed that if they had a full moon instead of a half, he would have seen ancient runes carved into their surfaces for purposes that were never explained to him.
Isha dropped his arm and let Link wander on his own, taking in the size of the cavern and the quiet that settled over the room, save for the distant sound of what he assumed was the source of Eldin's Spring. It almost felt like a sin to break such peace with a whistle, but he could find no better way to voice his awe. "I can see why you kept coming back."
"It made for a decent training ground, I suppose," Isha replied in an overly-casual tone. Her voice was followed by the sound of wood scraping against stone. "Give me a moment to put up the targets and we'll see just how good you are with that new bow."
Link nodded, though it was likely a useless gesture in such dim light. He looked up to the hole in the ceiling, where meltwater had created thin icicles that shone in the moonlight like the glimmering fangs of a Lizalfos.
He wondered idly if the Light Spirit Eldin was still nearby, or if the golden light that guided them through the cave was some sort of enchantment left behind by the spirit to guide wayward travelers and adventurous young women to this hidden grotto just to bask in its muted beauty.
"Stop!" For the second time that evening, Isha surprised Link with her strength. One moment, his foot was sliding over a particularly slick dip in the ground. The next, he was thrown onto his back in the mud, Isha standing over him with her hand clapped over her mouth.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean- You were- There's a-" Her eyes whipped between Link and whatever danger she had pulled him from, her breath coming in short pants. "Ssshit you scared me."
Link stood and felt only a little dampness on his backside. The mud here wasn't as slick as it was in the tunnel, at least. Hopefully, it wouldn't freeze him out as the night wore on. He brushed off his clothes as casually as he could manage.
"That's a huge drop," she finally explained, having collected herself. "The spring below is only deep in the center, you've gotta get a running jump to have a chance of landing there instead of the rocks. Gods, don't scare me like that."
A wave of nausea washed over Link. "How high up are we, exactly?" Suddenly, the ground beneath his feet felt incredibly unstable. Was it hollow? How many inches of dirt and clay protected him from a terrifying drop?
Isha patted his shoulder. "Don't think of it that way. We aren't high up, the spring is just deep in the ground. And that ground is missing from here all the way to the back wall, so stay on this side of the cave, please."
It was all he could to do to nod and not throw up. Link decided it would be best if instead he stayed in place and waited for Isha to finish setting up her targets. The faster he let her see his new bow, the faster they could leave and his feet could be on more confidence-inspiring ground.
Isha approached one of the taller ceremonial stones against a nearby wall and lifted a small wooden target from the ground by a rope strung through its back. The rope was slung over her shoulder and tied at the opposite hip, the target resting against her back like a shield. She hopped up and clawed at the stone, finding purchase in the carvings.
"This almost feels disrespectful," Link commented as she shimmied up to the top of the stone. The sight did little for his vertical concerns.
"For four years, I came up here every night and trained until Eldin lit the pathway home. On moonless nights, he provided me light to see the targets by." Isha shrugged and used one hand to pull the target free from her back. "If anything, I almost felt welcomed."
Link wondered idly if all women were just natural-born climbers. Many of the games of his youth involved he and Ilia climbing the largest tree in Ordon, whose trunk was so large it now served as Fado's home and whose tallest branches could be seen from the outskirts of Faron Woods, despite the village being tucked into a valley. His fear of heights meant Ilia always climbed the highest, and it also meant he struggled to save her when her courage ran out.
Uli, however, had little issue scurrying up after the young girl and carrying her to safety. Link imagined Isha would have loved such games, considering the ease with which she scaled the stone. She and Ilia might have pushed each other all the way to the tree tops and left a young Link far behind.
Isha finished tying the target into its place at the peak of the ceremonial rock and gave it a few knocks with her fist. Satisfied with her work, she slid down the stone and picked up another three targets. She noticed Link still watching and approached him. "Want to try putting this one up?" she asked and gestured behind him.
He followed her gaze to a stone twice the size of the one she'd just climbed, both in width and height. Link supposed that if he ever did find the courage to reach the top, he could easily brush the roof with the palm of his hand.
He gave her a side-eyed glance. "You seem to have it all handled just fine," he said with a wave of his hand. "I'll leave the targets to you."
"Oh, look at you, acting so cool about your biggest fear." Her toothy grin glimmered in the moonlight. "This isn't even the worst one, I'll have you know."
Before Link could ask what she meant by that, Isha brushed past him and made her way to the towering pillar. She climbed up this stone just as easily as the first, but it made him no less uncomfortable to see any person willingly climb so high. When setting the target, she took both hands off the stone far too many times for his liking.
Second target set, Isha worked her way around the back side of the stone, instead of sliding back down. She put herself between the pillar and cavern wall beyond it.
"What are you doing?" Link felt his stomach sink.
"Nothing I haven't done before," she said, sounding only a little under strain.
Link ran to the base of the stone, his eyes darting between Isha and that hidden drop at the center of the cave that taunted him from the shadows. "Hey, two targets should be plenty, don't you-"
One of her arms dropped away from the carved rock, and Isha swung sideways. As her body turned towards the wall, her other hand released its hold on the stone's peak, and she pushed herself off.
She stuck to the wall as though it were made of glue, but that didn't stop Link from making a very un-manly noise out of fear.
Even in the dim light, he could see Isha's too-wide grin. "Calm down. You think I don't know my own training room? I carved out these footholds when I was seventeen." She leapt sideways across the wall, hands and feet finding purchase in crevices that Link couldn't see from this far below. Even when she had to dangle by only one hand to untie another target, he could hear her giggling.
Link found little humor in all of it. "That doesn't mean you'll never make a mistake. What if you missed?"
"Then I'd fall," she said, far too nonchalant. "It wouldn't be the first time. It's unpleasant, but it won't kill me. Besides," Link could see her grinning down at him. Again. "I have you to catch me this time, right?"
Suddenly, Link was grateful that it was so dark, and Isha so high up. He rubbed his neck and looked away anyways, out of habit. "Why don't you save me the heart attack and just be careful?"
She must have finally heard the genuine concern in his voice, because Isha moved a bit more deliberately while putting up the final two targets, both of which hung freely by their ropes.
"Closest thing to a moving target I could make myself," she explained as she finally crept her way down the wall. "Hit them hard enough, they swing enough to make things difficult."
Link all but held his breath until she was safely back on the ground. "All of this, just to have something to aim at?"
"It's no problem if you're not afraid of a little drop," she giggled. "And it's not just to aim at something, but to judge how good that aim is. It's not good enough to just hit anything. If my opponent has to die, I need to strike the heart or split their skull. If I'm just trying to slow someone down, I need to hit precise, or I will either fail to incapacitate them or they'll bleed out before their wound can be closed." She pulled her bow from her back and pointed it to one of the higher targets.
"When I first started, I would go up and collect my arrow after every shot, if it stuck. I'd see how far off I was from the center, adjust my aim accordingly, and try again." She began to string her bow, one of the few things Link found easy about his first few uses of the weapon. He began to string his own bow, and couldn't help but notice the difference in speed in which they worked.
"Once that shot was perfected, I'd make my way through each target and repeat the process." Her hands moved with enviable fluidity as she talked. "Admittedly in the later years I was less concerned about inspecting my aim and more enjoyed the feeling of firing my bow. Wasn't much of a point when I knew I landed every shot I made," she added with a smirk.
Her bow strung, Isha pulled back an arrow and fired into the darkness, aiming for the speck of white and faded red that hung high above them. An echoing thunk proved her shot true, and the target flailed about wildly. "Now, you try."
As Link drew back his bow, he wished he hadn't agreed to this little post-dinner outing. Without the rush of battle to guide him, everything about his hold on the weapon felt unfamiliar. Even the tension in the string felt wrong as he drew back the arrow and tried to aim for the swaying target.
His arrow did not produce a satisfying thunk, but instead a small clattering noise as it struck the stone beyond and fell somewhere far below them. At least it flew at all.
Isha hummed beside Link. "Everybody needs a few warm-up shots. Try again."
Not sure that you have the whole time I've known you. But he appreciated her faith in his abilities, misplaced as they were. Link strung another arrow, and fired it to similar results. The third arrow, another miss. His frustration built. I wasn't this bad before!
"Please tell me what I'm doing wrong," he groaned.
Isha held out her hand. "Let me see that bow."
It's not the bow, he thought. But Link handed it over anyways.
Isha admired every inch of the bow as she studied it for whatever imperfections she thought might excuse his missed target. "Gold caps, but a silver grip," she mumbled. "Grain and color seems really unusual. Wonder if… no, looks too new…"
When she found nothing of concern and ran out of excuses to admire the weapon, Isha passed it back to Link. "Well, at least your aim came to you when you needed it most, right?"
Link sighed. "It's different when I'm in battle. Things just… make sense, I guess. My body seems to know better than I do what to do."
Isha fell silent for a moment, and Link wondered if this was somehow the wrong thing to say. She dipped her head to the side.
"Is it… the same thing that happened to you when we were escorting Telma and the rest to Kakariko?" She asked.
The battle came to his mind in full, as though it had happened yesterday. He remembered every furious sword swipe, every beat of his racing heart in his chest as his arms moved under the guidance of something greater than himself. Now that he'd had the time to train, he could mimic those movements with some degree of grace on his own.
But that was the sword, something he'd been learning under Rusl since he was old enough to hold a whittled stick. Something he knew intimately, that felt like an extension of his own person. The bow, simple as a weapon he felt it should be, was nowhere near as lenient with him.
"It is," he answered.
"And it makes that much of a difference?"
Link nodded. "Don't recall if I told you, but before I was given this in the mines, I've never held a bow."
"Well, we can't have that," Isha said, shaking her head. "Spirit of the hero or not, you should know how to wield every weapon you carry." Her tone took on a more authoritative quality as she continued, one he might have teased her for, if she hadn't shown him grace by not mocking his poor performance.
"Draw another arrow, but don't fire it until I tell you to."
Link did as instructed, aiming for the still-swaying target and holding his fire. Isha walked a circle around him, then drew her own bow. "Look at me."
He did so, and she stomped one of her feet. "Like when using a melee weapon, your base matters. You want everything to be tight, because the smallest movements can change the way your arrow flies. Space your legs out a bit further, and straighten your back. Mhmm, like that.
"Now," Isha drew her bowstring tight. "Your arm is shaking when you draw. It's not much, but that tiny bit matters. I'd say it's because you haven't built up the muscle for it yet, but…" she trailed off dramatically looked up and down the length of his arm. "I think you're just not holding your arm at the right angle, and you're losing that last bit of stability. Draw again."
Link did so, and nearly jumped when she started running her hands over his arm. Her fingers slid over his shoulder, and he was grateful for his long sleeves to hide the goosebumps that rose on his arm at her touch.
"Shoulder's good," she remarked, her hand sliding down his arm. "Don't tense up like that, you'll make your arm shake more."
"Better?" Truthfully, he could not feel a difference. If anything, her corrections were only making his arms feel more tense.
She brushed his elbow, and Link wondered if she moved her hands like that on purpose. "Bring this up just a bit. Yeah, there you go," she smiled up at him, then turned her attention to his hands.
"Bending this too much," she said, her fingers wrapping around his wrist and guiding it flat. Link kept his eyes straight ahead. "There, that's better."
All too soon, her hands fell away, but she still remained close to his side. "You'll be surprised what a difference those little changes can make. Aim for the one up there, and try to breathe nice and slow when you're aiming." Isha pointed to one of the stationary targets tied to stone and stepped back.
Link did as instructed, trying to ignore the ghost of her touch still lingering up and down his arm. Even with all her assistance and instruction, this shot missed its target, too.
Isha frowned as the arrow rattled on stone. "Switch your hands around," she demanded. "I think you're using the wrong eye."
"What?"
"Don't hold your bow exactly like I do. Switch your hands and aim with your left eye instead of your right." She hovered close as he did so, and when Link drew his next arrow, she again ran her hands along his arms to check his form. Link knew already from the way the bow felt in his hands that she would find nothing to correct, but he didn't stop her.
This felt right. This felt familiar.
His next shot struck true. As did the one that followed, and the one after that.
He even managed to strike the swaying target, sending it back into wild motion.
Link looked at Isha smiling, expecting praise. Instead, he only saw her shoulders slump a little. "Of course. Spirit of the Hero or whatever."
She drew three arrows from her quiver and spaced them between her fingers. She lined up the first, drew, and fired before Link could ask what was wrong. She sent the second hanging target flying, then struck it a second and third time in quick rhythm.
"Don't try to imitate that," she grumbled when he reached for another arrow. "It took me years to do even two."
Link lowered his bow. "What's wrong?"
Thwack! She struck the target a fourth time. "What I've spent years learning," thwack! "you seem to pick up in a blink." Thwack! "But I guarantee you that if I were to pick up a sword," thwack! "a weapon I have some limited experience with, I would embarrass myself for weeks before showing any acceptable progress." Thwack! "Makes me feel a bit… I don't know. Like my skills aren't worth anything, because it took me so long to get here."
Thwack! The hanging targets were flailing wildly, but Isha did not seem satisfied yet. "What good is a skill that I didn't develop myself?" Link countered. "Your skills are a reflection of your dedication. If anything, your skill is worth far more because of those years it took you to develop them." He placed his hand on hers, and she eased back on the next arrow she'd drawn.
Isha's eyes traveled up Link's arm. When she met his gaze, she sighed and leaned in towards him, resting her head against his shoulder. "I guess you're right. When did my goat herder from the mountains go and get so wise?"
Link chuckled, his face growing hot, and stepped back as Isha drew her bow once more. "I think it has something to do with the company I've been keeping lately."
Beaming, Isha let her arrow fly. "Is that so? I'll have to ask them to come around less, or else I'll lose the one thing I still have over you, Chosen One. My wits."
Link laughed along with her and drew another arrow of his own. They continued driving arrow after arrow into the targets high above until the moon passed over the cavern skylight. Only when it was too dark to see the targets clearly did Isha call an end to things.
Despite the limited visibility, Isha still insisted on retrieving each target from its high-up perch, as well as salvaging every arrow they could. It took them quite a while, but as Isha slipped her last recovered arrow back into its place in her quiver, the tunnel they'd entered through lit up with Eldin's golden light once more.
"That's our cue to go," Isha said to Link, stepping to his side once more. She wound her arm around his and pulled him along. "I'm tired."
"Watching you climb those walls again made me tired," he replied and stifled a yawn.
Isha giggled. "Nobody said you had to watch me," she teased. "But… I would be lying if I said it didn't make me feel a little more confident, knowing you were there to catch me."
The smile she gave Link was almost innocent, if it weren't for the look in her eyes. But whatever game she might have been trying to play with him, the swordsman was too weary to keep up with.
He returned her smile and squeezed her arm, and that seemed to be the right response. Isha pressed herself closer as a winter breeze pushed by, and they walked the rest of the way to Elde Inn in a comfortable silence.
