Favorable side Page 7

  The hero simply turned his head back towards her, giving her leg a soft, consoling nudge with his nose to tell her that everything would be alright somehow, even if he had

  no idea how. But, as Fi had said, there was still hope. After all, the Master Sword had only been one solution to this problem, and even if it had failed, there was a chance

  that another way could work much better. They just had to find it.

  The Twilight Princess smiled down slightly at him, seeing that he was still just as hopeful and determined as ever, things that she needed to take on as well if they were to

  ever succeed. "Yeah, you're right," she said, inferring what he was trying to tell her as she gave him a small, playful pat on the head. "We can't let this get to us. We'll

  figure something out. We just have to; for everyone's sake…"

  "Stupid sword spirit…" the Twilight Princess muttered under her breath as her and the hero finally made their way out of the Sacred Grove, still fuming from their encounter

  with Fi. "We wasted all that time trekking down here… and in this awful weather too! We'll catch our deaths of cold before we even make it back to the castle, much less

  break this curse!" To enforce her point, Midna let out a voluntary shiver as she ran her hands up and down her arms in a meager attempt to warm herself. Indeed, she

  wasn't wrong; the temperatures seemed to continue to drop each hour, to the point that they were well past below freezing now. The snow had thankfully evened out

  into a small, light flurry, but the large amount covering the ground was still quite significant to the point that Link was having a hard time trudging through it since it was up

  to his knees.

  As the Twilight Princess continued to complain about their unfolding unfortunate circumstances, the hero did his best to tune her out, somewhat aggravated by her

  continued negativity. Of course, he was just as frustrated as she was, if not more so since being stuck as a wolf was severely limiting him in their current situation. And

  yet, Link knew well that it was Midna's tendency to rant when she was upset, something he had learned the hard way when they traveled together during the Twilight

  Invasion. However, as the sword spirit had just told them, there was no easy solution to this problem, even though they were essentially racing against time before

  Verona attempted to do something terrible to either Hyrule or its new queen. All they could really do now was keep looking for an answer and hope that they weren't too

  late in the end.

  "So…" Midna said with a huffy sigh as she slouched upon Link's back. "What now? You wanna go see if the light spirit of Faron will help us out? Fortunately for us that's not

  too far of a walk from here, but considering all this snow…"

  Instead of offering her some sort of reply, the hero simply glanced back at his companion, clear concern for her showing in his brightly glowing eyes. He could hear from

  her tone just how stressed out and at ends she seemed to be, and the fact that she was acting even more bitter and grouchy than she usually did. And while Link certainly

  had a heavy list of his own concerns, he decided to place them all aside for the moment to focus on Midna's wellbeing.

  "What?" the Twilight Princess asked defensively, crossing her arms and frowning at him. "What is it? Why are you looking at me like that?"

  The hero merely cocked his head to the side a little, raising a question that the Twili imp was easily able to read. After all, during their first journey together, the two of

  them had seemed to form something of a method of communicating all their own that did not require words, which was good since Link had been trapped in his lupine

  form for many of the first few weeks him and Midna had spent together.

  The Twilight Princes sighed one more, averting his gaze as she looked to the snow-covered ground. "To be perfectly honest, no, I'm not ok, if that's what you're asking,"

  she said with a cross frown as she floated off of his back to glide in front of him. "In case you forgot, my crazy cousin staged a coup in my kingdom, forcing me to

  abandon it again just so I could survive, and then she comes here and causes all sorts of chaos! I mean, it wasn't bad enough that she had to take over the Twilight

  Realm, no; she has to come here and ruin everything too! That's what I always hated about Verona: she just thinks she can go around and do and take whatever she

  wants! And to make matters even worse, she feels the need to curse us both, just so we won't stand in her way! I… I just don't know what to do, Link… Everything just

  seems so hopeless. If we can't find a way to break this curse-"

  Before the Twilight Princess could finish this statement, the hero was quick to cut her off with a firm shake of his head, wishing so much that he could reassure her and

  comfort her properly. He wanted to tell her so much: that even if things certainly looked bleak now, there was hope for both of them, as well as Hyrule and the Twilight

  Realm, that there was a way to break the curse, that they couldn't give up now, and that would take the Queen of Shadows down together. And, even though he couldn't

  communicate this message of hope to her verbally at the moment, Link did the next best thing he could do; he gave her foot a soft, gentle nudge with his head as she

  floated a few feet away from him, looking up at her with resolve and confidence in his glowing blue eyes. Midna said nothing for a long time upon returning his gaze, her

  own red and yellow eyes uncertain and filled with doubt, until she finally let out a relenting sigh and shook her head, letting out a small, bittersweet laugh as she did so.

  "I don't know how you still manage to infect me with that stupid optimism of yours…" the Twilight Princess said as she grinned warmly at him, reminded of what their true

  mission was and the fact that it was not that out of reach as she believed. "But you do… Thanks. I… I needed that… As simple as it was…"

  The hero replied with a nod, but mere seconds after he did, a sudden burst of untamable agony coursed through his body, specifically clenching at his heart, where Verona

  had embedded her shard into, the worst. Link's eyes widened from the intensity of it and he was unable to bite back a howl of pain, something that both startled and

  scared Midna when she heard it.

  "Link?!" the Twilight Princess exclaimed worriedly as she watched the hero recoil in pain from the agony that just continued to burst inside of his chest. "What's wrong?!"

  Of course, the hero was unable to answer her properly, but even if he could, he would have no real answer to her question as the stabbing, shooting pain simply continued

  to grow, spreading out from his heart and working its way to nearly every part of his body. Another agonized whimper escaped him as the world began to grow hazy and

  dark, a sign that his muddled mind was slipping into unconsciousness. Midna let out a fearful gasp when she watched Link weakly collapse to the snowy ground mere

  moments later, his legs no longer able to support his weight thanks to the unknown anguish tearing at his heart.

  "Oh goddesses!" the Twili imp nearly screamed, her hands flying up to her face in horror upon seeing the hero go down for apparently no reason, especially since he had

  been fine mere moments ago. "Link! Get up!" she shouted as she glided in close to him, desperately shaking him in an attempt to rouse him, which was futile as she saw

  his half-lidded eyes, which were strangely glowing brighter than ever to the point that they really did look totally white, slipped shut. "Link!" Midna practically screeched, her

  high-pitched voice echoing throughout the nearby forest, but by this point she had realized that he was lost to her. Her breathing came out in short, panicked gasps as she

  lowered herself down into the cold snow that he had fallen into, silencing herself long enough to place an ear to his furry chest an
d listen for a heartbeat, which was

  thankfully there despite the fact that it seemed to be abnormally fast despite his unconscious state. With her nerves still quite shaken up, the Twilight Princess glanced

  around fretfully, knowing that if some sort of unknown illness was infecting him, then staying out in these harsh wintry conditions was certainly doing him no good

  whatsoever.

  "Let's get you out of here, little wolf…" Midna muttered softly under her breath to Link, who was still completely out of it. After contorting her hair into a large, strong

  hand, the Twilight Princess gently scooped the listless hero up into it, taking care not to agitate any internal wounds he might have. Casting one more worried glance up at

  her unconscious companion, the Twili imp simply sighed softly as she began to carry him off into the nearby woods, hoping to find a place where the two of them could

  have some refuge from the cold for a while.

  As Midna searched for such a haven, what seemed like thousands of different thoughts filled her already labored and weary mind at once. Firstly, what could have brought

  Link so much pain all of the sudden? The Twilight Princess's first and only speculation went back to the shard that Verona had stabbed him with several hours ago, even

  though it felt like it had been days since they had stood with Zelda in the ballroom, completely at the mercy of the Queen of Shadows. However, it was as Midna theorized

  about this that another, even more dreadful fear filled her; what if that shard really was intended to kill the hero, despite what they had both initially thought? It would

  make sense, considering how it had rendered him unconscious through what had looked like an intense amount of agony in mere minutes. And yet, if that was Verona's

  intention, then why hadn't she just done away with Link in the first place, instead of going through the hassle of cursing him and casting him out while she did whatever it

  was she was up to back at the castle? Midna had always known her cousin to be enigmatic, but her erratic and bewildering actions and plans were downright ridiculous in

  the Twilight Princess's eyes. And yet, if that shard was indeed poised to kill the hero sometime soon, then she knew that she had to do everything in her power to get it

  out of him. She wasn't about to lose him again.

  "Goddesses, Link, if you aren't the clumsiest person I've ever met, then I don't know who is!" Midna growled in aggravation as she looked over the hero's battered,

  water-logged body, specifically his left arm, still bleeding and well-swollen with dark poison. The imp had to resist rolling her eyes in aggravation every time she looked at

  it, knowing that it had been nothing more than a result of his own haste and carelessness. Out of all of the creatures lying in wait within the Lakebed Temple, he just had

  to have a run in with one of those barb-legged, spider-like creatures hopping around all over the place. Of course, while the tektite had ultimately ended up lodged on the

  end of his blade, it had done damage all its own to him first, nearly stabbing through his shoulder completely and digging its deadly poison in deep. And of course, being as

  stubborn as he was, Link wanted to press on despite it, even though the pain was intense. After all, they were so close to obtaining the last Fused Shadow, and to rest

  now would only waste more precious time that Hyrule didn't have.

  The hero simply let out a breathy laugh at his companion's snarky comment, taking it all in good stride as he had come to learn to do. "C-come on, M-Midna…" he said

  shakily as he laid propped up in one of the safer corners of the cavernous room they were in, no longer able to walk as the poison had worked its way into his legs. "You…

  you g-gotta give me… a l-little more c-credit than that… A-after all… I did m-manage to make i-it this far…"

  Midna simply glared sharply at him, annoyed with how he always made light of such serious things as this. "Well, if you don't stop acting so recklessly, then you might not

  make it much further!" she said, crossing her arms as she scowled at him and the stupid grin he was giving her, even if it was one laced with pain.

  "B-but where's t-the fun in t-that?" Link asked, still somehow in a good mood despite his injury, even as the small laugh he let out turned into a bout of violent coughs.

  Midna's burning expression finally cooled down upon seeing this, knowing that he wouldn't be able to survive much longer in his current condition.

  "Ok, ok, I get it," the imp said with a sigh as she checked within the shadows that she used to store his gear and items in for him, only to find something truly

  disheartening in their current circumstance: all of their bottles were totally empty. "Uh… Link? We have a… small problem…"

  "W-what…?" the hero asked wearily, still trying to remain calm and level headed despite the poison nipping away at his better senses.

  "We're all out of both potions and fairies…" Midna said, biting her lip anxiously, before flying into a fit of aggravated rage once more. "I told you not to waste that last fairy

  on that cut across your back earlier! It wasn't even that bad! But this… well, I don't know what to tell you about this! It's your own fault, after all. You should be better

  prepared to handle things like this!"

  Link was silent for a moment upon hearing this, having only really caught onto the first part of her statement as her words started to sink in through his muddled senses.

  "N-no more…" he began, his words trailing off as his small smile finally faded. "But… But I… No… T-there… there h-has to be a-another-"

  "Don't you get it, Link?!" the imp exclaimed harshly, cutting his small, soft words off. "There isn't any! You're going to die here all because of your own carelessness, and

  then I'll never get the last Fused Shadow and… and… Ugh! You're just hopeless, you know that?! Hopeless and stupid, just like I knew you were from the moment we

  met!"

  Upon hearing this enraged outburst, the hero went completely silent, staring at his companion with wide, almost innocent eyes for a moment, before quickly averting her

  bitter gaze altogether, instead glancing down timidly as he let out a small, pitiful cough, the poison starting to paralyze him from the neck down. When he finally did speak

  again, his words were barely above a meek, agonized whisper, though it was clear that the pain behind them was more than just physical. "M-Midna… I… I'm sorry…" He

  didn't say anything more, but that was enough to make her look his way once more, her glare dissipating upon seeing the look of complete devastation upon his face. But

  what really struck her the most were the string of silent tears streaming down his pale cheeks, his breath quivering with controlled sobs as his chest shuddered with each

  one. And, at that moment, the imp knew where those tears had come from; they were not simply brought about by her harsh words, or even the fact that he had failed

  his mission. They were fearful, mournful tears over his own fate. They were a side effect of dying.

  In that moment, for the first time ever, Midna tried putting herself in Link's place, letting her mind wander to just how hard it might actually have been for him. He had so

  much torn from him in a matter of mere minutes: his friends, his home, his security, his very humanity, had all been lost from him the moment the pall of darkness had

  invaded Ordon. And as if that hadn't been bad enough, he also had to put up with the selfish demands and constant criticism of a companion that really didn't seem to

  care that much for him, but was the only aid he had in his cruel, daunting destiny. And now, he was facing certain death itself, with absolutely no foreseeable way out,

  from a demise that was certain to be slow and incredibly agonizing, all with the knowledge in his mind that he would never accomplish all that he needed and wanted to.

  And
in that moment, Midna had never felt so much guilt.

  From the very beginning, she had treated him as though he was a slave, a pet, a piece of property, and nothing more. She had ridiculed him, harassed him, abused him,

  and yet he had never once complained, never returned her hatefulness right back at her, even though it was certainly warranted. He took it all gracefully, even though she

  had no idea why. If she was in his shoes, she would have given up on it all a long time ago; and yet, he persisted, he continued to struggle, he kept on going even though

  the odds were stacked high against him.

  And at that moment, Midna knew she could not let him die here.

  "Link," the imp said, her tone as gentle as she could manage as she glided in close to him, placing a shadowy hand against his uninjured shoulder as he simply looked at

  her through teary, glazed over eyes, clearly succumbing to the poison more and more with each second. "Stay put. I'm going to get something that can heal you. And for

  Din's sake, please try and stay conscious. I don't wanna have to come back here only to find you cold and dead."

  Even though the last part of her command had been sarcastic, the hero couldn't help but smile softly, tears still streaming down his cheeks from the pain. "W-wow,

  Midna…" he muttered, his words starting to slur together. "L-looks like y-you're… f-finally starting t-to… like m-me after a-all…"

  Midna simply rolled her eyes at this, trying her best to hide the blush painting her cheeks. "Get over yourself," she said haughtily. "I can't have you die yet because I still

  need you to get the Fused Shadow and defeat Zant. Once that's over, we won't have to put up with each other ever again…" With another fake sigh of aggravation, the

  imp began to glide away from her companion in search of a fairy. "And thank the goddesses for it too…" she muttered just loud enough so that he could still her.

  Link simply laughed as much as he could at this, as if somehow amused by the whole thing. "W-whatever you s-say…" he said weakly, though he still smiled nonetheless.