The Legend of Zelda: The Missing Link

Chapter 9: Give me your hands

"Zelda..." Midna closed her eyes and bowed her head, then looked back up at the young queen. 18 was such a young age to rule an entire country, but Zelda took the extreme weight with pride. "You're taking on such a great responsibility. I can't let you do this alone. Please, let me--is, is that an arrow?"

Zelda sighed. "Yes. I was hit while attempting to escape the castle."

"That looks really painful. Come on, let me help you with that."

~~~

Zelda looked up the keese flying overhead, biting her lip and trying not to cry as Midna worked soundlessly on Zelda's shoulder. The two were now sitting on a tree stump in south of Castle Town, with the light drizzle starting to soak into their clothing.

"You made sure to pay for the medical supplies, right?" Zelda asked. "I have plenty of rupees, I would not want one of my people to--"

Midna sighed. "Yes, Zelda. I'm not a thief."

Zelda winced. "Sorry, sorry," Midna muttered as she worked carefully, pulling the gauze taut as raindrops hit her hand. The keese cawed overhead and bulbins growled farther out on the field. Zelda thought about where she would get a new weapon--the two could not continue without something to defend themselves with.

"There. Good as new." Midna studied her work then pushed herself off of the tree stump, holding out her hand to the queen. Zelda reached out her right hand and pulled herself up as well.

"Okay, now that that's taken care of, we need to get you some new clothes." Midna thought for a moment as Zelda plucked at the torn fabric barely clinging to her body. They both noticed that Zelda's underclothing was just peeking out in places.

"But for now..." Midna carefully removed her tiara and it disappeared into a cloud of shadow, which then whooshed up into the air, pulled down her black hood, and reached behind her back to untie her cloak.

"Midna, you need not to--"

"No, Zelda, you need something to wear." Midna removed her cloak and placed it upon Zelda's shoulders, pulling the corners of the cloak together and tying them. Zelda reached back and grabbed the hood, bringing it over her head. The cloak was a bit large on her, with the bottom hem pooling at her feet and the hood almost covering her eyes, but it was better than nothing. It was also quite warm. Midna was now standing before her wearing nothing but her skirt. Being a shadow creature, she didn't really have anything sexually explicit to hide, but Zelda was a bit uneasy nonetheless. "Are you sure you don't need this?"

Midna scoffed. "I'll be fine. Now, I can't be seen in your world, so I'm gonna need to hide in your shadow for the time being. You can call for me if you need help."

Zelda nodded. "Alright. Thank you for all your help, Midna." Her gazed locked with the Twili's, searching deep in her red eyes for something she wasn't quite sure of.

Midna stopped and tilted her head a bit, looking back into Zelda's eyes in curiosity. Zelda's bright, glittering blue irises were quite enchanting indeed, and Midna found herself quickly getting lost within them.

A few moments later, Zelda blinked a few times and shook her head, trying to get back on her train of thought. Midna immediately felt her face flush, which was something very strange to her.

"Wait," Zelda said, "I do not posses a weapon." She looked back up at Midna.

"Oh, right." Midna hoped that Zelda wouldn't notice her blush. "Hm.. oh, wait! Give me your hands."

Zelda held out her hands (from which she had recently shed her torn, bloodstained silken gloves) to the Twili, and Midna took them gently. Midna focused her thoughts and energy on Zelda's pale, delicate fingers, and the two watched as a warm, orange glow enveloped the two's hands. The orange light reflected off of their faces and grew brighter until it all collapsed into Zelda's palms and her hands absorbed the light quickly.

"There." Midna dropped Zelda's hands. The two watched as a blue twilight pattern, starting at her fingertips, slowed snaked down her hands until it disappeared under the cloak partway up her forearm. "Now you can use some of my Twili magic."

Zelda watched the thin blue lines, like veins laying on top of her skin, very faintly glow. She flexed her fingers a bit and watched as the orange energy resurfaced, crackling with excitement.