Chapter Text
Many considered Link to be a heavy sleeper. He had been told this fact about himself from almost everyone that knew him personally: from the Ordon villagers, from the other cadets during his childhood at the desert outpost, from even the merchants that sometimes came and went from either of the aforementioned places (which, now that he thought about that last one, felt kinda rude coming from a stranger). However, sleeping through things didn't mean he had trouble falling asleep or waking up when he needed to. He'd never missed any early morning drills with Darpa and the rest of the company, nor had he ever been late for any of the times Fado begged him for help with herding the goats in the wee starting hours of a given day. His internal clock and his ability to wake up at whatever time he set mentally was one of the few things about himself in which he took pride!
He let out a sigh as he brought his hands up to his face. The creaks, cracks, and drips from the Kakariko Village Inn's foundation currently felt louder than any alarm he had ever dealt with.
The pale moonlight shone through the two windows of the private room Renado had been kind enough to loan him, the stillness of the night only broken by the occasional mountain breeze and Link's own tossing in the bed. It was hard to believe that things could be so quiet after the raging storm that had been the past few weeks. What wasn't hard to believe, but very vexing nonetheless, was how loud even the smallest sound could be in such quietude. He lifted his hands from his sullen face, looking up at them from the most comfortable bed he had slept on in much too long. Goddesses above, why are they still shaking?
It was a slight tremor, one barely noticeable until he sat still. His eyes scanned between his fingers, trying to search the wooden ceiling panels above for an answer. Instead, there was Midna, her shadowy silhouette strikingly visible in the moon's rays. She was idly floating about, her usually one visible eye closed in her own attempt at sleep. She had been oddly quiet after the duel on the bridge with the large, grotesque bulblin and Link wasn't sure whether he was thankful for that or not. Any sound he deemed normal would be better than the deafening quiet that ruthlessly amplified every normally unnoticeable noise.
The heavy slaps and rings of clashing metal from his last bout echoed in his mind, as if in contest with the outside noise. The burn from gripping his sword so hard for so long still felt like white hot coals in his knuckles. He couldn't close his eyes without seeing that detestable glowing crystal eye from the mines staring directly into his soul. He grit his teeth as he lamented that of all things, those were the thoughts and feelings that were trapped in his mind. He knew that it was because of his efforts that the Gorons got their patriarch back. He had felt so much weight lift from his heart when he found the children safe in Kakariko. Even when consumed with rage and adrenaline, carrying Colin back to the village no worse for wear had quelled both of those feelings so easily. But now?
He let his arms fall back to his sides, his eyes still looking for answers in the old grooves of the wood above. Midna was no longer there. Link sat up onto his elbows, sensing where she had drifted off to. From the foot of the bed, she glared at him, her one red eye burning with annoyance and contrasting brilliantly with the lunar light reflecting through her shadowed body.
"You!" she seethed as she floated closer, poking a shadowed finger into Link's chest. "This is becoming more trouble than its worth. I know I don't need as much sleep as you light dwellers do, but I still need something!" Her voice was a mix of frustration and something else he couldn't quite place. She leaned back and hovered in front of him as she crossed her legs and hugged her arms across her chest, as if she was lounging on an invisible chair. Her eye pressed tight with tiredness. "So? You gonna tell me what's wrong?"
To say Link was surprised was an understatement. Midna? Midna of all people asked him a question that wasn't issued as a command? And was that a note of concern he had heard mixed in there? He chuckled dryly, letting himself fall back down onto his pillow. "I must be going mad..."
---
Midna was tired. And why wouldn't she be? Even in her shadowed form, she still felt at least half the elements. The dry air that passed through her made her entire body feel like it was drying out. And the heat from those damnable Goron mines? She had actually started to feel bad for Link for having to power through that with a physical body during their descent. Her whole being had felt like it was baking the entire time, even when she hid in his shadow!
She had planned to order him to take at least one night of rest in the village before they set out again, but because of that cantankerous ogre that just had to show up and attempt to steal Link's brats again, she had resolved to let him have two nights off. As a reward, no less! Now he had the audacity to laugh at her when she decided to show concern for him? She shook her head and took in a deep breath; she knew he wasn't mocking her. He was tired, she was tired, it had been a very rough couple of days for both of them.
She watched him stare blankly at the ceiling, her eyes drawn to his ever so slightly trembling hands. Her stomach twisted as she bit her lip and looked away. She knew exactly what that was a symptom of. And she couldn't blame him, not after everything they had both seen and accomplished in the month they had been working together. She loathed that she wasn't equipped better to handle these types of delicate situations. She hated even more that this most certainly wouldn't be the end of it.
Link didn't talk much to her even at the best of times, so she knew she wasn't going to get much else out of him at that point. Honestly, she had been surprised that she got a response out of him at all. She sighed as she floated toward what looked to be a standing closet in the corner of the room. "They probably have extra's around here somewhere..." she intentionally muttered aloud.
The noise of Midna shuffling through the closet was enough to bring Link out of his daze. He lifted himself up once again, throwing her a curious glance. He was in the midst of opening his mouth to ask what she was up to when the extra pillow she had thrown at him muffled whatever words he was going to say as it struck him in the face. As it tumbled into his arms, she was floating at the end of the bed again, the moonlight carving out the shadowy grin on her face for him to discern.
"You'll sleep holding on to that!" she commanded, pointing at him haughtily. "Holding something to keep you grounded is the easiest way to fall asleep when something is troubling you." She said it so matter-of-factly that Link couldn't help but nod dumbly. He looked between her and the pillow a few times before he gave her one last skeptical look and did as she ordered.
Midna watched him for a bit, a nervous tightness in her chest. Truthfully, she had only parroted what she had overheard a castle physician saying to one of the guardsmen when she was younger. She even did her best to imitate the same knowing tone! The quiet seemed to stretch on for hours for her, but after a few minutes, it was filled by Link's gentle breathing as he fully conked out. She floated closer to his face, wanting to make sure he was actually asleep. His features were much more relaxed, but he was holding the pillow so very tightly, almost curling most of his body around it. Midna had to stifle a giggle.
"He almost looks like a pup-" she caught herself as she dove into Link's shadow, hearing movement in the adjacent hallway. The soft footsteps stopped outside of their room briefly before turning back and headed back from whence they came. Midna stayed in her shadow space, curling herself into a ball as she felt her cheeks heat up. I don't know why I feel so embarrassed, she thought, ever so slightly ashamed of herself. It's not like anyone besides Link can hear and see me anyway...
---
Luda yawned as she headed down the hall from the large center room that she and the Ordon children were sleeping in. The kids had all demanded to sleep near Colin, who was still getting minor treatments from the scrapes and bruises that were inflicted on him when he was taken by the large bulblin. Her father, Renado, had said it was fine since such camaraderie and care would go a long way for Colin's mental health as well. It's because of that reasoning that she was so confused when her father had insisted that Link sleep in a private room. When she asked him about it, he simply smiled, yet Luda could see a tinge of sadness in his eyes.
"His fight isn't over yet," he had said sagely. "We must support him as best we can, but we must also know when to yield to others more qualified."
Her father was the wisest person she knew, so Luda was content with that explanation. After hearing hushed whispers and curious noises from Link's room, however, she started to worry. As she approached his door, she listened carefully. The old creaks of the Inn answered her, along with Link's measured breathing. She yawned again.
Why do I suddenly feel the urge to hold a puppy? Did someone talk about that today? She wondered to herself as she walked softly back to her room.