Chapter 16! It's chapter 16! Oh yeah, wahoo! I've been dying to write this chapter forever!

I'm sorry if it's inappropriate to some viewers. Get over it.

For future referance:

I made Link's birthday thing up, as well as the Gerudos. Also, I made up Zelda's. Believe what you will.

This is a long chapter. Yay!

Enjoy!

Age 16

The wolf from Ordon had visited Zelda frequently at a certain spot. It became her secret companion. And on a certain day…

Zelda woke up happily. She sprung out of bed and grabbed her clothes. She yanked them on and put on her crown hurriedly. She sprung into Link and Ganondorf's room happily. They had just woken up. They were groggy eyed.

"Wake up! Don't you know what day it is?" She squealed with happiness.

"Too. Early. To. Care." Ganondorf slurred.

"Silly." Zelda giggled, poking his nose. "Link, you know what day it is, right?"

"Migdngral." He grumbled sleepily. "To tired." Zelda sighed and rolled her eyes.

"Come on! It isn't that hard." She sighed in exasperation. Link looked at her quizzically.

"It's your birthday!" She squealed happily. Link's eyes widened.

"Oh man! That's right!" He said.

"Idiot." Ganondorf mumbled.

"You're both so cute." Zelda smiled, pecking them both on the cheek. She went to the door.

"Come down when you're dressed." She said. Link and Ganondorf sighed.

"It's too early." Ganondorf sighed.

"Yeah." Link agreed lazily. They finished getting dressed and went downstairs about ten minutes later. Farore, Din and Nayru were waiting.

"Hello." They said. Farore and Din each held a small box. Navi flitted in from the kitchen, Zelda was holding her up.

"Link! Look!" She held something small between her wings. Zelda smiled. She had flour in her hair.

"You have flour in your hair." Link said, taking Navi.

"Yes. You're like a messed up Snow White." Ganondorf pointed out. Link rolled his eyes.

"Look!" Navi squealed, holding up a small earring. Link picked it up.

"Um…"

"It's traditional that a male Hylian gets an earring to symbolize he is of age on his sixteenth birthday." Zelda explained, pushing both boys into a chair.

"What about me?" Ganondorf asked. Zelda picked something up from the table.

"Guerudos get a tattoo!" She smiled. Ganondorf's eyes widened.

"Uh…where?"

"Well, that's the thing. For males its…Link has to do it."

"WHAT?" Ganondorf and Link yelled.

"Yeah…" Zelda muttered. "Females get a jeweled piercing on their, uh, breasts, and males get a sword on their…uh…you know. Private areas. It shows resilience to pain." Zelda shrugged. "Also, that you're old enough to…that."

"What? NO! NO NO NO NO NO! I'm a Hylian! Full Hylian! Not Guerudo!" Ganondorf covered his private area's with his hands and folded his legs.

"Oh, don't be such a baby. Link, go to the bathroom with him and proceed with the tattooing. "Zelda waved them away as she went back into the kitchen.

"What about my earring?" He asked.

"I'll do it!" Navi exclaimed happily. She grabbed the earring and Link lifted her up. She stuck it through his ear swiftly.

"OW! If this get's infected, I will KILL you Navi." He hissed through clenched teeth. Ganondorf went stiff as Link picked up the tattoo-er.

"Can't Zelda do a no-pain spell?" He squeaked.

"Don't be a baby!" Zelda called. Ganondorf moaned.

"I don't wanna." He moaned.

"Don't be a baby." Link smiled. He pulled Ganondorf into the bathroom. Ganondorf started to whimper.

"Link, please. Man to man. DON'T DO THIS. Please, dude. You know how it is. I can't do this." Ganondorf grabbed his arm. Link sighed.

"Well…"

"Dude, please. I won't survive. You're a guy, you know how it is." He whispered urgently. Link sighed. He looked at the tattoo-er.

"Ok. Just, scream in pain for a few minutes." He said. Ganondorf nodded and started to wail in fake pain. They left a few seconds later, Ganondorf pretending to wince in pain. They sat down at the table. Zelda swooped out with a cake.

"Done!" She proclaimed happily. "How was the tattoo?"

"Painful. Thank you ever so much, pain bringer." Ganondorf snarled. Zelda frowned.

"Sorry. But you're more of a man now." She patted his hair and pulled out a knife. She sliced through the cake and handed each of them a piece. Ganondorf and Link accepted.

"I really am sorry for putting you through that." She said apologetically. Ganondorf scowled. She got up and walked around, kissing his cheek. He smiled.

"I feel better." He proclaimed. Zelda grinned. She stood up and ruffled Link's already messy hair. Then she walked away.

"I'm going to the library." She said. "By the way, I helped Din and Farore pick out your gifts, so I'm not incredibly horrible." She turned and walked away. Ganondorf and Link exchanged glances and downed their cake. Farore and Din set down their presents. Link opened his. His eyes widened as he pulled out the bow.

"Wow…" He breathed.

"The Hero's Bow." Farore proclaimed happily. Link's smile widened.

"It's wonderful." He said in awe. Ganondorf eyed it enviously and yanked open his gift. A white sword glittered before him.

"What-"

"A Spirit Sword. One of the most powerful things ever, you devil." Din winked. Nayru pulled her away.

"Don't hit on him! He's like…10,000 years younger!"

"But he doesn't know that." Din smirked. Nayru turned red.

"I'm kidding, geesh." Din shook her head and walked away.

Ganondorf put down his sword and watched enviously as Link kept caressing his bow.

"Easy dude, one step at a time. Don't have sex on the first date." He smirked. Link blushed furiously and set the bow down. They looked at their weapons longingly.

"Zelda really picked these out?" Link asked. Ganondorf nodded.

"Despite the pain…I'm really happy she did all this for us." He sighed. Link turned to him, eye's narrowed.

"What pain?"

"Well…ya know…the 'pain'". Ganondorf smiled deviously. Link frowned.

"Alright. You know what? You're getting the tattoo." He picked up the tattoo-er again. Ganondorf's face fell.

"Dude…you aren't serious?"

"Oh, but I am. What will all those hot guerudo's think if you don't have the tattoo?"

"Well…it isn't like they'll SEE it!"

"You're the only guy. If you want to keep the nation alive…"

"I'll mate with Zelda." Ganondorf said quickly, covering his pants. Link felt fury at that comment. How dare he? Link picked up his bow and set an arrow in it.

"Dude…" Link shot the arrow. It wizzed through the short distance to Ganondorf's sleeve, pining him to the table. Link stuck another arrow through his other sleeve, so that he couldn't move.

"Prepare yourself…and your weenie." He said ominously. Ganondorf screamed.

"NO! ZELDA! HE'S GOING TO KILL ME!" Ganondorf screamed. Zelda's ears pricked slightly. She was reading in her room, and it sounded like someone was screaming. Zelda shrugged, dismissing it as nothing.

Fifteen minutes later, The tattoo was done. It was simple and sloppy, but it was there.

"I feel very odd." Ganondorf snarled, pulling on his pants. "You might as well be gay." He shot at Link, who shrugged. Ganondorf sighed and winced when he sat down.

"We should really pay Zelda back." Link said. Ganondorf nodded.

"But how? And for what?"

"For our gifts. And everything, really. She's done a lot for us." Link sighed. Ganondorf nodded.

"Alright. Do you think Hylian Woman have a 'Coming of Age' thingy?"

"Maybe…" Link muttered. "Let's go look." And so they set off to the library. Zelda came down from her room a few seconds later.

"Nayru? Where are Link and Ganondorf?"

"Oh? They went to the library, Zelda." Nayru said calmly, flipping the page in her book. Zelda's brow furrowed. Link and Ganondorf? In a library? This was not right.

Zelda dashed to the library, Nayru sighing behind her.

"Don't run." She said. Zelda skidded to a halt and tripped into the library. She sneaked through the small rows of books. Link and Ganondorf sat in a table.

"Found anything yet?"

"NO! I have not." Ganondorf grumbled. "There isn't anything in theses stupid things." He slammed a book shut. Link shook his head. Zelda crept out, smiling. They had never gotten along like this before. Even though they were friends, Zelda always thought that the friendship felt very tight. And they were always fighting.

But…boys will be boys.

Link and Ganondorf woke up in the middle of the night. They had found what they were looking for in the books, but they still needed a gift.

"Ready?" Link asked.

"Bazooka loaded and ready to fire captain." Ganondorf said slyly, motioning to Zelda's room.

"You're sick." Link sneered. "Are you ready to go get her gift?"

"I have so many gifts."

"Dude." Link warned with a snarl.

"Yeah, yeah. The ninja is in Stealth mode."

"Ganondorf!"

"I know! Chill, I'm ready. To the forbidden room."

"Why does everything you say have a hidden sex implication?" Link hissed angrily.

"Because I am that cool. Hot, rather." Ganondorf purred, wiggling his eyebrows. Link rolled his eyes and set off down the hallway, Ganondorf in close pursuit.

They reached the room that they had been in once before. The one where Zelda found the Ocarina, and where they found the shadow crystal. They began to search the large room. Link stopped before a painting. It was a wolf with an imp on its back. A strange dark cloud of black and orange dots glowing in the center of the picture, and then a handsome young man and a smoking hot woman standing above him.

"Whoa. Hot mama." Ganondorf said, coming up behind him. "I thought the Geroudo's were scantily clad. And talk about curvy." Link rolled his eyes at Ganondorf's comments.

"That look's like me." Link pointed to the man. Ganondorf thought for a second and nodded.

"You look like every picture here." He nodded to each picture they could see.

"Do you think…my past life thing fell in love with that woman?"

"Anything's possible. And I sure as hell wouldn't blame you. Rowar."

"Oh, just shut up and help me find Zelda's gift." Link growled and set off. But his mind tickled slightly with a memory of the girl. Where had he seen her before? And then he knew.

"Ganondorf!" Link yelled. Ganondorf jumped.

"What? Where's another hot chick painting?"

"Nowhere idiot. But I know where I've seen that girl before!"

"Huh? The hot one with red eyes?"

"Yeah! Well, not her. But I saw someone like her. They looked practically identical. I saw her in Ordon! She was the one that gave me Shadow Dust."

"She what now? Who's say what?"

"Uh…never mind." Link muttered. They continued to look.

"Link…dude. Check it out. I found the perfect gift."

"OK, Zelda, don't look."

"I'm not." Zelda said, with irritation and a smile. Link held his hands over her eyes as Ganondorf held her hand and guided her though the house. She could feel that both of their hands were slightly damp with sweat. She felt nervous that they were uneasy. And she didn't like that feeling.

"Behold!" Link let her eyes free and Zelda opened them. She gasped. It was nighttime, and the garden was scattered with small glowing Fairies. A crystal table was in front of her. Candles glowed from bushes and flowers and tree branches.

"Oh, Link! Ganondorf!" She cried, clasping her hands in front of her heart. "It is lovely!"

"I called all my friends!" Navi piped up from the table.

"Thank you!" Zelda smiled. Din leaned over to Nayru. They were watching from the temple/house.

"When are their destines going to set in?" She whispered. Nayru shrugged.

"I don't know. It varies. Maybe eighteen, maybe ten." Din blew her hair out of her face.

"Well, I'm bored." She said. "I want the action to happen." She pouted.

"Just let them have their fun. For one night, Din. Let them be friends." Nayru swatted her arm.

Zelda straitened up and gave Link a kiss on the cheek. Then she hugged Ganondorf around the neck.

"Thank you so much!" She squealed with gratitude. Ganondorf and Link barely heard her.

Why didn't I get a kiss? Ganondorf thought bitterly.

That hug lasted too long. Link thought suspiciously. Zelda gazed around the garden. Link and Ganondorf glared at each other over her head. They each reached for their swords simultaneously, ready to attack.

"Link? Ganondorf? What are you doing?" Zelda asked, looked at them each confused with her hands on her hips.

"Huh? Oh, itch." Link seemed to be knocked out of a trance, immediately scratching his back.

"I…uh…I thought my sword was slipping." Ganondorf patted his scabbard. "But it's all secured. My sword is secure." Link scoffed and rolled his eyes. Zelda looked slightly suspicious.

"O…kay…" She muttered.

"Twinkles! Hit it!" Navi piped up. A beautiful melody floated into the air. Zelda smiled dreamily.

"Care to dance?" Ganondorf cut in, holding out his hand and bowing slightly. There was no humor in his tone. Zelda blushed slightly.

"Yes." She took his hand and he led her out onto the grass.

"I don't really know how to dance." Zelda shrugged.

"You danced in Ordon." Ganondorf pointed out.

"I was trying to be romantic." Zelda giggled.

"Oh. My bad." Ganondorf grinned. Link watched enviously from his seat at the table. He slumped farther into it.

"Look at him. He thinks' he's so great. Dancing with Zelda like he rules the world." Link grumbled.

"I think they look cute. All the beautiful fireflies dancing around them…it looks so romantic." Navi sighed.

"He doesn't deserve her!" Link pounded the table with his fist. Navi jumped, her wings twitching with a small fear.

"Wha-"

"He's a stupid pervert! Zelda deserves better." Link sighed and brushed his hair back with his hand.

"Sorry. I…I don't know what happened to me." Link muttered. The music stopped and Zelda walked quickly over to Link.

"Want to dance?" He asked, standing swiftly. Zelda looked slightly confused but nodded and took his hand. They went to the grass and began to dance gracefully. Zelda's breath caught in her throat when she twirled away and then back into Link's strong arms. Link stared down at her for a moment before they began to dance slowly again. Ganondorf gritted his teeth.

"Stupid little squirt." He snarled. Navi sighed in exasperation.

Link and Zelda stopped dancing and came back over. Navi started to shake with excitement.

"Is it time for the ceremony?" She asked. Link nodded.

"Yeah. Zelda, please sit." He pulled out a chair for her. Zelda sat slowly.

"Link, remove her crown!" Ganondorf stood triumphantly and reached under the table, pulling out a box. Link slowly took Zelda's crown off and placed it on the table. Ganondorf opened the box and placed the items inside down. A small silver mirror, a mini bow and arrow, and a picture of all of them, laughing with their arms around each other.

"Choose which one you most desire!" Ganondorf proclaimed regally, gesturing to the items. Zelda looked carefully at all of them. She pushed away the mirror nearly instantly, and then considered each one out loud.

"The mirror represented Vanity, the crown represents my role as a queen, the arrow represents my ability to protect, and the picture represents our friendship." Zelda murmured. She reached down and picked up the picture. Link picked up the crown and placed it back on her head.

"Zelda, you have chosen friendship over all else. You care for your people. You will make a fine queen." He smiled down at her. Zelda grinned.

"The ceremony of a Hylian queen…thank you so much. That must have been what you were in the library for!" She smiled and pressed the picture to her chest.

"That's not all! You still have a gift!" Ganondorf said, pulling out another box. Zelda smiled and opened it slowly. Inside was an old book.

"Oh…a Book of Legends. Oh…" She couldn't seem to find words. Link and Ganondorf smiled at her. Their eyes met and they frowned at each other darkly. Nayru and Din didn't know which book it was. They just thought it was sweet they got Zelda what she desired.

Zelda smiled at them and then excused herself. She said she had to go somewhere. Secretly, she was going to see if the wolf would meet her. Link saw where she was going.

"Oh, crap!" He smacked his forehead and ran off into the trees that lined the meadow.

Ganondorf was confused. He struck up a conversation with Navi to keep him entertained.

Once hidden in the trees, Link pulled out his sack of shadow dust. He reached inside… it was nearly empty. There was just enough dust for him to use one last time. How could he tell Zelda that HE was the wolf? And if he didn't, how would she react when the wolf stopped coming?

Hands shaking, he dumped the last bits of the shadow dust over his head. He didn't notice that the sack had more in it hidden in between the seams.

A feeling of pressure fell about him, squeezing him until he was no longer human. He collapsed onto his knees.

The transformation was done in an instant. Link opened his eyes as a wolf. He left the sack on the ground and bolted to where he and Zelda had met over the past year.

Zelda was sitting on a bench in the garden close to the goddess's fountain. She waited.

Would the wolf come? She drummed her fingers on the seat of the bench and bit her lip.

She heard a faint rustling in the bushes behind her.

She turned around and gasped with joy. The wolf was trotting up to her, something clasped in its teeth. She extended a hand. The wolf nuzzled under her arm and dropped the thing it was holding in her lap and barked. She picked it up. A tiny wildflower?

Zelda suddenly remembered something from when she was five.

As Ganondorf ran off the court yard to play, Link stayed behind.

"Um, Zelda?" he asked, standing up as Zelda got up to leave.

"What?" she asked.

Link took his hand out from behind his back.

"I got you a present." He said, handing a tiny wildflower to Zelda.

Zelda's hand that was holding the wildflower began to tremble. She stared into the wolf's shining blue eyes.

"Link?" She whispered. The wolf barked and trotted over to the fountain. Zelda stood up and followed him.

The wolf put its paws on the fountain rim.

Zelda squatted down next to it, put her hand on its head and rubbed her fingers across its fuzzy muzzle.

The wolf licked its nose nervously and then heaved itself into the fountain water.

For a moment, a wolf was lying down in the water, staring up at Zelda uncertainly.

And then somebody else was lying down in the fountain. His hair was plastered to his face by water, and his tunic was wet.

Link sat up and coughed out some fountain water.

Zelda's eyes were wide in shock. "Link?" She said.

Link wiped water out of his eyes and smiled. "The one and only."

The stared at each other. Link's smiled slipped form his face, uncertain if he had done the right thing and not knowing whether Zelda was mad at him or not.

Zelda's lip was trembling. She slapped Link across the face.

"Ow!" He yelped. Zelda's eyes were filled with tears.

"I understand if you're mad at me." Link said quietly, avoiding eye contact. Zelda shook her head. She placed her arms around Link's shoulders and closed her eyes.

"You saved my life in Ordon…" She whispered.

By this point Link was utterly confused.

"It's OK…" He said quietly, hugging her.

In the bushes, Ganondorf was hiding and watching. He saw them hugging and scowled. That son of a …

Teehee! It was cute!

I'm sorry. I wanted to do romance. If it made you all sick, then I take no credit. It was the words! The words made me!

Anywho...um...you know the drill...Review! =)