AN: Oh wow! So many followers/favorites and reviews this chapter! You've all made me so happy!
I'll answer the reviews privately except for the guest ones, because the only way to reply is here.
ROFLCOPTER: Hahaha, yup, that about sums it up, right? Although I like to think of Krad as less annoying than Jar Jar Binks xD
Guest: Sheik is still Sheik, a boy, it's just that the people around him tend to not accept his gender identity and still call him "Zelda." Also because of pressure from his father, he's currently seriously considering pretending to be a girl, which is going to be VERY BAD for him. Why Groose calls him Zelda even though he mostly understands that Sheik is male will be explained in a later chapter :)
TRIGGER WARNING: Sorry, but with certain topics I believe in warnings. Don't like it, skip the warning! Easy! This chapter has a few rapey situations. I needed to show how bad it is for Gerudos since Ganondorf's arrest was so publicized. And yes there is a parallel to how Muslims and other minorities are treated in today's society. Creating analogies for real-world issues is what this story is about! With that said, no rapes occur as this is also a story about HEROES ;)
If you or anyone you know has been in a situation similar to this, please get help. IF there is none, you can call the National Sexual Assault Hotline: 1-800-656-4673. Just remember it's not your fault.
/end warning
THANK YOU SO MUCH! I'm so happy my story is being enjoyed so well. I even appreciate those of you who don't say anything but just follow the story. Heck, I like those of you who just read this and I don't even know it.
Without further ado, next chapter!
Chapter 40:
Suggested soundtrack: Stressed Out by Twenty-One Pilots
Midna scoured the grocery store shelves. Go on a diet, they said! She rolled her eyes as she picked up every brand of spaghetti sauce in turn and read the labels, hoping beyond hope one of them didn't contain too much of the ingredients the council had put on her Restricted Food list.
She sniffed. I'll bet mommy never would have made me do this. Mommy was big and beautiful! It wasn't often Midna thought of her parents anymore. When the Great Rift happened, she had just been a child. She was trapped over here, in Hyrule, and her parents were trapped in the Twilight Realm. Once a year a Twili would get to go home, or come here. Every year Midna went to the Twilight Mirror in hopes that she would be picked to go to the Twilight Realm to be with them, or else that one of them would show up. She had thought for sure since they were royalty that they'd be able to assign themselves . . . but according to the council's whispers, there was utter chaos in the Twilight Realm, coups and rebellions. She wasn't even sure if her parents were still alive, and didn't know if she'd recognize them . . .
The inability to know the truth made her hands shake, and she slammed the can of spaghetti sauce back on the shelf. She scowled, baring her sharp teeth. She stood up tall and held her nose high. Don't think like that! Of course they're alive! And one day they're going to come over here and find you, and you'll be a happy family, and the council won't be able to touch you!
She walked out of the aisle, spaghetti sauce-less.
Her stomach growled, and she whined into the air, some passersby giving her funny looks. Maybe I'll just slip on over to the deli and get some REAL food for a change! She still had some money left over from mowing lawns that the council hadn't confiscated, so she hurried to the deli gleefully.
Once she got there, she looked over all the hams and the meats and the cheeses, the pasta salads and the fried foods.
Mmmm, fried chicken!
She got her chicken, and paid for it there, and was about to escape the grocery store and go outside to eat when someone at the deli tables caught her eye. Another teenage girl, a Hylian, was sitting at a round table, one leg with a plastic boot on it which she kept elevated on another chair. A shopping cart sat next. It looked like the girl was having a rest, or eating like Midna was doing since there were containers on the table next to her. Right now she was looking at her phone, scrolling through something with her thumb.
This girl was gorgeous.
No, seriously, like drop dead gorgeous!
She had flaming red hair, the red kind, not the orange kind like Midna's. It was thick and voluminous, growing past her shoulders and to her mid back in countless layers. Her skin was pale white, without a single freckle or blemish or even a beauty mark. Her face was in profile, and her nose swooped down to the cutest little upturn at the end, and underneath that sparkly nose were the fullest, reddest lips Midna had ever seen. She wore a button-up white blouse with ruffles on the collar and at the end of the slightly puffed sleeves. Even though she was slouching due to having her leg propped up, it did little to diminish the size of her bust. She was shapely, from her shoulders to her booted feet.
Midna abandoned her shopping basket, taking only her box of chicken with her as she swooped into the seat opposite the girl and trailed a finger on the table. "Helloooooooooooo~"
The girl looked up. She had beautiful blue eyes. They weren't full of lines and didn't have dark circles around the edges of the irises. They were just pure, unadultered blue, like a blue, blue sky. She smiled and said, curiously, "Hi there."
Midna wanted to fan herself, to drop her jaw onto the table, but she couldn't. That would be too obvious.
She has a farmer's accent!
Midna put her elbows on the table, putting her chin on a hand and gazing at the girl in a sultry way. "You came straight out of heaven, didn't ya?"
The girl snorted, looking back at her phone. "Not likely."
Well she hadn't ran, so she probably wasn't anti-gay. But was she a lesbian? "I'm Midna."
"Do ya always use terrible pick up lines, Midna? I've heard better from drunk horses."
Midna shrugged with a knowing look. "I don't know baby, I'm pretty drunk on you!"
The girl suddenly guffawed. "Oh my gosh! That was AWFUL!"
Midna joined in her laughter. She leaned back confidently and put her hands behind her head leisurely. "You gonna tell me your name or what?"
The girl smiled, tucking her phone away in her purse. Then she leaned back and folded her arms. "My name's Malon, and I'm gay as a pony that shits rainbows."
Midna could have fainted on the spot.
Nabooru felt tense. Ever since Ganondorf had been incarcerated, Gerudos were a daily topic at the diner. More than once she'd approach one of her tables, only to have the table's conversation be suddenly hushed as they looked at her with jaded eyes. She tried to be chipper. She even changed her makeup routine in the morning so that she would look less Gerudo and more . . . Hylian. Normally this would disgust her, but she was legitimately scared. A few patrons cursed at her under their breath, others grabbed their purses tighter, and out on the street, some even bared the knives on their belts. They didn't unsheath them, just made a point of showing her, a teenage girl, that they had weapons. Most of these last ones were men.
That morning had been pretty bad.
"Why don't you come steal from me, sweetie?" One man had said, to the lewd chuckles of his two friends.
Nabooru had ducked her head and kept walking, deciding from now on she would wear shoes she could run in instead of her half-pumps for work. This isn't even a shady street! It's the main thoroughfare!
She heard the men follow her, heard their footsteps, and her heart began to race in fear. The first man shouted, "Hold on, there, babe, I've got a special package for you, right here in my pants!"
The other men laughed, sounding impressed, but Nabs gagged and she began to run. She didn't stop until she made it to the diner. Then she locked herself in the bathroom and bawled for an hour until her boss threatened to send her home again. That would have meant walking home again, possibly running into those men or others like them, so Nabooru forced herself to buck up, washed her face, and went to work.
If only her grannies' car hadn't broken down, she never would have had to walk to work.
It was the busiest day of the week, a Friday. During her break, she counted her tips. Not even half of her normal, but the same amount of tables. People were even tipping her less because of her heritage. Her break wasn't a break so much as an intense budget session in which she tried to split up her money in a million ways to try to pay for everything. If this is all I'll get these days . . . I might need a better job . . . maybe if I don't buy makeup for a year . . .
"Hey, Nabooru!" She turned to see her coworker, Anju, the owner's daughter, who was working as a host. "I just seated you. Table 13."
Nabooru nodded. "Thanks, Anju." She hadn't realized her break was over. She put her apron back on and hurried to table 13. When she saw who sat there, his blond hair messy and unkempt, glancing over a menu, she gave a huge sigh of relief.
Link looked up as she approached, and smiled brightly, the outsides of his eyes crinkling. "Hi, Nabs!"
"H-hi, Link!" Nabooru replied, her voice trembling. "You have no idea how glad I am to see you."
Link's face became serious. He took in her face, the lack of makeup and the nervous stance. Gosh, his green eyes were gorgeous . . . "What's up?" he asked.
Nabooru's face flushed with embarrassment. Why am I embarrassed? I've done nothing wrong, it was those men that were doing something wrong! Even so, she looked away and pushed a strand of her hair back behind her ear self-consciously, unable to shake the feelings of shame. "It's nothing, just . . . I've had a really bad day! So, how are you doing?"
Link grinned again, though this time it wasn't as big. He seemed awfully concerned, which made Nabooru want to bite her lip, but she kept up the fake appearance of a smile. Link said, "Just getting something to eat before I go to work myself."
"You got a new job? Congratulations! Where at?"
"Thanks! At Linebeck's shipyard."
"THAT crazy old treasure hunter?" She raised an eyebrow.
Link laughed. "He's okay . . . a bit greedy, but he's okay! And I really like the person I work with."
"Coworkers make or break a job, so that's good. What can I get you to drink?"
When she returned with his drink, he looked ready to order, so she set the lemonade down and pulled out her notepad and red pen. As she jotted down his order, she couldn't help but look him over. He had grown a lot in the year they'd gone to school together, and buffed out, too. She loved the way the sun tanned his skin and bleached his hair. A foot or two taller and he'd be as buff and Ganondorf, even. He looked strong, really strong . . .
She had to pull every nerve in her body to be brave enough to speak. "Um . . ."
"Yeah?" He glanced up, right into her eyes, without wavering, face completely open, body relaxed like he knew there was no danger. Nobody else looked at her like that. To Link, she wasn't just a Gerudo, she wasn't just a pretty body that might steal him blind. Wait, did he think she was pretty?
She grabbed fistfuls of her apron in her white-knuckled hands. "You care about . . . about girls, right?"
Link's face drew a blank. "Yeah." Then his face was puzzled.
Stupid stupid! How was she to put this? "When do you get off work?"
"Around midnight." He rolled his eyes. "I'm supposed to get off at ten, but Linebeck always seems to find something else for me to do."
Nabooru nodded, staring at her hands. "Yeah, that's how it is for me, too. S'posed to get off at ten, but it never happens." She tried to make it sound light, and failed.
Link leaned over the table and down a little so he could maybe get a better look at Nabooru's face. "Nabs, what's wrong?"
She was certain she was going to cry. She was going to cry. She was. Stop it! Don't be weird! You'll freak him out! "Do you think . . . I mean . . . my grannies' car is broken and it'll be dark when I get off, so . . . so . . . do you think you could walk me home tonight?"
"Oh!" Link's face cleared and he laughed. "Is that all? Of course I will. No sweat, Nabooru, I'd love to walk you home."
Relief washed over Nabooru, enough so that she felt a little flutter at Link's words. He'd love to walk me home? A bashful smile crossed her face. "Thanks, Link. You're so reliable!"
"Huh?" He shrugged self-consciously, chuckling slightly. "I guess."
"No, really. Thank you." Now she thought she might really cry, so she bounced away before Link could say any more. She beamed, feeling so much safer and like a real human being, a real girl again. Before Link, she'd never even thought about trusting a guy before. He was so different from all the other men she'd met, and those evil men on the street were like a whole other species.
She reflected on a lot of things as she went about her duties. After putting in his food order, she stole a glance at him, smiling to herself.
Link zoned out while staring out the diner window, his arms spread out on either side of his booth, one foot bouncing on the other knee. He was thinking about Nabooru, and his stomach was full of butterflies. He'd never seen her without makeup before. She always wore a ton of it! Not that she wasn't attractive with it on, though, just . . . Her face was a beautiful brownish red, but above all there was something he'd never guessed. She had freckles! A flush reached his cheeks just thinking about it. Faint freckles, yes, but enough to make his heart catch. Red hair . . . freckles . . . who does THAT sound like? He smirked bashfully to himself as he recalled Shad. I have a type . . .
But her skin . . . wow . . . and her eyes! Even without black mascara wingtips they popped like crazy. He'd always thought Nabooru was beautiful when he saw her at school or at Sheik's, he liked what she did with her hair, her clothes, her makeup—Oh Goddesses, I've had a crush on her for a long time, haven't I?! But he'd never stopped to think about it. But then she'd acted so bashful and he realized maybe, just maybe, she liked him? Oh man . . . no way, no way! She's way too beautiful, she'd never even look at me, she just doesn't want to walk home alone, and I'm the reliable nice guy. Yeah.
Besides, she was intense, and she hated men. They'd never really even had much of a conversation before, although there was that one time when she was taking guitar lessons from Shadow, and Shadow said she asked for him.
He smacked his forehead on the table. I'm an idiot! Why didn't I ask Sheik for her number and call her?
The image of her bashfully pushing a strand of hair behind her ear kept playing and replaying in his head, and the way she opened up about her bad day. I mean she hadn't given details, but still, it wasn't just anybody Nabooru ever showed a weak side to. Had she ever been weak in front of Link? Or anybody? . . . Was she just that scared?
Link sat up, a sense of seriousness dampening his fluttery feelings, and he let it go. What was she so bothered by, anyway?
Nabooru left the ladies' room, taking long strides down the hall. She knew her customers were waiting . . .
"Hey."
She stopped and turned half around. A Hylian man leaned against the wall next to the door to the men's room. He was in his thirties, she guessed, with brown, greasy hair combed to one side. "Can I help you?" she asked.
"Could you unlock the door for me, peach?"
"Seriously?" Someone had been locking the bathroom doors as some kind of prank for the last week. She walked over quickly, pulling the keys from her belt. "I'm sorry, sir, I'll just get that for you."
As she was about to put the key in the lock, she felt a large hand on the small of her back, and the man's breath as he leaned closer and said into her ear, "I know you've got other business going on."
"What." Nabooru was too shocked to move, she scrambled for her thoughts. There's a man's hand on my back, a man's hand on my back, on my body!
"Don't worry, I'll pay you," the man whispered.
"Pay me?" Nabooru was beginning to realize what was going on, and it frightened her.
"Five hundred rupees, what do you say?"
"Five hundred . . ." For the briefest moment, very VERY brief, Nabooru considered it, but not because she wanted money. Five hundred rupees would be enough to fix the car, and then I wouldn't ever have to deal with men like this ever again! Just this one time and it'll all be over . . .
Her face hardened. Of course that wasn't true. She had no control over this situation. If he wanted to hurt her, if ANY man wanted to hurt her, it was going to happen no matter what she did, and no matter what she did to avoid future situations, it was their fault, NOT hers. But right now, she didn't feel like complying. "Unhand me right now!"
"Excuse me?"
She contemplated kicking him, or shoving him, using her many Gerudo fighting abilities on him, but what if he complained that she assaulted him? Nobody would believe a Gerudo wasn't responsible, she could get fired, or even arrested, and her family needed the money or they'd end up on the streets. Those awful, awful streets . . . She couldn't cause a scene, but she didn't want, DID NOT WANT to have anything at all to do with this man!
Even though she was terrified inside, she tried pushing him away, but he grabbed her arms so she stated, trying not to be too loud, "I said no! Go away! Leave me alone!"
"What, am I not good enough for you? The little slut wants to be picky about her customers?"
She realized she probably had to do something, or else who knew what this guy would do? Maybe the bathroom door wasn't locked. Maybe he'd drag her in there and— "LET GO!" she shouted, finally.
Suddenly he threw her off, and she landed on her back on the ground. "Fine!" The man said. Nabooru knew he only let her go because he was afraid of being caught because she had screamed. As she stumbled to her feet while trying to stumble away, his voice hissed after her, "Be a bitch. I was trying to do you a favor, you little harlot! You probably have herpes anyways!"
Nabooru, finally on her feet, made a beeline for the end of the hallway. As she reached the end of it, someone blew past her in the opposite direction, into the hallway, so fast she didn't recognize him at first. She skidded to a halt and looked back. ". . . Link?"
It was indeed Link, and he was a flurry of rage. Nabooru had never seen him act so fast, or be so angry. It was no wonder she hadn't recognized him. Everything happened so fast Nabooru only had time for her jaw to drop in awe. The man had no time to react. Link, a few inches shorter, grabbed the man's shirt with his right hand, his left arm winding up behind him as he glared right into the man's face. His fist was faster than lightning, colliding with the man's face and sending him flying into the opposite wall, head first.
The man fell to the ground in a heap, trying to reorient himself. Nabooru glanced at Link. His face was terrifying, so terrifying even she felt afraid, but she knew she had to do something because Link looked ready to beat the man into a bloody pulp. She ran forward and linked her arms around his left arm, his punching arm. "Link, stop!"
He looked at her, as if broken out of a spell.
A woman's voice shouted, "What is going ON here?"
Nabooru's stomach sank with dread. That was her manager. The middle-aged lady, already with greying hair, had her hands on her cheeks. She pointed an accusatory finger at Link. "YOU! Get out of my diner! And don't you DARE come back!"
"You don't understand, Ma'am!" Nabooru stood up for Link, who was busying staring down the man, who was trying to get up. "This man was trying to proposition me, Link was just protecting me." She unconsciously gave his arm a squeeze. He made sure to keep himself in front of her as the man stood up and rushed out of the diner without a word, a hand over his bruised face.
Nabooru's manager didn't let her get another word out. She huffed over and waved her finger in Nabooru's face. "I don't care what you've got going on outside this job, but don't you ever, EVER bring your trash into this family establishment."
Nabooru balked. "My . . ." She had been right. Not even her manager, who'd known her for two years, believed that she had nothing to do with this, that she hadn't started it, that she was worthless and not worth defending! "Is . . . is that what you think? You think I ASKED for this?" She looked at Link. Did he think that, too?
But Link wasn't saying anything, simply glared at the woman. His muscles were so tense under Nabooru's hands . . .
"I don't know what to think, girl," her manager was saying, "and if you ever bring trouble on my property again I will FIRE you on the spot, is that clear?"
"You know what?" Nabooru's voice dripped with disgust and rage as she let go of Link. She untied her apron, ripped it off and threw it on the ground. "I quit!" She grabbed Link's hand and they left the diner together.
"Oh my Sand Goddess, what have I done?" Nabooru sat on the bench outside the gas station she and Link had wandered to, face in her hands. Link's bike that he used to commute to work leaned against the wall of the gas station.
Link sat next to her, saying nothing. He was staring stiffly straight ahead.
"My family NEEDS that money!" Nabooru lamented.
Still Link said nothing, and she began to get fearful. But she was beside herself, so she kept saying her worries aloud. "Link, I can't pay for school next year. I'm going to Castle High instead. I won't get to see Midna or Zelda—I mean Sheik—" She hated when she got so upset she forgot to respect Sheik, it was the worst thing! "I won't get to see anybody!"
Link didn't react, so Nabooru glanced at him. His eyes were somewhere else, that fierce look he gave the man on his face again. Nervous, Nabooru looked away. She wondered if he was mad at her. She got him kicked out of the diner. Well, that man did, but maybe Link blamed her, too, like her manager. She wouldn't apologize, though she wanted to, anything to fix it and make it go away, but . . . "Should I . . . should I go?" She looked up shyly.
She saw Link gulp, and he drew in a quick, deep breath. He was extremely upset, and suddenly she realized with surprise that he was so angry that he was incapable of speaking. It felt horrible, thinking he might be that mad at her. She shrank into herself and made to stand up and leave, but suddenly he raised an arm and wrapped it around her shoulders, pulling her to him protectively, securely, hand on her upper arm, tapping it a few times fitfully. When she looked at him, he turned his face away so she wouldn't see how angry he truly was. As though she wasn't the person he was angry at, as if that was a side of himself he didn't want her or anyone he cared about to see. Did he feel guilty about punching the man? About losing it the way he had? She could feel how fast his heart pumped his blood through his body, through his arm. All of her doubts washed away and she smiled, her eyes welling up slightly. He wasn't angry at her. He was angry because of what she'd been put through. She leaned her head on his shoulder, and he pulled her closer.
"You probably shouldn't have punched that guy," Nabooru said. "You could get in trouble defending me."
What little of his face she could see was puzzled. Obviously, honest, Hylian, good guy Link wouldn't get racism. 'Why would I get in trouble for doing the right thing?' his face said.
She shrugged happily. Maybe he felt guilty for how he did it, but he sure as heck didn't regret helping her! "Maybe I'm wrong."
Oh if only. A moment later a police cruiser pulled into the parking lot and stopped in front of them. The man from the diner, the one Link had decked, came out the passenger side, and a Goron officer came out from the driver's side.
The man from the diner was pointing at them. "That's them, officer, and that's the guy that assaulted me!"
Nabooru's jaw dropped. Now he was claiming he got assaulted? I mean, he did, but only after he tried to get her to be his prostitute and then threw her on the ground. He assaulted her. Link was defending her! She and Link stood up.
The officer walked around the front of the car and glared down at Link. "Would you tell me what's happened here?"
"He was hurting her, so I stepped in, sir," Link said.
The Goron slowly glanced over Nabooru, looking her up and down. Then he rolled his eyes. "Come with me, son." He grabbed Link's arm and dragged him to the cruiser, smacking him down on it and pulling his hands behind his back.
"What? Seriously?!" Link's face was contorted with disbelief.
The Goron began reciting Link's rights.
Nabooru knew it was useless, but she chimed in anyway. "Link was just trying to help me! I'm not like that officer, this man was hurting me! This isn't Link's fault!"
"You're right," the officer said, having finished reciting. "This is your fault. Stop seducing young boys, get some self respect!" With that he shoved Link in the back of the cruiser and walked around to the driver's side.
"THAT'S NOT HOW IT IS!" Nabooru shouted as the officer drove away with Link. The man from the diner was gloating, chuckling as he ogled her.
Afraid he might try something, Nabooru spat at him, then grabbed Link's bike, jumped on it, and sped away as fast as the wheels could take her.
AN: Oh no, whatever will happen to Link?
Guestie, you asked for lesbians, I gave you lesbians! Mwahaha! Do you like the pairing? I do.
