AN: AHA! I found the link between Windwaker Link, who my Link is based on, of course, and Lorule! On the door of everyone who lives in Outset is an upside-down Triforce, just like the one in Lorule :) So it totally makes sense that my Link, based on Windwaker Link, is related to Ravio and Hilda, who are Loruleans in the newest Zelda game.
I mean the connection doesn't matter THAT much to me, it's just really cool that there actually is one!
I got a few new followers, reviews, and such. Thank you so much! I enjoy every review I get!
ROFLCOPTER: Crisis . . . well you'll see! haha!
Chapter 41: Sometimes, all you need is love!
I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS! Link was mortified. He'd never been on the wrong side of the law before—but he hadn't even done anything wrong! Had he? Okay, maybe he didn't need to punch the guy, but somebody had to stand up to him! And what was he supposed to do? He had been so furious.
He still couldn't think about it without fury threatening to boil over and make him punch a wall. He sat in that cell in the police office where they keep, like, drunks and other minor offenders. Link had no idea what it was called. He didn't know anything about the inside of a police station except what you saw on TV, and everyone knew THAT wasn't accurate.
He sat on a worn bench, a snoring, drunk old Zora dozing a little way's away. He leaned his head back on the wall. Mom and Dad would be so disappointed! Grandma's gonna KILL me! They had taken his wallet, his phone, fingerprinted him . . . he was now in the system.
Oh my gosh, what if I go to jail?! Like REAL jail? He was filled with guilt again, but then every time he was filled with guilt as he cycled through the insanity of the reality of being arrested, he remembered that he hadn't done anything actually wrong. He'd done what he thought he had to, to protect someone. And then he knew his parents would be proud. Wouldn't they? So the cycle of emotions continued.
He hadn't been there very long, but the big doors to the outside buzzed and then opened, and a Zoran officer came in. "Mr. Knight?"
Link stood up and walked to the bars. "Yes?"
"Somebody's posted your bail. You're free to go." He unlocked the door.
Oh thank the goddesses! "Thank you, sir," Link said as the person who posted bail walked through the door. Link instantly began to stutter, "Granny, I am SO SO SORRY, I didn't mean to and I didn't even do anything wrong—" He caught himself.
Instead of his grandmother, whom he had been expecting, a bemused Linebeck looked down his nose at him.
Link gaped. "You . . . you posted my bail?" Greedy Linebeck?!
Linebeck put his hands on his hips and put his weight on one leg haughtily. "Yep! And that officer up front owes me, so they won't contact your grandmother."
A huge sense of relief flooded through Link. "Really? Gee, Linebeck, I don't know how I can ever repay you!"
There was the shrewd look. "Oh you will. You're working the weekend."
"Aaah, no! Really?"
"Are you complaining?"
Link shut his mouth, but couldn't stop the pout. "No."
Linebeck smiled and strutted to the door, his boots clacking on the cement floor. He grabbed the door to the cell. Link followed him, anticipating being let out. Linebeck paused, and Link fretted, wondering if the guy had changed his mind. Could you change your mind after having already posted bail?
"Just one thing, boy," Linebeck said, staring down at him again.
"What?"
"What's this about you getting caught up in Gerudo affairs and punching a man?"
Link sent a glance to the sky. "Oh, not you too! Nabooru isn't a slut, first of all, and it doesn't matter because NOBODY GETS TO HURT GIRLS OR ANYBODY LIKE THAT! Just because she's a Gerudo doesn't mean people get to treat her like crap, and if you wanna take back your bail because I stood up for her . . . what-why are you smiling?!"
Linebeck had an immensely pleased look on his face, but from him with those sunken eyes and hallow cheeks it looked positively creepy. Link leaned away with a creeped out expression. Linebeck pushed away from the door, opening it while he did. "Come along, you've got hours to make up!"
Befuddled, Link stared after him a moment before regaining his senses and hurrying out of the cell as fast as he could without running.
Romani Ranch. A happy, bustling ranch with brightly colored red buildings, including a giant barn meant only for tourists. Inside were shelves and boxes full of the ranch's products, eggs and milk, and everything you could ever imagine making with them. Cheese, pudding, there was a confectionary stand, a bakery stand, a place to buy hay, and hundreds of vegetables and fruits from the ranch's neighboring farm. A special cart held bottles of Chateau Romani, the ranch's prized product, which was in high demand, neck-and-neck with Lon Lon Milk in terms of popularity. There were also several barbecues selling barbecued everything, including barbecued beef and chicken and pork.
Happy people milled inside, speaking cheerfully with one another, children running around with toys they found in the many carts.
Malon, Shadow, Midna, and Vio were scoping the place out. Malon and Shadow looked around judgingly. Vio just stood with a bland expression on his face, and Midna looked confused. Midna was a voracious meat eater, after all, but Malon seemed cool, so she'd tagged along. She'd no idea it was going to be a protest, but hey! The thing's you do for love . . .
"I'm sure of it!" Malon said. "I saw it myself! They're not feedin' those animals right! They keep them In tiny pens, I've never seen such sad faces on animals before that wasn't dying!"
Shadow nodded, fists clenched. "Are we ready to do this?"
Malon nodded. Midna looked very apprehensive, and Vio sighed audibly, pulling a small megaphone from inside his jacket, as well as a tiny flag. The flag had a cucco on it, with a circle and a cross through it. He waved the flag over his head and held the megaphone up to his mouth. "MEAT IS MURDER! ROMANI RANCH COMMITS MURDER! DON'T BUY PRODUCTS FROM ROMANI RANCH! MURDER! MURDER!"
Shadow and Malon made this their cue, and between them they unfurled a large banner with ANIMALS ARE OUR FRIENDS, NOT FOOD painted in red. They, too, held megaphones in front of their mouths.
Shadow shouted, "ANIMALS HAVE LIVES AND FEELINGS TOO!"
Then Malon, "THIS RANCH TORTURES ITS ANIMALS, FORCES THEM TO LIVE IN UNSATISFACTORY CAGES!"
"ANIMALS SHOULD NOT BE CAGED! THEY SHOULD RUN FREE!"
"THEY FEED CUCCO NUGGETS TO THEIR CUCCOS! HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO EAT HUMAN? MMMMMM ROAST NOSES AND BUTT CHEEKS!"
"THAT'S WHAT'S IN HERE! COW AND PORK BUTTS! YOU'RE EATING COW AND PORK BUTTS!" He pointed accusingly at two kids at a barbecue stand, holding beef ka-bobs.
"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?"
"HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE STUCK IN A CAGE WAITING FOR SOMEONE TO CUT YOUR BUTT OFF?!"
Vio finished by yelling, "MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE! BOYCOTT ROMANI RANCH! SHOP CONSCIOUSLY! SAVE THE ANIMALS! RAH! RAH!"
They were greeted with absolute silence.
Then one kid at the barbecue looked at his ka-bob in horror. "This is a COW?!"
The other kid had already dropped his ka-bob on the ground. "I don't wanna eat a BUTT!"
The first kid also dropped his ka-bob and they ran screaming. Their parents chased after them, exasperated.
Shadow pumped a fist in the air. "Victory!"
Half of the patrons started going back to shopping. Others sat around whispering, staring at the teenagers like they were weirdos or worse, criminals.
Something wet smacked Malon right in the chest. "Ouch!" Someone had thrown their drink at her. Now she smelled like Chateau Romani. "Hey!"
Midna blasted, "WHAT KIND OF IDIOT WASTES A GOOD DRINK! DON'T YOU KNOW THERE ARE KIDS THIRSTING TO DEATH IN THE DESERT?" Vio had to restrain her.
A grandma came up, wearing the sourest expression. "You children ought to be ashamed of yourselves! Go home and study, get off the streets!"
Shadow put his hands on his hips. "Just because we're teenagers doesn't mean we're wrong! You wouldn't eat a dog, would you?"
She looked terribly offended. "Of course not! I'm not an ANIMAL!"
"Then why are cows and sheep so different?"
Now the whispers were turning into insults. "Go home, weirdos!" "I've shopped here all my life, I KNOW Romani's is good to their animals!" "Why don't you go find something REAL to worry about—like the Gerudo crime rate!" "TRASH! That's what you are, TRASH!"
Shadow and Malon took the insults proudly, rolling up their banner. Midna swatted Vio off and growled at everybody. Vio seemed entirely unperturbed. That is, until someone smacked him with a vegetable. Then more vegetables followed, pelting the teenagers relentlessly. They had to drop the banner and megaphones to cover their heads. Fast as lightning, Vio began throwing the vegetables back with frightening accuracy.
A woman ran out of the crowd and to the teenagers, holding her arms up. "Everyone! Everyone! I am Romani, I am in charge here! PLEASE calm down, they're just kids!" The onslaught of vegetables ended, all except for Vio, whose face was flushed scarlet with embarrassment and rage. He didn't quite seem to realize, or care, that the onslaught was over. He just kept throwing vegetables at the people who'd thrown them first, quickly, one, two, three—"HEY!" Romani shouted, getting his attention. Vio dropped the onion in his hands and turned his back on her, huffing.
Romani calmed the patrons down some more, and when most of them had returned to business, she turned to Shadow. "I recognize you. You're Link's twin brother! What are you doing here, and why are you causing such a ruckus?"
Shadow had recognized her as well. It was Aryll's caretaker, the one that taught her school and helped her learn to speak. "We're just peacefully protesting!" Shadow exclaimed. Then he pointed a finger angrily in her face. "How could you do this? You know how I feel about animals!"
Romani held a hand up to his finger, making him put it away. "We are EXTREMELY dedicated to our animals! And if you thought there was a problem, why didn't you come to me first?!"
"Why would I ask somebody who's abusing animals if they are abusing animals?"
Romani pinched her nose with a thumb and forefinger. "Shadow, I will talk with you about this, but right now YOU NEED TO LEAVE!"
Shadow moaned. "That's what we were TRYING to do!"
"I won't report to police this time, but next time . . ." Romani raised an eyebrow. Then she saw Malon. "And you! Don't tell me this is some stupid publicity stunt? I know your family's pretty much down the drain, and you're working that slutty job at the bar, but stooping to slander to boost your own sales, now?"
Malon looked ready to spit. Shadow jumped in front of her. "Hey! What's your problem with Malon?"
Midna shouted from the side, "Yeah!?"
Malon answered first. "She's my ranch's rival. Didn't you figure that out? We HATE each other!"
Realization dawned on Shadow's fae. "Ooooh! Wait, WAS this to boost your own sales?"
"Not on your life," Malon snarled, but at Romani instead of Shadow. She pushed Shadow out of the way and got into Romani's face. "How DARE you attack my family!"
Romani spat back, "Not my fault your papa put himself in jail! You're not careful, you'll end up there, too, sweetheart!"
"DON'T call me sweetheart!" Malon's face was blotchy red.
Romani clenched her fists and towered over Malon. "GET. OUT! Before I change my mind and call the cops on you!"
Shadow took Malon's arm in one hand and put his other arm around her. "It's not worth it, Mal. Midna. Vio. Let's go." Midna and Vio had collected all of their stuff and came to stand behind Malon and Shadow. The four walked around the steaming Romani and left the barn.
When they were finally outside the ranch, Malon broke into tears. "How could she say that?! My family's fine! Just cuz my mom's dead and dad's in jail . . . that don't mean nothin'!"
Midna, her arms full of their paraphernalia, suddenly rushed forward to walk beside Malon. "Your dad's in jail?" Midna already knew about Malon's mother. That had come up in the grocery store.
Malon nodded.
"Dang, I'm sorry."
"I've never seen Romani be that petty," Shadow said. "That was . . . harsh."
"She knew you," Malon noted. "Why'd she know you?"
Shadow sighed. "She's my sister's caretaker. Well, half sister. But . . . sister. She has autism. So. Romani helps her out."
"How's she got time to do that and work the ranch?" Malon wondered. "Somethin' up here."
"Are you going to be okay?" Shadow asked, noting the tear streaks on Malon's face.
"Oh, I gotta look GAWD awful!" She stopped walking and began wiping her face.
Midna wanted to pat her back, but her arms were full. She sent a meaningful glance at Vio, who rolled his eyes and held his own arms out. Midna dumped the stuff into them and THEN patted Malon on the back. "Don't worry, you're not the ugliest crier I've ever seen!"
Malon chuckled. "I need a new shirt." She held the front of the wet, stained garment away from her.
Shadow let her go long enough to pull his jacket off. "Here, you can wear this until we get home."
"Thanks, Shadow . . ."
"So, uuuuh," Midna asked. "Whose home are we going to?"
"We can't go to mine," Shadow said, "Romani might end up there soon."
"Can't go to mine, either," Midna said. "Too strict. Ask too many questions, and they don't like outsiders. They're kind racist."
"There's something ironic about a minority group being racist," Shadow commented. Midna snorted in agreement. "What about your house, Malon?"
She shook her head. "Ingo's probably passed out drunk on the couch. We could sneak past him, but . . . if he wakes up . . . he's a mean drunk . . ."
Shadow didn't want to inquire further, and Malon looked like she was hoping someone would rescue her from the topic, so he turned to Vio.
Actually, everyone turned to Vio.
He looked at all of them, then adjusted his glasses. "I guess that's my cue, isn't it?"
Vio's house was a really old wooden house, very small for a two-story place. It had a small yard that needed some serious weed eating, some thirsty-looking plants in pots on the porch, and stone steps that led up to a screen door with several small holes.
"It'll be cramped, but we can order pizza," Vio said. "I know where Blue keeps his emergency cash."
"We don't have to do that," Shadow offered. "I've got money. I can pay for it."
Vio led the way inside. "I'm home!"
A blond head looked up from the living room floor. "Hey Vio!" Green pulled the earphones off his head, got up, and leaped onto the couch so he could look over its back at them. "Who're your friends? Have they come to hang out?"
"Yes. Everyone, this is Green."
A high-pitched, cheery voice called from the kitchen and another boy came out. "Helloooooooo! Oh! Lots of . . . friends." He seemed quite shocked, the glass and towel in his hands pausing.
"Everyone, this is Red."
"You're named after colors?" Malon asked.
"They're nicknames," Red replied, finally recovering, his hands returning to drying the glass. "Vio hates the idea of birth names, so we don't use them."
"Why don't you like—" Malon began, but Vio interrupted, "Why would I use the name given to me by people who abandoned me?" Malon nodded understandingly. Vio broodily walked to a dilapidated lounge chair and sat down. Shadow followed and sat on the chair's arm, smiling cheerfully as he and Vio began to chat with Green.
"I'm Malon." She held her hand out to Red, who shook it.
"And I'm Midna!" She also shook his hand, then asked, "Are you alright with us being here, Red? You looked a little surprised before."
Red's eyes widened and he shook his head emphatically, "Oh no, I don't mind! I'm just surprised, is all. I had no idea Vio had so many . . . friends. He's never had friends before." He looked at the violet-garbed teenager. "It's rather shocking, actually."
Malon and Midna grinned at each other, then Midna said, "He's a weirdo, but he's alright!"
Red chuckled, then said brightly, "I'm so happy you're here! I was about to make dinner, actually. Would you like to help?"
Midna shrugged when Malon glanced at her, so she said, "Well, we were gonna order pizza, but . . . sure!"
"My, you're quite talented!" Red told Malon, his cheeks rosy with cheerfulness. Literally. Usually rosy cheeks meant it was cold outside or somebody did something bashful, but for Red, his cheeks turned red when he was extremely pleased and happy. Malon smirked. I guess that's where he gets his nickname, then!
"Thanks!" Malon replied. She was expertly chopping vegetables for their oriental food fest. "I have to do all the cooking at home. I don't mind. It's kinda relaxing actually." She sighed. "But it's so time consuming and I just don't got time anymore."
"Me, either," Red moaned, commiserating. He elbowed her lightly. "You know what we should do together? Freezer meals!"
"That's a great idea!"
Midna and Green were battling each other on the Kii, their video game console. They were the same height, which meant their arms were swinging around and smacking each other constantly. They were giggling and laughing all while trying to stand in front of each other to get the best reception for their controllers.
Shadow and Vio sat next to each other on the couch, Shadow taking shameless amounts of selfies of them both, and Vio with his arm around Shadow's shoulders and the other on back of the couch.
The front door opened and Blue came in, looking tired and extremely stressed as he yelled, "I'm home!" At sight of the people in the living room and kitchen, he became surprised. "Whoa, Red, you having a party—"
"HI BLUE!" Red interrupted loudly from the kitchen. "Dinner's just about ready." He said pointedly, "Vio decided to have his friends over! Isn't that nice?"
"His friends—" Blue gaped as everyone said hello to him. Some of the stress left the lines on his face, and he actually smiled a bit. "Yeah. That's great."
"BLUUUUUUUE!" Green abandoned his game, to Midna's outrage, and vaulted over the couch and threw his arms around Blue's middle. Blue ruffled his hair affectionately. "Blue! Blue! Can we have a naming session, pleaaaaase?"
The others uttered agreement at the wonderful idea, but Blue deflated considerably. "I dunno, Green, I'm really tired." He looked it. "I've been up since 3am, but you guys could do it without me. The music won't bug me."
Green's eye welled up. "But . . . it's just we're all here now, and that hasn't happened in forever!"
Blue's eyebrows curved up in the middle. "It hasn't, huh?" He hugged Green and rubbed his back. "Well you're right!"
"You mean we can?!" Green shouted brightly as Blue let him go.
Red broke in to say, "Blue, you shouldn't push yourself."
"Whaddaya mean?" Blue cut him off, not angrily, but quite desperately. It was obvious he was pushing himself, for Green's sake. "I'm not THAT tired. Let's have a jam session! We can eat after, Red."
"Alright then . . ."
Green threw his arms into the air and whooped. "YEAAAAAAH!" he ran to a closet, opened it, and began pulling out instruments, wires, and amps. Shadow and Vio went over to help.
"Wow! Is this really happenin?" Malon exclaimed excitedly. "I've never been in an actual band before!"
"You play anything?" Midna asked.
"You kiddin'? I got a voice like an angel! Or a foghorn. You pick." She stood up to help get things set up.
When everything was set up, they spent the next several hours jamming random songs, only taking a short break for dinner, in turns so there would be music AND dinner. Shadow and Green played the guitars. Midna played the digital drumset—it wasn't the best, but Midna could make almost any drumset sound good. Everyone sang, Red, Blue, Vio, and Green doing some great harmonies and Malon singing good counterpoint.
The group played duets, trios, group songs, everything they could possibly think of, until the sun went down and in the silence between songs you could hear the crickets outside, and a few stray dogs as the moon rose.
Everyone was laughing and having a good time. For most of them, it was the most fun they'd had in months, the first night without any real stress.
Green was going to give the drums a try. "Come on, gimme the drumsticks, gimme gimmeeeeee!"
"I will, I will, OUCH! Just as soon as I get rid of this itch!" Midna was scratching the back of her hand rigorously, which she'd been doing all night, but now worst of all. "YEOUCH!"
Shadow knew that yelp. She's broken skin.
"Ooooooow!"
Malon stood up. "I'll get you a paper towel! Red, you got a bandaid?"
Shadow walked over and took her hand gingerly. "What are you scratching at, anyway, you got a bug bite?"
"No, it just—"
"Wait a second!" Shadow leaned in close. There was something on Midna's hand, a shape. It was a silver triangle, and stuck out like a sore thumb on her black hand. On top of it were two other triangles, but these ones were only lines. The first one was filled out. "Vio! Vio come look at this!"
When Vio got there, Shadow pointed at Midna's hand. "Doesn't this look like the mark on your hand?"
"My birthmark?" Vio looked confused. He held up his left hand. A set of three triangles was on Vio's hand as well, but dark brown, and it was the bottom left one that was filled in. The triangles were in a different position, too. They compared the triangles.
"What is it?" Midna asked, a little freaked. "Is this some sort of Hylian thing?! Why is there a Hylian thing on my hand?!"
Shadow knew what to do instantly. He looked up. "We have to call Sheik!"
