AN: OOOOH yeah, we're gearing up to the end of year one here! Building up to it. Just letting you know right now, YOU WILL PROBABLY NEED TISSUES. I may change how this year ends (and there will be another year!) but probably not.

ROFLCOPTER: Wait until you read THIS chapter! Oh nooooes! Thanks for writing!

him: Thank you so much! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! But hahaha, get some sleep, dang it! Haha! Also, yes, many LGBT people. I wanted to include a lot of them in this story ^.^ Thanks so much for reviewing. I hope you tell me what you think of future chapters!

guest: thanks for reviewing! I'm so glad that chapter came off so well for you :) I hope you continue reading the rest of the story as well so you can tell me how the rest of it comes off, too!

Thank you SO SO much to everyone for reading my story. You are all very lovely people~

PS: I know I've got a lot of words that should be capitalized, but I'm very tired and with school starting I'm not at the top of my editing game-but the story is still correct! I think. I just didn't captalize "triforce" and such . . . consistently.

Please enjoy!

Also, SPOILERS for Link Between Worlds! Not really, but just in case.

I know this AN is long, but QUESTION: do you think I should publish year two as a separate story or just continue to update it in this story? Thanks!


Chapter 42

Link closed the door to Linebeck's, already dreading the long trip home. It was long on a bike, forget walking. He'd left his bike at that gas station when he'd got arrested. It was probably stolen now . . .

Outside the yard, the sun was beginning to set. He sighed. He'd barely gotten to the street when a ring-ring caught his attention. He looked up and none other than Nabooru came riding down the street on his bike, blasting a huge grin at him. "Hey, Hero!"

Link blushed. Shad used to call him that . . . he'd never understood why. He guessed it made more sense coming from Nabs, but it was embarrassing. A hero? Him? He wasn't sure why it bothered him so much, but he didn't have time to think about it because Nabooru had braked in front of him and started talking. "I figured you needed your bike."

"You're awesome, Nabs! Thanks so much! But how did you know where I was?"

Nabooru climbed off the bike and put it into Link's hands. She didn't let go immediately. "I went to look for you at the police station and they said you'd been bailed out."

"You came looking for me?"

Aside from the bike between them, they were rather close. Link looked down at Nabooru and wondered when he'd gained inches on her. She'd been taller than him before, hadn't she?

A slight flush painted Nabooru's cheeks, and Link's stomach was full of butterflies. Finally Nabs answered, "Of course I went looking! I mean . . . you promised to walk me home." She ducked her head slightly, then looked sideways back up at him, her long eyelashes shading her eyes.

Link wasn't sure when he'd started, but he was grinning. "Well that's just swell! Do you mind if we ride? It's a long trip."

"No, I don't mind."

The bike had a padded rack over the back wheel that actually served pretty well as a seat. Link got onto the bike first and Nabooru got on after and grabbed the sides of his shirt. The idea of biking a pretty girl back home was giving Link all the smiles. He liked being relied on. Even though it was Nabooru who brought him the bike, she'd made it clear she had wanted him to walk her home. He was so happy he got to ride with her. He was already devising ways to be around so he could walk her home again, maybe from school or from a new job, or . . .

"Hey, Link?"

"Huh?"

"You care about your sister and grandma a lot, don't you?"

"Yeah. Why?"

". . . No reason." He could almost hear the smile in her voice, even though he couldn't see her face. What's that for?

"I care about Shadow, too, you know," Link said. "And I really cared about my mom. And my dad. And I care about Sheik. I mean I care about a lot of people. What, why did you ask the question? What's so special about Grandma and Aryll?"

She giggled at his piqued curiosity. "Don't you get it? They're girls! Your momma, too. Most Hylian boys treat me like trash, but . . . you don't. That means you've GOTTA love the women in your life a lot, and not just because they're pretty or because they make you food and crap."

"Well . . . you are really, er, um . . . I mean, beautiful."

"You saying you only helped me because of that?" she asked playfully.

"Of course not!" Link protested, thinking at first she was serious. Then he got that she was teasing, and smirked exasperatedly. Nabooru chuckled again.

Nabooru directed him to her house, which was not as far as his house. He noticed that it wasn't as nice of a neighborhood as his, and that made him a bit worried. "Do a lot of Gerudo live here?" he asked.

"Yes. We're a pretty tight community, really."

That relieved him a bit. He didn't want to think about Nabooru living around a bunch of low-life Hylians . . . he figured Gerudos must watch out for each other.

This was all really strange for Link to think about, and he was sure he was stupid about it all and had no idea about any of it. He'd never thought about it, but he was really lucky . . . and then that pissed him off. No one should be "lucky" to live in a good neighborhood. That should be a given!

They stopped outside of a small, two-story duplex. The sun had already set, but lights were on in the building.

"My family lives here!" Nabooru said.

"How big is your family?" Link asked.

She answered as she climbed off the bike. "I have a lot of sisters, we live with my grannies and my aunts and my cousins."

"That's a lot of people . . ."

"It's okay, we have the whole duplex. You're coming inside, right?"

"Uh . . . sure!" Link was honestly very curious about Nabooru's home life. She was very private at school, probably to avoid racism.

"You'll want to bring your bike inside. Someone might steal it—people here don't like Hylian boys."

"Why don't they—never mind."

Before they even got to the front door, it was opened by an old lady who looked to Link like she was at least three hundred years old. Layers of skin with countless wrinkles, big yellow eyes that drooped, and a large, hooked nose, and yet her hand had a firm grip on the handle and gestured at them strongly. "Now hurry up, young one, there be monsters nearby!"

"Yes granny!" Nabooru hurried her step, and Link followed. There were no steps to the front door. They walked in past the granny, who shut the door behind them quickly, locking and latching it as fast as lightning.

Wow, Link thought. What kind of world have I walked into? It wasn't just the quickness of being rushed inside, or the amount of heavy-duty locks on the doors, or the barred windows. The house was the weirdest—no offense intended—house he'd ever been inside. It took several minutes of looking around and wondering if this was kind of what Aryll felt like all the time—overwhelmed by new information.

There were intricate, brightly colored rugs on the floor and hangings on the wall. There was a sweet smell wafting from a jar full of incense sticks, little trails of smoke filling the house. It made Link's eyes water and he coughed slightly, but tried to hide it because he didn't want to appear rude. There were all sorts of pots and vases in intricate designs, bronze and copper ones and also clay ones, painted with geometric designs and housing desert plants. The place was lit with yellow light, almost as if the ceiling lights were very bright lamps. It wasn't dark or dim, though, except in the corners. On one wall was the skull of what was probably a bull, decorated with flowers. A pleasant sound like metal springs being struck or something filled the air, and eventually Link recognized it as music.

The hairs on the back of his neck rose, and Link jumped to find Nabooru's granny staring at him with her big, bulbous eyes. Her nose was almost poking him in the cheek. And . . . she was super short. Like almost two heads shorter than Link. She was bowed over, of course, so maybe at one point she was as tall as Nabooru, but not anymore. Link backed away quickly.

"Link," Nabooru introduced, "this is my Granny Kotake. Granny, this is Link, the boy I was telling you about earlier today."

Granny Kotake nodded. "I seeeeeeeee," she crooned, and her scratchy whining voice put Link on edge.

Suddenly the music from earlier stopped, and footsteps sounded all around the house. Link was totally confused.

Soon Gerudo sisters were appearing from every doorway, and from the top of the stairs, and before Link knew it he was surrounded by at least a dozen curious eyes, including the eyes of another old granny. Wow! Even she moves fast!

Nabooru began pointing at everybody. "That's my sister Aveil, she's a pain in the butt—"

"Shut up!"

"—And that's Mehini in her arms, she's six months old, and that one over there is my Aunt Jareil, she's Mehini and Hadley's mom, and that's Hadley and cousin Brennita and her mother—"

Link lost track of all the names.

"-and that's my Granny Koume. Granny Koume and Granny Kotake are twins! Everyone," Nabooru said, throwing her arms out brightly. "This is Link! He saved me from that guy today!"

The other women all threw their hands up and cheered.

Granny Koume put her hands up to silence everybody. "We must celebrate to show our gratitude." She patted Link's arm. "Such a strong boy . . ."

"Stop it, Koume!" Kotake swatted her sister. "Don't be weird!"

Link sent a questioning glance at Nabooru, who shrugged weirdly.

"We've decided to accept you into our tribe!" Koume said. "Not very often does a Hylian man show such bravery, no, not since the great Ganondorf have we been fought for so fiercely!"

Link wondered what she meant. And he was happy, but also, something nagged at him.

The next hour was filled with so much food Link actually couldn't eat it all—though he ate a lot. And there was singing and dancing and they gave link a cape and painted his hands with this brown pigment stuff they called henna, and finally after dinner there was another speech and Granny Koume was about to put a headdress on his head, calling him some sort of "hero."

Link couldn't take it anymore. He stood, out of reach of Granny Koume. The table quieted. "I'm sorry," he said. "I don't want to appear rude, but . . ."

"Oh it's alright, darling," Koume said with a grin. "It's a bit of a culture shock, hm?"

"It's not that," Link said, and Koume blinked in surprise. "It's just," Link continued, and suddenly it hit him what was bothering him about this whole situation. "I'm not a hero!" He pulled the cape from around his shoulders, and stared at the henna on his hands. "I'm just . . . Link!"

"But you protected our precious granddaughter—"

"All I did was be a decent human being!" Link shouted. Then he lowered his voice, slightly abashed. "I don't . . . I don't deserve rewards or anything simply because I did the right thing. Was I just supposed to let that guy . . . I mean . . . NO! You guys . . . you guys are amazing, and I feel really welcomed here, and everything, but . . . I didn't do anything special. I get to go wherever I want and people don't shout at me or call me names or try to hurt me. I take it for granted, but protecting other people isn't heroic, it's just what you do! So . . . so if we're going to celebrate, let's celebrate that Nabooru's safe, and that that guy didn't hurt her. It's not about me. I didn't do anything."

The table was silent, and then everyone started looking at one another.

"You didn't have to help me . . ." Nabooru said quietly.

Link shrugged. "You didn't have to be my friend. Or Sheik's friend. But you are. And friends take care of each other no matter what."

There were tears in Nabooru's eyes.

Link backtracked. "I'm sorry! What did I say? Did I say something wrong? I'm so so so so SO sorry!"

He found himself being tackle hugged by both grannies and Nabooru's aunts. "Aaaaaaw, you sweet boy, caring so much about our precious Nabooru." "You're so nice, Linky-boo!" "so humble, so humble."

"Oh stoooooooooooop," Link whined, but half-heartedly. It was clear they liked him a lot and weren't going to stop. It was probably going to be like his own granny. He could probably go join a murderous cult and they'd still invite him for cookies and milk . . .

They went back to eating and to Link's relief stopped talking about what an amazing person he was and instead talked about their home life and Nabooru and discussed what they were going to do now that they were down some cash with Nabooru losing her job.

"You should come work at the shipyard!" Link blurted out suddenly. Then shut up.

Nabooru looked at him. "Really? Is that guy hiring?"

"I heard him mentioning about how he was short staffed. He's kinda uptight about his money, but he DOES pay well . . . mostly. You kinda gotta barter with him."

Nabooru smirked. "Oh I won't have any problems with that."

The dinner went on, and Link's stomach started filling with butterflies again. Would Nabooru really end up working at the shipyard?! He really really REALLY hoped she did . . .

He felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He pulled it out, and when he saw it was Sheik, excused himself from the table. "Hello?" He said when he got to the hallway.

"Hi Link!"

"What's up, Sheik?"

"Do you remember when I was talking about the Triforce and stuff and how I have it on my hand?"

"Yeah."

"Well, Shadow just called. Midna's got one, too! And I think I forgot to tell you, but Vio does, too!"

"Huh? Okay."

"You've GOT to get here right now!"

"Uh, okay, but I'm at Nabooru's and we're having dinner."

"NABOORU'S?!" Sheik stopped. "What are you doing—never mind, it doesn't matter. I'm sorry, Link, but this is SUPER important."

"Okay . . . Can Nabooru come?"

"Yeah, of course she can. Say hi for me!"

Link snickered. "Say hi yourself. We'll be there soon."

"Okaaaaaay," Sheik had a teasing voice on. Did he suspect something? About him and Nabooru.

"Shut up!" Link said, and Sheik laughed before hanging up.


Midna was still sitting on her drum stool, staring at the triforce symbol on her hand, still spooked that a Hylian legend had appeared on the back of her hand. Oh Mommy . . . why couldn't I have just stayed in the Twilght Realm with you? Then this never would have happened! I've been tainted! What if it meant she could never go home? What if it meant she was slowly turning into a light being and would only be able to live in the light, and if she ever went into the Twilight Realm, she'd become a spirit like everyone in Hyrule would?

She was terrified.

Shadow was busy staring at Vio's hand. They sat on the couch next to each other. Red was busy mixing something up in a mixing bowl in the kitchen. Apparently he cooked when he was nervous. Or happy. Or . . . well, right now he was nervous.

Blue was zonked in the easy chair next to the TV, sprawled over it, snoring slightly. Green was busy poking his face to see what he would respond to. So far, nothing.

Malon sat on the other side of the couch from Vio and Shadow, sipping lemonade that Red had made fresh. She was extremely confused. She'd heard of the triforce, of course, but that was about it, and now she heard that the freaking princess of Hyrule was coming to their house. How the heck did I end up meeting two princesses in so short a time? I'm a nobody!

Suddenly something smashed into the front door, followed by a muffled, "Oooooow . . ."

Red put down his mixing bowl and rushed to open the door. Sheik was outside. "Sorry!" said Red, "We keep the door locked at all times . . ."

"It's okay . . ." Sheik rubbed his face and nose gingerly and walked in. "Should have known." Then he stared at his hand intently.

"What is it?" Shadow asked after a few silent moments of anticipation.

"It's funny . . ." Sheik responded with confusion. "There's three people here with triforce symbols, me, Vio, and Midna. They should be pulsing right now since we're so close together, but . . . mine's not. Is yours, Midna?"

"What do you mean by pulsing?" Midna asked.

"Like, shining, or trembling, or burning, like, ANYTHING!"

". . . Itching?"

Sheik sighed. "That doesn't count. Vio, come here." Sheik walked over to Midna, and Vio climbed up from the couch to join them. They held their fists out to compare their marks. "What is going on?" Sheik asked no one in particular.

The others crowded around the three. "What's up, Sheik?" Shadow asked.

"Well . . . I . . . it looks like we have three separate pieces of the Triforce all right. I have the one on the right, Vio's got the one on the left, and Midna's got the top, but . . . if I'm not mistaken, Midna's is . . . upside down."

There were surprised sounds and gasps all around. "Is it a different triforce?" Green asked curiously.

"I don't think so," Sheik said. "There's only one Triforce, isn't there? I mean, in Hyrule. Lorule has one, but it's been lost forever. And Midna isn't FROM Lorule, so how can it be she's got it?"

"Didn't you say once," Vio said, sounding very bored—the triforce was the most boring topic for him, "that you can earn pieces of the triforce through bravery?"

Sheik nodded. "Or through bloodlines or by taking it by force."

Midna waved her hands emphatically, almost hitting the others in the faces in her haste. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I didn't steal anything! And I didn't do any brave stuff and I don't have any Lorulean grandparents!"

"Then why?" Sheik wondered.

The sound of a car coming to a stop outside reached their ears. "Who could that be?" Red asked, slightly suspicious.

"I invited Link," Sheik said apologetically. "I didn't think to ask. I'm sorry."

"It's okay," Red said understandingly. "This is all very strange." Red went to open the door again. Link and Nabooru came inside as Granny Kotake vroomed-putted off in the family car.

As soon as Link crossed the threshold, he cried out loudly, and so did Shadow, and so did Midna. "Oooooow my HAND!" Link cried.

"MY HAND!" Shadow yelled. "GAAAAAAAH!"

Midna was shouting. "IT BURNS, SHEIK, IT BURNS, THAT'S YOUR ANSWER!"

A light was emanating from all three of their hands. Shadow was scrabbling with his glove, almost ripping it in half as he pulled it off. Malon stifled a gasp at the burn scars, but composed herself quickly.

After a moment the effects seemed to die down to where they were actually bearable.

"I think my hand is numb," Link complained.

Link, Midna, and Shadow gathered together, with Sheik grabbing at their hands. "I don't believe this! You guys have triforce pieces, too!"

Link and Shadow glanced at each other.

"It must have just happened tonight, that's why we didn't see the marks sooner," Sheik continued. "I wonder why now, though?" Sheik's brow furrowed with worry as he looked at each triforce bearer in turn. "I've never read of a time when both triforces appeared together. This could be really bad . . . Midna, you own the bottom piece of Lorule's triforce, the triforce of power. Link, you have the triforce of courage, and Shadow . . . you have the triforce of wisdom, like me."

"Holy cow," Shadow whispered.

"triforce of POWER?" Midna said. "I've heard stories about those people! They always try to take over Hyrule and destroy stuff! Are you telling me I'm the VILLAIN?!"

Sheik shook his head firmly. "No. It's true that the triforce of power from the Hyrulean triforce has been in possession of evil men, but that's not what its purpose is or ever was. It depends on who is using it, and why. It's just easy to get corrupted by power because it's so . . . absolute."

"Well that's just peachy. I get the hard triforce piece and I'm not even Hyrulean, much less Hylian! Is there some way I can get rid of it?!"

"I wouldn't be so hasty," Sheik said, placing a hand on Midna's wrist. "I know it's weird, Midna, and I don't get it, either, but I think right now we should just . . . just figure out exactly what's going on!"

Midna sighed. "I guess . . . so what's up with your triforce?"

Sheik looked at his own triforce symbol. "I know I have the triforce of wisdom, and Vio has the triforce of courage."

"So who has the triforce of power?"

"I . . . don't know. But we need to find them. Fast."


Ganondorf lay on his cot, hands behind his head. The back of his right hand had been bothering him all week and he had no idea why. Probably caught some skin disease from the terrible conditions in here. He hadn't spoken to a doctor about it. Why would he? You couldn't even get treatments in here, anyways, and going to the doctor would only draw attention to himself, something he really wanted to avoid as the only gerudo he knew of in here.

He had been unable to sleep. Every time he tried, his hand would begin to itch horrifically again. This went on until finally the lights turned on, signifying morning, and he got out of bed. His irritated hand caught his eye and he held it up. Behind all the irritated skin, he saw the symbol of the triforce, with the top filled in.

Well that's interesting . . .