A/N: What's uuuup! Getting back into things after a couple months off after finishing the last year of this story. I've written a brief summary in case you don't want to read year 1 before starting this one, but I mean . . . it's my beloved story so of course I'm gonna highly suggest you read it!

You can also read the version where I change the characters into original characters in the real world, add scenes, and revise everything on Wattpad (currently ongoing). You can also find other ongoing stories by me there. Leave a vote! My username is Jamie Glen. You can find me on the profile side of the search results.

Enjoy!

Previously on Hyrule Castle High

After their parents are killed in a car crash, Link and his low-functioning autistic sister Aryll go to live with their grandma in Hyrule. He meets a boy named Shadow, who turns out to be a long lost twin. Shadow's father, Ganondorf, and Link's father, Ravio, had been foster kids together, but had a falling out when Ganondorf's wife, Hilda, died giving birth to Link and Shadow. They split ways, each with one son, and never spoke again.

A mysterious benefactor who later turned out to be Ganondorf donated money for Aryll's expensive care and education. By the end of the year, due to circumstances, that donation has dried up, and Link is now faced with the task of finding a way to provide for his family despite being only fifteen.

Zelda Harkinian, the local senator's daughter and one of Link's long time friends, realized that she, or rather he, was trans, and began living as "Sheik" in secret until outed by the media. While his mother is supportive, his father is a different story. After meeting Groose and deciding to begin to transition fully, Sheik finds himself disowned by his own father, Johannes. Nowadays, Sheik struggles to live with the rejection, blaming himself for his parents' marriage problems that arose because of his trans identity.

Shadow Dragmire, son of the business mogul Ganondorf, is a vegan with a heart condition—literally. After a severe heart attack at the beginning of last year, he was given an indeterminate life span before he would need a heart transplant. With limited physical ability due to his health, he made the most of the situation, hanging out with friends, especially Link and Sheik, and of course constantly butting heads with his father. He learns, along with the authorities, that Ganondorf has been conducting illegal experiments on animals in an attempt to save Shadow's life. Unfortunately, one of these "animals" turns out to be a sentient being named Krad, and Ganondorf is sent to prison for aggravated assault and torture and his businesses and assets are seized by the government—thus Aryll's care money drying up and Link having to work. Shadow's other best friend, Vaati, seems to have had something terrible happen to him, but he won't speak of it, and he returned to his Picori homeland.

Depressed about everything and trying to survive and escape lonliness, Shadow falls for a strange boy named Vio, a foster kid with a penchant for science and a sociopathic, almost psychopathic personality. Their relationship has unhealthy consequences, but eventually Vio breaks down and admits he doesn't want to be like he is anymore and doesn't want to hurt people. From then on, the two are allowed to be together under supervision, but Shadow isn't convinced that Vio is so bad in the first place.

In an attempt to return Krad to his dimension, the Hyrulean government decides to open a portal to it. Around this time the Hyrule Triforce and Lorule Triforce appear, each piece connected to a person.

For Hyrule: Sheik for Wisdom, Ganondorf for Power, Vio for Courage.

For Lorule: Midna for Power, Shadow for Wisdom, and Link for Courage.

When Krad enters the portal, he reveals his true identity as Demise, and attacks Hyrule. The Triforce wielders work together to save it, but it is Vio and Shadow who finally accomplish the deed.

However, during the fight, Vio is fatally wounded, sending Shadow into another heart attack. Vio passes away in the hospital, where it is discovered that he is an organ donor, and that he and Shadow happen to be a perfect match.

When Shadow awakes, it is to find Vio's heart has been transplanted into him without his knowledge or permission.

It was a new school year, again. Shadow wished he could say the summer had flown by and he'd miss it, but it hadn't been that type of summer.

First, there was the fact that he was basically in rehab the whole time. Not for drugs (excuse you), like a normal teenager. Was that normal?

Heck, what WAS normal these days?

Fifteen and he still didn't know . . .

No, it was for his heart transplant six months ago. Those things aren't the easiest to recover from. After the first few weeks, things weren't bad, but he was still constantly doing physical therapy, working with doctors, blah blah blah blah blah . . .

On the upside, his physical activity only got better and better. He could run, bike, skateboard, wrestle . . . All the things he couldn't do before.

He should be happy, right?

He went skating with Link, went to the gym with Sheik, they all went swimming at the beach, and it was amazing . . .

It was just . . .

Link had Nabooru. Sheik had Groose. Even Midna had a girlfriend, and she was way way waaaaay in the closet.

As if looking in the mirror at his blasted chest scar wasn't enough of a reminder every day of who he'd lost. It was a reminder again, as he buttoned up his shirt.

Vio's gone, and he's never coming back.

His fingers fumbled with his tie. He wasn't sure why he bothered to dress up for the first day of school. He hadn't dressed up since the Academy, when he had to dress up in a uniform every day.

He just needed today to be special. He needed to show everyone that, hey, I'm fine! Don't worry about me! I don't cry every night thinking about my dead boyfriend. Who gave his heart to me.

Literally gave his heart to me. He abandoned the mucked up tie to focus on his hair. It was past his shoulder blades, now. He let most of it hang down, only using some of it to create two braids from his temples to the back of his head.

I have to show Vio I'm going to be okay, that his sacrifice wasn't in vain!

He put on his jacket, buttoned it, and straightened it. He took a deep breath. But all I want to do is give up.

He walked out of his room.

Ganondorf was in the kitchen. It smelled like tofu breakfast. With no work to do since his companies had all been seized and sold by the government, and nowhere to go since he was on house arrest, Ganondorf had thrown himself into making vegan food for Shadow with a vengeance. It was like he was trying to make up for every mistake he'd ever made to Shadow. It didn't go unnoticed.

"Hey, Dad," Shadow said.

Ganondorf looked up from a steaming pan of scrambled tofu. "Hey!" He put the food on a plate and set it on the counter bar for Shadow, but Shadow wasn't hungry. Ganondorf came around and looked Shadow over. "Dressing up, eh?" he said. A flash of worry crossed his face, just for an instant before he could hide it. "Here," he said, reaching up and undoing Shadow's tie. As he tied it correctly, he asked, "Are you sure you're up to this?"

"Yes," Shadow answered firmly.

"You don't have to go back to school right away, you know. I can talk to your teachers . . ."

"No. I don't want to be special. I want to be normal. You know?"

Ganondorf nodded.

Shadow tucked his newly tied tie into his jacket.

Ganondorf placed his hands on either side of Shadow's face. "You will call me if you need anything, right?"

Shadow tried not to seem pleading. This summer had been weird with hid dad home all the time, but while before that would have been basically hell for him, this time they'd actually gotten closer. He wanted to collapse into his dad's arms, forget about school, forget about life, forget about everything, maybe play some games, watch some TV. There wasn't much longer he had with his dad before the court date.

Yeah, the court date, when the stupid Hylian royalty would decide what punishment to give Ganondorf for trying to save Shadow.

Everything's my fault, Vio's death, Dad's arrest. Why am I so goddamned important?! Everything would be better if I just didn't . . .

There was a court date. He had to learn how to get along without his dad. School had to happen.

I can't let Vio down!

So he didn't collapse into his dad's arms. He forced himself to turn away and sit in the stool and stare at his food.

Ganondorf went to tidy up the kitchen. "I was reading today, about Lorule."

"Oh, yeah?" Now that he looked at his food, he struggled to figure out how to eat it, when he really just wanted to abandon it.

"Yeah! I was thinking we could vacation there someday. I guess they have some pretty good views of the Void."

"That makes sense. Midna was saying they have secret connection to the Twilight Realm, which is basically ALL void. She's been spending all summer trying to prove it while fixing the Twilight Mirror."

"Probably going to have a war at some point," Ganondorf said, gathering all the dishes and pans into the sink. "What with Lorule meddling in Twili affairs." He placed a box on the counter and went back to washing dishes. "I made you a lunch. It's a fake beef sandwich."

"Oh, neat." He knew his dad was just trying to get his mind off things, to get him to eat. It usually worked. "Hey, Dad?"

"Yes?"

"Could I just have some Rabbitland snacks?"

Ganondorf slowed his incessant scrubbing. Then stopped and opened a cupboard. "Of course, son . . ."

"I'm sorry," Shadow said as his dad set the box of snacks in front of him and took his breakfast away. "I don't mean to waste food."

"I'll pack it for later." His dad was using that voice again, the loud, confident one that left no room for argument. "Don't worry about it!"

Shadow didn't smile, but he felt a little better. "Yes, sir."

Sheik yawned. He and Groose were in Groose's way-larger-than-necessary bathroom. Sheik was using makeup to make his face look less feminine, as well as cover up the unfortunate spots of adolescence that crowded his cheeks at the moment. After that he mussed up his short, spiky blond hair, which today wouldn't behave no matter what he did. It came off as hat hair. Sounds like a beanie day.

He looked to his left. Groose was staring intently at the mirror, hands molding his signature pompadour carefully until no strand was out of place. Sheik grinned and walked behind him, kissing his shoulder on the way to leaving the bathroom. Groose always took longer than him.

So he went rummaging through Groose's clothes to find a beanie or hat until he thought Groose must not have a hat.

Sad, he pulled one of his own from the box of clothes he kept over here and slipped the dark blue thing over his head. He slipped his hands into his gray hoodie pockets and sat on Groose's bed, leaning against the headboard, eyes closing. Maybe I can catch a nap before we leave.

They did this every morning before sun up. They'd meet outside Sheik's, since Groose got his license as soon as he turned sixteen, then they'd either go to the gym or else jog outside. Then they would go to Groose's house and take turns showering before getting ready for school. Groose had to keep in shape for the Loftwing games in the fall. Sheik just sort of came along. He'd never been much of a sports person before he started dating Groose.

Now it was like sports time, all the time.

Not that he minded. No matter how much time he spent with Groose, it never seemed to be enough. And any time he spent away from his own house, from his dad, was a relief.

"You ready, Z?" Groose snapped him out of his thoughts.

Sheik sat up suddenly. "Yes." He stood up, checking Groose out in his blue button up shirt and tan shorts. "You look good," Sheik said.

Groose grinned. "Thanks! You do, too. Well—"

"Except for the hair, I know." Sheik chuckled. "This mess ain't going ANYWHERE today."

"Daaaaang, on the first day of school, too."

"Right? Why is my hair always against me?"

"Well whatever, you still look bomb. Let's go!"

"Absolutely not!" Granny chided for the fiftieth time as Link ran from the kitchen.

"Grandma!" Link responded, as usual. They had this fight every day, it seemed. Link would be talking about starting school, Granny would bring up when dinner time was and when he needed to be home, and Link would remind her that he would be working after school and wouldn't be home in time for dinner. "Aryll needs care, and we can't afford it if I don't work!"

"What about your education? You can't work AND go to school. Not at your age! You're only fifteen!"

"Linebeck says I can do my homework in the shop. We barely get any customers, so it'll be fine, I promise." He grabbed his backpack from the spot by the door where he'd left it before breakfast.

Granny had tears in her eyes. Link looked away from her.

"You still live under my roof, child. I make the rules."

Link sighed. "Grandma—"

"I have that job at the supermarket. I can make ends meet."

Anger filled Link's chest. He gave her a determined look. "You shouldn't have to do that, Grandma! You can't be on your feet all day! You have to take care of yourself!"

Granny rose to her full height—a full three inches shorter than Link, now. "I'm your grandmother. I will do this."

Link placed his hands on her shoulders. "Grandma . . . You have to let me take care of you. Both of you."

He watched as Granny's mouth twitched and she swallowed a few times. Then, she said, "This isn't how it should be."

Link pulled her into a hug. "I know, Grandma, but we'll manage. Right? We always do."

"We always do. That's right, dear."

He pulled away. "I'll be back around nine."

"I'll be waiting."

"Grandma, you should sleep—"

She glared at him.

Link laughed. "Okay, you win. See you at nine. Bye, Grandma." He called into the living room. "ARYLL ARYLL ARYLL!"

"LINK LINK LINK!" Noting that the argument had stopped, Aryll came careening out of the living room, one hand behind her back, in the other a drawing that she held up. "DRAW!"

Link took it. "A seagull? Awesome!"

Aryll pulled her other hand from behind her and held out her small telescope. "Take," she said.

"What? You want me to take this to school?"

Aryll nodded.

"That's a big responsibility, Aryll. I don't know how I feel about it."

"Trust. Big brother."

"Well jeez, I guess I have to, huh? I won't let you down, Aryll. I'll bring it back safe."

Aryll nodded solemnly. She held a hand up, and Link gave her a light high five. Then Aryll went scurrying back to the living room. Link smiled happily. It had taken her all summer to learn to give him a high five. Her autism made it difficult for her to touch people, but she had focused every day on getting used to it just so she could hold his hand. She hadn't held his hand yet, but a high five was a big accomplishment. Her biggest yet. It made him smile every single time thinking he was that important to her.

Of course he had to take care of her. He had to. He would do anything if it meant making her smile.

Shadow got off the bus outside the steps to the giant Hyrule Castle High building. He had only begun to climb the steps when a gray-blue blur bounded down the steps and collided with him.

"SHADOW!"

"Whoa! Dude!" Shadow struggled to keep his footing so they both didn't end up toppling down the stairs. "Sheik, what the heck!" He laughed.

Sheik pulled back from the hug and grinned. "Knew it! Knew I'd make you smile! You ready for school?"

"I guess . . ."

Grabbing his hand, Sheik led him up the steps. "I already got your schedule for you, and I color coded it, just like Link's, so we've got Geometry and History together, okay?"

"Why do I feel like you have this all planned?"

Sheik grinned. "Not my first rodeo. Oh! I was gonna give you this." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a USB.

Shadow took it. "What is it?"

"A playlist. I put a bunch of songs on there I think you'll really like. I used to do that for Link after his parents . . . Well, yeah. They helped him sleep, and I know you're not sleeping, so . . ."

"Oh," Shadow said, tearing up. "Gee, prince, you rock."

Sheik grinned and quickly changed the subject. "Speaking of which! Here comes the big lug, now!"

Link had emerged from around a corner. He was dressed in a green polo shirt and his usual baggy tan pants. He grinned widely as he came up to them. "Hey, guys!" He looked over Shadow. "Wow! Special occasion?"

"Yeah, well, haha, you know . . . New school year."

"What's so special about that? It's just another school year."

Sheik was sending Link a look, but it went straight over his head.

"I mean," Shadow said, trying to deflect, "I almost didn't get here."

"Oh, that's right! You had to do all those remedial classes cuz you fell behind."

"Yeah."

Link grinned and threw an arm around Shadow's neck. "Well, you're here! And in the same grade as us! That's AWESOME!"

They walked to homeroom together, and then Sheik left them to go shepherd some first years, leaving Link and Shadow alone.

"How's Uncle G?" Link asked Shadow as they found a place to sit.

"It's REALLY weird when you call him that."

"What? It's technically true."

"He's fine, I guess."

"How about you? I miss you living at home. With us."

Shadow glanced at Link in surprise. "Dude, we hang out all the time," he said.

"It's not the same," Link said. "You know it isn't. We used to have meals together, and make Aryll laugh til she couldn't breathe. She keeps drawing pictures of you."

"She only draws pictures of seagulls."

"Yeah, except when she's got something really important to say."

"She misses me."

"Yeah."

Shadow hadn't realized his presence was missed. He went to Link's house all the time, played with Aryll, cooked with Grandma. And yet they still missed his presence in the house. He thought fondly of the room he and Link used to share. "I'm sorry," he said. "It's just Dad might be going to jail for a really long time, and I want to spend as much time with him as possible before that."

A cloud crossed Link's face.

"What?!" Shadow asked. "I'm fine! I'm fine, really!" He was fiddling with the buttons on his jacket.

Link wouldn't look away, and he had this intense look in his eyes. They were green like their biological father, Ravio. "I'll always be here for you, Shadow. You'll always be my brother."

Shadow smiled.

"Oh my gaawwwwwwd," Shadow whined at lunch when he joined the others. "Why is there so much homework? It's the first day!"

"I'm really excited about it!" Sheik rattled with an almost insane look. "I've missed studying!"

"You're WEIRD," Shadow said.

"I'm a prince," Sheik retorted. "And you have some catching up to do!"

"I'd argue with you, but I don't want you to sick your body guard on me." Shadow smirked at Groose, who sat next to Sheik.

Groose's eyebrows slanted downward on the outside. "I wouldn't beat up Sheik's best friend."

Shadow leaned forward and placed his chin on both hands. "Oooooo, does that mean you're MY bodyguard as well?!"

"You need a bodyguard?" Groose suddenly became very serious. "Is somebody threatening you?"

"Uh . . . No? Not yet?"

Link spoke up with his mouth half full of sandwich. "What do you need him for when you got me?"

"Come on, Link, Groose is like twice your size! AND he's a jock!"

Link bristled. "So?!" He glared at Groose.

"Easy, easy!" Sheik said, raising his hands. "You're both very strong, now can we eat our food in peace?"

"You know," Groose mentioned, completely oblivious to any negativity that had just transpired, "Link is pretty strong. Have you ever considered playing sports?"

Caught off guard by the invite, Link muttered, "Uh . . . No."

"You should!"

Link considered it for a moment, then sighed sadly. "I don't have time . . ."

"Oh. That's too bad."

"Yeah," said a new voice. "Now you'll just have to bash each other in the street to see who's the strongest!"

Sheik grinned. "Midna!"

Midna sat down next to Shadow and set her tray on the table. "Sup, princey?"

"It's good to see you. I feel like we having hung out in ages!"

"That's cuz we haven't. I've been stuck in the Twili estate trying to convince the court I'm not a traitor despite the fact I used to have the damn Loforce of Power. I can't go ANYWHERE without being followed, and they're always giving me things to do."

Shadow made his own eye twitch. "Blah blah blah, politics. What ever happened to all you need is love?"

"Right?!"

Sheik asked, "How's Malon?"

Midna's cheeks turned a dark pink. "Uh. She's good. I mean." She broke into a fangy smile. "She's fiiiiiiiiine."

Sheik giggled.

The cafeteria doors suddenly burst open loudly.

"ALRIGHT PEASANTS! THE KING HAS ARRIVED!"

A willowy figure of a boy strode into the cafeteria, followed by two others. He wasn't particularly tall, but he walked with a swing like he owned the place, and he posed with his hands on his hips. He wore clothes that looked straight out of a fashion magazine, with necklaces and bracelets, everything lavenders and greys and golds. He had pale skin, and hair as white as snow that fell in straight, silky strands to his waist. His hair covered his right eye, but his left was startlingly crimson.

Shadow leapt to his feet. "VAATI?"

Vaati turned at the sound of Shadow's voice. His face split into a grin. "Hey, Shay-Shay!"

Shadow ignored protocol and ran to his friend, throwing his arms around him and hugging him fiercely. "What are you DOING here? I thought you were still in Minish land!"

"I wanted to surprise you," Vaati responded shyly, returning the hug.

Shadow pulled away to get a good look at Vaati, and Vaati asked, "Are you happy to see me?"

"Of course I'm happy to see you!" Shadow cried. "I can't believe you're really here!" He hugged Vaati again.

Vaati smiled happily.

Back at the table, Midna was scowling. "Oh god, HE'S here. When did he transfer?"

"Huh?" Sheik asked. "You mean Vaati? You two know each other?"

"No! Not him, Zant."

Sheik looked again as Shadow and Vaati spoke completely animatedly. He'd only ever heard Midna talk about Zant. He'd never seen him in person. He glanced at the two people who came with Vaati and currently stood behind him. One of them was a wiry fellow, thickly built, who wore a red and black skin tight top that couldn't possibly be up to school code and baggy black pants. He had the red eyes of a Sheikah, and his black hair was pulled into a top knot. He wore combat boots, and his neck and ears were covered in gold jewelry. Whoever he was, he wasn't Zant. So Sheik looked at the other guy. This guy was a Twili, thin as a reed, with wavy, noodly arms with noodly fingers and a noodly neck. He wore traditional Twili robes like it was normal every day wear. Something about him was just off putting. And not just the way he looked or dressed. At least not to Sheik.

"Oh-kay," Sheik droned.

"The council must have put him here to watch me," Midna said with a groan.

Shadow and Vaati had finally stopped reminiscing long enough for Shadow to ask about the other two. "Who are these guys?"

Vaati grinned. "They're my boarding mates! This is Kohga," he gestured at the one with the top knot. "And this is Zant."

"Zant?" Shadow scrunched his nose without thinking. "Aren't you that Twili guy? Why are you living in a boarding house?"

Zant tapped his unsettlingly long fingers together as he answered. When he opened his mouth, Shadow had to hold his bile down. Zant's mouth had criss crosses at the ends that made them look like they'd been sliced or something. It was weird. "My elders have decided I need more experience in Hyrule. So I've transferred from my Twili abode to live with Hyruleans." He spoke of Hyrule and Hyruleans with such a condescending tone.

A gravely moan interrupted them. It was from Kohga, who was inspecting his nails, which were insanely sharp. "Are you DONE?" he asked. "I'm TIRED and want to SIT DOWN."

Vaati gave a fake pout. "Awww, tired already, Kohga?"

"YES. That grand entrance took it right out of me." He wiped his brow dramatically.

Shadow grinned. "You can come sit with us!" His grin died. He remembered that Zant and Midna didn't get along. "Or, well . . ."

"That's a fabulous idea!" Zant cried, already headed for the table, where Midna was quickly collecting her things.

Shadow mouthed "sorry" to her. He turned back to Vaati. "What do you say?"

Vaati had this look on his face, slightly sharp, his eyes narrowed just slightly. "Is that Zelda and Link?"

"Yeah, but it's Sheik, now, remember?"

Vaati gasped, looking ashamed. "Oh! Right, I'm so sorry. Um. I . . . Guess we can all sit together. If it will make you happy."

Beetles bounced around in Shadow's stomach, or that's what it felt like. What was Vaati's beef with Sheik and Link?! Had he imagined it? "Great!" he said with a grin. He took Vaati's arm. "Let's go!"

A/N: Oh, dear, drama llama!