Black and Yellow

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(Toon Link's POV)

Fate. It's a weird thing, isn't it. The official definition of fate is: "something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot: It is always his fate to be left behind." But why is fate so cruel? Fate should be something good that befalls on a person because they've earned it. So why are we given bad fates like premature death or fatal illness if we have done nothing wrong? If you have an illness, will fate later take it away? Does it balance the world out? I don't know the answers to these questions, but what I do know is that I'm scared for when bad fate falls upon myself and my loved ones.

It was a sunny, peaceful day on Outset Island. I lay on the very hillside near where Aryll, my younger sister had been kidnapped just six years ago. It seams like more than six years since I saved the world from the ruthlessly evil Ganondorf and rescued Aryll.

I was only ten years old when it happened. I had returned from saving a mysterious girl who had been dropped in a forest by a bird, when the same bird swooped down and picked up Aryll.

The girl I saved, her name was Tetra. I wasn't too fond of her at the time, but now it' she polar opposite. I walked down the hill path as I saw Aryll's familiar blond hair.

"Link! Tetra's here to see you!" Aryll shouted across the island, awakening neighbors at the sunrise. I blushed as I sprinted over to her with excitement.

"Hurry up slowpoke!" Ayrll screeched, panting as she ran towards me. "I haven't even seen Tetra yet today, Grandma just said she wanted to talk to you both. I'm going to go play with the gulls at my tower! See you later, alligator!" She smiled her cute smile as I waved at her back.

Why would Grandma only want to talk to me and Tetra?

I was sure it was okay. Grandma used to be a nurse, and everything she ever said and did was gentle to the soul. Grandma was the one person I could trust with everything. I heard a loud coughing noise as I walked in. Grandma stood in front of Tetra, blocking the sight of her. "Good morning Grandma!" I exclaimed enthusiastically. "Hi Tetra!" She didn't respond.

"Toonie, we have some important news that we have to share with you. Sit down honey, okay?" Grandma quietly whispered as tears swelled up in her eyes. "Um...okay." I responded with worry. Toonie was one of my nicknames given to me by my Grandma, and whenever she used it, the thing following wasn't so great. Tetra stared at me with fear as goosebumps appeared on my arm.

"Sweetie, last night Tetra-" Grandma took out her handkerchief and shed a single tear into it. She blew her nose and let out a muffled sob. "Sorry Link. As I was saying, last night when Tetra went to sleep in her quarters, she couldn't breathe very well. She ran over to my house and almost passed out as she arrived. I immediately drove her to the hospital where she was taken care of and was supplied oxygen. Now honey, I'm going to ask you a question." Little did I know that this question would lead to be one of the saddest moments of my life.

The bad news couldn't be that bad. Tetra probably just had a panic attack or something. I hoped it wasn't too serious.

"Do you want the good news, or the bad news?"

I let out a loud sigh. What could happen to the fierce pirate Tetra? Tetra was the captain of a band of pirates at only 10 years old. She let nothing get in her way, so what could be going on? I tried to move around Grandma so I could see Tetra, but all Grandma did was move her head in the direction that I moved mine.

"The bad news." I blurted out. I immediately regretted my decision as Grandma moved to the right, revealing Tetra's glorious smile. What was not so glorious was what she was holding.

"Hey Link..." Tetra insecurely said, trying to stay confident. She lay down on an air mattress with an oxygen tank on the floor near her attached to her nose, and she coughed after talking. I felt my jaw drop as I saw her sick. This was the first time ever that she was sick in bed since I had met her six years ago. This couldn't be good.

"Grandma, Tetra! What the hell is going on?" I yelped at the top of my lungs as Grandma sat me down and Tetra shook in shock from my vicious response.

"Toonie, Tetra has been diagnosed with lung cancer." The words hit me hard. It felt like someone stood up and slapped me on my cheeks with a spatula until they started to bleed.

"Grandma, is this a prank?"

"No honey, this is real. I'm so sorry Toonie.

"Grandma, stop."

"Stop what Link?"

"Pranking me. I know this isn't real. What have I ever done wrong to deserve this fate? I saved the damn world from crying out loud! What have I done wrong?" I began to sob. I wasn't sad for myself, no, not at all. I was sad for Tetra. I was sad because Tetra might soon leave this world. She was so amazing. I couldn't afford to lose her. A huge piece of my life would be missing.

"Dammit Link, I'm diagnosed! Can you not see my oxygen tank? This is how my mom died! This is the reason I was the leader of a band of pirates when I was ten! Do you not get it? We knew this was coming!" Tetra then sighed and stood up. She walked over to me and put her arms around my neck. "We'll get through this Link. It's just fate. It will balance itself out eventually."

"Okay Tetra. I know. Let's just hope that things will get better here on out. Now Grandma, can I have the good news?"

"Yes, of course. The doctor said that the diagnosis was very early, and with the right treatment it hopefully won't be fatal." She extended her hand and put it on top of mine. I could feel her gentle heart beat. I knew everything would be just fine.

Everything had to be fine.

Everything needed to be fine.

And I wasn't going to stand here and watch her convince herself that she's dying. I had to take her mind off of things.

"Tetra, wanna go to the hillside near the forest? It's a beautiful day." I asked, desperately trying to take her mind off things.

She bit her lip and looked down. "Uh...Sure. Yeah, why not."

There was a tiny bit of tension between us now, but I couldn't let it get to us. "See you later Grandma!" I smiled as I jogged toward Tetra, already ahead of me.

"Bye now!" Grandma slowly replied.

We walked out of the house as the wind blew in my hair. I then wondered, what would fate do to me next? It couldn't be too bad. I knew it. But I was ready to take on the world.