Disclaimer: I do not own anything LoZ related.
A/N: I really have no idea what I'm doing. I'm just gonna start and roll with it. :D
Chapter 1: Zelda Royale
Auru Hotel, Room 2-B
Hyrule Castle Town
Saturday, July 9th, 8:49 A.M.
Buzz.
Buzz.
Buzz.
"Uhn…" I groan in my sleep. "Leave me alone!" Feebly, I take a swipe at my nightstand.
Buzz.
Yawning, I sit up in bed. I look around my room for the source of the noise, and my eyes settle on my dresser. My cell phone is vibrating continuously, and a picture of my best friend Malon Ackerman is displayed on the small screen. I pick it up and read the text message.
"Happy birthday, Zel! I hope it's a good one!"
I groan. I'd forgotten. Today is my birthday. I flop back down in bed, and the smoke alarm goes off.
"What now?" I say aloud, getting out of bed. Clad in cute boxers from Wal-Mart and an old tee shirt, I step across the ugly beige carpeting and into the kitchen. My cousin, Link Finlay, is attempting to make pancakes. The corners are charred, but they have a golden texture aside from that. Link picks up the pan and expertly flips the pancake on a plate of six or so more.
"Wow," I yawn. Link turns and grins at me. "Where'd you learn to cook?"
"Good morning to you too," Link says, going back to the pan. I walk to the counter and place my head on the cool, marble surface. At least I think it's marble. Who knows. Better question, who cares? "Anju's a pretty decent cook and she showed me a thing or two."
I pick up my head at the mention of the name.
"You know I don't like her," I say. "She's psycho."
"Ignoring that," Link says, scraping the contents of a plastic bowl onto a sizzling frying pan. I eye the coffee maker. It's full.
"Thank Goddesses," I say, ambling over and taking a mug from the cabinet. I fill it with the steaming liquid and drink it, not waiting for it to cool. I am rewarded with a scalding tongue. One thing you will quickly learn about me is I am addicted to coffee.
"I made the good kind," Link says.
"Hazelnut cream?"
"Imported from Clock Town."
"Aw, Link!" I set my mug down and hug him. He grunts and ducks away. Hazelnut cream is my favorite flavor of coffee, and is expensive enough here. Imported from Clock Town, the coffee capital of the world, it was a whopping 150 rupees.
"Happy birthday," he says, flipping the pancake over. We eat in the living room while watching our shabby television, as is our custom. Our hotel suite didn't come with a dining room. Not that we would use it anyway. It was a Royale-Finlay tradition to eat in front of the TV. Yawning, I set my plate on the table and check the clock on the wall.
"Good Goddesses, It's 9:20!" I exclaim, jumping up.
"So?" Link says, eyes drooping. That's how he always is; either sleepy or hungry. He was only fully awake when at work, the gym, or on dates. Link had never had a problem getting them; girls seem to find his stubble manly and his shaggy blonde hair attractive. It makes me think that he is too lazy to shave and too poor to get a haircut. The only thing remotely good-looking that I can see is his teeth. They are white and straight. We have the same eyes, and they are a shade of midnight-blue. "So?" Link says again.
"I promised Malon I would help her finish her paper in history!" I say, picking up my plate and scampering to the kitchen. "I'm going to meet her at the library at 10:00!"
"Then I suggest you hurry," Link shouts, continuing to watch the television. Guiltily, I poke my head beyond the wall separating the kitchen from the living room.
"Uh, I kind of need a ride…" I say. Maybe, just maybe, if I act guilty, he'll take me and I won't have to take the stupid subway again...
"There's always the subway," Link says, not looking at me. He turns the TV up louder. Crap.
"Right, good thinking!" I say, coming out the rest of the way. "I'll just ride that again! Maybe I'll meet the Happy What's-It's-Face Salesman again! Last time, he sat right next to me! He sure has a creepy smile. And he wears way too much cologne. Gleh." Grumbling, Link stands up.
"Fine…This is the last time…" Link says. I grin.
I step out of the bathroom after a quick shower and look at the clock. 9:30. I mumble a word I probably shouldn't have and rush to my bedroom. I pull on a pair of shorts and a cotton tank top that compliments my eyes. Not enough time to make myself look pretty, I pull my long, light-blonde hair in a loose ponytail and put on simple makeup. After slipping on the first pair of flip-flops that I find, I grab my purse and rush out the door where Link is in front of the TV again. His hair is damp. He's wearing a cutoff white shirt, khaki shorts, and leather sandals. I check the time on my cell phone. 10:05.
"Come on, we're late!" I say.
"We're late?" Link says raising an eyebrow. Uh-oh.
"Yeah, uh, I kind of told Malon you'd come with me," I say, grinning. I wasn't planning to tell him until we were at the library, so he couldn't refuse altogether.
"Zelda…" he growls, hitting a button on the remote. The television turns off. Link doesn't like Malon very much, something I've never quite understood.
"Well, she needs help on her history, and that's your major, so I figure you can help her!" I say in a rush. Link grabs his keys from the table and stands.
"Did you tell her you would help her or I would?" Link says, his eyes narrowed.
"Both! Now let's go!"
Hyrule Public Library
Hyrule Castle Town
Saturday, July 9th, 10:15 A.M.
"Is the library even open on Saturdays?" Link says grouchily.
"Yes," I say, agitated. "We're late. I don't like being late."
"Yeah, well, I don't like Malon."
"Why not?" I say.
"Because! She's psycho!" Link says, honking the horn. We're currently stuck in a traffic jam. And your girlfriend isn't?
"You only think that because she likes you!" I defend my friend. It was true. Malon had been in love with Link since the third grade, the same year her mother had died of kidney failure. And it wasn't as if her mom's death had come as a surprise or anything; Malon's mother was an alcoholic, and so is her father. Her father is... I don't even want to go there, ugh.
"Yeah, I know!" Link says. "She always has that hungry look in her eye!"
"Link! She does not!"
"Yes she does! It makes me feel like I'm a piece of meat or something!" Link says. "It's demoralizing!" I cross my arms and glare out the window, trying not to laugh. Malon never looked "hungry" as Link chose put it, but that's just how Link is. He tries to make light of every situation by cracking a joke. "We wouldn't have to show up here if she'd actually showed up for school," Link says.
"Stop," I say. "That's not her fault." A silence falls over Link's car. It really wasn't Malon's fault. She'd only barely scraped by in school, and she was gone for most of the time. I am adamant her father abuses her and makes her stay home a lot, and our old principal, Mr. Jay, saw that too. He allowed her to graduate if she would let him tutor her in math, science, and history throughout the summer. Malon agreed. Mr. Jay is a kind teacher who actually cares about his pupils. He really does want Malon to succeed and attend college, and her poor marks need to improve in these subjects. Link pulls in front of the library.
"Sorry," he says. I slam the door shut.
Hyrule Public Library
Hyrule Castle Town
Saturday, July 9th, 11:46 A.M.
I rest my head in my hand and sip my cappuccino from Starbucks. I told you I was an addict.
After Malon apologized profusely for having us come out here on my birthday, we got to work on her paper. I have barely done anything, but messed around on the computers and made a Starbucks run. Link has only helped Malon a bit. She really is bright, she just misses so much school that it's hard for her to keep up.
"Who's that?" Malon says. "He's staring at you, Zelda." I sit up.
"Where's he at?" I ask.
"At the table behind you," Malon says. "But don't look now!"
Ignoring her, I look casually over my shoulder.
"He's cute," I comment softly. Me and Malon do this all the time, scoping out guys and giving our opinions on them. Link makes some noise that obviously was supposed to voice his disgust. Truth be told, this guy was cute. He was wearing a cut-off similar to Link's, but his was red with the Hyrule High mascot, the hyena, on it. He wore jeans, tennis shoes, and a hat matching his shirt. Under his hat were copper curls. His face was spotted with freckles. I smile at him and look back and Link and Malon.
"Will you read this and see if it sounds right?" Malon asks.
"Sure," I say as she slides a sheaf of papers towards me. I pick them up. It starts off in Malon's large and loopy handwriting, and then a sentence or two of Link's small, neat, and precise writing.
"This isn't the order they go in," Malon starts to explain. "Actually, it's all just kind of there. I imagine I'll go home tonight and-"
"No." I say, looking up. "Do it here." Malon looks at me, her brown eyes wide with surprise. She doesn't see that her father will probably destroy them, either to make her miserable or because he's slobbering drunk.
"Okay, Zel," she says. "Anyway, I guess I'll do it now, then, I'll rewrite it all out on paper and then type it on a computer."
"You're going to be here for ages," Link comments coolly.
"Yeah," Malon says sadly. "I guess-" Malon abruptly cuts off. I look up from the paper and look at her questioningly. My answer is right beside me. The boy from the other table is here. He has his hands placed on the black surface and is leaning over it.
"Hey," he says. "I'm Sheik Baldwin."
"Hi," I say. "I'm Zelda Royale."
"Have we met?" Sheik asks, looking at me with interesting reddish-brown eyes. I think the word is mahogany? I dunno.
"I don't think so," I say. "This is my friend, Malon Ackerman, and my cousin, Link Finlay."
"Oh, hey, Finlay!" Sheik says, grinning and looking at Link, whose eyebrows shoot up.
"Have we met?" Link asks. "You look familiar…"
"Hyrule High!" Sheik says. "We played sports together!" Link stares at him for a moment before his face breaks out in a large grin.
"Baldwin!" he says, standing up. The two do some sort of secret handshake. "Oh, man, that was years ago!"
"I know! I never though I'd see your face again!" Sheik says. "And that's probably how I know you two!"
"Yeah," Malon says, smiling softly.
"What do you guys say to some lunch?" Sheik asks, grinning. "My treat."
"As long as it's not Applebee's, I'm fine," I say, standing and pushing my chair back.
"Ah," Link says. "Work overload?"
"Mm, not quite…" I say as Malon gathers her sheaf of papers. She slips them in a pink, heart-shaped folder and slips it in a messenger-bag back pack.
"What'd you do?" Link asks.
"I swear, that boss has it out for me!" I exclaim, slipping my hands in my pockets and standing beside Sheik.
"Zelda…" says Malon.
"…oh, fine." I say. "I didn't show up for work last week."
Link begins to scold me, but Sheik cuts in.
"Pizza Hut is fine with me," he says. We start out for our respective cars, chatting amiably the entire way. After we've exited the elevator and are in the lobby, I realize something.
"I forgot my purse!" I say. "Hold on, I'll be right back!" Before Link or Malon can tell me otherwise, I dash off to the elevators. I press the second button and feel the rise upward. I lean against the wall and squeeze my eyes closed. I hate elevators with a passion. To my happiness, the doors open and I rush out.
I dash across the linoleum floor and to the table Link, Malon, and I were sitting. I look in my chair, but my purse is not there. How weird… I think, scouring the floor for the thing. My eyes finally see it hanging from Malon's chair. My eyebrows knit together at that, but then I take the purse and go to leave. I turn around and let out a short scream.
"Really, was that necessary?" says the librarian, Impa Andrews. She wears square, wire-rimmed glasses and has a manly build. She has graying brown hair cut short at her jaw line and bangs cut across the forehead. She has many a tattoo on her skin and her arms are disapprovingly folded across her chest. I wonder how such a biker-type person could become a librarian.
"I-I forgot my purse," I say.
"Well, you'd best remember next time," she says icily before stalking away. I think a foul word and then exit the library.
Pizza Hut
Hyrule Castle Town Alleys
Saturday, July 9th, 12:27 P.M.
Sheik and Malon are standing outside the restaurant. Malon is wearing a long skirt that is supposed to go to her ankles, but Malon has pulled it up to turn it into a dress. She has a colorful belt tied around the waist and is wearing chunky jewelry. She waves brightly at Link and me. Link pulls his Mustang into an empty space and shuts off the car.
"Are we ready?" Sheik asks. I nod and the four of us make our way inside.
We go to the counter. A girl I don't know is behind it. She wears the Pizza Hut uniform: gray-green shirt, black pants, and a ponytail. She has a matching visor with the Pizza Hut logo on as well.
"Hello!" she says charmingly. "What would you like today?"
"Can we have a moment?" Link asks, with a lop-sided grin.
"Sure," the girl says.
"What do you guys want?" he asks. After a brief moment of conferring, we decide on a Number 7: a cheese pizza with stuffed crust and extra garlic. Yum. Garlic... Good thing I have gum in my purse.
"Let me show you to your table!" the girl says, making her way around the counter, not taking her eyes off Link. Malon and I smile knowingly at each other. The girl takes us to a corner booth, and Link thanks her. She smiles and walks back to her counter. We take our seats in the booth: Sheik is on one end and Link is on the other. Malon and I are in the middle, with Malon sitting next to Link.
"Link's got a girlfriend!" Malon says playfully. Sheik raises an eyebrow.
"That her?" he asks.
"Nah," Link says. "Her name's Anju Inman."
"Ah," Sheik says. "I've heard of her."
"Have you?" Link asks. Sheik seems to realize what he just said.
"Did you say Anju Inman?"
"Yeah, why?" Link queries. Sheik shakes his head.
"I thought you said Andrew Inman," he says.
"Oh. Don't know him," Link says. "So how's your love life?"
"Well, I'm seeing someone," he says slyly, "but I never kiss and tell." I feel crestfallen. Malon shoots me a look, and I quickly recover. "How about you two?"
"No," Malon says. "I kind of like someone, but he doesn't know I exist." Link looks away, slighty embarassed, but Malon doesn't notice. I smirk, as does Sheik.
"How about you, Zelda?" he asks.
"Nah," I say.
"Oh really?" Sheik says, his face with genuine surprise. "I would think a pretty girl like you would always have someone."
"I haven't found the Right One yet," I say. "I'm done with flings."
"Awesome," Sheik says. "How old are you?"
Slightly wondering what this has to do with anything, I answer, "I turned 18 today."
"Oh! So you're still in school?"
"No. Since my birthday's in the summer, I'm a year younger than the rest of my class."
"I see," Sheik says.
"Yup," I answer.
"Pizza's here!" Link says. We eat the pizza, chatting about life and catching up on each other since the last time we'd met. Before we know it, there is no more pizza left and we've nearly run out of things to talk about.
"Well, we'd better be going then," Link says, checking his watch. "It's ten after, and I told Anju I'd take her to the movies at 1:30."
"Why are you going so early?" Malon asks. "Why not later?" I listen in. I'd been wondering this as well, but hadn't actually asked it.
"Because Anju said she's going out tonight," Link says. I raise an eyebrow.
"With who?"
"Oh, just some girlfriends, I guess," Link says. "Don't forget your purse again." Sheik and I have exited the booth, and Malon is sliding out.
"I hate these things," she grumbles.
"Malon, could you grab my purse while you're down there?"
"Sure," she says. She reaches beneath the table for my purse and stops. "Hang on…" she says.
"What?" I ask.
"There's something-"
BOOM.
A/N:
HECKK YES! It's done! :D Let me know what you think of it, ASAP! flashes big, puppy-dog eyes Pweeze? Oh, and I know Sheik and Zelda are supposed to be the same person and all, but when I remembered that I kinda thought "nyah, forget that" and made Sheik his own character. And I know Sheik's supposed to be blonde, but if I made one more I thought I was going to into blonde overload or something. And besides, copper curls are hot! :D