Hey guys! This is the first chapter of our new fic. We've been working on it for almost a month now, so we're really excited to finally publish it. For the first chapter we decided to put both Link and Zelda's points of views together into one big chapter. Usually, we'll just trade back and forth, but we thought that you'd like to see both of the starters (tfw accidental Pokemon reference) at the same time instead of waiting until we publish the other next week. Also, we apologize if these sound kind of similar. The POVs should start to have more individuality (hopefully) in the next chapters. Anyway, we hope you enjoy the beginning of our first story!

~Link~

"Big brother~!"

I groan and squeeze my eyes shut as my bright overhead light is turned on.

Just when I doze off again, the cruel person walks up to me and pokes my face. I turn away.

They start to shake me. I growl, but they (of course) miss the message completely.

Their torture is bearable until they do the unspeakable and rip the blanket off of me completely. "AHH! You're in your underwear you're in your underwear you're in your underwear!" they shriek, laughing hysterically.

"Aryll! What the fu–flip flop!" I yell. Great save there, Link. "Get out! I'm awake, you've done your job."

She sticks her tongue out. "I'm leaving, underwear boy. But I'm so going to tell every girl you date that you have Princess Peach underwear," she taunts, and skips out of the room.

I rub my neck and yawn. After shutting the door, I find a clean-ish shirt and jeans and change. I take a second to make my hair have that "just rolled out of bed" look instead of the "I literally just rolled out of an actual bed" look.

I grab my phone to check the time and see that I have a text. It's from Midna.

any news from ha yet?

nope, I type. Then I pause. I add it might've come today tho. I press send.

Her reply is almost immediate.

check you idiot.

I smile to myself. I put my phone in my pocket and head downstairs to check the mail. I've been expecting a letter from Hyrule Academy, HA, about a scholarship I applied for at the beginning of the summer. Term starts in less than a week, so I've been getting anxious about their response.

I walk into the kitchen. Uli, my foster mother, is there making some bacon.

"Good morning, sweetie," she says kindly.

"Morning, Uli." It has never felt right to call her mom, so I've just always called her Uli.

"There's some mail for you." She wears a knowing grin as she nods towards the dining table.

My heart leaps into my throat. I force myself to calmly walk to the table and pick up the letter. As I hold it, my hands shake.

Going to HA has been my dream ever since I learned about the school. They have top notch courses, facilities, sports teams, you name it. The only way I could ever afford to go there is through a scholarship. Uli and Rusl are great to Aryll and I, but they aren't exactly…well off. Even if they were, I wouldn't expect them to pay my tuition anyway. It's something I knew I had to do myself.

For the entirety of middle school, I worked nonstop to have a 4.0 GPA and a spot on the soccer team in the hopes of a full scholarship. I know it's a stretch, but there's no reason not to have hope, right?

I carefully open the letter. I can't hear anything but my pounding heart. The letter is printed on shiny cream paper. I unfold it, and begin to read.

Mr. Link Hero,

Here it is. The moment of truth. Are they pleased to inform me, or do they regret to inform me?

We are pleased to inform you that your scholarship application has been accepted.

I actually yell out in triumph. Uli looks up suddenly, a half smile already on her face. She rushes over and gives me a bone-crushing hug. After she lets go, I smile at her, then continue to read.

Your excellence in academics and athletics has been recognized by our institution, and we would be honored if you attended Hyrule Academy for this school year.

Term begins on the first of September, but students are able to move into their dorms on campus three days in advance. Students are permitted to bring up to three pieces of luggage. Furniture will be provided by the academy.

Due to your tuition status, your uniform and textbooks have already been paid for. You may pick them up at the main office when you arrive on campus.

Also enclosed is a map of campus. We highly recommend studying it to avoid getting lost.

Thank you for your application.

Signed,

Ganondorf Dragmire (Headmaster)

Kaepora Gaebora (Dean of Admissions)

I feel lightheaded. I did it. I actually did it. I stumble upstairs, clutching the letter. When I am finally back inside my room, I shut the door and lean against it. I'm going to Hyrule Academy.

I pull out my phone. Midna texted me.

...well?

I can barely type in my excitement. Finally, I manage to write I'M GOING TO HA and send it.

Instead of texting back, Midna calls me. I answer confused.

"Hel—"

"YOU FUCKING DID IT!"

I start to laugh. "Yeah, I did."

She hangs up, but immediately texts me back.

i'm proud of you, you big dork.

thanks. I'm proud of me too.

shut up. don't make me regret telling you that.

hey, I'm just being honest.

She didn't respond after that. I'm not worried, though. It's not unusual for Midna to ignore me after I say something like that.

After the initial euphoria wears off, I realize that I have less than a week to pack and get a plane ticket to the academy. I begin to feel overwhelmed.

There's a soft knock at my door. "Hey underwear boy!"

I open the door. Aryll stands there, pouting. Before she can say anything, I scoop her up and begin tickling her. "I did it! I'm going to Hyrule Academy!" I laugh.

She squirms in my arms, giggling. "Stop! Put me down! Stop it!"

I set her down on my bed. We're both still laughing.

"Hey Aryll, wanna help me pack some stuff up?" I ask.

She looks skeptical. "Like what? I'm not packing up your underwear."

I laugh. "No, of course not. I was thinking you could help me pack up some of my posters and games."

Her eyes light up. "You mean I'm allowed to touch your posters now?"

"Just this once, yes, you can touch my posters."

She begins to bounce up and down on my bed excitedly.

I run downstairs to grab some boxes from the garage, and then we get to work. First we take down about half of the posters and carefully roll them up. Then we move on to my bookshelf, taking the books off and stacking them in a box. Finally, we reach my old entertainment center.

"You're gonna take your games, right Link?" Aryll asks.

I don't answer right away. I don't know how I could be separated from my games for a year, but someone could see them and my reputation would be ruined.

Finally, I decide to just take my handheld games. For now. If things go well, I could easily bring the rest when I come home to visit. "I'll take some of them, okay?" I tell Aryll, ruffling her hair.

She may be only 10, but Aryll is smart. She knows something is wrong. "...Okay," she says finally.

We put my 3DS and games in the bottom of a box. I feel like I should cover them up. I walk over to my closet.

Inside, I have some nice shirts, more games, and my collection. See, in about 6th grade I discovered beanies. Ever since then I've collected every beanie I could find in a collection. I have about 80 in total. I go through and take about 20 of my favorites and ones I wear most.

I must've taken longer than I had thought, because when I turn around Aryll is playing on my 3DS.

"Sorry, we can finish packing this box now."

She doesn't even look up. "After this level."

I can't argue with that. In the time it takes her to finish, I've swapped out three beanies and chosen two more to take. We put my games on the bottom of the small box and cover them up with the beanies.

We've filled two and a half boxes, so I have half a box left for extra clothes and toiletries. The letter said luggage, but suitcases are expensive. Cardboard boxes will have to do.

Aryll looks around my room. She's pouting again.

"What's wrong?" I ask.

She heaves a large sigh. "It's empty in here. I don't like it."

"Oh." I look around as well. I see what she means. My room is really small, but when I had my posters on the wall and my stuff all over the room it felt more cozy. Now it just feels barren and cramped.

I pull Aryll into a hug. She burrows her face into my shirt.

"I'm going to miss you, big brother," she says, her voice muffled by the fabric. I hear sniffs and realize she's crying.

I pat her back and we break apart. There are little tear streaks on my shirt where her face was.

"You smell warm. I'm going to miss your smell too," she says between sniffles.

I raise an eyebrow at her strange comment. "Thank...you?"

After a moment of silence, she runs away into her room. Sisters are weird.

Later that day, I do some research. Eventually I find a flight to Castle Town, the large city next to HA, on August 29. I'll arrive late that night, which will give me two full days on the campus before classes start.

Castle Town is located all the way across the country, so I'll be a long way from home. Just the thought of it makes me nervous.

I spend the next few days in a frenzy. Time crawls, but at the same time seems to fly by.

I unpack and reorganize my things again and again, but nothing much seems to change except that I unpack my 3DS and favorite game for it. I need something to do on the long plane ride. When we land, I can just put it in the large pocket of my sweatshirt. No one will ever know.

Finally, I pack up the rest of my things and tape the boxes shut. It's time for me to leave.

I say goodbye to Uli, Aryll, and Colin. Colin is Uli and Rusl's biological son. Aryll is my biological sister. We were put into foster care when I was 5 and she was 1. We're lucky to never have been separated.

Rusl is driving me to the airport. We spent the car ride there in a comfortable silence. When we arrive, he pulls up to the curb. He turns to me.

"Goodbye, son. Good luck. I know you'll do great," he says, patting me on the back.

"Thanks, Rusl. I really appreciate your support." I smile at him.

He helps me get my boxes to where they're supposed to be, and I go through the tedious process of getting to my flight.

When I'm finally seated and comfortable, I pull my 3DS out of my pocket. A quick scan of the other passengers comes up with disgruntled businessmen and a few older couples, so I'm safe and able to play in peace.

As I start up the game, my mind drifts to all of my suppressed worries about HA. I quickly replace those thoughts with game strategies. I can't let myself worry too much. It's all going to be fine.

I repeat this to myself several times until I almost believe it. Almost.

The plane takes off, and once we reach a steady altitude it feels like we're traveling in an impenetrable bubble. Rationally, I am fully aware that our bubble is in fact a machine that is drastically affected by any small malfunction, but that doesn't stop me from feeling disconnected from the world. Even though it sounds like a bad thing, I find it strangely comforting. Like I'm a third party looking at the conflicts of the world from above.

I am thankfully able to get lost in my game, and we land in what feels like no time at all. I get off of the plane and head to the baggage claim. After grabbing my boxes, I leave the airport with all three in my arms.

Somehow, a taxi notices my whistle and stops so I can get a ride to the academy. I worry about paying for the taxi, but it's a necessary expense. I have some money in the pocket of my jeans from Uli and Rusl for things like this.

We arrive at HA in a little less than fifteen minutes. After paying the taxi and grabbing my things, I begin to walk up the long brick path leading to the iron gates. This place looks exactly like a stereotypical academy. Multiple brick buildings, trees, even the gates added to the image.

Soon after entering the campus, a nice upperclassman offered to help me carry my boxes. They also helped point me towards my dorm.

After dropping my things off (my roommate hasn't arrived yet), I pull out my map to try and find the main office.

Half an hour of walking later, I had my uniform, textbooks, and schedule. I stumble under the weight of the textbooks and walk back to my dorm

When I open the door, the pungent smell of AXE body spray practically hits me in the face.

Apparently, my roommate has arrived.

~Zelda~

"M-miss?"

I let out an incredibly girly sounding yawn, but I don't dare move, or even open my eyes for that matter.

"Milady?"

Now I'm annoyed. I groan like a five year old, and I wave my perpetrator away.

"LADY ZELDA!" The voice says loudly, and I feel chills as my bed covers are ripped off of me. I instinctively wrap my arms around myself, and I squint to see a legion of maids standing above me. One, who I guess was the one who was waking me up, holds my fluffy comforter in her arms. I glare, and she gulps in response.

"Sorry miss, but you really did need to get up…" she starts to say, but trails off as I continue to glare daggers at her. She lets out a small "Eep!" and she throws my covers back on my large bed before she walks over to my vanity. I raise an eyebrow as she reaches for a large, golden envelope that was sitting on the flat part of it.

"What's that?" I ask curiously. I walk over, and the maid gives me the fancy piece of mail.

When I take a closer look at the gilded envelope, I see that it's from the headmaster of Hyrule Academy, the school that I was trying to get a scholarship for. My eyes widen. Hyrule Academy was the school that every kid in Hyrule dreamed of going to. It had everything: a good education program, good arts programs, and of course, good sports teams. Rumor has it that the food is the stuff of the goddesses, too. All of the blood drains from my face as I carefully open the envelope, and I anxiously read the letter.

Miss Zelda Harkinian,

We are pleased to inform you that your scholarship application has been accepted. Your excellence in academics and music has been recognized by our institution, and we would be honored if you attended Hyrule Academy this school year.

I just now noticed that I had been holding my breath, and I exhale. I…got in?

Term begins on the first of September, but students are able to move into their dorms on campus three days in advance. Students are permitted to bring up to three pieces of luggage. Furniture will be provided by the academy.

Due to your tuition status, your uniform and textbooks have already been paid for. You may pick them up at the main office when you arrive on campus.

Also enclosed is a map of campus. We highly recommend studying it to avoid getting lost.

Thank you for your application.

Signed,

Ganondorf Dragmire (Headmaster)

Kaepora Gaebora (Dean of Admissions)

I finally finish the letter, and I stare at it for a moment in shock. This was my chance. My chance to finally gain independence from my parents. My chance to finally show the world who I really am. My chance to have a fresh start.

A fresh start.

In a sudden burst of happiness, I pull the maid closest to me into a tight hug. "I GOT IN!" I squeal. The maid lets out a soft laugh.

"Congratulations, Miss Zelda. Would you mind letting me go?" she asks. I jump backwards.

"Sorry!" I exclaim. I do an embarrassing little happy dance, and I rush to tell Impa the good news. I shove the door to her room open, and I basically jump on top of her sleeping form.

"Impa! Impa! I did it!" I say excitedly. She slowly opens her eyes.

"Goodness, Zelda. You're acting like a child on Din's Day," she says in a fatigue-ridden voice. I jump off of her, and she smiles. "So, what happened, now?" she asks.

"I got into HA!" I answer, barely containing my elation. She smiles even more brightly.

"I'm so proud of you!" Impa runs up and embraces me in a warm hug, making me feel like a kid again. I don't know why, but I've always loved Impa's hugs. They make you feel safe, in a way. The longer Impa hugs me, the more my initial happiness fades into sadness.

"Impa, I'm going to miss you so…" I start to say, but my words are suddenly interrupted by tears. Impa was my whole world, the person that was always there for me when my parents couldn't. When I needed a shoulder to cry on, she was there. When life got too rough, she was there. When I needed a friend, she was there. How do you say goodbye to the person who's been through thick and thin with you? Impa gives me a sad smile.

"Sweetie, I'm going to miss you too, more than you ever know." We just stand there for a while, while Impa strokes my hair and I continue to cry. Finally, I reluctantly pull away from her.

"Well, I should probably get packing…" I say to her with a sniffle.

"Alright, but come downstairs first and let me make you a celebratory breakfast."

When I leave the dining room after the delicious meal, I go upstairs and go into back into my room. When I open the door, I see that the maids are already packing for me. "Excuse me, but can I do the rest?" I ask. They comply, and they step out of my room without a word.

I look around my large room and sigh as I begin to put in my more personal belongings. The maids had already put in the essential stuff, but items related to my hobbies and interests were for me and me only to pack. I begin to put in my video games and anime, along with some merchandise from those two categories. After also putting in a few geeky accessories, I move on to posters, and most importantly, my harp and sheet music.

I put in my My Chemical Romance, Twenty One Pilots, and Panic! at the Disco posters, but leave everything else except for my Puella Magi Madoka Magica poster. After putting in a few more posters after feeling bad for leaving most of them, I pick up my delicate harp.

My harp was my my most prized possession. It was a birthday present from my mother, and it quickly became my passion. Before I knew it, I was performing in recitals and contests across the country, and sometimes even out of the country. My name became well known around the music world, and I was ranked as one of the world's top harpists.

After that small moment of nostalgia, I carefully put the harp in its case, and I select many of my favorite pieces out of my sheet music.

I spend the next few days dying of suspense. The faster the day came, the more worried I was. What if the students were mean? What if the teachers were mean? What if I didn't do well? What if I made a complete fool of myself? Those questions swirled about in my mind endlessly. Impa was (as always) there for me to confide in, and she soothed my worries. As I prepared to leave, though, I thought about how I was going to have to learn to get through life without Impa. I was a worrywart, yes, but I wasn't stupid.

Finally, the day to leave for Hyrule Academy came, and my bags were loaded into a long, black limousine. As soon as I was about to enter the back seat, I heard a feminine voice speak my name from behind.

I turn around to see my mother standing next to my father. They raise their arms, as if asking me to come say goodbye. As much as I want to just ignore them and move on, my heart says otherwise, and I run over and let them embrace me in a hug. I do the same for them. Tears sting my eyes, but I don't let them fall. I wasn't going to let my parents see me cry the day before I go off to high school. I needed to be strong.

After I pull away from my parents, I look up at my home. My home was an extremely large, brightly colored mansion that was (embarrassingly) called "The Castle of Castle Town" by everyone that got a chance to even catch a glimpse of it, earning me the nickname of "Princess Zelda" In elementary and middle school.

After one last goodbye, I buckle myself into the back seat, and the limo starts to drive away. As we turn the corner, I see that my colorful garden is in full bloom, leaving me feeling regretful that I hadn't visited it before I left. I spend the rest of the ride in silence while looking up at the many sights of the city.

When we approach Hyrule Academy, I look up at the broad gates. The campus looked surprisingly normal for an academy, but it was still beautiful in its own way. Suddenly, my bags are handed to me by the limo driver, bringing me back to reality. I say thank you, and he drives away, leaving me feeling lost and alone. I quickly sprinted into the dorm building to avoid looking like a lost puppy. I drop my stuff off, and I take a walk around the main school building.

When I open the grand doors, I see that the interior is much more modern looking than the exterior. There are at least two flat screen TVs in every hall, and the atrium sports an ornate fountain as a centerpiece. The classrooms were all large and well kept as well. As I turn the corner to go down the music hall, I run into somebody unexpected. He stares down at me, and I gulp.

"Ah, Miss Harkinian. Nice to see that you've made your way here," he says in a voice that would make even the bravest of people shake with fear.

Headmaster Dragmire.

I struggle to find a response. "H-hi…" I get out, and I inwardly slap myself. Nice going, Zelda. He lets out a creepy laugh.

"My my, I didn't expect that you of all people would be so shy." I feel my cheeks heat up with embarrassment. "While you're here, would you mind answering a question?" he prompts, folding his hands.

"Uh, sure," I answer. This was going great.

"Why did you, the rich and famous Zelda Harkinian, apply for a scholarship when you clearly could have afforded the school fees on your own?"

I freeze. That was it. The big question. I had suspected that someone would ask it some point during the year, but what I didn't expect was that it would come so soon. The truth was that I only applied to show my parents and the world that little Zelda Harkinian would not be stepped on any longer. Getting a scholarship to the world's most prestigious academy would definitely show them that I didn't need my parents' money to do something extraordinary.

My musings were suddenly interrupted as I notice that Headmaster Dragmire is looking at me with an impatient look in his eyes. I wince. Should I tell him the truth? I don't want to sound whiny and self-centered. "Well sir, the truth is…" I sigh. I guess telling just one person wouldn't hurt. "I did it to show my parents that I don't need them for everything. I'm not a child anymore. I need to do things on my own, and start doing more of what I want to do," I say sounding very sure of myself. My small burst of confidence fades away as I realize how spoiled I must have sounded.

I start to mentally berate myself as the headmaster looks pensive for a moment. After coming back from his thoughts, he smiles. I relax slightly. "Well now, that was quite the statement," he says with another chilling laugh. I feel my cheeks heat up in embarrassment once again. "I must say though, that must've taken a lot of courage. I look forward to seeing what you can do in the future. Farewell for now, Miss Zelda." He starts to walk away, leaving me feeling shocked. It was nice to get that off my chest, but it still felt…weird, somehow.

Soon enough, I start to make my way back to the dorms. Touring the music wing could wait until tomorrow. Opening the door carefully, I walk into the building labeled "Girl's Student Housing". You'd think they would give it a more interesting name. I sniff and catch a whiff of a hundred perfumes at once. It's mind numbing, and yet...oddly comforting. When I walk further into the lobby, I stupidly forget my room number, and I grab a list of everyone's names and numbers. I glance at the paper in my hand to verify my room number, 307.

Checking signs on the wall, I am led to a flight of stairs that leads to all of the floors in the building. When I reach the third floor, I navigate to my room. After a nervous moment of coaxing myself to move, I finally knock on the door to see if anyone's there. No response. Wait, this is my room. Why am I knocking? With another small burst of confidence, I practically throw open the door.

I don't even have a second to look at the room before something slams into me, and I am blinded by thick red hair.

It's a hug. This girl is hugging me. I rarely ever get hugs from anyone other than Impa. The one from earlier that my parents gave me was just a special case. She stops after a moment and pulls away, still holding my shoulders. "Sorry, sorry! I swear I'm not this creepy all the time. I just knew that you were new and I wanted to make you feel welcome. So, uh, welcome!" the girl laughs. She has a slight, country-sounding accent. She facepalms, and sticks her hand out at me. "Oh goddesses, where are my manners? I'm Malon."

Hello again! We hope you enjoyed our first chapter. Again, the rest of them won't be this long. They'll be shorter once we start trading back and forth. Please feel free to leave a review, or even follow/favorite. We'll answer any reviews in the bottom AN of the next chapter. Thanks for reading! :D

~ Maki and Amashe