"There is a common belief that disabled people are at a disadvantage, and that they are unlucky to be alive. Sure, they might be at a slight disadvantage, but they are not unlucky. I think the disabled person understands how lucky he or she is, while others just take it for granted. That's why, I think, disabled people are the wisest of us all."
-x-
Link, as the cab drove off, admired the school. Big, almost Gothic arches… The more he examined it; it seemed a bit later than the Gothic period. More… Modern with a Gothic inspiration: wide open spaces, taken from the Greeks, elegant students, stylish cars… Medieval-like towers… It seemed as if it had taken epochs and eras to build the school. He had read in the old Dell computers about the various fields, tracks, horseback riding, and the forest in the back, greenhouse, dorms, spas, training grounds, lake, sports and educational clubs… Everything seemed tailored to the students, to his needs, and yet at the same time it felt so… Well, above him. He never really felt like a country boy before, but now he did: he was an outsider. It was like the school was its own town- there was a market for students to buy things, but they couldn't leave the grounds. It was a glorified citadel. But the more he examined the elegance, the more he felt as if something was wrong. The elegance was only one layer- it seemed as if, for just a second, there was something deeper and darker in the school. But how could that be? He concentrated on the students- they were all having a good time, and yet it seemed superficial. Why would someone not have a good time at this school? Granted, its purpose was to learn, but it had absolutely everything! How could you not be happy about that?
A shiver went down his spine, and he felt eyes on him. It was that feeling that you got when you knew someone was staring, studying you and yet you did not know where such a sensation was coming from- or rather, who it was coming from.
Link couldn't help but feel the overwhelming sense that he was being watched.
With his instincts, like an animal in the wild, he looked around, doing a quick 180, then 360. Studying the path towards the black iron gate, and then turning towards the columns- thick and regal. Then, he caught the slightest sight of brown.
Behind one of the columns, a sliver of brown hair could be seen. Someone was definitely watching him.
There. His eyes picked apart the distance she was from him, which could be no more than twenty feet. At that distance, the person's build had to be around 5'4, about average height… His ears, being trained in the wilderness, picked up no stray sound, even as he ignored the people walking to class.
Was this an ambush? Were they going to attack him because he was new? Were they going to "initiate" him?
He stared, a strong, wolf-like stare at the column until a trembling figure came out.
A girl.
The thought hit his brain, and with that, guilt. He had stared, and she probably took it as a glare. He glared at a girl. Rusl would beat the shit out of him if he ever heard of this.
He studied her, long brown hair, a pink dress with the markings of his shield, long, pointy ears, high-cheek bones, red lips, green eyes, and good posture.
She was alone.
But the more Link studied, the more Link felt as though something was wrong. She carried herself with royalty, but her eyes were painfully tired. And the dress… Didn't it seem to big at the shoulders? Wasn't she… thin? Not that she wasn't, but along more dangerous lines?
Link bit the inside of his cheek. He was taught never to ask a woman about her weight, but god was she thin. It wasn't incredibly noticeable or anything like that, but he had an eye for detail, and the way the dress curved everywhere else, in all the right places, the shoulder area seemed loose. And he knew from his mo- Rusl's wife, that women usually either puffed up the sleeves because they were trying to hide the fat, or it fit to show the thin. And this girl had no reason to hide her shoulders, and the fabric was much too loose.
Rusl's wife had made dresses, and since Link was "such a good listener" she had told him a thing or two about women. So, should he ask this perfect stranger about her sleeves? He immediately decided no, but once he knew her, once they were acquainted, he'd make a casual comment about her nice figure, and how she would need to fix her sleeves. He saved that particular thought in his bank.
But wouldn't he be perceived as gay, then? No, no, no. That really wouldn't do. No matter how sensitive and respectful Link was, he was still a seventeen-year old heterosexual male.
And even he, the silent country boy, knew how important it was to be perceived as one.
But why then, was she coming? By now, she was decidedly closer, and had not said one word to him, but was looking, unwavering, towards him.
A shiver passed through his body, but it wasn't noticeable, it was more internal. As she got closer and closer, he realized how attractive she really was.
You know that moment, when you see someone that you don't even know and say, hot damn that is one fine piece of eye candy, well, that sort of thing was happening, right here. Right now. Those weren't Link's exact thoughts, but it was something along those lines.
The only other time he had experienced it was a long time ago, with… He blinked. No.
That had been permanently erased from his memories. He wouldn't dwell on that. He wouldn't go there.
So, she moved closer, now an arm's length away and finally spoke. "Link, am I correct?"
She outstretched her hand, and with the most delicate care, he took it, and shook it. She gave a firm handshake, and he exchanged at the same strength level- he didn't want to crush this girl's hand. You didn't want to do that period- especially not with an attractive girl. He noticed how small and tiny they were- and how they were so smooth and soft. She even smelled really nice. Private-school girls smelled differently than the village 10 year-olds he was used to. Well of course, he chided himself- she's also fucking seventeen. She's going to wear some perfume, use different shampoo, and be around things other than manure.
He mouthed a "yes." Obviously, she wasn't a good lip reader, as her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Not seeing a piece of paper or pen in sight, he decided to do the next best thing.
Not being his first rodeo, (and her hand still in his) he unwrapped his hand and rotated it, so her hand was on the bottom. Lifting his index finger, he spelled it out for her- literally. With a "Y," an "E" and an "S," he spelled out his answer.
When he was finished, he looked up, sapphire into emerald. He was surprised to see a blush on her cheeks, tinting her porcelain skin a soft pink. Her hand immediately dropped from his.
To him, it was nothing new, writing on someone's hand. But it had obviously been her first experience- It then occurred to him how intimate it was: and how girls had sensitivity to intimate things. He blinked.
Oh shit.
Was he about to get slapped? Even if he could defend it, he would let her get one free shot.
But she wasn't like that. "So it's true, then."
Cocking his head to the side, he mouthed, "what?"
Realizing she had not picked up on his lips again, and with no lack of patience, he took her hand again, and spelled it out.
"That you are… um." She seemed to be trying to find the politically correct word. Link always liked it when people tried to find it, but really- after so long, he didn't care. Better just say it himself.
"Mute?" He spelled it out on her hand. His eyes spoke where his mouth could not- there was a little sarcasm in them, with his right eyebrow raised.
"Uh, yeah." She seemed to be nervous, because she usually didn't deal with disabled people. She wasn't sure…
He didn't let go of her hand. "Well, I am. But, you didn't tell me YOUR name, Miss."
With great grace were gentleman-like qualities transferred even over the barrier of verbal communication, she blushed even harder. "Zelda." She blinked then, and recovered herself. "I'm really sorry. I've been terribly rude, and surprised. I just wasn't expecting…"
Link raised his eyebrow again, and with a slight smirk, he interrupted her thought. "Me?"
"You." She agreed. "Anyway, I've come to greet you, show you around. I'm Student Body President and Homecoming Princess. People call me Princess Zelda."
"It's fitting."
Oh, he was a definite charmer.
-x-
Zelda studied the boy… Man, rather, who was walking with her. You really couldn't call this person a "boy." He was taller than her, maybe by several inches, and you could tell he was developed in the sense of muscles- they were developed, but not grotesquely obvious. They seemed to be like his presence- there, but silent and strong. The clothes weren't horribly tight (like metro sexual pants) but they clung to his abs, his legs, his arms, and his ass. What she had heard was definitely true- he was a country boy through and through. Those city guys would never, never have addressed her as "miss," and would have never gotten out of their hipster pads long enough to get a natural tan or muscles like that. Going to the gym and listening to underground music can only develop your body so much.
But it wasn't just his body that was the perfect level of attractive. He had that swoop of blonde hair, kissed by the sun, and those gorgeous blue eyes. Damn- and his piercings were an extra teaspoon of sexy- as if he needed anymore. She would call him silver-tongued, but in a sense, that was impossible…His smirk was absolutely gorgeous. And his fingers were genuine, coarse, and calloused by real work.
He smelled like forest, open fields, rosemary, and something she couldn't place- something her brain had claimed as freedom.
Freedom. The taste of being able to sleep at night, the feeling of ease that she could sleep, having confidence- real confidence- when eating, walking… The painless walking, no pills, no school…
She shook her head, realizing how stupid she had just sounded. Freedom didn't have a scent- at least, not that she knew of. What if she was to ask..?
She turned to him, but he seemed oblivious for a second, and then turned to her, river meeting forest. His eyebrows furrowed, and before he could take her hand from her side again (which she would never admit she liked- contact like that was sweet and made her shiver, but it was for the sake of him not being able to speak, not to admire!), she gave it to him.
"What's wrong?" Concern, friendly concern, she reminded herself, was in his eyes.
Damn, he was also observant. She'd have to be careful of that- she had to be very, very careful of that. She hoped Ganon would not choose to have "quality" time with her unless she was in a different building or place than he. It seemed so embarrassing that it was happening to her- and if this guy were to see… She'd be completely mortified. Embarrassed. Ashamed. The other people knew what was going on, but they didn't know to whom it was happening. No one ventured out in the halls of the main building when they heard- it was either out of some misplaced notion of letting her keep her pride, or it was simply out of fear that even if they saw, they could not help, and would have seen- to have nightmares, for no reason. Something flashed in his eyes as they read hers, but she had not moved, and her smile was still in place.
"Oh nothing, just thinking." That was true. Not a lie. I was thinking about leaving this awful, awful place.
He didn't seem fooled. "What's going on, Princess?" The way she heard him… Well, in a way, she could imagine his voice, where the "Princess" part wasn't demeaning or teasing… It was loyal.
Like a knight.
She thought about him telling him the entire story- yet she shook that idea off. Why did she feel so comfortable with the idea of bawling her entire heart out to a stranger? And yet, she remembered the psychology book she had once read. You feel more comfortable with strangers, because you could care less about their judgments. They don't know you, and never will.
Well, that last part wasn't entirely correct. She definitely wanted to get to know him better.
But he had this… healing aura to him.
Strange.
She shook her head and right as she was about to speak, she spotted a… Keese. The wrestling club Fire Keese was one of the clubs under Ganon's hand- for each club there was an alternate one that watched its activities.
For the Sumo Gorons, it was the Fire Keese, the wrestling team. Just like the swim team, the Zoras, had the Ice Keese, the water polo team. It was dubious about whether Ganon had creative issues on this one, but no one said anything about it.
Well, one of them was staring at her. His black hair, identical to the rest of them, with flaming red tips was angry, flaming. His eyes said, "Beware, Princess. You better watch what you say."
The black pupils danced with fire, and she looked away. Instead of saying something, which she knew they could hear, she wrote on his hand, as if trying to be the same as him (but in reality, not wanting to be heard).
"I haven't introduced a new student to the school in a long time. I was debating whether or not to gouge all its dirty little secrets."
He took it rather well, actually. Since he didn't know her, he didn't seem surprised, or moved. His eyes seemed to dance, and if he had a voice, he would have let out a laugh. "Oh PLEASE, Princess, please do so."
Not like she could, but she smiled anyway. And she laughed, one of the first in awhile.
He smiled, a big genuine one, and looked on.
For now, she was safe.
She had dodged a bullet there.
-x-
"Link, there are three main buildings."
He turned to her, paying attention.
"There is the Sky Building, the oldest- where the student council and honor classes happen and operate. Then, there is the Earth building, rather the newest one, where most classes take place, and clubs meet. Then there is the Twili building- she paused there. Should she really talk about the Twili? She pursed her lips. I mean, it is part of the school… "It was created at the same time as the Earth building, but had a different architect. Most of the problem students are sent there- but it also has fallen into quite the disrepair. People have tried to fix it, but there are rumors of ghosts or Poes, the ancestors of old students, living there. You don't see them much, but people are deterred from working there. Especially when they get rocks hurled at them, or see lanterns with no one carrying them. There is also the Dark Council that operates there. They rather like it as it is. The Dark Council is basically the Student Council for the delinquents… The respected delinquents operate it, trying to find common ground with the Student Council, trying to come up with compromises. Oh! I almost forgot, there is also a council for Earth, but they are more like, well… the Seven Sages. Isn't that weird?"
Link seemed to think it was. His face was twisted in a "what the fuck" sort of face.
"Well, yes. Anyway, and the rules of the school say I can't really introduce you to any of the clubs, because you have to do that yourself, but I can show you the grounds-
"Zelda!" A voice called from the second floor, a woman's voice, but it was still a little deeper than Link had probably expected.
A woman from the second floor called, and Zelda looked up. The woman, with white hair and a blue outfit, she jumped down, and then knelt in front of Zelda.
"Impa," Zelda acknowledged.
Impa rose, and seemed like she was about to speak, when she noticed the presence next to Zelda.
She and Link locked eyes, and they seemed to be sizing the other up. While Impa's eyes immediately registered the green clothing and their message, her face did not contort into any sort of expression. It was still neutral, and knowing Zelda, she knew what she was thinking.
Impa was one of the few people that knew of Zelda's "circumstances" but she mourned her ability to help her. Ganon always caught Zelda when she was busy at the slightest second, and then could up and leave before she could come to the scene. Impa was the one who usually brought Zelda back to her room.
Impa studied Link for a total of 3.1 seconds, and also realized how he didn't flinch, his facial expression didn't move, and how his eyes seemed to be…
For the first time in a very long time, Impa lost her physical control while her intelligence was running laps. Her eyebrow, ever so slightly, angled up.
Something was different about him. There was depth in the eyes, the window to the soul.
There was determination, there was the primal survival that was etched into his river, which so few had. Impa knew, that in the now 3.6 seconds that she studied him, he had gone through more hardship than she could ever imagine.
The boy was something.
"Your presence is requested by the Dark Council." Her voice, too, was neutral and controlled.
"Thank you, Impa." Zelda was all royal here. She then turned to Link, and the façade crumbled; and it didn't escape Impa's notice. "Oh, this is my senior, Impa. She's part of the-
"They request your presence immediately," Impa interrupted. "Something about a mirror?" She knew perfectly that Zelda would respond to those words, but made it vague so that the boy wouldn't understand.
Zelda whipped her head back and paled. She turned back. "Excuse me, I'm sorry-
Link didn't bat an eyelash. "Go."
Zelda's eyebrows furrowed again. Before he could move, Impa said, "Go. I can assist the transfer student."
Zelda nodded in a thank you sort of way. And then, Zelda picked up her skirt, and ran. Her steps were light on the ground, but hurried. It was kind of like watching a deer run in the wild- beautiful, untamed, and forever light.
As soon as she was gone, Impa turned to Link.
"I don't know what you're thinking, boy, but those green clothes mean something around here. Don't wear them around the place if you don't mean to stand for righteousness. Don't give these people- these poor people- false hope. Because what's worse than no hope is false hope."
Link opened his mouth, as if to form words, but Impa interrupted.
"Stay in the light, little green boy. Stay in the light and don't venture into the darkness if you aren't prepared for the consequences. A hero is someone who has greatness forced upon him, and who takes it seriously. Who confronts the bad of human nature, which sees what people have nightmares about! Do you even have the strength to become the symbols you wear? Do you have the courage to try?"
Impa didn't even wait for his answer. In a millisecond, she vanished- leaving the new student, the mute new student, by himself; stranded in a dark world with an unanswered question.
Sorry about the lateness, I was hosting a new transfer student last week (and the beginning of this one)! Thanks for reading and reviewing. Thanks to the PREVIOUS REVIEWERS, ALERTERS, FAVORITERS, AND THE LIKE. YAY TO NEW CHAPTERS!
