things continue to fall apart


Somewhere along the way, Zelda lost consciousness. She had fallen asleep, and was slumped over in a chair that she had been tied to with several yards of ribbon. It wasn't particularly difficult to escape, but the gesture was what mattered most. Groose sat in front of her, studying her face as she slept. She was beautiful. He had his eye on her for some time, ever since she started going to school last fall. At the moment, however, he suppressed his emotions towards her to for the sake of clearing his name. Growing impatient of waiting, he decided to wake her up by ripping the tape off of her mouth.

Her eyes jolted open and she let out an angry scream once she realized where she was.

"I'd keep quiet if I were you. And I also recommend making this easy for us."

"Really?" Zelda snarled, "I am going to be SO LOUD and make this SO DIFFICULT for you!" She shrieked, wrestling against the ribbons they had tied around her… only to watch them fall harmlessly around her feet.

"...Seriously!?" She exclaimed in disbelief.

"Yeah… I know." Strich mumbled, scratching his head awkwardly.

Groose rolled his eyes.

"Why didn't you guys at least use some tape?" Zelda pointed to the tape in Cawlin's hand.

"It would have been too difficult to untie you." Cawlin said defensively.

"Thanks for the pointers though," Groose exclaimed sarcastically, "We'll be sure to use them for the next kidnapping."

"Ha-fucking-ha." Zelda replied.

"Damn. You sure are feisty. You must be spending a lot of time with Link." Groose replied.

Zelda blushed, looking away.

"...I know what you want, and I'm not giving it to you."

"I wouldn't speak so fast."

"I said my piece. You'll just have to live with it."

"We have something that belongs to you…"

"My phone? I know. But do you think I'm going to just give the CD back to you? It's a crucial piece of evidence in finding out what happened that night."

"And if you watched it, then you know it wasn't me who did that goddess-damned prank!"

"Then why does it matter who has it?"

"Because it's MY ticket out!" Groose yelled, losing his cool for a moment before running his fingers through his hair and closing his eyes.

"After everything you've done, maybe you SHOULD take the fall for what happened to the dorms! You're a horrible and shitty person!"

Groose grit his teeth.

"What are you saying, then? You're going to hold onto it and never tell a soul?"

"Maybe I will." Zelda replied.

"Zelda, no!" Strich exclaimed.

Both Groose and Zelda looked back at the fidgety boy standing in the back with Cawlin.

"What?" She asked curiously.

"I… They…"

"I have one question for you, Zelda." Groose spoke up, giving Strich a cautionary look.

"Well I have zero answers for you, asshole." She gave him her iciest glare.

He ignored her witty response and asked anyways. "Do you have a lock on your phone?"

Zelda was ready to give another snappy remark, up until that question. She stopped to think before her eyes widened and her shoulders slumped.

"Not so confident now, are you?" He grinned maliciously. "We read your texts. All of them. I don't think that nerd will be very happy to know his best friend and crush are going out, will he?"

Zelda remained silent for a moment, trying to choose her next words carefully. She was worried. She couldn't deny that, at all. But at the same time, she was far too prideful to surrender and give in to Groose's demands. It would bruise her ego, and frankly he didn't deserve it.

"What are you going to do? Tell him? He'll never believe you…"

Groose shrugged, gesturing over at Cawlin, who reached in the bag and grabbed her phone. He walked over, sneering at the angry blonde as he handed it over to Groose.

"...He might believe you though." He turned Zelda's phone on, typing and swiping for a moment before holding the screen out close enough so she could see what was on it, but far enough to be prepared to bring it back close to him in case she tried to snatch it out of his hands.

She felt her stomach drop at the contents. Groose had drafted a text message to Shad from her phone, with screenshots of her text messages to Pipit about their 'secret' relationship.

"Our demands are simple. Bring me the damn CD, and I'll give you your phone back with no problems. Reject my offer, and I hit send." Groose hovered his finger over the send button tauntingly, and Zelda repressed the urge to yell out.

What's more important to me right now? That CD… or salvaging a potential relationship with Pipit, and friendship with Shad? Zelda thought to herself. She wasn't able to make the choice however, because just a few seconds after Groose had asked the question, there was a click from the door at the top of the stairs, and someone quickly descended, making their way to Cawlin and Strich with alarming speed and punching both of them in the face.

"Agh!" Cawlin cried.

Groose dropped her phone, standing up to face the intruder. Zelda took the opportunity to grab it, and delete the message draft Groose had used to threaten her. She then tried to identify whoever came to her rescue, but the lighting in the boiler room was dim, and she could only make out a rapid moving shadow. Once Cawlin and Strich were both fairly dazed, Groose stepped forward, cracking his knuckles and readying himself for a fight. He was knocked back by a sturdy wooden stick, and simply lied there, absorbing the immense wave of pain that had hit him.

"...Pipit?" Zelda asked.

The figure emerged from the shadows, and that familiar shade of icy, blue eyes came into view.

"Close, but no cigar." Link replied, stepping towards her.

"Link…" Zelda was at a loss for words. She didn't expect anyone to come to her rescue, especially not him, but she was certainly grateful for it. They didn't say anything, opting to stare at each other incredulously. She noted an expression in his eyes she had only seen one other time - when he took her home in the pouring rain, the night Pipit stood her up on their date.

Groose grunted, standing to his feet shakily.

"I hate to interrupt, but you're still not getting away without giving me that damn CD."

"You mean this CD?" Link asked, taking out the footage they had taken from his room. "Take it!" He threw it at Groose's face angrily.

Zelda gasped, standing up immediately and kicking the ribbons away from her feet to run over and take it back, but Link grabbed her before she could do so.

"Heh, I didn't think you'd give it back so easily." Groose said, ignoring how confrontational and aggressive Link had been. It didn't matter to him, as long as he got what he wanted in the end.

"Just leave us alone, and go to hell." Link said, taking hold of Zelda's arm and walking off. Zelda put her phone in her pocket as they walked in silence. He took her all the way back to the apartment complex, never letting go of her, but not bothering to speak up either. Once they were inside, Link led her to his room. The moment he closed the door to his room he exhaled sharply, letting out a deep breath that neither he nor Zelda realized he had been holding.

"...Let me guess, this is karma for me going out with Pipit?" Zelda asked, studying the look on his face. She wasn't exactly sure of what he would say, his expression was unreadable and he had been so silent.

"Zelda…"

"Oh. You helped me escape, and now I owe you ten million favors. And the first one is to stop dating your friends?"

Link glared at her.

"What? Am I wrong? I know you probably see this as retribution for what I did…"

"Can you just shut the hell up for one moment!?" He exclaimed, walking over and grabbing her by the shoulders. "Zelda, I'm sorry!"

Zelda's eyes widened.

"...What?"

He sighed, looking away for a second, but his eyes found their way back to hers.

"Don't make me say it again."

"I… Okay…"

He cupped her chin, gently lifting her face and moving it around to look for any marks.

"Are you okay?" He asked, his usually cold voice was now tender and loaded with concern. "Did they hurt you?"

"No, not really…" She murmured, a light blush beginning to form on her cheeks from his touch. He noticed it and let go of her reluctantly.

"But why are you apologizing to me?" She asked, "It's not like you kidnapped me."

Link ran his fingers through his dark brown hair, sitting down on his bed. Zelda sat down next to him.

"I knew Groose was going to do something to you…" he confessed guiltily. "I overheard him talking to Strich when Pipit came to see you. I tried to look for them after I finished my hours for the day, but I couldn't find them. I couldn't call you for obvious reasons, so I dropped by the complex to talk to Pipit. He said you went to the communal shower."

"Yeah." She said, looking down.

"...You wouldn't have to use that shower if I hadn't banned you from using mine."

"Link… It's not your fault."

"I'm partially responsible."

"You can look at it that way, sure. But you couldn't have known that this would happen. And you got me out of a crappy situation. Thank you."

He nodded.

"No problem. I could hear you screaming from like a mile away. You sure put up a hell of a fight, didn't you?"

"Of course I did." Zelda crossed her arms. "There was no way I was going to just hand them the CD. Which makes it a little disappointing that YOU did."

"As if." Link scoffed, standing up to go to his drawer and grab a CD, handing it to Zelda. "This is the real one. I just took a blank and put the same label on it."

"Goddesses," Zelda laughed, "You're a genius!"

Link smirked.

"Damn right I am. But in this case, those guys are just plain idiots. They'll get what's coming to them soon. Once they realize the CD I gave them is a fake, they won't be happy." He sighed worriedly.

"Do you think they'll come after me again?" Zelda asked.

"I don't know. But be careful okay? And stay out of trouble."

"Okay dad…" Zelda said jokingly, standing up and deciding it was time for her to take her leave. "I didn't realize you cared so much about my safety."

"I can have my own opinion on you and still be aware of the fact that Groose is dangerous. And, uh… as of now, I guess I'll give you your pass back."

Zelda smiled appreciatively, realizing she never did get to take her shower, since they took her away.

"Actually… Do you mind if I use it tonight? Dumb and dumber got a hold of me before I could take my shower."

Link shrugged, gesturing to his bathroom nonchalantly.

"You know I'm not gonna say no to you tonight."

She smirked triumphantly, walking out to the living room to grab her bag then walking back inside to go shower.

Link laid down on his bed innocently, clearing his throat awkwardly as the water turned on in his bathroom. He listened to Zelda hum to herself merrily while she washed up. He closed his eyes, deciding it would be best to get some sleep. Soon, the shower head turned off and after a few minutes in the bathroom, Zelda slowly emerged. Link popped one eye open, unsure of whether or not she was decent…

She was not. Clad in underwear and underwear alone, she rummaged through her bag and looked for a fitting top to wear. Her back was turned toward him, so he didn't see anything in front, but he still felt his cheeks warm up profusely. He turned over quietly to ensure he didn't gaze upon anything he shouldn't have.

Once she was done getting dressed, she headed for the living room, but not before placing a kind hand on Link's shoulder.

"Thank you, Link." She smiled appreciatively at him.

He gently pushed her hand away and covered himself underneath the blankets, trying to hide his painfully obvious blush.

"Yeah, whatever. Just get out already…" He mumbled.

She laughed and obliged, closing the door slowly behind him.

»°«

"You guys are seriously going to pop some popcorn right now? Goddesses, you're so childish." Karane said, shaking her head.

Groose laughed maniacally, turning the CD around in his hands as though it were a valuable treasure. In a way, it was. For him at least. He was itching to have a piece of evidence that proved his innocence. Cawlin was in his kitchen, using his lavish microwave to heat up some tasty snacks. Karane was sitting on the floor of the entertainment room in Groose's mansion, fiddling with her hands nervously. This was the first time Groose would see and scrutinize the footage. And since she's the one who stole it for him, she would be under scrutiny too.

"I made two bags." Cawlin said eagerly, bringing the bags with him into the entertainment room eagerly. "One is regular, the other has the movie theater butter."

"Bring that shit over here!" Groose said, snatching the one with movie theater butter out of Cawlin's hands. They sat with each other, chomping on it and talking to each other excitedly.

Strich grabbed the CD and put it into Groose's laptop. They were going to cast the footage from his laptop onto his flatscreen and watch it as if it were a movie. Karane noticed the solemn expression on Strich's face. She stood up and walked towards him curiously.

"Still sore from getting punched by Link?"

"No…" He mumbled. "I was just thinking about… you…"

"Me?" Karane asked, surprised. Sure, Strich had a heart unlike Cawlin or Groose, but she didn't expect him to care too much for her, given what he knew about Groose and how passive he was towards his actions.

"Yeah. What you said… about me saving you… I didn't get to say much then and I don't want to say much here. But I am working against Groose… A-and maybe you could -"

"You are!?" Karane asked in disbelief.

"Shh!" He whispered, clicking through the files and trying to find the location of the CD footage. Nothing was coming up.

"Hey, what's taking so long?" Groose asked, looking over at Karane and Strich suspiciously.

"Nothing!" Strich replied quickly, not wanting to anger Groose.

"Strich…"

"Let's meet up. At the library. And we can talk about it then. Now's probably not the best time. But I really do think I can help you, Karane." He said, and he looked more confident than she had ever seen him before.

She nodded quietly, walking back to sit down. Strich still couldn't pull the footage up, and finally Cawlin got up to see what the delay was.

"Can you do anything right?" He growled, shoving the scrawny boy aside. He typed on the laptop aggressively, clicking over and over on different destination files, but to no avail. Finally, he ejected the CD and inspected it.

Karane walked back to see what was going on.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

"The CD isn't fucking playing, that's what!" He snapped at her.

"You should watch your tone." Karane snapped back, a hint of warning in her voice.

"Or what? You'll cry?"

Karane balled her fists up, taking the CD out of his hands to look at it.

"Hey!" He cried.

"... This isn't the CD." She said.

"What?" Groose perked up, standing up to see what was happening. He walked over and looked at the CD from over Karane's shoulder. She shuddered at how close he stood to her, and inched herself forward slowly.

"The handwriting is different. The CD is a darker shade of gray. I labelled the front 'SF.' This says 'S.F.' - with two periods."

"They set us up!" Cawlin exclaimed angrily.

"Wow, you're a genius…" Karane muttered, handing the CD to Groose. "I guess you don't have the footage. What are you going to do…?"

Groose grit his teeth, then nodded over at Cawlin. "Pull out your phone."

Cawlin nodded knowingly and took his phone out. When he went through Zelda's phone, he made sure to send himself anything in case she somehow got it back before they could get the CD. Which meant all the screenshots they took were now on his phone. He also got Shad and Pipit's numbers as well. After everything Zelda had said, they were sure she and Link were willing to let Groose take the fall. A second chance was out of the question. From the look in Groose's eyes, he was more than eager to ruin Zelda's love life with the information they had acquired. Cawlin didn't wait for Groose to give him any further instruction, he was already drafting a message on his phone to Shad. He finished, and was ready to press send, when Groose put a hand on his shoulder.

"Don't send it just yet…" Groose said. "We should wait a couple of days, don't you think? I don't think it won't be as entertaining if we text him now."

"You're right." Cawlin nodded, smiling deviously.

Karane and Strich exchanged worried glances as they stepped away from the two conniving men.

»°«

"What did you tell her, exactly?" Nabooru whispered calmly. She and Strich were seated at an elusive table in the corner of the library. It was an area not many people knew about, but they found it thanks to the help of their favorite blue-haired librarian. Strich rubbed his arm nervously.

"Are you… are you mad?" He asked nervously, temporarily diverting her attention.

"No. Answer me." She pressed stubbornly. Karane hated her, plain and simple. Nabooru knew it was most likely because she slept with Pipit last year. Though even before then, Karane wasn't a big fan. But the girl harbored some dark secrets. Nabooru would need her on their side if they were going to take Groose down.

"I told her I was working against Groose…"

"With me? Did you tell her I was involved?"

"No, he didn't." A voice whispered.

Nabooru and Strich looked up to see Karane standing before them with her arms crossed. She glared daggers at Nabooru.

"Well… If it isn't the beautiful and illustrious Karane."

"And if it isn't Hyrule University's grade A slut." She replied snarkily.

Nabooru took a deep breath and plastered what had to be the fakest smile on her face. She didn't even try to be subtle about it either, even if she knew what people said about her behind her back, hearing it over and over again got old very quickly for her.

"I understand that you may not like me, but I want to help you Karane. Come here, sit down." She gestured to a third chair resting in between her and Strich.

"Can't. Restraining order prohibits me from being within 300 feet of that dickwad," Karane pointed at Strich, "If we get caught he'll be in even deeper shit than he already is. As for you, I wouldn't want to risk getting an STD."

"Very funny. But STDs aren't airborne sweetheart."

"You would know, wouldn't you? And don't call me sweetheart."

"Okay, that's it, you -"

"Guys, please!" Strich waved his arms back and forth. "Come on, Karane. Just sit down with us."

Karane sighed and walked over to the seat, begrudgingly sandwiching herself between who presumably were her newest allies.

"Fine. What is your guys' plan, exactly? Groose isn't one to be crossed. He's dangerous."

"He's an idiot." Nabooru corrected, "And he doesn't deserve to get off easy for anything he's done. Now, Strich has told me he has security footage of what happened the night the dorms were filled with jelly."

"Yes. He's going to 'clear his name.'"

"Hmm…" Nabooru tapped her long fingernails against the desk nervously. She was trying to maintain a calm composure but the churning feeling in her chest she had when she first saw Zelda run off with the CD was coming back. The usually stoic and suave Gerudo woman was feeling nervous about the entire situation. Suddenly she didn't want to be with Karane or Strich. She wanted to be in Ganondorf's arms, with his hand grazing the small of her back, holding her close…

She sighed.

"Have you seen the footage?" Nabooru asked Karane after a thoughtful silence.

"I mean, yes. I am the one who got a copy of it in the first place."

"What!?"

"Yes."

"And you're telling me this? So carelessly?"

"What? Didn't you say you wanted to 'help me'? I did it to get Groose off my fucking back. But if you want to go back on your word and snitch on me to your boyfriend, then go ahea -"

"No! I mean… Did you… did you see anything else?" Nabooru asked, rubbing her arm nervously.

"No, didn't get a good look of their faces since they were covered. Do you want to use this for HUTV?"

"As if Ganondorf would let me." Nabooru said bitterly.

"I hate to admit it, but he didn't do it Nabooru." Karane murmured sadly, looking at the table. "And it would be amazing if he did, because then I would be free. But he didn't. And now that he has the proof you'll have no choice but to go back on the accusation."

"No, I won't. I asked Strich to bring the CD back to me. Since it's obvious that hasn't happened, now there are two of you, which should make it easier. Bring it back, and the footage will never get out. We'll find a way to pin it on him, and get him expelled from HU."

"...You want to FRAME him?" Karane practically yelled.

"Shhh!" Nabooru and Strich both put panicked hands on her shoulders.

"Are you out of your mind!? You can't!"

"Why not? That stupid boy is so entitled. He grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth. Not to mention he's a bully."

"Goddesses, you're so naive." Karane shook her head sadly.

Nabooru could put up with a lot of her rude comments, but this one in particular struck a nerve. She was NOT about to let someone younger than her call her naive, especially when that someone didn't know even an ounce of the truth regarding the jelly in the dorms.

"Would you like to start that sentence over? Because my patience with you is running low."

"Groose has done worse. Far worse. And he hasn't had to pay the price for any of his actions. Now you've got Strich on your coattail, both of you are telling me you can make all of my problems go away by framing Groose for a crime he didn't commit. How is that going to pan out, when he's gotten away with horrible shit he's actually done?"

"We'll just need to make the evidence look as compelling as possible."

"I can't." Karane stood up, shaking her head.

"Yes, you can!"

"No, you dumb bitch," Karane growled at Nabooru maliciously, "I can't."

"Do you want him to continue to manipulate you for his personal gain?"

"I don't, but I don't want to get hurt anymore! And if this shit blows back up in our faces then I'm going to be the first one he comes after!" Her voice cracked, and she felt her eyes begin to water up.

Nabooru, genuinely concerned, grabbed Karane's hand.

"Karane…" She said softly, moving closer to her. "What happened, darling?"

"He took away the one person I loved the most."

"Pipit." She said, feeling a tinge of regret for the night she spent with him.

"But that isn't the worst part…" She said, as she tried - and failed - to keep herself from crying.

"I'm so sorry Karane…" Strich piped up, his own face turning red from shame, tears of his own streaming down his face.

"What is the worst part?" Nabooru asked patiently.

"I…"

»°«

"Can you hear anything?" Lana whispered to Ashei. The two of them were spying on Nabooru and Strich from behind a bookshelf. Despite their differences, the two young women struck up a friendship with each other - or an alliance at the very least. Lana wasn't sure of what was happening, but Tingle's words struck a chord with her, and now she was determined to find out what was going on. When Nabooru and Strich came to her looking for a private place to sit, she wasted no time in directing them to the most secluded area within the library. With them there, she had the perfect opportunity to listen in on their conversation. Unfortunately for her, they were a lot quieter than she had anticipated. To her surprise, Karane showed up, which made Ashei want to blow their cover to get her away from Strich. Lana managed to hold her back however, since the conversation got a bit louder upon her arrival.

"Not anymore…" Ashei mumbled in annoyance.

What they had gathered thus far was interesting, but not enough to put together anything too cohesive. They had snippets of a conversation, a series of incomplete thoughts. Nabooru wanted Groose framed for the dorm prank. While it was shitty, Lana and Ashei had no qualms with it. There were no other apparent leads, and they were among the many females disgusted by him. Now, however, Karane was crying, Strich looked like he had some tears of his own, and Nabooru was speaking to her in hushed whispers that were absolutely impossible to hear.

"I should go out there." Ashei insisted.

"No! It looks personal…"

"Then we should leave."

"But - "

"Lana!" She scolded. "This isn't any of our business! We should just go."

"Just go? We can't 'just go' when we're on the cusp of solving a mystery!"

"What fucking mystery? Do you really think there's anything for us here?"

"Something's going on. I'm gonna get to the bottom of it. And if you don't want to help me then fine!"

"Lana…" Ashei sighed. The girl was reckless and stubborn. Truth be told, Ashei sort of liked it. When Lana committed to something, she put her all into it. She knew the blue-haired female would need someone to balance her out. It was a role Ashei took with reluctancy.

"Are you leaving? Or are we in this together?"

"We're… in this together…"

"In what together?" A deep, inquisitive voice chimed in. Lana and Ashei turned around, alarmed by the sudden presence. Ashei relaxed a bit when she realized who it was. Lana recognized the man standing before them as one of the students who frequented the library everyday to study. She was slightly less tense when she noted Ashei's demeanor, and the light smile playing along her lips.

"Shad." She said, lacing her hands together.

Lana stared at Ashei curiously, noting the immediate change. It was odd to see the stalwart warrior girl act so… coy.

"Hi Ashei. What are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing…"

"I'm always at the library." He shrugged.

"In this particular area?"

"Heh, I thought I was the only one who knew about it."

"Well," Lana said, quickly growing tired of feeling like a sudden third wheel, "You're not. I found this area a long time ago. Now if you'll excuse us, we have an investigation that needs… investigating."

"Oh. Really?" He asked, his face lighting up. "Maybe I could be of assistance?"

"No." Lana said.

"Yes!" Ashei said at the exact same time eagerly.

Ugh. Lana thought to herself woefully.

In the time they worked in the dorms together, Ashei never struck Lana as the type to get dumbstruck over the presence of a guy. She was always astute and unwavering, even when she was with Link - who was certainly more attractive than this 'Shad' character. Sure, both guys were easy on the eyes but Ashei didn't normally care about that sort of thing. And lately, it seemed like there was a wedge between her and Link. Was this man before them… was he the reason why?

She pushed those thoughts away, the two of them had quickly engaged in a conversation while she was thinking to herself, but it was cut short when Shad's phone went off.

"Hey! That thing is supposed to be on silent at all times when you're in here!" She reprimanded him.

He smiled at her apologetically and politely stepped away from Ashei.

"Can you give me a moment, please?" He pulled his phone out to look at the text he had just received.

"Sure." She said, clearing her throat and looking back to Lana. "...What?" She asked innocently, noting Lana's knowing stare.

"You like him!" She whispered, lowering her tone so only Ashei could hear her.

"What?"

"That's why you're acting all… girly!"

"What do you mean?"

"I thought you were a tomboy… I mean, when you talked to Link you didn't really flirt with him… Then this nerd shows up and you can't stop batting your eyelashes. What the hell!?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize there was protocol for how I should act. Why are you being so dense?"

"I just… I wanted this to be our thing. And now you've invited him to join our investigation. It doesn't feel special anymore." She admitted guiltily.

"Lana… You told me about this a few days ago, and we've barely learned anything to raise our suspicions. You can't seriously be upset at Shad for offering to help us."

"I'm not interested in being a third wheel."

"Why would you be a third wheel?"

"You're just playing dumb with me now." Lana glared at her.

"I, um…" Shad spoke up gruffly, staring at his phone in disbelief.

"You what?" Ashei asked, stepping forward. "Is everything okay?"

"No. I'm sorry, but something's come up. I need to go." He started walking away briskly.

"Shad, wait!" Ashei called after him, but to no avail. He left as quickly as possible.

»°«

Another week whizzed by and was coming to an end, and Zelda was gracious for it. Groose quickly learned the CD Link had given him was a fake, and wasn't happy about it. Strich wasn't bothered by it, but Cawlin kept giving her death stares whenever the opportunity presented itself. After her encounter with them she had been on edge, worried about what Groose might try to do next. She was confident she could hold her own against Cawlin and Strich if need be, but she wasn't sure about how she would handle Groose if he himself came after her again. If she wasn't hanging out with Pipit or studying with Shad, Link was always nearby keeping a watchful eye. She would have appreciated the friendly gesture, if he had been doing it on his own volition rather than out of guilt for what happened to her a few nights ago.

"You okay?" Link's cold voice broke her away from her thoughts immediately.

"Goddesses, don't scare me like that." Zelda snapped, almost dropping her brush. She looked down to see her hands shaking. She sighed and tried to still them.

"Hmph. I was checking in on you and this is what I get in return?"

"Yeah, because you have a track record of always being so nice to me…" Zelda mumbled she noted Link's sour expression, her tone turned apologetic quickly. "Ugh. I'm sorry. I guess I'm still shaken by what happened. It's been a long week. I'm just grateful that it's coming to an end."

"I get it. Groose is a piece of shit. But he won't do anything if I'm around. I'll make sure of it."

"Are you my personal bodyguard now?"

"Maybe." He shrugged.

"Well, I respectfully decline your offer. I'm no damsel in distress."

"Neither was Karane, and Groose still got to her somehow."

"I'm not Karane."

"That doesn't matter. Are you forgetting that you got kidnapped earlier this week?"

"If you can even classify it as a kidnapping! They tied me up with ribbons, Link!"

"I don't care. We know too much for their liking. And there's no way in hell either of us plan on helping that bastard, so who knows what he'll do next?"

"Am I supposed to believe this isn't a thinly veiled attempt for you to spend more time with me?" She raised an eyebrow daringly.

"What!?" Link had to keep his jaw from unhinging. She certainly wasn't as timid as she used to be. And now she was almost as shameless as him. "Definitely NOT. And if that was your shitty attempt at trying to push me away, you'll have to try harder than that."

"Why can't you just respect my wishes?"

"You sure as hell didn't respect mine. And if you really are going out with my friends, then that means I have to look after you."

"No it doesn't. But, since we're on that topic… Does that mean I have your blessing?"

"Of course not." He shook his head stubbornly. "But if you aren't willing to be reasonable then what can I do?"

"At least you know it isn't your decision." Zelda replied, picking up her bucket and heading out of the dorm she had been cleaning.

"Zelda." He sighed, crossing his arms.

"What?" She turned around to face him.

"... Nevermind." He waved her off, "Go ahead. Be stupid. I don't care."

Zelda rolled her eyes. Her phone went off as soon as she was in the hall. She looked down at it. It was Shad.

"Hey Shad. What's up?" She asked.

"I hope you don't have any plans tonight." Shad said, his voice unusually hostile. "Because when you're done cleaning up the dorms, we need to talk."


A/N: I really do not like this chapter, nor did I like writing it. I don't even know why. I started off strong and wrote eagerly. I was set to finish and publish it several days ago. Never got around to finishing it within the planned time, though… And I'm not trying to beat myself up here, but I guess I was just expecting to feel more than this? Sorry if this is a depressing note, it in no way reflects my feelings on the overall story. I'm still going strong and I have a lot planned for you guys. I guess this was just one of my 'off' chapters. To all you writers out there: do you ever feel this way too? I don't know what it is! Maybe I feel like it's a filler? Or like the pacing is a little… off? Whatever the case is, things are going to start to pick up. There will be more revelations and maybe some new characters will make an appearance? I hope you guys are ready for it. Anyways, next chapter will be up soon, I'm on spring break!