spring break!
All things considered, Pipit believed his upbringing was decent. His parents had a nice, cozy house nestled in the hustle and bustle of Castle Town. His place certainly impressed Link the first time he came by. Of course, Link's original place of residence wasn't as well put together as his. But despite how nice his place was, it didn't hold a candle to Zelda's lakehouse. His modest girlfriend constantly downplayed the affluence of her parents, insisting that their life in Lake Hylia was one of simplicity. When they initially arrived to her house, however, it certainly looked like anything but simple.
Their house was large and immaculate. The exterior was sleek, a nice shade of gray with a black roof, and open windows in all areas of the house. The interior was even more stunning, there was a large, glass chandelier in the living room. The kitchen was spick and span, so perfectly clean that Pipit could see his reflection when he looked at the island and the tables. Zelda's room had a view of the glittering lake, and the waters from the outside gave her room a heavenly blue glow. Even their mailbox was a sight to behold. It wasn't the typical lock and key mailbox, but had a tablet-like screen on it and was password protected.
Password protected! His brain all but screamed at him. He knew off the bat that Zelda was more well-off than him, Shad, and Link, but to actually see it for himself was a different story. What was peculiar to him was that Zelda herself seemed surprised at how pristine her house was.
Pipit laid comfortably in Zelda's bed while she got dressed for the day. It was nice to be able to relax with her, especially in her own home. It made him feel even closer to her than before, which was a feeling he was desperate to cling to given the recent tensions that were appearing in their relationship. Her dad was out for the day conducting business while her mom had a shift at the hospital, which meant they had the house to themselves. He was hoping to capitalize on that, since he knew her mother would send him back to the guest room the moment she saw them together.
Zelda came back from the bathroom, noticing Pipit giving her a suggestive look. She smiled coyly, walking over and sitting down on her bed carefully, as to not ruin her outfit. He looked her up and down appraisingly, nodding in approval.
"You look gorgeous." He complimented.
Zelda smiled.
"Thank you."
"Seeing you like that makes me wanna just eat you up…" Pipit added, slowly easing himself up and inching closer towards her. His arm slipped around her waist and he leaned in for a kiss but Zelda untangled herself from him almost instantly.
"Come on Pipit," she said, oddly nervous all of a sudden, "I'm going to show you around Lake Hylia, remember?"
He gave her a stiff smile, trying to hide his disappointment at her rejection, "Of course princess. I just wanted some alone time with you before your parents get home."
"We have all day for some 'alone time.'" Zelda said. "Besides, my parents are cool with us dating, they aren't going to bite your head off if we want to get affectionate."
"Your mom might…" Pipit grumbled.
"What?" She narrowed her eyes at him. "What's wrong with my mom?"
"Nothing is wrong with her, I can just tell she doesn't like me. I mean, she's making me sleep in the guest room for Din's sake!"
"Nayru's sake." Zelda corrected him, standing up and grabbing her mini sculpture of the Golden Goddess. "She's the primary goddess we recognize here."
"Does that really matter right now? We're adults Zelda, it shouldn't be a big deal if we share a room together."
"Mom doesn't dislike you, it just takes a while for her to warm up to people."
"Yeah well, I'm not that good with difficult people." Pipit grumbled.
"She isn't difficult," Zelda laughed, "And even if she were, that statement isn't true. Have you met your best friend?"
He shook his head, standing up from her bed and walking over to the window, looking at the glimmering waters down below.
"She thinks I'm some dumb jock." Pipit said.
"No she doesn't. She just doesn't know you." Zelda reassured him, watching him begin to pace around her room.
"Maybe not, but you can convince her that I'm a good guy. After all, you know me, right?"
His words clicked within Zelda, reminding her of a night a few months back, a night that had forced her to put her relationship with Pipit into perspective. She saw an angsty, drunk Link with piercing blue eyes, filled with warmth and pain all at once.
"You don't even know him!" His voice echoed throughout her head. Her eyes widened and she tried to push the image away.
"…Right." She told Pipit, voice filled with fake confidence.
"Good." He turned around and walked over to her, leaning down to give her a kiss on the cheek. "Now let's get going on that sightseeing today, the sooner we leave the sooner we can come back." He winked at her, heading out of her room.
The moment he was out of her sight, Zelda's shoulders slumped. They lived together, went to school together, and were dating. And yet, she felt like she didn't know anything substantial about him. Her mind was able to recall all of the questions Link threw at her that night, a few days before she and Pipit made their relationship official. A few months had passed since then, and she didn't know any of the answers to those questions. When she really thought about it, that was weird.
She sighed, following him downstairs.
They spent the next few hours touring as much of Lake Hylia as they could cover by foot. Zelda held Pipit's hand and they walked around her neighborhood, circling the large lake. She pointed out fishing areas, her old elementary school, her favorite spots to play at as a child, and where she learned how to swim. Pipit nodded and smiled at all of it, but she noticed that his mind was elsewhere. He kept glancing at his watch and occasionally back towards where her house was. After a few not-so-subtle glances, Zelda's grip on her boyfriend's hand tightened, and she suddenly lurched back towards the house. Pipit flinched, clearly surprised by the sudden change in direction.
"Zelda? What are you doi –"
"Going back to the house. That's what you want, isn't it? To get in bed with me?" She asked angrily.
"What? I mean, not if you're going to be upset about it."
"Of course I'm upset. I'm trying to show you my home, which is an important part of who I am! And you don't even care." Zelda exclaimed.
Pipit felt bad, scratching his head as he followed Zelda. She had stopped walking towards the house, instead lingering near the lake. She walked towards it helplessly, sitting down at the shore. He sat down next to her and placed a cautious arm around her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Zelda. I care about you for more than just sex. I know that maybe it didn't feel that way just then, but I was listening. I found all of it fascinating, especially that little watery area in the meadow where you learned how to swim."
"That's where I had my first kiss." Zelda corrected him.
Pipit grimaced.
"Oh. Right…"
They sat there awkwardly, Pipit's arm around Zelda while she had her own arms crossed. She didn't lean on him or lay comfortably in his arms, making a show of keeping her distance from him.
"Zelda, I know you're upset with me, but I don't think giving me the cold shoulder is going to help either of us." Pipit said, wanting to patch things up between them as quickly as possible. It felt weird to argue with her, or for them to be upset with each other. Neither of them were used to it at all, especially since the past few months had seemed like a dream.
She sighed, shrugging his arm off of her.
"What's your favorite color?" She asked.
"Huh?" He was confused by the shift in topic.
"…Your favorite color. Please tell me." She sounded desperate.
"Yellow?"
"Are you asking me? Or telling me?"
Pipit stuck his tongue out at her.
"My mom always made me wear it when I was little. I didn't like it at first, but it grew on me."
He looked over to Zelda, and even though she refused to look at him, he could see a tiny smile on her face. When she noticed him looking she tensed, putting up her guard immediately.
"What's your major?" She asked.
"Business." He answered.
Zelda waited for him to elaborate, but he never did.
"…Why did you choose that as your major?" She asked, prompting him to follow up on it.
Pipit shrugged.
"Honestly, I'm hoping to get drafted and become a professional football player. But since the competition is steep, I need something to fall back on in case I don't make it, or get an injury. So… I chose business."
"What would you do with it?" She asked.
"Business-y stuff?" He answered lamely. "I haven't put much thought into it."
"Oh." Zelda sounded disappointed.
"What's wrong? I'm just being honest."
"I thought you'd have more passion for it. Why study something that doesn't interest you?" She asked, her mind drifting to Link, and his reasoning for choosing his major. It felt a lot more genuine and Pipit seemed a lot more… shallow in comparison.
"For the rupees." Pipit said nonchalantly.
"But – if football doesn't work out for you – would going into a career with that degree be fulfilling for you?"
"I don't know. Sports is all I've ever known, so I'm gonna work really hard to make it." He said.
Zelda decided not to comment on the matter any further.
"…What's your biggest fear?" She asked, moving on to her next question.
"My biggest fear?" Pipit repeated the question dumbly.
He thought for a moment.
And another.
… And another.
She almost turned to look at him, wondering what was taking so long, but instead he said the three words she was beginning to hate.
"…I don't know."
"You don't know?" Zelda caved and turned to glare at him. "How do you not know?"
"I have my fair share of fears. But I don't know which one is the biggest. What is this, 20 questions!?"
"I'm just curious."
"I call bullcrap. You've never asked me stuff like this before."
"Which is why I'm asking now." Zelda countered.
"It's just a little too deep for me." Pipit said, wanting to defuse the tension between them.
"Maybe that's the problem…" Zelda said in a half-whisper, so low he almost didn't hear her.
"Huh?" He looked so lost.
"Pipit, everything is so easy when I'm with you." Zelda said, "Whenever we hang out, there's always good vibes. But all we talk about are your sports games, and whatever TV show we're watching, and funny things we see around Castle Town, and complaining about Shad and Link, and – "
"What's wrong with all of that?" Pipit asked. "Sounds like a variety of conversation points to me."
"Yeah, but I can talk about that with anyone. Pipit, I want more with you. I don't want JUST the shallow conversations, but the deep ones too. I want to be able to be vulnerable with you, to talk about things we don't normally like to think about. I want the hard parts, for us to be able to go to each other when we're scared and unsure of ourselves." Zelda lamented. Deep within the recesses of her mind, Zelda knew who she was thinking of as she said this all aloud. But she forced the thought away, opting instead to think about her boyfriend, and nothing else.
Pipit still looked dumbfounded, but he had a better understanding of where she was coming from.
"I get what you're saying princess. And I respect it. To tell you the truth, I don't open up like that with a lot of people. Not even Shad and Link, really, and I've known 'em for years."
"Is me wanting us to be able to talk like that asking for too much?" Zelda asked softly.
"No, never." Pipit shook his head. "To be truthful, there was only one person I could open up to like that – aside from my mother that is."
Zelda nodded, already aware of the answer.
"Karane."
Pipit nodded, a hint of sadness in his eyes when she mentioned the name.
"She was my first true best friend." Pipit said, pausing before he continued, "…I know that you want us to have that kind of closeness with each other, but truthfully, I don't know how to handle that with anyone else. Yet."
Zelda couldn't help feeling a little bitter, but she understood and respected his decision.
"I'm glad you could tell me that, at least." She grabbed his hand, forcing a smile on her face. "Being with you is great, Pipit. But I know that it can be better. That's all I'm really saying."
"I'm guessing you've had someone like that in your life? Someone you can go to when you need to be vulnerable? Is that why you want it to happen between us?" He asked.
Zelda felt selfish. She was trying to recreate the chemistry she had with Link. She couldn't get him out of her mind lately. She wasn't sure if it was because she was worried he had a crush on her, or if there were any feelings on HER end that were starting to kindle. Either way, it made her feel uneasy about her future with Pipit.
Pipit kissed her on the nose.
"It's been a long time since I've had a girlfriend, and I know I'm kinda bad at it sometimes, but we can pull through this." He gave her that goofy grin, and it was all that was necessary for Zelda to lull herself into a false sense of security. Even if things were nowhere near as good as they should have been, Zelda wanted to believe that things were perfectly fine, and that she was happy with what she had.
"You're great, don't worry." She gave him a hug, giving an extra affectionate squeeze.
"I do have a question for you, if you'd care to answer." He said.
"What is it?" Zelda asked, in slightly better spirits now that Pipit seemed to be acknowledging her worries.
"When we first got to your house, I was pretty surprised to see how nice it was. But then I noticed your reaction, and you seemed pretty surprised too. Why is that?"
"Oh. Right." Zelda laughed, "Our house has always been nice, don't get me wrong, but my parents definitely made some renovations while I was gone. The huge chandelier? The countertops? The flooring? It's all new to me."
"And what about the mailbox?" He asked.
Zelda rolled her eyes, well aware of how shocked Pipit was when he first saw it.
"Yes, the mailbox was one of the upgrades too."
"Good to know…" He said, fiddling with his thumbs.
"You wanna play with it, don't you?" She asked.
"Don't you!?" He perked up instantly, and they both laughed mischievously, standing up and sprinting back towards her house like giddy children.
Pipit took a moment to admire the mailbox. It had an electronic screen that asked for a passcode before being able to access the interior. Zelda went inside to get the instructions her dad had left for her.
She came back with a slip of paper that had the code and they entered it, perusing the menu and looking through all the different functions.
"Request a mailman, search for a mailing address, insta-mail? Holy crap! This thing is insane!" Pipit exclaimed.
"You're telling me." Zelda looked at all the functions, some of them seemed a bit redundant. "I wonder how much all of this costs."
"Who cares about that? This is the FUTURE of mail! If you want to send someone a letter, you can get it to them instantly."
"Don't we have email for that?"
Pipit shook his head.
"No, no, no. This is way cooler."
"If you say so…" Zelda squinted at him. "We should check the mail while we're at it." She pressed an 'envelope' symbol that was on the screen, and there was an audible click as the door unlocked, allowing them to pull the mail out. Most of it was junk mail, with some coupons Zelda knew her mom would like to hold onto, and other letters, like credit card offers. Then Zelda noticed a letter with the HU insignia on it, and it was addressed to her. She handed the other unimportant mail to Pipit, turning the letter over in her hand curiously.
"What is it?" Pipit asked, leaning over Zelda's shoulder as she ripped open the envelope.
She skimmed through the letter, her eyes widening in horror as she read the contents. She immediately looked away, then looked back at the paper again, hoping that the words would somehow magically change.
"Oh my goddesses…" She gasped, "I… I lost my scholarship…"
»°«
Lana piled up her ice cream sundae with as much whipped cream as she possibly could, only to smush it all together with her spoon. She had been enjoying her spring break so far, spending lots of time with her high school friends. After days of nonstop shopping trips, lunch and dinner dates, and movie excursions, Lana wanted some time to herself. She was on campus since there were nearly no other students there, enjoying a sweet treat.
She sighed, stuffing her face with ice cream as she felt her heart twist slightly at the thought of her latest what-if.
Even though her friends had dubbed Nabooru as a no-good traitor to HU, part of Lana was holding onto hope, hope that Nabooru would leave Ganondorf behind for good and come to her instead. She had never wanted anybody so desperately before, and never felt comfortable enough with her sexuality to pursue someone in a romantic sense, but she harbored strong feelings for the beautiful Gerudo.
"You never leave campus, do you?"
Lana jumped at the voice, nearly dropping her sundae in the process.
That's when the subject of her thoughts quickly and gracefully caught her ice cream for her, placing it back on the table for her. Lana looked up to see Nabooru standing before her. She felt her heart rate increase and nearly dropped her sundae again, like an idiot.
"Nabooru…"
"I haven't seen you since the gala debacle. Have you been avoiding me?" She asked.
Lana was still staring at her, having trouble to believe she was actually seeing and talking to her in such close proximity. Lana hadn't taken Nabooru's rejection very well, and compounded with the other revelations that unfolded, she didn't feel ready to face her.
"Um… no?"
Nabooru pulled a chair up and sat herself down next to Lana. That's when Lana took note of her latest wardrobe choices, she looked a lot more modest than usual.
"I like your shirt." Lana added awkwardly, mixing her ice cream around in her tiny plastic bowl.
"Thank you." Nabooru smiled, tightening her ponytail.
Nabooru watched Lana, silently admiring her natural beauty and overall innocence.
"You have a little cream on your mouth." Nabooru commented, reaching it and removing it with her finger, then bringing her finger to her mouth slowly and sucking it off.
Lana blushed, cupping her face.
Nabooru sighed, putting her hands in her lap and deciding it would be best to keep them to herself.
"I've missed you." She said.
"I miss you too." Lana confessed. "I felt weird about approaching you. It isn't just about what… didn't happen that night. It's about what Link, Zelda and Ashei have been conspiring about! They're saying all of these horrible things about what Ganondorf wants to do. And… and I believe them."
Nabooru didn't respond, waiting for whatever else Lana wanted to say. She had to be clever in her approach. Karane and everyone else were counting on her to get special access to the library.
"What I'm still iffy on is you." Lana said, her beautiful purple eyes filled with hope. "They say that you're in on all of it. That you're helping him. It isn't true, is it? After everything we talked about? Please tell me it isn't." She all but begged.
Nabooru hesitated. If she said no and acted surprised, maybe she'd be able to get back on Lana's good graces. But it wouldn't be fair to her. She deserved to know the truth. What difference did it make? At this rate she would find out eventually. Nabooru knew in her heart of hearts that she couldn't lie, even if she wanted to. The care she held for Lana was rooted too deeply.
"I'm so sorry." Was all she could manage.
Lana's mouth fell open into a tiny 'o.' She didn't look surprised, just disappointed.
"Why…" She mumbled. "Why are you sorry…"
"Lana, I did help him. Not because I agreed with what he wanted to do, but because… I love him."
"You love him?" Lana asked, disheartened.
"Yes." She nodded.
"What about me?"
"Lana, I care about you too. It's just that Ganondorf and I have so much his –"
"If you care about me then why did you lie?" Lana pressed, her sadness and shock morphing into anger. "Why did you make me think you were on my side?"
"For him. I thought that having you fooled would keep Zelda and Link's suspicions to a minimum…"
"You used me."
"I realized that I did wrong." Nabooru admitted. "I know that. I accept full responsibility. But I'm hurting too. I can't stop thinking about you, Lana. I can't look at Ganondorf without seeing you too."
Lana looked closely at Nabooru's face. If this was fake, she was putting on a hell of an act. Despite Nabooru's confession to taking advantage of her, Lana still wanted to believe that she was a good person.
"Do you mean that?" Lana asked, craving the validation.
"I don't have anything to gain from lying about it." Nabooru said earnestly. She moved her chair closer to Lana, their legs brushing against one another. "Please forgive me."
"Does that mean you'll help us?" That hope inside of her started to flare up again.
Nabooru bit her lip. She couldn't commit to something like that. Even though she'd left Ganondorf behind, she felt too conflicted to work against him.
"I'm sorry Lana." She apologized again, "I can't do that. I've cut Ganondorf off, but I can't choose between the two of you. It's complicated for me."
"What is complicated? He's going to shut our school down! Thousands of students are going to suffer because of him! And you'd let that happen just because of your stupid feelings!?" Lana snapped at her. "If you really feel that way, then it makes no difference if you just go back to him. By staying neutral, you've already chosen a side."
"Lana, please – I – "
"Why did you even bother talking to me now? Did you just need to clear your conscience about this? Or crush my spirits even further?" Lana slammed her ice cream on the table, having lost her appetite for it.
Lana then took notice of Nabooru's body language, the way her body seemed so tense and how she glanced down to Lana's pockets. Instinctively the blue-haired girl reached down to feel herself out, checking for anything Nabooru may have been interested in.
"…You want something from me." She said knowingly.
"I need access to the library database. And you're the only person I know well enough to ask."
Lana scoffed.
"You are unbelievable." She stood up, trying to walk away, but Nabooru was quick to pull her back.
"Lana, this is serious. Someone really needs my help, and I have to pull through. I know I've done some bad things, just help me do one good thing. Please."
"I don't see why I should believe that." Lana replied, yanking her hand back. "Of course the only reason you even bothered talking to me was because you need something!"
"Lana!" Nabooru snapped, growing impatient.
"Everyone was right about you. All you do is use people. You're heartless." Lana stormed off, putting as much distance between them as she could.
"I never wanna see you again." She yelled as she walked off, disappearing between the buildings, leaving Nabooru to stare at her helplessly.
»°«
Zelda frowned, watching Pipit pack his things away. They'd spent a few days together and Pipit was going to be heading back to Castle Town to spend some time with his family for the rest of the break.
She glanced down at her phone, dialing Link's number again, in hopes that he'd actually pick up. She knew it was pointless, and was proved right when his phone went straight to voicemail. She wanted to be respectful of the fact that he was spending time with his family back in Ordon, but he was the only one who would be able to help her fully calm down about the whole ordeal. Pipit tried to talk her through things but she still didn't feel reassured. On top of that, she knew her parents would be furious when they found out she had lost her scholarship, and she still hadn't mustered up the courage to tell them.
"Do you really have to leave now? Can you stay… just one more night?" Zelda pleaded, running her fingers along Pipit's arm gently. She didn't want to be alone, and since she couldn't get a hold of Link, she had to settle for Pipit.
"I'm sorry princess. I promised my mom I would be back tonight to take her out for dinner."
"That sounds fun. Can I join?" Zelda asked.
"Ha. Nice try babe. I'd love for you to meet my parents, but now isn't the right time and you know it. You need to tell your parents that you lost your scholarship."
"I can't." Zelda whined. "I'm scared…"
"Fine." Pipit sighed, "I won't stay for another night, but I will stay for an extra hour, so that you don't have to be alone when you tell them. Does that work?"
"I guess." Zelda shot Link a text, desperate for him to say something – anything – but all she got was an error, and her message didn't send. She began to worry that he blocked her number, which confused her because… why would he even do that?
"Zelda, look at me." Pipit commanded her attention back to him. "Have you seen your house? It's… incredible. You get to wake up every morning to THIS view." He gestured to the glittering lake down below, the horizon lining up with the waters perfectly. "Your mailbox has a tablet on it! A tablet! Your damn chandelier is worth more than my entire existence. The point is, your family has more than enough rupees to be able to pay for your tuition. In fact, that's the reason they took your scholarship away, wasn't it?" He grabbed her letter and read through it.
Zelda rolled her eyes. Even though that was the stated reason in the letter, she knew the truth.
All of this was Ganondorf, and his attempts to shut her and her friends down.
Of course, she couldn't tell Pipit that.
"Yeah." Zelda walked over to the window, not wanting to look at the letter again. Pipit set it on the table near her bed, then wrapped his arms around her from behind. He leaned in and gave her a bunch of kisses along her cheek and neck.
"You're going to be fine, princess."
"But my parents…"
"Will tell you the same thing." He finished that sentence for her. "I promise you, they're going to understand.
5 minutes later…
"I DON'T UNDERSTAND!" Zelda's mom screeched, putting her reading glasses on and scanning through the letter for the umpteenth time. Zelda shot her boyfriend a look, and he mouthed an apology to her. "Upon reevaluation of the financial information you provided, we have determined you are ineligible for the 'Nayru Scholarship' and your award will be revoked after the spring term. You will not be billed for this school year, but will be expected to make your first tuition payment for the fall term in July…" She read the letter aloud, angering herself even more.
Zelda's father, an old man with a kind soul, gave his daughter and her boyfriend an assuring smile, standing up to walk over and calm his wife down with a gentle back rub.
"Darling, let's not worry our daughter. At least you're covered for the rest of the year…"
"The school years ends in less than a month! We have to pay half of the tuition in July! Can you swing that?" She looked over to him angrily, "Because I can't!"
"Now, now. It's because of our income, not anything our little Zellie did wrong." He reasoned.
Pipit held back a snicker.
"…Zellie?" He whispered to his girlfriend, earning him an elbow in the gut.
"You don't take away a merit-based scholarship because of financial need. That doesn't make any sense. There has to be more to the story than this."
Zelda closed her eyes. This was just getting worse and worse.
"Zelda." Her mother spoke sternly. "Your father and I are very busy with work. But that does not mean we are not keeping tabs on you and your performance at school. Now I know you have been getting yourself into trouble." She referenced Zelda's time she spent cleaning the dorms after her incident with Link a few months ago.
Her mom then looked to Pipit, eyes narrowed.
"Living with 3 boys certainly isn't the arrangement I wanted you to have. I understand that it's easy to get… distracted from what really matters."
"Mom, I can balance a relationship and my schoolwork. Please don't make this weird." Zelda pleaded.
"You don't even know what you want to do with your education! These next few years are going to fly by, and without your college paid for you cannot afford to waste ANY time."
"I know…"
"We are going to need to have a serious discussion about your future young lady."
"Truthfully," Zelda's father spoke up, "HU is not what it once was. Look at how much things have changed in the past 20 years! I have friends down in Domain who are telling me that the chieftain in the desert is trying to bring back their old institution."
Zelda's mother looked over to him, intrigued.
"Naboris? Now THAT was a school. Birthed many incredible women. Maybe you should transfer there." She said, poking Zelda on the arm.
Zelda glared, realizing that Ganondorf and Riju were making quick progress with their scheme.
"No way!" She said angrily.
"I know you've found a home in Castle Town, but Naboris was a great school. All women too. No boys to distract you."
Zelda frowned, "I'm not being distracted by boys! I have straight A's!"
"It's true!" Pipit added, knowing it wasn't his place to speak but wanting to save his girlfriend from further scrutiny, "She's as smart as they come. Always studying with Shad."
Her mother still looked displeased.
"Fine. I'll call the school then and try to break this down."
Zelda shook her head.
"No… wait…"
"What? NOBODY crosses my baby. Those bastards owe us an explanation, otherwise you'll have to transfer."
"Transfer!?" Zelda's eyes widened. "We should be able to pay for it!"
"On paper… yes." Her father said, grimacing. "But such is the dilemma for families like ours. Too rich to receive aid, too poor to pay the bill."
"Poor!?" Pipit looked around the immaculately furnished house.
"So you guys can't swing it?" Zelda asked fretfully.
"I'm afraid not darling. HU tuition is far too expensive, even for us. We didn't anticipate something like this would happen. We could take out some loans, but you'll need to step up to the plate and start working and finding other scholarships."
"No way. No loans. You are not getting your bachelor's with ANY sort of debt." Her mother disagreed.
"Honey we should be able to pay it off easily once she graduates…"
"I am not taking that chance! Tuition gets more expensive every year."
They started bickering over the possibilities.
"You guys!" Zelda called out, tired of the arguing. "Don't you have a college fund in place for me?"
Zelda's mother looked at her daughter for a split second, then turned back to her husband bitterly.
"Care to answer that?"
He shuffled awkwardly.
"Erm… yes… Or… we did… Not anymore though…"
"What happened to it?" Zelda asked curiously.
"Uh," He didn't say anything else.
Zelda stared at them expectantly, awaiting an answer. Then she looked beneath her feet at the new flooring, then the recently done countertops… Her gaze then trailed over to the front door, where their shiny new mailbox sat comfortably just beyond.
"Oh no. No, no, no." Zelda whispered.
"I told you that mailbox was a waste of rupees." Her mom said.
"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! You spent my college savings on these renovations!?" Zelda screamed.
"Most of it, yes." He said guiltily.
"I…" She looked so lost and afraid. Pipit felt bad and reached toward her, but she shrugged out of his grasp and ran back upstairs to her room.
"You should probably get going." Her mother said, her bluish-gray eyes sending chills down Pipit's spine.
"…Yeah. Tell Zelda I'll be back on Saturday…" He said sadly.
»°«
"My name is officially off of the suspect list now, right?" Groose asked, handing Ganondorf his withdrawal form.
"Yes." The older man nodded, clearly distracted.
Groose set his second bag of rupees near him, curious as to what was on his mind.
Ganondorf didn't bother checking the bag, too busy texting away on his phone.
He finally finished, glancing back at Groose and sliding his phone into his pocket.
"Go on now. You owe me one more bag. Until you've taken care of the conditions for that, there's nothing left for us to discuss for the time being. Now go. I have other business to tend to." He shooed Groose out of his office.
Once he was out, Ganondorf pulled his phone back out immediately. Nabooru had finally responded, and was open to meeting with him.
Just moments after Groose left, she sauntered in with a solemn look on her face. She looked so different from the Nabooru he knew, but he knew it was because her spirits were broken. And he had himself to blame.
He strode over to her, pulling her into his arms. She hugged him back quickly, her eyes filling up with tears at how easily he was willing to forgive her. The closer she came to graduating, the more affection he seemed willing to give. He kissed her on the forehead tenderly.
"I'm terrible…" Nabooru whispered. "I don't know what to do anymore."
"You aren't terrible at all. I understand that this is scary for you. I should apologize. I know this isn't easy."
"You… You aren't mad with me?" She asked skeptically.
"Not in the slightest."
Nabooru thought back to Lana's words a few days ago, then tried to force her out of her mind. She had ruined things between them inevitably. At the end of the day, the pretty girl with purple eyes and blue hair was just another conquest. Nabooru would have to get over it eventually, and so would Lana.
"I… I need help." She said. "I need to make sure Karane is safe from Groose."
Ganondorf smiled confidently.
"Don't even worry about that." He said, "Leave all of it to me."
Nabooru let out a sigh of relief, oblivious to the deal he had agreed to.
"Thank goddesses." She murmured. "I don't know what I'd do with myself if I couldn't pull through for her."
"You don't have to worry about anything. I'll keep you safe…" He leaned in and kissed her on the lips, and Nabooru kissed back fervently, losing herself in his touch.
But amidst the love and lust that blinded her judgment, a small voice within called out to her…
Wondering if she had made the right choice.
»°«
Ashei was frustrated. She had a lot of work to stay on top of with her classes, but when she felt burnt out and ready to relax, there was no one to hang out with, other than her kendo buddies. Sadly they didn't provide the challenge she wanted, and neither Zelda nor Lana were able to hang out. She felt sad, chastising herself for not making more of an effort in her time at school to make more friends – specifically girlfriends. She'd never been the easiest to approach, many found her intimidating, but she felt herself become a bit softer when she befriended Zelda and Lana. She missed them and was eager for the break to end, so that they could get back to their plotting and just spending time together in general. She sat down, slumped, all by herself at a downtown diner.
"I need to be more social…" She mumbled to herself, wondering how Link was doing now that he was back home in Ordon, remembering their brief farewell and the promises she told him she would keep.
"Ashei?" A voice called out to her.
Ashei jolted, sitting up instantly and trying to wipe the look of glum off of her face. She hated running into peers outside of school, especially when she was by herself. It made her look lonely. Of course she WAS lonely at the moment, but didn't want anyone else to know that.
She found the voice's source, a handsome and familiar face framed with glasses. Her mouth fell open as he approached.
"Shad?" She gaped. "What are you doing here?"
"I was going to ask you the same thing. It's weird not seeing you with Lana."
"She's been busy. Besides, I've had a lot of work to catch up on with school. Missing a few lectures has really screwed me over." Ashei sighed.
Shad slid into the seat across from her.
"That's right. I read that Groose is no longer the suspect for the jelly."
Ashei nodded, visibly upset by it.
"Hey." He smiled at her. "I know we don't know each other that well, but we can talk about it if you wanna. I can help you with your schoolwork too. I'm kind of a nerd."
"Kind of?" Ashei teased.
"Yeah, yeah. What do you say?"
She grinned.
"I'd love that."
Half an hour later, they left the diner together, strolling down the busy streets of Castle Town. They admired the diverse group of people that surrounded them.
"I didn't do it, by the way." She told him.
"I know." He replied, "You're too smart to get caught."
"Am I?" Ashei asked playfully, "I've never been admired all that much for my brains."
"Heh. I'm admired too much for mine."
She smiled, looking down at their hands, which they both kept at their sides respectfully.
"That isn't a bad thing. My father always told me the fiercest warriors were the strategists. The ones with more brains than brawn. He's the reason I go to school now, instead of enlisting."
"Do you plan on joining after college?"
"Maybe. I have to think about it though. I need to make sure I finish things up here without any trouble before worrying about what comes afterwards."
Shad nodded.
"I understand. For me, I've planned out my future since high school."
Ashei laughed.
"Of course. It hasn't changed at all?"
"Nope!" Shad grinned confidently.
"You are… a breath of fresh air." She commented.
"Hm?" He blushed, taken back by the sudden compliment.
"I have a lot of guy friends, and they're idiots, to put it simply. But you? You definitely don't fall under that category. It's nice."
"…What about Link?"
"He's another exception too, I guess. But you seem to have a lot more focus."
"Well thank you."
"I mean, I guess it's why I've kind of been by myself for the break. Those guys… their mind is always set on one thing when they see me."
Shad's eyes widened at the turn in their conversation, then he felt a little dismal when he realized she was probably preoccupied in that regard.
"Oh…?"
"Yeah! It's exhausting! I love physical activity as much as the next person, but sometimes it's too much."
Shad laughed awkwardly.
"Ha… Uh…"
"They ALWAYS want to do it. Sometimes they'll even line up and take turns!"
"What!?" Shad exclaimed, "That's a thing? Oh. I mean, I know it's a thing but… I didn't know you did that."
"I do occasionally. But like I said before, it's exhausting. Luckily they never last long. I'm pretty experienced." She winked at him.
"Oh dear…"
"I know, right? It just makes me wanna scream HELLO! There's more to me than kendo sparring matches people!"
Shad froze.
"That's right. You do kendo…"
"Yeah. What did you think I was referring to?"
"Nothing." He said quickly. "Um… Want to get started on that schoolwork?"
They stopped their wandering around town and went back to his apartment. It was nice and clean, and smelled super fresh. Ashei was impressed with the maintenance, expecting the apartment to be a bit of a pigsty.
"You clean up well." Ashei said, walking around and examining each room carefully. "Woah!" She shouted when she opened the linen closet.
"What is it?" He asked, rushing over when he heard the urgency in her voice.
"You color coordinate your towels? That's so cool!"
He smiled victoriously.
"Thank you."
She turned and smiled at him, then closed the door respectfully.
"I'm sorry. I shouldn't be looking through all of your stuff like this. Shall we?"
"We shall." He guided her to his bedroom, where he and Zelda usually studied. They got to cracking open the books and began working.
Ashei was surprised at just how much Shad knew. Every subject she had homework on, he knew exactly what to do and how to answer every question. He was like a walking encyclopedia, and yet, his knowledge went beyond what was in textbooks. He picked out real life applications with ease. She was in awe, and surprisingly found their work to be fun, instead of boring like most of her typical study sessions. He had a great sense of humor and kept her laughing when she felt like she was about to fall asleep.
As they finished up the last of her assignments, Shad and Ashei fell into a conversation about their lives and friendships, trying to get to know each other beyond the brief encounters they had whenever they ran into each other by chance.
"So what's up with you and Link?" He asked, trying his best to sound casual about it. Part of him WAS genuinely curious as to whether or not they were dating, or thinking of dating.
"Me and Link? I don't know. What do you mean?" She asked innocently. She knew he was prying, and she wanted to tease him to see if he really cared about the answer.
"…You know what I mean." He shot back. "Even though he's one of my closest friends, he's still very private about his life. The only girl he's ever told me about was Ilia, and he didn't even like her like that!"
"You think I don't know that? And since he's so private, what makes you think I am going to spill the beans?"
Shad frowned.
"I… buh…" He stammered dumbly.
"I'm just joking around with you!" Ashei laughed at his reaction. "To answer your question, we've thought about it too. The verdict? We're better off as friends. There's just no chemistry."
"Oh… That's good to know. Pipit & I have been trying to figure it out for a long time now."
"He isn't the right guy for me. He's very sweet, when you can chip away from the surface, but I want someone who… isn't afraid to wear his heart on his sleeve."
"I wish you luck in finding him."
"Thank you. I have a feeling he may be closer than I think."
Shad smiled at her flirtatiously.
"Maybe."
Ashei cleared her throat, feeling her cheeks warm up.
"For now I should thank you though, not anyone is willing to help someone else finish a crap ton of schoolwork. Now I can focus on finals." She said appreciatively.
"More importantly, you can enjoy the rest of your spring break!"
"Ha! Right. I don't really have any plans."
"Neither do I… Maybe we can hang out again tomorrow? And do something that fun, that isn't related to kendo. Or school."
Ashei smiled eagerly.
"I'd love that…"
»°«
Zelda was once again in Pipit's car, this time getting ready to head back to the apartment after break. It certainly hadn't turned out the way she wanted it to, but after some long, agonizing talks with her parents, they were able to come to an agreement on paying for her school until she could get some more scholarships. Now it meant Zelda would have to be even more vigilant than before, but she was willing to put in the work if it meant keeping her spot at HU safe.
She was busy texting away on her phone, trying to see if Link's phone was working yet.
"Are you ready?" Pipit asked, starting up his engine.
"Yeah…" She replied distractedly.
He raised an eyebrow at her.
"Everything okay?"
She sighed.
"When's the last time you spoke to Link?"
"Same day you did. Right before we came here for the break."
"I think he blocked my number." She frowned. "But what did I do wrong?"
"I doubt he would do that. Ordon doesn't have any cell phone service. In fact, service beyond the rural crossroads is practically nonexistent."
"The rural crossroads." Zelda repeated thoughtfully. "My friend Malon lives past there, and her service is perfectly fine."
"Fair enough. But Ordon is a lot more secluded. They're like… sworn off of technology or something. Isn't your friend the daughter of that man with the milk business? They probably NEED to have service for business transactions."
"Hm. You're right." Zelda nodded.
"You're better off just writing him a letter. I can help you with the postage if you'd like. It's a small village, so mailing works differently there –"
Zelda cut him off with a laugh.
"Thanks but no thanks." She declined. "I'll just wait and talk to him when he gets back."
After all, we have a LOT to discuss… She thought about how worried she was that she lost her scholarship, and was hoping he could provide some comfort and advice to her.
"…When he gets back?" Pipit asked.
"Yeah… He's coming back tonight, right? Or tomorrow?"
Pipit didn't respond, a solemn expression on his face.
"He didn't tell you…"
"Hm?" Zelda asked cluelessly, "Tell me what?"
She looked at his face, increasingly curious about what the issue was.
"Zelda, I thought you knew. He said that – "
Zelda's posture straightened, her heartbeat increasing lightly.
"Tell me what, Pipit?" She asked again sternly. Link had been acting strange and she was tired of being left in the dark about whatever was holding him up. At first she thought it was a little crush, but now she was beginning to think it was something more serious.
"Zelda, he's gone." Pipit said quietly.
Zelda just stared at him, not understanding what he meant exactly.
"Gone?" She repeated.
"Gone as in he isn't coming back. When he left for Ordon last week, that was it. He finished his classes early so that he could go home and take care of his mother. Technically he's on a LOA, but from what he said… it sounds like he's adamant in his decision."
Zelda shook her head.
"No." She denied, "He wouldn't do that. He wouldn't…"
"I know it sounds heavy. I didn't want to believe it either."
"He finished his junior year. Why would he give up when he's so close?"
"To be with his family." Pipit replied. "Losing parents isn't easy. And with the condition his mom was in, he didn't want to wait."
"He… He could've told me… He should've told me…" She said, refusing to believe it.
She looked into Pipit's eyes pleadingly, silently wishing this was some sort of joke. But it wasn't.
And then, memories began to pool up, flooding into her mind all at once.
She thought back to their road trip, and how he gave her advice on deciding a major…
"You don't need to decide until the end of sophomore year. You have plenty of time. You should consider yourself lucky…"
Their conversation over dinner…
"I just don't know how much longer I can do this. From what my sister's told me, my mom's condition is getting worse. I know her death is inevitable, but I'm not… I'm not ready to say goodbye."
"I can't afford to pay her medical bills, and I can't afford to go to this fucking school. I don't even know why I'm trying anymore."
Their last night in Gerudo Valley…
"As long as we have each other, this situation can't be that bad." She had told him.
"I've dumped a lot on you already. But there's one more thing I feel like I need to tell you. It… It kind of goes against what we talked about the other night."
It hit her like a ton of bricks. He wasn't referring to their talk about finally being friends! It was about her encouraging him to keep working to continue attending HU.
Link's meticulous studying prior to spring break… He was studying for his finals.
And finally, she remembered their goodbye just a little over a week ago… the way he held her. The way he looked at her.
"…What are you doing?" She had asked.
"Trying to remember what your face looks like."
"Oh my goddesses…" The signs had been there all along, and she had been oblivious to all of them. "…He's gone."
A/N: Heh... Looks like Pipit and Zelda are still having problems... Wow... I sure hope... Nothing bad happens to their relationship in the future... Hehe... That would be horrible.
But uh, aside from that...
*facepalm* I should have known if I asked you guys when you wanted the next update, you'd choose the least amount of days. That was dumb on my part. Here you go, you big babies. (just kidding. I love you all. Don't murder me please. Not yet at least). Next chapter coming out soon.