Short chapter that only took 2 days to draft but I hope those of you who came here for the ship enjoy :D
The Magic Awakens
Chapter 9
A Curtain of Hair
Though the Gerudo kept traditions like the Flag Tally Race Rally closely guarded, something as monumental as three teenagers killing a molduking before a cheering crowd was bound to spread through the student body by Monday morning. Especially when two of them were known Central High Students.
The moment Link and Zelda stepped out of Impa's car that morning, they were swarmed by students. Dozens of questions were thrown at Link. Did he really kill a molduga? What was it like being inside it? Who the hell is behind Sheik's mask? Can Ganondorf really shoot thunder from his hands? Does he have the real Master Sword? Is he a chosen hero or something? It took several minutes to convincingly deny everything and enter the school building, where Zelda gasped in horror.
Hundreds of Groose's election posters plastered the halls, covering the ones she and Link had put up together. Midna's posters were covered as well. Those smug grins and dopey eyes closed in on them.
Vote for Groose or be a goose.
Another entered the building just behind the twins. "Now that's a frightening display of ego," said Ganondorf. Zelda hung her head in shame. "Hey. No one with any sense would vote for Groose."
"It's not just that." She pointed at a table just below the notice board. In addition to the usual flyers and forms, there was a suggestion box with a note on it.
Tell me what you want. If I can get it, I will.
– Midna Ozul
"I've been so focused on this quest that my campaign is suffering. Come on, Link." Zelda latched onto his arm and dragged him down the hall. "We have to go to the library!"
Ganondorf stared after them as they disappeared. There they are, going off without you again. The thought felt somewhat uncanny, like it wasn't entirely his own. It was easy to brush off. They're twins. It's not a big deal.
Link probably looked awfully silly jumping up and down like he was, trying to catch Midna's eye over the questioning barricade of students. Given how people kept pelting him with his own name to win his attention, it was a wonder that she hadn't come to his rescue yet.
Once he forced his way through the crowd, he was met by the most jarring sight. Her empty seat. For the first time in years, her perfect record of attendance and punctuality had been broken. Well, not quite. The bell hadn't- and there it was.
When Mrs Twinrova ambled into the classroom, there was still no Midna. Everyone took their seats and answered roll call.
"Gulley Meadows."
"Here."
"Yunobo Nicolson."
"Here."
"Midna Ozul." Nothing. "Midna Ozul?" the teacher repeated. Still nothing. A smirk tugged at the corners of her mouth. Pen descended upon paper. Just as it touched, the door burst open.
"I'm here!" Midna wheezed, palms gripping her knees. Her messy hair hung from her shoulders, covering her right eye. A dark circle framed her left. Sweat shined against her forehead.
"Apologies, Ms Ozul." Mrs Twinrova barely disguised her smug tone. "I've already marked you absent. You'll have to make up from it in detention this afternoon."
Midna looked as though she had just been sentenced to a firing squad. "I can't!" she exclaimed. "I have… a home emergency. Yeah!"
"Well, I suppose you should've thought of that before arriving late."
"But-"
"Be seated, Ozul, or I'll make it the whole week."
With a scowl, Midna slammed her bag on her desk and plopped down beside Link.
Throughout the lesson, she proceeded to do several un-Midna-like things. Accidentally typing her notes in her History Studies document. Spacing out several times. Even dosing off once or twice. Link wasn't much of a notetaker, but with Midna in such a state, he jotted down every detail and point of interest for her later.
When it was time for partners to update each other on their assignment progress, Midna became quite alert and quite frightened. "I… um…"
"Should I go first?" Midna nodded all too eagerly. Link showed her the outline he had drafted of the first half of their presentation. He felt as though it was a little barebones and asked for some ideas on how to flesh it out.
"Well, you could…" she trailed off. "You could discuss another metaphor here?"
"That's the trope section. You're on metaphors."
"Oh, right." She lowered her voice to a whisper. "Don't you dare tell anyone this, but I'm a little behind."
Link shrugged. "It's fine. Show me what you've done so far."
Midna clutched her tablet to her chest as if it Link was trying to steal it for blackmail. The sheer oddness of her behaviour dawned on her, so she fumbled for an excuse. "Uh, well…" Link furrowed his brow, silently asking if she was okay. "It's just- I haven't-" She turned away from him and mumbled something. He hummed, confused. She mumbled it again. He waited patiently for her to repeat herself. "I haven't started yet!" She flinched, waiting for him to make some gloating remark about how she was the slacker now, or at least express some kind of disappointment.
That never came. He was a little surprised, but it quickly melted. "Thanks for being honest."
He had no business being this nice about it. When he flaked on her, she snapped at him, ignored him, made him work to earn back her favour. If this was how Link responded to Midna doing the same thing, what did that say about her?
The scratch of a pen against a loose scrap of paper carried her mind back to the classroom. He slid the note over. It was some kind of rough map. "The bag racks behind the old shed make a decent nap spot," he said. "Sometimes you get a few spiders, but I usually keep them out."
She glanced between the paper and Link. Her first instinct was to snap about how useless and uncomfortable it would be to sleep in such a space, but a yawn tugged at her throat. She took the paper. "I'll check it out."
At the ring of the bell, the pair filed out of the classroom together. Midna mumbled a goodbye and dragged herself towards this nap spot of his. As she disappeared into the crowd, he wondered what could have caused her to arrive late, panicked, sleep-deprived, and behind on her studies. There was only one way to find out.
As Mrs Twinrova fumbled with the buckle on her bag, Link took out a marker and approached the 'Vote for Groose' poster most visible from the doorway.
Throughout the day, Link witnessed many different kinds of stares being thrown is way. Curious eyes locked on him as hands covered whispered conspiracies. Women shot looks of disgust at the Hylian voe who had allegedly invaded Gerudo territory. Scrutinising glares tried to uncover hidden lies. Eyes widened with wonder and admiration.
As Link and Ganondorf lightly jogged the track during Physical Education that day, Groose's stare was by far the most intense. Pursed lips. Eyes seething with jealousy. His poster stunt should have been the talk of the school, yet all anyone cared about was some tall tale about Link and Ganondorf slaying a mythical creature with magic swords and spells with not a shred of video evidence to back it up.
"Spill it," said Groose. "How did a wimp like you manage to get a race of man-hating bitches to worship you?"
Link rolled his eyes. "Not calling them 'man-hating bitches' probably helped my case."
"What does that make me? King of the Man-Hating Bitches?" Ganondorf laughed. "Has a nice ring to it, actually. I'm going by that from now on."
Groose's face reddened. "Stop messing around. I know neither of you have the spine to take down a keese, let alone a molduga." He wedged himself between them and shot them each a glare. "Whatever bullshit you're up to, I'm not falling for it. I'm gonna do whatever it takes to expose you both for the liars you are."
"While you do that, Zelda can beat you in the election," said Ganondorf. Link snorted.
With that, the friends sped up, leaving Groose behind. They raced each other towards the finish line. The pounding of blood. The wind through their hair. The rush of energy.
Ganondorf won. Link collapsed against the nearest bench huffing. He massaged his ankle. It had healed remarkably fast but was still a little tender. He supposed the Triforce of Courage had something to do with it.
It was too quiet. "What, no gloating today?"
Ganondorf snapped out of a trance. "Hm?"
Link furrowed his brow. "You okay?"
"Yeah yeah, I'm fine. Just a bit anxious. You know how it is."
"Oh. You wanna talk about it?"
Ganondorf laughed him off. "It's nothing the Mighty Ganondorf can't handle."
There was something a little off about the way Ganondorf said it, but if he wasn't up for talking, then Link wasn't going to pry. With it being the middle of a lesson, it wasn't the right time or place. "Okay, mate. I'm here if you need me."
PE was the last lesson of Link's Monday schedule, but when the bell rung, he wasn't allowed to go home just yet.
"You got a detention?" Zelda scolded as they walked through the halls. "What happened to helping me practice for the student council debate tomorrow? I need all the help I can get to win against…" She trailed off as they rounded the corner to Mrs Twinrova's classroom, where Midna leaned against the wall. Head hung low. Arms crossed. She drummed her fingers against her forearm.
Zelda looked to Link, then Midna, then back at Link. He gave her an awkward smile that said it all. She pinched the bridge of her nose. "You and your stupid hormones."
Their echoing footsteps alerted Midna to their presence. She reached up to comb her fingers through her hair, ensuring that it still covered her right eye. The twins stopped beside her. "I'll see you at home, Link." Zelda side-eyed Midna as she passed.
"Um, Zelda?" Midna said timidly. The Hylian spun on her heel and waited. Midna opened her mouth to say something but closed it again. "Good luck tomorrow," she blurted. Zelda's face lit up in pleasant surprise. "You'll need it."
"Thank-you, but I don't need luck." With a toss of her hair, Zelda receded down the hallway. Midna slumped against the wall with the barest hint of a grimace. The moment between the girls gave Link pause. Did Midna try to-
"So, what brings you here this fine afternoon?" Midna asked. Link smirked deviously. He drew a scrunched-up piece of paper from his pocket and handed it over. She unfurled it and almost choked. On Groose's poster, Link had drawn a goose beak, flapping wings, and a speech bubble that said HONK! "Holy Hylia, this is a work of art! You really captured his hypocrisy."
"It took many sleepless nights." Her giggles made his chest swell.
"By the way, thanks for telling me about your nap place. Must be a valuable secret to give away." She winked. "But I won't tell anyone."
They ceased their friendly chatter when Mrs Twinrova shuffled towards them. As she fumbled with the lock, she not-so-subtly searched Midna's face for signs of humiliation. The Twili remained stoic, unwilling to validate her teacher's little revenge plot.
She gripped her biceps far too tight.
Link and Midna sat in silence for the first half hour as Mrs Twinrova marked a stack of papers. Whenever the teacher's head was bowed, Link stole a few glances at Midna. The lower the sun sank, the more the warm light of the open window highlighted her beauty. Her chin rested in her hand as she watched the clock. With the way her hair was draped, only her small, angular nose and purple-painted pout were visible. A surprise breeze blew the curtain from her face. She jumped and pulled it back down. Her left eye met his.
He had seen it, but pretended not to, casually choosing to stare ahead and sigh in boredom. Inside, worry surrounded the image that was only visible for a split second but was branded in his mind. A thin cut curved from just above her inner brow and down to her cheekbone. It didn't have the roughness of an accident. It was inflicted.
Stressed. Restless. Harmed. A home emergency she was eager to return to. No explanation Link thought of fit neatly into the hints set out before him. There was only one thing he knew for certain: whatever this was, she wasn't going to face it alone.
Mrs Twinrova was engrossed in a particularly horrible essay, so Link deemed it safe to carefully draw his slate from his pocket. On the message app, he opened Ganondorf's contact. Distract Mrs T for me? Ganon responded with a demon-horned emoji.
Seconds later, Mrs Twinrova's slate rung. She answered in an exasperated tone. "Ganon, I'm busy." Her face morphed into horror as he spoke. "Koume did what? Are there pictures online?" He answered. A hand clamped over her mouth. She slowly lowered it and murmured, "Did she tag me in them?" An answer. She jolted to her feet. "I have an urgent matter to take care off," she announced. "There better be no funny business while I'm gone." In the next moment, the room was theirs. It was too much space for them to fill.
Link cleared his throat and tilted his head towards the doorway. "Twins, huh?" Midna smiled weakly and turned away. How to approach this… "Are you doing okay?"
Her hands clenched. "What's it to you?"
"I care." Their eyes met. "I really do."
His genuine gaze set Midna's ablaze. "Really? Is that a thing you do? Have a goddess-damn hero complex or something? Well guess what, Mr Important Hero. I'm not going to become another problem everyone can pat you on the back for solving." That look of his did not falter. He should be recoiling, she thought. Why isn't he recoiling?
She couldn't stand to look at him. Couldn't stand to be around someone who couldn't be bitten and refused to bite back. He had to be so mature around her all the time.
"If you need me, I'll help you," he said. "You just need to ask."
Something about the way he said it carried utmost weight and sincerity. This was not a polite offer made with the intention of being refused. This was a promise. An oath. She so badly wanted to believe that deep down, he was just as rotten as her. But his actions proved over and over that he would walk through Din's Fire to save anyone. Even someone as undeserving as her.
One more test, she decided. "Did you really fight a molduking?" she whispered.
It wasn't his answer she sought after. It was how he delivered it. The hesitation. The bashfulness. The visible inner turmoil about whether she'd consider him a liar if he said yes or dull if he said no.
A slow nod. He was a risk-taker, through and through.
Mrs Twinrova ambled into the classroom as she scrutinised the pair. "Did anything happen?"
"Aside from your loud phone call?" Midna asked. "No. Not really. I'm excited to see how your sister tries to make you retire next."
The teacher's face scrunched up in fury. "Now listen here-"
"Oh, don't give me that crap. I only said that we could hear you from down the hall." She smiled coyly. "I'm trying to help you keep your private calls private."
Mrs Twinrova dragged her palms down her face. "How much do you know."
"Too much, I'm afraid." She gave a showy yawn. "Oh Farore, I could use some rest. You know, Link and I have had plenty of time to reflect on our actions and how wrong we were. It would be a shame if we got into more trouble. Maybe say something we shouldn't?"
Mrs Twinrova's fuming gaze burrowed into Midna. She responded with a winner's grin. "Fine," the teacher spat. "I suppose detention is over for today. Get out of my classroom."
Midna sprinted into the hallway. Link dashed after her, hoping to say goodbye, but she threw herself into the outside world before he had the chance. The squeaky hinges of the flapping doors echoed throughout the hall.
One of the many inconveniences of having a grand quest was that Link frequently got behind on homework. Another issue was that whenever he sat himself down to play catch up, some kind of quest business would interrupt him.
He had just been sitting at his desk, answering a questionnaire on Hyrule's industrial revolution, when his slate chimed with a text from Midna.
I need you to come to my house NOW
Everything ok?
No. Three dots appeared. The anticipation was like a rollercoaster climbing a tall arch. They're coming again.
That was all he needed to act. No time to ask who, what, or why. Boots. Jacket. Cap. He pattered down the stairs and passed Zelda at the dining table who had been staring far too intently at her pencil. "Where do you think you're going?"
"Midna's in trouble," Link texted that he was on his way and opened the door to the garage. "Be back by morning."
"Hey, wait-" Slam the door. Open the garage. Start the cycle. Down the road.
Whoever "they" were, he was coming for them.
I have an announcement! Thanks to me over-achieving in NaNoWriMo, I have grown my backlog to 19 chapters, which means weekly updates! If my backlog ever shrinks to be only four, I'll probably go back to the fortnightly schedule, but that won't be happening for a looooong time.