the aftermath (part one?)
The return to Castle Town was rather peaceful. Zelda and Link, as well as Lana and Ashei, went about their regular routines. During the day they kept their heads low and went to their scheduled classes and extracurriculars or jobs as usual.
However, nighttime was a different story. Ever since the incident in Gerudo Valley, the four of them decided there would be power in numbers in order to foil Ganondorf and Nabooru's plans. Lana was the only one out of the newly-formed group who was still skeptical about Nabooru's involvement, but Ashei advocated that Nabooru's interest in Lana would be a tremendous resource in obtaining information about their devious schemes. Ashei took Ganondorf's warning back in the desert to heart, but it wasn't enough to deter her from working against him when she could. They simply had to keep up an innocent façade whenever they were in his sight.
"I'll be home soon babe. I promise!" Zelda reassured her boyfriend while skimming through a pile of books on a tiny table. It was a school night, but instead of lounging around at the apartment and studying with Shad, or going on a date night with Pipit, Zelda was with Ashei and Lana at a hidden corner of the library. Lana was able to snag a pair of keys from the librarian and go in after hours. The campus was practically barren. With the dorms closed down the usual curfew was not being enforced, and there were less security guards lurking around the buildings. It was the perfect opportunity for everyone to convene. The only person who couldn't be there was Link, who was working some additional shifts to make up for his trip to the desert.
Lana glanced at Zelda, waiting for her conversation with her boyfriend to be over.
"I'm so lonely though!" Pipit whined on the other line. "When are you coming home?"
"Just go to bed, silly! It's super late anyway."
"If I do, are you going to join me? Shad's out with –"
Lana snatched Zelda's phone out of her hands.
"Hi Pipit! Zelda's busy. Bye!" She clicked the end call button before Zelda could protest.
"Hey!" She said, grabbing her phone.
"I'm sorry, I was just getting tired of listening to the mushiness. Is he always this clingy?" Lana asked.
"He isn't clingy, he just wants to spend time with me. We haven't spent that much time together this past week."
"You live together. You go to the same school. What more does he want?"
Ashei peeked her head out from behind one of the books she was perusing.
"I don't want to interrupt this wonderful conversation, but I found something interesting. Have you guys ever heard of 'HOPE'?"
"Yes, it's what I don't have for my future." Lana replied dryly.
"I'm being serious right now, and it's an acronym. It stands for Hylian Overworld…"
"…Policy Enactment." Zelda finished her sentence.
"What? You've heard of it!?" Ashei was genuinely surprised. "It says here it isn't a well-known law."
"I did a presentation on it in high school."
"What is it?" Lana leaned forward, trying to peek inside the book.
"It's essentially an alliance between the different provinces of Hyrule. We all know that cities like Ordon, Kakariko and Castle Town are mainly run by Hylians. However, there's also the Eldin Region with the Gorons, Rito Village around Lake Totori, and Zora's Domain. They have their own forms of government and rule, but years ago after the last Great War they brokered a deal with the Hylian Kingdom to establish the same set of laws throughout Hyrule." Ashei said, scanning the book carefully.
"Okay? So why not call it the Hyrule Overworld Policy Enactment? And what kind of name for a law is that, anyway?" Lana replied.
Ashei shrugged, "I don't know. Maybe they wanted to sound clever. But it's called Hylian because they enacted Hylian laws, essentially washing over the laws that the other regions had."
Lana nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
"Sounds kinda suspicious."
"The laws aren't bad or anything, and certainly nothing that would make the Hylian government an empire over the other governments. The laws are basic, like not murdering, harassing or assaulting people, or stealing… There are also the traffic and driving laws listed under here as well."
"Then what's the big deal?" Lana asked.
Zelda perked up, remembering bits and pieces of the policy from the research she had done in school.
"There's only one province that isn't part of the alliance!" Ashei said. "Gerudo Town. The desert and all of its mini colonies in fact. None of them agreed to the policy. They have their own set of laws."
"I'm still not understanding what you guys are getting at. How does this help us figure out how to take down the Dean and…" she paused, biting her lip, then rephrased the question. "How does this help you guys figure out how to take down the Dean and… Nabooru… if they're even guilty of anything at all?"
Ashei rolled her eyes, then noticed Zelda mentally piece things together as her eyes widened.
"Oh my goddesses, Ashei, you're a genius!" Zelda gasped.
Ashei smiled, clearly flattered.
"Thank you, thank you."
"Lana," Zelda turned to the blue-haired girl staring at her intensely, "This is important. The desert is like its own safe bubble. If Dean Dragmire and Nabooru commit a crime here outside of the desert, they can be arrested for it here, but if they go back to Gerudo Town, they can't be tried!"
"Exactly." Ashei said, snapping the book shut. "This is part of their plan. Once they've practically bankrupted our university and convinced our highest donors to pool their rupees into reviving Naboris University, they're going to run back to the desert like cowards! They'll never have to answer for their crimes."
"Is it really that simple?" Lana asked.
"Not really…" Zelda said, "They'll be blacklisted and noted by Hylian authorities as top wanted criminals. If they step anywhere outside of Gerudo Desert they'll risk getting captured, which means they're stuck staying in the desert."
"Forever?" Lana asked nervously.
"I guess it would depend on the statute of limitations for fraud." Zelda shrugged, "Either way, the consequences are dire."
Lana frowned, and Zelda's next words only worsened her mood.
"It goes both ways too. I'm pretty sure that after the gala debacle we have been noted as dangerous individuals by Gerudo authorities. Well, maybe not you Lana."
"Does… does this mean that if Nabooru gets caught, she'll either be arrested or have to go back to the desert?"
"Yes." Zelda nodded.
Lana looked so sad, and her bottom lip began to quiver.
"Do you think she knows about this law?"
"I'm not sure." Zelda replied, "If she doesn't, maybe we can convince her to stop helping Mr. Dragmire."
Ashei sighed, feeling sympathetic for her friend.
"Lana, I know you're still on the fence about all of this. But we can't let them get away with something as drastic as this just because you have a little crush."
Lana looked away, staring at the ground.
"Yeah… you're right."
"We can't just go to the authorities and tell them all this information, though. We need some compelling evidence. Link and I found security footage of them dumping jelly into the dorms but I don't think it'll be enough to prove that they did it, since they covered their faces. We need something stronger." Zelda said.
"Maybe they have a base of some sort." Ashei said, her brow furrowed in thought. "Like an apartment, or a house."
Lana squealed at the word, standing up abruptly.
"Lana? What's wrong? Was it something I said?" Ashei asked, puzzled at her sudden outburst.
"A house… No… The House." Lana mumbled, her mind flashing back to a tiny man in green. "The House of Thieves!"
»°«
A few days later, Pipit and Zelda were relaxing on the couch together. Pipit was elated, more than happy to have his girlfriend in his arms again. Ever since Karane told him and Shad about what Groose had done, he was waiting for the right time to bring it up, but getting Zelda to stay rooted in one place for more than an hour at a time ever since the weekend she and Link left was difficult enough. He wanted a moment where they could just be together, and not worry about any pressing matters. On the other hand, Zelda didn't notice Pipit, he was a backdrop amidst all the other thoughts swirling around her mind. She was worried about Ganondorf and Nabooru, about Groose, and recently she found herself worrying about Lana, who couldn't stop raving about a fairy man named 'Tingle.'
Pipit looked over at Zelda, massaging her shoulders lightly while she sat in his lap. Her leg was bouncing rhythmically against his thigh. He leaned into her, putting his cheek against hers.
"Are you okay babe?"
Zelda turned, forcing Pipit to pull away from her face. She stared at him blankly for a moment, as if she'd forgotten she was sitting in his lap and that they were spending time together.
"Have you seen Link lately?" She asked.
He sighed internally, trying to keep his face neutral.
Seriously? He thought to himself. He anticipated she would be just as happy to be with him, but apparently, he couldn't hold her attention for more than two minutes at a time.
"He's been focused a lot on his studies and work."
"That's fair, but I feel like since our –" Zelda caught herself, and chose her next words carefully, "…group retreat, he's been caught up in so much crap. Like don't get me wrong, we still interact with each other and those interactions have been amiable and all, I just wish there was… a little more to it. You know?"
"Yeah. I do know actually. That's how I feel about you." Pipit said, visibly upset.
"Huh?"
"Zelda this is the first time we're hanging out one-on-one since you left that weekend. When you're not in class or studying with Shad, you're out with your friends. I don't understand how you have time to do all these things but you don't have time for me."
"I'm sorry Pipit, things are just a little more complicated than you think."
"Complicated how? You're only a freshman. You haven't declared yet. You don't have a job, and you finished your hours for the dorms. I just don't feel like I'm a priority here."
"Baby…" Zelda murmured softly, leaning in and planting a lingering kiss on his lips, "Of course you're a priority."
Pipit smiled, pulling her back to him and holding onto her for a longer and more satisfying kiss.
"That's all I wanted to hear." He murmured against her lips.
The door to the apartment burst open, and Shad walked in grinning from ear to ear. Link stepped in carefully behind him, a large trophy in his arms.
Zelda jumped off of Pipit instantly, running over to inspect the trophy with interest.
"What is this for?" She gasped.
"We won!" Shad exclaimed.
"Won what?"
"AcaDeca!" He said, extraordinarily giddy.
"Oh? I loved being in AcaDeca in high school! But… I didn't realize it was also a college thing?"
"It wasn't for HU, I actually mentor the team for my former high school."
"Shad… that's amazing!" Zelda beamed. "I wish you'd invited me, I would have loved to come and support you."
Shad blushed from the kind words, then noted the apparent sadness on Zelda's face.
"I would have invited you!" He said in an attempt to make her feel better, "But Pipit told me not to because he wanted you two to…" He stopped talking immediately when he noticed Pipit start motioning with his hands to shut up.
"What?" Zelda looked back to Pipit, surprised. "How could you say something like that?"
"Is it a crime to want some time alone with my girlfriend? Link went there, and he was more than enough support." Pipit shrugged.
"Link? You went to the competition?" Zelda asked him.
"Yes…" Link replied nervously, setting the trophy down on the table.
"We all could have went together! The four of us haven't spent that much time together as a group, but Link and I get along really well now, and –"
"Yeah I'm sure you do." Pipit muttered.
"What's THAT supposed to mean?"
"Nothing."
"Then why'd you say it?"
"We literally just had this talk, Zelda! You have time for everyone except for me. I didn't mean to keep this from you, but I don't see the big deal here."
"The 'big deal' is that you tried to keep something important to Shad hidden from me out of selfish intentions! We can hang out any time we want, but it isn't everyday that Shad wins a competition!"
Pipit glared, his mind flashing back to the Karane and Strich. Shad convinced him not to bring it up just yet to Zelda and Link, in case it increased tensions between the four of them, to which Pipit reluctantly agreed.
Does she realize how hypocritical she's being, considering what she kept from me? Should I bring up that Shad and I know about Groose? Shad may not be too happy about that…
"Hmph. I guess I'm just the bad guy, huh?" Pipit replied, opting to respect what he and Shad agreed upon and not to bring up Groose… for now.
"Well you certainly aren't in the right in this situation if that's what you're getting at."
Pipit was now standing up in front of Zelda while they continued their argument.
"Pipit, we could have spent time together while hanging out with Link and Shad." Zelda explained.
"I've been to those AcaDeku whatevers before, Zelda! Shad's always out with his team on stage, coaching them while they compete. Link would have been third wheeling in the audience with us! And you wouldn't want that, right Link?" Pipit asked.
Link glanced at Shad, who shrugged helplessly.
"Uh…"
"No, he wouldn't mind, because we can contain ourselves in a public space." Zelda rudely interrupted, "So he wouldn't really be a third wheel. It doesn't matter if we're all just hanging out as friends! Right, Link?" Zelda turned to him expectantly.
"Well," Link began, but never got the chance to finish his sentence because Pipit spoke up again.
"No offense Zelda, but I don't think Link is going to side with you. I know you guys have been on good terms recently, but that doesn't mean much here. He's been my best friend for years!"
"It's not about who he's been friends with the longest, it's about who's right in this situation! Which is me!"
Link scratched his head.
"I don't think I should –"
"You know what, this isn't even about Link! This was Shad's competition. What do you think, Shad?" Zelda asked him.
Pipit then looked over to him for an answer.
Link let out a sigh of relief, happy to have the spotlight off of him. He gave Shad a smug look.
"Yes, enlighten us Shad. Who's right in this situation?"
Shad glowered at Link, then grabbed his trophy.
"Sorry guys, I need to put this trophy in the room. The students want me to hold onto it till the school can clear a spot for it on their display case." Shad dashed off into their room, and all that was heard afterwards was the noticeable click of the door's lock.
"I'm out of here too." Pipit said grumpily, moving past Zelda and Link to leave the apartment.
"Where are you going?" Zelda called out after him.
"I don't know! Maybe to find someone who actually appreciates my company."
He slammed the door, leaving Zelda and Link alone in the living room. They stood there, processing what had just happened for a few awkward minutes.
Link frowned when he noted the sad look on Zelda's face, and motioned for her to join him on the couch.
Zelda followed, sitting next to him and crossing her arms.
"That was embarrassing."
"It… certainly wasn't ideal." Link replied.
"I'm sorry for putting you on the spot like that. I just felt the need to defend myself." Zelda replied.
"It's fine." He said good-naturedly. "Wanna talk it out?"
Zelda twiddled around with her fingers.
"I don't want to take up your time."
"I wasn't expecting to come home to this, but if it makes you feel better then what's the harm?"
"You really want to talk to me about my relationship issues?"
"It's the least I can do for all the times you've listened to me. Talk to me, princess." He said earnestly.
Zelda nodded appreciatively, getting herself comfortable on the couch before she began to speak.
"I think that was our first actual argument."
"I guess the honeymoon phase is over."
"I can't believe Pipit. That's just low. I want to spend time with him but he shouldn't lie or hide things from me in order for us to do that."
"He'll never admit it, but Pipit loves being validated. When you're done with schoolwork, or we're finishing up our work with Lana and Ashei, call him or text him so that you guys can spend time together. It'll be a great way for you to detox after something stressful, and you can focus on him."
"Would that really work?" Zelda asked.
"Think about it, you only had one class today right? We're done with our hours at the dorms. You didn't do much today before hanging with Pipit. You don't feel like today was complete." Link pointed out.
Zelda thought about it, and her shoulders slumped when she realized Link was right. She was a lot more stressed than she realized, and Link was the only other person who seemed to notice.
"You… wow. You really hit the nail on the head." She bit her lip. "I'm just so worried. Constantly. It sucks."
"I know exactly how you feel, Zelda. I wish we could reverse the clock and go back to when we didn't know any better. But we can't. All we can do is go forward and find fun, lighthearted moments in between all of the madness."
Zelda nodded, "You're right."
Her eyes crinkled and Link could tell she was trying her hardest not to cry. He pulled her to him wordlessly, giving her a much-needed hug. They stood there for a moment, and Zelda felt her body begin to loosen and relax. She'd been so antsy, but Pipit's outburst as well as Link's words to her helped her realize she needed to slow down.
They slowly pulled away from each other, but Link's hands lingered on hers.
"I can see why Pipit feels ignored. Before we went to the gala I couldn't stop thinking about him, but now, there's just too much at stake for me to focus on him and him alone. Link, be honest with me… Am I a bad girlfriend?" She asked, clearly afraid of his answer.
But Link shook his head immediately.
"Zelda, between the two of us, you're the only one who can really answer that question."
"It's just that this isn't the only thing. What if he finds out that we lied? What if he finds out where we REALLY were that weekend? And what we did together?" Zelda asked fearfully.
From inside his room, Shad heard Zelda's words and looked to his door, clearly surprised at what she had said. He walked over and pressed an ear to the door to listen to their conversation. It felt wrong, but after the bombshell Karane had dropped on them, clearly there were secrets being kept in the apartment.
"Zelda, for his own good, we can't tell him." Link replied.
"I know; I know." She said, pulling her hands away from his to rub her head. She hoped the action would clear away her thoughts, but she had no such luck. "I hate lying to him so much, Link. After my other screw-ups it just doesn't feel right."
"Hey." Link poked her cheek, "I know I said only you can answer this, but I'll give you my thoughts on the matter. If you're anywhere near as caring and attentive towards Pipit as you are towards me, I'd say you're a fantastic girlfriend."
Zelda felt her face heat up at his words, and she shook her head.
"You're just saying that to make me feel better."
"You of all people should know I don't mince my words. I mean it, princess. You put your heart into everything you do, and it's one of the reasons I have no choice but to like you now."
Shad tried to keep his mouth from falling open.
Since when does Link call her princess!?
Link continued, "You're incredibly beautiful, inside and out. Pipit's very lucky to have you. You just need to make sure you put more energy into your relationship, and show him that you care. That's all he really wants."
Zelda smiled, studying Link's face as she processed his words. His expression was friendly but she could see his affection for her brewing within his eyes. For a moment her mind flashed back to Gerudo Valley, and what he'd wanted to tell her.
"Link…?" She asked, ready to pop the question.
"Hm?"
Then she shook her head, not wanting to ruin the moment.
"Thank you." She said instead.
»°«
Pipit walked off, stomping away until the complex was well behind him. He had no idea where he was going, all he knew was that he wanted to clear his head. The campus was right across the street, so he opted to go there. He was planning on wandering around aimlessly, until his phone buzzed. It was a text from Karane, and along with his number were several others attached to the same message. The only other number he recognized was Shad's, the others were not among his contacts.
URGENT:
so I have some good news and some bad news. Good news: Groose no longer seems interested in getting a hold of Link and Zelda. bad news? He says his new target is someone much more important, and will guarantee him his freedom. idk what to make of that, but I want us to meet up at the café this weekend. It's time for me to talk about what happened between us in high school.
Pipit's stomach dropped at the last words of Karane's message. He'd been waiting for years to find out what happened between Karane and Groose, and why she got so emotional whenever he tried to bring the subject up. On the bright side – which was difficult to find in this situation – he was glad Link and Zelda were now safe.
But now one question remained… Who was Groose's new target?
»°«
"What the hell are you waiting for? Let those palefaces know that they've made a mistake! Start taking care of them NOW." A voice on the other end of a phone line snapped.
Ganondorf sat comfortably in his chair, leaning back as he listened to Riju snap at him impatiently.
"Ju, relax. I know what I'm doing here."
"Do you?" She asked skeptically.
"I do." He confirmed, "Our spring recess is approaching. Then after that, only a few more weeks until finals. The students have a lot on their plates. Besides, there is always a period of calm before the storm."
"So you want to lull them into a false sense of security?"
"In a sense, yes. But I also want them to breathe, Riju. Don't you? You're certainly not as cruel as I am. We do our business here, finish it up, and go about our lives. They were never supposed to know about this, and now that they do I don't wantto make their lives worse."
There was silence, followed by an audible sigh.
"This isn't about what you WANT to do. You are in a position of power and you need to use it. Don't underestimate them. And don't wait to do what you need to do. Or else I'll take matters into my own hands."
"You are so impatient." Ganondorf shook his head. "But very well then. We'll let the games begin."
He thought to the four troublesome students.
Link, Zelda, Ashei, and Lana.
His mind wasn't completely made up on how he would handle each and every single one of them, but he had some idea of how to hit them where it hurt.
In the midst of his thinking he heard a light creak outside of his office.
"And while we're at it, where is Nabooru? She's supposed to be HELPING –"
"I have to go." Ganondorf ended the call just in the nick of time. A broad-shouldered individual stood in the doorway; his face was hidden by the shadows. Ganondorf didn't need to see his face, however, to know who it was.
Groose stepped forward with a large duffel bag in his arms.
"Dean Dragmire." He greeted politely.
"Can I help you, Groose?" He asked, eying the student with disdain as he thought back to the incident with Karane. It may have helped them sell the narrative of HU's rowdiness to the donors, but he still didn't like Groose's actions regardless.
"You can, actually." He walked over to Ganondorf's desk, dumping the bag on top. "I'm tired of these accusations. I want them to stop."
"Prove you're innocent then." Ganondorf said, his voice devoid of any sympathy.
Groose tried to contain his anger.
"I didn't do it. You know that I didn't."
"I know that your presence on campus has been toxic, and that harmful pranks are your forte. And what is this for?" Ganondorf asked, gesturing to the bag.
"An allegation like this is heavy, and can seriously fuck up my future. I won't let that happen." Groose said defiantly. "But I know better than to come at you sideways. So instead, I want to make a deal."
He unzipped the duffel bag, mildly surprising Ganondorf with its contents.
A/N: Lately, many of these chapters have ranged from 7,000 – 10,000 words so it's nice to have something a little shorter (well, to me at least). Anyway, I am hoping to get back into a semi decent update schedule, because after reviewing my notes for the story and putting some thought into it, I know more or less how I want the story to ultimately end. I've decided the fates of all the characters as well as their relationships (I'm VERY indecisive and couldn't make my mind up, so this is a big deal!). Expect a rollercoaster of emotions ahead, but trust and believe that most of them will be for the betterment of the characters. As for Link and Zelda, I know the subtle moments that have been building up between them since the beginning of the story have been eating away at you guys (19 chapters and over 100k words in, most people would expect them to be happily in love and dating by now… heh… *sweatdrop*), but I think you'll find how THEIR relationship progresses in these next couple of chapters to be… interesting.
I'll end this note by saying THANK YOU for being so supportive, so patient, and so kind to me. I really appreciate it with all of my heart, and with what I've been through these past months, it's very much needed. I'm excited for the new settings we'll visit in these next couple of chapters and the characters you guys will get to meet! Next update should be out soon!