It wasn't long before the four of us set out to sneak into Hebijo: me, Zelda, Haruka, and Yomi. We were each wearing the Hebijo uniforms, the ones that used to belong to the Crimson Squad when they still went there. And, just as before, I was stuck with the one that apparently used to belong to Hikage. The one that she cut short to be a crop top that was barely long enough to cover her boobs. Thus, barely long enough to cover mine. Great.

We followed Haruka and Yomi, Haruka in particular, as they led us to where we needed to go. Apparently, we'd gotten there at just the right time. It was around lunchtime, when Haruka claimed was right when the guards at the west gate changed shifts, if things were still the same as when she was a student. That gave us time to slip into the school grounds undetected. And then we'd blend in, because we had the uniforms on.

Hopefully no one would realize that Zelda and I weren't familiar faces, or that Haruka and Yomi were familiar faces. Faces that were in exile and were supposed to be killed if they ever showed up here again. Remind me again why we're doing this?

"Because we have to," Zelda thought to me, butting into my head again.

Yeah, but they're risking their lives for us here. Why are they willing to do that exactly?

"Because they're allies with Hanzo, and because Haruka... well. Her admiration of your assets is certainly a contributing factor."

Don't remind me.

I was glad we had Haruka leading us, though. It didn't seem like we could really rely on Yomi that much. Mostly because she was busy looking around, wide eyed. I could tell this was bringing back a lot of memories for her, both good and bad. I mean, I always had that same stupid look on my face when I was remembering a thing from one of my past lives. So I could kinda relate.

Zelda wasn't quite as patient with her, though.

"You could do with acting a bit more natural," she whispered at Yomi. Bad idea. It was like someone hit a switch on Yomi that sent her from spacey to pissed.

"I don't listen to princesses when they tell me what to do," she snapped.

"I am not a princess in this form."

"You might as well be, little miss rich girl."

"I couldn't help that I was born into a wealthy family."

"Hmph. You probably don't even know the value of bean sprouts."

I shushed the both of them. Even though the bickering probably looked pretty natural for high school girls...

By then, we were on the roof of the second highest floor, right where Haruka had led us to go. That way, we could climb the wall to the highest floor, and break into the elite students' class area through a window. It would be less expected and likely for us to get caught that way, than if we went in through the designated secret entrance tunnel, and also we'd have more space on the roof to flee if we needed to.

The closer we got, though, the more visibly nervous Yomi was getting. She was chewing her lip enough that it'd started bleeding. I mean, it made sense. The elite students would know who she was, and apparently had actively sought her out before, trying to kill her to regain their school's lost pride. The pride they felt the renegades of the Crimson Squad tarnished.

Hopefully the elite students would be smart enough now to put pride aside.

We got to the place in the wall where we were supposed to climb, and naturally, I started first. This was my battle to fight, so I was the one who was going to put myself the most in harm's way. It wasn't hard to go up, given all the wooden beams and brackets that were easy to grab onto. Once I was high up enough that someone else could start climbing under me, Yomi got on next. And it was only after she and I were both up pretty high that Zelda cautiously got on herself.

The wind fluttered my uniform skirt, and I suddenly became hyper conscious of what panties I'd put on this morning. I just grabbed the first thing from the clean clothes pile, not considering that they were in fact cheeky boyshorts. Great. If Kat were here, she'd be having a field day.

But it wasn't the time for that now.

I peered into the window, which was already cracked open enough to let in the breeze from the nice day. The class was having their lunch break, just sitting around all casual and munching on stuff from their lunchboxes. There they were. Ryobi, Ryona, and Murasaki, who we knew. Then, a girl with a short, masculine haircut, where she would look like a particularly pretty boy if it weren't for her curves. Then, another girl, with glasses, having an eager conversation with... the girl with fiery red hair. Ganondorf herself.

I squeezed the brackets until my knuckles turned white. Familiarity swirled around in my head like mist, and part of me wanted to dissolve into it, to see these visions of the past, and find out what they had to say to me. But I knew if I did that now, I'd go tumbling right off the wall. I had to focus. To try to listen in on the conversation as much as I could hear through the sliver of open window.

"Really, you need to lighten up," glasses girl said. "I know you wanna prove yourself to the elite class and all, but you can do something else besides study and train. We wanted to go shopping after school today, and we really want you to come..."

Short hair girl nodded. "Yes, it's important to get to know your fellow students. We are going to be fighting together in life or death situations. When things get like that, you don't just need to know how to fight. You need to know how your teammates have your back, and how you have to have theirs."

Finally, Ganondorf spoke. Her speech was rigid. She was not good at acting normal.

"Hmph. And you think this... shopping... will serve as a team building activity enough to increase our power in battle?"

"Did you... not have friends in your old school?" glasses girl asked.

"I didn't have time for dealing with those pathetic―"

"You really have an ego, you know that?" Short hair girl gave Ganondorf a stern look.

"Egotistical?" She laughed her cruel laugh again, the one that sent shivers down my spine.

"Yeah," glasses girl said, nodding. "If you're really all that, then how about this? Miyabi and I, versus you, by yourself. If you win? You get bragging rights, and we'll get off your back about hanging out and stuff. But if we win? You'll go shopping with us. Today."

She just laughed again. The deepest, darkest, coldest laugh I ever heard come out of an otherwise cute, busty eighteen year old girl. "Is that what you want? You've got guts, if you think―" But suddenly, she shut up.

She made a weird jerking motion, as if she was about to look at the back of her hand, like checking the time on an old-school watch. But then she shook her head, and looked down at her own big boobs instead. Like she'd suddenly forgotten where her scroll was hidden, and had to just kind of glance in the right direction to make sure it was still there.

And she started glancing around, increasingly frantically.

I could feel it too. The weird subconscious urge to look at my hand, except my left instead of right, expecting to see a soft golden glow emanating from it. Obviously there wasn't. Instead, though... well. I could definitely feel the resonance of an extreme power from within my cleavage. It's hard to describe how that power feels, but it's simultaneously warming and motivating while also anxiety inducing? It sounds like a total contradiction, but... it's like your adrenaline is pumping, telling you there's danger nearby, but that you're definitely ready for a fight response. Ready to unleash everything you've got, to defend to the death the strength resonating from deep inside your very soul.

Or just from between your boobs.

I took a deep breath in and looked back into the window. Now glasses girl and short hair girl were looking at each other. They didn't really need words to express their bewilderment, but I did hear a soft "what the fuck." Ganondorf was starting to build some kind of growing rage inside her, one as fiery as her hair, as she stormed over to a table and slammed her fist against it for what seemed like no apparent reason. But some of us knew there was a reason.

It was enough to elicit a sharp gasp from Murasaki, whose teddy bear was sitting right by her side. She snatched it up and gave it a squeeze, before burying the lower half of her face into its head. Probably so no one could hear her hyperventilating.

Then I noticed redhead was now storming over to the window. The one we were at.

There was no way I wouldn't be seen. I quickly jumped down from my perch at it, preparing to hit the roof with a quick somersault, focus my own scroll into a transformation, and get into a fighting stance. So I'd be ready for her.

I'd gotten so worked up that I forgot Yomi and Zelda were still both beneath me. So, uh, I hit Yomi in the face.

With my butt.

My skirt had flipped up, and Yomi got a face full of my cheeky boyshort panties.

I let out a yell of sheer frustration before scrambling to my feet. Yomi did as well. Soon she and Zelda were both just standing there, each of them turning red. Yomi had a nosebleed, but when I looked at her, she covered it with her hands. Haruka was down a level from the rest of us, but she let out a sharp laugh when she saw what was going on.

"Now is not the time," Zelda said, shaking her head.

I shooed them away with a hand gesture before focusing on my still resonating scroll and getting ready for an intense battle. They obeyed without question, and I watched them scurry away, Yomi's hands still covering her face. I wasted no time nocking an arrow to my bow and aiming it toward the window.

I had to take a few deep breaths to steady my hands. I didn't want my friends to be casualties of this. This was my fight, and mine alone.

But I... um... I guessed if I died today, I'd die with the knowledge that I have a hot butt?

"You're not going to die." Zelda was standing beside me. "This isn't just your fight. It's mine as well." She paused. "And, as for the latter half of that, well... it's good we've got motivation to get others to fight for our cause?"

Now it was my turn to be like, now is not the time. Because Ganondorf had hoisted the window open and was now climbing out it onto the roof with us.

"Really? I'll get to kill both of you at once? I suppose I owe you my thanks for making my job so much easier."

The short haired girl, Miyabi, had also clamored out the window, in pursuit of her crazy classmate.

"What are you doing?" she asked.

"We've got a handful of little impostors here, trying to pass themselves off as Hebijo students. And two of them have something I need."

"How did you know they were out there?"

"I..." Ganondorf clutched her arms over her ample chest. "I felt their power resonating."

Ha. So that was where she kept her scroll. Maybe all I had to do was get it from her, and this whole thing could be over with. I quickly tucked my bow away and instead drew my sword. With an instinctual yell, I sliced her school top open. She had gauzy binding over her chest underneath that, and I could see a golden glow from her cleavage.

How does one get an important item out of someone else's cleavage without looking like the biggest pervert ever?

"You little—"

She hurled a ball of glowing, crackling energy at me. I was able to deflect it with my sword just in time. She tried to deflect it back with her hand, but missed, and it ended up hitting her. It burned away at the fabric of her glove where it made contact, but didn't affect her otherwise.

It certainly didn't stop her from hurling another. One I couldn't deflect fast enough. One that hit me in the chest, basically vaporizing what was left of the already tiny Hebijo uniform top that Hikage had cut up. I was left in just a short skirt and a bra, super glad I'd managed to build up an immunity to feeling awkward being half naked in front of people.

Again, she sent another ball of energy flying my way. I deflected it with a vertical slice, sending it downward. It hit her skirt, and of course affected that fabric, fraying the skirt so it was so short it showed off she was wearing lacy black whatever the girl equivalent of boxers is. I mean, I guessed they were kinda boyshorts but thankfully much less cheeky.
Miyabi was shaking her head.

"What is this? Strip tennis?"

I mean, I guessed you could put it that way.

Suddenly, Ryona came bounding out the window and onto the roof. She charged in front of Zelda and I, serving as a barrier between us and Ganondorf. She started jumping up and down, some of her doing a lot of bouncing as she did. Bounce, bounce, bounce.

"Ooh, me! Me! Hit me with those!"

"Get out of the way, you imbecile," Ganondorf practically snarled at her.

"I'm an imbecile," Ryona said, squealing with glee. "I'm a stupid bitch. If you shoot those weird balls at me, it'll hurt, and it'll burn my clothes off too. I'll look like a dumb slut. And it'll feel so good. Does it burn like fire? I want to feel it."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Ganondorf asked. I guessed I was more used to Ryona's... Ryona behavior than she was, even though the two of them were actual classmates.

"Now's our chance to get away," Yomi said, dashing over to tug at my arm.

I puffed out my cheeks in frustration, stomping my foot against the roof tiles. I didn't want to flee this fight. I wanted to take her down. There was just too much chaos in the way for me to do it.

"No, it's best we go," Zelda said. "We got what we came here for—more information about exactly what's going on with Ganondorf."

I crossed my arms in a huff and refused to budge.

"We know she knows about us. We know she knows about the Triforce. And we know her classmates think she's odd and can tell there's something up with her. So let's go."

I sighed. I guessed we did have more info now than we did before, but had it really been worth risking all four of our lives for it? Well, if we left now, at least we'd be safe. I turned to scurry back down the wall the way we came, and the rest of the group followed.

But I could still hear the yelling from up there on the roof.

"You... they got away. They got away, and it was all because of you, you—" The smacking sound of a fist connecting with flesh, followed by a moan of pleasure.

"Ooooohhh, again please!"

I exhaled sharply in amusement. Looked like Ganondorf figured out what happens when you try to beat up Ryona.

Haruka laughed too as we fled the scene, completely disregarding the peril of, you know, being in enemy territory with people who'd kill us on sight if they realized what was going on.

"Running away scared? You bad little girl." And she slapped my ass like before, except way less lightly. This time it was hard enough that it stung. I yelped. Zelda shook her head.

"We were not scared," she said. "We were doing the sensible thing."

I was too busy to be offended, because I was, uh, learning things about myself in that moment. Apparently, though I wasn't quite as bad, I had a little... Ryona tendency of my own. Because, uh, it was kinda a turn-on to have my ass slapped and to be called a bad little girl? I didn't want it to be, but it was. Obviously I wasn't going to be like Ryona and base my whole life around chasing the questionable pleasure of being hit, but... I couldn't help but feel dirty.

And now Zelda was shaking her head at me.

"It's all right. You deserve a little... release after all that's been going on for you lately." She gave a reassuring smile. "Just... I'm never going to do that to you, just so you know."

I felt myself turning bright red as my face got really, really hot. Haruka seemed to be picking up the vibes I was putting down, and a smirk spread across her face.

"You do deserve a little release after all this," she said. "I could definitely help you with that, if you wanted."

I shook my head no.

"You sure?"

I nodded.

"Well, if you say so. But if you ever need anything like that, you can always ask me."

By the time I got home safely, I felt like I was basically self immolating with embarrassment. Ugh. I stepped into the apartment, feeling how bad I was blushing, which sucked, because Tris was right there on the couch.

"How'd everything go?" she asked. "I got a few texts from Ryona. She said she was surprised to see you show up at her school, and she didn't understand what you were doing there, but in the end it worked out for her because she got beat up and it was fun."

I nodded, while sighing in sheer exasperation. If I could communicate better, I would've explained, but I definitely didn't have it in me at the moment.

Later that night, I got texts from Murasaki about the whole ordeal.

"i told u not to come and u did it anyway. no offense but why am i not surprised. i hope u got the info u came for?"

"I guess we got some info," I messaged back. "Better than nothing. Did you have something to do with the fact that Ryona intercepted our fight so I wouldn't get hurt?"

"maybe kinda... i was worried about u..."

I sighed, feeling my face get hot all over again. Involuntarily, I wondered if Murasaki was ever a little sadistic at all. Like, she seemed to really like me, so would she... never mind. I wasn't even going to think it. I didn't have time for that crap. And I didn't want to go around ruining my friendships like that either.

"I'm sorry I made you worry," I messaged back. "Don't worry too much, though. I'm used to this crap. I've done it about twenty times apparently, and I think I only ever died from it once. Twice if you count divergent timelines."

"divergent timelines?"

"It's safer not to ask." I didn't have the mental energy to even try to explain.