Chapter 22: Second Life in University
Once passed the narrow corridor, Mikau and Japas emerged into the outside world, where there was a small lake with an island resting in the middle of it. A few trees had sprouted from the dirt and were towering high into the air. The Zoras were sitting down onto the soggy ground along the shoreline. Mikau spotted an empty spot large enough to fit more than one person. He grabbed Japas and hurriedly occupying the seats. Being tall had its advantage. Mikau was able to see the small chunk of land over the heads of the others. Japas had the same height as his friend, so he too, was able to see the view clearly. Mikau noticed Lulu was sitting in front diagonally across him. He smiled dumbly as he stared at her soft movements dreamily. She was so beautiful when she giggled with her friends.
Japas was letting his mouth hanging wide open as he watched the place boringly. When he noticed that Mikau was paying his undivided attention to the female Zora again, he grinned evilly. Reaching out slowly with his hands, he grabbed Mikau's shoulder suddenly and gave a loud shout.
"BOO!"
"Gaaaagh!" Mikau screamed as he flinched. A few students also yelled in surprise. They muttered some comments before moving back into their conversation. "What in the world do you think you are doing!?"
Laughing, Japas brushed his fins away from his eyes. "What? Are you angry because I've somehow disrupted your 'meditation'?"
Glowering, the Zoran Hero gave a hard punch to Japas' ribs.
"Oof!"
"Hey! Shut up at the front! The show's starting!" one student hushed both of them angrily.
Shaking his head in humiliation, Mikau placed his attention at the island. Japas sighed as he followed Mikau's gaze. Everyone quieted down as a golden colored Zora appeared. He walked slowly on the isle. He was fairly tall with well-developed muscles bulging out of his body. Two giant fins ran down the side of his arms. A twin set of yellowish fins ran down his back. His eyes were large and round, black while shining with brilliance. He sucked in a deep breath as he placed two of his fingers in his mouth. A loud whistle blasted forward. Some Zoras were awed. They didn't know that they could do that because they live in the water, and to emit the sound of the whistle is nearly impossible. A giant jadeite colored shark jumped out of the water, splashing the water high into the night sky and creating mini tidal waves across the lake. The droplets glittered under the light of the moon and the stars.
Circling the land once, the animal stopped in front of him. It was four times bigger than the average Zoras. Opening its gargantuan mouth, it was waiting for its trainer to jump in. Its sharp, yellowish teeth gleamed with drool and salt water. Many students thought that the guy wouldn't do it. However, they were shocked when he disappeared into the shark's mouth. For a second, the audience were planning to call the security. But minutes later, the golden Zora re-emerged from the ocean creature's jaws. Everyone applauded. He gave a deep bow before starting his next stunt.
Mikau thought he had heard someone snoring. When he glanced at Japas, the teenager's head was slanted to one side. Groaning, he pinched his pal. Japas moaned as he woke up slowly.
"Wake up. Geezes, we are here to watch the show you know, not to sleep."
"Nughmmph..."
Finally, the performance ended. Everyone got up and went back to where they came from. It was very late already. One good thing about the dorm was that they didn't have to travel far to get back to their dwelling areas. Mikau had to carry Japas back to the room. The slumbering kid was fast asleep. Mikau slapped Japas onto the bed as he breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing one last look, he closed the door. Then he went to his own room. The light in the central hall didn't fade. It just kept on glowing, and glowing, and glowing...
* * *
Series of loud pounding on the door had waked up Mikau. The Zoran Hero yelled a curse with frustration. He was dead tired. Opening the door, a skinny student with purple colored skin handed him a few forms, then he left. Mikau scratched his head as he read over the writings. The first sheet was the timetable for the courses, which had to be filled in. The second sheet was all the courses that the University offered. The third sheet was the rule of conduct. The fourth sheet was the map of the school. Mikau squinted when he read the top of the first sheet: Clambo Hyrule University. It was a strange and a funny name. Yawning, he closed the door while gathering himself up. He scratched his body for a second. Staying outside the water for so long had made him uncomfortable. His skin felt sticky and clammy. After a few minutes, he went out and headed over to Japas'. Knocking a few times, he received no answer.
Ah, Japas must be outside fooling around, Mikau thought as he headed toward the main gate. At first, Mikau thought that he must have been going insane. There were two giant entrances parallel to each other. He brooded over the situation for a while, and then the answer came to him. One must be the access to the tunnel that runs down into the ocean, while the other one must be directed to the outside. Opening the second door with a picture of a tree delineated on the surface, a blast of cold wind slammed at him head on. Mikau shivered as he walked out slowly.
In the distant horizon, orange sun was beginning to peer over the edge of the ocean. The clouds flew slowly across the pale yellowish sky. A few birds chirped in some places that Mikau couldn't see. Mountains surrounded the dorm and where the University was located. Whoever had made this area must have chosen a good spot. Zoras were not very fond of Hylians. They would usually avoid contact as much as possible. The place was like a small valley.
Mikau saw Japas diving into the water at a platform. He ran toward his friend.
"Hey, hey!" Japas gurgled as he spewed out the water from his mouth. He floated freely as he glanced at Mikau. "Good morning."
Kneeling down, the Zoran Hero yawned again.
"Didn't get enough sleep?"
"What do you think? Man, you are so heavy," Mikau grumbled as he sat near the edge of the white dais. He let his legs sank into the warm blue water. "My shoulders are aching right now."
"Huh?" Japas shook his head to get rid of the droplets that were in his fins, which were in his eyes again.
"You were sleeping like a Like Like yesterday. I had to carry you to your room."
Blinking a few times, Japas burst out laughing. "Oh really? Gee, I didn't know that. Thanks for carrying me."
Mikau jumped into the water to join his friend. They both splashed around for a while, and then they had a short race. Of course, Japas lost. Finally, when the sun was high in the air they climbed out onto the dry ground once again.
"So you've decided what courses you are taking?" Japas asked as he rubbed his naked body to warm himself up.
"Nope. I'll probably figure somethin' out later on."
"Better hurry. The school's gonna start in about another week or so."
Mikau walked slowly toward the dorm. His finned feet slapped softly on the floor. "Don't remind me of that. I don't want to start studying again. Do you know how hard it is to get good grades?"
Japas only sniffed a little as he grinned silently. His long fins in front of his face flapped slowly side to side. A few nearby female Zoras saw him. They giggled as they admired his coolness. Japas' grin grew wider. His fins had hidden his eyes, thus, allowing him to look at the girls without the girls noticing him observing them. But Mikau knew better.
Placing one arm around his buddy's neck, Mikau sneered. "So you said that I have the 'love attack'? How about you now, Japas, my friend?"
Laughing, the Zora faced him. "Hey. I KILL when I am out of the water with my wonderful physique. See all the muscles?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Aw, don't be jealous just because I got more meat than you do."
"Ptff. Give me a break. I have just the same amount of muscles as you do. Plus, I am a Zoran Hero. See the blades?" Mikau flashed out his weapons.
"Well. True. But really, you don't need to show off any of your talents to the ladies, since your body paint IS already giving off too much attention to the others around you."
For the first time, Mikau had finally noticed that there were way more females staring at him than at Japas. He blushed a little.
"We are going to be very popular, Mikau, my comrade. Muhaha!"
"Don't, laugh, like, that," Mikau muttered as he opened the door.
* * *
"Literature? No way. I ain't gonna take it."
"How about Science?"
"What? Are you crazy? I ain't gonna become an Underwater Biologist!"
"Fine! Fine! How about Art?"
"What the...! What do you think? NO!"
Mikau slammed the Course Selection sheet onto the side of his bed. "All right. So you are NOT going to take anything this semester?"
Japas twisted his finned feet playfully as he thought about his options. "Well, I am... but..."
"Look. Just pick something and stick to it. Over six hundred courses, and we've already gone over three hundred. There's not a lot of them left you know?"
"So, what are YOU going to take?" Japas asked.
"Hmm. I would definitely take Music Composite."
Japas tensed up. "They have it? THEY HAVE THAT CLASS?" He grabbed Mikau's shoulders and shook them hard. "Why you little... why didn't you tell me that in the first place, you little..." he gritted his teeth as he continued his assault.
Mikau's head bobbed back and forth. "Arrrgh! Stoooooppoppp iittiiitt!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Japas ceased the attack as he snatched the papers from Mikau's hands.
"What do you mean why didn't I tell you? You didn't ASK me!" Mikau grabbed his head as he tried not to throw up.
Japas tilted his head toward his friend. With a sweet, soft voice, he said, "Mikau. We are best friends you know? I don't have to ask you, understand? My Miky-poo?"
Mikau swung an elbow at the Zora's head. Japas ducked as he felt the threatening wind blowing on the back of his head. He chuckled.
"You know how I hated it when you start using that kind of voice and call me Miky-poo. Stop that!"
"Awww don't cry..."
"You are sooooo dead." Mikau launched himself onto Japas.
They both wrestled in Mikau's room, crashing onto the floor and rolling around all over the place. They froze when they heard a knock on the door.
"Pause!" Japas screamed as he felt Mikau's hands grabbing his throat. "Time out! There's someone at the door!"
Mikau smirked with triumph as he trotted over to the door and opened it. His jaws went slack as he saw Lulu standing before him.
"Hello," she said gently as she glanced around the room. She saw Japas laying on the floor, twisting, and laughing to death. "Is your friend okay?"
"I... uh... yeah... Yeah. He is all right. Isn't that right? JAPAS?" Mikau looked over his shoulder and said the name with a stern voice. Then he turned around and cleared his throat. "So. Uh. What brings you over here?"
"Oh. Well, my friend and I are going to have dinner at the Dining Dorm tonight. And I am wondering if you guys can join us."
Her ears twitched a little. She smiled. Her fan-like fins on her arms moved like ripples in a pond.
Mikau was unsure though. "Are you sure? I mean there are others who are better than us two that you can invite."
Giggling, Lulu's giant brown eyes beamed. "I only know you two to start off. Evan and me are new here. We haven't met the others yet, except you two. Besides, your body paint is very interesting."
Mikau felt his face reddened. Then he tried to change the subject, or at least, tried to avert her eyes away from his body. "Oh! Is that the Zora who called to you yesterday night near the entrance to the Island?"
Lulu nodded.
"All right! Kiddos! We'll accept your generous offer," Japas flipped back onto his feet. He walked over to Mikau, acting with nonchalant face. "So what time?"
"Japas..." Mikau muttered as he closed his eyes.
"You are funny," Lulu laughed. "At seven tonight, will that be all right with you two?"
"Well, we-"
"Yup! It's fine with us!" Japas interrupted.
"Great! I'll see you guys later!" she left.
Mikau closed the door slowly. Then he turned around and jumped on Japas. "Why did you interrupt me? You fish!"
"Ahh!"
* * *
"See? This is the reason why I hesitated back there when Lulu invited us to dinner! It's freaking COLD outside at night!" Mikau's teeth chattered as he complained about the temperature.
"Lighten up! You'll get warm and hot soon when you see Lulu again," Japas snickered.
"Sometimes, I think you are not being serious at all!"
"Mikau, when was I ever serious?"
"Rarely."
The walk to the Dining Dorm was not pleasant. Not being used to the frostiness of the air, both Zoras were literally freezing to death. They kept on rubbing their arms as they walked across the damp earth. The sky was black, and the area was dark. The only light source was from the half spherical building in front of them. Reaching the main door, Mikau was relieved. Japas quickly opened it and flung himself inside. He swung the door back, as he forgot that Mikau was behind him.
"Ow!"
The structure had a central hall, too. It had a similar design of the students' Study Dorm, though there were tables aligned parallel to each other with different kinds of food placed on top. There were only one or two small hallways used by the cooks, the waiters and the waitresses. Lulu was talking to Evan at the end of the antechamber behind a slab of dining granite stone. Japas motioned his friend to the spot. They hurried over. A few Zoras saw Mikau and his body paint. They stared at him for a while before turning away. Everyone avoided eye contact with Japas, for they feared that the harmless (not exactly harmless) teenager was involved in a gang of some kind. True, Japas looked like a renegade.
"Hello," Mikau said with his smooth voice as he approached their seats.
Lulu looked up and smiled at him. Evan was grinning also, though he didn't say anything. The brownish Zora with a tube-like tail at the back of his head frowned a little when he saw Japas, but his expression quickly changed.
"Hey! Mikau, Japas!" Lulu gestured them to sit down.
"Wow, you've actually remembered our names?" Mikau was surprised as he took his seat.
"Of course! If I can't even remember your identities, how will we become friends?"
"And this is..." Japas pointed at Evan.
"It is extremely impolite to point at someone when asking a question," a squeaky voice sounded behind Japas.
"Whaaaaa?"
A fat Bottom-feeder with two crescent fins at his shoulder blades stood his ground. His skinny arms moved back and forth slowly. He was fairly short, and he had a very big and round stomach. His two pointy fins at the top of his head curled a little as he talk. Two large blue eyes moved left and right, surveying the scene. He had a dreamy look.
Mikau stared at Lulu. "Uh, is he going to join us?"
Laughing, she fluttered her eyelashes. "Yup. I forgot to mention to you guys that another friend of ours is going to join us as well."
"That explains it."
"What do you mean 'that explains it'?" Japas said. "He talked to me like that without respect!" He glared at Mikau. "Have you ever talked to me like that, Mikau?"
The Zoran Hero grabbed his pal and pulled him close. He whispered, "Japas, watch your manners. We are friends and I know how you behave. But this is a group of strangers here. They don't know you and you don't know them."
Japas groused as he combed his fingers into his two long fins in front of his face.
"Mind if I sit down beside you, Mr. Zoran Hero?" the fat Zora asked respectfully.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure, go right ahead."
"Thank you," he sat beside Mikau.
"Now that we are all here, how about we introduce ourselves formally?" Evan finally spoke up after he signaled for a waiter. His eyes moved to the Zoran Hero. "Why don't you start?"
Mikau anxiously cleared his throat once. "Er, my name is Mikau Loencraft. And I am, uh, from Termina. Well, I was born near the Chaotic Rim a few hundred miles away from the Great Bay, then I moved to Termina." He patted Japas' shoulder. "This is my best friend. His name is Japas Zygran."
The Zora didn't say anything. Pinching him, Mikau muttered, "Say something."
"Fine, fine. My name is Japas Zygran. Oh wait, Mikau said that already."
The table shook with laughter.
"I used to live in Termina. I met Mikau a few years back. My father has abandoned me, went off by himself to make more money. Yadda, yadda."
"Your dad didn't abandon you. He just left for a few years," Mikau corrected him.
"Whatever. Anyway, what is my origin remains a mystery even to myself. My dad didn't want to tell me."
Evan studied Japas' features. "Well, you look like Mikau."
Grinning, Japas said, "Many people said we are brothers."
"My name is Tijo Stargaze," the Bottom-feeder spoke next. "I am from the Hyrule Lake a few miles away. I am specialized in drums. I am a drummer, and I am proud of it."
"Really? Japas and I are guitarists," Mikau exclaimed.
"Hey, cool! Maybe we can have a contest later on!" Tijo said excitedly.
"Hdafdafdaf..." Japas mumbled something incoherent.
"My name is Lulu Cristile. I am a singer. Sorry, you guys, but I rather not talk about my background in specific details. There are some... things that I don't want talk about," She said as she glanced down at the table. She wringed her fingers in front of her.
"It's all right," Tijo said softly with slight concern. Japas groaned.
"My name is Evan Eldenel. I am what you guys called: 'a piano guy'. Say, you know since all of us are obsessed with music, don't you guys think it's a good idea to make band so that we can perform in the school?"
Mikau snapped his fingers. "Wonderful idea. Beautiful. I love it!"
"We've had some experiences performing in front of a huge crowd," Japas flashed them a look of pride. "So I guess we won't have any problems forming a band of our own."
"Still. It is kind of too sudden to make this decision that fast," Lulu countered the proposal. She glanced at her friends. "We still don't know each other that well. We don't know who's good at what, and who's bad at what."
"An excellent insight, Lulu," Tijo agreed. "Some of us may be good, but some of us may be too ignorant to do anything successful."
Japas' lips went in an angry straight line as he turned his head slowly at Tijo.
"I don't know. But what I do know is this: can we order something already? I am starving!" Mikau yelled as he pounded the table.
"Oh yeah! Hey! Where's the waiter?" Evan yelled over the noise of the other discussions in the other spots at a Zora who was busily taking orders. "Yo! We want to order something now!"
The guy nodded as he indicated that he would be over there as soon as possible.
"Do you think they have lobsters here?" Japas wondered out loud as he stared at the plates of food on the other dining blocks. Then he noticed that everyone was looking at him. With an innocent expression, he said, "What? Did I say something bad?"
~End Chapter 22~
Author's Note: A nice chapter. Okay, perhaps I lied. I suddenly introduced two other members of the Indigo-Go Band in this chapter. And, I didn't exactly describe how Tijo, Evan, and Lulu met each other and became friends. Still, I think this won't harm the story in anyway. Maybe I'll explain it later on.
Also, in this chapter, there's another foreshadowing that was mentioned in the previous chapters. If you read carefully, you will pick it up in no time. For those who have identified the foreshadowing, do you think it's a great idea to make the story so?
For those who didn't know what in the world I am talking about, relax. It will all become clear as the plot progresses.
Once passed the narrow corridor, Mikau and Japas emerged into the outside world, where there was a small lake with an island resting in the middle of it. A few trees had sprouted from the dirt and were towering high into the air. The Zoras were sitting down onto the soggy ground along the shoreline. Mikau spotted an empty spot large enough to fit more than one person. He grabbed Japas and hurriedly occupying the seats. Being tall had its advantage. Mikau was able to see the small chunk of land over the heads of the others. Japas had the same height as his friend, so he too, was able to see the view clearly. Mikau noticed Lulu was sitting in front diagonally across him. He smiled dumbly as he stared at her soft movements dreamily. She was so beautiful when she giggled with her friends.
Japas was letting his mouth hanging wide open as he watched the place boringly. When he noticed that Mikau was paying his undivided attention to the female Zora again, he grinned evilly. Reaching out slowly with his hands, he grabbed Mikau's shoulder suddenly and gave a loud shout.
"BOO!"
"Gaaaagh!" Mikau screamed as he flinched. A few students also yelled in surprise. They muttered some comments before moving back into their conversation. "What in the world do you think you are doing!?"
Laughing, Japas brushed his fins away from his eyes. "What? Are you angry because I've somehow disrupted your 'meditation'?"
Glowering, the Zoran Hero gave a hard punch to Japas' ribs.
"Oof!"
"Hey! Shut up at the front! The show's starting!" one student hushed both of them angrily.
Shaking his head in humiliation, Mikau placed his attention at the island. Japas sighed as he followed Mikau's gaze. Everyone quieted down as a golden colored Zora appeared. He walked slowly on the isle. He was fairly tall with well-developed muscles bulging out of his body. Two giant fins ran down the side of his arms. A twin set of yellowish fins ran down his back. His eyes were large and round, black while shining with brilliance. He sucked in a deep breath as he placed two of his fingers in his mouth. A loud whistle blasted forward. Some Zoras were awed. They didn't know that they could do that because they live in the water, and to emit the sound of the whistle is nearly impossible. A giant jadeite colored shark jumped out of the water, splashing the water high into the night sky and creating mini tidal waves across the lake. The droplets glittered under the light of the moon and the stars.
Circling the land once, the animal stopped in front of him. It was four times bigger than the average Zoras. Opening its gargantuan mouth, it was waiting for its trainer to jump in. Its sharp, yellowish teeth gleamed with drool and salt water. Many students thought that the guy wouldn't do it. However, they were shocked when he disappeared into the shark's mouth. For a second, the audience were planning to call the security. But minutes later, the golden Zora re-emerged from the ocean creature's jaws. Everyone applauded. He gave a deep bow before starting his next stunt.
Mikau thought he had heard someone snoring. When he glanced at Japas, the teenager's head was slanted to one side. Groaning, he pinched his pal. Japas moaned as he woke up slowly.
"Wake up. Geezes, we are here to watch the show you know, not to sleep."
"Nughmmph..."
Finally, the performance ended. Everyone got up and went back to where they came from. It was very late already. One good thing about the dorm was that they didn't have to travel far to get back to their dwelling areas. Mikau had to carry Japas back to the room. The slumbering kid was fast asleep. Mikau slapped Japas onto the bed as he breathed a sigh of relief. Glancing one last look, he closed the door. Then he went to his own room. The light in the central hall didn't fade. It just kept on glowing, and glowing, and glowing...
* * *
Series of loud pounding on the door had waked up Mikau. The Zoran Hero yelled a curse with frustration. He was dead tired. Opening the door, a skinny student with purple colored skin handed him a few forms, then he left. Mikau scratched his head as he read over the writings. The first sheet was the timetable for the courses, which had to be filled in. The second sheet was all the courses that the University offered. The third sheet was the rule of conduct. The fourth sheet was the map of the school. Mikau squinted when he read the top of the first sheet: Clambo Hyrule University. It was a strange and a funny name. Yawning, he closed the door while gathering himself up. He scratched his body for a second. Staying outside the water for so long had made him uncomfortable. His skin felt sticky and clammy. After a few minutes, he went out and headed over to Japas'. Knocking a few times, he received no answer.
Ah, Japas must be outside fooling around, Mikau thought as he headed toward the main gate. At first, Mikau thought that he must have been going insane. There were two giant entrances parallel to each other. He brooded over the situation for a while, and then the answer came to him. One must be the access to the tunnel that runs down into the ocean, while the other one must be directed to the outside. Opening the second door with a picture of a tree delineated on the surface, a blast of cold wind slammed at him head on. Mikau shivered as he walked out slowly.
In the distant horizon, orange sun was beginning to peer over the edge of the ocean. The clouds flew slowly across the pale yellowish sky. A few birds chirped in some places that Mikau couldn't see. Mountains surrounded the dorm and where the University was located. Whoever had made this area must have chosen a good spot. Zoras were not very fond of Hylians. They would usually avoid contact as much as possible. The place was like a small valley.
Mikau saw Japas diving into the water at a platform. He ran toward his friend.
"Hey, hey!" Japas gurgled as he spewed out the water from his mouth. He floated freely as he glanced at Mikau. "Good morning."
Kneeling down, the Zoran Hero yawned again.
"Didn't get enough sleep?"
"What do you think? Man, you are so heavy," Mikau grumbled as he sat near the edge of the white dais. He let his legs sank into the warm blue water. "My shoulders are aching right now."
"Huh?" Japas shook his head to get rid of the droplets that were in his fins, which were in his eyes again.
"You were sleeping like a Like Like yesterday. I had to carry you to your room."
Blinking a few times, Japas burst out laughing. "Oh really? Gee, I didn't know that. Thanks for carrying me."
Mikau jumped into the water to join his friend. They both splashed around for a while, and then they had a short race. Of course, Japas lost. Finally, when the sun was high in the air they climbed out onto the dry ground once again.
"So you've decided what courses you are taking?" Japas asked as he rubbed his naked body to warm himself up.
"Nope. I'll probably figure somethin' out later on."
"Better hurry. The school's gonna start in about another week or so."
Mikau walked slowly toward the dorm. His finned feet slapped softly on the floor. "Don't remind me of that. I don't want to start studying again. Do you know how hard it is to get good grades?"
Japas only sniffed a little as he grinned silently. His long fins in front of his face flapped slowly side to side. A few nearby female Zoras saw him. They giggled as they admired his coolness. Japas' grin grew wider. His fins had hidden his eyes, thus, allowing him to look at the girls without the girls noticing him observing them. But Mikau knew better.
Placing one arm around his buddy's neck, Mikau sneered. "So you said that I have the 'love attack'? How about you now, Japas, my friend?"
Laughing, the Zora faced him. "Hey. I KILL when I am out of the water with my wonderful physique. See all the muscles?"
"Yeah, sure."
"Aw, don't be jealous just because I got more meat than you do."
"Ptff. Give me a break. I have just the same amount of muscles as you do. Plus, I am a Zoran Hero. See the blades?" Mikau flashed out his weapons.
"Well. True. But really, you don't need to show off any of your talents to the ladies, since your body paint IS already giving off too much attention to the others around you."
For the first time, Mikau had finally noticed that there were way more females staring at him than at Japas. He blushed a little.
"We are going to be very popular, Mikau, my comrade. Muhaha!"
"Don't, laugh, like, that," Mikau muttered as he opened the door.
* * *
"Literature? No way. I ain't gonna take it."
"How about Science?"
"What? Are you crazy? I ain't gonna become an Underwater Biologist!"
"Fine! Fine! How about Art?"
"What the...! What do you think? NO!"
Mikau slammed the Course Selection sheet onto the side of his bed. "All right. So you are NOT going to take anything this semester?"
Japas twisted his finned feet playfully as he thought about his options. "Well, I am... but..."
"Look. Just pick something and stick to it. Over six hundred courses, and we've already gone over three hundred. There's not a lot of them left you know?"
"So, what are YOU going to take?" Japas asked.
"Hmm. I would definitely take Music Composite."
Japas tensed up. "They have it? THEY HAVE THAT CLASS?" He grabbed Mikau's shoulders and shook them hard. "Why you little... why didn't you tell me that in the first place, you little..." he gritted his teeth as he continued his assault.
Mikau's head bobbed back and forth. "Arrrgh! Stoooooppoppp iittiiitt!"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Japas ceased the attack as he snatched the papers from Mikau's hands.
"What do you mean why didn't I tell you? You didn't ASK me!" Mikau grabbed his head as he tried not to throw up.
Japas tilted his head toward his friend. With a sweet, soft voice, he said, "Mikau. We are best friends you know? I don't have to ask you, understand? My Miky-poo?"
Mikau swung an elbow at the Zora's head. Japas ducked as he felt the threatening wind blowing on the back of his head. He chuckled.
"You know how I hated it when you start using that kind of voice and call me Miky-poo. Stop that!"
"Awww don't cry..."
"You are sooooo dead." Mikau launched himself onto Japas.
They both wrestled in Mikau's room, crashing onto the floor and rolling around all over the place. They froze when they heard a knock on the door.
"Pause!" Japas screamed as he felt Mikau's hands grabbing his throat. "Time out! There's someone at the door!"
Mikau smirked with triumph as he trotted over to the door and opened it. His jaws went slack as he saw Lulu standing before him.
"Hello," she said gently as she glanced around the room. She saw Japas laying on the floor, twisting, and laughing to death. "Is your friend okay?"
"I... uh... yeah... Yeah. He is all right. Isn't that right? JAPAS?" Mikau looked over his shoulder and said the name with a stern voice. Then he turned around and cleared his throat. "So. Uh. What brings you over here?"
"Oh. Well, my friend and I are going to have dinner at the Dining Dorm tonight. And I am wondering if you guys can join us."
Her ears twitched a little. She smiled. Her fan-like fins on her arms moved like ripples in a pond.
Mikau was unsure though. "Are you sure? I mean there are others who are better than us two that you can invite."
Giggling, Lulu's giant brown eyes beamed. "I only know you two to start off. Evan and me are new here. We haven't met the others yet, except you two. Besides, your body paint is very interesting."
Mikau felt his face reddened. Then he tried to change the subject, or at least, tried to avert her eyes away from his body. "Oh! Is that the Zora who called to you yesterday night near the entrance to the Island?"
Lulu nodded.
"All right! Kiddos! We'll accept your generous offer," Japas flipped back onto his feet. He walked over to Mikau, acting with nonchalant face. "So what time?"
"Japas..." Mikau muttered as he closed his eyes.
"You are funny," Lulu laughed. "At seven tonight, will that be all right with you two?"
"Well, we-"
"Yup! It's fine with us!" Japas interrupted.
"Great! I'll see you guys later!" she left.
Mikau closed the door slowly. Then he turned around and jumped on Japas. "Why did you interrupt me? You fish!"
"Ahh!"
* * *
"See? This is the reason why I hesitated back there when Lulu invited us to dinner! It's freaking COLD outside at night!" Mikau's teeth chattered as he complained about the temperature.
"Lighten up! You'll get warm and hot soon when you see Lulu again," Japas snickered.
"Sometimes, I think you are not being serious at all!"
"Mikau, when was I ever serious?"
"Rarely."
The walk to the Dining Dorm was not pleasant. Not being used to the frostiness of the air, both Zoras were literally freezing to death. They kept on rubbing their arms as they walked across the damp earth. The sky was black, and the area was dark. The only light source was from the half spherical building in front of them. Reaching the main door, Mikau was relieved. Japas quickly opened it and flung himself inside. He swung the door back, as he forgot that Mikau was behind him.
"Ow!"
The structure had a central hall, too. It had a similar design of the students' Study Dorm, though there were tables aligned parallel to each other with different kinds of food placed on top. There were only one or two small hallways used by the cooks, the waiters and the waitresses. Lulu was talking to Evan at the end of the antechamber behind a slab of dining granite stone. Japas motioned his friend to the spot. They hurried over. A few Zoras saw Mikau and his body paint. They stared at him for a while before turning away. Everyone avoided eye contact with Japas, for they feared that the harmless (not exactly harmless) teenager was involved in a gang of some kind. True, Japas looked like a renegade.
"Hello," Mikau said with his smooth voice as he approached their seats.
Lulu looked up and smiled at him. Evan was grinning also, though he didn't say anything. The brownish Zora with a tube-like tail at the back of his head frowned a little when he saw Japas, but his expression quickly changed.
"Hey! Mikau, Japas!" Lulu gestured them to sit down.
"Wow, you've actually remembered our names?" Mikau was surprised as he took his seat.
"Of course! If I can't even remember your identities, how will we become friends?"
"And this is..." Japas pointed at Evan.
"It is extremely impolite to point at someone when asking a question," a squeaky voice sounded behind Japas.
"Whaaaaa?"
A fat Bottom-feeder with two crescent fins at his shoulder blades stood his ground. His skinny arms moved back and forth slowly. He was fairly short, and he had a very big and round stomach. His two pointy fins at the top of his head curled a little as he talk. Two large blue eyes moved left and right, surveying the scene. He had a dreamy look.
Mikau stared at Lulu. "Uh, is he going to join us?"
Laughing, she fluttered her eyelashes. "Yup. I forgot to mention to you guys that another friend of ours is going to join us as well."
"That explains it."
"What do you mean 'that explains it'?" Japas said. "He talked to me like that without respect!" He glared at Mikau. "Have you ever talked to me like that, Mikau?"
The Zoran Hero grabbed his pal and pulled him close. He whispered, "Japas, watch your manners. We are friends and I know how you behave. But this is a group of strangers here. They don't know you and you don't know them."
Japas groused as he combed his fingers into his two long fins in front of his face.
"Mind if I sit down beside you, Mr. Zoran Hero?" the fat Zora asked respectfully.
"Uh, yeah. Yeah, sure, go right ahead."
"Thank you," he sat beside Mikau.
"Now that we are all here, how about we introduce ourselves formally?" Evan finally spoke up after he signaled for a waiter. His eyes moved to the Zoran Hero. "Why don't you start?"
Mikau anxiously cleared his throat once. "Er, my name is Mikau Loencraft. And I am, uh, from Termina. Well, I was born near the Chaotic Rim a few hundred miles away from the Great Bay, then I moved to Termina." He patted Japas' shoulder. "This is my best friend. His name is Japas Zygran."
The Zora didn't say anything. Pinching him, Mikau muttered, "Say something."
"Fine, fine. My name is Japas Zygran. Oh wait, Mikau said that already."
The table shook with laughter.
"I used to live in Termina. I met Mikau a few years back. My father has abandoned me, went off by himself to make more money. Yadda, yadda."
"Your dad didn't abandon you. He just left for a few years," Mikau corrected him.
"Whatever. Anyway, what is my origin remains a mystery even to myself. My dad didn't want to tell me."
Evan studied Japas' features. "Well, you look like Mikau."
Grinning, Japas said, "Many people said we are brothers."
"My name is Tijo Stargaze," the Bottom-feeder spoke next. "I am from the Hyrule Lake a few miles away. I am specialized in drums. I am a drummer, and I am proud of it."
"Really? Japas and I are guitarists," Mikau exclaimed.
"Hey, cool! Maybe we can have a contest later on!" Tijo said excitedly.
"Hdafdafdaf..." Japas mumbled something incoherent.
"My name is Lulu Cristile. I am a singer. Sorry, you guys, but I rather not talk about my background in specific details. There are some... things that I don't want talk about," She said as she glanced down at the table. She wringed her fingers in front of her.
"It's all right," Tijo said softly with slight concern. Japas groaned.
"My name is Evan Eldenel. I am what you guys called: 'a piano guy'. Say, you know since all of us are obsessed with music, don't you guys think it's a good idea to make band so that we can perform in the school?"
Mikau snapped his fingers. "Wonderful idea. Beautiful. I love it!"
"We've had some experiences performing in front of a huge crowd," Japas flashed them a look of pride. "So I guess we won't have any problems forming a band of our own."
"Still. It is kind of too sudden to make this decision that fast," Lulu countered the proposal. She glanced at her friends. "We still don't know each other that well. We don't know who's good at what, and who's bad at what."
"An excellent insight, Lulu," Tijo agreed. "Some of us may be good, but some of us may be too ignorant to do anything successful."
Japas' lips went in an angry straight line as he turned his head slowly at Tijo.
"I don't know. But what I do know is this: can we order something already? I am starving!" Mikau yelled as he pounded the table.
"Oh yeah! Hey! Where's the waiter?" Evan yelled over the noise of the other discussions in the other spots at a Zora who was busily taking orders. "Yo! We want to order something now!"
The guy nodded as he indicated that he would be over there as soon as possible.
"Do you think they have lobsters here?" Japas wondered out loud as he stared at the plates of food on the other dining blocks. Then he noticed that everyone was looking at him. With an innocent expression, he said, "What? Did I say something bad?"
~End Chapter 22~
Author's Note: A nice chapter. Okay, perhaps I lied. I suddenly introduced two other members of the Indigo-Go Band in this chapter. And, I didn't exactly describe how Tijo, Evan, and Lulu met each other and became friends. Still, I think this won't harm the story in anyway. Maybe I'll explain it later on.
Also, in this chapter, there's another foreshadowing that was mentioned in the previous chapters. If you read carefully, you will pick it up in no time. For those who have identified the foreshadowing, do you think it's a great idea to make the story so?
For those who didn't know what in the world I am talking about, relax. It will all become clear as the plot progresses.