~ Chapter 4: Letter of Intent ~
The air was thick with the aroma of freshly brewed java. Zelda held onto the glass, pouring some of it inside a round mug accompanied with some sugar and flavored creamer. Shortly after, she gave it a gentle stir, allowing the robust flavors to intertwine in a swirl. Since her only class of the day didn't start until noon, she was able to unwind and relax for a bit. It was one of the main reasons why she had gotten up a bit later than yesterday. She grabbed her mug, pressed it against her lips, and took a sip of the coffee. A fleeting expression on Zelda's face demonstrated dissatisfaction, yet soon she was smiling broadly as if nothing was wrong. She always disliked taking the first sip of hot auto drip coffee. It often scourged her tongue and left it with a grainy, sandpaper like texture for the remainder of the day.
With her mug still clasped between her fingers, Zelda made her way towards the small table nearby and took a seat. A few minutes later, her roommate stepped out of the bathroom. Mei adjusted her ponytail and smiled when she saw Zelda up and about.
"Morning sunshine," she greeted playfully. "What's up?"
"Nothing much, just drinking coffee," Zelda responded coolly. She took another sip from her mug before placing it back down.
"I'm more of a tea drinker myself but mind if I join you?" Mei began setting herself up a cup of coffee before joining Zelda. She rested her elbow on top of the table and placed her head on her hand gently. Her gaze was fixated on Zelda while Mei tried figuring out what she wanted to say or how to word it even.
"So," she began, her eyes swaying towards the side of the room, "while on the way to my evening class yesterday, I caught sight of some guy dropping you off at the dormitory. Is he your friend or something?"
Zelda shook her head rather quickly and waved her hands frantically. "No, no. He's just someone I've met prior in elementary school, that's all. Link's nothing more than a mere acquaintance."
Yes, that was it. He was simply a mere acquaintance and nothing more. Link described her as such with the exact same words to Chrom's daughter yesterday, right? They couldn't had been friends just yet. It would had been too awkward to jump straight towards friendship immediately given their preceding history. After all, she had finally just made amends and reconciled with him. There was no way she was going to make things much more awkward than they needed to be. For now, Zelda figured it was best to view Link from a neutral standpoint.
"Link huh?" A small grin formed upon Mei's lips, her eyes now trying to pierce into Zelda's thoughts. She slightly inched closer towards her yet kept in mind already small distance between them. "You know, you two would make quite the couple. If I hadn't asked you about him, I would had honestly mistook him for your boyfriend or something."
Zelda's body jolted slightly from the sudden shock from the mention of the word boyfriend, causing the table to wobble a bit. If she had taken a sip, she would had spat out her drink immediately. The thought of her relationship with Link being mistaken as something more threw her completely off course and into the center. In fact, the unexpected startlement almost caused her to drop her mug. Zelda hadn't known him long enough past redemption to even consider him a friend. Just the thought of them dating was completely foreign to her. A small yet nervous giggle escaped her lips. She fanned her hand towards Mei's direction.
"Jeez Mei, you're starting to remind me of my friend Peach." What Zelda didn't need was yet another person telling her which boy suits her best. Unbeknownst to the naked eye, a relationship of sorts had never crossed her mind nor did she put much heed into them. For now, all the thing Zelda wanted to do was focus on her studies and her education alone. Besides, there would be time to think about the merriment of complex relationships and marriage commitments later down the road. Zelda wanted to focus solely on the present before even coming close to assessing about her future.
"Oh, I just thought you two would make a cute couple is all. I mean, both of you share similar hair colors, heights and who knows what else you two have in common," Mei exclaimed. She didn't seem bummed by Zelda's response. Instead, she decided to leave her be for now rather than press on about the subject matter. Mei glanced over at the clock near the sink and looked at the time.
"Shoot! As much as I would love to sit and chat with you some more Zel, I really need to start heading out. My class starts in about thirty minutes." Mei excused herself and hastily made her way towards the sink, poured out the remaining coffee from her mug and rinsed it. When she made her way back towards the table, she extended her arm, grabbing her knapsack and her textbook before heading out the door.
Zelda furrowed her eyebrows for a moment from the sudden conversation, yet quickly gave off a relieved sigh. With Mei out of the dorm, she was finally able to focus on her own thoughts without any distractions. It wasn't that she didn't like Mei—she very much enjoyed her company, but sometimes she could be a bit too energetic in the morning. At least when it came to prying into the affairs of others.
She began tapping her chin, trying to prompt her memory on her schedule for today. Recalling how her atonement with Chrom had smooth sailing despite a rocky start, it still astonished Zelda how easily forgiving he was. It was something she didn't expect or even felt deserving of such sudden forgiveness. But what was done was done and instead of constantly obsessing over the past, she needed to leap back into the present.
"Hmm, with Chrom out of the way, that just leaves two more people to apologize to, but the question is who?" Zelda stroked her chin, trying to figure out who to make amends with next. Shortly after, she had decided on doing whoever she spotted first between Roy and Pit. Who knows, it might go just as smoothly as her apology to Chrom. As long as she was able to think on the bright side of things, anything was possible.
Zelda got up and rinsed her coffee mug. She grabbed a nearby sponge, splattered a bit of lavender scented dish soap on top and turned on the faucet. From there, she began cleaning the mugs before setting them aside to dry. Afterwards, she grabbed the nearest dish towel and dried off her hands and folded it gently near the sink. Zelda grabbed her backpack near the warm grey rounded wedge arm sofa and left her dorm to start her day.
Zelda glanced over at the oak tree she recalled meeting Peach and Daisy at yesterday morning. There it was, perched on top of a hillock with no one to accompany it with stories or droning gossip. Instead, it silently observed all the faculty and students who passed nearby in peace. The first thing Zelda estimated was that the two cousins were either in class, didn't have a class on Tuesday and Tuesday, or they did not start until later. Despite wishing for their company and encouragement, she figured it was for the best. This alone would allow her to focus on her objective rather than get sidetracked.
Still feeling the sudden high from yesterday, Zelda figured she would easily be able to reconcile with both Roy and Pit with ease. Besides, there wasn't much she had done to them that she could even recall. The only real outlier out of the trio was Chrom, otherwise, the other two were a complete shoo in for forgiveness.
She continued wandering the campus, scoping for any signs of Roy or Pit. Either one of them would suffice. Soon enough, Zelda managed to spot one of them in a sea of traveling students. She caught sight of Pit conversing alongside a woman with a short stature. What made them pop out from the rest of the ongoing crowd was her exceedingly lengthy platinum blonde hair which was neatly contained in a ponytail. Zelda pondered how one could maintain such hair lengths with great ease. It was already tough for her to maintain her own long hair, so she could only imagine how painfully difficult it was to manage such tedious hair lengths without worrying about the excessive matted knots and untidy tangles and frayed split ends. Just the thought of dealing with such tediousness monstrosity mortified her.
Smiling from one ear to another, Zelda figured she could make amends with Pit. Slowly but surely, she started walking towards Pit's direction. Nothing was going to stop her now or so she had thought. Instead, Zelda had come to an abrupt stop in her tracks. In front of her path stood the mirror image of Pit—well, almost Pit if it wasn't for the differentiating hair and eye color.
Instead of sharing Pit's warm and welcoming blue eyes, they were crimson, the color of anger and ravaging flames. Meanwhile his hair was as black as a crow's feather in contrast to Pit's, yet shared the same sleek, messy style as the latter. The only things which differed between the two was their apparel (Pit wore brighter colors while his clone preferred muted colors) and their mobility aids (Pit utilized a wheelchair, meanwhile his carbon copy used a cane). Other than that, their resemblance to one another was uncanny.
His eyes glowered with inflamed revulsion as they laid eyes on Zelda. The boy's intensive gaze alone was enough to almost paralyze her. She could almost feel the tension rising out if it wasn't for them being glued to a public setting surrounded by hundreds, thousands even. Zelda couldn't recall if Pit had a brother or a sibling even. No matter how hard she tried to remember, nothing came up. Was he ever even brought up? Perhaps his doppelganger was a cousin or distant relative. Whatever relation he held, he didn't seem to be fond of her. Like at all.
"Hey." No matter how appealing it was, even his rough voice was enough to strike formidable foes down with fear. He slowly inched towards Zelda, causing her to take two steps back. "Do me a favor and stay away from Pit."
"Wait—what!?" Zelda wished she could exchange those words yet she couldn't muster a thing. Instead, she kept her mouth shut. The last thing she needed was another chaotic scene like yesterday. The impudent lookalike noticed her dumbfound expression and chuckled under his breath. A sly smirk made its way across his lips.
"He doesn't even like you. As a matter of fact, he actually hates you. So, it would be best if you stay out of his way from now on." With those words, the boy turned his back on Zelda and left her to her own devices. He didn't want to give her the satisfaction of defending herself. And the results showed tremendously. Not once did she usher a word or question why. She just accepted it.
Zelda blinked, her mouth pursed but slightly open and loose. Her eyes were preoccupied towards the boy's departure while his words basked within her memory. Shortly after, she blinked and refocused herself. Now wasn't the time to ponder whether Pit truly despised her or not.
"Okay then… might as well go make reparations with Roy instead."
Not wanting to run into Pit's clone again, Zelda faced the other direction and went to look for Roy instead. Hopefully he wasn't accompanied by someone menacing either. That was the last thing she needed on her plate—more conflict than necessary. Now one question remained—where was Roy exactly. She had stumbled upon him by chance yesterday, so Zelda figured she might have to meander around the campus in search of him. Thankfully luck was on her side today and cut her journey short.
She discovered Roy stepping outside of the bookstore. He didn't seem to be with anyone so Zelda took this as a good sign. Without putting much thought, her body began having a mind of its own, making her slowly make her way towards Roy. Before her journey could come to an end, Zelda blinked and stared off into space.
A six year old Zelda kept glancing back and forth at the circular clock near the bulletin board. She was eagerly waiting for recess to finally start. Soon enough, her prayers were finally answered. Her first grade teacher had ordered for all of her students to neatly align themselves in a straight line from first names A to Z. Zelda instantly went to the back of the line and followed the rest of the students in tow outside to the playground or what she saw it as, a thirty minute freedom from classwork.
She quickly ran towards the swing set, however stopped in her tracks. Not far from here, she could overhear some pointless name calling going on.
"Hey freckle face," one taunted. "Why are you so short?"
Roy refused to answer. Instead, he just wanted the mean boys to leave him alone and let him drink from the water fountain in peace. He didn't want to give the bullies the satisfaction of a proper response.
"Don't you know that ginger kids are like short," another boy chimed in.
Zelda rolled her eyes, finding their insults insufferably pathetic. Who in the world bullies a child anyways because of their genetic makeup anyways? Not once did Zelda actually think of telling the teacher about them. Instead, her gaze went back to the swing that Peach saved for her.
Zelda refocused herself back into reality once again. She thought the whole tirade of flashbacks finally ceased itself but it was too good to be true. Perhaps she harbored much more regrets hidden under a façade of emotional stability. If there was one factor she noticed, it was that Roy's torment was much tamer in comparison to the others. In addition, he actually had friends outside of Sheik to confide to. The same would also go for actually fighting back his bullies as well.
While Zelda could dwell on and on about what key characteristics separated Roy from the rest, now wasn't the time for that. Instead, she reminded herself she had a task she needed to complete. Coincidentally, Roy seemed to be heading in her direction. He exchanged a small wave with Zelda, smiling broad as usual. If there was one thing that he was, it was definitely cheerful. Well, his upbeat demeanor was definitely contagious, that's for sure. Zelda caught herself waving back subconsciously with a small grin.
"Good morning Zelda!" He stopped in his tracks and stood next to her while all the other students passed by without a care in the world. They were preoccupied with their own thoughts and feelings to even notice a disruptive flow in traffic.
Zelda blinked for a moment. What surprised her was that despite all which transpired between them, Roy didn't harbor any ill feelings towards her. Then again, she had never hurt him unintentionally but still, she couldn't help but find it kind of suspicious
"Morning Roy," she responded back. "How are you?" Observing him, the first object of interest which captured her eye was a black art portfolio case strapped over his shoulder. Strange, she would had never taken Roy for the artsy type but nevertheless, not once did she ever get to know them on a personal level. Well, it wouldn't hurt to start now.
"Well…" Roy tilted his head slightly and glanced up at the sky before diverting his attention back on Zelda. "Let's just say my morning was almost chaotic. To keep a long story short, I've almost overslept and missed the bus." He raised his arm up, scratched the tip of his back and partially chuckled at his own mishap. Shortly after, he readjusted his posture and brushed himself off. "Besides that, how're you faring up this morning?"
Zelda tilted her head a bit, tapping her chin as her brain constructed together the chain of events which partook. "I'm doing great but something odd happened this morning. Let's just say I spotted Pit earlier and when I went to go talk to him, someone got in the way, and he basically told me to get lost. What I find really peculiar was how much he resembled Pit—well, minus the eye and hair color."
For a slight moment, Zelda could had sworn she had saw Roy's once warm face transform itself into a narrow, sullen glare. To admit, his sudden shift from hot to cold was rather unexpected. Guess there was much more to Roy than meets the eye.
"Don't pay any attention to him. He's an ass," Roy warned her. He seemed a bit hesitant, biting his lip even as he didn't want to get into any more detail. Soon enough, his facial expression shifted once more, returning back to its signature friendliness.
Zelda slowly bobbed her head up and down, leaving it at that. She didn't feel like intervening and learning more about that impudent jerk. On a quick whim, she decided to change the subject into a much more positive one.
"So," she began, pushing her hair back a bit. "I couldn't help but notice you were carrying an art portfolio. If were being honest, I actually never took you for the artsy type. I take it you're majoring in art?"
A small giggle escaped his lips as he shrugged. "Well, something like that. This might sound really corny, but I'm actually majoring in both art and psychology. I plan on becoming an art therapist in the future. A huge reason behind my motivation is that I want to follow in my father's footsteps, you know?"
"That's really nice to hear. I really mean it." She beamed wide. Zelda found the sentiment behind Roy's double major extremely sweet. She recalled his father's occupation being mentioned in the past, with him being a psychologist. So, Roy's sudden motivation towards his goal was crystal clear. It must had been nice for him to be following in his father's footsteps without any restraint whatsoever. Not being told what to do or how to do it, having his interests trashed since they don't align with what his father wanted, etcetera. Zelda took a deep breath and exhaled slowly in defeat. Thankfully it wasn't loud enough for Roy to hear, otherwise he most likely would had pried into her private life.
"Say, one of my first assignments in my art history class is to partake in a scavenger hunt inside the school's art gallery, and I was wondering if you would like to join me."
"Sure, I'd love to." Truth be told, Zelda accepted Roy's offer not because she needed to apologize to him, but it also gave her an excuse to explore more of the campus. Not to mention it would also allow for her to get to know Roy more as well.
"Anyways, I don't mean to cut off your train of thoughts or anything, but I have to get going soon. Let's meet up at the gallery building around two." Roy began walking in the opposite direction, parting ways with Zelda, not before waving farewell. Zelda waved back and decided to spend the rest of her time in the library.
If there was one characteristic that Zelda wasn't surprised about, it was Roy's optimism. In spite of what he had went through when he was younger, not once did Roy let the vicious taunts or the unwarranted harassment get to him. Well—except for one particular moment back in second grade.
The teacher walked over to the back of the classroom while her students were deeply engrossed with their math assignment. She gathered a bin full of colored construction paper, stickers, poms, googly eyes—anything which drew attention to the eyes of a child and placed it onto an empty table. Next, she proceeded to grab another bin full of colored pencils, crayons, markers and safety scissors and sat it next to the other bin. After going back and forth between bins full of various arts and craft supplies, the teacher quickly set up a crafting station before heading back towards the front of the classroom.
She held her chin up high, raised her arms, smiling as she managed to grab the undivided attention of her students. Their big eyes stared at her with curiosity, pondering what was next after their session of addition and subtraction with double and triple digits. Clasping her hands together, the teacher rocked back and forth gently with her legs.
"Class, I would like for you all to put your classwork inside your desk for now. For those who have yet to finish, you guys may continue it later after we're done with this fun activity." The students nodded silently as they began doing what they were told. Desks were cleared of any school related work and utensils whatsoever. Shortly after, the teacher continued her little lecture.
"Anyways, since it is Friday and the weekend's just coming around the corner, I thought we would do something very special," she said. A young girl raised her hand eagerly.
"What special thing are we doing Mrs. Applebee?" she asked innocently.
"Well Sarah," Mrs. Applebee replied, "since Mother's Day is this Sunday, I've decided you all should do a fun activity for the time being. I would love all of you to make cards for your guys' mothers for her special day. Feel free to use any of the materials over at the crafting station for all your creative needs."
The class cheered as they rushed over and began grabbing whatever materials they needed. Some took out their own sets of crayons and colored pencils while others borrowed theirs from the teacher. Zelda grabbed a white piece of construction paper and went back to her desk. She took out some of her crayons and placed them on the right side. But first things first, she began drawing a rough outline with her pencil before adding any of the colorful details.
While drawing, Zelda became curious and peeked at the artistic designs of her peers. However, one of the things she also took notice of was Roy staring down at his desk. There wasn't any trace of colorful papers or art utensils on top of it. Instead, it was blank and lacking any life, just like the expression he wore.
As Mrs. Applebee scavenged the room to check up on her students' progress, she noticed Roy gazing down at his desk with no work materials. She walked towards his desk and knelt down.
"Roy," she questioned gently. "Is something wrong?"
Roy moved his head slightly—it was enough for him for make eye contact with his teacher, yet his shoulders drooped. "I—I don't have a mother," he began. His words were soft and hollow, devoid of any warmth inside. "She… she died after I was born."
"Do you have a stepmother at least?"
Roy shook his head and sighed.
A stubby child with a nasally voice overhead their conservation and snickered. "Roy has no mom!? What a loser."
"I know right," a lanky boy chimed in.
"Who knows, maybe he killed her," a girl added.
"That wasn't very nice of you of say," Mrs. Applebee scolded. "I want you three to apologize to Roy this instant!"
"We're sorry," the three children said in unison. Their apology in turn delighted Mrs. Applebee as she went back to continue her conversation with Roy. Zelda knew their apologies were not directed at Roy, but instead the teacher. There was no way any of those children would ever tell him they were sorry.
When a few more minutes passed, it was time for recess. Mrs. Applebee told the children to stop their arts and crafts and take a break with their second recess. All of the students lined up near the door and headed outside with their teacher to join the other second grade classes outside. Zelda scavenged the grassy fields for Peach, yet stumbled upon the same children plus a few others harassing Roy for not having a mother. She watched them as they called him names, blamed his mother's death on him and so on.
That was the only occurrence Zelda recalled where Roy wasn't himself. Otherwise, he was usually full of energy and could care less what others thought of him. To admit, Zelda was a bit jealous of Roy. Not only was he able to always look on the brighter side of things, but also not once did his father sugarcoat or dodge the question of his mother's death. The same went for actually acknowledging her existence instead of letting it stain the pages of history. This was most likely why Roy didn't seem to harbor any ill feelings towards her.
Zelda got up from the cushioned armchair near the café and decided to browse some books. Perhaps some reading to pass the time would suffice. She would begin browsing book after book, checking out titles, reading the synopsis to even the first paragraph to see if it piqued her interests. Soon enough, she stumbled upon the perfect book. She extended her arm over, reached for the book and removed it from the shelf.
The cover of the book consisted of an ancient, robotic like creature with a massive form, shaped like a with a cylinder on top. It had six mechanical legs and a coral-esque designs, meanwhile its eye illuminated a soft blue glow. To be honest, the mechanical design reminded Zelda of Jomon pottery. She propped the book open, turned to the first chapter, and started reading it. With her being glued to the novel, Zelda paid no heed to her surroundings and accidentally bumped into someone without realizing it. Thankfully no one was hurt nor did anyone tumble over.
"Hey! You should be more careful next time!" the voice alerted her with caution.
"S-sorry!" Zelda closed the book and went to take a look of who she accidentally collided into. A familiar face with head full of whiteish grey hair stared at her before exchanging a small smile. She recognized him as the other boy from the townhouse Link and Chrom currently reside in. Truth be told, Zelda knew little to nothing about him besides the fact that he was friends with Link (and Chrom obviously).
"Wait a minute." The familiar stranger observed Zelda, stroking his chin before an imaginary light bulb went off in his head and snapped his fingers. "I recognize you now—you're the girl Link brought over yesterday. What's your name again, um—oh yeah—Zelda! That's it!" He swallowed, pausing for a moment before laughing nervously. "Whoops—where are my manners. I have yet to introduce myself and I already know you by name. Anyways, the name's Daraen!"
Zelda clutched onto the book and giggled. "It's a pleasure to meet you Daraen. What brings you over here in the library?"
"Same reason as you," he answered quickly. "You see, when I'm not doing anything practical or of interest, I tend to read for hours on end. As a matter of fact, I actually love doing research!"
"Me too!" It was nice to meet another person who adored research—well, when it came to subject matters of interest.
"Say," Daraen asked, his eyes completely fixated on her book. "What are you reading anyways?"
Zelda handed the book over and Daraen skimmed through it. He glanced at the cover, smiled and proceeded to hand it back to her. "Mysteries of the Guardians—oh, that's a good read! Doctor Robbie's research is definitely fascinating, especially if you're into ancient technology or history in general. If that's your thing, you're going to really enjoy it!"
Zelda beamed wider. "I'm really glad. Actually, I might check out this book before my next class. Believe it or not, I've always been fascinated by the guardians and how they functioned. Same with the ancient shrines linked to their technology."
Daraen crossed his arms, allowing them to rest on his chest while he clung onto her every word. He was attuned to their conversation. "That's good. After you finish reading that book, I'd suggest checking out reading the books on ancient Sheikah technology written by Purah Nolle."
"I'll definitely keep that in mind." Zelda took out her phone, swiped it upwards, typed in the passcode, and tapped on the notes icon. She proceeded to make a little remainder for herself in the future to check out those books. The two talked on and on about ancient Sheikah technology for about twenty minutes before transitioning the subject to something more casual.
"Hey Zelda, want to know a little fun fact about Link?"
Zelda tilted her head to the side, interested. She didn't understand it, but she wanted to learn more about Link for reasons unknown. Despite being the former best friend of her deceased brother, Zelda knew little to nothing about him. "Sure."
"Did you know that Link plays both the guitar and the bass," Daraen exclaimed. "Speaking of instruments, I also enjoy playing the keyboard on my spare time, you know, as a hobby. The same goes for playing the drums as well."
"Does Chrom play any instruments?" Zelda leaned forward a bit. She was very fascinated by new information she had just learned.
Daraen shook his head. "Not really. Never seen him pick up an instrument before, plus he never really struck me as the type. Even back in high school."
"Oh." Zelda looked down at her feet and shuffled a bit before glancing back at Daraen. "With the way you worded things, it made it sound like if you guys were in a band of sorts."
"Well, you could say that." He exchanged another small laugh. "I was actually a part of my school's marching band back in high school. I was part of the drum line. Meanwhile my sister was a part of the color guard."
"Now that makes more sense." Zelda turned over and glanced at the time. It was fifteen minutes until now! A surge of panic overwhelmed her as not only she had to check out the book but also rush over to her class as well. She took a deep breath and side.
"I'm really sorry to cut you off but my class starts in fifteen minutes. It was nice meeting you Daraen! Tell Link I've said hello!"
With those words, Zelda scuffled across the library and made her way towards the main counter to check out the book before heading over towards the Literature II building.
Zelda stepped inside the classroom and quickly surveyed it for any vacant seats that remained. Only a few excellent spots were available, otherwise they were already occupied from the other students. Like her other classes, the walls were barren and void of any life. The only décor it consisted of was a wall clock, a whiteboard, an L-shaped corner desk accompanied by an array of solid plastic combo desks. She swiftly took a seat at a corner near the exit. And unsurprisingly, the classroom size was rather small, so it was bound to be much easier to focus.
Soon after, her professor arrived just on the dot of noon. The professor wore her auburn hair in a daintily tight bun, red rimmed glasses, and her attire which consisted of an olive A-line dress and sable peplum jacket. Her overall presentation radiated affable warmth. After setting down her belongings (travel mug, binders, and some papers), she would begin passing around the syllabus to her students. When all of them had received their papers, just like Zelda's previous professors, she would begin to introduce herself.
"Greetings everyone," the professor began, "welcome to LS315, otherwise known as the Art of Storytelling. I am none other than Dr. Celeste Cromwell. This class meets every Tuesday and Thursday from noon to 1:30 p.m.. Anyways, before we continue on with all of the not so fun stuff, let me tell you guys a few things about myself."
Celeste began to ramble on how she's married, has two children, and goes hiking and participates in crafting workshops on her spare time. Afterwards she began going over the syllabus while she paced around the classroom. She went over the required texts, assignments, quizzes to even a small lecture about the core assessment. When she finished, Celeste's hazel eyes glistened with a twinkle and smiled.
"Since we still have some time left, how about we do a little activity."
Zelda did not like where this was going. She was so accommodated to her professors dismissing her early after their introduction lectures that this sudden change in routine startled her. She had a gut feeling of what Dr. Cromwell was insisting.
"So, since this class houses thirty students, why don't we get a chance to know each other," Celeste happily insisted.
Dread. The feeling of lingering dread. Zelda bit her lip and immediately sick to her stomach. If there was anything she loathed, it was introductory assignments. Not because of they were difficult or anything, just the thought of presenting oneself to an audience of potentially judgmental, antagonizing, unfamiliar blank faces was enough to wear her out. She was never one for the spotlight. Yes, Zelda had participated in countless plays in high school but this was different. Much, much different.
"To make this activity much more fun, I would like you all to find yourselves a partner and talk to them for a few minutes. You must ask them their name, their major, why are they taking this course and last but not least, a fun fact about them. Afterwards, you are to introduce your partner to the class when time's up." Celeste smiled from ear to ear while she surveyed her students, all whom remained dead silent and followed her every whim. She twirled around, made her way towards the desk and sat down.
Soon enough, students began getting up and scoping the classroom for their partners while others clicked with the person sitting next to them. Zelda observed the students instantaneously clicking with one another like peanut butter and chocolate. What even furthered her disdain for these sorts of activities wasn't her unfamiliarity but the search for the perfect partner. Depending on the circumstances, one could either get lucky and gain a new friend or they could get screwed over with someone disinterested in them. In a sense, she felt as if it were a measure of her own self-worth.
Thankfully the goddesses were on Zelda's side today and blessed her. She didn't have to leave her desk in search of someone. Instead, they had motioned their way towards her. There stood in front of her was a drop-dead gorgeous woman with a staggering height. Zelda could have sword that she had ascended straight out of a fashion magazine. Her vibrant, reddish orange laid freely to the sides of her face. The longer tresses neatly interweaved and rested itself between the middle of her chest in an ornate gray pin. Suave lavender eyeshadow highlighted her stunning yellow-red almond eyes which radiated with bright and bold confidence. It matched perfectly with her ebony outfit and beautiful violet lips.
A catlike grin donned itself on the woman's lips as she sat down next to Zelda. "Mind if I work with you?" she asked. Zelda bobbed her head up and down, still mesmerized by the woman's beauty. She presented herself with the upmost poise and elegance. One would say she was quite picturesque.
"Let me guess, cat got your tongue?" she jested. Not like she didn't seem to mind Zelda gaping her jaw all over her looks. In fact, she was quite used to it. A small giggle escaped her lips. "You know, you remind me of someone I've met in high school. He shared the same dumbfounded look as you but anyhow, that isn't the point. Anyways, the name's Midna Khatri."
Midna. Zelda mouthed her name. Not only was she model material, her name also complimented her looks as well. Realizing she was getting lost in a sea of Midna's radiance, Zelda mildly slapped her chin and refocused on the assessment on hand.
"I'm Zelda Nohansen," she replied, smiling, "it's a pleasure to meet you."
"The same goes for you as well." Midna paused for a moment before placing her bookbag on her desk. While she began rummaging through it for pen and paper, Zelda observed the countless pins on her bag. It ranged from designs similar to her ornate pin to novelty pins and even a rainbow flag. When Midna found what she was looking for, she tore the piece of paper into two and handed the other half over to Zelda. "Better get this dumb assignment done and over with."
Zelda laughed. "I'm glad I'm not the only one who finds it meaningless. Was never a fan of it in grammar school."
"Same. The only good benefit any pointless introductory assignment is that it kills class time." Midna stretched out her arms and clutched onto her pen. Zelda took hers out as she decided to let Midna go first. They both wrote down each other's names on the paper before proceeding on with the next requirements.
"So, what are you majoring in?" Midna asked. "I'm currently majoring in fashion design."
"English." Zelda wrote down Midna's major on the paper under her name. "From the sound of your major, you're obviously taking this course as an elective."
"Bingo!" Midna pointed and swiftly jerked her right hand at Zelda, gesturing her correct answer. She found it quite self-explanatory that Zelda was obviously taking the course as a requirement and wrote it down. "Last but not least, we're onto the final question. So—tell me something about yourself."
"Well…" Zelda bit her lip and swallowed. She wasn't sure where to begin. While the easiest fun fact would be telling Midna that she used to be a twin, at the same time, Zelda wasn't ready to open up old wounds. So instead, she opted for something else. "I really, really love flowers. As a matter of fact, my favorite flower is called the silent princess. What fascinates me about it is that it thrives out on its own in the wild."
"While I'm not one for plants per say, that flower sounds quite lovely." Midna's grin radiated warmth and interest. She jolted down the final thing about Zelda before exchanging a fun fact about herself. "Believe it or not, I once sucker-punched an annoying dudebro so hard in high school, I broke his nose. Wait—I can't let you share that story now, can we? The last thing I need is the teacher on the tip of my ass. Anyhow, share this one instead—it's much more appropriate. One of my hobbies consist of making jewelry and selling it online."
"That's cool." Zelda nodded, smiling. Not once did the story of Midna punching the lights out of a creep phase her. Instead, she expected such action from Midna's overall character. While she knew it was morally wrong to hurt someone, she knew Midna most likely did it as a means of protecting someone. The two stood quiet for a moment before Midna broke the silence between.
"Say, want to hang out a bit after class is over. I could introduce you to some of my friends," she suggested. Zelda's eyes twinkled at the thought of that. To her, it meant that Midna had accepted her as someone worthy, someone deemed interesting.
"Sure!"
After a few more minutes have passed, Celeste had informed the class that time was up. She then asked for any volunteers who wanted to go first. Thankfully both Midna and Zelda wanted to get this assignment both done and out of the way. So, in turn, they were the first ones up. Zelda rambled on about Midna while the latter did the same about the former. When they were done, both of them took their seats and listened to the other peers introduce their partners. The next thing they know, the class period was finally over.
"Are you already fretting about the amount of math classes you're taking this semester?" A blonde-haired girl leaned over the table, towering over another figure. The figure in question hid his face under his purple colored hoodie as tufts of black hair stuck out. He anxiously tugged at his blue and black striped scarf which wrapped around his neck. Another disgruntled sigh escaped his lips.
"How was I supposed to know that getting a degree in business administration would have a ton of math requirements?" His nasally voice made their distress sound much more like pointless whinging than it actually was. Shortly after, he held his head high up in the air but only enough to make eye contact with his friends.
"Did you even bother looking at your degree program!?" The girl definitely wasn't buying it. She couldn't believe the audacity her cousin out of all people had done. Then again, it wasn't like she was any better. While he was one to avoid any form of conflict and cowered in fear, she on the other hand, lacked a sense of direction.
"Yes," he grumbled under his breath in slight irritation. "I've just avoided taking the required math courses until now, Emille."
"Um, excuse you. It's Linkle," she corrected him, huffing. It wasn't that she took any issue with her real name—in actuality she quite liked it, however felt that it didn't necessarily suit her. Instead, she grew more attached to a name her grandmother had read from a worn-out book full of heroic tales about a legendary hero garbed in green. Ever since then, she insisted on being called Linkle instead of her actual name.
"Aw, don't worry Ravio," the girl next to him said, consoling him. Her long light-blue hair which was kept in a side ponytail. "I'm sure Fi would gladly tutor you."
Another girl who donned a similar shade of blue hair nodded. The only difference between her and the other girl was that her length was much shorter. In addition, she had two prosthetic arms, both of them which were covered up by her oversized lavender sweater.
"Lana's right you know," Fi said, taking a sip from her water bottle. "And besides, it'll be fun."
"By fun you mean mentally exhausting right?" Ravio seemed a bit skeptical.
Fi shook her head. "If I could tutor Drew out of all people in math, then I could help you too. Trust me, I helped him get an A in his calculus class last year, and you know how bad he is with math in general."
Ravio took a deep breath before exhaling in defeat. "Fine… just promise to go easy on me."
"There's a 99% chance that I'll guarantee no promises."
Linkle held three fingers up, counting backwards by each second as she got ready to cue another overwhelmed groan from Ravio.
"Jeez Ravio, I could hear you bitching all the way from here. Anyways, sup guys?" Midna set her bookbag down on the vacant space next to Fi. Zelda stood next to her, observing Midna's friends.
Ravio perked up at the sight of a new face. He couldn't help but wonder why Zelda looked so familiar despite not knowing who she even was. Perhaps she reminded him of another pretty face he had crossed paths with long ago.
"Nothing mu—hey, who's she?" Linkle asked curiously.
"Guys, this here is Zelda. I've met her in my class and thought she was cool enough to hang out with us," Midna answered. She began pointing at each of her friends, starting with Fi. "This here is Fi, next to her is Linkle, and last but not least, we have Lana and Ravio on the other side. Unfortunately, Zelda has a prior engagement to attend at two, so she can't hang around for too long."
Zelda exchanged greetings with Midna's group of friends and chatted them up a bit until ten minutes prior to two. She learned that Midna, Fi and Ravio all attended the same high school and had met Lana and Linkle (Ravio was her cousin, so he didn't count) during their freshman year at Harlington. Before her departure, she managed to collect their phone numbers for the time being.
Zelda sat on a white backless bench while she waited for Roy. She looked up at the sky for the time being. White velvet clouds slowly danced across the blue sky. It was an ever-evolving artistic palette. After watching the clouds for a few more seconds, Zelda tilted her head back down and saw Roy heading over her way. She noticed an unfamiliar face tagging alongside him from afar. The two of them gradually grew closer until their arrival.
"Hey Zelda," Roy greeted happily, "I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine." He gestured towards a girl who shared the same hair color as Daraen. It was styled neatly between two pigtails while her black hoodie brought out her hair significantly. "Zelda, this is Robin, also known as Chrom's wife. Robin, this is Zelda."
"It's nice to meet you!" Robin outstretched her hand to shake Zelda's. Zelda returned the favor and shook hands with Robin, still caught in a bit of a daze. At least the worry of Chrom being a single father was finally able to be put to rest. She was relieved that Chrom was able to find someone who loves and cherishes him, yet was a bit uneased. What if Robin knew about all of the ugly parts of her? The ones that she kept hidden from society. It wouldn't surprise her to say the least. After all, she had hurt Chrom remarkably in the past. Luckily for Zelda, Robin seemed to be very nice and unexpectedly, clicked really well with her.
The trio made their way towards the white minimalistic building that harbored a plethora of windows which allowed for more natural lighting. The architecture itself reminded Zelda of a loft house with the number of windows that were added. When they stepped inside the museum, the first thing they note was how it was a storehouse of the school's culture and history. Not only was it filled with work from local artists, it also harbored artwork from Harlington's students as well.
Various types of artwork were scattered across the gallery. On one side of the wall, there were paintings done in oil, acrylic, and watercolors and on the other side consisted of mixed media, chalk pastels, charcoal and other art mediums. In the center there were glass containers which housed glass work, pottery, jewelry, and small sculptures. Overall, it perfectly captured Harlington's art world.
Roy dug through his backpack and took out a notebook along with a pencil. On top of it sat his scavenger hunt assignment from his art history class. He placed the pencil between his ears and turned towards Robin and Zelda. "Just a heads up, I might not talk much as I will be focusing on the assignment. Feel free to look around the museum while I work." Roy parted ways with Robin and Zelda for the time being, leaving them alone together.
The two stood together in silence before Zelda decided to break the ice. "So—how did you and Chrom meet anyways?"
"We've met in high school," Robin answered, smiling brightly. Just thinking of her husband was enough to make her heart flutter. She twirled her hair and her cheeks tinted a slight hue of pink from the thought of Chrom. "I was awkward, he was awkward—it was the perfect match. He knew how to make me smile in a way no one else could."
"That's—that's really sweet." Zelda stared off into the distance. Her body was heavy, bounded by a set of imaginary chains holding onto her wrists which followed her every movement. Sure, she was glad Chrom was able to meet someone who greatly influenced his life, yet she still felt empty. There she was, lingering onto her troubled past with him yet again. Deep down, Zelda felt Chrom forgave her too easily. She didn't feel worthy of his presence, let alone forgiveness.
Robin took note of Zelda's odd posture and rose a brow. "Is everything alright?"
"Y-yeah," Zelda stammered, drifting away from her thoughts. "I was just thinking, that's all."
"Maybe looking at some art might help ease your mind." Robin extended out her arm for Zelda to grab. Her mahogany eyes radiated warmth, a sense of belonging. It was as if she wiped away all of Zelda's worries and regrets. Instead of continuing to dwell in the past, Zelda reached for Robin's arm as she linked it together with hers. From there, they had begun their journey through the art gallery, inspecting every nook and cranny. They smiled, they laughed, they talked and inspected various art pieces, guessing the stories they told through their canvas.
"Hey Zelda, have you by any chance stumbled into someone by the name of Frederick?"
His name sounded familiar. Zelda tilted her head, allowing it to rest on her hand as she tapped the side of it, trying to think. Shortly after, she was able to recall the older man from yesterday. "Yes, I have actually. Just met him yesterday. While he had a strong demeanor of a powerful authority figure, he's actually quite… zany to say the least."
"That's an awfully polite way of putting it." Robin chuckled at Zelda's response before sighing. "I'm kind of glad he doesn't know about the student art gallery. Even though he doesn't attend Harlington, just the thought of him trying to show off his art piece freely is enough to make me die."
"Jeez." Zelda partially covered her mouth, suppressing a slight giggle. "Just how bad is it exactly."
"Bad. Very, very bad. I mean, the execution is spot on but still, it's… bad." Robin shuddered at the mere thought of Frederick's masterpiece—erm, if it could even be deemed such. "Let's just say it's a motivational poster that has Chrom in it."
"It doesn't sound that bad," Zelda said. She was expecting something much worse.
Robin held up a finger as if to finish her explanation. "The thing about that is… Chrom's naked—well, minus the sword covering his genitals, but still. He's naked."
Zelda's eyes widened as she envisioned the artwork. Yes, she could see it now. Frederick struck her as the type to capture Chrom's every detail—from his finely toned body to every scratch and scar on it. "I guess calling him zany was an understatement."
Robin nodded in agreement. "Definitely an understatement."
Shortly after, Zelda decided she needed to cleanse her poor mind of Frederick's "creativity" with tasteful pieces of work. Taking slow steps throughout the gallery, she stumbled upon a piece of interest. The artwork captured the university scene and was done in chalk pastels. The majority of the students in the piece were rough gestures, however that wasn't what captured Zelda's eye. Instead, she was a hundred percent fixated on the only rendered figure which stuck out. Inching closer, she observed the figure who shared an uncanny resemblance to Link.
"Wait a minute—is that… Link?" she muttered under her breath. A few seconds later, she had come to realize that the rendered figure was in fact, Link. Now, one question remained—why was Link the only one in the piece who was fully rendered? It didn't make any sense at all!
Robin rubbed her chin as she looked at the piece. Afterwards, she turned towards Zelda and tilted her head. "I wondered if the artist used Link as a focal point for their work," she brought up. "It would make a lot of sense, given that the rest of the students are quick gestures."
"I would assume so too. I am just curious to as why the artist chose Link over everyone else." Zelda continued staring at the piece. She wondered if Harlington displayed random pieces of artwork from previous semesters to both intrigue and motivate it students. Before Robin could respond, her phone started going off. Laughing nervously, she excused herself and went outside to answer her phone, leaving Zelda alone for the time being.
Truth be told, something festered inside Zelda's mind all day. She couldn't help but ponder why Roy really invited her, let alone treated her kindly after her outburst yesterday. Heck, she had even shoved him too during that whole ordeal. While she was engulfed in her own thoughts, in the meantime, Roy had finally finished his assignment. He took note of Robin talking outside and approached Zelda from behind.
"So, how are you enjoying the museum," Roy said, smiling as usual.
"I'm really enjoying it so far, but…" Her voice began to trail off. "I can't help but think about something. Why did you invite me to come with you? I mean, all of this doesn't make any sense. I treated you awfully yesterday and yet you still insist on hanging out with me."
Roy was taken back a bit by Zelda's response. He paused for a few seconds, trying to find out the best words to say before resuming on.
"Well, you see," he began, "I've noticed how stressed out you were and figured why not try and help you relax. And besides, all that stuff was in the past. It's important to focus on what's happening now, otherwise it would be much more difficult to heal."
Zelda bobbed her head up and down slowly. Feeling slightly relieved, she exchanged a small smile. "Roy, I'm sorry for how I've treated you. I know my apology may not be much, but—"
Roy cut her off before she was able to finish. "Hey, don't beat yourself up over it now. Besides, like I've said, the past is the past right? That doesn't define who you are now."
"Right."
The two exchanged soft smiles as Robin returned from her phone call. Deciding to make the atmosphere much more positive in hopes of uplifting Zelda, Roy changed the subject.
"Who called just now?" he asked keenly.
"My brother," Robin answered. "He told me to go meet him over at the dining hall for dinner. Say—would you two care to join us?"
"Sure." Both Zelda and Roy had replied in unison. The trio stepped out of the art gallery and made their way towards the dining hall to meet up with Daraen.
She couldn't believe it. Her diamond eyes glistened, basking in the sudden surge of euphoria from today's chain of events. Regardless of the circumstances which transpired earlier this morning, everything else went as smooth as a neatly refined crystal glass. Zelda stared at the ceiling, beaming wide, basking in the uplifting happiness. Her roommate had yet to return for the day and hear of the wonderful news of Zelda's spectacular day. For now, Zelda decided to utilize the remainder of her time browsing her social media profiles as well as reading and taking notes for her classes.
First things first, Zelda logged onto her Facebook page and was immediately bombarded with four new friends' requests. They've consisted of Chrom and Robin Iris, Roy Pherae, and Daisy Aldridge. Clicking accept without second thought, she confirmed all of their requests before logging onto her Tumblr and Twitter accounts in new tabs. After a few minutes of browsing online, she decided open up to the first chapter of her Literature and Cultural Difference textbook. With a pen ledged between the tips of her teeth, Zelda leaned over for her bookbag, unzipped it, grabbed a purple spiral bound notebook before zipping it back up and placing it near the desk. She removed the pen from her mouth and began reading, jolting down things which struck her with its upmost importance.
While Zelda was deeply fixated in her studies, her phone vibrated, receiving a notification from one of her many apps. Being curious, Zelda softly tapped the right side of her phone. It alerted her that she had received a new message from Link through Facebook. Placing both the pen and notebook on top of her textbook, Zelda glanced over at her laptop and decided to take a small break for the time being.
Link: Hey
A small smile formed on Zelda's lips as she responded eagerly.
Zelda: Hi! How're you?
Link: I'm good. Just winding down, you?
Zelda: Oh, I'm just reading the first chapter and writing down notes for my ENG262 class. Don't want to get swamped with too much work if you know what I mean.
Link: Haha, yeah. Say, I heard a little birdie told you that I know how to play both the bass and the guitar. Truth be told, I could play many instruments. Kinda neat, right?
Zelda: Yeah! :) Believe it or not, my parents used to have my brother and I, back when he was around of course, signed up for private harp lessons.
Link: I think I remember Sheik rambling about something like that a long time ago. Anyways, you should totally come over to The Roost Friday evening. ;P
Zelda: Well, I'm not quite sure to be honest.
Link: Aw, are you sure?
Zelda: Yeah, I'm sure of it. Well, I guess it really depends on my schedule.
Link: I see. I'm sure you will think of something.
Zelda: Of course. Anyways, I really need to go back to focusing on my schoolwork. I'd suggest for you to do the same as well.
Link: Oh, shit! I've almost forgot that I was enrolled this semester. Thanks for the reminder!
Zelda minimized her browser and turned back towards her studies. She decided to pick up from where she had last left off. Around an hour and a half later, Zelda managed to finish reading and writing notes on the first chapter for her first class. With the rate she was going at, Zelda would be finished with reading the required chapters for the week in no time!
"One class down, now only three more to go!"
Oh—if only feelings of relentless joyousness weren't so fleeting.
She decided to take a small break from her work and check up on her social media. First, she scrolled endlessly through Tumblr, adding some posts of interest into her queue, then moved onto Twitter and refreshed her feed, and last but not least, decided to check up on Facebook. While she scrolled aimlessly through tons of statuses, shared posts and event feeds, a little red icon made itself known above the messaging icon.
Curiosity sparked Zelda. Her eyes light, wondering if Link managed to get back on. However as soon as she clicked the icon, her facial expression soured.
Pit: Hey. We need to talk.
Those words alone were enough for Zelda's euphoric mood to plummet down the drain.
After god knows how long, I finally managed to update this! Fun fact, I did have a similar idea planned (the whole museum thing) back when I was writing this in 2013, but lost muse. Oddly enough, I decided to reintroduce the idea six years later.
A few months after the rewrite of chapter 3, I am still struggling to think of majors for some characters. There are some I already have planned, but others are still a mystery to me. Link happens to be one of those characters. Not going to lie, I do love the idea of Linkle's name not actually being her real name.
Anyways, in this chapter, we got introduced to both a sneak peek and the cameo of Viridi and Dark Pit. You will definitely see more of them (especially the latter) in the next chapter.
With that, I leave you guys some optional story questions just because.
1. How do you feel when you receive any variation of "We need to talk" whether it's through text or even a teacher asking to see you after class.
2. Why do you think Dark Pit doesn't want Zelda near Pit?
3. Why does Link want Zelda to go to The Roost on Friday evening?
Stay tuned for the fifth chapter which focuses on Pit. I will give a heads up though, it's pretty depressing (at least to me since I've already finished the outline for it).
- Ashe