Trigger warning for mentions of suicide.
~ Chapter 7: Ups and Downs ~
Pit departed campus grounds, making a left to get onto east University Drive. He altered the volume of the radio as it played "Black Madonna" by Cage the Elephant. Link adjusted himself in the passenger's seat before glancing at Pit. In the meantime, Zelda decided to remain completely silent, not only to observe them but also to garner as less attention on her as possible. In cases like this, she viewed silence as a form of solitude.
"So…," Link began, leaning his cheek on the tip of his fingers, "did you download the latest Smash update on your switch yet?"
"Not yet. I heard Byleth just got released yesterday!" Pit answered. Not once did his gaze drift away from the road. "Did you?"
"Yep. Messed around with them last night for a bit before working on some homework." Link chuckled slightly and shook his head. "I still can't believe the salt all over a measly character. Well, I do understand that there are a lot of Fire Emblem characters, but if you really think about it, the developers gave us four third party characters alongside another DLC pack in the future."
"True." Pit laughed a bit, shaking his head. "I tend to stay out of that mess in general. The last thing I need is some jerk harassing me in my DMs over a harmless opinion. You know how people can be when it comes to any kind of discourse."
"Yeah. Say, at least you can tell people that your mother's in the game now," Link jested, winking twice. This joke caused Pit to groan out loud.
"Ugh, not this crap again!" Pit inhaled through his nose before exhaling out a breeze of air from it. "The last thing I need to be compared to is any members from the Church of Seiros. Speaking of that, someone in my physics II class already told me how much I remind them of Cyril..."
Link rubbed the bottom of his chin. "I could definitely see it. He's absolutely devoted and adores Rhea, just like how you love your mother and often follow her every whim." He cleared his throat, trying his best to mimic Pit's voice. "I'll work as hard as I can! For Lady Palutena!"
"Liiiiiink!" Pit's cheeks turned slightly red, causing Link to break out into a fit of laughter. While Link continued laughing up a storm to Pit's embarrassment, Zelda noticed how happy he was when he was with him. The last time she recalled Link laughing like that was when he was with Sheik. So in turn, she was glad he managed to find someone else he could completely confide to in time of need. That as well as joke around and let himself loose.
"Anyways." Link wiped the corner of his eyes, still grinning hard from his cheesy reenactment. "What do you feel like eating? I could really go for some meat right now. Probably a steak or two perhaps."
"Hmm." Pit took a few seconds to think. Usually he wasn't a picky eater— unless the food had an unbearable texture, like eggplants for instance— but other than that, he was fine with anything. Still, that didn't mean he could be in the mood for a certain meal or two. "I was thinking more along the lines of a sandwich or something."
Link raised a brow. "Really now? Thought you would want some steak, just like me."
Pit shook his head, disagreeing. "Nah, not really. Just a sandwich is good enough for me."
The two sat in silence while the radio played. From what felt like minutes, they both slightly glanced at one another and made a connection.
"How about some burgers then?" Link suggested.
"Heck yeah! I'm game dude!" Pit grinned wide at the thought of eating a nice, juicy cheeseburger.
After a few minutes passed, they finally arrived at a local burger joint. Pit neatly parked in a vacant accessible parking space, aligning his vehicle in the middle before putting it on park and turning off the ignition. Link and Zelda both got out of the car, closing the door behind them while Pit used the powered lift in his modified vehicle. Link walked towards the door, holding it open for Pit and Zelda to enter inside the restaurant.
The lighting was bright and cheery, the air being thick of the scents of so many different foods and charbroiled burgers. It was a small and cozy place, designed somewhat minimalist yet still had a homely, welcoming feel to it. The maple wood tables had small wooden chairs to match them, each being decorated with a napkin dispenser accompanied by condiments along with some salt and pepper. White pendulum lights dangled from the ceiling, each of them being centered above the tables. A bar was in the right corner of the building with cream colored barstools neatly aligned in a row against the wall. While they waited for the hostess to arrive, the sounds of noisy chatter of the people around them could be heard. To Zelda's surprise, she recognized the green haired woman waiting on the bench to be none other than Pit's mother, Palutena. From what she was able to recall, her features still remained the same after all these years— not once were they hit with any sign of aging.
Palutena glanced down at her phone, reading the time. Afterwards, she glanced up and smiled warmly at the sight of her son, his best friend, and their new acquaintance.
"I didn't know you guys were coming here," she commented. Not once did her kind smile fade away. Her gaze was more fixated on Zelda before she looked to Pit. "I see you made yourself a new girlfriend. So, how did you two meet?"
Her comment alone was enough to startle both Pit and Zelda. They looked at each other in silence, Pit's cheeks turning slightly pink while Zelda exchanged a quick, small smile before glancing in the other direction, clutching onto her hair. Whereas Zelda was slightly taken back by Palutena's teasing, Pit on the other hand, lightly stroked the palm of his left hand with the tip of his fingers.
"You see," he began, getting even more flustered. "We met at a place, where you um, go to get a higher education of learning after you graduate from high school."
"Oh, you mean school silly!" Palutena giggled while Pit continued to stroke his palm lightly. She turned towards Zelda. "What's your name?"
"Zelda," she responded quickly.
"Zelda, huh?" Palutena flashed a smile in her direction. She extended out her arm and shook Zelda's hand. "It's nice to meet you Miss Zelda. I'm Palutena Callahan, otherwise known as Pit's mother— oh, and Drew's as well, but he isn't here with you guys."
"Say, what brings you here anyways Dr. Callahan?" Link asked curiously. He did not expect to run into Pit's mother today, so seeing Palutena out and about was a rather lovely surprise.
"I'm currently on my lunch break. Decided to treat myself to a nice burger to go and surprise my husband with one as well. Speaking of which, the food's finally here!" The hostess came out holding onto a plastic bag which had Palutena's and Apollo's meals inside their respectful containers along with some plastic utensils and napkins. Palutena thanked the hostess, tipping her even before departing, not without telling her son goodbye with a kiss on the cheek, flustering him even further. Soon the hostess gave them her undivided attention.
"Hello and welcome to The Square Burgers and Brew! How many are in your party?"
"About three," Link answered, gesturing to himself, Zelda and Pit.
"Come right this way please." The hostess gathered up three menus and beckoned the trio to follow her. There she led them to a vacant table near the window. She moved away the chair from one side to allow for Pit to get comfortable before each giving them their own menu. "Your waiter will be with you right this minute." The hostess went back to the front of the restaurant to greet and seat the other guests.
In no time at all, their waiter had arrived. He took out his little notebook along with a pen. "Hello and welcome to The Square Burgers and Brew. My name's Andrew and I'll be your server for today. May I get you all started with some drinks?"
"I'll take a Dr. Pepper," Link said.
"Okay then," Andrew said, writing down Link's order. "And for you young man?"
"I'll have a Coke!" Pit said.
"Alright, last but not least, what will you be drinking young lady?" the waiter asked Zelda.
"I'd like some Sprite please," Zelda answered.
"Got it! Before I give you guys some time to decide your orders, I have one more question— is this order going to be all together or would you guys like separate checks?"
Before either Link or Zelda could answer, Pit informed the waiter that the bill will be together. He assured the other two not to worry as he wanted to treat them to their meals. The waiter took note and went to check up on the other tables nearby in their designated section. For the time being, no one ushered a word to one another. Instead, they were fixated on what they were going to order. Zelda browsed the menu, seeing that while they specialized in burgers and alcoholic beverages, they also served other dishes as well. After a few minutes, Andrew returned back to their table along with their drinks and checked to see if they were ready to order. Pit and Link settled on a double bacon cheeseburger and some seasoned fries while Zelda decided to stick with a simple hamburger and fries. He wrote down their orders before leaving, allowing them to converse with one another for the time being.
"So," Zelda said, breaking the ice. "There's something I've been wondering for a while now ever since we got here. How did you two get to become so close anyways?"
"Remember how I told you how my family moved away when I was ten?" Link brought up, reminding her.
She nodded. "Yeah."
"Well, we moved in the same town as my grandmother. Funny enough, she mentioned about knowing two kids around my age from her coworker and thought we should get to meet one another. She arranged a play date for us and needless to say, the kid was none other than Pit and his brother. And it turns out, we had a lot more in common with than we anticipated. From there, we just happened to become really good friends."
"Then around seventh grade, somehow the gods granted me luck, and I transferred into the same school as Link," Pit said, joining in.
"I see." Zelda was surprised to learn about it and smiled. "Well like they always say, it's a small world after all. You two got lucky to encounter one another." Another moment of silence sat between them. Zelda glanced down at her hands, trying to quickly muster up another question. Even though she still felt a bit awkward around Pit, she didn't want warrant any suspicion or make Link concerned. Thankfully she managed to think of something quick. "Seeing how we all are attending Harlington University and whatnot, it made me rather curious about something. If you don't mind me asking this, what are you guys majoring in?"
"Um well…" Link chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. "I'm currently majoring in indecisiveness."
"You're kidding, right?" Zelda laughed, thinking Link was making another one of his corny jokes yet received no reply. His facial expression was sheepish as ever, saying it all. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't gather up a good excuse.
"Believe it or not, I'm not sure what to major in still. I mean, it's much more difficult to figure out what you want to do with your life, ya know? Well, rest assured, I already completed all of my generals required for an associate's degree, at least I'm on some sort of direction, right?"
"Yeah, that's true. And besides, some people don't go back to school until way later anyways." Zelda flashed a small smile, relieved that Link somewhat had a general sense of direction. Soon she looked at Pit. "And what are you majoring in?"
"Who? Me?" Pit pointed at himself. He tapped his chin for a few seconds before snapping his fingers. "I've always wanted to help people, so I'm following in my mother's footsteps of becoming a doctor."
"Oh really now?" His response perplexed her, especially given his learning history and reading comprehension. She knew Harlington had one of the top medical programs in the world, yet did not expect for Pit to major in such. Instead, she thought he would have leaned more towards game design or something else of his interest. That or even lounged around at home all day without a care in the world.
"What are you majoring in Zelda?" Pit asked curiously. Since he told her his, it was only fair that he might as well inquire her about what she was majoring in.
Zelda froze. Her brain had abruptly shut down for the time being. She needed to think of something and quick. Instead, she got up, excusing herself and rushed over to the nearest restroom. She walked towards the sink, turning on the faucet and allowed the warm water to hit her palms. Pushing the soap dispenser, she washed her hands for the time being. Furthermore, she wondered how long it would be until the food arrives, not being of class, but because of Pit. She was afraid he might try to bring up what he wanted to discuss with her right in front of Link. She could picture it right now. Link getting upset at her once more. Perhaps the two were talking about her right now. After staring at her reflection for a few more seconds, Zelda dried up her hands and left the bathroom. She saw Andrew handing them their meals, mentally sighing in relief.
Zelda watched the ever changing scenery from the car window. She observed all of the townspeople going on with their day alongside tons of college students. The next thing she knew, Pit turned into Harlington, taking them to the main campus gates where they had met up prior. He unlocked the doors and placed his foot on the brakes.
"You guys can go ahead without me," he told him. "In the meantime, I'm going to look for a decent parking space. You know how crazy parking can get during the beginning of every semester."
"Alright. Let's go then!" Link hopped out of the car and went towards the backdoor and opened it, allowing for Zelda to get out. She stepped out of the car, turned around, and thanked Pit for paying for her meal. A huge part of her really wanted to pay him back but he heavily refused, insisting he was okay with taking care of the bill. Guess she learned that while Pit is upbeat, he can also be really stubborn as well. As soon as she closed the door behind her, Pit took off and went on a quest to find a decent accessible parking space.
Link and Zelda began walking back towards campus. When they arrived at the gates, someone shouted Link's name from afar.
"Hey, you go on to class ahead of me. I'm going to talk to my friend Shulk for a second." Link waved, turning around as he focused all of his attention on Shulk. Zelda blinked, smiling a bit and hummed a little tune under her breath. Despite how her day started earlier, everything seemed to be picking up. That was until she suddenly came face to face with Drew Callahan. His menacing gaze was enough to make her stomach queasy.
"What the hell did I just tell you earlier?" he retorted, inching closer towards her. She closed her eyes tightly, slightly looking away. When she opened them, Drew was actually up close and personal as she could hear him breathe. Zelda was paralyzed, his intimidating aura held her in a tightening grip. "Stay the fuck away from Pit!"
Terror continued washing over her, raising the fine hairs on her back of her neck. She wanted to turn and run the other way, but her feet wouldn't allow her. So instead, she did the only thing she could do— bite back.
"I'm sorry," Zelda began, her voice shaking a bit while it rose. "But why are you harassing me for something that's beyond my control anyways?! I don't even know who the hell you are but you insist on targeting me for no damn reason! Like what have I even done to deserve this!?"
"Hmph." Drew closed his eyes, shaking his head in disbelief. His fingers ran through his wild locks, brushing them a bit, only for them to bounce right back into place. He clicked his tongue as the left side of his lip tugged upwards, creating a smug smirk oh his face. "So all of the sudden you think you're the victim? Hah, you people amuse me!"
He forced out an entertained laugh. "Let me get this straight, all of the sudden you care about Pit? Oh, I definitely see where this is going. You feel bad for your actions in the past, try to bond with the person you've wronged, beg for forgiveness and all the sudden everything's a-okay! Wow, talk about selfish!"
Every muscle in her body shouted at her to turn back now and walk away, but instead, she stood. No matter how much he caused her heart to beat like a hammer and unsettled her, there was no turning back now. "Aren't people allowed to own up to their own actions and change for the better? Or are they forever tainted by their past selves in your eyes?"
He crossed his arms, shaking his head, clicking his tongue in irritation. "No matter how much you've grown, that doesn't mean I'm allowed to trust you. And besides, I've witnessed how people treated my brother. They either saw him as their personal punching bag or as something pitiful to even gawk at. You just want your redemption arc so you can use him as a form of inspiration porn. Oh, I could just see the headlines now." Drew waved his right arm slowly to emphasize his point. "Former goody two shoes model student Zelda Nohansen makes amend with a disabled boy who has autism. Let's flaunt their sudden newfound friendship and focus on how the allistic girl saved the autistic boy by giving him a kindness!"
"Wait!" Zelda was a bit confused. She never heard such term used before, but hearing it in a sentence allowed her to guess its definition. "Aren't you allistic yourself?"
"No dumbass—I'm autistic, just like my brother!" He cleared his throat and stuck out his tongue in disgust. "Yuck, it pains me to even use person first language, even when to prove a damn point! Besides, people like you are the reason why people want to kill themselves in the first place."
Her eyes widened. "What?!" It was hard to believe. For the love of goddesses, she hoped Pit never experienced any form of suicidal ideation. At this point, she wasn't even sure anymore. All the thing she knew was that Pit always came to school with a smile on his face.
"Didn't you know that Pit always hid how he truly feels? Under that smile is a complete lie. Truth be told, I recall a terrible memory, one that is impossible to forget. It happened after the incident where he broke his right arm. I remember my parents asking him if he accidentally fell, yet that wasn't the case. Instead, he told us how much he wanted to die at some point, all because people hated him for who he was."
Zelda's jaw dropped. She reminisced the day she saw Pit leap off the ledge. From what looked like a mere accident turned out to actually be a suicide attempt! She placed a hand over her mouth to stifle a scream. Immediately she shuffled away from the scene as tears began welling up in her eyes. She ran clumsily, stumbling upon a nearby garden area and made her way towards the corner and wailed hoarsely.
"I should really be getting to class. It was nice seeing you guys again!" Link started making his way to the entrance and turned around, waving at Shulk before stepping on campus grounds. While walking his way towards the steel gates, he stopped in his tracks. Squinting his eyes as a means of focus, he caught glimpse of Drew and Zelda interacting with one another. Shortly after, he witnessed her storming off. She was clearly upset, causing him to quicken up his pace and make haste towards Drew.
"What the fuck did you just do?" Link barked, clenching his teeth.
Drew took two steps back, shaking his head. Why was Link upset over someone who despised him for something beyond his reach? Just what made this Zelda girl so special that granted her sudden salvation? "I was only protecting Pit from getting hurt again."
He furrowed his brows, resting his arms on his chest. He'd begin constructing pieces of the puzzle together before it finally clicked. Instead of confronting Drew right away, he was curious to what he even told Zelda.
"Well, I just told her everything. From how those like her cause people like Pit to kill themselves and the fact that he actually really hates her," Drew said nonchalantly, shrugging. He acted as it was no big deal. Link on the other hand, thought otherwise. He lunged forward, aggressively grabbing Drew by the shirt collar. Holding Drew with one hand and lifting up the other, he clenched it into a fist so hard that his nails cut into his skin.
Before any further altercation could transpire, Pit finally arrived at the campus gate and witnessed the scene which was about to unfold. He was one to rarely curse unless either provoked or angry.
"Just what the hell is going on?!" He questioned.
Link let go of Drew's shirt collar, causing him to lose balance and almost fall onto the sidewalk. He pointed his finger at Drew. "Why don't you ask your fucking brother?"
"Link's just being overdramatic over some stupid girl," he simply stated.
Pit tilted his head, trying to figure out what his brother even meant about some stupid girl. He paused for a moment before realizing that he was referring to none other than Zelda. His facial expression narrowed while he crossed his arms. "Pittoo! What did you do to Zelda?"
Drew growled under his breath. "For the love of god, I told you not to call me that stupid name, Pit-stain!" He exhaled, shaking his head while he rolled his eyes. "I've just told Zelda to stay away from you because I didn't want her to hurt you again. Even went as fair to tell you that you actually hated her."
Pit's eyes flashed with indignance and fury, much like lightning on a pitch black night. "How could you be so damn selfish?! You know what? I want you to go apologize to her right now!"
"Why the hell should I?" He rolled his eyes. At this point, he was convinced that Zelda managed to somehow cast a spell on both Link and Pit. Only he was the one who saw through her deceit.
"For the last time, I'm not you! My experiences are my own! Stop self-projecting your misery onto me already! It's not my fault that unlike you, I'm not all doom and gloom all the damn time!" Pit yelled. His response took Drew back a bit, causing him to turn his back and walk away. He knew that this already wasn't going to be a winning battle. There was no point in convincing Pit that Zelda was nothing but trouble. What bothered him was how Pit was more concerned about someone who had greatly hurt him in the past over his own brother.
Link made his way towards Pit while Drew took off. He watched him leave away from prying eyes. "I think you were a bit too hard on your brother. Like the dude was being an absolute ass, but damn."
"Well, sometimes people need to learn the hard way. Even those like Pittoo." Pit sighed and shook his head. He couldn't believe the nerve of his own brother. "I would suggest for you to get to class. Meanwhile, I will wait around campus to talk to Zelda."
Link nodded and made his way towards the Humanities II building. Despite being a couple of minutes late, he headed over to his cooking class to cool down from the sudden drama. When he arrived, he noticed right away that Zelda wasn't there. He suspected such since Drew was being a complete asshole to her for no reason. He made his way towards the room and took his seat to listen to the lecture.
"People like you are the reason why people want to kill themselves in the first place."
Zelda sobbed into her hands, tears dripping between her fingers, raining down onto the concrete beneath. She blamed herself endlessly, pondering what she did to really hurt Pit. The only one she directly remembers hurting was Chrom. She thought he had it the worst since they had much more interactions. Soon after, it finally hit her.
A twelve year old Zelda sat at her desk in the back of classroom during her English period. Her gaze was fixated on the whiteboard in front of her, watching the clock in the center above. Time flowed like cement. From what felt like forever, only a minute had passed and class had yet to begin. Students chatted with one another in the meantime, awaiting their teacher's arrival. Bellwork had yet to be written on the board. Sitting there with nothing to do but stare at a clock on the wall was excruciatingly dull. Zelda rested her head on the palm of her hand, bored out of her mind. Thankfully the teacher arrived just in the nick of time! She held onto her clipboard closely to her chest along with a stack of papers, each of them varying with red marks on top alongside a number percentage.
While her peers were still engrossed in their own conversations, the teacher began handing the papers back to each student. When Zelda received hers, she looked at the top corner of the first page, realizing it was the English test from last week. She examined her score immediately— a 98 percent.
Zelda let out a sigh of relief, wiping away the fictional sweat on her forehead. She worried prior that she had done terribly due to the test being much more difficult than expected, let alone having more trick questions than usual. Shortly after, she noticed a cucco sticker at the bottom right corner of her test. Raising an eyebrow, she could not help but ponder its meaning. More students examined their scores and the stickers as they received their tests back—some groaned while others were relieved. Overall, there were mixed reactions throughout the entire classroom. After the teacher finished handing them out, she went back to the front of the classroom to garner the attention of her students.
"Ahem," she began, clearing her throat. "I am sure the majority of you are wondering why there hasn't been any bellwork written on the board." The teacher looked at her clipboard while the students remained silent. One tried to murmur towards their neighbor, yet was quickly shushed by the person in front of them. "Well— I've decided to have a change of plans, just for today. Since a good chunk of the class failed the test while some of you passed significantly, I've decided to assign a little tutoring assignment instead. To explain, you guys will be paired based on not only your marks, but also which one of you will benefit from learning the most from your partner. For example, the student with the highest score will be paired up with the student who has obtained the lowest score."
"Um Ms. Thorne," a girl asked. "Why can't we just pick our partners and learn what we did wrong from there? I mean, it's still the same thing."
Ms. Thorne shook her head. "That's not how this little tutoring session works Sam. As a matter of fact, I'm sure some of you noticed the sticker on the bottom right corner of your test. I gave each pair their own unique sticker. In order to find your partner, you must find the person with the matching sticker. For instance, two of you have frog stickers while another pair has stars at the bottom of their paper."
"But Ms. Thooorne," Sam whined, "what if I get stuck with someone I don't like? Or even worse, an idiot."
"I'm not changing the rules to this tutoring assignment and that's final." The teacher rolled her eyes while Sam muttered a few obscenities under her breath. After her explanation, students immediately got up and went to search for their respective partners. Deep down, Zelda was already dreading this assignment. Not only had she received the highest score in the class, she also had tutor the student with the lowest score. Since he was in her class, she knew she would be assigned his tutor by default. And to her dismay, she was right. Her eyes made direct contact with Pit's, who clutched onto his test.
"Just great..."
She believed the goddesses were definitely spiting her at this point. Internally groaning, Zelda got up from her desk and moved to one much closer to Pit's.
"Good afternoon Zelda!" he greeted cheerfully. Pit was always chipper like a sparrow as usual, even when he miraculously failed his English test. He never seemed to mind anyways. From what he always informed everyone, he believed none of this would even matter once one turned eighteen anyways.
"Hi Pit," she responded flatly. If there was one thing Zelda wasn't looking forward, it was tutoring Pit. What especially boggled her mind was that even with the help of the school's resource room and other learning aids, he still managed to fail tests. Well, he was an almost a straight C student when it came to his main studies unless it was math. Then he excelled tremendously. Otherwise, he was just an average student at best.
Of course, Zelda being assigned Pit's partner made her not so secret admirer Groose whinge across the other side of the room.
"Augh, no fair!" His partner shook her head in slight annoyance while he was focused on his longtime crush. "How come he gets to work with Zelda and I don't!?"
"Maybe because he scored much lower than you," Malon shot back. She wished she could have gotten stuck with someone else but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. So in turn, she was stuck tutoring Groose.
"Well if you would have tried harder to fail the test, maybe you could have gotten partnered up with Zelda instead," Cawlin chimed in, snickering. "I mean, you would have to be a total idiot to get the lowest score in the class!"
"True." Groose smiled wide. Despite not getting to work with Zelda, his friend made him feel better about it. Besides, not working with his dream girl meant he was a lot smarter, not to mention superior, than the residential class idiot.
"Leave him alone already!" Malon sneered, rolling her eyes. Soon an imaginary light bulb lit up above her and she smirked. "And you see, this is one of the many reasons why Zelda will never ever go out with you. Not even if you were the last person on earth."
Groose froze, his mouth agape with astonishment. He did not know Malon was capable of such insults, let alone could lose her patience. Usually she was kind-hearted and mild-tempered but who knew farm girls could snap with such ease.
Ms. Thorne glanced up from her computer, giving both Groose and Malon a look which ordered them to get back to work. As soon as they went back to their tutoring assignment, the classroom remained quiet for the most part, except for the soft murmurs of the students teaching one another.
"So Pit," Zelda began, obviously ignoring what transpired just now. "Let me see your test."
"Okay!" He dropped the test on his desk, allowing Zelda to read his percentage score. There in big red letters exclaimed a 35 percent. Just seeing the score was enough for Zelda to feel dreadful for his future. She hated to think such negative thoughts but at this point, she figured Pit would most likely never amount to anything, especially if he keeps struggling behind his peers. Who knows, perhaps he was just a horrible test taker. For all she knew, she hoped that was most likely the case, otherwise she felt nothing but pity for his lack of intelligence. Thankfully she managed to get through most of the test, helping Pit with every explanation as he hung onto her every word. Before she knew it, the bell rang, indicating that school was done and over with for the day. The sounds of shuffling chairs and desks were heard as students organized the classroom before departing. As Zelda was about to leave, Ms. Thorne called her over to her desk.
"Zelda, may you please come over here for a second."
"Coming." Zelda walked over to her desk while some students stared. They wondered if she was in trouble before remembering she was the model student. Afterwards, they went back to their own devices and walked straight out the door and into the hallway. "Is anything up Ms. Thorne."
"Not exactly." She paused for a moment, thinking of what to say. "After seeing your outstanding progress throughout the quarter, I had a meeting earlier in the week with Pit's resource teachers and parents. I've told them that he needs more help in English and suggested tutoring sessions after school, which they were completely on board with."
Zelda titled her head. She wondered where she was going with this.
"Since you're the top student in all of my classes, I was wondering if you would help tutor Pit after school as well. To make sure he doesn't lag behind his classmates. He definitely needs the extra help and seeing him understand your explanations today managed to put a smile on my face." She smiled warmly at the thought of Pit actually understanding something. "So, what do you say Zelda—will you be willing to tutor Pit?"
Her eyes and mouth widened into a concerned smile. Thankfully Ms. Thorne didn't catch on, but Zelda was actually really uncomfortable with the idea of tutoring Pit full time. She couldn't help but begrudgingly agree, despite not wanting to even waste her time with him. This in turn, caused Ms. Thorne to smile in delight.
"That settles it!" Ms. Thorne clasped her hands together in excitement. "You will start your tutoring sessions as soon as he's ready."
"Okay." Zelda just smiled and waved before leaving the classroom. She hoped to the goddesses that she didn't start today. And lord behold, Pit was out in the hallway, waiting for her.
Little did Ms. Thorne know, these tutoring sessions did not go well as planned. No matter how hard Zelda tried, all Pit wanted to do was ramble on and on about Pokemon this, Pokemon that. This annoyed her to no end. To add more onto her plate, not once has she even seen an episode nor did she even play video games. She had to constantly remind him of this in every session yet Pit didn't seem to grasp it. So in turn, she was stuck an extra hour every day listening him drone about Ash's adventures to wondering what her favorite gen four Pokemon was.
No matter how hard she tried to conceal herself, soon enough, the volcano inside of her would erupt. After a month of tutoring and no progress being made, Zelda felt nothing but pure exhaustion. She could have been home right now, studying or reading the next book of The Lord of the Rings series but nope. Instead, she was stuck inside the library after school with someone she could care less about.
The two of them sat across from one another. While Zelda took out her notes and studying aids once again, Pit seemed to be focused on doodling on top of his notebook instead. About a few seconds later, they made eye contact with one another, with Pit beaming the entire time.
"So Zelda," he asked innocently, "who's your favorite Pokemon character that isn't Pikachu? I like Ash the best! No matter what circumstances he gets into, like losing a major league for example, he never gives up his dream of becoming a Pokemon master!"
Irritation continued surging inside of Zelda. Nostrils flaring, she had gotten up from the table, clenching her fists at her sides. The volcano which was doormat inside of her for the longest time finally erupted.
"For the last time— I. Don't. Care." She growled under her breath, causing Pit to tilt his head slightly.
"Zelda?" he asked gently, blinking. "Is everything alright?"
"Is everything alright?!" She mimicked his tone, mocking him. Shortly after, she forced out an exaggerated giggle before narrowing her gaze. Pit had never seen her get angry with him before, so in turn, he was startled. "No matter how hard I try, day in and day out, all the thing you want to do is talk about some dumb cartoon!"
"Hey! Pokemon isn't du-!"
"SHUT! UP! For the love of goddesses— please stop talking!" Her muscles grew more and more tense as she finally revealed her inner frustrations with him. A boiling fury which swelled within her continued leaking, seeping on Pit every chance it could get. "Instead of watching a stupid show intended for little kids, you need to grow up and start acting your age. If you keep this up, you'll never amount to anything! Stop talking to me like I'm your friend! I'm your tutor, just only a mere acquaintance! Just because we have history and the same class together, doesn't mean I'm your friend now or was I your friend then! Just shut up and let me teach you! Maybe if you'd listen for once, you would learn to stop being an idiot!"
Pit stared off into the distance. "I'm… I'm sorry…" His once permanent smile had finally crumbled. No longer was he the bright eyed kid who looked forward to each day. Instead, he sat there, dominated by a profound sadness, fatigue engraved on his worn face. He kept his mouth shut for the remainder of their tutoring session. Not once did he usher a word nor did he make eye contact with Zelda. As soon as the tutoring session ended, Pit stormed off before Zelda could even comment.
While she stuffed her belongings into her bookbag, not from afar, she caught a glimpse of Pit crying into Palutena's arms as she consoled him. Soon enough, reality had finally hit Zelda. Her heart sank, feeling nothing but pure guilt for blowing up at him. Sure he could be insufferably upbeat at times and annoying but in the end, he was just innocently hyperfixating on something he loved and cherishes.
Palutena asked him what happened, yet Pit didn't give his mother much detail. Part of her was glad. She feared Apollo coming up at their doorstep to berate her parents with harassment, furthermore threat them over her sudden treatment of their precious angel. The two of them left, leaving Zelda alone in a raging sea of troubles. She made a mental note to apologize to him in class tomorrow. Unfortunately, it was the last time she ever saw him. The next day after class, she asked Ms. Thorne about Pit's whereabouts. She informed Zelda that Pit had transferred into another school out of town and that yesterday was his last day.
Many students always harassed Pit for practically anything he liked. They tried their hardest to crush his spirit, often calling his hobbies childish and told him it was for babies. This always seemed to hurt him. The same could go for calling his special interest stupid as well. His peers practically picked him piece by piece. They mocked everything about him – from his looks to how friendless he appeared to be without them. What disgusted Zelda was how some students were only nice to him out of pity. Not once did they view him on the same level as them. Instead, they viewed him as sub-human, something which made her sick to her stomach. She wouldn't be surprised if all of the torment Pit had received wrecked his ability to trust even. Perhaps that's why he was with Link. He feared that she was going to hurt him, so he made sure to have his back.
Zelda knew she was missing class but didn't even want to think of it, especially when she was so upset. Learning about Pit's major still surprised her, given his learning history. She hated her younger self for deeming him unworthy of great success. Soon it hit her. Pit wanted to not only prove those people wrong, but to also show them that he's not an idiot. To show them he's actually worth something, even if he must put in the extra effort. Just the thought of demonstrating himself was enough to put a smile on her drenched face. Suddenly, she found his stubbornness to be admirable, especially since it allowed him to fight back rather than cower.
While Zelda continued to wallow in her own ravaging sea of troubles, Fi and Midna happened to be walking around the corner, engaged in a conversation.
"Did I ever tell you about the presentation that happened in my honors English class back in high school?" Midna exclaimed.
Fi shook her head. "I don't think so."
"Well, you see," Midna began, snickering. "We had to do a presentation on a non-fictional piece which was related to the theme we chose for the semester. When this girl came up, she starts off with the love story of Titanic, you know, the one that had no connection to the ship's history. Before she could go even further, the teacher stops her and fails her right on the spot."
"Oh my!" Fi covered her mouth, giggling a bit. Just the thought of someone doing a presentation on a fictional love story was enough to make anyone laugh. Midna started cackling at the thought, recalling all of the odd encounters during her high school years. Her laughter was abruptly cut short at the sight of a depressed Zelda. She pointed at her while Fi whispered something in her ear. From there on, they decided to comfort Zelda in time of need despite only meeting her yesterday.
"Hey girl," Midna greeted. "Is everything alright?"
Zelda glanced up a bit, shot them a small smile and shook her head. "Yes, everything's fine— I promise."
"Your tone states otherwise," Fi pointed out rather bluntly. Zelda took a deep breath and sighed. There was no point in trying to pretend everything was fine. The last thing she needed was to get berated for lying. Midna decided to sit next to Zelda, wrapping her arm around her.
"So, what's up?"
"Well you see," Zelda began, looking down at her feet. "Let's just say it all started when I received a text message last night from someone who I knew from my childhood. They said we really needed to talk and left it as that. It didn't help that I was being harassed by a boy earlier that day either. He threatened to stay away from the one who sent the message. So today, I happened to encounter Boy A not once, but twice. No matter how hard I tried to avoid Boy B, fate wouldn't allow it. So needless to say, Boy A yelled at me and basically blamed for all the misery Boy B faced in his life."
"Wow…" Midna took some time to think while Fi remained quiet, assessing the situation. "From what it sounds, Boy A is a real jackass. Just hearing what he did makes me want to beat the absolute shit out of him."
"True. I tried my best to avoid Boy B all day, but like I said, fate denied me bliss. Instead, I had to be stuck with him almost all day." Another weary sigh escaped her lips. "Sometimes I wonder if Boy A was right the entire time…"
"Zelda, don't beat yourself over this." Midna shook her head and hugged her. She knew Zelda absolutely deserved none of this. It wasn't her fault that they both happened to attend the same university. What was the rowdy boy going to do about it anyways? Try to get her kicked out or something?
After a few minutes of Midna consoling Zelda, Fi decided to finally give her input on the entire situation.
"While we're bound to have our own biases, it's really important to get an understanding of the other person's perspective. I mean, Midna and I would definitely latch onto your side in an instant, but sometimes glancing at things from the other side allows not only us to understand the situation better, but also how the other person felt. He may not show it and take a rather aggressive approach, but Boy A must had definitely been worried about Boy B. There's a 99 percent chance that Boy A is most likely still stuck in the past due to all of the trauma both he and Boy B went through. In order to protect not only his friend, but himself as well, he is most likely self-projecting his own experiences onto his friend."
Zelda stood quiet, allowing her to think hard on Fi's explanation. She recalled how she too was stuck living inside the past for the longest time. So in turn, she was definitely able to understand where Drew was coming from. Sometimes it was extremely difficult to come out of a dark place to see the light, even if it meant having to face reality and move on. Perhaps Drew wasn't so different from her after all.
"In order to gain his trust, you must demonstrate to Boy A that you're not the same person who you once were in the past." Fi simply stated. "Remember not to lost patience if he doesn't accept at first. After all, these things do take time."
"… You're right." Zelda got up, dusting off any dirt or cervices on her jeans.
Fi smiled soft. "Now, about that message you've received last night. You know you can't keep avoid Boy B forever. Eventually you two must come face to face and listen to one another, no matter how frightening and nerve-racking the situation might be."
No matter how much she wanted to protest, deep down, Zelda knew that Fi spoke nothing but the truth. In the end, she felt a huge weight lift off of her shoulders and smiled. She thanked both Midna and Fi for their help as they wished her the best of luck.
Pit sat under a shaded area near the café. Sipping on a java chip frappucino, he muttered to himself while fiddling around with the straw. "Maybe Link was right— perhaps I was a bit too hard on Pittoo…"
He closed his eyes, sighing deeply. It was only the first week of classes and he was already getting himself dragged into pointless drama. While he was fixated on his own thoughts, he didn't notice Zelda's arrival as she sat across from him.
"Hey Pit…" She began, her voice trailing off. She began fiddling with her fingers a bit, already being hit with the sudden surge of anxiety.
"Hey!" His mood suddenly shifted into a small smile before dropping. "Did you by any chance manage to receive my message last night?"
"What message?" Zelda decided to play dumb. Already she was failing to take Fi's advice into her own hands. It didn't help that she already felt sick to her stomach just talking to him. "I've never received anything."
"Don't lie to me!" Pit slammed his fists on the table, startling her. His drink shook but his hand quickly caught it before it managed to tip over. "I know you've read the message I've sent to you on Facebook last night! I may be naïve at times, but that doesn't mean I'm stupid. You've been acting weird around me for almost the entire day! Is there something wrong? Did I offend you on accident or anything?"
Zelda shook her head, sighing deeply. "No, no. I just want to know one thing— do you hate me?"
"Hate you?" Her response threw Pit completely off-guard. He wasn't sure how to feel about her sudden assumption. He stroked his chin with his fingers for a few seconds, squinting his eyes. Soon he managed to put two and two together, remembering that his brother told Zelda that he hated her. He shook his head and covered it with his hand. "Why would I hate you? As a matter of fact, that's not even the reason I've sent you the message in the first place."
"Huh?" She was relieved to learn that Pit did not in fact hate her. But the question still remains— just what was it that he wanted to talk to her about.
"The reason why I've sent the message was because I wanted to give you something back." He would dig through his pockets and take out a black dust protective jewelry back. He extended his arm out and handed it over to Zelda, insisting for her to open it.
Opening the bag, it revealed a familiar golden bracelet she had lost ten years ago. It was a gift from her late grandmother she received on her eighth birthday. She remembered the earful lecture her father gave her when she had lost it. Holding the bracelet, she noticed it was kept in excellent condition, having no signs of age or damage even.
"When I first saw you, I figured I could finally return this item to its rightful owner. You see, my dad stumbled upon it by chance when he accidentally frightened someone after a meeting at school. Since he didn't trust an expensive piece of jewelry lying around in the open, he decided to take it. He wanted to give it back to you at first, but he realized that would have only made things much worse. My mother told him to give it to the faculty so they can put it in the lost and found, but even then, he couldn't trust him. He basically told her if he were to do that, the owner would never see her bracelet ever again."
"I thought this was forever lost. I-I don't know what to say." She placed the bracelet back into the jewelry bag and stuffed it into her backpack. It felt good to be reunited with an item that held sentimental value to her. "Thank you Pit… thank you so much!" Zelda smiled warmly before realizing she had forgotten something. "I deeply apologize for misinterpreting your message but I must warn you, leaving such messages often causes more confusion, especially since it lacks a subject matter."
"I understand. I thought since it was a common phrase that you would be fine with it. Needless to say, I thought wrong. Then again, it's something I don't quite understand myself so." Pit shrugged. "Anyways, I apologize for startling you with it last night. I didn't mean to stress you out or anything."
"It's fine! You had good intentions, that's all that matters."
"True." Pit grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. Then his expression flattened. "Whatever you do, please do not hate my brother for what he did. While Drew may be arrogant at times, deep down, he's actually no different from me. Just has a tough time expressing himself, so people often mistake him for being rude, even when he's being sincere." In short, Pit revealed to Zelda that Drew had a soft side.
"I actually don't harbor any ill feelings towards him. Like yeah, he was really scary and whatnot, but in a weird way, I think I understand how he actually feels."
Pit smiled at her response. "Say, if you're free tonight, would you like to hang out with me, Link, and a couple of my other friends at an arcade this evening? You don't have to if you want."
"I'd love to!" Sure, she may not be one for video games, but Zelda knew how much they made Pit happy. Shortly after, she heard the shuffling of another bookbag as Link sat next to her.
"Glad to see you both in a better mood." He said, smiling. "Now hopefully we can put this all behind us and have some fun later on tonight."
Evening time rolled around the corner. Zelda sat in the backseat of Pit's car, browsing her phone. When the three of them arrived, they made their way towards the neon pink sign of the arcade's entrance. Not from afar stood Midna and Fi. The taller of the two was fixated on her phone before glancing up and seeing the trio head their way.
"Hey! I didn't know you two knew Zelda," Midna commented playfully. She nudged Link on the side of his stomach and winked while pointing at the blonde Hylian next to him. Link chuckled in response, shooing her away jestingly.
"Where's Lana? I thought she was coming with you guys," Link asked.
"She had a change of plans in the last minute," Fi explained. "Turns out, one of her friends happened to be really down, so she wanted to cheer them up."
"I see."
A few minutes later, three more guests arrived, consisting of Ravio, Ilia, and last but not least, Zelda's childhood friend from fourth grade Malon. Her eyes widened at the sight of Malon, who held hands with Ilia.
"Malon? Is that you?" Zelda couldn't believe it. She remembered Malon moving away by the time she started eighth grade. So to see an old friend again was not only shocking, but heartwarming as well.
"Zel!" Malon let go of Ilia's hand, rushed over, and tackled Zelda into a giant hug. She almost managed to topple them both over, yet Zelda managed to catch her balance. "I can't believe it! It really is you!"
Zelda smiled wide to the point where her cheeks started to hurt, but she could care less. Instead, she continued hugging Malon. "I haven't seen you in soooo long! How's life been treating you."
"Great!" Malon replied. "Managed to bump into these two when I moved, then eventually met my partner in high school. If you haven't met her already, she's standing right there!" She pointed at Ilia, who waved.
"We actually met three days ago at the daycare center," Ilia answered, informing her girlfriend of her meeting with Zelda.
"Sweet! That takes care of that! So, who's ready to play some arcade games?"
"Me!" Everyone except Zelda and Fi yelled in unison.
They stumbled into the arcade, which was lightly dimmed to emphasize its focus towards its entertainment. Rows of machine with colorful pictures on the side were light up brightly, their glowing screens inviting them with open arms. A thin patterned carpet laid beneath their as a couple of coin exchange machines were near the photo booths. Claw and UFO games were filled with stuffed toy prizes near the dance pad machines. Last but not least, racing and shooting games were at the corner of the building near the restrooms.
The group made their way towards the coin exchange machines which now printed out a card. They got their cards and made their way towards their respective games. Surprisingly, it turned out that Ravio was excellent at crane games.
While Malon and Ilia decided to shoot some hoops with the basketball game, Zelda decided to watch Pit and Link play against each other in air hockey. The two of them got really competitive with one another not only in air hockey, but all of the other games they played with one another as well. Their reactions garnered a laugh out of Zelda due to them being really hilarious.
"Hey, want to play a match Zelda?" Link asked.
"Um, I'm not really s—!"
"Come on, try it! It's only air hockey," Pit exclaimed happily.
"Okay." Zelda made her way towards the table and grabbed the white pusher from Pit. "Just don't come crying to me when you lose Link!"
The two of them really got into it as Zelda managed to win several games. Link got heated, yet not once did he loose his cool. Instead, the two were having a good time, playfully insulting one another.
As time passed, everyone eventually parted ways and went home. Zelda couldn't help but feel ecstatic. Not only did a horrible day turned out to be wonderful in the end, but she also got to see Malon again and reunite with her golden bracelet. She stood outside and watched their remaining friends take off. While her gaze was fixated on the lights above, she felt a gentle tap on her shoulder.
"Hey Zelda?" Pit asked.
She turned around, wondering what he wanted.
"I was um, wondering if you would like to come over to my house tomorrow to hang out with Link and I," he said.
Zelda took a few seconds to think. While a part of her wanted to get ahead in her classes, another part wanted to actually live out her life. Since she had nothing better to do, she nodded, causing Pit to grin hard. About twenty minutes later, Pit dropped off Link and Zelda at the front gates of Harlington before leaving. Just like two nights ago, Link decided to walk Zelda back to her dormitory.
"Who knew such a crappy day would turn out so good?" Zelda commented.
"Well, surprises do happen." Link winked, nudging her playfully. "Perhaps you and I could do something this weekend. Maybe hang out and say hi to my grandmother."
"Oh, I would love to!" She was curious to how Link's family was doing. He hardly ever mentioned anything about them except the time they moved out of town on the day of Sheik's funeral.
"Believe it or not, Pit's really special to me." Link smiled softly, adjusting his ponytail. "Let's just say we have a loooot of history together. Actually— now that I think about it, the Callahan's are like another family to me, ever since…"
His voice trailed off. Zelda wondered what Link was going to say as he stumbled in his own tracks. She raised an eyebrow, wondering if he was okay. His somber smile quickly disappeared.
"Forget about it. Remember to get plenty of rest and whatnot! Night!"
Link walked off into the moonlight, leaving Zelda to ponder one thing. Just what was he exactly hiding from her? Little did she know, there was a lot more to Link than meets the eye. What happened to him when he moved anyways, and what does he exactly mean by his definition of history with Pit.
Guess Link Farron was much more mysterious than she had anticipated.
And that finally ends the broken down chapter. Funny enough, it's a good thing I decided to break this down into three chapters instead, otherwise it would had been 20k. So anyways, I've decided Zelda needs a little break from his past, so we won't be getting around to Vaati until a few chapters later.
So anyways, what do you think happened to Link? Feel free to guess.
Oh yeah, I'm always up for fun suggestions btw! What I mean by this is give me some ideas that Link and Zelda could do when they start dating, etc. Those kinds of things.
While at it, the whole Titanic thing was actually something that actually did happen in my English class. Decided it was fun and far-fetched enough to put into a story. :P
And for a fun little hint of who's in the next chapter, let's just say the Groose is loose. ;D
Anyways, until next time!
- Ashe