Author's Note:

Heh, had fun with this one.

"Oh uh...Zelda! Um..." Groose stuttered.

Zelda took slow, deliberate steps down the stairs into the plaza, making her boots strike the marble like storm flags waving in the air before the twister's come. She seemed to glide to the center, head held high, and her very presence demanding authority. Link had a sudden, quite vivid flashback of her mother, Matriarch Gaepora, gliding across the very same floor, many years ago... If he recalled correctly, it ended with the opposing party getting whipped. That may have been more or less figurative...

Apparently, he was in the way. Zelda shoved Link aside and pointed one accusing finger at Groose. The boy had to cross his eyes to keep the appendage in sight.

The late matriarch's daughter kept her voice light and sweetly terrifying. "So, picking on your classmate again, Groose?" She wagged that finger. "Tut tut..." She took a single step forward. Groose backed up. "Ah, why do you insist on such boorish behavior I'll never know." She smiled. "He's bleeding, did you notice?" Another step forward. "You knock him down again? Yesterday not enough for your fill?"

Groose looked distinctly pale and unsure of Zelda's actions. "I...well..."

Zelda sighed and put her hand down. Here, her composure began to crumple. The smile she fought to keep fell -if only slightly, and her hands clenched.

"I recall you saying that guys like Link were..."Dragging our academy through the mud", yes?" When met with silence, she mused aloud, "Dragging our academy through the mud...dragging our academy through the mud..." She tapped her chin thoughtfully. "Funny, the only one I see bringing ultimate disgrace and griming our academy's reputation in the mud, is a trio of stupid, malicious, imbecilic, bigotry MORONS with a major inferiority complex. Correct me if I'm MISTAKEN."

No one dared.

"Well then, since we agree on that, I would suggest we all try and never interact with each other again, but...that seems out of the question. You're far too much of a four year-old to ever leave people alone..." She sighed. "Why don't I make it simple then?" She took another, abrupt step forward, making Groose stumble back. "If you DARE even LOOK at him wrong again, I can ENSURE all of your EXPULSIONS, as your elected class president AND as a person with direct contact to the authority in possession of your enrollment."

Shit Zelda. That was some bluff.

Link could tell she wanted to hit Groose, by the way her fist flinched every time the older boy moved, like a snake on it's target. Zelda knew the tyrant overpowered her ten to one, though, and she (usually) knew her limits. ...That didn't necessarily mean she would refuse to beat the living hell out of Groose if the opportunity ever arose, however.

With the threat of expulsion over Groose's and his gang's heads they could only stare, chalk white with horror at the terms they'd been set.

Sold. They'd actually fucking bought it.

Ha! Like Zelda hadn't been trying that for years.

"You can't be serious!" Cawlin cried.

Zelda narrowed her eyes. "Yes I am. I'm fucking done."

Link's eyebrows rose. Did Zelda just say "fuck", or was he just hearing things?

"And you," she hissed, pointing that same finger at Groose, "Stay the heck away from us."

With that she marched away, grabbed Link by the shoulder, and had just begun to ascend back up the stairs when Cawlin called, "Air head can't even win his own battles. Pathetic!"

Stich chuckled. "Yah, has to get a girl- or rather another girl to fight them for him. What a joke."

Groose remained, incredibly, silent. A look of raw longing flashed in his eyes and Link understood then that Groose would have given anything, anything in the world, to be him at that moment.

If the dick would just act like a decent human being for once maybe he'd have a chance, but no. Groose just had to take it out on him. He just had to screw with his life. He just had to make everything miserable, and complicated, and painful. He couldn't even leave his bird out of this.

Zelda's grip tightened, and she made a move to go back and give them a piece of her mind, when Link held his ground.

What was the point? Groose and Zelda had one thing in common: stubbornness. Groose had decided to play ignorant, and ignorant he would play to his very grave.

He still had another two hours left, at least...

Groose and his gang, having decided they'd wasted enough time, hopped off the platform. They probably wanted to squeeze in some more practice before the race. They wouldn't know about the delay yet, would they?

The plaza, decorated with bright strings, flags, and banners, looked a bit sad without any people. A lifeless party, so to speak. Everyone must have left to help with the preparations on the East side, rather than wait around here for nothing.

Zelda growled. "They had something to do with Scarlett's disappearance, didn't they?"

Link sighed. "More like they did it."

Zelda hissed and turned to him, when she noticed something a bit off about her friend. "Are you okay?"

Link rubbed the back of his head involuntarily. When he brought back a red, dripping hand, he stuffed it in his pocket. He still had a bit trouble seeing straight, as that headache from yesterday came roaring back all the sudden...but he'd been through worse.

"No, I'm fine...just...a bit tired, I guess."

Zelda looked alarmed; she hadn't missed the blood. "Link, that looks really bad. You should go back to Ms. Nellie's." She swung her head around. "You did take your medicine this morning, right?"

When Link wouldn't meet her eyes Zelda swore.

"You FORGOT?"

"I didn't mean to..." he muttered. "Honestly Zelda, I was just trying not to piss you off any more with being late!"

"I can't..." Zelda pinched the bridge of her nose. "What was that about me treating you like a child?"

Link gave her a small smile. "Heh...I mean..."

She rolled her eyes. "Honestly... All right, run back and take your medicine. I'll fly around, see if I can't find any sign of your bird... I think I have an idea, but... I'll let you know."

With that she waved goodbye, ran off the platform, and flew away.

Link frowned. He didn't have time to go back! Or... hopefully Pipit found something? He couldn't just run aimlessly around the island...

Link made it back to the academy and into his room in record time. He still had just over a couple hours to find his bird.

Grabbing the nurse's package, he raced back out the door and nearly ran head long into-

"Hylia, Link!" Karane swore. "Can't you just fucking look where you're going for once? Goddess..."

"Sorry Karane! I'm in a rush."

"Couldn't tell..." the senior muttered. "Anyway, Pipit's been looking for you. He's out near The Arena." She got a better look at him and frowned. "Link, are you all ri - shit! You're bleeding!"

Link shook his head. "Nothin' to...worry about. Really. I've got the medicine right here."

"I dunno...you should go to the nurse's or something, Hylia. What happened?"

"Knocked my head, that's all," he lied. "Okay, thanks Karane. I have to go!"

With that Link ran back out the entrance and down the path to The Arena.

"Hey Link!" Pipit called. "I got some information for yah!"

Link hurried to where Pipit and, to his surprise, Fledge stood in front of the Sparring Hall, or what most upperclassmen called "The Arena".

The younger and taller of the two, Fledge, looked guilty.

Pipit turned to the other and assured the boy, "It's okay, just tell Link what you know."

Fledge looked up, a bit tear-eyed, and blurted, "I'm so sorry Link! I really wanted to tell you, but if Groose had found out..."

Pipit looked grave. "Groose forced him to keep quiet." He gave Fledge a gentle pat. "Go on, tell him the truth."

The taller sighed. "Just yesterday when I was cleaning The Dining Hall, Groose and his buddies came in. I don't think they realized I was in there... They started talking about a plan to hide your loftwing. I wanted to warn you Link, really, but just when I tried to sneak away they grabbed me. They said...they said if I told you they'd make sure I'd never be able to ride a bird ever again..." Fledge trembled. "There...there was something about the waterfall..."

"That's where that red and his cronies hang out sometimes," said Pipit. "Makes sense they'd hide her there." The senior turned to Link. "You can't go in there without a sword though. You'll have to get one from the Knight Commander in here." He pointed the the Sparring Hall. Link nodded and said his thanks before Pipit stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I'm coming with you, all right? It's dangerous, and I don't care how good with a sword you are, Link. You've got no experience in real combat. Sound good?"

"What's that?"

The three turned to see Karane walking up the path. She grinned. "Do I hear adventure calling?"

Pipit smiled (a bit too warmly). "Yah, we're going into the waterfall to get Link's bird. Wanna come?"

She smirked. "Hell yah, I'm in." Her green eyes locked onto Fledge. "He coming?"

Link and Pipit shared a glance, but Fledge had no intention of joining them.

"Oh no...not me. I'm not...so good..."

Karane snorted. "Fuck, with that attitude of course you're not."

"Karane," Pipit scolded.

The girl blushed furiously. "What? ...It's...it is true..."

Link found it a bit strange how such a coarse, dauntless young woman seemed to lose her overflowing confidence at the slightest rebuke. He was missing something here...

"All right, let's do this," said Pipit.

Author's Note:

Crappy writing is crappy. Hope you liked it though!