While Professor Gaebora was busy writing on the board, a paper airplane glided across the room and hit Link square in the side of his head. Tiredly, he picked it up off the floor and glared in the direction it came from. Groose and his cronies were snickering at him from the far side of the classroom. Rolling his eyes, Link crumpled up the projectile and shoved it in the front pocket of his backpack. He could entertain them later. Right now, he had notes to go over.

Link's handwriting was notoriously messy, but by some miracle it was still readable. The previous day's notes were a little scattered across the page, as Link cared more to get things on paper at all rather than putting it properly on a line. He ran his fingers through his bangs and stared blankly at the chicken scratch before him.

spirit tower catastrophe: spirit tracks vanished, tower shattered, princess of royal family and chancellor went missing. unknown knight recruit reportedly aided in restoring tracks, according to princess upon return.

spirit tracks fell out of use after invention of modern automobile. no longer used as passenger carriers unless for long distance travel. old traditions still upheld: engineers still royally certified, entry to tower of spirits still forbidden by unauthorized engineers-

Another paper airplane prodded Link's head. He shot an annoyed glare to Groose, whom was too busy being amused to notice that Professor Gaebora had ceased writing notes on the board to stand behind him with folded arms and a stern glare. Link turned his attention back to his notes, tuning out the scolding that Gaebora was dishing out in favor of doing some more reading.

Most of the remainders of his notes were a bit difficult to make out, but he understood the gist of them. Something about a sacred flute and a bow (who even used bows anymore?), pearls, ancient legends, and even pirates (there was a note next to it stating 1st queen = tetra). History wasn't exactly Link's strong subject, and his disorganization didn't do him many favors, but his notes were discernible this time, at least.

There was a quiet knock at the door and Professor Gaebora abandoned his scolding to attend to it. Link glanced up, catching the principal's voice speaking in a hushed tone. Link couldn't make out what they were saying, although when he leaned forward a bit, he caught a glance of someone standing just out of view. Professor Gaebora eventually nodded, motioning them to enter. "Come on in, then. You're just in time."

In walked a girl about Link's age, wearing a long, maroon dress and a white shawl. Some of her golden-blonde hair was tied back, with two sections of it hanging down in front of her shoulders. As she walked in, her blue eyes scanned the room nervously, eventually landing on Link and lingering for a moment before returning to the teacher. Her hands absently tugged at a pair of fingerless white gloves she was wearing.

"We have a new student today, class," Gaebora said. "Young lady, would you like to introduce yourself?"

The girl nodded. "My name is Zelda. I just moved here from the Castle Town neighborhood..."

The classroom immediately erupted into whispers. Castle Town neighborhood wasn't too far away, but it was far enough to be considered a different district, requiring transit all the way across Lanayru River just to get there. To top it off, it was a relatively rich neighborhood and a bustling metropolis to boot. A lot of people in Castle Town had a reputation for looking down on the suburban and country folks in Faron as well. Link's classmates expressed both curiosity and surprise; why would a city kid move all the way out here? Their mutterings drowned out anything else Zelda had to say.

"Class, that's enough!" Professor Gaebora bellowed. He turned to Zelda, his tone quieting. "Young Lady, please have a seat. We will be starting class shortly."

Zelda nodded quietly, making her way down the aisle. Groose slicked back his hair and gave her a sly grin, only to be ignored as Zelda continued to the back of the classroom and sat behind Link (much to Groose's dismay). It took a lot of effort for Link not to turn around and stare, but he managed to pull it off and remain focused forward.

Gaebora cleared his throat. "Now then, I expect you all to treat your new classmate with as much politeness and maturity as we come to expect from you all in this school. Anyone caught harassing the young lady will immediately be sent to the principal's office and will be punished accordingly. That goes double for you, Groose."

Link heard Groose swear under his breath.

"Now then. Pull out your textbooks, open then to chapter twenty-five. Please be ready to take notes."

Lunch found Link sitting at his usual place in the commons, near one of the brick benches wedged between the pillar supports. He'd already downed the sandwich he made that morning and was busy scribbling away at his homework thus far. Malon had a different lunch period this year, so he had hardly anyone to talk to at lunch. Instead, he opted to go ahead and get his homework done. Oftentimes, he ended up doodling on the sides of his notebook more than he'd actually get his work done, but today he seemed to have a good enough pace going. At this rate, he'd be done long before lunch was over, and perhaps he'd have time to indulge in other things.

"Um...excuse me..."

Link glanced up, immediately met with the sight of a familiar new face. Zelda was offering him a calm, friendly smile, although her eyes conveyed a sense of anxiety. Link offered a lopsided grin of his own. "Yeah?" He asked.

"You're Link, right?" She said. "We're in history class together."

"Yeah," Link replied, folding his notebook up and placing it aside. "You moved in from Castle Town, right?"

Zelda hesitated. "Something like that," she replied. "I'm only here for the rest of this year, then I might be moving back. It depends on how things go, really; it's kind of a long story. Do you mind if I eat lunch with you?"

This was a first. Link wasn't necessarily an unpopular kid by any means, but he wasn't exactly a sought-after guy, either. Granted, he was perfectly content doing his own thing, so having someone seek him out to spend lunch with him was relatively new, but by no means unwelcome. Link nodded, scooting aside to make room for Zelda. "Sure thing."

"Thanks!" Zelda wasted no time in sitting down next to him. "I was worried a lot of the kids in Faron wouldn't be too friendly to a city girl like me, but you seem very nice."

"It's not every day we get a new kid," Link replied, shrugging. "Not every day they come all the way from the city, either."

Zelda reached for her backpack, pulling out a small tin lunchbox. "It's a lot quieter here than in the city," she stated. "It's a little strange, but so far I really like it. I wouldn't mind staying here a little longer than I need to."

Link grinned. The peacefulness of Faron was one of his favorite things about it. His courier routes tended to be a bit rough on occasion, even for running between suburban areas, but it was nice that he didn't have the utter chaos that the cities had. He wouldn't mind visiting the city at some point, of course, but Faron was where his heart was.

"How come you're sitting all alone, anyway?" Zelda asked, frowning. "Don't you have any other friends here at school that could sit with you?"

"Not really. The ones I do have are in the other lunch period."

This didn't bother Link at all, but Zelda didn't seem to agree with this notion. "Well," she began, "If you don't mind, I'd like to sit with you at lunch. At least for this week."

Link looked up, surprised. "Huh? Me?"

"If you're okay with it, that is..." Zelda shifted in her seat. "You seem a lot nicer than most other people around here I've met so far. Everyone just keeps wanting to buddy up with me just because I'm a city girl. And that guy with the red hair keeps stalking me everywhere..."

"You mean Groose?"

"Is that Groose? Malon warned me about him. There's a boy like that in my old school, actually..."

It became clear quickly that Zelda was a bit of a talker. Although not obnoxiously chatty, she obviously had a lot to say, and hardly anyone to say it to until now. It was a wonder she ever got to eat the sandwich and fruit she had packed. Before long, both Link and Zelda were caught up in stories of the times Groose had bullied Link in the past over a number of things, even as trivial as a spilled bottle of orange juice. Zelda shared some stories of the city: how busy it was, the rich neighborhoods there, the melting pot of cultures that convened in the shopping district... It was a pleasant conversation overall, but after some time, Link began to notice that Zelda was looking incredibly worried.

Link leaned forward. "You okay, Zelda?"

Zelda nodded. "I'm fine," she said. "It's just...Faron is a lot to take in. It's supposed to be safer and quieter here than in Castle Town, but even here everything is just..."

Safer? Something was clearly bothering her. Comments aside, the way her words trailed off, the way her shoulders sagged and her eyes drifted downward...something had to be up. "I'm sure you'll get used to it," Link said, hoping to reassure her. "Faron's a pretty nice neighborhood. It's pretty rare that we ever have any trouble here, and whenever we do it's usually not that big a deal."

"I hope you're right."

No doubt about it; there was definitely something bothering Zelda. Link offered a reassuring grin. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll like it here. It's not quite as busy as the city, but there's still a lot of stuff to do.

There was a moment's hesitation, and Zelda finally cracked a smile, and the two exchanged brief glances. She reached for Link's hand, opening her mouth to say something, but then gasped and pulled away. "What..."

"Er..." That wasn't the reaction he had expected. Link reached forward again. "Are you okay...?"

Zelda pulled away again, grasping her left hand. "I-It's nothing," she said. "I...I need to get going, alright? I'm sorry. Thanks for letting me eat lunch with you. I'll see you around."

Before Link could say a word, Zelda was already up and hurrying out of the commons. The crowd seemed to give her hardly more than a passing glance, but Link's eyes were glued to the doors she had raced through. What would make someone take off like that? What was she so worried about? Was it something he said?

The five-minute warning bell sounded off, signalling the end of lunch break. With a dejected sigh, Link picked up his bags and made his way towards the hall. As he rounded the corner, however, he was met with Groose's angry glare. He stumbled back a step or two. He groaned. "Oh, no..."

Groose laughed. "Well, well, well, if it ain't Lazy Lefty, the delivery boy! You hittin' it off with the city girl already?"

"We were just eating lunch, Groose," Link said flatly.

"That so?" Groose replied, quirking an eyebrow. "You call having long conversations and lovey-dovey looks 'just eating lunch'?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Okay, eating lunch and talking. Is there anything wrong with that?"

Quite abruptly, Groose grabbed Link by the shirt collar and dragged him uncomfortably close, glaring at him. "Listen here, Lefty," he snarled. "You better not get any ideas. The new girl's mine, and there ain't nothin' you can do about it, so you better not go around tryin' anything stupid, got it?"

"The thought never crossed my mind," Link groaned. "Now can you please let me go so I can get to class?"

Link couldn't find any trace of Zelda after class ended, and his other friends had already long since left. He'd finished his homework during the few spare moments he had between classes and was ready to get on with any deliveries he needed to be doing that evening. Unfortunately for him, his bike had both of its tires slashed, and a crude note left behind from Groose warning him not to get close to Zelda. Link groaned and dug through his pouch. He had enough rupees to cover the damage this time, but if it happened again he'd be out of the job until next week's wages came in.

As if on cue, Link's cell phone buzzed in his pocket. He pulled it out, reading the message with dismay.

Link! We've got an important order for you to fill tonight. Make your way here ASAP. I'll fill you in when you get here.

He couldn't help but smile. Proper grammar and spelling could only be Fado. While not the head honcho of Link's workplace, Fado helped things run smoothly for the most part. He'd been off the job for a few weeks due to a sprained ankle, but had become so good at organizing things that Malon's father let him keep that job. It ended up boosting the courier center's business noticeably. Fado was several years out of school, but was still one of Link's closer friends. Link hastily typed a reply.

on my way. gotta run by the shop first. be there soon, ok?

Without bothering to wait for a reply, Link unchained his bike and headed down the road on foot, dragging his bike alongside him.

The sidewalks and roads were as busy as they normally would be on a typical Faron afternoon: lively, but far from hectic. Most kids would head home after school, although some opted to head to the shopping district for either work or leisurely time. Link's afternoons were usually dominated by courier work if he wasn't tending to things at home or just lazily riding around town. Today, however, seemed like it held no time for leisure. After Link's bike was repaired, he had work to do. Knowing his job, he wouldn't be home until well after suppertime. He hoped his grandmother would save him some soup.

At the edge of the shopping district sat a small bicycle store known as Linebeck's. It was one Link frequented out of necessity more than anything. Linebeck, the shop's namesake, was a talented salesman, but a tricky individual to deal with. He was known for being stubborn and persistent in attempting to upsell people if he saw even the slightest opportunity. Link pushed the door open, wheeling his bike in and parking it near the maintenance area in the back before scanning the store for its owner. Oddly enough, there was no sign of him. Must be in the back tending to something, Link noted, wandering around. He eventually happened upon the sales displays for some of the new and popular bikes. Link planned to upgrade one day, but for now his old bike was plenty for him, and had lasted him years.

On the central stand stood a sturdy, slim bicycle with a fresh set of tires and a sparkling-clean sheen. The frame was a bright crimson dipped with white near the wheels and handlebars; it was a sight prettier than Link's old bike.

"She's a beauty, isn't she?"

The voice startled him, but Link hardly moved beyond a flinch. Next to him stood a tall man with long brown hair and a suspiciously small mustache. The man had a sly grin on his face and a confident twinkle in his eye. Link shifted uncomfortably. "Sneaky as ever, huh Linebeck?" he commented.

Linebeck grinned proudly, ingoring Link's remark. "You've got good taste there, son. The Loftwheel's one of our most popular models. She's got tubeless wheels, a durable frame, and she even comes with reflectors and a complimentary set of sidebags. And it's only three thousand rupees."

Link did a double take. Three thousand rupees? Was this guy insane?

"But she's on sale today, soooo I can give her to ya for twenty-nine hundred."

Link groaned. Linebeck wasn't exactly known for his generosity. "I'm not here for a new bike," he grumbled, motioning towards where he had parked his own bike earlier. "I'm just here to get the flats fixed on my old one. Again."

Linebeck's proud smile vanished in an instant. "What, you're still riding that old Epona? That thing's due to fall apart any day now, kid. Come on, at least let me get you the ol' Red Lion."

"I'm not getting paid until next week," Link replied, doing his best to keep his nerves calm, "And I need a functional bike until then."

Linebeck frowned in disappointment. "Very well, but it'll cost you seventeen rupees for the labor and the new tube."

Link tossed him a red rupee from his pocket. "Fine by me. I'll be back in ten."

While the shopkeeper got to work, Link stepped outside and checked his text messages again. He'd received another message from Fado:

Alright, but make sure you're here before it gets too late. This is important, not to mention time-sensitive.

Time sensitive? Link quirked an eyebrow. Was he delivering perishables or something? Either way, if it was on a time crunch, why hadn't Fado sent someone already? Then again, he didn't seem too desperate, so perhaps it wasn't on as strict a time limit as Link thought. Still, something still came across as rather odd. There were others running shifts tonight; why was Fado so intent on reaching him?

Stuffing his phone back in his pocket, Link began to wander the sidewalks for a while. Linebeck was usually pretty quick when it came to repairs, but standing still for a full ten minutes would get boring fast. There was a small grocery store nearby that he could loiter near, but he typically preferred to walk along the paths in the nearby park. For only ten minutes of walking it did the job well enough, and usually it wasn't too crowded.

Upon making his way down the path, Link felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. With a quiet sigh, he pulled it out; it seemed his leisurely time would have to wait. "'llo?"

"Hey, Link!" A cheerful female voice replied. It wasn't Zelda, but rather another girl Link knew; and a familiar one at that. "It's me! I kept looking for you after class, but you were already gone!"

"Sorry about that, Malon. I've got a shift tonight, remember?"

"Oooh, right! I totally forgot, sorry about that! I have this evening off so I can get stuff done for Dad, I guess it slipped my mind..."

Link couldn't help but grin. Malon was a childhood friend of his, even though they lived in completely different neighborhoods. They eventually took up the same job together at her father's bike courier service, and were the two fastest couriers there. Still, Malon had family obligations, so others had to cover for her from time to time. Usually it would be Link, since he was the only one that could match her speed.

"Anyway, I was gonna ask if you could cover for me if you're not too busy tonight. Dad wants the others to cover for me, but honestly I'd rather ask you since you're faster."

"No can do," Link replied. "Fado's got a special errand for me once my bike's fixed up."

"Your bike...?" It took mere moments for Malon to put the pieces together, and a loud groan of frustration could be heard over the phone's speaker. "Let me guess. Groose?"

As usual, nothing got past Malon. Sometimes Link swore she had long-distance mind reading powers. "Yeah. He got upset because the new girl came to eat lunch with me."

"The new girl? You mean Zelda?"

"Yeah. I've got history class with her."

Malon let out an excited gasp. "No way! I've got her back-to-back in literature and math. She's really nice and she talks a lot, but whenever I try to ask why her family moved she gets all quiet and fidgety and keeps changing the subject."

Link felt a wave of partial relief wash over him. Maybe it wasn't something he said, after all. Granted, he still felt a bit bad for what happened, but at least it wasn't as bad as he thought. "She was that way with me, too."

"I guess it's something she's not comfortable talking about right now. People move all the time, and it's not always for the most glamorous reasons. She's still pretty nice, but she always looks so tense and nervous. I invited her over to hang out this weekend. I figured, you know... Maybe helping her get acquainted with the neighborhood could help her relax a bit."

"What'd she say?"

"She's gotta ask permission first or something." A sigh. "But at least she didn't say no. Maybe next week I can talk to her a bit more and see if I can get her to open up a bit. If she does say yes, though, you wanna come with?"

"Only if I'm free," Link replied. "I've got a special delivery tonight and I dunno if your dad needs me on Monday or not yet."

There was a pause on the other line. "Special delivery?" Malon echoed. "What for?"

"Dunno. Fado just said he had a time-sensitive delivery for me to do this evening. I'm heading there once my bike is fixed."

"That's strange... If it were time-sensitive, why would he wait for you instead of assigning someone else to get it done on time?"

"Beats me," Link said, leaning against a tree. "But he said it was important. Once Linebeck's done fixing up my bike, I'll be off."

"Alright, I won't be keeping you, then. I've still gotta pick up a few things for Dad. Want me to run by your place and let your grandma know what's going on in case you run late?"

Link smiled. Malon was as chatty as she was thoughtful. He sometimes wondered when she ever did anything for herself. "That'd be great; thanks. If she makes any soup, tell her to save me some, okay?"

"Sure thing! See you later!"

Link hung up and shoved his phone in his pocket, staring at the sky. Clouds were rolling in rather quickly, and the gentle breeze was picking up into a formidable gust. Link pulled up his hood and hurried back down the path toward Linebeck's, his thoughts swarming. Upon arriving at the shop, he found Linebeck waiting for him at the front door with his bike. Link hurried off before Linebeck could pull off any last-minute sales tactics on him and sped down the road, the wind howling quietly and the clouds thundering in protest. It wasn't an opportune time for a storm to roll in, but Link had a job to do, and rain or shine, he was going to do it.

As he sped down the street, though, Link could have sworn he felt someone was watching him...