Melee Academy of Higher Learning for Boys

Year Three

-Four-

The sky was a dreary grey, not one sign of the sun coming out any time soon. There was even a slight drizzle at one point or another, but due to the sheer number of trees on the block surrounding the pavement, most didn't notice or really care. Link merely had his blazer wrapped around his head like a headdress of some sorts. Roy, used to the occasional summer rain in Pherae, wasn't bothered by the un-October-like weather. Even though it wasn't summer anymore.

"Take it like a man!" Nicholas shouted as Roy, Link, Young Link and his 'posse' consisting of Ness, Lucas and Alex approached the campus. It was bitterly cold, the occasional wind gust biting at any exposed skin which, when mixed with rain, was not a pleasant thing. Roy sunk into his coat more as a little sunshine managed to spill forth from the clouds, making it just a bit warmer, but there was a catch - you had to be in the sun to feel it. And since there were a lot of trees on Devon, the rays were few and far between. Nicholas was beating Gary Stu Wesker up as Stephen cheered them on, making noises to rile them up further as Nicholas's fist collided with Gary's jaw.

Bursting forth a little too late from the front doors was Solid Snake, radio in his hand as he searched high and low for troublemakers. He stopped at the foot of the steps and pressed the 'talk' button.
"Redfield, we have a Code 2-4-6-8-Hike here, over," he said, his voice completely serious as he watched Nicholas and Gary fight. Gary was slapping at Nicholas's hands like a pansy, edging away from the bulkier youth, and Snake made no move to stop them - not yet. Not until there were more witnesses to see him kill people with a stare or two. Or at least subdue them - Snake was forbidden to kill anyone.
"What?" came the response after a short amount of static. "What kind of code is that?"
"Just get yer ass out here," Snake shouted into the radio, his face deadpanning.

A few minutes later Chris Redfield, clad in his old S.T.A.R.S. uniform, exited through the side doors of the building, radio to his mouth.
"What's your position?" Chris asked, scouting the area. There were hedges blocking his view, so he couldn't see the front walkway very good.
"Front of the school," Snake answered, as if it were obvious.
"Where in front of the school?" Chris couldn't read minds, after all. And even if he could, he wouldn't want to be in Snake's head.

Snake stared at the radio, contemplating whether Chris's head was screwed on tight. There was only one 'front of the school' and it wasn't that large of an area. That and Snake stuck out like a sore thumb amongst all the blue blazers and people shorter than 5'9". In fact, he very much towered over them, glaring at the occasional passer-by.
"Stairs, dumbass," Snake replied at last. "Front stairs. A couple'a yards from the two delinquents. The one kinda looks like the discipline guy... Ooh, that one kid just sucker punched the shit outta the other one... Might have to use tasers and--"
"Snake, let's not get too carried away, here," Chris said quickly, running over to the front of the campus. "Let me handle it."

"Get off me, Wesker, or I swear to whatever deity you won't live past today!" Nicholas shouted, trying to buck Gary off his back. Everyone gathered around the two fighting teens stepped back a few feet, just so Gary wouldn't go knocking into any of them.
"You tried to kill me, Redfield! I'm not gonna let you fuck around with me anymore!" Gary tightened his grip on Nicholas's neck.
Chris stopped a few feet away from them and yelled, "Break it up before I kick both of your asses!"

Most of the people wondered if that was even legal. Link got a little too excited by the action and nearly tripped over the portion of sidewalk that was nearly vertical. He instead crashed into the nearby tree. Young Link shook his head and sighed loudly.
"I hope you don't turn out like that, YL," Ness said, crossing his arms as he looked on at the security guard trying to intervene.
"He's my older self," Young Link said flatly. "I'm doomed."

"Will you get off him?" Chris managed to smack Gary upside the head, but that wasn't enough to get the youth off Nicholas. "Or do I have to tell your father that you suck at life?"
Gary slipped off Nicholas and tried to run away then, but his path was blocked by Snake, who had the scariest look on his face.
"Guess I'll be takin' you to ol' Wesker. Sure he'll love having you in his office." Snake's grin got even more creepier, if that was possible.
Gary flailed about as Snake dragged him off, not bothering to prevent Gary's head from getting knocked into the hand rail on the way up the stairs as he did.
"All right now, nothing t'see here, everyone get a move on!" Chris called, shooing everyone away as he approached Nicholas.

"What the hell are you doing here, Dad?"
Chris grabbed him by the arm and proceeded to escort him up the walkway. "What were you doing, Nick?"
"What do you care?"
"I'm your father, Nick - I'm supposed to care."
Nicholas grit his teeth. "You never cared before."
Chris sighed. "I've learned my lesson, Nick. I'm not believing a goddamn word that bastard Wesker ever says. I promise."
Nicholas wrenched his arm free and glared. "This is so embarrassing, you being all sappy and mushy-like. I would've expected this from my old parents, but not from you."
Chris snorted. "Jill and I are your old parents. Those bastards kidnapped you and your sister and made off like bandits."

Sister?
"I don't have a sister."
Chris pushed Nicholas through the door, his arm held behind his back so he wouldn't try to escape.
"Your mother and I have to talk to you about some things later. I'm surprised you didn't find out from her already."
Down the stairs they went. Right off the door was the Disciplinary Suite, 'Albert Wesker' carved onto a name plate which graced the door.

"Don't worry too much, I'll make sure he goes easy on you," Chris said, opening the heavy door. "Otherwise I'll blow his goddamn head off."

-x-

The third floor new building hallway was crowded just like it normally was. Since nearly everyone seemed to have a locker on the floor, there were millions of people just milling about, and most of these people shared their locker with at least two other people. This created congestion in the hallways, and Link and Roy, though used to it, still cursed whoever's idea it was to give nearly everyone a locker on this floor.

Roy slammed his locker door shut, ignoring the sound of something falling down inside it, and waited for Link to finish his business in the locker directly next to his.
"There've been a lot of fights erupting lately," Link remarked as he hung his blazer on one of the many hooks inside his locker. "It all seemed to start when Zellie and I broke up and we started arguing in the hallway..."

"Link, I have some news for you!" Zelda yelled down the hallway, her boyfriend Ike trailing behind her. Link turned towards the princess, school issue hoodie clutched in his hands.
"What is it?" asked the Hero of Time when Zelda arrived next to him. Link briefly acknowledged Ike was there with a small glance in his direction. He tried to hide the disapproving look by closing his eyes and turning away, but that made it even worse.
"Well," Zelda said, taking a look at the papers in her hands, "apparently you have some...living family members."

Link's eyes lit up at such news, and he immediately turned towards her fully. "Where? Who? When can I meet them? How are they related--"
"Shut up and let her talk, Link," Ike said as he gripped Zelda's shoulder. "She'll answer those questions when she's able to speak."
"If you're trying to be as blunt as Marth, you're failing miserably," Link retorted, narrowing his eyes slightly.
"I'm not trying to be that tiara-wearing anything," Ike replied, "nor would I want to."

The news Zelda had come to deliver would have to wait, Link thought as he figured out the best way to knock Ike's head off. Roy, not too happy with Ike's comments (but trying to figure out Link's, for they didn't make much sense), settled for glaring. Roy wasn't one for fighting unless it was the absolute necessary, but Link did not share his views on that. Either that or Link thought it was the absolute necessary.
"It's one thing if you don't like Marth," Link said after he cleared his throat. "It's another to say such comments aloud in the company of his friends. Especially his boyfriend."

Zelda didn't need to be clairvoyant to see Link prepared to kick Ike's arse, and so she shushed him before he could say anything further.
"Ike, keep your comments to yourself," Zelda said firmly.
"He's just jealous!" Link yelled, itching for a chance to get Zelda back.
"Of what?" Roy and Ike asked, his voice more dangerous than before.
"That Marth's just so beautiful he can get men and women flocking to him, that his swordsmanship is just so much better, that--"

And before Roy or Link knew what happened (Zelda, being clairvoyant, braced herself for what was about to come), Link was down on the floor and Ike was on top of him.
"Zelda, I think you should call security," Roy said, backing away from the fighting teens.

-x-

"Oh no, I didn't do my homework!" Alex cried as he, Young Link, and Ness entered room 221 bright and early. "Mr. Lowell's gonna have my head!"
Young Link snorted. "No he's not."
Contrary to popular belief (and what Young Link often said), Marth was not a pushover when it came to teaching. He was strict when it came to homework being done on time, and those who didn't do it got a detention most of the time. Young Link ended up with a week's worth, and instead of going to them like he should have, he skipped out on them, ended up getting another two week's worth, and an ass chewing from Link and Marth.

"I'm not gonna get in trouble like you did!" Alex said, pointing an accusative finger at Young Link. "Ness, let me see your answers."
Ness guarded his homework with his arms. "Heck no. It's your own stupid fault for not doing it."
"Not doing what?"
Alex nearly screamed in horror when Marth appeared in the room. Instead, he settled for a cry of shock.
Marth, having not been in the room previous, was utterly confused by Alex's reaction to him coming in.

"I wasn't aware of my being that scary," Marth remarked as he shrugged off his coat.
"You're so beautiful it hurts sometimes, Marth," Young Link retorted as he leaned back in his chair. He had one of the few desks with a chair separate from it.
Marth sat down on his office chair and got himself organised for the day. "So I've been told many a time."
Young Link had his (copied) homework ready on his desk, Ness had his on his desk albeit heavily guarded from Alex's prying eyes. And Alex was stuck standing in between Young Link's and Ness's desks in a daze, trying to figure out a plan. He couldn't do his homework now, not with Marth in the room.

What a crappy time to enter the room, Mr. Lowell.
Roy entered the room - bowing before he entered, as was the way (and Alex thought it looked odd) - and dropped his things by the door.
"You're not leaving that here, I hope you realise," Marth said, gesturing to the bag by the door.
"'Course not," Roy answered as he sat on the desk. "It's there 'til I leave here."
Is this the distraction I hoped for? Alex wondered just as Lucas meandered in. Maybe I can sneak it...
"Before I forget," Marth said - and he knew with Roy sitting on his desk right in front of him, he was bound to, "put your homework on top of the filing cabinet. The one by Ness over there."

Alex was screwed now. Figuratively, of course.
"So Marth--"
"How many times must I remind you--"
"Mr. Lowell," said Roy, correcting himself. "May I interest you in a...private talk of sorts?"
Marth sighed. "You know I can't leave them alone. They're too irresponsible."
Roy shrugged. "Just leave Ness in charge. It'll be quick, I promise." He winked then, hinting towards something that had nothing to do with talking.
"But I'm a teacher--"
"Let me remind you that that's never stopped you before," Roy cut in, crossing his arms now.

Roy was right, of course.
"What we do at home and what we do here are two completely different things," Marth said at last. "I'm your teacher here, your boyfriend at home."
"We could go to the library and do it in the back--"
Marth nearly knocked over his thermos filled with tea. Everyone else wanted to know why their teacher was getting so flustered.
"Sheeda works up in the library!"
"She'd probably enjoy it, then." Roy smirked and grabbed Marth by the hand. "There's always the teacher's lounge bathroom..."

Marth had to resist, had to not give in, had to ignore the way Roy was looking at him, hadtohadtohadto...
"What is the class you hate the most?" Marth asked.
"Sixth period."
"I have my prep period then. Come here for sixth."
Roy grinned. "All right then, Mr. Lowell. See you then."
Roy gave Marth a kiss on the cheek and hopped off the desk; he grabbed his stuff over by Young Link's desk and exited the room, quite satisfied.

"Someone's gettin' some," Young Link teased, leaning back in his chair more. Marth gave him a dangerous sort of look. Marth may not have been good with words at times, but most of the time he didn't need any - his body language was superb.
"No, we're just going to have a nice chat," Marth replied, his voice edged with just a bit of sarcasm. Young Link luckily missed the sarcastic edge.

The bell rang. Another hellish day in the same classroom for most of the time.

Now I know why Mewtwo jumped on that department head position, Marth thought. Teaching's an acquired taste.

"All right, class. Kyokashou akete kudasai."
Marth got the blankest look from the students yet.
"That means 'please open your textbooks'."

-x-

Doctor Mario applied an antiseptic onto the gash adorning Link's cheek; the blond youth sat on the single cot in one of the rooms off the main nurse's office. Zelda was on the other chair by the bed, hands clasped in her lap. Ike was still in Albert Wesker's office a floor up, and Zelda was glad for that. Otherwise a brawl would have broken out here, and Zelda was too drained from the previous ordeal to prevent another altercation.

"Next time, Link, please don't provoke him," Zelda said, rubbing her forearm thoughtfully. "You know how he gets sometimes."

"What did you want me to do, Zel? Let him badmouth Marth? You know me better than that – my friends are everything."

Zelda smiled softly. "Ike, too."

Link scoffed. "That didn't seem like he was 'fighting for his friends'. I think he should find another quote – that one's a misnomer."

Zelda laughed then. "Perhaps you're right, Link."

Doctor Mario had applied a patch of gauze onto Link's cheek and kept it there with medical tape.

"All patched up!" he said in his thick accent. "If you wanna stay here a bit, I dun mind too much. Just dun be too loud."

Zelda nodded. "Thank you, doctor."

Doctor Mario got up then and left the room – he had Gary and Nicholas to contend with now.

"So what happened here?" the doctor asked as he closed the door behind him. "Let's take a look at you now..."

"What the heck d'you see in Ike, anyway? He abhors royalty."

Zelda fiddled with the hem of her skirt. "If you just learned to know him a little more, Link, you'd find that he's a sweet guy who cares deeply about those he puts his trust into. Besides, he and I seem to get along fine, as do he and Roy."

Link stood then and pulled his hoodie down over his head.

"Even so...I still don't think he's good enough for you."

"Stop acting like I'm getting married to him. Just get to know him a little before passing judgment on him is all I ask."

"I'm not making promises to do anything, Zel, but... I will try. But just for you, not for him."

As long as he tried, or at least learned to tolerate him... It was all he could do for her now.

-x-

"Nice bruise there, Fairy Boy."

"Oh be quiet, Roy."

The hallways were unusually quiet for this time of day as Link and Roy walked to the third floor together. The walls were also unusually sparse – no posters advertising clubs or raffle auctions or anything adorned them. It was like the school had become even more eerie than it usually was. Then again, Melee Academy was far from 'normal'.

"What's up with this silence, anyway?" Link asked the air, looking around. They seemed to be the only ones in the otherwise deserted corridor. "We're not late, are we?"

Roy was irked as well. "We shouldn't be. If anything, we would probably be early."

"Just what I need to do – give my teacher a heart attack 'cause I was early."

Link arrived at his destination – History with Mr. Dragmire – and stood in the doorway, though a little off to the side so people could still get through.

"Argh, I have Ike in this class, too," Link said disdainfully as he looked about the classroom.

Roy shook his head. "Just make the best of it, will you? You don't have to talk to him or even look at him for that matter."

With a glance at his watch, Roy added, "Anyway, I should be going. I can't be late for Chemistry or else Bowser will have my head on a platter for all of his koopa friends."

Link waved goodbye and sighed, walking to his seat dejectedly. He took out his trusty Nintenpod and scrolled through the two million songs on his playlist (and that was no exaggeration, for Link liked his music) to find something to listen to. 'Bonedust' by Virgin Steele began to blast through his earbuds and no one paid any attention to it.

"Oh Din, not this class," Ganondorf said when he nearly ripped the door out of the metal track. "This is what I get for being an evil mastermind. Such a cruel punishment."

"Yeah well, we're not exactly thrilled to be in your presence for forty-five minutes, either," Ike remarked, history things on his desk.

Ganondorf slammed the door closed, nearly jammed it in its track, and strode over to his desk at the other end of the classroom.

"One more word out of you, Troy, and I'll have you after school for a detention."
Ike said nothing more, not because he was afraid of getting a detention, but because he could think of nothing witty to say.
"Now then, let us begin this hellish class, for the sooner I start, the sooner I'll be finished. And then I can leave here," Ganondorf said, the last part under his breath. "Open up your stupid books to page four hundred and six. Who knows anything about the events that unfold a hundred or so years after Dolua's initial downfall?"

Link thought about it for a moment as he opened to the correct page.
"That's right, Landon, the War of Darkness began," Ganondorf answered while Link was contemplating Akaneia's history. "The Dolua Empire led by Medeus - who was not as evil as me - and the Archsage Garnef - also not as evil as me - confronted Akaneia at this time and started invading like cockroaches to rotting meat."
Everyone grimaced at Ganondorf's choice of imagery.

"That was all in the year 600 of the Akaneian calendar. Two years later, Dolua's troops sieged the royal capitol Pales. Armies from Gra and Altea met with Grunia's, led by a General Camus. Altea had the upper hand and then those poor sons of bitches were betrayed by their equally poor ally Gra. The leader of Altea's army, King Cornelius Lowell, was killed. By that Garnef person, who is, of course, not as evil as me--"
"Okay, we get it!" Ike shouted, pounding his fist against his desk. "No one is as evil as you! Shut up about it already."

Ike's remark obviously struck a nerve.
"Infidel! If I were allowed to do magic in this building... You would be saying your prayers, boy! When I see you in the arena, you'll wish you had kept your comments to yourself!"
Ike merely waved Ganondorf's comments away. "I'll be waiting for that threat to become a reality, Ganondorf."
"How dare you refer to me by my first name! I am Mr. Dragmire to you, boy!"
"And how dare you call me a 'boy' when I am a man!"

Link sighed and rested his head on his desk. He didn't see the point of taking this class. He could, after all, just ask Marth questions about Akaneia's history if he so chose. And he knew for a fact that Marth had at least twenty books on it, all properly shelved and alphabetised according to last name.
That and Marth fought in the War of Darkness. Link expected him to definitely know something about that.

-x-

"...I'm pretty sure this will be the song selection I'll go with," Zelda said as she showed the music manuscripts to Jigglypuff. "I'd also like to do what we did last year and have something with the band again, if that's at all possible."
"Purin likes," Jigglypuff said, bouncing happily. "Purin would like to work with princess, too. Purin sure band will be happy."
Zelda nodded. "When the date comes closer, we can figure out who will be playing and who will be with the chorus, since a lot of people in band are also in this class and... Well, we can talk about that later."

The door opened and clicked shut with the arrival of Link and Roy, lunch in hand. Roy looked quite disheveled, and Link had a huge grin on his face.
"That librarian chick's totally into me," Link said loudly as he set his things down on the next available desk. "I mean, did you see how she looked at me? Kinda like..." Link gave Roy a sultry sort of look as demonstration.
Roy simply shook his head. "Whatever you say, Link." He could only take his word - Roy wasn't actually there with Link at the library.
"Her last name's kinda awkward for me to pronounce, though. Kinda like... Telys or something. Her ID said 'Caeda Talys', which is like, 'How do you even say that?' and stuff. She's cute, though."

Zelda tried not to listen but couldn't help it. She wouldn't admit it to anyone, not even her best friend Peach, but she was just a bit jealous. Just a tiny bit, but it was enough.
"I think it's a typo, though," Link continued on in between bites of his ham sandwich sans crust on the top. "I mean, who the heck'd name their kid Caeda?"
And then it dawned on Roy for a brief second. "Wait a minute, Link."
"What?"
"What did this 'Caeda' person look like?"
Link pondered for a split second, and Zelda mentally berated him. He only saw her a few seconds ago and he had already forgotten her face?

"Long blue hair, kinda skinny, nice legs... Really hot, basically."
That wasn't really helping Roy. "Is she usually in the back?"
"...Yeah. Usually in all the sections Marth frequented - and probably still frequents. Maybe she's a sucker for Akaneian history."
It hit Roy like a ballista to the head.
"That's Sheeda. Sheeda of Talis. Man, they really screwed up the spelling of that."
And then something hit Link in the back of the head. He turned around and saw a textbook lying on the floor.
"Wait a minute," said Link after handing the fallen textbook back to its rightful owner. "Sheeda of Talis? Isn't that Marth's..."
"Wife," said Roy.
"Oh crap," finished Link, looking at his hands like they were going to jump up and bite his face off.

Zelda smiled behind her hand and went back to future music selections. She didn't know why she should feel so relieved, but she did.
"I hope she won't tell Marth I slapped her ass on the way out," Link murmured, head in his arms on the desk.
"Link, there are a lot of blonds in this school - I'm sure he won't connect it to you."
Link prayed to Farore that he wouldn't. Little did he know that Sheeda was quite used to that and had become desensitised to it.

-x-

Link came waltzing into room 221 and found that he was the only one there, aside from Marth. He took his usual seat by the door and avoided staring at the Altean prince as much as possible. He daren't even remark that Marth was quite attractive, lest Roy cease talking to him again. He wasn't going to relive the summer again. And Marth was quite attractive in Link's eyes, and such thoughts scared him, especially after he remembered the comment he made to Ike that morning - Marth's just so beautiful he can get men and women flocking to him - and that comment kept haunting him throughout the whole day. He had to admit to himself that he was just a bit jealous of Roy having someone so damn gorgeous it should've been illegal.

Link glanced out the door and saw Nicholas and Stephen holding hands and laughing.
Is everyone in this school gay or something and I'm the only straight guy? Link pondered as they came through the door. And even then, I sometimes question myself.
And then a sort of revelation came to Link. He had seen this predicament before.
Oh goddesses, I'm turning into Marth now. Questioning myself.
It was uncanny. Marth went through the exact same thing the year before, probably asked the exact same question and pondered on it.

Link let out a cry of distress which caused Marth to look up from his paperwork, concern on his face.
"Link, are you all right?"
That soft, velvety smooth voice made Link's heart skip a beat and he straightened up in alarm. Especially since Roy came in and sat down next to him, completely unaware of Link's current situation.
"Oh yes, I'm fine!" Link said a little too hurriedly. "I was just thinking about all the homework I have to do, is all."

Marth knew there was something deeper than that but said nothing more. It wasn't his place to go prying into Link's business.
"Oh shit, not this class." Stephen never looked forward to this class, not since Freshman year, really. "I wonder what piece of crap assignment we'll get now."
Nicholas concurred. "I still don't understand why I still even come here."
Robert snorted. "I don't have to take this class and I'm wondering the same thing."
Dean looked at his brother. "You're taking this class because you love me so much, right, bro?"
"No." Robert just gave Dean a look that said, "Are you out of your mind?"

Marth cleared his throat and gestured to the SMRTBOARD located at the centre of the room.
"We're watching a movie today."
Robert scoffed and examined his desk. "It's not that stupid Charlie Brown Halloween movie, is it? 'Cause if it is, I'm outta here."
But Marth shook his head and picked up the DVD case. "No, it's not a kiddie movie. It's actually pretty good from what I've heard. In any case, I suggest you pay attention since you're doing a paper on it."

No one in the room uttered a word. They simply stared like their teacher had finally cracked under pressure, like an egg in a microwave.
"Basically, the paper should talk about the cultural and historical inaccuracies this movie presents. It's supposed to be about the Satsuma Rebellion, but there's a lot of the Boshin War in here. And for those of you unaware (since Mewtwo never said anything about it), the Boshin War happened during the Bakumatsu era, not the Meiji, as it led to the Meiji Restoration and what not."
Stephen rubbed his cheek, scratching an itch. "Like, I think that was in Rurouni Kenshin."
"Yeah, Kenshin fought in that war," Robert agreed. "He 'sliced open a new era'. He was with the Ishin Shishi and stuff."

Marth wasn't exactly sure what they were talking about, but said nothing. He figured that, since it was Japanese related, it was a harmless topic.
"Sensei." Dean waved his hand about.
"Hai, Dean-kun?"
Dean thought briefly about his question before saying anything. "Sensei, can we do cultural and historical inaccuracies or do we have to decide between them?"
Marth didn't really care, so long as the assignment was done and handed in. "If you wish to, you may."
"Yes!" Dean grinned in triumph. Stephen already had a game plan in his head.
"Oh Lord, your paper's gonna be longer than my term paper," Nicholas said, shaking his head in disbelief when he saw the look on Stephen's face.

Marth picked up the remote for the DVD player and hit the enter button to "play movie".
"Take notes if you wish, but try to pay attention - Robert." Marth looked right at the blond-with-chartreuse-fringe.
Robert gestured to himself. "Ore wa?"
Marth nodded. "Hai."
"But I--"
"Shizuka ni shite kudasai," Stephen said, resting his head on Nicholas's shoulder. Robert scowled, but his head atop his arms, and watched the introduction play. He would try his best to watch it, but he wasn't going to be active in it.
"Oh, and Robert-kun," Marth began, "you owe a lot of work to me."
"Ore wakarimasu," Robert answered, his voice partially muffled.

Marth rolled his eyes as he looked over the grades for the class. Robert would never make up the work, and Marth knew that.
It will be a cold, cold day in hell when he turns in his missed assignments, Marth thought bitterly, shutting his grade book harder than he meant. He was quite the passive-aggressive one. A cold, cold, and very bleak day.

-x-

"So today," King Dedede droned on after talking for fourteen minutes on absolutely nothing important, "we will be learning about the persecution of Dragons across the various continents."
Stephen snorted. "Does anyone really care?" he asked the nearest person, who happened to be a kid named Shyam.
"I know," Shyam answered back. "There are better things to learn about then some stupid dragons."
Roy shushed them both, finger to his mouth. "Shut up, this stuff is interesting."
Stephen and Shyam both looked at the general like he was nuts.

"Let us take a look first at the continent of Akaneia." Dedede roamed over to the blackboard and pulled down one of the various maps rolled up above it.
"Yawn," Stephen said, tapping his mouth with his fingers flat against it. Shyam snickered. Dedede seemed bemused by the whole situation, as if he had a small inclination towards making things as boring as possible.
"The dragons were forced to abandon their powers and assume human form," Dedede prattled on, "and were rather hated by the human populace."
"Well I would hate them too." Everyone stared at the kid behind Shyam named Russel. "What?"

"So the leader of the Earth Dragon Tribe and head of the Dolua Empire, Medeus, rebelled against the humans. They almost became extinct creatures."
"The dragons?" It was Russel again. "Serves those bastards right."
Shyam smacked his palm against his face and shook his head. "Shut up, Russ."
"No, actually," Dedede corrected. "Humans were almost extinct. Fortunately, Narga of the Divine Dragon Tribe intervened and created the Shield of Seals and the Falchion to protect mankind."
"Fuckers," a kid named Drake said, crossing his arms. "Puny humans should've died a long time ago."
"Here we go again," Shyam muttered and rolled his eyes. "Same old spiel from this kid."

-x-

"I swear I'm on the verge of a mental breakdown and school's only a month in," Link said as he waited for Roy to open the locker.
"You're always on the verge of a mental breakdown around this time," Roy said matter-of-factly, inputting the combination. "Since freshman year, even."
Link sighed and held all his books up in one hand as the lock went click. The tumbler portion of the lock clanged against the metal door as Roy hooked it onto the top of it.
"And when the heck are we getting our class rings?"
Roy had forgotten about that, and would have continued to had Link not brought it up. Dumping all the contents of his bag on the top shelf, he shrugged.

"That's a good question," Roy said at last, stepping aside so Link could drop his things on the bottom. "I heard at the end of this month. Before Halloween, maybe."
Link's ears twitched at the mention of Halloween. "So about Halloween--"
"I'm not dressing up, if that's what you're gonna get at." Roy wasn't going to fall for Link's tricks this year.
"You'd make a cute 'neko boy'," Link insisted, unhooking the lock from the top of the door. He slammed it shut and threaded the shackle through the hole in the handle, pushed up on it, and locked it.

Roy held his ground as he slung his bag over his shoulder. "Oh no, I'm not getting caught up in your schemes again."
"But we have a contest sponsored by the Do-It-All Club and--"
"Y'know, Link," Roy said as they headed to the gym, "I compared you to Matsuri Honjou once and you took it all to heart like I knew you would."
Link sighed and grabbed Roy's shoulder and upper arm. "It was a good idea he had!"
Roy brushed Link off him. "I have too much to do, regardless. Like practise for the upcoming Fencing competition against my old school."

Link scoffed. "Like your team needs practise. Not with you as captain."
Roy pulled open the back doors to the locker room, Link following.
"Ostia's School for the Battle Arts is not to be underestimated," Roy stated as he headed to his locker, duffel bag in hand. "Only the gifted are accepted there, and they're all of noble blood, and their fathers are usually old war veterans. They can fight." Roy stripped off his hoodie, followed by his shirt and tie. Link sat on one of the benches and sighed.
"How good is their Fencing team?"

Roy shoved his head through the hole in his long sleeved shirt and pulled the rest of his shirt down, his sweatpants already on.
"If I wasn't Fencing captain for the past four years, we would've had our asses mopping the floors of the gym. Before me, they were using the same damn strategy year after year, and soon enough they became predictable. I have to surprise them, especially so, since my old sword arts teacher is their coach." Roy donned all of the required protective gear, sans helmet, which was held under his arm. Roy threw the keys to the supplies closet to Link, who barely caught them, and wondered why he was given them.

"Get the foils for me from the closet at the back of the gym," Roy ordered. "You can be my page boy." He said it with a grin, in a joking manner, but Link took the job seriously anyway.

-x-

"Lunge!"
The fencers on the right side of the white line attacked their opponents, stepping forward just a bit. Roy came up behind one of the First Years and tsked.
"No wonder you can't lunge correctly," Roy said, grabbing the freshman by the elbow of his right arm, "your stance is incorrect."
The freshman, nervous as could be, whimpered slightly. "I'm sorry, captain! I've never done this before."
Roy hushed him and moved the boy's sword arm forward all the way, even corrected his grip.
"And your other arm should have your wrist in line with your shoulder," Roy explained. "For balance."

Link watched in mild fascination. For some reason he didn't know, Link didn't ever try out for the Fencing team, though he would be good at it, good enough to be co-captain, even. But he figured his mild clumsiness would only hold him back, so he never tried out. That and he was horrid at explaining the various moves and terminology that went with the sport.
"En garde!" Roy shouted as he walked along the lines. Immediately, twenty people took the proper sword stance, foil points all facing Roy's direction. Anyone on the right side of the line had to turn to achieve this, but they didn't mind.
"Salute!" Many could tell Roy was once an army general - it was the way he shouted the commands: firm, but not with the intensity of, say, a drill sergeant.

Twenty foils all moved so that they were parallel to their owners' faces.
"At ease."
They all moved so their foils were perpendicular to the floor, hands still clutching the hilt.
"Split up into groups of two and begin your usual drills for practise. I'll let you guys know when you can stop." Roy gestured to the rest of the gym behind him. "Begin!"
As everyone broke up into their respective groups, Roy walked over to the bleachers where Link sat watching, chin resting on his hands.
"You sure you don't want to join?" Roy had been trying to get Link to join since Roy took over the team. "You'd be great, you know."

Link sighed and shook his head. "Nah. I'm content with just watching."
Roy quirked an eyebrow. "You sure?"
Link nodded. "Yeah. Positive. Though it does look fun..."
Roy extended a hand to the Hero of Time. "C'mon, you can practise with me."
Link grabbed the offered hand and stood then, looking down at the ten hardworking groups below.
"But I don't have any protective gear on."
Roy shrugged. "Really you only need a face mask on so you don't lose an eye. Now come on."

Link, out of excuses, finally relented and followed Roy down the bleacher steps to firm ground. Throwing him a face mask, Roy said, "Students, let me demonstrate how good Ostia's fencers are since most of you are new. Link here is just like you, a student under my command. I'll be one under their coach, General Cecilia." Not like it was hard for Roy to accomplish it since she was his teacher when he was just starting out. Handing Link a foil, they both stepped back the required amount of steps as the rest of them stood back a good amount.
"Jaimie, you can be the ref for this if you want," Roy said to the lone girl on the team. She nodded and took her place between them, still a ways to the side.

"En garde!" Jaimie said as she crossed her arms, relaxing. Link took Roy's lead - he had never started off a sparring match this way, though he knew both Marth and Roy always did - and copied his movements. Roy gave him a smile of encouragement.
"Just act as if this is any other match we've had."
Jaimie made a signal to start the match.

Roy moved so fast Link barely noticed he was gone until something sharply tapped his blade.

-x-

"That wasn't bad, you know," Roy said, fencing equipment jutting out of his duffel bag as they walked out into the plaza of the school. "With a little practise, you'll be just as you usually are in a tourney match."
Link sighed. "I wouldn't've lost if I didn't trip trying to redouble on you that last time."
Roy shrugged. "No big deal. Anyway, I'm sure Marth'll be happy to hear I finally got you to join. You even get an awesome hoodie to add to your already large collection."
Link grinned. "Sweet."

And as always, Marth was there waiting in front of the school, sitting on the curb.
"I hear you have a match tomorrow," Marth said as he noticed the two boys approach.
"Yep," Roy answered as he helped Marth up. "Against Ostia's School for the Battle Arts. No big deal - I've taken them on before."
Marth gave a look to Link then. "You look like you have some news."
Link, suddenly shy, managed to stammer out, "Y-Yeah, I joined the Fencing team."
Marth grinned and clapped him on the back good-naturedly. "It's about time."
"Yeah, and I had to pull him down the bleachers to boot," Roy added as they began their trek home. "I wonder what's for dinner..."

As they walked home under the mostly clear skies, Link looked on with silent jealousy as Roy laced his fingers with Marth's. It was a feeling Link didn't want to even acknowledge.