Ugh. I hate to say it to you guys, but I've totally been out of my Zelda phase lately. It doesn't help when your favorite fics aren't being updated either. I can't seem to get enough Naruto though, so I think I will probably start a fic about it soon.
Chapter 8
"Woah, woah, woah, wait a second," Link said, raising his hands. "What do you mean, adult-napped? You can't just abduct an adult, much less a principal in broad daylight."
"Apparently you can," Midna said, nervously glancing towards the window, "I was going to the office to pick up the lunch menu, 'cause you know, I like to know these kinds of things," she rambled, wringing her hands together. She paused and squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head slightly. "And when I got there, it was completely empty. Like, not even Tingle was at his desk, and you know he's a workaholic. So naturally I got a little worried, but I figured there might be a meeting going on. And what do you know, when I walk out of the office, there in the middle of campus was this huge guy dressed in black with a mask on. Madame Impa, and I think Professor Cremia too, were slung over his shoulders like bags of flour."
"What? He just carried them away and nobody did anything to stop him?!" Zelda said, clenching her fists together.
"Zel, you don't understand. This guy was enormous, and I swear… he had like, this horrible, evil aura about him. Everyone just stared at him when he walked off with our fudging teachers. And after he was gone, everyone just kind of snapped and started running back to the dorm, screaming like school children. The police were here, but I guess they had no leads on the guy. It's a complete mystery."
"So everyone is just hiding?" Zelda shrieked. She grabbed her jacket and bolted for the door, but Link seized her arm as she grasped the doorknob.
"Zelda, don't be rash! It's not safe to be wandering around right now," he said, pulling her back, "At least wait until morning."
She gritted her teeth defiantly, but her determination faltered quickly and she lowered her eyes. "Fine, but you're staying here for tonight."
He and Midna raised their eyebrows simultaneously. "What? Zel, this is the girl's dorm. I can't stay here."
"Yeah, Link is right. That's against major rules. Like, ending in expulsion kinda rules."
Zelda rolled her eyes and began making a bed for Link on the floor. "I don't think regular rules are applying tonight."
Link faltered. "Zel…"
Midna shrugged. "She's right."
The blonde turned to him, pleading with her eyes. "I'd feel much safer if you stayed."
He heaved a sigh, then smiled at her. "Alright."
"I guess that means I'm staying too," Midna said, locking the door. "I assume if Nayru was coming back tonight, she'd be here already."
Link settled himself on the pile of blankets Zelda had arranged for him, peeling off his shoes and jacket. Said girl knelt beside him, giving him a worried look. He caught her gaze and brushed his fingertips against her cheek.
"Don't worry, Princess. I'll protect you."
She smiled and leaned into his cheek. "You're my hero," she muttered.
They stayed that way for just a moment before she stood and cuddled herself into bed. Midna flopped carelessly onto Nayru's bed, yawning.
"Goodnight Link, Midna," Zelda mumbled, already drifting off to sleep.
"'Night, Zel."
"Night-night, Zellie," Midna mumbled, nuzzling her pillow. "By the way, are you guys like, dating now?"
Neither of them replied, although Zelda couldn't stop the small smile from creeping onto her face as she fell asleep.
The next morning, after everyone had freshened up and gathered their belongings, instead of heading straight back to their rooms and going to class, the trio sat cross-legged on Zelda's dorm floor, contemplating whether or not it was safe outside.
Midna had peered out of the window, but didn't have a clear view of the courtyard below due to a large oak tree.
"I say we run out there and demand answers," she said, slamming her fist on the floor.
"Midna, if somebody abducted Madame Impa, they could easily take you," Link said, shaking his head slightly.
"What?! What makes you think such a thing?"
"She was a martial artist before she taught here. Like, black belt and everything."
"Link! Don't talk about her in past tense. I'm sure she's fine…" Zelda said, nervously glancing between her two companions. Link gave her a doubtful look but said nothing.
The door burst open, and everyone turned to Ilia, who was standing in the doorway panting.
"You guys, class meeting in the auditorium. Mandatory," she said, pushing the hair out of her face.
They looked at each other hesitantly, but followed the blonde out of the girls' dorm. In the lobby, police were scattered in all corners and entrances, and it seemed as though is was like that for the entire campus. Zelda vaguely thought the entire police force of Castle Town must be stationed here.
They entered the main building where classes are held, but instead of turning right towards the classrooms, they instead took the left hallway towards the auditorium and gyms. After briefly being assessed by the officers guarding the double door entrance, the four of them entered the large stage room, which was nearly filled with all the students at the Academy.
"I hope they don't frisk me," Midna muttered as they took their seats in the center.
Before Zelda could reply, a loud ringing noise came from a microphone on the stage, and everyone fell silent as the large man behind it cleared his throat with authority. Midna tensed visibly, along with many other students.
"What? What is it?" Zelda whispered, leaning towards her friend.
"He looks like that guy… that guy that took Madame Impa."
"I thought he had a mask on?"
"I'm talking about the body type. And the way he stands. It's like déjà vu."
Just then, said man's voice boomed out and washed over the students like a wave of molten lava. "Good morning, students. Due to the, unfortunate misplacement of your Head Mistress, I shall be filling in her spot until further notice. Please feel free to contact me with any of your concerns."
The man was creepy, but most definitely intimidating. His skin was an olive green, a stark contrast against his orange hair and golden eyes. His nose and smile were broad, suggesting Gerudo features, but that was impossible since the only Gerudos that existed were females.
Link, almost on cue, asked: "He looks like a Gerudo, but he's a man. What's up with that?"
An eerily familiar yet monotone voice came softly from behind them. "His name is Ganondorf Dragmire. He is the first male descendent of the Gerudos in 100 years. He would be known in the olden days as their ruler or king."
They turned to find the ever-informative Fi, looking blankly past them at the Gerudo man. "How do you know this?" Link asked.
"I know of many subjects," was all she said before Mr. Dragmire's voice cut through their conversation.
"I also have some new rules that shall be put into place effectively and immediately. My assistant Zant will clarify these for you."
A Twili man took his place at the microphone as Mr. Dragmire backed away. He cleared his throat while unfolding a long list of what was assumed the be "the rules."
"First off, there will be no leaving campus without parental supervision. You may not eat or drink anything not made by the school. Lights out at 9pm, no exceptions. Uniforms will also be issued, which are to be worn everywhere except for your own dorm room. New cameras will be installed in every hallway to report such instances where one does not follow these rules. Breaking these rules can and will result in expulsion with no exception. Is that clear?"
An angry burst of mutters to shouts filled the auditorium in protest. Zelda's mouth dropped, and Midna's nearly hit the floor.
"What?! This is a school, not a prison!"
"I'll eat whatever the hell I want!"
"I refuse to wear those God-awful khaki pants!"
"I said, Is that clear?!" The man named Zant screeched into the microphone, causing most everyone to cover their ears and go quiet. "Good. With that being said, you are all dismissed. A mourning time period for your Madames will be issued for the remainder of the day, but classes will resume tomorrow. Have a nice afternoon."
Pipit, who had spotted the four students in the crowd which was hurriedly departing, shouted and waved at them to wait up.
"Hey!" he said, approaching them, "Can you believe this? They're treating us like criminals. I didn't pay for this kind of schooling."
It was then when Ilia began to cry. "What are they going to do to us?"
A thick man whom they'd never seen before lashed out at Ilia from the opposite side of the hallway. "Student! No crying!"
Ilia stared wide eyed at the man, about to break down, but Zelda wrapped a protective arm around the girl's shoulder and glared at the man, leading her away from him. "Don't listen to that man, Ilia. You can cry all you want. They can't control your emotions."
She sobbed quietly as they made their way back to Zelda's dorm, which was now considered a giant hidey hole. Sheik had frantically hunted them down, worried about his sister's safety after the incident. He'd vowed to not leave her side no matter what the rules said. There were six of them in total by the time they reached their safe haven. Nayru was still no where to be found.
"I don't know where that bitch went, but I sure am glad for the vacant bed." Midna said, snuggling herself beside Sheik on Nayru's turquoise bed sheets. Ilia and Pipit had claimed Link's makeshift bed, while Link and Zelda lounged on the other pink bed.
"Do you guys really think Madame Impa is dead? And what about Professor Cremia? What could that man have possibly wanted from a couple of school teachers?" Ilia asked, fidgeting. Pipit placed a consoling hand on her shoulder as if he was unsure how far she'd let him go to comfort her.
"I don't think Impa would have gone down without a fight. Same goes for Cremia. They're pretty tough for professors." Zelda said, more for her own benefit than anything else. A memory sparked in her mind. "Midna, didn't you say Mr. Dragmire reminded you of the kidnapper?"
Midna nodded, but it was Sheik who spoke. "Midna's right. He looked exactly like the man. I know, I saw when they took the professors."
"What if… what if he is the man? How did he get into our school?" Zelda asked, clutching part of the hem of Link's shirt that was closest to her.
"I don't know, Zel. I really don't."
A few moments of tense silence followed Sheik's words, with everyone in fear of the situation they were put in. Suddenly, Midna hopped up from her position on the bed and bumbled towards the bookshelf where Zelda kept all of her movies.
"I know how we can relax. How about we watch some Star Trek?" she said, pulling the DVD case from the shelf.
"I love Star Trek!" Ilia said, clapping her hands.
"Me too!" Pipit gushed, ignoring Midna and instead giving Ilia an adoring look.
"Then it's settled," Midna said, smiling convincingly, "We'll have a movie night."
Zelda jogged across campus from the main building to central office, where Professor Fado had instructed her to retrieve a map of the ancient Lost Woods from Tingle. Although she was unsure Tingle was still working in the office with Madame Impa gone, she obliged without any questions. Her new uniform, a flowy black and red plaid skirt that stopped above her knees, a white polo, and black cardigan, made her feel like a school girl running away from her rapists. Whoever thought of these uniforms were perverted to the max.
She pushed through the doors, and not to her surprise, Tingle was absent. A tall, slender man with purple-ish skin and a flamboyant white hairdo stood behind the counter, gathering some papers.
"Excuse me, but are you the new secretary?" she asked, approaching the counter.
The man looked up a smiled, quickly reminding Zelda of her running-away-from-rapists scenario. "Who, me? No, I'm the new History professor. Seems Professor Rauru has gone on… vacation."
Zelda averted her eyes from the creepy man. "Err, right, do you know where Tingle is? I was supposed to pick something up from him."
"I'm not sure, young lady. Maybe you could check with Lord Dragmire."
She hesitated, but quickly decided she'd rather question Mr. (Lord?) Dragmire instead of standing here alone with the new professor. "Um, okay professor."
She darted around the counter and down the hallway as he called after her: "That's Professor Ghirahim to you, young lady!"
She shuddered as she reached the Principal's office. Before she could knock, though, the door swung open revealing a bustling Ganondorf, who nearly smacked into Zelda and plowed her over.
"Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to intrude…" Zelda said, meeting the golden eyes of her new prinicpal for the first time. Something strange snapped inside of her, faintly, and she felt an odd burning sensation on her left hand.
"Excuse me, Miss, but I have important matters to attend to," he said, looking down on her. A millisecond of recognition flashed through his eyes.
"I was wondering if you knew where Tingle's maps were? He doesn't seem to be here at the moment," Zelda asked, wanting to hold her ground against the strange man.
"I would not know. Allow me to pass."
She scooted over as he brushed past her. However, he paused a few steps ahead, not bothering to turn around as he spoke.
"What is your name?"
"Wha? Oh. My name is Harkinian. Zelda Harkinian," she stumbled on her words, unprepared for the question.
"I see." Without further explanation, Mr. Dragmire continued on his way, exiting the building.
After the coast was clear, Zelda spared a look down at her hand. A small, barely recognizable golden triangle glowed against the pale skin on the back of her hand. A strange sense of calmness washed over her, muting the confusion over the encounter she'd just had as she made her way to exit the building after him. As she reached the door, Professor Ghirahim called to her: "By the way, that uniform is just as adorable as I imagined it! I designed them myself, you know!"
Yes, she thought, definitely the work of a pervert.
Blahhhhhhhh. Finally. I felt back for procrastinating so I stayed up until midnight on a school night just to finish, proof-read, and post this for ya'll! I HOPE YOU APPRECIATE ME!11!
Here's a nice taco salad for anyone that reviews.
You know you want the taco salad.
Go ahead, review to your little heart's desire. Please. I beg of you!