Chapter Two
The first day and a Kidnapping
Link was about to walk over to Zelph when she was ushered one way and he another by Zane.
"Where are we going?" Link asked as they walked along a path connecting two buildings,
"In here" Zane said with a point and a nod, "I wanted to see if anything had changed"
Link and Zane stepped into a large sports hall where the SK training would later take place. Zane immediately had flash backs of messing about and dancing with Link Senior.
"This place brings back a lot of memories" Zane said, "The Zora Descendants, Hylians, Goron and even some Korki chose to blend in with this central realm over the centuries. Their family names altered over time so some don't even realise they are descendants. I am Korki, that place is long gone but Kokiri still stands. Hylians are teriffic archers, you can't beat them, Zoras have startling eyes and are fabulous swimmers, the Goron are very spiritual, loyal, hard working people, they find it hard to trust people so their friends usually consist of other Gorons or Hylians. No one messes with the Goron and just to warn you, some of the students here can be a bit much, try not to get into any fights. Don't call on your sword without a good reason though it wouldn't hurt to have a Goron on your side" He finished, before he took a sip of his take away tea,
"Why have I never seen these places?" He asked but Zane sighed,
"Maybe I'm not aloud to say" There was a silence, "Come on, I'll help you pick out a locker"
As Link was being shown around the school and annoying the hell out of Zane asking if every student they past was a Goron or not Zelph was getting very flustered as she realised her being voted for had been a cruel trick, no one had this many issues on day 1. She ducked into an alcove first chance she got to gather her thoughts.
"Zelda?" Dew asked, appearing from seemingly nowhere, making her jump out of her skin,
"Who're you?" She asked, "How do you know who I am?"
"Princess Zelda, year captain, 11th Grade" Dew replied pointing at her badge, "AKA Zelph cause you cool innit?" He added uncooly and not caring one little bit, Zelph was embarrassed beyond words, "You're looking for Link? He's on the 1st floor with his minder, Zane"
"He was his father' Navi wasn't he?" Zelph said in question
He ignored this question and walked away.
When Zelph found Link at first she hid from him, he was in touching distance now but she was afraid to talk to him,
"Is that a Goron?" Link asked, pointing at the large black boy who had commented when he first arrived,
"Yes that's a Goron!" Zane exclaimed a little too loudly,
Both Zane and Zelph turned away in embarrassment when the boy turned around, Link grinned at him,
"Hey! New kid, you got a locker or...?" He asked
"No, they're all taken" Link replied politely
"Come share with me then bud" The boy said
Link went over to him, he was on the other side of the corridor. Link cautiously extended a hand for him to shake but the boy clapped him on the back instead and winded him, making Zelph giggle.
"What's your name?" Link asked as he put the books he wouldn't need into the locker, "I hear the kids round here can get a bit lary, I may need you to stop me from pouncing on them if they try it with me"
"Oh, it's Borack" He grinned, then pointing at the Triforce on Link' hand he said, "Like the tat"
"Oh this is a birthmark, I've always had it" Link said, then he showed him a wolf on his arm, "Wolf Link from Twighlight Princess, my father' friend did it for me for free back home in Japan"
"What was his name?" Borack asked, thrilled to bits to be in Link' presence,
"Warren Swift I think" Link replied
"Awe no way that's my Uncle, small world, nice to meet you bro, wanna hang out with us?" He asked
At this moment Zelph got some courage and marched over to them,
"No sorry he can't, he's with me today; head ordered" She said
Borack looked her up and down,
"Excuse me?"
"I'm having a bad day, I have a list and I've done nothing at all on it" She said getting flustered, "Please let me have this one, I'll be in so much bother if I'm not seen to be at least looking after one new kid"
"Girl you need to take a trip to the spring or something, calm down, have him" Borack said
"Thank you Borack" Link said, then looking at Zelph he added, "What if I said yes to Borack and you tag along for the day?"
"OK" She withered,
Borack fist bumped Link and then walked off with his other Goron friends,
"What's on this list of yours?" He asked kindly when he realised she was about to cry,
"I need to show you around the school" She began,
"Already seen it, Zane took me" He told her, Zelph sighed and he took the list, "What's next? Ah frighten away potental friends, check" She looked at the floor for a second, "You must be astounding with enemies, I might just have to keep you" He grinned, she looked at him and smiled, a little breathless, "Recite the school rules? Why don't I just read and digest them, quicker that way" Link said pretending to eat them before unravelling the list and stroking Zelph' chin, "You are too easy to wnd you up, want some help with this?" He asked
"Yes" She said relieved
At that moment three roughfians came past,
"Hey new kid, find a fat friend to fight your battles for you yet, first thing you're taught?" One said
"I don't need anyone to fight on my behalf" Link said calmly,
Zane gave Link and warning look,
"Really, have you seen these arms?"
"That a challenge?" Link asked
"No it is not!" Zelph snapped, glaring at the roughfian,
"I never back down from a challenge" Link said
"Bring it on!"
"SK Training! Sign up on the board over there and you get to fight him"
They signed up and waked off, laughing about the victory they felt sure was theirs,
"Link!" Zane snapped, "Dew will have my head for this"
"Where is he?" He replied
He'd been listened to by a shy boy with tape on his glasses, the roughians had been picking on just before and as Link and Zelph parted from Zane he looked all around to make sure he wasn't being watched and signed himself up for the SK Training.
Link' first PE lesson that afteroon was a real treat for him. Zelph and Borack were in the same class for one but as Link went into the second of three gyms he saw Dew in a basket ball uniform and it was all he could do not to fall apart with laughter.
"Something wrong Link?" Dew asked
"Excuse me, one moment" Link said backing out the door before laughing so hard his other classmates, Zane, in the staff room opposite, and everyone in the ajoining class rooms had to look up in shock.
Zane came out of the staff room on the left and stared at Link like he had lost his mind,
"What in the world is wrong with you?" He asked as Link tried to calm himself,
Link just pointed and after a peak Zane joined him in falling apart with laughter.
Dew came out and looked at the two of them on the floor, crying,
"Shut! Up!"
Zelph and Borack came out of the room,
"I don't get it, what's so funny?" Zelph asked
This only made Link and Zane laugh even more
"Oh go outside the pare of you" Then to Zelph he added, "He's with you today isn't he? Not doing a very good job of keeping him in line are you young lady, you can go too"
"Man that's savage" Borack said
"You want to join them?" Dew asked
"Nah, I'm good, can I be defence?" He asked
"I am not having a good afternoon" Zelph sighed as they were left alone,
"Let's go into the school gardens" Zane suggested
"What gardens?" Zelph asked in surprise.
Unbeknown to Zelph, there was a walled garden at the far end of the first playing field and it was full of beautiful plants and flowers she had never seen before. She completely lost herself in this place, unaware that she was being smiled at by Link.
"I know that look" Zane said
"Shut up" Link said
"No, you know her" Zane told him, Link looked at him, "You spent time with that Princess when you were kids but the events that took place were so shocking memories had to be wiped, yours included. You were her best friend, you did tease her something shocking, but then she's always been easy to wind up, all the Princesses were" Zane said,
"How many have you known?" Link asked
"All of them. She remembers you but she doesn't remember that year. The year your family moved back to Japan. Because you saved her you were already a hero to her and she always hoped you'd come back one day so when they told her you wouldn't know her she was heartbroken, she may be a little crazy at times but go easy on her please"
"Will I ever remember?" Link asked
"Only if you're meant to" Zane told him
Zelph wandered over to the fountain he and Zane were sitting at, at that moment,
"I'm sorry I don't remember you" Link said honestly
She smiled.
"Why have I never see these gardens until now?" She asked
"The last Hero of Time came here every morning to meditate before class" Zane told her before he was then yelled at by Dew to go with him to his office for a quote on quote chat.
Link pulled a sorry face.
At lunch Link and Zelph found Borak in the canteen.
"This place feels so different to my last school" Link said as he sat down opposite Borack,
"Enchanting, that's what Mumma calls it" Borack said, tucking into a massive burger,
"So, Zelph...where're your friends? Who do you hang out with on a normal day?" Link asked
"I have one, a Zora called; Ruler, she's the swimming captain" Zelph said, then seeing her across the canteen she pointed, "Oh there she is now, hey Ruler!"
Link saw who it was and then looked at Zelph,
"Is she?" He began, before remembering Zane' words, "She looks a little grey round the gils"
Ruler sat down at the table, shivering,
"Hey Zelda" She said rubbing her hands together
"You got flu or something?" Zelph asked
"Don't know but I can't warm up, I was supposed to try out for the diving championship tomorrow and I just got a roasting from the coach and the other girls on the team" Ruler complained, "I was headachy this morning but it's just got worse as the day has gone on, I had to stick my head in a fish tank at break"
Borack spat his drink out all over Zelph.
Link and Ruler looked at her as she sat there in shock,
"Just give up today" Link told her, before giving her a spare shirt to change into. Then he took out a tupperware box with Nana' soup in it and slid it over to Ruler, "You need some of Nanna' soup, go on" He told her
Ruler was a bit dubious but thanked him all the same.
Zelph looked back at Link as she walked off towards the ladies restrooms, tears filling her eyes.
Zelph' day just went from bad to worse, she got stung by a Bee on the nose, tripped into the flowerbed, ripping her trousers, trying to avoid a fight that had broken out outside the school between a human and a Korki, the training was cancelled last minute and then between the car and the front door of the Palace a gardener had been spooked by a dog and sprayed her with the hose until she was ringing wet.
"How was school?" The King asked, then seeing the state Zelph was in he said, "What the hell happened to you?"
Zelph burst into tears,
"This is Link' shirt" She began, "A Goron spat his drink all over me" She sobbed, the King tried not to laugh, "I got stung by a Bee, ended up in a ditch because I was trying to avoid a fight, trianing got cancelled, Link only stuck around because I told him to, he got kicked out for laughing at a teacher so I got kicked out of class to because I was supposed to be looking after him, Ruler caught a cold, I'm probably going to get it too, and the gardener just pelted me with the hose because the dog ran after the cat and now I've ruined Link' shirt"
"I'm sure we can fix Link' shirt" He said eventually,
"It's not about the shirt!" She shouted
Link got a clip around the ear for his antics at school from Nanna but he soon got over that and by supper time he and Mya were asking Nanna all about the Korki, Kokiri, Hyrule and Zoras' Domain and the the Gorons of yesteryear.
Zane sat close by and smiled,
"If I were to sit a map in front of you, of Hyrule and all those other places and a map of the world where would all these places be?"
"Get me a map" Nanna replied. Link did and was surprised by the distances between some places and the closeness of others. Nanna marked them as she talked about them, "Hyrule field is in Japan, it's hidden by a mirror, anyone that's not Hylian or Korki or Goron or Zora would just merge into a mirrored world until they reached the other side of Hyrule, the Lost Woods and Kokiri village are in New Zeland and are attached to Zora' Domain, the Goron village is in Rome and the hidden Cavern of Frost is in Switzerland . Kokiri is the sister land of Irish folk law, Land of eternal Youth. The reason me and your mother grew up is because we left the village" She told them.
Link looked over at Zane,
"There's no way Nanna is as old as the first Hero of Time so how could you have known every Princess in Hyrule and Hi-Range?"
"I'll tell you one day but I am a Korki" Zane told him before retiring to bed
"Nanna" Link said, "Is he my Navi?"
Nanna just smiled.
"Go to bed Link!" Zane called down the stairs.
Link was surprised to find that Zelph wasn't there the next morning as he ventured into the sports hall to take on the roughians from the previous day. His new friend Borack was acting as security, which amused Link.
Borack saw him and went to slap his back but Link was ready for him this time and held out a shield he had fashioned for himself.
"Damn!" Borack exclaimed, "You're strong Link"
"Link!?" The instructor said in question as he passed him, "No relation to Senior?"
"Senior was my dad, he passed away last week" Link told him
"I am sorry to here that, but may I say for our sake I hope you have his spirit in the sword too, he was the best" The instructor said
Link nodded,
"Hey, I'm sorry for your loss, you still got Mumma though right?" Borack asked, Link shook his head, "Oh man"
"It's alright, where' Zelda this morning?" Link asked
"She caved" A roughian said as he passed, "As will you"
"Want me to sit on him for you?" Borack asked
"No, I got this" Link said
With a nod at the instructor and a nod at the roughians he walked the first into the ring and made light work of him. Borack grinned and nodded at the instructor and then Zane as Zane joined the class with the shy boy. Two more roughians went for Link this time, against the instructor' demands but Link made quick work of these two as well. In fact out of a class of 30 there were just 5 that gave Link any real trouble but these treated Link with the upmost respect.
"In Zelda' absence may I suggest those 5 boys go through to the next stage of training to be concidered by the King?" Borack asked
"Very well, I think that's it for today" The instructor said
"No" Link said, then nodding at the shy boy he said, "He's next"
"I...I can wait" The boy said
"What's your name?" Link asked
"Colin" He replied
"Take sword in hand and meet me in the ring" Link told him
"I don't actually have a sword, dad won't let me" Colin told him
He was laughed at by all but the Gorons, Link, the istructor and Zane,
"Take mine, the quiet ones have the most promise" Link said handing him his sword,
There were gasps all round.
Borack gave Link his own sword.
Link went easy on Colin until he could see that Colin was getting used to the sword, they just did some parrying, this made several people smile. The roughians didn't give him any credit but then he didn't expect them too.
As everyone filed out Link held back to talk to Colin,
"Why do you want to be a knight?" He asked
"No one in my family have ever had the honour of serving the Hylian Royal family or Hi-Range as they're known here and I wanted to, I just want to be able to say I got in. I'm not brave" Colin said
"To want that honour and to go for that goal is brave Colin, you've got a way to go but if I get you in you've got to put the work in. That means I want you training in here every day" Link said
"I promise" Colin smiled
Link left to catch up with Borack, who he then took asside and led off the school property.
"Uh Link! Where are you two going?" Zane called
"To get Zelda to stop hiding away!" Link called back
"Hang on, I'll come with you, I'd sooner be yelled at by the King of Hi-Rage than Dew" He called, then once he'd caught up he said, "We can go in the car"
At that moment there was a tremmor and all the drain covers for about a mile blew off,
"Uh, are you sure about that?" Link asked him
"Dew!?" Zane called out,
Link and Borack covered their ears for Zane' voice was like a sonic now and made them dizzy. A creature came out of the drain, it was like a giant cockroach, 4 feet from top to tail.
"Zane, my sword!" Link said
"I'll handle that thing!" Dew called from the front entrance to the school, and he tossed a boomerang at it twice until it blew up into a puff of purple smoke before clapping his hands and wiping the memories of all but Zane, Link and Borack.
"What was that thing?" Borack asked as Dew joined them
"A Hissing Pug, it's a stone engraving. One of the Shanklin' gimmicks, those things have sensors" Dew told him
"They have spies everywhere, they're looking for me" Link summerised, "The tremmor in Japan, that was them too"
"Yes, why're you out here?" He asked
"Zelda never turned up to school, I was going to find her" Link told him honestly
"I'll come with you then, I need to update the King anyway" Dew said
"Woe, wait, you're not telling me off for leaving school?" Link asked
"Not today Link"
Borack was stunned by the sight of the Palace, Link had a different feeling, one of familiarity. They had to walk through a walled village and a maze of gloriously green hedges with roses in them to get to the golden gates.
"I...I know this place" Link said
He had a flash back of playing by a fountain at the front with the Princess and being watched by his laughing mother.
"Link" Zane called, "Are you alright?"
"I had an image flash through my mind just now, I was here but it looked a little different, there was a fountain there in the centre" He said
Then another flashback hit him of a fountain exploding and him and Zelda being captured by a pig like creature but this he kept to himself.
Dew and Zane led Borack and Link into the Palace. Dew went one way and Zane went to find Imray, who would be taking Li and Borack to where Zelph was hiding.
Zelph was sat with her back to her bedroom door, wearing pink pyjamas and crying over ice cream, her hair a disaster area.
"She's been like this since last night" Imray told Link and Borack,
Zane rolled his eyes,
"Leave this to me" Link said before knocking on the door, "Zelda!"
"Go away, I'm not going back there, I've been humiliated enough!" She snapped from the other side of the door
"I don't have time for first world problems today, we have real problems to deal with you and I, now come on" Link called
"They don't like me, they only made me year captain to torcher me and laugh at my shortcomings" She cried,
Borack, Link and Zane pulled sympathetic faces and Link shooed them all away.
"Come on Zelda, who cares what they think? I need you" He said
"I'm not coming out" Zelph said
"Oh we're really playing this game" He replied, "Alright, I'm just going to have to climb in through the window"
"But Link!" She called, now worried and standing up, "We're three floors high! Link! You're joking right? Link?"
Link was already down the stairs and out the front door.
"No luck?" Borack asked
"Can Gorans really do that lift trick?" He asked him, rolling up his sleeves
"You are crazy Link, but alright" Borack replied
So Borack got down into a ball shape and Link got onto his back and when he was ready Borack fired Link up into the air, his cries of fright brought the King and Dew to the window.
Zane could hardly look but thankfully Link got a grip on Zelph' window and after some effort had climbed through it.
"No need for me to ask who that is" The King whined
Borack laughed and high fived Zane.
"Zane! Up here now!" Dew yelled
"What were you thinking!? What...?" Zelph yelled before grabbing Link for a hug, she held on to him for a little while but he didn't reject her, "I'm sorry Link"
"We were attacked by a Hissing Pug at the school, Dew delt with it but I think he's talking to your father about bringing our training forward and maybe even sending us to round up the minerals and the scroll" Link told her
"Oh my God...oh my God Ruler, her competition, I'm so selfish, we still have time, we can still support her and then worry about Shaklin" Zelph said
"Oh sure we could do that first or we could save the world" Link said
"I'm scared Link, I need to hear her say it's OK first" Zelph said
"What about if I told you?" Link asked her
They stared at each other for a minute until they were hit by a tremmor and a guard called out,
"This one is huge! It knows. It's headed for the school! The Portal is innactive, they're blocking it!"
Soon Zelph, Link, Borack and Zane were charging towards one of several helicopters,
"Time to prove your worth Link!" Dew called as they took off
They could see water bursting out of pipes all along the road as they flew overhead.
"He's a water creature!" Zelph cried
"We're quicker than he is" Link said, "Borack, gather rocks, big rocks and throw them at him as a distraction until I can get my sword, Zelda, find Ruler, stop her from taking that dive!"
Link and Zelph were dropped off at the school and the helicopter took off again towards a quarry so Borack could get what he needed.
"I have an idea, there's a massive canvas covering over the pool at the moment isn't there?" Link said as they hurried along the pathway between the main building and the sports hall.
"Yes, it's for the late summer weather" Zelph replied simply
Link nodded.
Ruler was climbing to the top of the diving board as Zelph stepped out into the pool area, everyone was oblivious to the danger they were now in.
"Ruler!" Zelph called, "You need to get down from there!"
Ruler couldn't hear.
Round at the front entrance to the school Borack had just arrived back with a helicopter full of large rocks, he slammed down to get other Gorons to come and help, explained what was going on and what they needed to do.
Each Goron took a conciderable number of rocks each and headed for the pool area in anticipation,
"Borack, I'm going to need another lift" Link told him as he saw him.
"You got it" Borack said
Zelph was climbing up after Ruler, who was now looking back over her shoulder, sure Zelph had lost the plot,
"Don't dive!"
"I feel fine now, that soup was awesome, go back down you weirdo!" Ruler called back
The people not watching this were stunned when Link was given a Goron lift up through the ropes holding the canvas above the pool and onto the side of one of the buildings they were attached to, where he lay in wait.
He didn't have long either, just as Zelph caught up with Ruler the creature broke out form the bottom of the pool and snapped it's jaws at Ruler.
Ruler screamed, Zelph pulled her back and they fell with a cry, then looked up as the creature was being pelted with rocks by Gorons.
Link ran across to the centre of the canvas and looked around. He sighed with relief when Zane appeared from nowhere,
"Want some help?" He asked
"Yes!" Link gasped
"Spin with the sword out and I'll slice the rope" Zane told him.
Link didn't understand but he nooded anyway. Zane blew into a whistle and made it float in the air before backing up and running across the ropes, light left the whistle and focused on each rope Zane stood on, then once he had them all Link did a spin attack with his sword and all the ropes were cut,
Link dived down with the canvase and embedded his sword beneath him as it trapped the creature. There were many screams of shock and terror but it worked. The creature exploded into purple gas, just as the Hissing Pug had.
Link dropped into the pool and swam to meet Borack, who helped him out. Someone else retrieved his sword. The King and Dew were waiting for him. Ruler was in a daze and Zelph was smiling.
"How you gonna erase that from their mind?" Borack asked
"You have done well Link" The King said as everyone bowed their heads
"I had help" Link said modestly, then to Zane as he appeared to Link' side he said, "You were amazing"
Suddenly his eyes widened.
"What is it?" Zelph asked
"My sister!" Link cried before darting off
As Link got to the sports field of the Middle School where Mya was playing with her new friends all hell broke loose,
"Mya!" He called, running down the steps towards her with care,
Zelph was with him, as was Zane.
"Link!" Mya called out with a grin and a wave but then as he reached the last step a pig like creature apeared on the ground behind her and kidnapped her, "Link!" She screamed
"Mya!" Link yelled, running towards the creature with his sword.
This creature tossed Link down the field and rendered him unconscious.
"Link!" Zelph yelled but Zane wouldn't let her accompany him as he tended to him and the pig like creature disappeared with Mya.