Link, Zelda, Raven, and Phoenix climbed the stairs to the third floor of the high school. They had been hanging out in M hall every morning since they were freshman. Sometimes a few of their other friends would join them, but most of their friends chose to leave M hall for the more exciting lower level halls. It may not have been the most interesting of halls and it was definitely lacking life forms but it had grown on them.
“Ugh what’s that smell?” Zelda crinkled her nose.
“It’s the smell of M hall!” Phoenix answered. “C’mon take it all in.”
“It’s the smell of this whole school,” Raven said. “This building is so ancient, it’s falling apart.” She cocked her head over to a bucket sitting on the floor next to a row of lockers. It was under a leak in the ceiling filled to the middle by brown water. The spot in the ceiling was also brown. The center was the darkest brown and got lighter as it seeped out. “Don’t you think they’d fix this place? Or maybe tear it down?”
“I hear they’re gonna make a new school after ’08 graduates.” Zelda informed her.
“Yeah right they’re too cheap,” Raven complained. They got half way down the hall and sat down, their backs to the narrow lockers. After a few moments some people came up the middle stair case and joined them. They sat around until the warning bell rang or croaked sending the teenagers into their own directions. Zelda and Raven had the same home base that happened to be in M hall. One of the reasons they all stayed up there. They said good bye to their friends and headed down the hall.
“So what is your first class?” Zelda asked.
“Dunno. I uh “lost” my schedule the day they sent it to me. Guess I’ll find out when they give us them in home base. What about you?’
“Latin.” She answered.
“Fun.” Raven said sarcastically. They walked into the chem. Lab and found some seats in the back row. The intercom cracked to life and a way to perky voice for the first day of school made the morning announcements. Zelda and Raven talked quietly until they got their schedules, the bell rang and they left for class.
. . .

Zelda sat in the shade of a large maple tree out side of the cafeteria reading through the supplies she would need for her first three classes. Binders, pencils, pens...all the usual things. She had them all at home anyway. She took a bite out of her sand witch wondering if any of her friends got the same lunch as her.
Before she could even finish that thought, Link plopped himself down next to her. “Hey, I was wondering where you were. What took you so long to find me?” Zelda asked. He took her candy bar from her lunch bag and took a bite earning himself a bonk on the head. He rubbed the spot looking rather cute to her.
“Thanks. I was held up behind about twenty freshmen. You never knew how hated you were as a freshman until your not one.” He said still trying to get her snickers. She held it away from him.
“Yeah. Where are the others?”
“Raven and Phoenix? They have first lunch. And I dunno about anyone else I didn’t ask.”
“Oh.” She leaned back against the rough bark of the tree and closed her blue eyes. She listened to the sounds around her. Nothing much. It was mostly the conversations going on around her all meshed into one giant unintelligible sound. Link continued to talk to her.
“So, you have soccer practice after school right? You made the team didn’t you?”
“Ugh, I completely forgot about that. I’m not in much of a soccer playing mood I mean it’s the first day of school! Why can’t they just give us a day to rest before they practice us to death?” she opened her eyes to find Link munching on her snickers. “Hey!” she yelled but he already shoved the remainder of it in his mouth. “You jerk, thanks a lot!”
“Ah calm down. I’ll buy you another one. Besides you need to eat healthier what with your big soccer workout after school.” She wasn’t sure if he was serious or not.
“I can’t work out without energy and you just ate It.” she put her hand on her forehead, “How will I ever go on?”
“Wow that was rather dramatic,” he said clearly unconcerned.
“Whatever. Hey what’s your last class?” she asked finally over the candy bar.
“Gym. I think Phoenix has it too. What about you?”
“Same here. That’s cool that the three of us have a class together.”
“I thought you were mad at me,” he said trying to look hurt
“Oh I’m over that.” Suddenly everyone out side started clearing their things and slowly making for the doors. “Did the bell ring? I didn’t even hear it.”
“I guess. C’mon just one more class to deal with and it’s not even hard,” he got to his feet and held out his hand she took it and he pulled her off the ground. She through her paper bag in a near by barrel then walked next to Link in the hall.
The hallways were clogged with people at their lockers, couples kissing which was kind of gross to watch, and lost freshman looking at their maps trying to figure out where to go next. Link got smacked with one of their backpacks. “Gah! Stupid kid! Watch where you’re going!” The boy looked up at him. He looked like a deer in headlights.
“Uh, sorry. Umm d’you know where H hall is?” he asked uncertainly. Zelda answered him.
“Yeah. Don’t mind Link he’s just stupid. You go down this hall and take a left.”
“Thanks,” he took off down the hall. Zelda looked up at Link.
“That was nice. Way to scare the poor kid.”
“Hey he needs to learn how to survive. Not every one is nice like you.” They finally made it to the gym in relatively one piece. There were other people here too sitting in the bleachers. Zelda and Link made their way to the top row and looked around for any familiar faces when they heard someone call them.
“Zel, Link! Hey same class as me huh?” it was Phoenix he took a seat next to them.
“Well yeah remember we talked about this in math?” Link asked.
“No. I wasn’t even awake then.”
“Maybe you should stay awake, then maybe you won’t fail this time,” Zelda said.
“Nah, I’m just an idiot. Your smart that’s why you always pass stuff. But I could never do that.”
“Oh please. You just have to try.” He said something but he couldn’t here because the bell rang and it was right above them. The four gym teachers tried to call attention to the class. After about two minuets it was quiet enough for them to talk. Ms Doe, a tall lady with curly hair pulled into a pony tail spoke. Her voice rang clear through the large gymnasium.
“Juniors and seniors. Welcome back. I trust every one had a good summer.”
“We had a great summer Ms. Doe!” a suck up preppy girl in the front row answered. A few of her friends said similar things and then laughed in the annoying way they do.
“That’s good. Coach Donavan and I will be teaching seniors and Mr. Gerber and Mrs. Miller will teach the juniors.” Phoenix mumbled
“They make it sound like teaching gym is a real job.”
“What was that?” Coach Donavan had apparently heard him.
“Oh nothing coach. Please continue Ms. Doe,” a ripple of laughter ran through the bleachers. Ms. Doe began the role call. Zelda listened until her name was called then she decided to zone out since she had done this three times before. She sat there letting her mind wander vaguely aware of what was going on around her. The conversations and gym started to fade out around her until she was engulfed in the dark. She assumed it was because she fell asleep...

...Gradually the world materialized back around her. She wasn’t in the gym anymore. She was in a large building made of stone. She began to walk and could hear the footsteps of someone next to her but for some reason she couldn’t turn to see who it was like she was in someone else’s body. There was an alter at the end of the building with script carved in it but she couldn’t read it. Suddenly there was a blinding light emitting from the wall in front of her. Zelda stood there frozen with eyes wide waiting to see what came next...

“Zelda? Zelda?” a voice from far away brought from far away brought her out of her daydream. Her world became clearer. The gym came back and she could once again hear the chattering of teenagers. “Zelda what’s wrong? C’mon it’s time to leave,” it was Link. He was looking at her with concern written on his face.
“Uh well nothings wrong. Is it really time to go? Already?” all around her people were making their way down the bleachers and to the exits.
“What d’you mean “already”? We’ve been hear almost an hour and a half.” Phoenix was suddenly talking. She hadn’t even noticed he was still there.
“Are you sure you’re okay? I mean you seemed out of it.”
“I did? Well I don’t think there’s anything wrong. I was just zoning out I’m fine now. I gotta get ready for practice.” She meant to go by herself but Link followed her across the gym anyway. When she got to the locker room entrance she turned to Link, “Really I’m fine. You don’t have to worry.”
“Alright I guess I’ll see you later.”
“Yeah bye,” she said quietly and went into the locker room. He stood there for a little while before finally turning to leave.

. . .

“Erin I’m open!” Zelda yelled. The defensive player kicked the ball up the field. Zelda received it and kicked it in the goal. The coach blew his whistle signifying the end of the scrimmage. The team ran p and gathered in a circle around him.
“So is practice over?” a girl name Rachel asked.
“Yeah girls that’s enough for today. I have a feeling this is going to be a good season. Well get home and rest up. Practice tomorrow same time same place.
The girls dispersed some forming small groups walking towards the sideline where their stuff was waiting for them. Zelda walked on her own to her pile and began drinking her Gatorade.
“Zelda,” she looked behind a small maple tree and there stood Link. Some of the girls looked over some whispering and giggling. He wasn’t there for them and ignored what they were doing.
“Link what are you doing here?”
“What a greeting. I was just bringing you the snickers I promised you,” he tossed it to her. She caught it a little surprised.
“Thanks,” she told him stuffing the candy in her bag, “I thought you would’ve gone home by now.”
“Well I waited around,”
He smiled making her heart skip a beat. She was happy that he would wait three hours after school was over just for her. He hated school.
“Do you think you could wait around a few more minuets for me to get my stuff? Then we could walk home together.”
“To who’s home?” he asked playfully, “Yours or mine?”
“To our designated houses,” she laughed, “you know that.” She picked up her bag and they walked across the field back to the building. Zelda went to the locker and stuffed her school clothes into her gym bag. They walked across the student parking lot and into the woods. They always went home that way. They walked in silence down the path. The sun was setting bathing the woods in an orange color and the trees cast shadows in the dirt making everything seem peaceful. For the first time in days Zelda felt at ease.
“Hey, what’s that over there?” Link was pointing off the path into some thick brush.
“Woods,” Zelda said.
“No look.” She looked to where he was pointing. At first all she could see was brush. But when she looked closer she could see a path. It was very small and nearly overgrown with brush but it was there. Link walked towards it. “Let’s see where it goes,” Link said his eyes bright for an adventure. Zelda’s easy feeling was gone by now.
“I don’t know Link. It’s getting late and it’ll be to dark to see.” The sky was fading into the twilight hour and the first stars were already starting to come out. But Link was already on the path. “Oh great now we can get lost in the dark. Why not I got nothing else better to do,” she mumbled to herself and pushed her way onto the path.
“It was even smaller on it then it was looking in. branches kept slapping her in the face and getting tangled in her hair. She had to crouch down from some low hanging ones and at times she had to climb over fallen trees. This wouldn’t have been so bad if she could see where she was going. But it was getting dark and the trees were blocking out what little light there still was. Link on the other hand seemed to be having no trouble at all.
Gradually the path began to get a bit wider and Zelda could walk up next to Link. “Well this is pleasant,” Zelda said, “where do you think this goes to?”
“Uh over there. Hey it’s opening to something!” Link ran up ahead.
“Hey wait!” Zelda took off at his heels. They ran down the path until it fanned out into a small clearing. Stopping to look around they didn’t see anything at first but then they both saw it. “What is that?” it was a building. It was as tall as any of the trees in the woods, maybe bigger. It was easy to miss at first because it was over taken by vines, trees, and other forms of plant life. Zelda walked to the crumbling steps. There was an entrance that wasn’t cover by anything...
“It kinda looks like a temple. How do you think no one found it until now?” the two shared a look.
“Let’s go in.” Link suggested. Fine. Zelda thought. Things couldn’t get any weirder.
The two climbed the steps and into the temple. Surprisingly the inside looked untouched by the destruction its exterior had. The stone floor and walls looked brand new. It was huge and empty save for a spot that rose up from the floor and an alter at the other end of it. Zelda had seen this place somewhere before.
Then it hit her. This was the place she’d seen during her daydream! Well it was more then a daydream now. She decided to do what she did then and walked up to the alter. Link came with her.
She looked down at it. There were those inscriptions she couldn’t read. But there were also notes inscribed there. I wonder if... “Link! I’ll be right back!” she turned and ran out.
“Wait! Where are you going?”
“There’s something in my bag I need to get! Hold on!” she yelled as she disappeared into the night. Link stood there bewildered then saw her running back holding something in her hand. “Here!” catching her breath she held out a little blue instrument. At least Link though it was an instrument. It was egg shaped and its surface was polished and glossy. It had seven little holes and a mouth piece with a marking on it. The whole thing seemed to glow.
“What is this?” he asked her.
“It’s called an ocarina.”
“And you just carry it around with you wherever you go?”
“My mother gave it to me before she died. She told me to keep it and always make sure it was safe so yeah.”
“Sorry. But what do you want me to do with it?”
“Play it,” she stated obviously. “see those notes right there?” she pointed to the one’s on the alter. “Play those.”
“Wait why me? It’s your ocarina why don’t you play it?”
“I don’t know. I can’t really explain it but I have this feeling. I think you’re supposed to play it.” she looked at him seriously.
“Well okay. But I’ve never played one of these so don’t get mad at me if I suck.”
“I won’t just play it.” Link put the ocarina to his lips and tried to play the first note. It came out as a high pitched shrill. Zelda cringed. Link looked embarrassed. “Try again,” she reassured him but more unsure of her feeling this time. What were they doing?
Link played again this time it came to him more easily and sounded rather nice. But nothing happened. Zelda was disappointed. But she wasn’t exactly sure why. They were both thinking about leaving but something happened.
There was a symbol on the top of the wall that neither of them noticed before. It was the same as the one on the ocarina. It began to glow. Then in a blinding light it turned from stone to what looked like gold.
And what they thought was a wall wasn’t. it was a door and it was opening. The two stood there frozen in their spots. It was just like Zelda’s vision.
The door stopped with a loud slam. The room behind it was too dark to see what was in there. Finally Link spoke up, “Well let’s go in and check it out.” They walked into the room. It was quiet all they could here were each other’s footsteps. Zelda tried to look around but it was too dark. All she could see was the silhouette of a shape in the middle of the room. She was glad when Link grabbed her hand.
“What is that?” she felt like that question had come up pretty often.
“I dunno It kinda looks like a...sword?” They had made it close enough to see what it was. It was sticking out of a small block in the floor.
“Well um pull it out then.”
“What do I look like? King Arthur?”
“Link you opened the door. Maybe you can pull out the sword.” He hesitated a second then said,
“Alright then at this point pulling out a sword makes sense.” He grabbed the hilt with his left hand and pulled. There was a slight resistance but it came out easily enough. What came next neither of them would’ve expected. There was a blue light that surrounded them. A blast of air seemed to come from the floor that almost blew them off their feet. They didn’t know what happened next because everything went black.