#for the story you know? also its kinda hard to write kid babble in english since i dont know what it sounds like]

[autobots-in-training]

Has anyone gotten into trouble for playing pranks on the older bots like Ironhide or Kup?

Illusion- The big kids are always so mean! They pranked my cre-a-tors, it wasnt very nice!

Sunstreaker- In my defense, Illy, your creators are super easy to prank.

Illusion- They are not! Stop being mean to them!

Sunstreaker- It's not like we target them specifically. We prank several of the other older bots.

Illusion- >:[

Sunstreaker- Please don't cry, if i make you cry, Ultra Magnus will put me in the brig again!

Illusion- I wont scream if you tell evyone on the blog all the bots youve pranked.

Sunstreaker- All of them? It's a very long list. Should i start from back on cybertron, or just since we got to earth, or just this month?

Illusion- The long-est.

Sunstreaker- Illy! sweety!! Illusion!!! That would literally take days!

Illusion- *taking a deep breath to scream*

Sunstreaker- Stop stop! How about the ones i remember right this moment?

Illusion- ...

Sunstreaker- Please, and then I'll carry you to Rung's office so you can get some sweets!

Illusion- Deal.

Sunstreaker- Awesome! So... In no particular order. Mirage and Hound, i got them both a few days ago with a glitter bomb. I wasn't caught. Prowl has his suspicions though.

Theres Windblade, I hid her swords, Arcee said she'd tell on me if i didn't put them back, so I did. Chromia, Sides and i got her before we left on our mission! We put mercury in her energon, she thought the energon had gone bad somehow.

Illusion- But mercury is so tasty though!

Sunstreaker- Not when its mixed with energon, though. It has a small chemical reaction, makes it taste really bitter. Wheeljack's classes can be really fun sometimes.

We also pranked Jazz, but he pranked us back.

Illusion- How?

Sunstreaker- Well, we took all his aux cables and hid them, but he somehow knew it was us, so he took all of my paints and my brother's tools from our room. Made me remember why we never prank him. He's special ops, he basically knows everything that happens on this ship.

We also learned our lesson with Blaster. I think those two work together. We payed Rewind and Eject to fill Blaster's chest with petroleum jelly while he recharged. Turns out, they took our money, reported back to Blaster, and he payed them double to cover our beds with the same petroleum jelly we gave them. That was a couple months ago, before Sides and I left on our mission.

Illusion- So you came back and your beds were sticky?

Sunstreaker- Petroleum jelly isnt sticky, its... You know the oil you have to use for your joints? To help them not hurt as much?

Illusion- Yeah.

Sunstreaker- Like that, but thicker.

Illusion- Oh. Ew. Is that evyone you re-mem-ber?

Sunstreaker- uhhhh... yeah, those are the ones we've pranked recently. Sides and I sometimes pull pranks on our own, so he might have done some that i don't know about.

Illusion- I don't care, as long as he left my cre-a-tors alone.

Sunstreaker- Nah, i think he targets the commanding officers more than anything.

Illision- Oh. Can we go to doc Rung now?

Sunstreaker- Yeah, of course! Do you want to walk, or should i carry you?

Illusion- Carry me please.

Sunstreaker- Up you go!

*end transmission*

[desolate-rose]

Chapter 11 growing, glowing, knowing

This plant is super weird.

Like seriously, I had expected that the seed the korok gave me was going to be weird but wow.

A few days after the picnic mother had followed through on her promise and a small pot filled with rich soil had been delivered to my room. It was a pretty little thing all white ceramic with graceful blue lines sweeping across its surface to create a stylized dragon swooping over small blue flowers.

It honestly made me a little nervous. It looked way too expensive to be placed in the clumsy care of a toddler. A smart toddler but still a toddler. It seriously looks like some sort of antique ming vase or something that should be in a collection at a museum or on a shelf in a mansion some wear housing an equally prettily expensive bonsai of some sort.

I mean technically I am a princess who would have these sorts of things, but my solidly middle class broke teenager mindset was shying away from touching something that looked so expensive and breakable.

So I had gently, gently placed the little pot on the floor in the corner of my room right in a patch of sunlight from the window. (I was too short to reach the top of my dresser or the table by my bed without climbing on something and I was NOT risking the vase by climbing with it.) Then I carefully planted the little seed in the damp dark soil.

That's when things got weird.

Within seconds of planting the dimly glowing seed, it had sprouted. I had still been patting the soil down when it had sprouted into my hands. Literally sprouting into my finger tips. The little sprout hasn't grown since.

I had diligently watered the little sprout daily since. Carefully experimenting with the amount of sunlight and water it received each day. I had even started talking to the thing based on the half recalled hearsay that plants grew better when you talk to them. (his name was now neville.) It was surprisingly nice to have an excuse to babble away in english again and be able to express my true thoughts. (even if no one could understand me.) nevertheless nothing had seemed to affect the little sprout. It was still perfectly unblemished and unchanged.

It was weird.

I had decided to start a field journal to record my observations of the odd little thing. It was a part of my push to be more organised in my research. I had finally reached a point in my literacy to be able to make the most simplistic of notes. It was also good writing practice. (I would have probably started earlier if I thought of it, but welllllllll, I had been distracted.)

I had separated my notes into three journals, one for Neville, one for the history of the world that I had discovered so far (and what I remembered from the games), and one for what I could find out about magic.

The first two were progressing decently, Neville's journal being mostly data tables recording his nonexistent growth and the amount of water and sunlight he had gotten that day, whereas my history and plot journal had been filling slowly but steadily from what i could read and the stories that granny or dotty would read me before bed.

My magic journal on the other hand. It was frustratingly empty. All that i can find is either one, stupidly beyond my level, two, stupidly complex in a way I don't understand, three, stupidly simple in a way that doesn't explain any thing, or four some how a stupid mix of all three.

All in all, I'm feeling frustrated.

But it's fine, I'm fine.

Oh! That reminds me! It's been a week or two, surely that squire has returned my (hopefully undamaged) book!

I had kinda forgotten about it with all the commotion but I never had gotten to finish reading that book on special plants! Neville! I know what we're going to be doing today! carefully adjusting Neville's too pretty pot so that he was fully in the sun, his two small perfect leaves practically glistening in the golden sunlight. Perfect!

“Granny?” I looked to where Granny was carefully filling out some probably important forms on the couch while watching over me, white hair carefully pulled up and away from her tan and careworn face.

“Yes, my princess?” she replied, clever hands carefully placing her quill down.

“Can we go to the library?”

“What’s the magic word?” Ughhhhhh, I somehow keep forgetting how annoying being three is.

“Can we go to the library please?” I said, giving her my best puppy eyes.

She elegantly stood sweeping up her paperwork. “Of course my princess.”

Off we go!

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

THERE WAS SOMEONE ELSE IN MY SECTION OF THE LIBRARY!

it wasn’t unusual to see people other than myself and Mr. Tommieson, it was a semi public library after all, But the section of simple childish books I could actually read was usually empty other than myself. I mean why would you go to the royal library for children's books? And yet, there was a knight in my library.

Looking again, he wasn’t quite a knight yet. His dirty mud covered tunic had the symbol of a squire instead of the distinctive armored appearance of a knight, but the point still stood. What was he doing in my haven of literature!

Now normally, I would be all for people getting educated, (go get you an education man!) but I was decidedly wary after my unfortunate encounter with those in my father’s army. (The Hylian royal line was matriarchal, my father had married into royalty. Before that he was a general of the Hylian army and he still kept in the practice of overseeing the troops.)

I shouldn't judge an entire contingent by the actions of two lazy soldiers. Still I hesitated. He didn't look too intimidating, tall and gangly in the way that all teenage boys were after a growth spurt, messy brown hair, brown eyes, and a non discriptly perfect face in the way that all hylians had perfectly even features.

All in all just a normal teenage squire who is for some reason holding MY COOKING PRIMER!

Before I had consciously thought to move I was at the young man's side staring up imploringly at the startled squire.

“Ummmmm, hi? Are you lost?”

“Is that ‘How to Cook and How it Works’ by Lana Dodson?!” I was practically vibrating as my eyes locked on my target. I could finally finish my book. My magic notes will finally be more filled out. I was a literary shark and had locked eyes on my prey.

The squire blinked surprised, “Oh, yes…”

There was a moment of silent dead air between us as I buzzed in place.

“...Did, did you want it?”

“If you're finished! I wouldn’t want to interrupt you!” I would just make you incredibly uncomfortable by staring at you until you were done to insure that the book wasn’t damaged.

“Uhh, go crazy with it kid.” He hesitantly handed me the book with a bewildered expression on his face.

I bobbed into a clumsy curtsy with the book that was aporoquamently half my size clutched in one arm. “Thank you sir!” Sucker, I mentally cackled. now to go enjoy my book and finally get some info to add to my note book on magic.

I wonder how much of the ‘magical’ ingredients in cooking are magic and how many are hormonal reactions like coffee or chocolate? I had so many things to investigate!

The next two weeks were spent in a fevered state of research and questions where I would haunt the library until Granny or Dottie would literally drag me out.

But even through my focused daze, I noticed the odd squire repeatedly visiting my section of the library, by the time I surfaced from my research I had decided that I needed to talk to him.

I was curious, sue me. it wasn’t often I saw a squire repeatedly visit the children’s section of the library.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

This was it.

I was going to talk to him.

I can do this.

I've had 17 years of social interaction before this, I might be a little rusty, BUT talking to people couldnt be that hard could it?

Who am I kidding? I KNOW it is that hard.

But nothing worth doing is easy, so I squared my shoulders, gathered my courage and approached the wayward solder.

Eye contact! Eye contact is important! My teacher would tell me to make eye contact during an interview, the same rules probably apply here right?

God I hadn't tried to talk to anyone in the last three years. Keep it cool Zelda.

“So uhhhh, you come here often?”

Granny muffled a surprised snort from behind me.

ABORT ABORT MISSION ABORT.

OH S-

“Oh I'm sorry did you ask me something?” The squire tilted his head curiously looking up from where he had been studiously scanning a simple book on the animals of hyrule. It was basic, elementary even not going into detail on any of the creatures and only listing a few but interesting from what I've managed to gather from it.

“Um uh, I've seen you all the time here i'm just uh, wondering what brought you to my side of the library?”

God someone, kill me now. I have completely forgotten how to people.

“Oh uh, I’m uh,” the kid flushed, rubbing the back of his neck, “I've been teaching myself how to read.” He glanced at granny hovering behind me and winced. “Before I became a squire I didn't have access to a library, we don't have much access to anything beyond the basics out in the countryside.”

My eyes widened. “Really?”

He shrugged, uncomfortably glancing away.

“That's so cool!” I gushed excitedly and unconsciously started to beam at him. “What?” he whipped his head back around to look at me surprised, why was he surprised? I fully understood the hell that is learning to read and write in this stupidly pretty language.

“It's super impressive that you're teaching yourself how to read! Hylian is super hard to read and write in! I'm having the worst time at it! Do you have a teacher or tutor to help you?”

He still looked a little shell shocked as he shook his head. “Uh no, I've been pretty much teaching myself.” I gaped, it’s been hard enough learning to read with the help of granny spots and mom to do it on your own!

“Wow! Thats incredible! I would have never been able to read without the help of my teachers! Do you think you could help me with my reading too!” This was awesome! Finally I could talk to someone who understood! Learning to read and write was hard!

He flushed a darker red. “Umm, I’m not all that good at it yet. I’ve mostly been guessing and trying to work out what words mean from context.” relatable! God finally someone who understood my struggle!

I gave him my biggest grin, “That’s okay! I'm pretty much doing the same thing! Do you want to work together? Having someone to help always makes things easier!”

“Uh,” he glanced once again at granny hovering over my shoulders, I ignored the sassy eyebrow she lifted at him as if to say ‘I’m not the boss of her’

He shrugged and gave me an unsteady grin, “Sure, why not. Where are you at with your reading?”

“Oh!” I gasped smacking myself on the forehead. “I forgot to introduce myself, im so sorry that was terribly rude of me!” I dropped into a proper curtsy before beaming up at the still bewildered looking squire. “Hi! My name is Zelda, it’s a pleasure to meet you!”

His face turned white then green as he glanced again at Granny, a new wariness in his gaze. My heart dropped and I could feel my smile dim. I had forgotten the whole princess thing in my excitement of meeting someone new, who had the same hobby as me. It wouldn't be entirely unrealistic for him to try and bow out now that he knew-

He looked at my face and let a tired resigned sigh, the color returning to his face as his grin reserfaced, smaller and far more exasperated but also more real.

He swept into a half bow from where he was sitting. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, your majesty. My name’s Jiro.”

It turns out that I was better at reading than him, that's okay. I was happy to finally have a study buddy. Perhaps even a friend.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

A few weeks later, I was helping my young padawan in the ways of the stupidly complicated symbols once again when I noticed he was slightly down.

I frowned “hey Jiro, what's wrong? Are you feeling okay? Should we cancel today's session?”

“No no, I'm fine, it's just...” He sighed dejectedly.

My brow furrowed in worry. “It's just what?” I gently prodded, I couldn't have my only friend upset!

He frowned before putting his charcoal stick down.

“The captain of the guard and his family just died.”

“What!” I gasped in shock. I had never met the man, but my father spoke of him fondly. “What happened!” Surely nothing good could take down one of Hyrule's best soldiers.

“His family was attacked by a group of monsters on their way to visit some friends for a wedding. I didn’t even know him that well, but from what I saw he was kind, and… they never even found his son's body. He was only 4.” I felt a chill go down my spine. This was the first real mention of monsters that I had heard and it made my heart drop to my toes. This was real people dying, and there was nothing I could do about it. This wasn't a video game where you could just respawn when you died. It was real and these people’s deaths were permanent.

He glanced at my white face before his eyes widened and he hurriedly back tracked. “But you don't have to worry about that princess! You're perfectly safe here in the castle! No monsters could get past the guards, or more importantly the queen!” I could literally see the moment he remembered I was only 3 and not the young adult I tried to project myself as.

The young adult I used to be.

I gathered myself and took a deep breath falling apart now wouldn't help anyone.

“Are they certain that his son did not survive? You just said that they didn't find his body.”

He wavered, not wanting to hurt me with the truth but also knowing I was smart enough not to believe the pretty lies one would usually tell.

“Please,” I asked, conviction in my gaze.

He sighed, “I highly doubt it, he was only four he would have no chance to out run the monsters, besides even if he did…” he sighed again face grim. “They found the wreckage beside the lost woods. If he ran and ended up their… he’d be as good as dead.”

My throat went dry. He had only been four, really for not four plus seventeen extra years of a past life. I swallowed. Even before the Calamity, the world was growing darker.

________________________

*Zelda gushes about how cool he is and gives him the kicked puppy look when he looks anxious about her being a princess*

Jiro: well I guess I’m a big brother now

Also on FanFiction.Net! https://m.fanfiction.net/s/13547505/11/