"Ah, what have we here?" Link froze as the nasally voice cut through the silent courtyard, "Students ditching class perhaps?" Master Kohga strutted out from a covered walkway, grinned gleefully as he observed the kids in front of him. LInk groaned inwardly. Of all the people to run into while trying to sneak back into class, master Kohga was the worst. By far. "You are aware that ditching class is strictly forbidden, yes?" The dean asked. Zelda squirmed next to Link. "Yes, sir," She said, "But we weren't ditching, we just lost track of time, and weren't able to make it back before the bell..." "No excuses!" The Dean interupted, "I see four students creeping around the courtyard when they are suposed to be in class with their peers, and I asume they are ditching. It does not matter if they desired to or not, that is simply the fact of the matter." Link's blood boiled at the absurdity of the claim, and he glanced mutinously at Sidon. The tall Zora shook his head. "With all due respect sir..." Yona began from beside Sidon, but Master Kohga waved a hand. "No more weak excuses, you're all coming with me. I have an apt punishment in mind for rule breakers like you four." He turned and strode away. Zelda looked at Link, running a hand down her face. "If you don't follow me, there will be more consequences!" the dean called over his shoulder. Sidon mimed squishing Kohga's head with two fingers, and Yona slapped his hand down. "He'll see you!" She hissed. "Come on," Link said, holding in a laugh, "We should probably go." "I have recieved a large order of exquisite food and drinks from the gorons," Master Kogha explained, gesturing to the massive pile of boxes and crates beside them. Several minutes of twisting and winding their way through the school had brought them to a large garage in the back. The massive room could easily fit hundreds of students, but it was crowded with boxes from wall to wall. "I would like all of these crates brought up to my office, for me to use at my leisure," the dean continued, "There is a storage room behind my desk, you may stack all of them in there." Link stared in dismay at the immense pile lying before them, it would take days, maybe even weeks, to bring all the 'exquisite food and drink' up to the dean's office. "ALL of them, sir?" Sidon asked, looking equally crestfallen. "Yes, all of them," Master Kogha agreed, looking far too pleased for someone who had just sentenced four kids to a week of hard labor, "Plus any more that are delivered while you work. "There are MORE coming?" Sidon exclaimed, and Link punched his shoulder, shutting him up. "Yes, there are." Kohga said, "Let this be a lesson to you, never ditch at my school." "But we weren't ditching!" Zelda insisted, "We just didn't make it back in time for the bell..." the dean yawned dramatically. "When you are finished, come and see me." He told them, "Now where did Mineru run off to this time? I swear that blasted woman is more trouble than help..." He walked off muttering to himself. Link glanced down at Zelda's hands. They were clenched tight. He knew she had a special friendship with the ascociate dean, and he doubted Kohga slamming the teacher helpped her temper. "Hey," He said, "Let's just get this over with. We already knew he was a jerk, let's not give him any more reason to punish us." She took a deep breath, then nodded. "Yeah, okay." Everyone stared at the pile of boxes for a moment. "He said exquisite food and drink, right?" Sidon asked, moving to open one of the crates. Yona swatted his hand away. "You can't be serious." She said, "If he finds out you took some of his delicacies, you're as good as dead." "How's he going to find out if there's this many crates?" Sidon asked, reaching around Yona and prying the lid off a box. She bit her lip as he pulled out a thick bottle filled with a smoky red liquid. Sidon whistled. "Shoot, this is a grumbler." He said. Link's eyebrows shot up. A grumbler was highly intoxicating goron drink, made by stewing a special type of rock in water for several hours, and adding copius amounts of goron spice. The amount stored in the bottle was enough to knock out a fully grown goron for several hours. "Guess Kogha really enjoys the pleasures of life." Sidon chuckled, stowing the bottle back in the crate. "He's going to drink all of that?" Zelda asked. "Probably not all at once," Sidon said, searching the crate for other treasures, "You normally mix it with other drinks to dilute it a bit, but some people down it straight from the bottle." A memory prickled Link's consciouness, but before he could even acknowledge it, Sidon let out a whoop of joy and pulled a large, round bottle out of the box. Bright green liquid swished inside, giving off a slight glow. "Now way," Link said, "That isn't..."
"NIGHTBREW!" Sidon laughed, tossing the bottle to Link. He caught it, whooped, and held the bottle up to the light. "Uh, what's nightbrew? Yona asked, looking to Zelda. The girl shrugged, looking equally as confused. "I was going to ask the same thing." She said. "It's only the greatest drink ever made." Sidon told them, striding over to Link. "Is it working?" He asked. Link grinned and nodded. "Give it a couple more seconds." He said. Zelda looked between the two of them, completely lost. "Does it taste really good?" Yona asked. Link laughed. "Yes, but that's not the point." He lowered the bottle away from the light, popping the cork. A green mist waffted up from the opening, and Link clamped his thumb over the nozzle. "You guys have to try it." Sidon told the girls. Zelda took a step back warily. "Why, what is it?" Link shook his head. "Uh uh, you have to try it to find out." He offered the bottle to her, still holding the nozzle closed. "I feel like this is a trap." Yona told them, eying the bottle untrustworthily. "Nah, we'll drink too." Sidon said. "It's not achoholic?" Zelda checked. "Really?" Link asked, and her cheeks burned. "I don't know, you guys are acting really wierd!" She said. Sidon and Link just grinned. "Come on," Link said when she didn't budge, "Would I really give you something dangerous?" Dangerous? No. Absalutley gross? Yes. But she forced herself to walk forewards. "Say ah." Link told her, tilting the bottle over her mouth. She glared at him, but opened wide. He poured a generous amount of the cool liquid into her mouth, and she had to wave for him to stop. "Just making sure you got enough." He said, grinning wickedly when she glared. To be fair, the Nightbrew did actually taste pretty good; tart and slightly sweet, with a tinge of something she couldn't place. "That's... not bad." she said, swallowing. "Told you." Sidon smirked, watching as Link poured some of the green drink into Yona's mouth. Sidon accepted some next, and Link finished by downing a gulp. "Should be any second now." Sidon said as Link set the bottle down. Zelda frowned. "What shoud be any... woah." She blinked as a strange sensation hit her. The room suddenly seemed brighter, and a cool, floating feeling slowly swirled in her abdomen. "What was that?" She asked, then froze. "Yona!" The pretty Zora stareda at her in shock as a green glow shone from inside of her body, turning her skin completly transparent and sillouetting every bone, muscle and organ. "Zelda," The Zora said, "You're... glowing." Zelda frowned, then looked down and yelped. Her body was illuminating the excact same phenominon as Yona's. "Pretty cool, huh?" Link asked, grinning at them through his own glowing green skin while Sidon cracked up behind him. "How... why... What's wrong with me?" Zelda asked, panic rising in her chest. "Woa, easy." Link came to stand beside her, "You're okay, it's just the Nightbrew. It uses the juice from a certian firefly to absorb light, and then cause this glow. We use it all the time in Kakoriko to hunt at night. See how your eyes are way better?" She nodded, the shadows in the room seemed much lighter, but... "Did you say firefly juice?" She asked, "as in, bug juice?" Link nodded. "Yeah, but it's completely clean, they process the excretements four like three days before making the drink." Still though... "How long does it last?" Yona asked, admmiring her hand. "We only had one swallow, so probably ten minutes or so." Sidon answered, "It's pretty cool though right?" "I guess..." Zelda said. The glow was kind of pretty, but still, BUG JUICE? She wasn't sure she'd ever get over that fact. "Guys?" a voice caled from the door, "You in here?" Zelda looked at Yona. "That's Impa." She said. "Professor Mineru said I could find you down here, where are you?" Impa called again. "The boxes are blocking her from seeing us," Link realised, looking at the others. Sidon cracked an evil smile. "Want to scare her?' He asked. Link grinned back. "You read my mind." "Guys, come on." Yona said, "We look terifying right now." "Exactly." Sidon pointed at her. "Everyone hide." "Heloooooo." Impa called, sounding closer. Zelda sighed, crouching behind a crate next to Yona. The boys hid behind another. Footsteps padded closer, and Zelda couldn't help grinning. "Guys, are you in h--" Impa's call cut into a shrill scream as four glowing, skeletal figures lept out from behind crates and grabbed her. She lashed out, throwing punches, until she realised the figures were doubled over laughing. Understanding dawned on her as she recognized the telltale glow of Nightbrew. "You guys are the worst."
