Looking For Group

Part 19

Flora burst into tears.

Great blubbery droplets rolled down her fat cheeks. She took off her glasses to wipe at her eyes. The tears kept coming, splashing her lens.

Twilight awkwardly patted himself down for a handkerchief. All he had was some leftover napkins from earlier this morning when he got coffee. He handed them over to Flora.

"I'm sorry about that," he said once Flora took them.

"Oh shut up," she said, sniffling. She dabbed her face. "God, this is so embarrassing! I just wanted to ask some questions. Get some confirmation. But no! Instead my father had butt in like usual... and YOU! Is that what you heroes do in stressful situations? Grab girls and run?"

"Sorry," Twilight said again. "Sun gave me a command. She told me to get you out of the situation and I did it the fastest way possible."

They were still in the elevator, slowly descending the floors. They were at level forty now.

"I didn't expect today to be like this," Flora said miserably. "When I was a kid I used to daydream of becoming a princess. When I was told that could become a reality, it was like a dream come true. I was happy. But when today actually came, reality set in and I got cold feet. I wasn't totally against confirming if I was a princess or not... I just wanted some time to process it."

Twilight nodded. "I understand. It's a big decision. As Sky said, nobody will force you to take the sword. You can take all the time you need to make a decision."

"Ugh, I can't go back to them now like this. My eyes hurt and I'm thirsty. Forget it."

She reached over to the elevator buttons. She pressed 2-0-17. The lights lit up blue instead of white. The elevator suddenly stopped, rumbled, and shifted directions. Instead of going down, the elevator went left.

"What the-?" Twilight said.

"We're going to my study," said Flora. "I need time to cool down and I'm not going to the lobby looking like this."

A moment later the elevator stopped. The doors opened. Twilight's eyes widened.

Unlike the sterile white room of Rhoam's office, Flora's study was a sight to behold. There were books everywhere, piled high on top of each other, the nearby bookshelves filled to the brim with them. Twilight read a few titles and they were all educational books. There was a desk covered in notebooks, a computer with sticky notes around the screen, and dozens of pencils all bearing bite marks. A nearby couch with a well-used blanket on top told Twilight how often Flora slept in this room.

The study had a small kitchenette with a sink, a microwave, and a mini-fridge. Dirty mugs piled high in the sink. Flora grabbed an electric tea pot, filled it with water and turned it on. "What kind of tea do you like?" She asked, pulling open overhead cabinets. "I have chamomile... ginger... earl grey..."

"Pomegranate if you have it," Twilight said.

She pulled out a tin can. "Got it. Just give me a second."

While she was busy with that, Twilight studied the papers Flora had pinned on her wall. They were designs for a new computer. Twilight has never owned a Guardian computer, especially not since a few years back they were all hacked and millions of people lost their privacy. Nearly destroyed the entire company. Flora may not want to take over the company but it was clear she still had interest in it.

Twilight's phone vibrated. It was a text from Warriors.

W: Dude, ur missing the best bits.

T: Is everything okay?

W: Lol rhoam made the mistake of getting too aggressive towards Sun, and Sky nearly unsheathed the Master Sword. XD

T: Please don't let him kill the father of one our princesses.

W: Is everything okay on your side

T: Y

W: k. ill be sure to take pics for you

"Anything interesting?" Flora asked, nodding her head towards the cell phone.

Twilight pocketed the phone away. "My friends tell me they're still negotiating with your dad.

Flora snorted. "Negotiating. That's a nice word to put it. So while the water is boiling... can I ask a few questions?"

"Go ahead," said Twilight.

"Okay... How old are you?"

"Twenty-six," said Twilight. "Twenty-seven in two months."

"Do you go to school?"

"Uh, yeah. I'm studying agriculture."

"Agriculture? Not a degree I'd expect a Hero to get."

"I was a farmer before I became a Hero. I plan to use my degree to help out my village. We've had problems with crops rotting over the years and I want to figure out why."

"How long have you been in school?"

"About seven years."

"Seven years?" Flora echoed. "Why is it taking you so long?"

"What else? Hero duties. I'm only able to take one or two classes every other semester, and I often miss out on tests... I just don't have time."

"Oh... so is it true then? If I become a princess, it's unlikely I can go to school?"

Twilight sighed. "I'm not going to lie to you. It's not easy. I get a lot of leeway cause of my Hero status but even with that I struggle to catch up. Heck, I'm missing class right now for this."

Flora hunched in guilt. "Sorry you're wasting your time here."

"Oh goddess, no. No, I didn't mean it like that. Please don't ever think that. It's an honor to meet a new princess. I want to be here."

"Not yet formally a princess," Flora said. "So what happens if I am chosen? Will you and the others Heroes train me?"

"No, the other princesses will. My job is solely to protect you and help you find your Hero."

The teapot whistled loudly, grabbing Flora's attention. She paused briefly to turn it off.

"My Hero?" She said, gathering together mugs and tea bags. "Aren't you everyone's Heroes?"

"Yes. We all swore to protect Hyrule. But for every princess, there is a Hero, and for every Hero, there is a princess. If you find one, you usually find the other."

Flora poured steaming water into the mugs. "How does that work?"

"Well, do you have someone in your life you know is brave without a doubt?"

She shrugged and brought the mugs over, handing one to Twilight. "Many of the men here on the security team are very dedicated to their jobs."

"I'm sure they are." Twilight took a sip. He was so glad he wasn't the one dealing with Rhoam right now. This was so much better. "But a Hero is not always involved with law enforcement or security detail. They're someone you know will always be there for you. Someone who makes you feel safe. Someone whom you can trust and..."

Twilight trailed off, seeing Flora's face. She was staring down at her mug, her mouth crumpling.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"I think I know who my Hero could be..." Flora said. "But if that's true... then he's dead."