A/N: So I had this idea while playing Wind Waker one day(last week), and I wanted to write something for the TLOZ fandom in general. The later chapters will deviate more from the plot line than this one.
I wanted to get this chapter up before leaving for two weeks – and then having school start immediately afterwards. If I get the muse, though, I might write another before my road trip :D
Disclaimer: Own nothing, never have, never will. Too poor. –sniffle- Characters, plot, and game belong to Nintendo.
Special thanks to Travis for beta-ing this chapter for me.
Enjoy! (Please read and review!)
Hero of Seas – Chapter One
This is but one of the legends of which the people speak….
Long ago, there existed a kingdom where a golden power lay hidden. It was a prosperous land, blessed with green forests, tall mountains, and peace.
But one day a man of great evil found the golden power and took it for himself. With its strength at his command, he spread darkness across the kingdom.
But then, when all hope had died, and the hour of doom had seemed at hand… A young boy clothed in green appeared as if from nowhere. Wielding the blade of evil's bane, assisted by a great faceless warrior, he sealed the dark one away and gave the land light. This boy, who traveled through time to save the land, was known as the Hero of Time.
The boy's tale was passed down through generations until it became legend….
But then... a day came when a fell wind began to blow across the kingdom. The great evil that all thought had been forever sealed away by the hero once again crept forth from the depths of the earth, eager to resume its dark designs.
The people believed that the Hero of Time would again come to save them.
But the hero did not appear.
Faced by an onslaught of evil, the people could do nothing but appeal to the gods…
In their last hour, as doom drew nigh, they left their future in the hands of fate.
-
What became of that kingdom…?
None remain who know.
-
"BIG BROTHER!"
The piercing cacophony of a feminine shriek washed over my ears like a dread storm. I mumbled and twitched, disoriented, cracking one crimson eye open to the bright sun overhead.
Wait… sun? Aren't I indoors?
The distinct call of a seagull near my left ear assured me that no, I was not indoors and should probably wake up fast before Aryll unleashed her shriek of doom once more.
That, and splinters were digging into my back.
What on the Great Sea did I do last night? My body aches… I sat up gingerly, swinging my gaze over to where I thought I'd heard Aryll's voice.
She wasn't there.
"Argh... if you're messing with me…" I let the threat trail, punctuating it with a moan as a shoulder snapped into place. Never again…
Climbing to both feet, I stretched, feeling joints creak as if I was ancient and arthritis-ridden. I felt like I'd been hit by a boat, crushed by a tree, and sat on by a large pig, all at the same time.
"I knew you'd be here!" I blinked, and turned around to spot Aryll grinning up at me innocently, ever the sunny child. My eyes narrowed.
Oblivious to the death-glare I was giving her, she rambled on. "Hee hee hee! This is my FAVORITE spot to gaze out at the sea. When I play with the gulls," speak of the devil, the one that cawed in my ear spread its wings and glided away from the railing, "I call it "Aryll's Lookout." So, do you remember what day it is today?"
"… No?" I gave her the I'm-still-half-asleep-why-do-you-expect-me-to-know-this! look.
"… You're still half-asleep, aren't you?" No shit.
"Did you forget?" Damn it Aryll, just tell me!
"Big Brother, it's your birthday!" Wh—oh. Oh no.
Apparently my flabbergasted look was potent enough for her to understand, because she launched into another one of her long-winded explanations. "That's why Grandma has been waiting for you to come back to the house! She's been waiting for a while now…"
Oh, crap.
"It's a good thing I came to find you!" That little ball of sunshine was still grinning at me. "You should probably go home and see what Grandma wants, don't you think?"
I turned for the ladder down from the lookout tower, seeing the sneaky little snot stick her tongue out at me from my peripheral vision. I rolled my eyes.
What is with this island and ladders? I've never liked climbing them, even in my own house, which is part of the reason why I had a please-kill-me-now expression on my face – the other half was the tongue-lashing I was sure to get from my grandmother. She disapproved of my ability to sleep wherever I wanted to; often I would wake up from dozing off on a warm, flat rock to see her frowning at me, hands on her hips.
When I cleared the ledge of the loft, I saw aforementioned disapproving grandmother waiting for me, holding something behind her back.
And she was smiling.
Right about now I was extremely concerned, because she was the type of grandmother that found joy in everything her grandchildren hated. Seriously. Ask Aryll what she got for her birthday… on second thought, don't. You don't want to know.
"I've been waiting for you, Sheik."
I stepped toward her, internally bracing myself for the horror.
"Sheik… "
She whipped out a bundle of clothes from behind her back. "Try these on."
I stared blankly at her, and then at the clothes – a blue… exoskeleton, I guess, was the closest word for it (it was form-fitting, but made of a thick material akin to armor), a cloth – tabard, the word popped into my head – and a cowl. On the tabard, an eye was inscribed, with three triangles outlining the top half, and a red (bleeding?) teardrop gracing the bottom.
"Time certainly flies… I can't believe you're already old enough to wear these clothes."
I looked up at my grandmother, startled by the amount of pride and sorrow in her voice.
"Don't look so disappointed, dear one! Just try them on. Today is a day to celebrate! It is the day that you become the same age as the great masked Sheikah warrior spoken of in all the legends."
I frowned. Was the Sheikah only fourteen when he took the mantle of warrior? When he helped save that kingdom from an oppressive and terrible evil? The legends always made him seem old and wise.
Grandmother mistook my expression for disdain at the clothes. "You only have to wear them for one day, so don't look so down. Be proud, child!"
I looked at the suit again, absentmindedly noting the abundance of bandages and a pair of gauntlets.
"In the olden days," I let her recapture my attention, "this was the day boys were finally considered to be men. They were taught the ways of the sword to prepare them for battle with their enemies. But we don't live in such an age any longer… Our ways are the ways of peace. Nowadays, I suppose Orca is the only one on the island who still knows anything about swordplay. Hanging the family shield on the wall as decoration," she gestured to a wreath hanging on the wall behind her short frame, which I hadn't noticed before. Inside the fronds, a small brown and white shield with a bird and a strange triangle pattern hung. "Is another tradition that has been carried down from those days. Does all this make sense to you?" I nodded.
She turned to give me privacy while I changed, and I did so, through much trial and error – the sleeves bunched up, the tabard donned backwards, et cetera.
I coughed politely when I was done, and she turned around. Mirth twinkled in her aged cherry eyes as she looked me over, straightening the crooked tabard and retying the bandage on my left forearm that had begun to come undone.
"Isn't that nice, Sheik? They suit you perfectly! A perfect fit!" She gave me another once-over. "But wait, I'm forgetting something… Come here."
She seized me by the hair – my precious hair! – and proceeded to tie the mid-back-length tresses into a skinny braid, wrapping it 'round with a pile of bandages. She did the same on my head, gathering up the loose pieces and bundling them together, covering them with bandages for a turban effect.
I was left with bangs just long enough to cover an eye, and a braid with a jewel at the end – Huh. I wonder where that came from. – that could possibly be used as a whip if I was feeling particularly frustrated. A small grin went unnoticed behind my cowl as she let it loose, feeling a foreign and yet comfortable weight swinging at my back.
"Well, tonight I'm going to invite the whole town over for your birthday party, so I'd better start getting ready, shouldn't I? Your grandma is going to make your favorite soup for you tonight! Mmmm! I just know you're looking forward to it!" She smiled at me. "Now, go get your sister, Aryll."
I stepped closer to my grandmother, enveloping her in a tight hug. "Thank you," I whispered in her ear, not elaborating because I felt she understood everything I was thanking her for.
She patted my back wordlessly, and I felt her smile.
I closed the door to our house, watching for the jutting plank on the porch as I made my way towards the lookout tower, where Aryll was sure to be located.
However, I'd only been able to walk six feet when the blonde (and rather large) mother of the other two children on the island practically tackled me. "SHEIK! SHEIK! HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
I stood there as the overly hyperactive blond lady – whose name I couldn't remember for the life of me – fawned over my new appearance. "Outset Island's own little Sheiky, all grown up! You know, you do look so handsome in that outfit; I hope you wear it forever and ever!" Her voice dropped to a half-serious tone. "You know, you're like another son to me. And the kids see you as the older brother they never had – so I'd like to give you this." She pressed a purple rupee into my palm. "Happy birthday!"
And then she skipped away.
"That was certainly awkward." And then I continued on my way.
Before I crossed the bridge connecting the two small islands that made up Outset together, the woman's husband stopped me. "Yo! Sheik! Heard it was your birthday today! Your grandma's gonna make that good soup, yeah?" Typical Ron, thinks of nothing but food, I grinned to myself. He continued the would-be conversation without waiting for me to respond, talking a mile a minute as he explained something or other to me.
"So, my kids and I want a pet, yeah? But there's no stray dogs or cats or any pet-ish animals around the island, and sailing to Windfall to get one is too expensive. So my wife and I, we came up with this excellent idea..." At this, he bent down to whisper in my ear as if someone was actually going to eavesdrop, steal his idea, and become world-famous. I smiled at this, though thankfully my new cowl hid the obvious display of humor from Ron.
"We want to get a stray pig from somewhere around the island and put them in a fenced area, yeah? But we need some help; these old bones aren't quick enough to catch one o' them little oinkers. So it's up to you. And the catch is – it can't be pink. The boys would freak. Well, they're going to freak anyway, but they'd freak in the BAD way. Y'know what I mean?"
I told Ron to "wait there for a minute", so I could jog to the other side of the island, pick up the little black pig rolling around in a dirt pile below the grass field, and return him to his new owner. Ron attempted to hand me a red rupee for "my troubles", but I told him to keep it. He disagreed, I disagreed some more, he shoved it in my pocket, and I walked away twenty rupees heavier. I shook my head.
The people on this island and their creative ways of losing money, I swear…
The seagulls took off, startled, as I stepped off the ladder. I never understood why they liked my little sister so much, but they followed here around everywhere.
"Ah! 'Hoy, Big Brother!" The seagulls had alerted her to my presence, and she turned around with that ever-present smile on her face.
"Hey, Aryll."
"Did Grandma make that outfit for you?" She gave me a once-over, then without waiting for my response (hm.. does that habit seem familiar to you?), "But wow… You look like you'd be way too hot in those clothes…" She blinked at the innuendo, covering it up quickly with "I guess they're pretty neat, though!"
I smiled at her – remembering my cowl, and sighing – and she changed the subject. "So, anyway, Sheik… Can you… close your eyes and hold out your hand? Just for a second!" I obeyed. "I'm going to give you my most precious belonging… but just for one day!" She pressed something cool and cylindrical into my hand. It feels like – "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"
I opened my eyes. In my hands was her treasured orange telescope with seagulls painted on the shaft; the last telescope our late father had made before he died, the one he had given to her for her fifth birthday.
I felt tears pricking at the corners of my eyes, and hurriedly blinked them away.
"So? Well?! Do you like it? I'm letting you borrow this special gift just because you're my big brother! Aren't you lucky?" She giggled, and I stepped forward to crush her to my chest in the tightest hug I could muster (while still being careful of the telescope).
"Thank you, Aryll," I breathed into her ear in the way I only thanked very select people. She hugged me tightly back.
"Ooh, why don't you try it out! Right now! Try looking over at our house from here!" With the naked eye, it looked as small as a pebble, that's how high up we were.
I peered through the contraption at our house, and saw Grandma through the window, cooking. A smile crept its way onto my face.
Movement at the mailbox caught my eye, and I shifted the telescope to spot Quill, our local Rito postman, and one of my best friends. I considered going down to say hello.
"What's that, Sheik? Are you looking at the postbox?"
Quill looked up at the sky, startled at something, and began to flap his wings wildly. What's he doing?
"AAAAAHH! Sheik! The sky! Look up in the sky!"
I swung the telescope quickly upward, looking for whatever kind of creature that could make my little sister screech like that. The telescope caught only a wad of dark blue, and I took it away from my eye to look up –
And stare.
In the sky was a huge, dark blue and red and beige thing with demonic yellow eyes and a helmed head. It looked a lot like a giant chicken, but many, many times more menacing. Three yellow and green tails swirled together as it flew, fleeing from something, with something in its claws… was that a girl?
A cannonball flew past its wings, nearly clipping the creature as it squawked angrily at its pursuers. I shifted my gaze, and was struck with an equally strange spectacle down on the seas.
A pirate ship was the bird's enemy, rapidly flinging cannonballs to try to get the bird to drop the girl, which was a futile attempt. If it dropped her, she'd be dead at this height. It was a nice ship, however, though manned by… well… men, who didn't seem too skilled at aiming the catapult installed on their deck.
The creature turned its head to caw at its followers, and was promptly whacked in the face with a rarely well-aimed cannonball. Its head jerked back from the whiplash, it fell a few feet… and dropped the girl.
Into the woods on the top of the island.
"Sheik! You have to help that girl!" I turned to my sister and nodded. "But you can't go up into the woods without a weapon!"
Orca…
"...Nowadays, I suppose Orca is the only one on the island who still knows anything about swordplay..."
I started down the ladder.