Windwaker Matchmaker

They had all received a letter on the same day. "Come to Greatfish Isle," it said, "when the moon is at its fullest. Tell no one about this." That was all it said.

Who was this and why did they want him to come to a deserted island at night? Tell no one about this. Were they going to kill him? The young Rito man had had this letter for a while, and tonight was finally the full moon. He reached for a knife, and then drew his hand away. He knew he wouldn't have the guts to use it, even in self defense. He was a gentle guy.

Tonight's the full moon, he reminded himself. He looked up at the sky as if he could already see the moon and stars. Should he go or not? Though gentle, Pashli was also a curious Rito with a sense of adventure. He tucked the letter away in his pocket. It was only noon; he still had time to decide.

***

Mesa was cutting the grass with a sickle at a leisurely pace when his neighbor and friend, Abe, walked up to him. "Oh, here, Mesa," the older man said. "I was just checking the mail and saw this one labeled for you."

"Oh, um… thanks," Mesa said, confused. Who would he be getting a letter from? He read the note, but it only puzzled him more. That's odd. Maybe they delivered it to the wrong place. But then again, he didn't know of any other Mesas. There's no return address. Maybe I'll just go to Greatfish so I can give the letter back and tell them they've got the wrong person.

***

Meanwhile, on a grassy cliff on a different island, a man in a white, sequined suit was throwing a temper tantrum. "You interrupted my dancing!" he howled.

Gillian, the blonde-haired woman who was the recipient of his screaming, backed away, surprised at his sheer loudness. "Whoa, whoa!" she said. "I just thought you'd be interested in this letter. The postman told me to give it to you, since he knew you'd be too, um, busy… to check the mail yourself."

Tott, the man whose dancing had been so rudely interrupted, snatched the letter out of her hand and unfolded it. Still dancing, he read it. Ah-ha! Someone must have finally recognized my great talent for dancing!

***

The moon was full and bright over Greatfish Island. Kamo sat on a piece of driftwood, staring up at the sky. Would anyone show tonight? He had to admit, the letter did sound creepy. He didn't blame them if they didn't come… but he hoped they would. He had been especially careful to avoid the ghost ship that appeared in these parts when the moon was missing only a sliver.

He stood up and stretched, then noticed something flying in the night. Pashli? A Kargoroc? A nocturnal seagull? He couldn't be sure. He readied his slingshot, then set it down again when he saw that it was, indeed, Pashli of the Rito Tribe.

With the flap of wings and flutter of feathers, Pashli landed gracefully on the shore, then crossed his arms. "Are you the one that sent this invitation?" he asked, holding the piece of paper out.

Kamo nodded, and Pashli asked, "What is this all about? How do you know me?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Kamo smirked. "I don't know when the others will show up. Here, have a seat."

Pashli remained standing. "What others? This had better be important. I'm very busy, you know."

"Sure, but I think this will be worth your while. Look, there's a boat now." A rugged purple-painted canoe with white symbols ran up onto the shore, and a young man got out, stumbling a bit.

"Watch where you're swinging that scythe," Pashli said, leaning away.

"Sorry," the man apologized. "I get a bit seasick. My name's Mesa, by the way."

"Pashli," the bird-man replied, shaking Mesa's hand. They both turned toward Kamo.

He was silent for a moment, then said, "The name's Kamo." He then turned to Mesa. "I sent the letter."

"Why?" Mesa asked. "And are you sure you got the right person."

Kamo smiled and nodded, a knowing look on his face, which freaked both Pashli and Mesa out. Again, how did he know them? "Are you sure you want me to tell you what this is all about? We could wait until the others come."

"Yes! Tell us!" Pashli and Mesa said at the same time.

"Okay, okay. You two have no patience. It spoils the secret and ruins all the fun, but I'll go ahead and tell you. This is a club for inhabitants of the Great Sea Islands who are single. The point is to have fun and possibly find true love with the person of your dreams." Kamo's thoughts returned to Linda, a childhood friend of his.

Pashli and Mesa looked at him as if he were crazy, then Pashli said, "I'm out of here," and began to fly away. Mesa started to go back to the boat, then stayed. "I should let my seasickness die down first," he said. It wasn't long before Pashli returned. "It does sound a bit interesting. I don't believe you've told us how you know us, or the fact that we're single. It's a tad creepy."

"I have a friend," Kamo said. "His name is Link, and I believe his a friend of both of yours as well." Pashli and Mesa nodded to confirm this. "Now," Kamo continued, "Until the others arrive, all we have to do is talk."

The three sat down on a driftwood log. "I have a feeling this is going to be a long night," Pashli said.