Sailing on the Winds of Love
It had been many years since the departure of Link and Tetra's band of pirates to go find a new land for the people to inhabit. In her tower where she loved to stand and watch the seagulls with her telescope, Aryll looked out over the vast ocean towards the horizon spying the merchant, Beedle, the treasure hunter brothers with their diving helmets, and all sorts of aquatic life that had returned to the Great Sea now that evil had left. Today, however, she spotted something new. She saw a great big ship bearing a sail with a crossed sword design, red and gold trim, a dragon figurehead, and flew a black flag with a white skull and crossed swords design on it. The most remarkable thing on the ship though, was the man clad in green standing on the very end of the bow of the ship waving his arms, his silly green hat flapping in the wind. Link, her dear heroic brother, had finally returned home after so many years. The now sixteen year old Aryll flew down the ladder and ran to her grandmother, telling everyone the news on the way.
"Grandma! Grandma! Link is back! Link is coming home! And he brought Tetra and the pirates, too!" Aryll told her grandmother who was preparing fish stew in the fireplace pot. She dropped the fish she was chopping up and looked up at her granddaughter.
"At last!" She put her hands together. "My grandson has come home! Aryll, please, you must stall him for a few minutes while I cook some of his favorite Elixir Soup." She hurried Aryll out the door and swiftly began cooking Elixir Soup in a second pot over the fire while singing a little tune.
"Hoy!" Link yelled from atop the mighty ship. "Sister!" He was so happy to finally see her again that he jumped off the side and straight into the water before they even docked and swam to shore. He got up and ran to hug his not so little sister. "Aryll! It's so good to see you after all these years! I know we wrote a lot but it's not the same as actually being able to see you. Wow you've grown!" He said amazed at exactly how big she had gotten over the years. Of course, he had too, but it had taken him a while to notice how big he had gotten over the years.
"So have you, Brother! You have huge muscles now! But I think I'm as tall as you." She replied. The two siblings stood back to back and measured their heights. Aryll was indeed as tall as Link. He continued greeting the inhabitants of Outset Island until Tetra docked and came ashore with her pirate crew.
"Tetra!" Aryll cried in glee as she ran over to her pirate friend.
"Hey there, Aryll. How ya been?" Tetra asked, suddenly being hugged by Aryll.
"I've been great! I'm learning how to be a trader while I help out Grandma. I'm going to get to travel all over the Great Sea and see new things and explore!" Aryll said excitedly.
"Well let me tell ya, kid. I have been a pirate my entire life and have been to places you wouldn't believe. So believe me when I tell you that there's no place like home. Sure a ship that you live in your whole life is great and all but there comes a time when you really just need a place to return to after your adventures. That place is home." Tetra replied placing her hand on Aryll's shoulder.
"Yeah. But I bet having Link on the ship isn't so bad either huh, Tetra?" Aryll asked with a sly grin and nudged her with her elbow. Tetra's eyes got wide and her face went as red as her scarf.
"I…uh…I mean he's….!" She spluttered. After a few seconds of silence Tetra could only think of one option. "Everyone back on the ship! We are leaving!" She ordered. Link and the pirates looked at her confused.
"Kids! Time to eat!" Grandma yelled from the doorway where the smell of freshly cooked Elixir Soup and fish stew wafted through the doorway and into everyone's noses. As soon as the men smelled the delicious food, they all charged into Link's house but were stopped at the doorway by Grandma.
"You boys need to wash up! You've been out at sea for who knows how long? I don't want a bunch of salty seafarers at my table smelling like they haven't showered in months. There's a well around back with a bucket and some soap on the shelf. Off you go, then. The food will still be nice and warm by the time you get back." She commanded.
"Yes ma'am." They all said sounding disappointed and left to go wash up.
"Except you, Link. Come give your Grandma a hug." She said hugging her significantly taller grandchild. "It's so good to see you again, Link. How have you been? Are you eating well?" She asked.
"Yes, Grandma I've been staying well fed. And I am doing much better now that I am back home. It's so good to be back. But enough about me how have you been, Grandma?" Link asked.
"I'm doing just fine thanks to Aryll. She's a great help. She goes and gets things for me on the other islands. Did you hear that she's learning to be a trader? Yes she's going to be a great trader indeed. It is so good to see how my grandchildren have grown up into such fine people. You saved the world and even discovered a new land for people to call home. Well done, Link. Oh before you go wash up I wanted to ask you one last thing." She said.
"Yes, Grandma?" He replied.
"What about that nice girl Tetra? She's very pretty you know." She said.
"What about her?" Asked Link nervously.
"I'm asking if I can look forward to having any heroic pirate grandkids running around the house anytime soon?" She explained. Link's face went bright red as he struggled to find words.
"I think I'm gonna go wash up for lunch if that's okay with you, Grandma." He said quietly.
"You do that." Grandma replied with a smile. A few moments after Link rounded the corner, roaring laughter could be heard from Gonzo and the others.
As everyone sat around the small table eating, there was much talk of the adventures they had had while gone and while Link was still busy saving the islanders.
"So there I was," Link said with everyone crowded around closely, intently listening to Link's tale. "in the middle of a whirlpool circling an eighteen-eyed Big Octo, I had run out of bombs and arrows and was about to get swallowed up by the over-sized sushi platter so what do I do?" He looked around to make sure everybody was feeling the dramatic effect. "I grab my hookshot and shout at the beast, 'I don't need arrows or bombs to take you down! I'll do it with my own two hands, you over-sized piece of sushi!' I hook into one of his eyes and propel myself onto him, and then use my cutlass to gouge out the rest of his eyes, flying around his face like a Keese using my hookshot. And that's how I earned the title, 'Big-Octo Slayer'" He said with a proud grin on his face.
"Oh really?" Said Tetra. "Because last time you told that story, it was a twelve-eyed Big Octo and you were still a few laps around before you were gonna get swallowed up." Link smiled sheepishly and shrugged.
"What? Can't I have a little bit of fun? You guys love that story." Link laughed.
"Well I think it was a wonderful story." Grandma chimed in. "Even if it was completely embellished." This resulted in the entire house shaking from everyone's laughter.
"So how long will you be here, Tetra?" Aryll asked.
"Who knows? We're on vacation. But with grub like this, we might never leave." She answered rubbing her belly.
"Aye!" Everyone agreed in unison. After lunch, everyone milled about on Outset Island taking in the many views it had to offer.
"Aryll, I need to talk to you for a minute." Link said pulling her away from Tetra and anyone else nearby.
"What is it, Link?" She asked.
"I…I need help with uh….Tetra. I like her. And..I want to give her some flowers but I don't know if she'll like it. You're a girl. What do I do?" He pleaded.
"Aww that's so sweet! I knew you two would get together! When you and Tetra came to rescue me from the Forsaken Fortress, Gonzo told me that although Tetra had a tough outer shell, she also could be a real softy sometimes so she does have a soft side you can try and go for. I saw a nice set of jewelry on Windfall Island. You could go buy that for her. Hey, didn't you first meet her in the Forest of Fairies on the other side of the island? If she likes flowers, there are plenty there!" She said.
"That's a great idea, Aryll!" Link exclaimed.
"Aye, that it is!" Gonzo agreed walking up.
"Gonzo! How long were you standing there?" Link asked taken aback.
"Long enough. And I would like to add that it is high time you went for it. By the winds, Link! You should have gone for it years ago. I'll keep her on the island and away from you until you are ready. The entire crew is counting on you, Link. We've been waiting for this day ever since you joined us. Shove off, now. Get to Windfall Island and get that jewelry. Tetra loves jewelry but nothing too fancy. Get her a pair of nice ear rings." Gonzo said.
"Alright thanks, Gonzo! Aryll, come with me. We'll take one of the canoes. I just have to run in and grab my old wind waker and we can use cyclones to travel." Link explained.
"Okay! It should be in the box under you bed upstairs. I'll get the boat ready and grab a sail." She replied. They shoved off and once they were out of view of any people, Link played the Ballad of Gales and a cyclone carried them to Windfall Island where Link quickly greeted everyone he met including the now teenage Killer Bee Gang. He quickly ran to the merchant stalls and talked to Mila who now owned the stand as Zunari returned to his far away home.
"Hi, Mila! I don't see Zunari around. How is he doing these days?" Link asked.
"Oh hi, Link! I didn't even recognize you standing there! I thought the green clothes looked familiar but you've just grown so big and muscular. I haven't seen you in years! How have you been? Thank you again for stopping me from stealing that night a few days after you rescued us from the Forsaken Fortress. And to answer your question, Zunari retired. He left to go back home and gave the stall to me. He made so much money off of all the things you and the traveling merchants traded with him that he just up and retired. So how can I help you today?" The blonde haired girl asked.
"I'm asking a girl out and I need to know if you have any nice ear rings for sale. Nothing incredibly fancy, just really nice. She's a pirate if that helps." He trailed off.
"Oh, Link I have just the thing!" Mila responded giddily. She quickly reached under the wooden stall countertop and brought up a pair of small ear rings made of flattened copper with a skull on one side and a cutlass on the other.
"I'll take them!" He slapped a bag of rupees down and bought them.
"It was really great seeing you again, Link. Do you know if you'll be back in the region anytime soon? Everyone loves having you back." She asked after she gave the ear rings to him.
"Yeah I think Tetra is wanting to get back to people she knows. So yeah should be. Anyways, I gotta get back before anyone notices I'm gone. It was great seeing you again Mila! Tell everyone I said hey!" Link shouted.
"Good luck with asking Tetra out!" Mila replied before Link dragged Aryll down to the docks and left for Outset Island on a cyclone. As soon as they docked and put everything away that needed to be put away, Link headed to the other side of the island and into the forest.
"Looking for a flower…Flower….Flow….er…" Link mumbled to himself as he searched around for some flowers. He found a small patch of purple petaled flowers with a yellow center and picked them.
"I wonder if she'll like these. I really hope she does." Link said to himself. He left the forest and headed back down the island. As he got back to his house, he saw Tetra relaxing on the edge of the porch and quickly hid his flowers and gift in his magic satchel.
"Hoy, Link. Where'd ya go?" She asked.
"Oh I just had to run an errand in Windfall. Didn't take long. Have you been enjoying your time on land?" He replied.
"Yeah, Link. I really have. And I've been thinking about stuff lately. Like how there's no place like home that you can return to after a long time at sea, y'know? I mean. Wouldn't it be nice to maybe settle down somewhere later on? Somewhere like here. A nice quiet place like this. With someone really special." She said gesturing to the island around her.
"Yeah. That would be really nice." Link answered and hopped up beside her. As the two of them talked, Aryll, Grandma, and the pirates all gathered around behind the house listening in. They sat in silence for a few moments. "I actually wanted to ask you something about what you said." He said hesitantly.
"About what?" Tetra asked.
"About settling down after a while. How do I put this?" Link asked himself.
"Link? What are you trying to get at?" Tetra asked suspiciously. Link collected his thoughts, took a deep breath, and spoke.
"Remember the first time we met? You were in the Forest of Fairies up on top of the island. I saw you fall out of the sky and came to help you. You were kind of bossy at first but I got use to that. When my sister got taken, sure, you didn't want to help at first, but I had a feeling that if you had just given it a little thought, you would have wanted to help those girls just as much as I did. You helped me rescue my sister, retrieve the Master Sword, and we even had our own share of adventures after we saved the world from Ganon. It was during that time that I really started thinking about you." He told her looking at the ground.
"Link?" Tetra asked quietly.
"To be honest though, I have probably been thinking about you for years and just never realized what was happening. Here, I got you something while I was gone." He said as he pulled out the flowers from his magic satchel. "I got you these. They're found in the forest where we first met. Also these ear rings." He handed them to her. "Back to what you were saying about settling down. I…I want you to be my girlfriend!" He finally said. Tetra gently set her gifts to the side, put her hand on the side of Link's face and sweetly said, "Link?"
"Yeah?" He answered.
"You're an idiot."
"What?" His face fell. A noise came from behind the house that sounded like a bunch of pirates trying to compose themselves and a particularly large pirate falling over.
"You certainly do not have the Triforce of Wisdom that's for sure. Link, really. Did you forget that we do almost everything together? We hunt for treasure together, we saved the world together, and we even discovered a new land together. You are the First Mate of the ship not to mention you are my best friend. I just had to fall for an idiot didn't I, Link?" She teased playfully and swung her arm around him.
"Yeah. I guess we both did." He nudged her side with his elbow. "After all, how could someone not know that they're a princess? If you ask me, I think that Triforce of Wisdom of yours is a cheap knockoff. You should get your money back." They both laughed for a while about it all.
"To answer your question, yes. I will be your girlfriend even though I basically have been ever since you joined us." Tetra leaned and kissed him on his cheek. As soon as it happened, everyone came rushing from behind the house and swarmed the two of them.
"Do you have any idea how long we've been waiting for this day?!" Gonzo exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Nudge and Senza concurred.
"Does this mean I'll be getting some new swabbies?" Niko asked excitedly.
"Niko! No!" Both Link and Tetra yelled with fully red faces.
"Niko! Go walk the plank!" Tetra ordered pointing to the ocean.
"But Captain, there's no plank." He argued.
"I don't care! Just go walk into the ocean a few hundred paces! Or do I have to use the catapult?" She commanded.
"Aye, Cap'n!" He quickly ran as fast as his still short legs would take him into the ocean and began counting his paces. Tetra pinched the bridge of her nose.
"I'm surrounded by idiots." Tetra muttered to herself.
"Yeah, but we're your idiots!" Gonzo replied and started a group hug with Tetra and Link in the middle.
"Just a thought but, I've got a retreat that I bought from a teacher on Windfall Island. It's about a day East of here. If you're still interested in settling down with an idiot that is." Link whispered to Tetra.
"Sounds good. Just make sure you don't sell it anytime soon." She replied.
"You be good to her now, Link. I'm not getting any younger. I want some grandkids running around here and soon!" Grandma told him.
"Everyone on the boat we're leaving!" Link semi ordered.
"Belay that order! We are on vacation. And we are staying on vacation." Tetra commanded.
"Aye!" The pirates and Aryll cheered.
"You had better watch yourself, Link. This one seems like a handful." Grandma teased.
So the pirates decided to stay in the area for a while and spend time on land for a change.