Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda. Be happy for this.
Warnings: SLIGHT spoilers for Spirit Tracks and Wind Waker.
Summary: On top of the Ocean Temple, Link and Zelda see what appears to be an endless ocean.
Note: Inspired by a piece on dA by an artist named musogato. Takes place during the events of Spirit Tracks.
Link shielded his eyes from the harsh sun as he looked out at the seemingly endless expanse of the sea. Deep sapphire water stretched out in every direction imaginable, and he could barely see the Spirit Tracks, even when he stood at the very top of the Ocean Temple.
Zelda also came out to stare the ocean as well. She floated beyond the edge of the platform, marveling at its size.
"Wow!" she exclaimed, also shielding her eyes. "Look at how big the sea is, Link! I've never seen it like this!"
Link nodded in agreement. There was an ocean by Aboda Village, but it was nothing compared to the Ocean Realm. Maybe it was the saltiness of the air, or the hue of the ocean, or the large clouds in the sky that marked where the ocean ended and the sky began. Link couldn't quite place this feeling — he just knew it was different.
Zelda floated around the rim of the Ocean Temple, gazing out at the sea. "I can't believe we crossed that," she remarked, trying to find the Spirit Tracks. "It seems too big for one train to cross."
From up here, it certainly looked too big. It almost seemed impossible that anyone would be able to cross it.
"Hey, Link," Zelda said, floating down toward him again. "Do you think people used to travel on the ocean? With boats? Not just pirates, but people, and all the time."
The wind seemed to suddenly pick up, and Link's floppy guard hat was blown back slightly. He inhaled the scent of the ocean. It smelled... familiar. It didn't smell the same as Aboda's ocean. Something inside of him just knew it was different, yet familiar, a kind of nagging deja vu. He racked his memory for all the times he played on the beaches of Aboda, wondering if that was where the familiarity was coming from.
Nothing came up. He shrugged in response to Zelda's question.
"I think it would be fun to cross the ocean on a boat," Zelda continued. "Feeling the wind in your face, tasting the salt in the air, listening to the waves..." She floated up as she dreamed about crossing the sea on a boat.
Link wasn't much of a swimmer, but something about being in a boat appealed to him.
"Of course, we'll have to do that after I get my body back," Zelda said, descending until she was floating just above him. "So let's hurry up and restore the Spirit Tracks! Then we can sail on the ocean!"
Link grinned and nodded before heading for the portal that would lead them out of the temple, Zelda accompanying him.
If they had stayed just a second longer, they would have noticed a small red sailboat on the horizon.
Author's Note:I've always seen Spirit Tracks Zelda as being more happy-go-lucky and optimistic. I also couldn't bring myself to make Link talk. I sort of made an assumption with the boats: trains dominate ST Hyrule's culture, and since they pass over water (and, well, underwater), it would be logical to assume that boats aren't as important any more. Pirates and fishermen still use them, but that might be more of a rebellion and career thing respectively.
Hope you enjoyed!