A/N: One of my greatest loves has always been Majora's Mask, but I'm not big on shipping so I'm taking a bit of creative license with issues that residents of Termina would have to deal with. All I care about is sucking in my readers, so please enjoy.
The Delivery Girl
By needleplay
Chapter 1
The sun had not quite risen over the drooping trees of the swamp, forcing her to rely on the dim lantern light to finish loading her boat. After shoving the last crate firmly aboard, she straightened up and wiped the back of her forearm across her sweat drenched forehead with a long sigh of relief. It was nearing the middle of summer and the humidity of the southern swamp was becoming unbearable. The full blast of the sun's rays were not even on her yet, but she knew that before she had finished all her deliveries, her clothes would be drenched. Despite that knowledge, she was smiling.
Only three stops today, then the coast. She thought with pleasure. A voice cleared behind her and she turned to look at the grizzled old man, one gnarled hand grasping the reins to a mule driven cart.
"Need anythin' else?" He croaked. She shook her head and pulled out a bag.
"Not for another week." She answered, handing him a bag of ruppees. "You'll get another letter when I need to make another delivery."
The old man slipped a finger into the bag to feel around. She could not help feeling mildly offended that he checked the amount every time. He looked up at her with his one good eye, the other coated in a milky film permanently fixed staring to the left.
"A'right. Have a safe trip Miss Lirali." He said, his words ending in a wet, hacking cough. She nodded and turned back to her boat as he led his mule and cart back to the road. Lirali shoved at the small boat then jumped inside as it glided out onto the murky gray water. Paddling out to deeper water, she turned and lifted the wooden propeller from the muck. A rope was wound around the shaft of the propeller, three sharp but powerful wooden blades ready to push her through the water. Lirali opened a small metal box attached to the stern containing several cogs and thin hoses. She held her lantern close to check for any rusting or debris that might obstruct any parts inside the gear box, but nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She threaded the rope through several rods inside the box then closed it, lifting a thick crank and attaching it to the box. Lowering the blades into the water, she braced herself against one side of the boat and turned the crank. It refused to turn for only a moment until it finally gave and the gears began to work. The blades spun slowly at first, then started to pick up speed, giving Lirali time to re-position herself in the middle of the boat and drop the blade of her paddle into the water. As the boat rattled forward, she began steering her way through the swamp and deep into territory where few humans chose to live. With only lantern light and the faint light of morning to guide her, Lirali had to shake her head roughly to fight off the dredges of sleep teasing her to lay back and let her boat drive on its own. That was pure foolishness since the damned thing was so finicky about staying on course and she would more than likely end up over a waterfall or stuck in a marsh full of hungry beasts.
Just three stops. She reminded herself. Just three stops, then you'll be at the bay.
She smiled at that and refocused on her job. Time dragged by slowly and the sun gradually began its climb through the sky, lighting up her surroundings bit by bit. The swamp was not particularly beautiful, but Lirali had preferred anywhere outside of Clock Town. The more exotic the better. Her brows furrowed as she reconsidered that thought. No, the less people, the better. As she drifted through the muddy water, she caught glimpses of the Deku people, their bright glowing eyes piercing the misty morning. They had always fascinated her; living plants that often had so much personality. She had not met many in her life, mostly the merchants that she either made deliveries to or picked up from, but they were still interesting. They always perked up when she would speed past, not because of her in particular, but because they loved selling things to humans. They were not exactly rare, humans that is, but the swamp was not much of a tourist spot, at least not for humans that had money to spend on cheap items. Lirali knew for a fact that all the rich folk would either go to the northern mountains for the winter scenery and the beautifully designed cabins or the western bay for the seaside villas and salty breeze. Thoughts that would have agitated her disappeared as she sped past one of the tourist stations perched on stilts over the water, several small Scrubs watching her as she passed. She waved offhandedly but they did not respond. Lirali shrugged as she rounded a bend and entered a narrow canal, so close to her first destination. The dock appeared that would take her to the Woods of Mystery and she pulled alongside, tossing a loop of rope around one of the piers. Securing her boat, Lirali lifted two heavy bags onto the deck and hopped ashore. Not being an impressively strong woman, Lirali struggled as she lugged the heavy burlap sacks through the winding maze of trees until the tea pot-shaped house appeared. She had never liked witches, especially these ones. They always had something smart to say that made her skin crawl with anger. Lirali prayed that this unwelcome meeting would be over quickly. Hefting the bags onto her shoulder, she struggled up the ladder to the bizarre house, the rising sun already sending beads of sweat down her neck and back. When she reached the top, she dropped the bags tiredly and grabbed the knob. She did not bother ever knocking since one of the sisters was always there. As the door creaked open, a blast of acrid smoke hit her full in the face and she coughed, the fumes making her eyes water painfully. She coughed a few more times and grabbed up the sacks again, dragging them inside. The ancient looking witch perked up, her enormous eyes bugging from her thin lidded sockets as her small wrinkled mouth curved into an unpleasant smile.
"Oh ho, hello again pirate girl." The witch cackled. Lirali hated that voice; it was like dried twigs snapping over and over.
"I'm not a pirate." Lirali muttered. This only made the witch laugh again in turn making Lirali wince internally.
"Fine then. Where is my payment?" She hissed. Lirali dropped the heavy sacks onto the table the witch was perched behind, a loud metallic tinkling issuing from them. The witch was delighted and tore open the sacks, crowing happily as the colorful ruppees spilled across the tabletop. Several minutes passed as the witch looked through both bags carefully until she snapped her fingers, the money vanishing. She looked up at Lirali with a yellow toothed sneer.
"Very good. You'll find your potions already on your little boat." She snapped her fingers again and Lirali assumed that she would have to trust the batty old woman. She nodded and turned away. She was at the door in less than three strides when the woman spoke.
"Oh, before I forget. Tell those pirates I said hello. You are capable of speaking to them, right?" She crooned. "A half breed like you won't be shot on sight if you enter the bay?"
The woman crowed with laughter while Lirali's knuckles whitened as she gripped the door knob.
"No. I'll give them your regards." She answered, her jaw tight. The witch snickered and waved.
"Have a safe trip little fire blood." She sang as Lirali fumed, slamming the door shut behind her.
As she descended the ladder, the witch's barbing words reminded her freshly of why she cared little for the company of people. No, not people. Humans. Although a human herself, Lirali had always preferred the company of the inhuman. They did not mutter slurs to her face. She trotted through the maze of trees, slapping at the moss hanging from branches when it dragged through her hair in a fury. She dropped into her boat and yanked the rope free and angrily started the propeller. Stealing a glance into the least murky part of the water, she wiped viciously at her tears. For a long moment, she stared bitterly at the face she wished belonged to someone else. Looking away, she tried to focus on steering but the image was already stuck in her mind. Her skin and eyes gave her away immediately when anyone looked at her. Large, almond shaped and golden eyes, caramel skin that was too dark for the townsfolk but not dark enough for the Gerudo, and tied together with brilliant red hair. Such an appearance had dealt her a lonely childhood coupled with a terrible naïveté. It was made worse when she had grown and inherited the fierce beauty her mother's kind was known for, a trait that had made her the subject of cruel games. Instead of being an excluded member of society, something she had grown accustomed to, she had suddenly been seen as a young man's conquest since she resembled the unattainable female pirates. Having been tricked several times, Lirali was forced to develop a thick skin and shed what should have been playful exploration for her age. Now she wore a placid mask on the surface and let her anger simmer inside. She wiped her eyes dry and they fell on the long fishing pole hanging on the inside of the boat. A smile tugged at one corner as she thought of Great Bay, the one pleasure she felt could not be taken away. Lirali loved fishing and the peace it gave her. The thought of it centered her and she wished her boat were faster, desperate to finish her work so she could spend the rest of the day at the private inlet she had discovered, wiling away the hours on her boat or on the sandy shore until nightfall. Staring ahead, her grip tightened on her paddle and she steered through the swamp further downstream. Half an hour slipped by and her second stop finally appeared. The waterfall hiding the grotto was simple to steer behind and the merchant Scrub immediately popped out from his underground shop. He greeted her cheerily as she pulled up to the bank, helping her drive a spike into the mud turf so she could start her purchase from him. The transaction was quick and the Scrub helped her load four crates of beans aboard while Lirali noted the dreamy look on the plant man's face. It made her smile, his gaze a compliment since nearly all of her clients did not realize she was considered a blight to human society. As he waved her away, the dreamy look still visible now joined by a swaying motion, she scoffed to herself.
Heh, maybe I should take up with a Scrub or a Goron.She thought.
Her step mother would probably be thrilled. She regretted that thought transition immediately, becoming bitter all over again. Before she could drown in those feelings, the pace of the river changed. The water started to clear and Lirali's attention was drawn to the boat. As the river began to widen, the stink and drooping trees of the swamp began to disappear, replaced by a sparser, thin tree line, giant roots beginning to rise out of the water. Lirali knew she was nearing Beaver Falls and that meant she was close to Great Bay. She pulled the paddle inside and grabbed the crank of the propeller to better steer. Normally it would take hours to reach the seaside, but she had traveled this river specifically because she could start in the mountains and wind her way through all of Termina's four regions in a day and end up at the coast. The boat rounded a bend and the river widened drastically, the current slowing just long enough for her to steer toward a fork; the northeast taking her back to the mountains while the west would take her to Beaver Falls. As she drifted to the west, the river narrowed and the current picked up. Lirali held tight to the propeller as the current quickened, rocks and roots starting to clutter her path dangerously. She reminded herself she had traveled this way a thousand times but her heart still beat an anxious tattoo. Before she could calm her nerves, the river narrowed again and the rapids appeared. Lirali braced her body against the boat, her nails burying themselves in the wood as she pressed her heels to both sides. The crates shook and rattled as she maneuvered between tree roots and around sharp rocks, a gasp escaping her whenever the boat tipped dangerously to one side. She dared a glance upstream and another fork appeared, this one dividing Beaver Falls to the right and Great Bay to the left. Steering hard for the open sea, having lost her first boat and breaking a leg going over the falls years before, Lirali fought the current. Her eyes widened when her boat pulled hard to one side, caught in a whirlpool violently. Jolted wildly, she struggled to steer towards the bay, yanking up the paddle to shove at rocks and roots that tried to bash into her boat. A loud snap and wild rattling warned her that a propeller blade had snapped off, forcing her to use the paddle to shove roughly against a rock to make the boat right itself and stay on the right current. Water sloshed over the sides and into her face but she saw the ocean horizon through the blur. The current began to slow, no longer fighting to take her to the falls. Steering with ease again, she rode the speedy current to the open sea, letting out a long sigh of relief. A loud thump shook her boat, pitching her forward and making her scream as the boat bobbed madly. She sat up quickly to steady the rocking vessel, searching fervently for what had slammed into her. There were no more rocks large enough or close enough to hit her, not even a scrap of driftwood either. She began to wonder if she had imagined the entire thing due to stress until her eyes fell on a long pale body floating limply in the water.
"Oh no…" she breathed, her eyes widening in horror as a hand fell over her mouth.
Kael did not realize he had been hit until the dizzying vertigo had set in and he was not sure how to breathe. He felt himself choking painfully as his body tried to figure out if he was underwater or above it. He could feel his arms moving, trying to swim, but they only waved lethargically unable to propel him anywhere. He thought he heard a voice calling him but his brain was a slurry mess of noise. The voice became clearer and kept yelling at him and he was suddenly irritated by it.
I think I'm dying, why are you yelling at me? He thought angrily. A pair of hands slid under his arms and pulled, flipping him over so his face touched open air. His brain figured out to breathe air instead of water and his lungs slowly started to work again. Able to breathe again properly, his brain slowly righted itself and he was able to see again, although his vision was blurred by dizzying black spots. His heart thumped hard in his chest when he was able to focus on the red haired beauty staring down at him worriedly.
Oh wow. You are far too beautiful for your own good.
A foolish smile appeared on his lips without his realizing. She was speaking to him and he realized it was her voice that had been calling to him. No longer agitated by it, the tone was musical in his mind despite her pleading for him to answer her. Instead, he drifted in and out of consciousness, his thoughts swimming with a mixture of nauseating pain and terrible arousal.
"Please! Please wake up! Don't be dead!" She begged, her voice panicking.
I can't be now, he thought. Not until I find out who you are.
