Tetra sighed.
"Link?"
For the five days past since they left to find the new Hyrule, Link had done nothing but stare at the lifeless King of Red Lions, almost hoping for him to speak again, and tell him where to go next. The waves lapped against the ship itself and the tiny sailboat.
"Miss Tetra, with all due respect, I think you should leave him alone for a while, yeah?" A voice said behind her. She turned around to see Gonzo staring at Link in a peculiar way.
"I know, I know, Gonzo. I'm just worried about him, that's all."
Gonzo smirked. "'Worried' about him, Miss?"
She stared at him in horror. "Don't you DARE think that! Don't ever!"
"Sorry, sorry." He replied, still maintaining his mischievous smile.
The young girl rolled her eyes and turned back to the boy.
"Why can't you come back, King?" Link thought, finding himself close to tears, "I need you here, to tell me what to do!"
'Boy, that's new... Needing someone to order me around...'
"Link?"
He turned to see Tetra, the captain, standing there.
"What?"
"I said it's time to sleep!"
"Are you my mother?"
"No, but you haven't slept for two days."
"Aww..."
"Now go!" She shooed him away to his quarters, where he collapsed onto his bed and fell into a deep slumber.
The water splashed in front of him, sending wave after wave of refreshing liquid into the red boat that he was sitting next to. The island reminded him of Windfall Isle, where he met the King of Red Lions after a foolhardy raid on the Forsaken Fortress. Perhaps it was.
"Ahh...Link, my boy. It's been a while..." said a voice other than his own.
Wait a minute...
A voice?
He was the only one here! Unless...
He turned his attention to the boat's dragon like head.
"Pity...You forget me after only five days?"
For the second time in his life, Link backed away from the King of Red Lions. The very much alive King of Red Lions.
"Once again, I've been watching you." The boat turned around, so he could face the Hero of Winds.
Link quirked an eyebrow. "Whatever for?"
"Reasons. And I see you've been watching me in turn."
Link looked down, so he didn't have to look into the boat's ocean blue eyes that he so enjoyed looking into when they had a conversation.
"Well...I..."
Suddenly, a tear dropped from his eye. He crawled over to the boat, and, out of the blue, gave him a gentle hug around the neck of it.
"I miss you! So much! I've gotten so used to you telling me what to do that I don't know what to do or where to go anymore! Why did you have to die?" He began sobbing.
King was a bit taken aback by the movements, but he felt compassion for the sobbing boy beside him, and wrapped himself around Link gently, so as to return the embrace in some way.
"I'm sorry...I'm sorry..." He began muttering in the boy's ear, trying to calm him.
Link hugged him harder, but he at least stopped crying...gradually.
"Okay now?" the boat said softly, looking at his tear streaked face with the usual concern hidden in his eyes. He saw the hero nod.
"I'm sorry I had to leave you...Really, I am..." he began, slowly but surely.
"It's okay, I understand...I -"
"No. No, you don't." He said.
"What?"
"Let me tell you a little something, Link... Even though a physical being perishes, the souls never die unless the goddesses unanimously wish it. And so… Well… I chose to come back. Not in Hylian form, of course… Since that… Well, you know. Though… In the Otherworld I'm allowed to at least change my form every once in a while."
"…Really?"
"Yes."
Link smiled a bit. Going off to find the next Hyrule was fun for a while, but it was never the same without the King of Red Lions by his side.
"Then there's a way to get you to come back to life..."
King watched him, waiting for the boy to come up with an answer. He knew, of course, but he also knew the boy was clever and he would figure it out himself.
Link, meanwhile, stared into the boat's eyes, envisioning every waking moment, every conversation, he had spent with the king of Hyrule...The day they met, going from island to island, searching for the pearls and other valuable items, Ganon's Tower, the battle with Ganon, and King of Red Lions watching Tetra and himself handle it...But wait...There was something before that...
Link woke up to see the King of Hyrule place his hand on the Triforce, keeping his eyes open only a fraction, so Ganon would think he was still passed out. He heard him say that he wanted a future for Zelda and Link, for the ancient Hyrule to be washed away, and for Ganon's and his destinies to be fulfilled, leagues under the sea...
His eyes widened in realization, and the King nodded solemnly.
"Are you ready for another quest, then?"
Link nodded readily.
"You know I won't be there to guide you every waking moment you have, like I did when I was alive. I can only visit you in your dreams."
"I don't care. Tetra needs you...I need you...Everyone needs you right now...To guide us to the new land..."
King of Red Lions smiled faintly.
"Well then, my Waker of Winds, let the quest begin! Now listen closely: Ganondorf's statue is leagues under the sea, where the old Hyrule used to be. What you need is everything you earned from your last quest..." a look of reminiscence on his face came now"and perhaps..." he took out an instrument similar to the Wind Waker, except it was gold.
"What's this?" Link gingerly took the Wind Waker look-alike in his hands.
"It's called the Dream Caller. When you learn the proper song, you can use it to talk to me. I know I said I can't be with you every waking moment, and I meant it. You can only spend so much as an hour every two days with me when you learn it. Okay?"
"Okay. I'll get you back, I guarantee it!"
"I don't doubt you will. Oh, and one more thing!"
"Hm?"
"Ganondorf has a son. Watch out for him!"
"He does? But –"
At that moment, however, sleep seemed to want to leave him, and he woke up in a daze as he shook his head and stretched.
"Whoa..." Link said, sitting up. "What a strange dream...What's this?" he felt something smooth in his hand. Smooth and long. He brought his hand up, and saw the Dream Caller in his hand, sparkling with the sunlight filtering through the cracks of the boat.
"Guess it's real then, isn't it?" Link smiled widely. Oh, how he would enjoy going on another adventure, even though it would be hard.
"Well, well, well, look who's finally up." said a voice.
"Hi, Tetra!"
"Hi. So, what's that" Tetra looked at the Dream Caller.
"I'll tell you later. Right now, I need breakfast."
"Well then hurry up! We're almost at Windfall already!"
"Oh? Okay then, coming."
He came rushing out of the ship right after Tetra and her crew had entered the Entrance Gate.
"Wait! Wait!" He panted before he reached them, hands on his knees as he puffed loudly.
"Took you long enough. Now, can we go eat or are you going to stand there all day" Tetra said, not waiting for an answer and heading off to the Cafe without him. Again he ran after them, catching up and entering.
"Whew!"
Since Niko was left behind on the ship, as usual, there were only six of them, four of them being grown men. The pirates ate at a separate table, leaving Link and the princess to discuss his dream.
"Well see I was sitting down, and suddenly, King of Red Lions starts talking!"
Tetra stared. "So...?"
"T.T., he hasn't talked for a while! Well this was a dream but anyway, he tells me he's been watching me...again."
"Uh huh..."
And so Link continued from there, telling her of the events that occurred while he slept, and showed her the Dream Caller.
"He said when I learn the proper song, I won't have to be asleep to talk to him. But it only works every two days for one hour."
"Hmm...This isn't going to be as easy as I thought, then..."
"Nothing's ever easy, Tetra." Link reminded her.
"I guess you're right. Well, you stock up, and we'll be waiting. The new Hyrule can wait for now."
He nodded and left, having eaten breakfast already with T.T. Stepping into Old Doc Bandam's shop, he bought a Red potion and a Blue potion, having already a fairy and one jar of his grandma's famous Elixir Soup.
"Thanks, Doc!" He called as he left the store to get to the ship.