A/N: Hey guys! So this is the second Wind Waker fanfiction I'm doing...it takes place between the time Link and Tetra ascend to the surface after facing Ganondorf and the time they set out to look for the next Hyrule...this is how I think they decided (or rather, how I hope they did xP) Hope you enjoy! Don't forget to leave a review if you enjoyed it, and check out my other stories!
DISCLAIMER: This is a non-profit fanfiction. The Legend of Zelda is owned by Nintendo. Please support the official release.
"So…..what now?
Link sighed and gazed at the stars. Suddenly he winced and grasped his right shoulder. In an instant Tetra was by his side, helping him stand. "You shouldn't be straining yourself like this – it's only been three days since we came back….you need to rest!" Link shook his head gently and said, "I'm fine – just a little tired, that's all."
The pair had come up to Aryll's Lookout for a bit of peace and quiet. They had just recounted to the islanders what they had done on their travels, and while it was great to relive their adventures, it also came with remembering all the bad things they saw and fought. Link thought that the both of them would just bask in the quietness that pervaded the area, which is why he was surprised when Tetra asked such a question.
He turned his head to look at Tetra and said, "What do you mean 'what now'?" Tetra sighed and said, "Now that I know why…this…." She gestured at the Great Sea, "really happened, and what lies beneath the ocean….." Her voice broke off as she continued gazing at the horizon. Link sighed and said, "I get what you mean." He too, was conflicted with his existence on the islands that made up their home.
"So many pathetic creatures, scattered across a handful of islands, drifting on this sea like fallen leaves on a forgotten pool…what could they possibly hope to achieve?!"
'Was Ganondorf right? Is all this really just the remnants of a forgotten kingdom?' He used to think of the Great Sea as a vast world that held tons of mysteries and secrets, but now….it felt like leftovers of a grand feast. After he laid eyes on the kingdom buried beneath the sea, it disheartened him to see what the world had become. In a weird way, he understood Ganondorf's desire to expose Hyrule to the sun once more. He understood how the man must have felt after the magnificence of the kingdom he once coveted had been reduced to islands scattered across the ocean. He loved his home and the various places he visited throughout his journey meant a great deal to him…but he couldn't help but compare it to what he saw beneath the waves.
Tetra held up her right hand, where the crest of the Triforce of Wisdom shone with a golden glow. "And this…..does this mean I'm Zelda? Am I still Tetra?" She turned to Link. "What do I do? I…I was a pirate! I AM a pirate! But…now…I find out that I'm a princess?"
Link thought for a moment before saying, "I think it's a choice." Tetra looked at him quizzically. Link explained, "When Hyrule was washed away, I think it started a new generation of the spirit of the hero and the blood of the goddess. I have the crest mark as well." He showed Tetra his left hand, where the Triforce of Courage gleamed brightly in the night. "The King called me 'Hero of Winds' after I gathered all the Triforce pieces. I think it means that these marks…..are ours now. They belong to us. They're no longer inherited from the Hero of Time and the Seventh Sage." Tetra looked at him in shock. "H-how do you know all this?" Link said, "The King told me what he could of the tales of the previous hero…the Hero of Time."
"Can you communicate with him?"
"Truthfully, I haven't tried, although it would have been useful in some parts of the dungeons – that stupid mirror puzzle in the Earth Temple was infuriating."
Tetra chuckled at Link's annoyed expression. "You look cute when you get annoyed, you know?" Link stared at her in shock, a small blush creeping across his face. "W-what? Really? Umm…thanks…I guess?" Tetra laughed. Link raised his eyebrows. "Anyway, I think that we're free to do…well, pretty much whatever we want." Tetra gazed at Link long and hard before looking at the horizon. "I guess so….."
Silence reigned over the pair as the sound of seagulls cut through the calm of the night. The lights on Outset Island were flickering out one by one, signalling that the time for sleep had arrived. Tetra looked at the Triforce crest on her palm while Link gazed at the horizon thoughtfully. Tetra glanced at him and noticed just how much he had changed from the time they left for the Forsaken Fortress. He had an aura of other-worldliness about him, like he'd seen things that weren't meant to be seen by any human.
'But then again, he probably has…who knows what kinds of horrors he had to face in those temples…..he's still so young and yet…..is this part of the spirit of the hero he was talking about earlier?', Tetra wondered as Link sighed and turned to her.
"Do you think that a New Hyrule really exists out there?"
'We'll never know unless we look."
"So…..are you going to look for it?"
Tetra looked at the glowing crest on her hand and was filled with a determination not unlike the one which she felt while fighting Ganondorf. She nodded. "I've got a crew and I've got a ship. What could go wrong?" Link smirked and said, "I'm coming with you." Tetra pursed her lips worriedly and said, "Link….you just got back to your family. Your sister and grandmother might want you to stick around before leaving on some death defying adventure." Link grimaced and turned away. Tetra sensed the conflict within the young hero as he wrestled with the idea of leaving his family once more, this time, for a quest where the outcome wasn't even close to certain. She said, "Your family needs you more – this is where you belong."
"Things won't be the same, even if I stay. I won't be able to live like I used to."
"Link, stop trying to sound melodramatic about this-"
"I'm not."
Link turned around to look Tetra dead in the eye. "The things I saw…..I won't be able to rest knowing you're going to confront what's out there alone. I have to come with you to make sure everything's ok…..I have to protect you…..if anything were to happen to you….I don't know what I'd do." Tetra looked at Link and saw that he was completely serious. There was a hint of desperation in his eyes that she hadn't seen until now. She scoffed. "Always have to play the hero, huh?" Link couldn't help but notice the slight blush in her cheeks. He smiled and said, "Well, someone has to, right?"
Tetra sighed and shook her head. "You're an idiot who always makes rash decisions without contemplating consequences for your actions….but somehow….." She gave Link a peck on the cheek. Link's eyes widened a bit as his hand went automatically to the spot where her lips touched him. "Somehow, you've grown on me….hero." She winked at him in her trademark fashion and Link chuckled.
"But we're only leaving after you've healed fully; there's no use in you not being at full capacity and then doing something reckless at sea and having me deal with the consequences of not having all hands on deck." Link nodded sheepishly and said, "Yeah, that'd probably be best." Tetra smiled and made towards the ladder. Before starting her decent she said, "I think it'd be better if you didn't do too much for the next few days. Your wounds will heal faster."
Link grinned cheekily and said, "Sitting around is no fun, Tetra – I thought that you, as a pirate, would know that more than anyone." Tetra stared at Link, surprised by his insight. He grinned foxily at her as the wind blew across his face. Tetra smiled and thought, 'I guess he's not so much of an idiot after all…' She started to climb down the ladder, expecting Link to follow. However, when he did not, her eyes narrowed as she decided to see what he was up to. When she climbed back up, she saw him standing at the edge of the tower, wind waker in hand. He noticed her and said softly,
"This song….reminds me of him….." Tetra nodded in understanding as the wind blew gently across their faces, and one could almost hear the voice of a weary king entrusting the next generation with the task of finding a new home.