Once, I was a loner, roaming around in this big world we call the sea, 'till I met that weird kid. I'm not one to judge but, the way he just keeps that blank stare all the time can freak anyone out. My guess is that he was abandoned by his little band of pirates and has been dead inside ever since. How old is he, anyway? Twelve? Thirteen? Twelve and a half? A kid that young really should be more annoying, but he isn't. I count that as a blessing. Still, I do wish that I was alone. That bratty fairy of his is ripping my hair out, one single strand at a time. Ah, bliss.
Looking out from my post, speak of the devil, I find the kid and his blank stare, just staring out to sea. That kid is a strange one, no doubt in my mind. I bet he never had any parents, either. Join the club, kid. Just as I was about to head back to my engine room, he calls out my name in sort of a hush-hush way. Linebeck. Look. I turn back around and head up to where the kid is standing. I see what he wants me to see: a strange little island shaped like two rectangles and a whole bunch of squares together, looking like some funny book with windows. His voice not changing its hushed quality, he asks to dock. Can we dock there, at that island? I answer with a sure, why not. Still, that island has piqued my curiosity. Might as well go check it out. I return to my engine room once more and find that fairy there.
"Hey, Sparkles. What are you doing down here?" I ask. She faces me, and speaks in that shrill voice of hers, I'm only down here 'cause Link wants to be alone right now. Eh, figures. He even pushes the fairy away. That kid is seriously the most depressing thing I've ever seen, well, at least since we found that stone friend of his. Sometimes I catch him down here just sitting there, having some sort of a staring contest with the thing. Once he sees me, he just gets up and runs, like I would hit him for looking at a statue or something. I would never harm the kid unless I had to, but sometimes he can be so irritating.
"Well, the kid found a new island, and we're docking there. Why don't you go upstairs and chat with him instead?" She frowns at me, and I know exactly what she's thinking. She huffs and races up the stairs. I can finally have some peace and quiet for a good few minutes.
At the dock, the kid runs off the bridge and turns to me, as if expecting some kind of evaluation. He doesn't even notice how… oddly shaped this place is. I could hear the grunts of gorons, and apparently he could too, running off like that. I'm not allowed to go inside my own ship without the kid at my heels anymore. Ever since I "accidentally" locked the two out of the place, I promised to stay outside in case the kid ever wants go back on the ship for something. Not wanting to risk being nagged to death, I stand out on the rocky surface, listening to the kid's hooting, screaming, laughing… wait, laughing? Since when did he ever laugh? I smile, knowing that the kid isn't as depressed as I thought he was. Then I see it. This rock… thing rolling around gathering what seemed to be crystals, with shouts of encouragement coming from everyone else on the island. This isn't some kind of sport, is it? After everything is done, I see the kid running to the ship with something tantalizingly shiny. I wanted to pocket that money for myself, but the kid did win this for himself. When he was in front of me, he glanced up with those large eyes of his, begging to keep the money.
"Alright kid, you can keep your winnings for whatever that was just now." I say, and that little kid just lit up. He gives me a big nod and sprints up to the ship and down to the… wait! I just got this kid out of the dumps, and what does he do? He goes back to that little statue of his. Sighing, I head down the stairs, following him. Instead of sitting down in front of that statue, he's up and talking with Sparkles about his winnings. I didn't realize that she stayed on the ship. Whatever. I normally would've shoved the two out of the engine room, the only quiet place on this ship anymore, but I didn't. I retreated back to the wheel and got the ship started back up again. Sparkles suggested going back up onto the deck, and the two left the room. When I was finally alone, I found myself humming while I was driving, going along the course set from before.
Hours passed, and I hear the kid's quick yet quiet footsteps on the stairs. I stop the ship so I can speak with him about whatever he needs to talk about. Passing that statue and pouting, he comes up to me. Linebeck, it's getting dark. Cute. So I say, "Fine then. We'll start up again in the morning." Strange enough, Link looked really tired. Usually, he was the first one to rise, and ready for anything. Now he looked like a miserable… kid. I watch him trudge up the stairs and make a left to the bedroom, followed by a shining ball of light. Yawning, I drop anchor, ready to retire for the night. Going up the stairs, I hear the faintest murmuring coming from the bedroom. …Linebeck… hear… I… yes. That was coming from Sparkles. Then the kid's voice picked up, a little louder than she was. No… I'm… bed… later… What are they talking about? I could hear my name. Maybe it was one of their conversations that they just didn't want me to hear. I came to the door, and could hear them well enough to make out a part of their conversation. Well, at least Sparkles'. Well, whatever. I'm glad that he was nice enough to do that! They're still on that subject? I knock on the door, and the door is opened slowly. In the doorway I see the kid in his not exactly matching night-clothes: a blue long-sleeved top with some white crab thing on the front, and orange pants. I notice that he got my night-clothes out for me, and he sees my confusion.
"I took out your stuff for you, hope you don't mind." Actually kid, I do mind.
"Gee, thanks." He noted the tone of my voice and hurried out of the room for me to dress. Funny how my night- clothes are the exact same shade of blue as my vest, and unlike the Link's, they match.
After I was dressed, I called for the kid and Sparkles, who came in yawning. The kid climbed into the bed and started up another conversation with the chatty fairy. I was about ready to scream a shut-up at them, but kept my mouth shut. The thing is, sharing a bed with the kid isn't as strange as it used to be. Back on the first night, he noticed the lack of bedding for two, and suggested that one of us was to sleep on the floor. He told me that since it was my ship, I get the bed. A fine choice indeed. During the middle of the night however, I found the kid's head on my stomach. Not wanting to get nagged at by the sleeping fairy on his chest, I let him stay, and the night after that and the next one too, all because I didn't want to get yelled at by a little fairy. Hm.
"Alright, lights out you two," I say, turning off the lantern that was sitting on the nightstand. I got on one side, Link the other, and Chatty Cathy got Link's chest. A few minutes later, and that fairy was out like a light. Does she know that she snores? Then it was just the kid and I, both staring up at the ceiling, wishing for sleep to come. Luckily for him, he falls asleep quicker than I do. I listen to their soft snoring, knowing it would take a while for me to sleep. I hear something that almost made me jump. Hello. The kid was talking in his sleep, something that he started once we found that stone girl of his. Most of the time, it was just random things, like "one", "hello", and "time", but what I heard next really got to me. Daddy. It was brought out and long, like someone slurring. This wasn't one of his normal sets of words, and this particular one was repeated several times. I turn my head to the kid, and hear him say that word again, this time somewhat in a sentence.
"Daddy… please… kind…" Again each word was slow, drawn out. Link never told me anything about a father, or a mother for that matter. One time, he did say that he used to live with his grandmother, so I figured that his parents were long gone. Daddy… mommy… And then he mentions a mother. Something in his mind got a nice kick in the backside and started whirring. I slowly shift closer to him, wide awake now. He wouldn't stop saying those words. Then I do something that I know I would regret later. I lean into his ear, wanting him to be quiet, and whisper softly: Daddy's here. Now go to sleep, child. His tone turned from a begging one to something content and sweet, still saying that word. I should've stopped there, but I didn't. I put an arm over his sleeping body, and he gripped it like a child would a hand of a caring friend. There ,there, kid. Even though I can barely see anything, I know he's smiling in his sleep. I hope that neither of them wake up and see this. I could never explain myself. I try pulling my arm off, but he wouldn't let go. I try again, and this time I brush the fairy's wings. Screw it. I let myself fall into sleep.
That morning, I am the first to wake. A strange thing. Right before I can even think of getting up, Link's eyes fly open, moving down to where my arm was, around his stomach. His eyes then flew up to my face. Linebeck…? I try to think of an excuse to get myself out of this mess, but then the fairy wakes up. Just my luck. Good morn- wow. Uh, Linebeck? I finally think of something. Kid, I'm sorry. This kind of stuff happens when one isn't thinking in their sleep. He nodded, and I lifted my arm off of him. He sat on the edge of the bed, and just… sat there, not moving a muscle. Me making the situation even better, I let out a 'hey, what's wrong', which made him turn his head towards me. I don't know, he says. I join him on his side, and sit next to him.
"Link, we need to talk about something. It's about your family." He furrows his brow.
"What about it?"
I look at him with a straight face, and honestly that's hard to do, and ask, "Did you ever have a father or mother?"
He looked down and didn't say anything. Me being an idiot again, I hold his hand in mine, giving it a small squeeze as I say, "It's okay. You don't have to talk about it now. It's just that, well…" I let the words trail off, hoping that he would let the subject go, too. But he doesn't.
"Well what?"
"You've been talking in your sleep lately. You kept saying 'daddy' and 'mommy' throughout the whole night." I let the words sink into him as I release his hand.
"I know. Ciela told me. She never told me about the mommy and daddy part, though."
"That's because it just started. Is there something that you would like to tell me?" The kid looked up at me, innocence pretty much everywhere in his eyes, as he said, Sometimes, when I miss my sister and grandma, I like to be alone. When I hear you two bickering all the time, it reminds me of something from when I was little, maybe my parents. Sometimes, I like to think of you two like an old married couple, always fighting. And when you're not fighting, you're kinda like, I dunno, parents to me.
Then it hit me like a flying brick. He wasn't talking about his parents, but… Ciela… and I. Yes, Ciela. Not Sparkles, but Ciela. That's… wait, an old married couple? I say. Link pipes up and says, Well, yeah. I'm sorry if that's a little weird to you, but that's what it's like. It keeps me from getting too hurt inside, knowing there's someone in the world that cares about me. He stands up and smiles at me, with Ciela just listening to the whole thing with her jaw dropped down. Should we get the day going?
I stand too, now looking down at the kid. I don't think that the kid is so weird after all. He just needed someone to talk to, and I think he found more than one person. The soul that died the day when we found Tetra never really died after all, but maybe just hid away in a dark place, waiting for someone to tell him that everything was going to turn out for the best.
"Sure, why not?"