100 Themes Challenge
Theme: # 33 - Expectations
Game: Post Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass
Details: Yo Ho! A Pirate's Life For Me!

33: Expectations ?

"Say, Tetra," said Link as he scratched the hard, wooden floor absentmindedly. He was hugging his knees and half sitting. "Why do we do that?"

"Do what?" She snapped, irritated. She was sitting in one of the darker corners of the cell, brooding.

"Pretend to be what we're really not."

"What?" She barked. "What are you talking about now?"

Link knew she was angry right now. It would be unwise to make her anger directed at him. Best to approach the subject carefully.

"I mean...pirates are notorious for raiding and plundering and stealing, right?" He paused a second, but she seemed to be listening so he continued."We're not really like that. We're just sailors. Flying that skull and bones flag always gets us into trouble."

"Idiot! What do you think you're saying?!" He winced. Yep, he should have just left the subject untouched.

"We're PIRATES. The terror of the seas! Granted, we're not stereotypical pirates, but we're pirates! We've done plenty of those things!"

"No, we haven't," he said flatly.

She got up from her dark corner and emerged into the light of the waning moon that came from the sole window in their cell. Her face was twisted up in rage and her hands balled up into fists. She pounced, making a grab for him as he yelped in fright.

"What about all those raids we've done on them monsters?" She said, grabbing him by the scruff of his clothes. "Have you forgotten all the things we've gone through or are just wussing out?"

He struggled but her grip was iron. Tetra could be terrifying when she was mad.

"Now, when we you joined our crew, you were expected to become like us! To be able to endure! But now I see, you're still that little-"

"Tetra! Did you see how easily those villagers captured us?" He interjected. She was etting the wrong idea.

Her grip loosened just a little. "That's cause we didn't fight back!"

"Exactly! Now, if we were those big, bad pirates you think we are, would we have hesitated to hurt them?"

She was quiet. With a sigh of defeat, she let go of his clothes and fell back on the floor beside him.

"They thought we were big baddies coming to raid, when we were just low on supplies and stopped to buy some. All because of that flag!"

"Fine! We're VIRTUOUS pirates!" She insisted. "We've never targeted human vessels or islands on purpose! Unless they attacked, of course. Only the monster-controlled ones."

Link nodded. "That make us more like hunters, not pirates."

She sighed in exasperation. "What's the big deal, huh? Arguing with your captain about our group's occupation?"

Link shrugged. "I say we're neither. We're explorers!"

"Do you really think we're just any normal sailors, cruising the seas, searching for new lands and treasure?" She asked sarcastically.

"Take out the 'normal' part and you've got it!" He chirped.

She sighed again and they were both quiet for a few moments. It was hopeless to argue with him.

"Maybe what I'm really trying to say..." Link started. "Who's going to let us, with a so called pirate reputation, come over to their land, and let them start some kind of settleme-"

"That's only to say if the land we find is already populated!" She interrupted. She had thought about this too. Tetra leaned on the wall and relaxed a little, changing gears. "We'll find it someday. Wherever the wind takes us! The perfect land. The next Hyrule!"

Link smiled. That had been their goal for quite a while.

"Look, fine. We'll take down the pirate flag if it bothers you that much. But when we get close to any monster vessels, we're flying it, and you can't stop me from having some fun, okay?"

He nodded. "Sounds good. No use terrorizing civilians until then."

After a few moments, he began talking again. "Hmmm, I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a bit helpless in here. They've confiscated all my equipment." He pouted. "You're not seriously thinking of staying here until they let us out, are you?"

"Of course not! Who do you take me for!?" She was up again.

"A nice, obedient princess!"

She whacked him.

"I was waiting for the rest of our crew who didn't get captured to come and break us out! But it looks like they've been held up." Tetra pulled out a pin from her pocket and showed it to him. It glowed bright in the moonlight from the window. "Would a princess know how to do this?" She smirked as she headed to the door and expertly unlocked it after a few seconds.

"Maybe one that gets kidnapped a lot and needs to learn how to pick locks, yeah." Link found himself trapped back in her vice grip and being shaken.

"Can't you shut up for once and let me make this an epic escape?" Tetra shouted. "Let's act like the pirates we are for once!"

"Tetra! Cut it out please!" Came Niko's concerned voice from the next cell. "Stop shaking my swabbie! You know he gets dizzy easily!"

"Oy, Captain! You're out, aren't ya? Get us out already please!" It was Zuko.

"Fine!" She dropped Link and headed to their cells. "We'll take back our things, regroup, maybe steal and break a few things in revenge, and leave!"

"Yes, ma'am!"

Tetra turned back. Link was standing at their cell's door, holding one of the bars to support himself.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "You'd think that after so many years of sailing, you'd get over getting dizzy easily and overcome the seasickness that often comes over you, but nooo." She grabbed his arm and pulled him with her.

"Listen," she said quietly to him as they exited the small prison on the cliff. "My mother was in charge of our little group and ship, just as her predecessors have been before her since older times. It's been my turn now, so as your captain, I expect you to follow my orders." There was a guard outside that simply saw them, dropped his spear and ran away. Zuko snickered and Niko shouted a taunt after him.

"I'm no princess," she continued. A cloud suddenly clouded the moon and the whole island was enshrouded in shadow. The faint outline of a familiar ship could be seen in the distance, and on the shores below them was a small boat. A couple figures took notice of them and began waving.

She waved them over and grinned. "I'm queen of pirates," she said and winked at Link mischievously. "And I say we're going to have a little fun. It's about time we payed back our hosts for their hospitality!"

Link shook his head. He disapproved of Tetra's violent tendencies, but she knew they wouldn't really hurt anyone. Just scare and terrorize some people a little. He hid a smile, not really minding having to carry out her orders. She was his captain after all.

I was listening to that pirate song and this random thing popped into my mind. XD I dunno, Tetra and Link are too nice to be those type of pirates. Haha.

BY THE WAY, IT'S 12/12/12! Next time that will happen...in a thousand years. XD