Chapter 3: Beauty and the Beast

"Ooooh! Splendid! Marvelous!" a woman exclaimed while clapping her hands together excitedly.

"Yes! Just absolutely superb!" a man added.

"Looks wonderful on you!" another man suggested. The person that all the excitement was directed towards, a young woman with long flowing red hair, studied herself in a mirror as she posed with a large, ruby brooch. The comments of the sales people didn't seem to be exactly what she was looking for and she was desperate to come to a decision. Huffing a little, she turned to look at the blonde haired man that sat beside her who was currently preoccupied with a book. She distasted the book immediately like it had openly insulted her.

"What do you think darling? Should it be the ruby? Or sapphire?" she asked sweetly. Link slowly lifted his head from his book and their eyes only connected for a brief moment before he was once again giving his full attention to the book in his hands.

"Either one you think works," he replied. He tried desperately to reread the page he'd been on for the last couple of minutes, but his attention hogging fiancée wouldn't have any of it and she forcefully lowered the book until she was the only thing he saw.

"I'm asking you, Link, darling. Which do you like best?" she repeated through gritted teeth. Both of them bore into one another's eyes in a silent battle that neither wanted to lose. It was the one hundredth time that she'd interrupted his reading and Link was pissed but he'd rather give the princess what she wanted instead of keeping up the childish charade.

"Ruby… Zelda… ruby…," he told through gritted teeth. The color had only been chosen because it was a silent indication of what Link was really thinking about her, or rather what he wanted to do to her. That fact didn't stop the victorious grin that had appeared on the girl's face and she replied coolly, "Of course ruby! You're brilliant!" She kissed his cheek and returned her attention back to the sales people. Link mentally strangled her and then sighed to release the built up frustration. Zelda was a gorgeous princess to say the least and Link knew she looked good in anything she wore. But despite her beauty, Zelda was a mildly shallow person that loved to tease people by putting them on the spot. She openly dared them to say anything bad about her because she knew no one ever would or else they'd be dealing with the corrupt ruler of New Hyrule, King Daphnes. The thought in itself was scary enough so basically, Zelda always got what she wanted. A-L-W-A-Y-S…

"I'm going for a stroll. I'll be back," Link said. Zelda waved him off as she purchased the sapphire brooch. Link grinned a little to himself. In the end, Zelda took no one's opinions but her own because she knew that it wasn't opinions that made you beautiful, it was the "looks".

Windfall island was said to be the most peaceful place in New Hyrule, and Link could see why as he casually strolled through the crowded market. Children were playing outside, adults could stand around and gossip, and there wasn't any threat of danger mostly because Link dealt with it. Countless people warmly greeted Link and he returned each gesture with an equally warm one of his own. He couldn't expect less from the place where nobles, business men, and even the monarchy resided, but he knew how other islands had been fairing. He'd seen the chaos and anarchy that was taking place and could hardly believe how well these people seemed to get a long with ease as such things were going on around them.

The young man found a seat near the beach and sat there, inhaling that salty sea breeze. It hadn't been too long ago when he himself had been amongst the ones suffering at the King's expense. Before the King had found the boy, he was living alone on the destroyed island of Outset. Pirates had raided and taken everything he loved which included his grandma and little sister. They'd left only him alive and he grimaced while thinking about the gruesome massacre. He never could understand why he was left to live, but he did know that he'd never forget the face of the man who'd taken the way of life he'd once known. Subconsciously, he made a fist and clenched it. Link vowed to avenge the lives of his family and friends even if it meant being employed by the lowest scum of them all. Truly, he did owe Daphnes his life but it didn't change the fact the fat fart was a greedy man that took care of his wants and needs before those of his people. Maybe after Link took care of the pirate problem and he and Zelda were married, he could take care of the old man as well?

Link looked out at the sea and felt something he hadn't in a while… bored. He didn't know what he was going to do to sustain the growing sensation, but knew that he sure and hell wasn't going back to Zelda. He refused to give her the satisfaction. He wasn't about to start reading his book again either because he knew as soon as he started that he'd be interrupted again. He wracked his mind for something to do. Anything at all! Then, on the horizon, a ship with blue sails was steadily approaching the island. Link grinned. Pirates! Just the distraction he needed…

Meanwhile…

"… I've been working way too hard," Tetra mumbled. She stood from her hunched position and stretched to get rid of the craving for sleep that had been beckoning her for hours now. The dim lighting in her quarters hadn't been helping any and Tetra decided it was time for fresh air. She looked at the treasure charts on her bed one more time before leaving to go above deck where her crew of misfits was. Each girl was doing something different and much to Tetra's irritation didn't include the jobs that were assigned to them.

"Hey! Cap'n," a fiery red head greeted. She was Nabooru, the crew's treasurer. She also handled any other business that Tetra wanted her to, but at the present moment, she wasn't doing anything but laying in the sun deepening the color of her already tanned body.

"Why aren't you out collecting booty?" Tetra demanded. Nabooru shrugged a little and continued her sun bathing. To make things worse, Malon wasn't steering the ship and instead was looking out at the sea with solemn eyes. She was unmistakably daydreaming of a knight coming to save her from her cursed existence as a pirate underling. Tetra had to envy her imagination despite her lazy disposition.

"Wow. Lookit!" the pirate captain heard a shrill voice shriek. Much to her displeasure, Medli, the lookout, was busy looking at the different types of fish that had began to splash up from the sea's murky depths. Tetra couldn't believe this is all she had to show for the fiercest pirate crew that ever sailed the Great Sea. Talk about a broken ego.

"Oh… Hey cap'n. I think I finally matched the coordinates of the maps to somewhere," a sweet voice explained. Tetra looked down at the young green haired girl that had approached her with a nervous smile on her face. If there was anyone she could count on it was Saria. Originally it would have been Aryll, but she too had been off in her own little world seemingly smitten with that pirate hunter.

"Didja now?" Tetra asked, and the little girl nodded her head.

"Yes cap'n. Apperantly, it's on Windfall Island," Saria said, "And the most likely of places to check is King Daphnes' castle since the Triforce is so closely tied to the Hyrule Royal Family." Tetra's good mood quickly disappeared and her heart dropped down to her stomach. The news hadn't been what she was expecting. She thought that the coordinates would be in some desolate location that required them to dive underneath the surface of the sea to get to. The bright eyed girl didn't really understand why she thought that, but desperately wished that it had been so.

"Cap'n?" Saria inquired with concern evident in her voice. Tetra snapped out of her shock and shook Saria by the shoulders.

"Are you sure? Are you completely certain…," she asked. She knew she couldn't doubt Saria's mapping skills which were why she was even in the crew to begin with. Saria never led them wrong and yet somehow Tetra wished that this time would be different.

"Yes," the younger one said. Tetra loosened her hold on the child and sighed heavily.

"Great… Just peachy… This is gonna be a big problem…"

"Hullo cap'n, you don't plan on letting this opportunity pass by right? It is the first big lead we've had on the whereabouts of the Triforce in a long while after all." Tetra looked at her crew mate angrily.

"No! Of course not! If this is what it's gonna take then I'm all for it! Now we just hafta figure out a way to check the castle without so much trouble…"

"Oh, that's no problem. I mean. We can use Link the Pirate Hunter's wedding as a diversion! Since lots of family and friends will be attending, let's use that as our chance!" Tetra grinned. If she had to pick one member of her crew to die with, it'd be Saria without doubt. She also knew who to give the bigger piece of loot once they had finally gotten their greedy paws on the golden relic from legends passed. Absentmindedly, Tetra touched the necklace around her neck that was tied to a silver triangle. Just thinking about the Triforce gave her a new determination. She couldn't remember exactly what it was that made finding the Triforce irresistible to her, but she knew that it was in connection with the necklace and her mother's map. The only two items she salvaged from her previous life that seemed like a blur in the dark depths of her mind… The chill on her spine, even during the hot summer weather had also been some kind of indication and made her want to find the triangle even more.

Back at Windfall…

Link hovered menacingly over a fish faced pirate with a look of disgust. She'd had the nerve to approach him without a moment's hesitation and even addressed him like they were old buddies. Link guessed it was from the confidence she had in some valuable information she possessed and Link willingly listened to. Apperantly, Tetra the female pirate fiend was going to be making a stop at the island. How the Zora came across such knowledge Link didn't know, and didn't care. As far as he was concerned, he just killed two birds with one stone. Why capture one and let the other go, even if that person had some good news. As Link tied her up, some of his men arrested her crew and took her ship.

"Pirates," he spat.

Author's Note: Finally! I thought this chapter would NEVER get finished. Anyway, good news, Tetra and Link are FINALLY going to meet! But will it be as friends or most likely predator and prey. As always, read and review! Please? I need feedback from those of you who are reading this fic! I'm looking for 8 reviews before I post Chapter 5. It can be constructive criticism, I like a challenge. Compliments are welcomed as well because everyone loves an ego booster! No flames because, if you don't like the story don't read. Thank you all!