Chapter 10
Link's Shared POV
You don't know what it feels like to drown.
Lost under miles of ocean, unable to swim up. Unable to see any floor, because your eyes are constantly pointing up. Looking up at the lost, faintly glimmering sunlight. Trying to feel it, grasp it.
I know everyone else is up there.
But do they know I'm down here? How could they know? I've gotta scream, but my lungs are filled with water.
Water.
I'm trapped because something's got me by the ankles. I have to tear my eyes away from the sun to look down into the abyss. The infinite darkness below, twisting with rocks and crevices, but no life. Only darkness.
Do you see it?
What..?
The land you are supposed to protect.
I don't-
I said, do you see it?
I just see darkness.
Darkness...
No fish, no people, nothing. Just a shadow growing out of the darkness and grasping me by the leg, holding me down. Two beastish yellow eyes sit down there in the dark and pierce me.
Where are your traitorous gods now, hero?
I look up, back to the beautiful golden sun. I can't feel its rays or its light, but I can see it. Bask in its beauty, all the way from down here.
Yes... Allow me to show you...
The surface begins to rumble, bubbles escaping from beneath the vast, infinite, dead ground.
Just what hope you have...
The sun is getting further away. The surface, too. Medli, Komali, Quill, and others. People I know, but don't know.
Perhaps,
...See how much your precious Triforce is worth!
I don't even know myself.
"...Swabbie! You're waking up!" Says a cheery little voice. My head rolls over and I see the buck-toothed little pirate jumping for joy next to the bed I'm in. Behind him, sitting at some kind of desk, is a rito wearing goggles. I think someone called him Pitri earlier? On the sofa next to him is both Medli and Komali. Thank the goddesses...
I roll my head back on top of the surprisingly fluffy pillow and rub my forehead. What the heck was that dream?
"I told you he'd be fine, you guys!" Continues the little pirate.
"We never doubted you, man. Not once." Smiles Pitri, gleefully.
"You alright, Link?" Asks Komali. "We heard you took on Elgard all by yourself again."
"Yeah, uh. It didn't go so well this time."
"That's okay, green dude. We got there in time. Shame I didn't get to fight the Elgard man myself, really. I need that rematch in my life."
"He's tough." I warn, but Pitri seems to ignore me, organising the maps on his little desk.
Finally, after some struggle and concerned looks from Niko, I manage to sit myself up and properly look around. We're in a ship, I can tell that much. Based on the company I've seen so far, I'm gonna assume it's the pirate ship. However, I didn't expect a pirate ship to have a cabin so... cosy.
There's something nostalgic about it. Maybe it's the various pictures on the wall, displaying maps of the ocean, or showing someone wearing clothes not unlike mine holding a blade to his side. Or one particular chart which has three islands marked, and three perfectly drawn lines connecting them into a triangle. Two triangles.
Your precious Triforce.
I shake my head and look at the last picture, sitting above Medli and Komali like a small shrine. It shows a woman with red hair sitting at a chair. She looks cold, but also calculating and noble. Medli follows my gaze.
"She's beautiful..." She says, under her breath.
"Yeah, that picture's been up since I got here. Don't know who-"
"New Boss! Don't be disrespectful! That's Miss Tetra's late mother! Our old, old boss." Says the little guy, almost triumphantly. I don't recognise her, not even in my crippled memory. Although, I somehow feel like I've seen the picture before. If only once.
"Tetra's mother, eh, Niko? She must've been a great woman." Pitri remarks.
"Oh, she was! A fearless captain! Really nice too! Told the best bedtime stories." Beams Niko.
"What, an' I don't?" Smirks Pitri, closing a book and turning partially to face us.
"You don't really talk to us, New Boss. You just tell us where to go so you can fight people. Kinda weird, if you ask me."
Pitri's smirk is practically wiped off of his face. "Alright, cool, you can go now, little dude."
"Nope! I've gotta stay here and make sure the greatest swabbie in the world is okay!"
I find myself smiling a little, although I try not to. Whoever I was before must've been really nice to this guy. I look up at Pitri, and spark up conversation before he can get annoyed at my own smile.
"Where are we headed?"
At this, Pitri regains his smile and bursts from his chair, suddenly becoming the tallest, most prominent figure in the room. "Windfall Island, green dude!"
I raise my eyebrows, asking him to continue. "Well, we figured if we were gonna pursue these lizard dudes, we'd have to actually find out where they are or where they're goin' first, right? An' you know what they say; 'If you wanna know where someone's headed, follow the wind!'"
"So he interpreted that as 'let's go to Windfall and ask a bunch of questions'." Mutters Komali.
"Hey, Princey, I never said you had to come along. You three kids could've just stayed at home and-"
"But we have to find Link's memories." Medli states, trying to put an end to the mini argument. Do we?
"Thank you, but I don't need, ah... I didn't think I warranted this much help." I say.
It doesn't really work, Medli gives me a glare and looks back at Pitri. "Well, these Lizalfos harmed Lord Valoo and could come back to Dragon Roost any time. I'd like to see that they don't, if that's alright with you."
"Whatever you say, girl. I just want some revenge." Pitri gives in.
"...So do I." She mutters back.
I look at Komali, wondering if he's going to add why he came along, but he just looks at Medli, analysing her. It's strange. I don't really like the way he does it.
I decide not to think about it and shimmy to the side of the bed, choosing to state the obvious. "We're not prepared enough, though. One ship and a few weapons isn't enough to take on these sorcerers and an army of lizards."
"Why do we need weapons?" Medli sighs.
"Just in case, kiddo. Just in case."
"What does that mean!? You're going after these guys for revenge, for Din's sake! You want to kill them."
"That's how the world works, though, Medli." Komali says. I have to agree with him for once.
"Um..." Says Niko in a tiny voice. "Why can't we just talk to 'em? Maybe they're nice, really!"
"Niko, they captured all the Rito and tried to blackmail Quill. They're not nice people." Wait, hang on. "Where is Quill, anyway?"
Pitri sighs. "They roughed him up quite a bit."
"Oh."
"Sorry, Link..." Medli apologises, although I don't see why.
I guess that conversation's over. We'll just have to rush in and not think of any plans at all before proceeding.
Now why does that seem so familiar to me?
A pirate in a purple shirt bursts his way into the cabin, holding two trays, one in each hand. "Supper's ready, guys!" He announces.
Medli jumps, and the pirate places the trays in everyone's laps. Smells... alright, actually. For pirate food.
"Thanks, Senzy. We nearly there?" Pitri asks.
"Uh, yeah, like, totally. I think I heard Zuko muttering about our destination. Can never hear that guy, honestly!" Says the pirate, Senzy? "We should be there by the time you guys finish your meals~!"
The pirate exits happily and we all begin to tuck in. The sensation is strange, like I'm rediscovering the taste of food all over again. It's almost like I haven't eaten proper food in weeks. Even worse, this is probably the most comfortable bed I've ever slept in.
"What the heck is this food?" Komali sputters. "I've never tasted anything like it."
"What, you been living under a rock all your life, Princey? It's soup."
"I was living on your home island all my life, yes. Where were you?"
"Oh, y'know. Adventurin', slayin' evil monsters, explorin' dungeons."
"I've done that." Komali states, matter of factly.
"So have I, actually. Two, in fact!" Medli adds, giggling. She then holds out a hand in my direction, like I'm some kind of idol. "But Link's probably been in more dungeons than any of us!"
"Swabbie's a real adventurer!" Niko shouts.
"Pah, green guy's just a kid. He probably made it all up, you guys. He doesn't even have a boat." Pitri mocks. Oh really now?
"I did have a boat."
"Yeah!" Medli sticks up for me. "And he'd be very annoyed to hear you making fun of him."
Komali looks confused, but Pitri just laughs and plays along. "Oh, would he now? This boat? What, can he talk or somethin'?"
"Yeah, he had this... deep, thoughtful voice. He was kinda tiny, too, but very fast!" Medli reminisces. I'm trying to picture this boat in my head, but...
"I don't remember this." Komali says, basically voicing my thoughts.
"You don't remember Link's boat? I thought you saw it at least once."
"Oh, yeah, when we rescued Tetra. I thought that was just my imagination, the whole talking thing."
"Wait," Pitri interrupts. "You rescued Miss Tetra!?"
"Mhm." Komali continues with his mouth half full. "Link and her were at the Forsaken Fortress and we bailed them out before Ganondorf could kill them."
A wave of silence hits me like a sack of bricks. Ganondorf.
I suppose the least I can do is commend you for your reckless courage. My name is Ganondorf... And I am the master of the Forsaken Fortress.
"Huh. I was hopin' you'd know where she is now, but it looks like you know about as much as I do."
"Maybe we can ask at Windfall Island."
How ridiculous... So many pathetic creatures, scattered across a handful of islands, drifting like fallen leaves on a forgotten pool... What can they possibly hope to achieve? Don't you see? All of you...
No, stop. STOP.
YOUR GODS DESTROYED YOU!
"Link?" Medli queries lightly. "You've gone pale..."
"Hm? Sorry, thought I saw something in my soup."
You see now, don't you? The kingdom you were supposed to protect...
I can feel Pitri's concealed eyes trying to suss me out from under his goggles.
The kingdom you were supposed to protect is gone.
"Yo," He says, lightheartedly. "Everyone finished? Maybe we should head up top."
Pitri practically waltzes out of the room, with Niko in tow after a concerned look at me. Komali shrugs and follows and Medli jumps up, holding out a hand.
"Come on," She smiles. "It's fine."
I smile back, holding up a hand to tell her it's fine as I attempt to get up and feel my legs again.
But I find my hand resting in hers anyway. Did she catch my hand on its descent? Sneaky. She simply continues smiling, and I feel my face getting slightly red. She walks me to the door and allows me through. I nod, thanking her, and make my way out onto the deck.
The ship is lit romantically by a few lanterns, and the purple-shirt pirate from before is packing away the cooking gear, while a pirate holding some kind of book watches, adjusting his glasses every few seconds.
"You aren't being delicate enough, Senza." He scolds.
"Help me, then?"
"Mh, I'd rather not, I'm quite busy."
Something tells me it's always been like this.
"Well if it isn't Link!" Says a bear-like man. I spin around to face him, startled that making eye contact with him means I have to crane my neck upwards far too much. He looks like he's scowling, but then he smiles and holds out a hand. "Been a while, yeah? How you been?"
I reach out to shake his hand, and almost cringe at his strength. "I'm good. I guess I could be better, but I'm just thankful for what I've got right now."
The pirate looks puzzled. I guess that was a pretty stupid response. "Well, hey, it's good to see you again, yeah? Now maybe Niko will stop cryin' all the time."
"I do not!"
"Yo, Gonzo, my man, pick on someone your own size. Preferrably in Windfall." Yells Pitri from the opposite side of the deck, motioning with his thumb over his shoulder. Behind him lies a bright, lively island. That's especially surprising because it's the middle of the night, and the town's great windmill is shining gloriously - two large pillars of light radiating from its lighthouse.
The crescent moon helps with the light too.
"The townsfolk aren't gonna know what hit them again~!" Says another large pirate, this one wearing an aqua coloured shirt.
"Feels a bit unfair, really. They're probably still recovering from last time, yeah?" Gonzo chuckles.
"Remember, lads. We're not here exclusively to party." Pitri chides. "But if you're gonna let loose, do it in style."
"Why don't we all meet back here, midday tommorow?" Komali suggests. Seems a bit late for my liking.
"Sounds good to me, Princey. Alright, cool, thin out, everybody! First person to come to me with info on Miss Tetra and these lizard ruffians gets extra soup rations!"
At this, the pirates all cry out in triumph and dive into the sea, swimming eagerly towards the island. I guess they don't have landing boats. The three Rito take off and head towards the little wooden dock that lies just next to the main gateway into the town.
I follow them, diving into the sea myself and then climbing up onto the lowest part of the pier, dripping wet.
"Well ain't you like a repressed fish to water! Heh, literally!" Pitri jokes.
"I'll admit, it does feel good to be wet again."
Pitri laughs and takes off yet again. "Alright, kiddos, I'm gonna check out the bar here. See if they've got any delicious info, y'know? Behave!"
Before anyone can complain, he's gone.
"What a lout." Komali says. "You think dad really knew him when he was a kid?"
"Your dad probably knows all sorts of strange people, Komali. I don't doubt this is one of them."
Komali's face suddenly lights up, illuminating the dark. "Guys, I just remembered something. I gotta go see someone, okay? Be good or whatever." Komali grins to us as he flies off, sort of in the same direction as Pitri, but to a building a little closer to us.
I scan the island.
It seems to be half town, half grassy hill. Although, opposite to the town past a pathway surrounded by crumbling brick walls is a large shop kind of thing. Kind've ominous, really. Looks lonely, too.
The town itself is a marvelous. There seem to be little pathways everywhere, crossing over and under each other to reach little doors that lead to all manner of hospitable, happy places. The vibe is just so merry. Of course, most of the action seems to be at the bar - where most of the pirates have gone.
"Are you nervous?" Medli asks quietly.
Hm? Oh yeah, I guess I am a little. "Yeah..." I respond.
"Don't worry, I can help you remember."
We began walking down the pier towards the grand gate that marks the entrance to the little road, curving up into town with all manner of shops and houses to the side like little siblings to each other.
"Do I have a family?" I ask.
Medli seems surprised by this. I suppose she was expecting something on a smaller scale?
"Yeah, you do. Your sister, Aryll, and your grandmother. You live with them on Outset Island, far south of here. They're nice people. You took me to visit them once." Medli smiles, remembering a happy time. I wish I could.
"That's... good to know." I breathe, meaning it. I genuinely feel a sort of fuzziness in that knowledge. It feels almost lighter.
"Anything else...?" She wonders aimlessly.
That's a good question. I guess I'll start with...
"When did we see my family together?"
"Oh, well, it was before we went to the Earth Temple, of course." Right. The Earth Temple. Together. Whatever reason we had for putting her in there, I don't know if I agree with it. "You said that to prepare, we should visit your grandma. You weren't wrong, her soup was amazing!"
"Then what?" I ask, trying to sound patient and polite when really I'm dying to know every detail.
"Well, we sailed to Headstone Island and defeated the evil there that... murdered the last Sage of Earth. I stayed to continue giving power to the Master Sword, and you left to go and find the Sage of Wind."
How could I... do that? "Did you find them, by the way? Am I allowed to know who it was?" She wonders, smiling all the while. I look at her blankly. "Oh, yeah, right. Sorry!"
"It's okay. Right, last question."
"Go for it."
I stop, the pale moonlight suddenly hitting my face as I step out from concealment. Medli waits.
"How close were we? You and I?"
Medli opens her mouth and I finally get to see her blush. Heh... She says nothing, considering her answers.
"I suppose... that might take a while to answer."
"If it's alright with you." I state, because it was kind of a dummy question anyway. Although, she seems pretty determined to give me an answer anyway.
"When we first met, I didn't really think much of you, I'll be honest. It was refreshing to see someone from the outside world, and from so far away. But I was more worried about Lord Valoo at the time. Nevertheless, something deep inside me told me that I should ask you for help. You didn't look like one, but somehow I knew you could be a hero. So I asked you to help me get into Dragon Roost Cavern, and you did just that."
Seems like I'm getting a story rather than an answer. Haha, good. That's kinda what I wanted!
"When you came to rescue me after my stupid mistake, I was worried more for you than for me. I got captured by some monsters, right, but they really threw everything at you. After you defeated all of them, I knew my role was pretty much over then. So I gave you the grappling hook and headed down back to the Postal Centre. But by the time anyone would listen to me, you'd already solved Valoo's monster problem and effectively saved the island."
"I did that?"
"Mhm! You single-handedly slayed the beast tormenting Valoo, thus allowing the future generation of Rito to grow wings! After Komali agreed to give you the pearl and we said goodbye on the beach, I didn't see much of you. Quill said you were off adventuring, and that he saw you occasionally. Somehow I knew you were doing great things, Link. I never imagined those things could involve me."
And then I see it. I see the exact scene.
"It was quite a sunny day on Dragon Roost Island, out in my favourite spot. That little balcony? I'd been neglecting my harp for a while, so I decided to play her again. To remind me of Komali's grandmother. Anyway, you arrived and I was so happy to see you again. You looked older, and a little wiser. But somehow, you still had that childish charm about you."
I see myself walking up to her, tapping her on the shoulder and giving her a big goofy grin. Do I look like that?
"I wasn't quite as surprised as I should've been when you showed me the Wind Waker. It was like I was expecting it. The song you played was the strangest part of all, though. It was like a memory I'd forgotten but never experienced, and I had suddenly remembered it. When I opened my eyes again, you were holding me. You looked older, like... like I suddenly knew who you were."
I see it now. Medli, who had nearly fallen over, lies in my arms. She opens her eyes and looks up at me, then to the sky. She says some words, but I can't hear them. Somebody flies overhead, lost in their own little world. It's him.
"Leaving Komali was pretty difficult for me, in retrospect. I knew I had to, but..."
"Hey, it's alright." I say soothingly.
"No, it's like his grandmother said. Every guardian has to watch their children go at some point. Perspective doesn't matter, whether they be leaving, or you."
That's... surprisingly insightful. I wonder who this woman is. Or was...
"Visiting your family was nice. Outset Island really is a beautiful little place full of beautiful people - I only ever heard Quill talking about it, and he has quite a dry way of describing things. Your sister seems to adore you, as well, Link! But not as much as your grandmother adores the both of you." She smiles. "I think you know the rest."
I nod, and turn around as a door opens. It's Komali, exiting a... potion shop? He seems in high spirits.
"Hey," He greets us. "You two find anything out?"
"Sort of," I say vaguely. "But nothing useful."
"Ah, alright. I'm gonna try the, uh, market. See if there's anything there."
"At this time of night?" I ask, but he's already run past me to the open-air stalls ahead. Just looks like one big shop to me.
Komali begins to take off when he realises his mistake, but I swear I hear him mutter. "She's not here..."
"Where should we look, Link?"
"Anywhere sounds good to me. You wanna stick with me?"
"Sure!" Medli exclaims.
I wonder how close we really are...
I wonder.