10. Door

It was late afternoon. Captain 'Sardine Breath' Sawyer Butz sat in his cabin, his eyes bloodshot, his shoulders slumped. The crew had given up on knocking on his locked door now. They were anxious to leave Tower Island, but Sawyer had refused to raise anchor. Pretty soon they'd probably mutiny.

What's it matter? he thought. They're not real anyway.

He felt a shudder overtake him. Had he really had that thought, or had someone magicked it into existence just by scribbling it with a pen somewhere?

And who the heck is the twisted, scab-brained mind that writes this stuff?

He wasn't real. Peggy wasn't real. His heart broke just from thinking of it.

"Why don't you," he said, voice slurred, "write it so that I forget her? Huh? HUH?!"

A soft click followed. The door to his cabin swung open. Captain Sawyer stumbled to his feet, eyes scrunched up from the sudden flood of lantern light.

"Who the blazes -?!"

His voice collapsed into a gurgle as his vision returned.

She was there.

Standing in the doorway.

"P-Peggy…?"

The little girl smiled. "Papa!"

Sawyer dropped to his knees as she rushed toward him. A moment later, he had her wrapped up in his arms. Tears streamed down Sawyer's face. He breathed in her scent, marvelled at her warmth, felt his heart roar in response to her delighted squeals.

This is real. Of course this is real. Why would I even think it wasn't?

He tried to remember why such an absurd thing had ever come to his mind, but found that he couldn't. Instead, Peggy stole his attention by breathing in deep.

"Ew," she said, wrinkling her little nose.

"What?" he replied, alarmed. "What is it?"

"Your breath!" she said. "It stinks of sardines!"

Sawyer grinned, then laughed as Peggy burst into giggles. Eyes still shimmering, he held her at arm's length so he could get a good look at her.

"How?" he croaked.

"Unca Joe was on a trip," she replied. "I went with him. We just arrived here today. We didn't even know you were here, until someone told me."

"Someone…?" He took her in another ferocious hug, then looked up.

It was the Outset boy, standing outside with a smile. He gave Sawyer a brief salute. The old pirate managed a smile. He raised his hand in return –

But Link had already slipped away.

It was late evening. They sat huddled around a table in the inn they were staying in, Tetra with a pensive look on her face, Senza looking concerned, and Link slumped over a flagon. It was noisy, with some sort of angry commotion coming from a small back room with a door covered in fading green paint. Tetra found it irritating.

"She wanted to kill you," said Senza in a blank voice.

"Paid to," Tetra replied. "So she said, anyway."

"And this Miss Creant had a Pirate Charm," Senza continued. "Someone in her ear."

"Yeah," said Tetra. "And she's already left the island."

"Convenient."

"Mm-hmm. Speaking of Pirate Charms. Can I have ours for a bit?"

Senza nodded. He pulled the glowing sapphire free from a pocket and slid it across the table. Tetra picked it up.

"Harkinian," she said. "You there?"

"Always," the ship's deep voice responded. "How are you? It's late. I imagine you're in bed now."

Tetra ignored the comment. "The chest. The treasure chest," she added hastily, "The crew having any luck with opening it?"

"Not yet, I'm afraid," said Harkinian. "I think it requires your gentle, soft touch."

Tetra briefly closed her eyes and massaged her brow. Is it too hard to ask for a bit of sanity now and then? It didn't help that the noise from the backroom was making her head pound.

"Keep at it," she said in a soft voice. "It's all connected. I'm sure it is. Anything suspicious on the docks?"

"Not really," the boat replied. "Mainly some curious Rito looking at me. But they appear to be doing that to all the ships."

"Right…" Tetra exchanged glances with Senza. Her brow wrinkled in thought. "Thanks for letting me know. I'm out."

She handed the stone back. Loud voices now emerged from the front of the inn.

"Hey!" someone said. "Hold the door!"

Tetra looked up as the newcomer entered - the door held open by a big hulk of a man with silver hair as asked - and made his way straight to their table.

"Linebeck," she said, leaning back in her hard chair. "Haven't seen you in a while."

"Not since Chapter 7, actually," mumbled Link.

Linebeck frowned and looked over at the Outset boy. "What's up with him?"

Tetra tapped Link's wooden flagon with the tip of her finger. "Too much to drink."

Linebeck craned his neck to peer into the vessel. "That's…just water."

Tetra made a random gesture with her hand. "Just ignore him when he's like this," she said. "Beck, listen –"

"No, you listen." Linebeck slid into an empty chair opposite her. "You've been hanging around the Baron."

Tetra tensed up. "So what?"

"He's bad news, Tetra."

"Knew it," said Senza.

Linebeck glanced at him. "You've heard, too?"

"Shut up, both of you," Tetra snapped. Another yell came from the back room. She hissed in exasperation. "Can't they keep it down back there?"

Link was on his feet in a heartbeat. "Let me handle this."

Tetra watched him go, then turned back to the two men. "What do you mean you 'knew it'?" she asked, looking at Senza. "You heard his story. He's had a hard life."

"So have we all," said Linebeck. "But the Baron. He's something else."

"I didn't ask you." Tetra really didn't want to hear what Linebeck had to say. She couldn't quite tell why she prickled with such defensiveness.

She heard the door to the back room creak open, then snap shut. The voices within grew louder.

Tetra pierced Linebeck with a glare. She may not want to hear it, but she was no coward. "Fine, Beck. So what trash have you heard about him th–"

"HADOUKEN!" A blue flash erupted from within the little back room. The angry voices inside vanished in an instant.

Silence fell over the inn. Tetra and the two men turned slowly to stare at the green door.

"That…" she said slowly, "… was Link's voice."

The backroom door opened. Link stepped out, smiling, encircled in a wispy curls of smoke, his sleeves tinged black. They watched as he walked casually back, then sat down at the table.

"Uh..." said Tetra.

"Sorted," he said. "Down, Down-Forward, Forward + Punch."

"O...kay."

Everyone turned back to their conversations. No more noise came from the back room.

Tetra opened her mouth to speak, but she was cut off again.

"Well, well, well," said the familiar voice.

Tetra's stopped short of rolling her eyes. "Sneer," she said. "Long time."

"Chapter 4," Link murmured.

"Guess what?" said Sneer as he rounded the table. He placed both his palms on the wooden top and leaned in. "I just heard some news. Some good news. Dreams do come true."

Tetra felt her cheek twitch. "What is it?"

"Second round, honey," he replied. "Team Sneer versus Team Tetra."

He grinned. His eyes had a hard, flinty look to them that Tetra found suddenly uncomfortable.

Aggressive. Threatening. Like how Miss Creant sounded when she said she was being paid to off me.

Sneer turned way. "See you soon."

Tetra got up to leave as well. Linebeck, flustered, stared at her. "Where you going?"

"Out. Away from here," she said. "I don't know. The docks. I want to see these Rito that are spying on Harkinian."

Senza reached out for her arm. "Not on your own, you're n-"

. "Yes." Tetra pulled out of his reach. "On my own."

"But," said Linebeck, "I need to tell you about the Baron."

"Later," she said, striding off before Beck could say anymore.

It was late. Midnight, she supposed. It was certainly a lot cooler here at night. Tetra hugged herself as the sea breeze rolled in over the docks. The port was deserted now, the warehouses all locked. No sign of any Rito here.

Harkinian bobbed up and down on the gentle waves, but she felt no inkling to go check in. She just wanted to be on her own tonight.

The sea was nothing more than a black wedge set against the distant horizon now. A nearby lighthouse cut a bright path through the night that briefly caught a reflection of waves. The only sign that they were next to the coast was the sound. You could never ignore the sound, the whisper and sigh of the ocean, punctuated now and then by the familiar squawk of a gull. It soothed her. It had done from when she'd been a child.

Tetra jumped slightly at the sound of the door opening. She spun around, and found herself facing –

"Baron Von JoBo." She tried to steady her breath, but couldn't. She hated how nervous she suddenly felt.

He smiled, his eyes sparkling. Tetra felt entranced by them. It was weird. She wasn't the romantic type.

"Such a cold night for such a lovely lady," he said. "Wouldn't you like to be…warm?"

What's he mean by th-

He took a step closer. Tetra swallowed.

The lighthouse caught something metal in its beam. Tetra looked up. Von JoBo noticed, and turned to see.

It was the Grand S.

He smiled, then leaned in so close that Tetra could feel his breath on her skin. She trembled.

"Would you like to take a closer look?" he said in a husky voice.

Tetra dropped her gaze to meet his. "Closer…?"

"Inside," he said, a slow smile spreading across his face. "I know a door."

Without realising it, Tetra began smiling back. "Sure," she said, her eyes not leaving his. She held out her hand. He took it. "Why not?"