Chapter 10: From Greatfish Island to Outset Island

"I've been watching you…" Tetra spoke as she sat in her cabin on her pirate ship. "I've seen everything. Your journey to Dragon Roost Island in search of Din's Pearl, and your trip to the Forest Haven to find Farore's Pearl. Now you're off to Greatfish Isle. Well, we'll see what happens to you now."

"Miss Tetra!" a voice shouted and Tetra growled.

"What is it, Gonzo?" Tetra shouted.

"There's a Ruto…a Rato…uhh…a weird bird thing here to see you!"

"A Rito?"

"Yeah!"

Tetra sighed. "Coming…" She stood up from her bed and walked forward, opening her cabin door. Gonzo waited on the other side, staring at her as she stepped out. "Where is the Rito?"

"On the deck."

"Fine." Tetra turned and took the doorway out to the deck. There, her eyes fixated on the Rito who had come to her boat. "Yes?"

"Hello once more, Miss Pirate," the Rito spoke, and Tetra now realized who it was.

"Quill, what are you doing here?" Tetra asked.

"I've come to ask you something."

"And that would be?"

"I have a message for Link. It is from the Chieftain of the Rito Tribe. Would you happen to know where Link is at this time?"

"Perhaps…first, what is this message?"

"I cannot tell you that," Quill spoke.

Tetra shrugged. "Fine, if you don't tell us the message, then I won't tell you where Link is."

Quill found himself a little nervous now. He knew he had to find Link as quickly as possible, and he also knew that Tetra was his only hope of finding Link quickly. "All right…I'll tell you."

Tetra smirked. "Good."

* * *

"What's wrong, Link?" King asked as they sailed through the Great Sea. "You've had that look on your face since we left Forest Haven."

"I'm worried about this storm, King," Link spoke as he stared forward, a look of seriousness on his face.

"And what are you worried about?"

"My father…he was killed in a storm once…making almost the same trip we are."

"Really?"

"Father had to deliver something to Greatfish Isle. We lived on Outset Island at the time. He didn't make it back, and it's uncertain if he even made it there."

"How interesting, then you are hoping that the same does not happen to you."

"Exactly."

"Do not fear, Link, we shall be fine. We're already almost-" King's sentence was cut short when the waves suddenly turned fierce. King began to rock back and forth heavily on the waves, and the wind began to blow hard into Link's face.

"What's this all of a sudden?"

"It's a bad part of the storm!" Suddenly, a large wave rushed forward at them, pushing them up into the air, and sending them flying forward a ways before crashing back into the water. Link gripped the rudder hard, trying to keep their course steady as the waves crashed against King harder now.

"How the hell do we get through this?"

"By pushing harder and keeping our course steady," King spoke as waves crashed into his face.

"Damn it! This was just the way Dad died…and he had a much bigger boat. How do we get through this?"

"Don't worry, Link, we'll make it!" Another wave struck King hard on the side, nearly tipping them over. Another large wave then came from ahead, lifting them up once again and tossing them forward, causing them to crash upon the waves once again.

"How much farther is the island?"

"Look ahead! You can see it on the horizon!" Link looked forward, and his eyes caught sight of the island. The island looked to be several smaller islands, all jutting up into the air. The splits between each island looked unnatural, as if something had torn the island apart. Link's eyes then darted to the sky as he saw a flash of light, followed by the sound of thunder.

"Oh shit! Lightning!" Link shouted.

"We'll make it, don't worry!"

"Are you even sure that's Greatfish Isle?"

"Yes, I'm positive! That's the home of Jabun, the Diety of Water." Another large wave moved towards them and Link felt King slowly lifting into the air.

"We're about to fly again!" Link shouted, and the wave tossed them forward. They crashed hard upon the waters, only to have another large wave lift them once more. The wave tossed them once more, and a third wave caught them in mid-air, crashing hard against them, and causing King to flip backwards. "Damn it!" Link shouted as he fell back into the water, with King following close behind.

Link felt the current grip him and he felt himself moving towards the island. A few moments passed before he finally washed up on shore, and he coughed to breathe once more. He turned around just in time to see a large wave moving towards him, with King on the top of it. The wave crashed hard against the island, leaving King now stranded on land, with Link nearly knocked out by the waves.

"Ugh…damn it…that was one hell of a ride…" Link spoke as he pushed himself to stand up. King now lied next to him, lying on its side. "King, you all right?"

"I took some damage, but I think I'm still sailable," King replied.

"Good…well, we're here…now what?"

King turned his head and looked around a bit. "This place…something has happened to it…It's been torn apart…there's no way anything could survive here now…but nonetheless, we must search for Jabun…he must still be alive."

"Why do you assume that?"

"It's a hope…for if Jabun is not alive, then we're all in trouble."

"Link!" a voice shouted and Link turned quickly. He saw Quill flying towards him, and he smiled and waved.

"Quill!" Link shouted.

"Link, I'm so glad I found you." Quill landed upon the ground and pulled his arms down, folding his wings up.

"What's wrong?"

"I have a message from the Chieftain. He wanted you to know that Greatfish Isle is split…"

"Split?" Link asked and looked around. "I…think that's fairly obvious…"

"Cursed!" Quill quickly corrected. "I meant cursed…"

"The island itself is cursed?"

"Yes. Jabun came to us shortly after you left, telling us that his island was cursed with a terrible storm, and that it was literally torn apart by the storm. He has now traveled off to Outset Island where he is hoping to stay hidden."

"Outset Island? Why there?"

"He said…'It was once the home of the Hero, and maybe it will be again.' I am not sure what he meant by that."

"Then we need to get to Outset Island."

"And exactly how do you propose we get off this island?" King asked. "I may be sailable, but that storm will push us back onto this island real fast. There's no escaping it."

"Storms are wind, right? What if I just controlled the way the wind was blowing?"

"Even the Wind Waker cannot control a storm like this."

"There has to be a way, though. I mean…Jabun made it off the island."

"Jabun is a whale…he simply went underwater where the waves won't bother him."

"Damn it…there has to be some way off this island…We can't just stay here, we have to push off and get to Outset Island."

"Another thing…" Quill spoke up and Link turned back to him. "Jabun said he would seal himself away. Reaching him will be no easy task. On top of that, your pirate friends are also working to reach Jabun."

"What?"

"I'm sorry, but to get them to tell me where you were, I had to tell them everything. They said that they would make their way to Outset Island to also try to get the pearl. They seemed certain that they could make it through any of Jabun's defenses."

"Damn it…this is really bad then…we've got to move. We've got to get to Outset before Tetra does…" It was then that a thought crossed Link's mind. "Wait…how would Tetra know where I am? I haven't seen her since the Forsaken Fortress…Unless…" He looked down and took hold of the stone around his neck. "She can see through this…I forgot all about that! She can see, hear, and talk to me through this!"

"So then, what do we do now?" King asked.

"We push through the storm," Link spoke. "We might die…but hopefully not. Now is not a time to be cucco. If we are, we'll never get off this island. Quill, can you help me get King off the island?"

"Certainly," Quill spoke with a nod.

"Then we'll break through that storm, or we'll die trying…" Link and Quill then went to work, pushing King down to the shore and into the water, where Link quickly waved the Wind Waker forward in an attempt to make the wind travel in the direction of Outset. "Here we go!" He pulled the sail up, and the wind caught upon the sail, making them move forward and through the storm. The seas rocked them back and forth, and the waves threatened to toss them into the waves many times, but Link's courage held strong, and soon he and King had fought their way through the storm.

The two then set sail to the south and towards Outset Island. They had hoped to reach the island before Tetra and her gang of pirates did. As they sailed, King seemed to grow more worried about things around him. It took them only a few hours to return to Outset, but King still had a worried look as they grew closer to it. "Link, listen to me for a moment," King spoke suddenly and Link looked at him.

"What is it?" Link asked.

"It's about this storm, and our current situation."

"What do you mean?"

"Link, look at the sky."

Link did as he was told and looked up. "It's dark...I see stars, the moon, there's no clouds…"

"Exactly."

"Hmm?" Link asked questioningly. He didn't understand.

"It's night. The sail from the Forest Haven to Greatfish Isle should have taken us several hours, but the sky hasn't changed. The moon is even still in the same place as it was when we arrived at the Forest Haven."

"You're right!" Link spoke as he looked back up. The moon was about forty-five degrees into the sky, which meant only about a quarter of the night had gone by. "The moon should be going down in the west about now. It should be on the horizon, but it's still high in the sky. It hasn't even hit the midnight point yet."

"Exactly, I think the curse on Greatfish that caused that storm did much more then just cause a storm."

"A spell of Eternal Night?"

"Exactly. I think it's Ganondorf's evil doing."

"You're probably right, we need to find Jabun, then."

"Jabun said he had come here to seek refuge. Is there any place in the water that a whale could go for refuge?"

Link thought for a moment. "There is a big cave on the back side of the island…"

"Then we'll check there."

Link pulled the rudder and they slowly made a turn around the island. At first, Link saw nothing, but then something caught his eye. It looked like the back of a boat, a rather large one at that. It seemed to be turning and moving forward. King sailed forward further, and their eyes took in more of the ship as it came into view. It was a moment later before Link's eyes registered what it was.

"It's Tetra's boat!" Link shouted. "They're already here!" Their eyes then quickly dropped down from the boat as they noticed the boat was still turning, but not by will. Underneath of it lied a large whirlpool, and the boat had been caught into it and was slowly being swirled into the center in a hope to sink it. Link's eyes darted back up, noticing Gonzo at the helm, pulling hard on the wheel, trying to turn away from the whirlpool, but having no luck.

"They're stuck."

"We have to save them!"

"What about Jabun?"

Link turned, noticing a large stone wall against the island. "He must be behind that wall."

"Why do you think that?"

"Because that wall wasn't there before. King, what I'm about to ask you is going to be very dangerous, but you have to trust me."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm getting onto Tetra's boat, but I'll need you to get right up next to it."

"What? But we'll be pulled into that whirlpool!" King shouted.

"And if I'm right…the whirlpool will go away once that wall is destroyed," Link spoke as his eyes glanced at Tetra's boat.

"And how do you plan to do that?"

Link pulled out his grappling hook. "Tetra's cannons. They'll surely be able to take out that wall."

"If you're certain…"

"I'm not…but it's our only hope."

King nodded and Link grabbed the rudder. He turned it slightly and King began to sail towards the ship. He turned them just right as to pull up directly on their right side. Link then tossed the grappling hook up, managing to hook onto the edge of the boat. He quickly pulled to make sure it was secure then began to climb. "Be careful!" King shouted.

"I'll be as careful as possible!" Link responded back.

* * *

"Outset Island…never thought I'd be back here…" Tetra spoke as she folded her arms across her chest.

"But we are," Gonzo spoke. "What are the plans?"

"We find Jabun and take the pearl. That kid, Link, needs it, and we can probably manage to sell it to him for a good price."

"So…we're not helping him out?" Niko asked.

Tetra laughed. "We are, but we're also pirates, so it'll cost him."

"That makes sense."

"Now, get to work, circle the island and let's see if we can't spot something that could look like a place for a whale to hide in."

"What if it's underwater?" Gonzo asked.

"We'll find that out after we've circled it once," Tetra responded. "Now, move!" At once the pirates began to circle the boat around the island. As the pirates examined their surroundings, Tetra closed her eyes. "Where are you now, Link?" she asked as a vision came to her mind. Link was sailing across the Great Sea, a look of determination was on his face. She could see Outset Island not far off the horizon. "So, you're close, huh? We'll just be sure to get that pearl first."

Suddenly, the boat rocked and Tetra was thrown to the deck. "Gonzo! Status report!" she shouted.

"We've been caught in a whirlpool, Tetra!" Gonzo reported.

"Get us out of it then!"

"I can't, the boat isn't turning!"

"Try harder! Pull the rudder as hard to starboard as you can! We have to get out of this whirlpool!"

"I'm trying, Tetra!" Gonzo shouted as he pulled hard on the wheel. The wheel was pulled as hard to the right as it would go, but the ship continued to swirl downward to the left and towards the center of the whirlpool.

"This is not good!" Tetra shouted when the sound of a grappling hook gripping the side of the boat was heard. She turned around, hearing a voice shouting, but she couldn't make out what. "Stand ready! We seem to have someone trying to board us!"

"It's Link, Tetra!" Niko shouted as he looked over the edge. He waved at Link, then turned to Tetra, who had managed to get right up in his face.

"Is it now?" Tetra looked over the edge, then gripped the grappling hook firmly. "Ahoy there, Link!" she spoke with a grin.

"Tetra! I need your boat!" Link shouted up as he continued to climb. "I know how to get us out of this whirlpool!"

"Do you know?" Tetra pulled on the grappling hook. With her aid, Link made it up the ship and onto the deck. "Now tell me, what is this plan of yours?"

"The cannons," Link spoke. "Fire the cannons at that wall." He pointed to the wall on the edge of the island. "Fire all of them! You've got them on all sides, aim them and fire as each one makes a pass on the wall."

"And that will get us out of here?"

"When Jabun sees his wall has been breached, he should stop the whirlpool."

"What makes you think he won't just make it go faster? Or that he's even in control of it?"

"It's a trial…if someone can get through it, then chances are, he'll find them worthy of Nayru's Pearl."

Tetra sighed and folded her arms. "You heard the kid," she spoke as she turned to the pirates. "I want all the cannons aimed and firing at that wall! Destroy it and we'll see if Link is right."

"Right away, Tetra!" the pirates spoke quickly and rushed off.

"Gonzo, you too!" Tetra spoke.

"But I'm the one holding the boat at least somewhat steady!" Gonzo retorted.

"It's Link's plan, so I'll let him hold the boat." Tetra grinned and Link gulped. He rushed up to Gonzo and grabbed hold of the wheel.

"You better hold that real good, kid," Gonzo spoke then rushed off, leaving Link to hold the wheel.

As the boat continued to slowly swirl around the whirlpool, the cannons were readied. As the wall came into line with each of the cannons, they were fired. Some of the shots missed while others hit the wall securely. As the cannonballs hit the wall, the wall seemed to crack and crumble more. Finally, a last shot struck the wall and caused it to crumble down. As Link had foretold, the whirlpool began to die down and soon the boat stopped swirling in circles.

Link gave a sigh of relief and let go of the wheel. "You did good, kid," Tetra spoke. "You're pretty smart actually, not to mention courageous. I don't think that took much thought to be honest, just guts. Not many I know are willing to try and commandeer a pirate vessel just to blast open a wall."

"Well, it was either that or let you sink to the bottom of the sea," Link spoke.

"So, you didn't do it just for yourself?"

"I wanted to save all of you as well. You may be pirates, but your also friends."

"Really?" Tetra smiled and grew close to Link. Her lips moved close to touch Link's when suddenly-

"Link!" King shouted. "Hurry it up!"

Tetra smirked and pushed Link over. "Better do as your boat says. You've got a pearl to get."

"Right!" Link spoke firmly. He seemed to show no signs of having even the slightest clue what Tetra had tried to do. He stood firmly to his feet when a large hand slapped him across the back, knocking him forward. As he fell, he pushed against Tetra and knocked her over as well. Somewhere in the mix of falling, their lips connected.

"What the hell?!" Tetra shouted as she pushed Link off of her, both of them now a bright red. "What was that?"

"Gonzo pushed me!" Link shouted. He was right, it had been Gonzo that had shoved him forward.

"Gonzo!" Tetra shouted and stood to her feet, growling.

"I simply slapped Link across the back to congratulate him!" Gonzo retorted. "How was I to know he'd be so weak in the back?"

Tetra growled and slowly stormed up to Gonzo. He stared for a moment as she looked up at him. A moment later Gonzo found himself knocked back by a fist directly to his chin. "I'd kill you if I didn't need you for crew!" she shouted at him.

Link sweatdropped and rubbed the back of his neck at the sight. "So, your pirates are your family, then, huh?" he asked suddenly and Tetra turned away from pummeling Gonzo.

"What the hell does that mean?"

Link chuckled. "Only family can be as close as you all are." He spoke, then walked to the edge of the ship. "Anyway, I better go get that pearl. I'll leave you and your family-"

Link found himself flying off the boat and splashing into the water. Tetra growled as she held her fist out after having just punched Link square in the face. "Don't say such things with a straight face, kid…" she spoke and turned away. Was he right, though? Were her pirates like family to her? She couldn't even remember her own family. Well, except her mother. Mother… Tetra pulled out a small necklace from around her neck. What ever happened to her?