I'm glad you guys liked last chapter! And this update is even on time, lol! 8D
Principessa Dell'Opera: I love Impa, too! Thanks for reviewing!
Kk44: Yeah, at least she tried to do something! Lol Thanks for the review!
Sofilu: Thanks very much! And thanks for your review!
Leina16: Thank you, I have pages full of quotes and sometimes I spend forever trying to find one that fits, haha. I really liked the last one, too. Thanks for reviewing!
Legend of Zelda 4 Life: Haha 8P,well,you might get your chance to mwhaha! Thanks for the review!
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And thanks to omegarulesall and for your reviews!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda
Rated T for violence, torture, and sensuality
"Absence sharpens love, presence strengthens it." --Thomas Fuller
CH. 12
Zelda slowly climbed into consciousness, hearing panicked voices. She began to feel the night air, colder now, and smelled the wood and water.
She sat up, holding her head tenderly. She looked around, eyes focusing through the thick night darkness, to see Cervantes' ship, the Phantom, turning around.
"No, Maxi, it's dangerous!" Tara was yelling, her dark face twisted in worry.
Maxi was hurrying about the ship, going past pirates cleaning wreckage and wounds, and stuffing items into a bag around his hips. "Tara, you know how Cervantes is. I will not leave that kid on his ship."
Zelda stood up, forcing her brain to get back in order and her body to work. She jogged past some pirates who ignored her to the captain. "Maxi, I'm coming with you."
He frowned down at her. "No, I can't be responsible for you over there."
The princess crossed her arms irately, glaring defiantly up at him. "I smuggled myself on this ship, you have no claim over me. That's my best friend over there, and like it or not I'm coming."
Tara raised an eyebrow, impressed.
Maxi grinned. "Well, little missy, what's your name?"
" . . .Call me Sheik."
"Alright, Sheik," Maxi jumped onto the edge of the ship with a light thud. He looked back at her, "can you swim well?"
"Yes."
"Then follow me." With a graceful dive he went into the ocean.
Zelda quickly did the same, making a small splash in the black water. The first thing that hit her was that the water was cold. The ship was a dark, groaning shadow behind them. It was oddly quiet, away from the noise of people. She located Maxi close by, and followed him as they headed to Cervantes' ship.
The princess wanted to ask him if he had a plan, and if Cervantes was really so bad; she also wanted to tell him to drop the hero-macho act, because she knew he was just getting Link back for the money. However, since they were going for a surprise attack she thought it best to remain silent.
They got close to the back end of the ship, and Maxi produced a grappling hook. Zelda watched him skeptically but he expertly spun it over his head and latched it onto the deck the first time.
The pirate started to quietly haul himself up, the starlight accentuating his muscles. Zelda followed.
As he topped the rope Maxi took a moment to peer over the side and onto the deck. After scoping the situation, he climbed on and dropped low, motioning for her to do the same. Zelda got on deck and helped the captain store away the grappling hook.
The deck of the Phantom was bigger than the Maxi's. Shrouded in inky shadows, they could make out pirates lounging around the wheel from their vantage point behind some barrels.
Maxi them motioned to the cabin, the door unguarded. But it was still out in the open. The two crouched there, thinking, waiting for an opportunity.
At last one came. A pirate leaning too far back on the edge dropped his drink into the ocean with a loud splash. The others laughed while he cursed, all looking over the edge.
"Go," Maxi urged.
The two hurried past the barrels, struggling to make no noise. When they came to the door Maxi opened it just enough to allow them to slip in and closed it after them.
Zelda turned, trying to see in the suffocating darkness. She could hear the steady creak of the ship and voices of pirates somewhere below. She could smell rotted wood, water, and alcohol. As her eyes began to adjust, she could make out stairs going down in front of her.
"Stay close," Maxi whispered. "And be ready for anything."
They slowly descended, senses on full alert. Zelda couldn't imagine Link being taken down here by himself. She thought that Touchstone would even be unsettled.
They came to the bottom of the stairs, and saw another flight heading down a few feet off. The pirates drunken laughter came from the level they were on, somewhere down the hall.
Maxi stood for a moment, listening to the crew's voices. To Zelda it sounded like they were playing some sort of gambling game. After a few minutes Maxi seemed satisfied and turned for the other flight of stairs.
They went down, the darkness getting thicker. The air felt wet and the princess could begin to hear the ocean. So far Zelda was repulsed by what she'd seen: drinking, gambling, profanity, and a lack of body hygiene. Once they got Link she was ready to get out. And she certainly hoped he was grateful.
At last they came to the bottom and entered a wide room containing a few shanty prison cells. Most of the floor was wet, and it was cold and stuffy. The creak of the ship was very loud, all other sounds muffled.
Zelda looked it over with wide, shocked eyes.
"They call it a brig," Maxi whispered.
The princess took a few steps forward when she heard Link gasp, "Zelda?!"
She turned and saw him inside one of the cells, gripping the rusty bars. She raced over to him, making splashes, and they hugged tightly.
Maxi walked up. "You okay, kid?"
"Yeah," Link responded, the two Hylians not letting go of each other.
Maxi studied the door, pondering how to get inside. "Well, it doesn't look too stable. Maybe with my manly strength we can-"
He stopped as he was grabbed from behind.
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Impa hurried down the dark halls of Hyrule Castle. Even though it was the middle of the night the castle was in an uproar since the pirate kidnapping. After long discussions with Touchstone and King Dahnes, they had came to no conclusion on what to do. But Dahnes had requested that Zelda join them, since it was her friend at stake. Impa didn't like the idea; Zelda was prone to recklessness. Her feelings ran very deep for Link, she wouldn't be easy to discuss with. But the king wanted her there.
Impa reluctantly opened the bedroom door. She hated to admit it, but she missed seeing Link on the bed, giving her a guilty smile. The room was quiet and dark and the sheikah could make out Zelda's form under the thick, fluffy covers.
"Zelda," Impa sighed. "I'm sorry about being harsh with you. You father want to speak with you."
There was no movement.
The sheikah strode over to the enormous bed, saying, "Zelda, stop being stubborn."
But when she pulled back the covers, in the princess's place were pillows.
It took a moment for the reality to hit her. When it did, her eyes widened and she gasped. She turned on her heel and raced out of the room. Impa hurried down the halls and burst back into the throne room.
Dahnes and Touchstone jumped, startled.
"Zelda's gone!" Impa told them. "She's not in her room. She probably hasn't been for awhile."
"Oh no!" the king cried, going into an emotional breakdown.
"What?!" Touchstone shouted, eyes burning. "That rebellious little brat!"
"Where do you think she went?" Dahnes whimpered.
Impa sighed, calming herself and crossing her strong arms. "She went after Link."
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In the brig of the Phantom it was dark and cold. The ship swayed and dirty water covered the floor.
In one particular cell sat three people. Two Hylians and one human. Two ten-year-olds and one sixteen-year-old. Three blondes. One princess, one hero, and one pirate.
The moods of all three were gloomy as they huddled together to keep warm The two Hylians were holding hands tightly.
"Our brig is much nicer," Maxi was saying, mostly to himself. "Not like this. This is creepy, clammy, stinky, wet, chilly, dark, depressing, lonely, quiet, scary, unsanitary-"
"I get it," Link snapped.
Maxi appeared visibly hurt.
"How long will they keep us down here?" Zelda asked, sounding more annoyed than worried.
Maxi shrugged. "It depends what he wants to do with us."
A moment of silence followed. It was uncomfortable to sit in the inch or so of water, but standing had become tiring. The wood was rough against their backs and the smell was repulsive.
Link looked up at the pirate, raising an eyebrow. "Why did you come after me?"
Maxi seemed shocked. "I wasn't going to leave you with Cervantes."
"But you came after him for the money," Zelda said matter-of-factly.
Now Maxi appeared even more hurt. "No. Well, yes, I want my money, but I'm not like that."
"Then why did you become a pirate?" Link asked.
"It . . .was an escape from my family." He instantly stopped. "I don't want to talk about it."
Zelda jumped up, making a splash. "I want out of here!"
"Calm down," Maxi told her. "We're getting out. We just have to make sure the crew is asleep."
The Hylians looked at him in surprise.
He grinned, seeming all sorts of pleased with himself. "Yes, Captain Maxi has a plan."
Link now stood. "Well, hurry!"
"One second." Maxi put a finger to his lips, and they were quiet as he listened. After a moment he smiled. "They've gone to bed." He got to his feet.
"What do you plan to do?" the princess asked, eyes skeptic in the dark. "They took your things."
"Not all." The captain reached into his pants, felt around, and pulled out a thin silver stick about four inches long.
"That's gross," Link stated.
"These little devices work well," Maxi said, going up to the door, "if you can properly use them. Now listen." He turned back to look at them. "This will be loud. So, once we're out, we're going straight to the deck and taking a rowboat away from here. Ready?"
They nodded.
Maxi winked. "Let's make some noise." With that her reached through the bars and shoved the stick into the lock with a bang, then twisted it up. With an echoing crack the lock broke and the door swung open.
The three ran out, bounding through the cold water to the stairs. They took them two at a time as they could hear the pirates walking in alarm above them.
They reached the top and made a sharp turn, heading for the other stairs. Link glanced down the hall and could see the pirates opening doors, pulling on shirts and getting out weapons.
They pounded up the stairs and broke onto the deck. The atmosphere was instantly different. Even on a moonless night it seemed brighter then below deck. There were no wood walls crowding them and the air was cool and purifying. Replacing the stuffy and grimy smell was the salty ocean.
Their feet thudded on the deck as they broke across to the rowboats. Link glanced behind them too see the pirates coming onto the deck.
Maxi jumped up and grabbed the nearest rowboat that was suspended by ropes just over the edge. He worked to bring it down, gritting his teeth.
"Hurry!" Zelda shouted.
Maxi hopped into the small boat and released the rope holding it. It dropped to the water with a loud splash.
The Hylians looked over the side to see Maxi sitting in the boat, looking slightly rattled, and motioning for them to come.
The two jumped off and hit the cold water. Link opened his eyes but couldn't see anything. He sunk down a few feet, then kicked to get back to the surface. He broke it and gasped for air. Zelda came up beside him, touching his arm to draw his attention.
"Swim!" Maxi shouted, a few feet off.
They kicked their legs, the water splashing around them and getting in their eyes. The captain helped pull them onto the boat where they dropped to the floor, coughing and dripping water. Maxi instantly started rowing.
Zelda closed her eyes, heart still thundering as she caught her breath. She laid on the wood boat, water pooling under her and causing her clothes to cling to her small body. She kept expecting for them to be attacked, for something terrible to happen, but it never did. She could hear the pirates screaming in frustration and Maxi's oars taking them away.
Her adrenaline depleted and she opened her eyes, turning her head to look at Link beside her. He was lying there, gazing up at the stars. They reflected in his big, dark blue eyes. His hand was just inches from hers so she moved hers closer and they interlocked fingers. He was warm, a contrast to the air and water.
He looked at her. "Crazy night."
She laughed. "Not exactly what I expected."
Maxi smiled at them. "Well, kids, that was a good escape. I'll take you back to Hyrule."
Both immediately sat up. "What?"
The captain shrugged, looking out at the calm ocean. "I don't really know either."
Zelda looked at him fondly. "You're not a bad guy, Maxi."
He laughed. "Well, I don't quite fit into the pirate image because it was my escape. I left home four years ago. My father . . .he was an alcoholic who would beat my mother and me and my brother. I just . . .couldn't take it anymore so I left. I just got up and sailed away on my ship." He at last met their sympathetic eyes. "I built my ship, you know. I knew a few people who built ships because I lived on an island coast; they helped me. It was my excuse to stay away from the house. Tara, my best friend, helped me and left with me."
"Do you know what happened to your mother and brother?" Zelda asked softly.
"No," the pirate sighed. "But my brother was thinking about leaving, too. If my mom has any sense she'll follow suit." He straightened. "Sorry, I didn't mean to . . ."
Link moved over to him, looking up and meeting eyes. He held out his hand. "My name is Link."
Maxi grinned. "I'm Maxi." They shook.
Zelda smiled at them, then looked out to the ocean. She could see a darker mass in the distance and was relieved. Hyrule. They were going home.
Hey, I heard this riddle the other day, you guys try it! What is a crime that can be punished if attempted, but not punished if committed? Take a guess and please review!