It didn't make sense. How could they destroy an entire island? That wasn't possible. It couldn't be. Link stood there in shock, watching the Colonel practically fall to pieces before his eyes. Link wanted to believe him, but he couldn't bring himself to do so. "Where's my father?" he asked. "I need to talk to him."
"He's in the strategy room. Uh, first floor, in the main corridor right before you reach the water. The stairs are to your left, no... your right..." said the Colonel, struggling to remember. "I'll just take you there." Link followed behind him, his heart hammering in his chest, trying hard not to think about what he just heard. He didn't need this; not until the worst could be confirmed.
The King was sitting in the strategy room, his hands covering his face. Mixtures of Rito and Hylian soldiers were surrounding him, fanatically discussing the tragic events. Link didn't think twice about walking up to his father and knocking on the table to get his attention. It no longer mattered that he met this man just two days ago; he needed him now. "Father," he said urgently.
Nohan picked up his head and looked at his son. By his demeanor it was obvious that he was distressed. Link no longer had to ask him if it was all true; the answers were clear as day in the eyes of his father. "How bad is it?" Link asked darkly.
"We have some pictures," his father answered. Link held out his hand. King Nohan softened a little, looking at his son tenderly. "Are you sure you want to see them?"
Link nodded. He had to see the truth. He had to know of the fate that befell everyone... the fate that befell Mila. He felt his heart shatter at the last thought; the thought he was not ready to come to terms with. His father pointed to scraps of parchment lying around on the table. "These are all the pictographs of the scene. You can look at whichever ones you want to," his father told him.
Link picked up the closest pictogram to him and looked at it. His eyes burned as he beheld the contents of the picture. There was nothing left of Greatfish Isle; all that remained were a few chunks of rock sticking up out of the water and a small beachy area. Everything else was gone.
Link slowly put down the picture and picked up another one. The next pictogram was too much for Link to look at; he could only give it a momentary glance. The next picture was a zoomed-in shot of the debris lying around. Most of the debris was unrecognizable rubble. However, lying amongst the rubble were the bodies of the residents of Greatfish Isle. Their pale skin shined in the moonlight, giving them a sickly glow. Both rich and poor alike floated on top of the water, entangled in the debris. He imagined Mila among those bodies, lying in the water and covered by the remnants of her house.
In that moment, he finally accepted what was happening. "I have to leave," he mumbled to his father and he quickly dashed out of the room. Link ran blindly, squeezing his eyes shut to prevent the tears that were so dangerously close to falling. When he felt himself get a small grip on reality, he stopped running to get his thoughts together. He had to find his sister. She needed to know.
Link looked around for a familiar hall and followed it until he was finally able to reach his bedroom. At this point, he could no longer hold anything back. Tears were falling from his eyes and he did not care who saw. Link quickly opened the door to his room and glanced around the room. The lights were off, but Aryll was still in the room. She was sitting on her bed, her hands clasped together in worry. She saw her brother enter the room and stood up to greet him. "Grandma left to go find you. She told me to wait here. Did you find out what happened?"
She turned the lights on, her eyes growing wide as she saw her brother standing there with his cheeks stained with tears. She had never seen her brother so broken before in her life. He wasn't one to cry; he usually blew things off with positive attitude. But now, he was crying, and she knew that whatever was happening was something truly terrible.
She ran to his side and wrapped him in a tight hug. Link didn't move or react at all; he stood there like a statue. "Aryll..." he said in a voice so shattered, it was painful for anyone who had to hear it.
"Brother? What happened? Please, tell me. I want to know. How bad is it, Link? Talk to me!" Aryll was rambling, desperate for information.
Link gently pushed his sister off of him and began to wipe his eyes. "The pirates... they destroyed Greatfish Isle. There's nothing left. I.. I saw pictures."
She let out something between and gasp and a scream, and her eyes filled with tears. "What about the people? What happened... to them...?"
"They're dead." He felt his throat close up. "All of them."
Aryll covered her face with her hands and sobbed. Names and faces floated through her mind like a slideshow. Mila, Mila's mother, Niko, and the nameless faces of those she passed on the streets everyday filled her mind. How could all of them be gone? How could so many people taken away in such short time? "No," she cried. She repeated that word over and over. Maybe if she said it enough, everything would go back to being okay.
It hurt Link even more to see his sister like this. He wanted to be a good older brother and comfort her, but he couldn't. How could he try to fix her when he was just as broken as she was? He cleared his throat, trying to ease the crushing feeling on it. "We should get some more sleep," he suggested. "It's not morning yet."
Aryll was crying too heavily to say anything, but she gave a few quick nods. Link reached for her hand and held it as they walked to their beds. They let go of each other, laid in their beds, and closed their eyes tight, waiting for sleep to overcome them.
It was about mid-morning when Link finally woke up. As he opened his eyes, he felt the feeling of heartbreak creep up in his chest again. He glanced over at Aryll, who was sleeping deeply. Normally this would have been unusual to Link, as his sister would always wake up before him. But, considering the circumstances, he let it go. Aryll wasn't the only person he had to worry about, now that his family has expanded. He thought of his mother, whom he had yet to speak to since the disaster. He was worried about how the news was affecting her.
He decided to go out and look for his mother. The tower was eerily empty and silent. The only noise Link heard was the sound of his own footsteps. He made his way to the strategy room, the only room he knew how to find. Technically, he still wasn't allowed to roam the tower alone, but Link figured by now that rule did not matter much.
The room was totally empty, save for one person - his grandmother. It was strange to see the strategy room empty, as it was normally full of soldiers. Link was finally able to appreciate just how big the room was. A long table filled up the middle of the room, stretching from one wall of the room to the other. There were at least fifty chairs; some were pushed into the table and others were sitting against the wall. There was paper and ink everywhere; no corner of the room was left untouched. In short, the room was a total mess.
Impa was sitting at the far end of the table, looking at some documents. Her eyes were squinted rather than open wide, which reminded Link of his times with her back on the Outset. He wanted to laugh at the irony of his situation. When he lived on the Outset, he wanted nothing more than to leave for an adventure. Now that his life was an adventure, he found himself longing for simpler times.
"Hey, how are you?" she asked when she noticed him. She was aware of the time Link and his sister spent in Greatfish, and knew that they would not take the news very well.
"I guess I'm doing okay when you take into account what's going on."
She nodded. "Are you hungry? If you want, I can make you some elixir soup. I know how much you love that stuff."
While the soup did sound very appetizing, Link was just not in the mood. "No thanks. I just want to know where my parents are."
"Your father, along with most of the soldiers here, went to remains of Greatfish Isle. They want to survey the damages and check for any survivors. Your mother went to the fourth floor balcony."
Link nodded. "Thanks. Hey, Grandma, how do you feel about all of this?"
She didn't hesitate to answer. "It's terrible. These so-called 'pirates' have affected the lives' of the royal family profoundly. As my duty is to protect the royal family, this angers me. And now, they pose a viable threat to the safety of this country. Your father has taken every step possible to keep the country safe without resorting to drastic actions. But now, that seems like the only option."
"What exactly do you mean by 'drastic action'?"
"I don't know. I'm not involved in the politics of this country; my sole job is to protect the royal family."
"Right, sorry. I think I'm going to look for my mother. Thanks Grandma."
"Before you go - can you tell me where your sister is? Is she still in the bedroom?"
"Yes, she's sleeping," Link answered as he left the room and began his ascent to the fourth floor. He quickly made his way through the levels of the tower, breathing heavily. He wasn't used to living in a place with so many stairs yet.
The Queen was standing just where his grandmother has said she was. She was leaning over the balcony's rails, staring out into the sea. Her hair, which was usually tied up, was now let loose. Her hair was very long, coming down to her mid-back. The wind from the sea's waves pushed around the loose strands.
"What are you doing up here?" Link asked his mother.
"I'm waiting for your father. He should be back soon." She turned to her son, wearing an expression of maternal sympathy. "How are you feeling?"
Link gave her the same answer he gave his grandmother. "I'm doing okay, considering the circumstances." He stood next to his mother and leaned against the railing, feeling the wind hit his face. It felt great being up here. The sound of the waves crashing against the tower was comforting, and the hazy clouds were dancing right above their heads, being pushed around by the salty sea air.
"You knew a lot of people on that island, didn't you?"
He focused his eyes on the horizon. "Yeah. I had many friends there. It... it hurts to know that all of the are gone. Even the ones that have wronged me." He thought of Linebeck, who had been his greatest friend on that island before Linebeck had found the wanted posters of Link and tried to turn him in. Of course, those posters were fake and Linebeck had been wrong. Obviously that mattered little now, since Linebeck was now dead. Link felt his eyes sting.
"Death is a curious event," the Queen began to explain. "When someone dies, everyone feels something. It doesn't matter how well you knew the person. Just knowing the fact that someone with their own unique life, family, and character has left this world is enough. When someone dies, you realize that everything is only a part of this world for a limited time, including yourself. And worst of all, it doesn't matter what kind of person you were. You could have been the most generous person to walk the earth, or the most evil person to sail the seas. In the end, we all meet the same fate."
"I've never really thought about it that way. It seems so unfair."
The Queen gave a small laugh. "Life itself is unfair; the ending is no exception. But despite all of that, you have to live your life the best you can in the little time you have."
"That sounds like something Father would say," Link teased.
"It is. He was the one who put that into my head. Your father is full of little philosophical sayings that usually turn out to be true."
"I can see that." Link leaned against the balcony and let his arms hang freely over the edge. "What do you think he's going to do about all of this?"
At first, his mother was silent as she pondered the heavy question. Finally, she spoke: "I am unsure. I haven't been able to properly speak with him since all of this happened. I fear the worst, though... I believe we may have a war on our hands."
"A war? Against six or seven people? That's insane."
"They aren't ordinary people."
"But still.. a war? That's a lot of innocent lives at stake."
"There's already lots of innocent lives at stake, Link," Tetra said calmly. "I didn't speak with your father for long, but he told me enough. He told me you saw the pictures of what now remains of Greatfish. You know what they are capable of. Do you wish to see it happen again?"
"No.." he said, his chest becoming heavier as he thought about everyone he'd just lost. He shut his eyes tight; he didn't want to think about it. "I guess you're right."
They stood there, watching the horizon and waiting for the king to return. They anxiously wondered what news he'd bring with him.
"Hey... where's Aryll?" asked the Queen suddenly. "Is she doing okay?"
"She was sleeping when I left. She must really be feeling bad, because she never sleeps in."
Tetra looked up at the sky. "It's early afternoon now. Maybe we should go and check on her?" She sounded worried.
"Yeah. I'll go. Do you want to stay here and wait for Father, or do you want to come?"
He could see that she was torn. "Well, I want to come, but he should be coming back really soon, so I suppose I'll stay here."
Link nodded. "Okay. See you later."
The tower, with all of its complex pathways, was becoming easier and easier for Link to navigate. He found his way back to his and Aryll's bedroom with no trouble whatsoever. When he entered, he saw that all of the lights were off, and Aryll was still fast asleep on her bed. A little concerned, Link walked over to her and gently shook her to wake her up.
She woke up slowly with an irritated expression. "Why'd you do that?" she asked Link when she had come to her senses enough.
"Aryll, it's past midday. You've been asleep for a while."
"I know. I kept waking up and forcing myself to go to sleep again."
"Why would you do that?"
"When I'm asleep, I'm numb to the pain," she mumbled. She wiped her eyes, preventing tears from falling. "I miss Mila and her mother."
Link sat down on the bed next to his younger sister and wrapped her into a tight hug. "So do I," he whispered.
Aryll began to cry softly. Link patted her back as he fought to ignore his own feelings and focus on his sister. "Don't cry, Aryll. We're not going to let this go. We're going to fight so that it never happens again. That's what mother told me."
Aryll wiggled herself out of her brother's arms and wiped her eyes again. "That's a good idea." She sniffled. "I'm sorry; I shouldn't cry. I should be strong, like you."
Link placed his hand in her shoulder. "Aryll... I'm strong so you don't have to be," he admitted. "Besides, there's nothing wrong with crying. It shows you care."
A knock on the door interrupted their tender moment. "Can I come in?" It was their mother.
Link shouted his assent and Queen Tetra entered the room. She sat on the bed next to Aryll and placed her arm around her daughter to console her. "How are you?" she asked.
"I'm okay, I suppose," Aryll responded.
"Your father returned about half an hour ago," she told her children. "I was only able to talk with him for a bit before he was whisked away to a conference. Being a king is quite the arduous task."
"When can we see him?" asked Link.
"I don't know. I told him that you wanted to talk to him, though. He said he'll make time for you."
"Where did he go?" asked Aryll. "To the remains of Greatfish? Did he find any survivors!?" She sounded hopeful, thought she knew the answer was probably going to be an unhappy one.
Tetra shook her head. "They searched the area heavily and there were no survivors found."
Now it was certain that Mila was dead. "Oh," said Link.
"I'm so sorry, you guys. I know your good friend lived there-"
The door opened suddenly, and a servant walked in with a letter. "Your Majesty, this is a message for the King. However, he's busy; I'm certain you will be able to handle this? I'm sorry to interrupt you three."
"It's okay; thanks," Tetra said as she took the letter from the maid before she hurried away. She read the letter quickly, and tucked it away. "Apparently, there is a merchant ship run by Greatfish residents that was at sea at the time of attack. They're displaced and seeking assistance now that their homes and families are gone," she explained.
"That's terrible," said Aryll. "How are you going to handle this?"
"I'm going to let them stay in the tower temporarily, as refugees. Your father would certainly do the same. We're not going to turn away citizens in need." She stood up and smoothed out her dress. "Now, I'm going to go and take care of this. You two take care, and try not to get lost around the tower."
Tetra made her away down to the ground floor, where a small merchant ship floated idly on the water, surrounded by soldiers on rafts. When she was noticed, one of the soldiers paddled towards her so that she could give orders. "Your Majesty, I trust you were given the message. What do you want to do?" he asked her, looking at her expectantly.
"These are citizens of our country. We shall let them stay here as refugees for the time being. Can you let me on the ship so I can speak to them, please?"
The soldier bowed quickly. "Yes, your Highness." He paddled to an opening in the hull of the ship and helped his queen board the ship. Inside were five men sulking about like the helpless victims they were. One of them noticed her, which set off a chain reaction. All of them stood erect when they saw her. "Oh, Queen Tetra, it's an honor-"
Tetra held up her hand, silencing the one speaking. "I do not know what it feels like to have your homes and families taken from you so suddenly, so I cannot imagine the pain you are feeling. But I assure you that as citizens of this country, you will not be abandoned. That is why you will each receive a room to stay in for the time being. Also, once everything is figured out, each of you shall receive monetary compensation for your losses."
Each of the men looked around happily. To be shown such selfless kindness in the midst of dark times is a blessing. The leader of the merchant troupe stepped forward. "Thank you, my Queen, on behalf of all of us. However, I must ask - what's going to happen to our ship? We were told that there is no room for the ship we stand on in this tower, and that we must get rid of it."
"Oh, yes, that's going to be a problem." Tetra rubbed her chin softly. "Would you be opposed to selling it?"
"I.. well, I wouldn't mind selling the ship itself, but I'd like to keep my wares. When things get better, I'm hoping to begin my business again and properly sell them by means of trade."
"Alright. There is a storage room on this floor that is mostly unused. I'll instruct the soldiers to unload everything there. If all of you would follow me, I'll show you to your rooms."
She stepped back onto the raft, with the five merchants at her heels, as she issued her orders. Then she walked the merchants up to their rooms whilst giving a brief tour/explanation of the tower. When that was all taken care of, she met with the nearest servant to inquire about her husband. She discovered that he was still in his meeting.
Tetra decided to check on her children, but before she could, a soldier approached her. "Your Highness, we have a problem. When we were unloading the merchant's ship, we found a stowaway. I spoke with the merchants and none of them recognize the stowaway. What should we do?"
"I'll handle this. Where is the stowaway?"
"In the interrogation room; this one has been giving us some trouble."
She quickly traveled to the interrogation room. She could hear a girl yelling as she floated on the water towards the room. This stowaway was a feisty one, which meant this was going to be one fun interrogation.
"I just wanted to leave Greatfish? Is that so hard for you all to understand? If it's that much trouble, can't you just send me back there?" the girl yelled to the two soldiers watching her as Tetra entered the room. She looked up at Tetra with confusion. "Who are you?" she asked.
"Who are you?" Tetra asked back.
"I asked you first," the stowaway said harshly.
"I'm not the one who illegally stowed away on a ship, now am I?" She turned to her soldiers. "You are dismissed. I can handle this girl on my own."
Now that the girl was alone, Tetra could see fear and reluctance plastered all over her face. I clear that although she was afraid, she was not going to speak.
"If I tell you who I am, will you tell me who you are?" the Queen asked, taking a softer approach.
"No. I don't care who you are. I just want to go back home, to Greatfish Isle."
"I can't send you back there without knowing your name."
"Fine. My name is Mila."
The name instantly rang a bell in Tetra's mind. She remembered the name from her children's story, when they told her of their adventure before they were brought to the tower. All of the details began to pop into her head: Mila, the girl from Windfall who stole from her father to bring Link and Aryll to Greatfish. The girl who played an enormous role in bringing her children back to her.
She felt as if she owed this girl, but first she had to verify that this girl was the same girl from Link's story. "Mila? Your name is Mila... Do you happen to know to children named Link and Aryll?"
Mila's eyes grew wide. "Yes! You know them? Where are they? Are they here?" She looked at Tetra thoughtfully, unsure if she could be trusted.
"Yes, they're here." Tetra smiled. "Do you want to see them?"
Mila scowled. "Is this a trick?"
"No." Tetra placed her hand over her heart. "I can give you my word, as the Queen of Hyrule, that this is no trick."
Mila's sour expression changed to confusion. "Wait.. you're.. what?"
Tetra placed her finger over Mila's mouth. "Shh.. I'll let them explain everything to you." She grabbed the girl's hand and let her out of the interrogation room to where Link and Aryll were staying. She briefly wondered just how lucky this girl was to have narrowly escaped such a tragedy, before figuring it the universe's way of thanking Mila for bringing her children back to her.
She knocked on the door of her children's bedroom and let go of Mila, who was too confused and afraid to say anything to Tetra. "Stay here," she whispered as she walked off. She didn't want to intrude on the reunion.
Mila stood there in bewilderment, until she heard a voice from inside the room. "I'll get it," it said. It sounded just like Link.
The door opened to reveal Link, who stood before Mila wearing an expression probably as equally surprised as hers. He had to blink a few times to make sure what he was seeing was correct.
"What is going on?" she asked. Her voice sent a jolt down his spine; there was no denying that it was her. He stood there staring at her, absorbing every little detail that changed about her. Her hair was longer, her stature was taller, and her eyes were colder. Other than that, she was the same Mila as before.
She was supposed to be dead. Link walked forward and grasped her into a tight hug. "You're not dead," he breathed into her neck.
She did not return the hug; in fact, she pushed Link off of her. "It's nice to see you again... but what's going on? Why.. why did you think I was dead? Where are we? Where's Aryll?"
Link did not hear any of her questions. He was still in shock over being reunited with her after believing she was dead for nearly twenty-four hours.
"Mila!" Aryll shrieked from the back of the room. She ran forward with her arms outstretched, intending to hug Mila. Mila put her arms up, showing she did not want to be hugged.
"Aryll? Why are you dressed so nicely?" She looked at each of the siblings; her eyes open wide with concern. "Alright, somebody tell me what is going on, now!" she demanded ferociously.
"Uh, well, a lot as happened in the last few days. I don't know where to begin. Maybe... maybe you should tell me how you got here so I'd know where to start," said Link.
"Okay." She crossed her arms. "Well, after not getting a letter from either of you for a few weeks, I started to get scared, you know? I wasn't about to sit around worrying, so I found a way off of Greatfish. I snuck onto a merchant ship that was supposed to be traveling to an island near the one you were staying on. But something happened and the ship was brought here. I was discovered by some soldiers, and they began to interrogate me. Then this lady came and asked me if I knew you guys. I didn't even give her a direct answer, but she brought me here. I am so confused right now. Are we in trouble?"
Link and Aryll looked at each other and frowned. Mila knew nothing. They'd have to be the ones to tell her everything – how they were royalty, how they were never in any real danger from her father, and how her whole entire island had been destroyed and everyone she knew there had been killed.
"Why are you two looking at each other like that?" Mila demanded. "What's going on? I don't like to be kept in the dark. Tell me please!"
"You should tell her, Brother," said Aryll.
Link sighed. Where could he start? "Mila, uh, we found our parents," he said. He figured it was better to start with the good news, and work his way deeper.
"What!? Really!?" Mila shrieked. "That's great! But.. but why do you both look so unhappy? Is something wrong with your parents?"
"No, they're great. They happen to be the King and Queen of this country."
"Oh, that's grea- WHAT." She narrowed her eyes at him skeptically.
"You don't believe me. I don't blame you, but-"
"No, no, I believe you. I'm just trying to see it. So... the woman who brought me here was your mother? Yeah, I guess I can see it."
"I guess you should look good and hard, because I still haven't been able to see it."
Mila smiled. "Still the same as ever. How long have you known?"
"Three days."
She exhaled. "You found out three days ago? That's about the time I snuck onto the merchant ship. Wow, what a coincidence."
Aryll cleared her throat. "There's more to the story. I guess we should tell you all of it; you deserve to know."
They took turns explaining to her everything they learned the last few days: how they were born here, the pirates and the threat they posed, and how they were revealed to the country the previous detail. They made some minor adjustments, though. They kept her father's involvement in everything a secret by keeping him anonymous, and they did not tell her anything about the fate of her home island. They didn't want to drop the ball just yet.
"Woah! That's incredible. You're a prince and a princess! Do I have to use titles when talking to you now?" she asked, disgusted.
"No. I couldn't care less," said Link. Aryll agreed and said she felt the same.
Mila smiled. "Well, good. How are your parents? What are they like?"
"They're very nice. They're extremely laid back for being such important people," answered Aryll. "They're great."
Mila smiled. "That's awesome!" She gathered both of the siblings into a tight hug. "Now that I know what's going on, I can tell you both how much I've missed you."
They hugged her back, relishing in a brief moment of happiness before they told her the awful news. "Mila.. there's still more to tell you," said Link sadly. He couldn't keep this from her. Her home and her mother were taken from her; she needed to know and she needed to know now.
"What? What else is there? What's wrong?"
"Um... you know the group of pirates we mentioned earlier, and how they've been causing trouble around country?"
"Yeah? What about them?"
He spoke slowly and softly. "They.. they did something terrible. They've destroyed a whole island. They destroyed Greatfish. There's nothing left. There's no survivors."
He bit his lip, knowing he would have to watch her heart break in front of his eyes. Instead, she smiled and looked at him like he just told her the most ridiculous fairy tale ever. "That's not possible."
"Mila!" he snapped. "I saw pictures."
"Can I see them?"
"No. Well, you can, but they're really bad. I saw them... I couldn't..." He averted his eyes from hers.
"You sound really shaken up by this... you.." She froze. That was when it all became real to her. "You wouldn't lie to me about this. You have to be telling the truth.."
"Mila... I'm so sorry."
She closed her eyes. She thought of her last day on Greatfish, how she and her mother argued over her leaving to check on Link and Aryll. Her mother was against it, but Mila wasn't going to take no for an answer. She had left anyway. And now, her mother was gone. "I can't believe this is happening," she sputtered as she sobbed into her hands.
The door suddenly slammed open, hitting the wall with such force that Link and Aryll jumped from fright. Link looked up to see the Colonel standing in the doorway, looking at Mila with relief on his face. He didn't want to be rude, but the Colonel really didn't have the right to barge into his room. Especially during a moment like this.
"What are you doing?" Link asked, trying to be civil.
The Colonel flat out ignored him. "Mionette! I heard you were here! I am so glad that you are okay."
Everything happened at once. Mila looked up, her face filled with tears and anger, and glared at the Colonel. "What are you doing here? Whatever, I don't care! Get out! I don't want to talk to you right now, or ever!" she screeched. Link was shocked; he has never seen Mila so angry before. She stood there staring at the Colonel defiantly, wiping the tears from her face. Was this just some strange reaction to her mother's death, or did Mila actually know the Colonel?
Link tried to calm her down. "Mila! Calm down! Stop yelling at him, he's-"
"No! I can yell at this bastard all I want!" She pushed Link aside, stood up, and pointed at the Colonel. "I don't know why you're here, but you are not going to touch me or talk to me. I hate you! I don't care if you're my father or not. Leave me alone!"
So, the Colonel was Mila's father. Link buried his face in his hands. He knew that whatever was about to happen was not going to end well.