Chapter 26
Long live the King
Tetra remained unfazed when the King of Red Lions sunk underwater; Link expected the sea hardened girl to show some form of weakness, but she remained stout faced in the most bizarre circumstances and grudgingly, he learnt to appreciate her expertise.
The pirate captain sailed with a steady hand and eyed the WindWaker hungrily, despite the long journey to the middle of the Great Sea; Link refused to use it and slept with the ivory baton underneath his pillow.
He did not need a missing WindWaker to tell him what Tetra was capable off.
Already, she relieved him of the measly rupees jingling in his cloth wallet.
The next day, he found his precious sea charts stuffed in her backpack.
A week later, she rummaged in his trunk, tossing aside bottles, a transparent box of fairies, and triumphantly held the goddess pearls in a grimy palm. The female whipped around to Link standing behind her, tapping the deck with his newly repaired boot. Reluctantly, she covered the incandescent pearls with linen and making a great show, stuffed them back into the trunk. An array of lock picks lay around the chest and picking them up, he tossed them into the sea.
The scars on his back tingled unpleasantly.
Schools of colorful fish darted away from the sinking boat and Tetra grabbed the telescope off his waist and put it to her eye. Darkness magnified in the glass and she pitched it back to him. Sharks warily kept to themselves and an eel, body luminescent, watched from a forest of kelp. Hyrule Castle's turrets speared into view and the pirate captain inhaled sharply, fingers clutching the taffrails as an entire continent unfolded before her eyes.
Dead trees, skeletal branches cracking in the water, rooted atop a grassy plain. The field rippled, a sea of dark green. Bumping to a gentle stop at the Castle's arched entrance, the boat ushered them in and Tetra leaped out, raced through the paved corridor and into the castle.
Disembarking with dignity, Link faced the boat. "I hope there aren't any treasures in there, I don't trust her." He adjusted the hammer on his healing back. "You will be alright here?" he asked. "Maybe I should carry you in..." Link's words reminded Daphnes of the other, sweet little clueless boy. "You deserve to see the inside; I know you want to..." the hero trailed off.
Shaking his head, the figurehead said, "The time has come. Go inside-" a loud crash reverberated from the castle vestibule, "-and make sure the princess is safe."
Link blazed inside, grasped his sword by the hilt and pummeled it into the nearest moblin's face. Nasal bones crushed, the monster howled, dropped its spear and stemmed a gout of blood erupting from its nose. The head flew through the air and Link grabbed the decapitated body, rifling it for spare change. Satisfied, he stalked off, eyes peeled for the quick fingered pirate. His feet guided him to the larger than life stone statue dominating the center of the castle and the Hero of Time's self-assured gaze revived him.
The boy combed the upper balconies and started for the great, curving staircase when a flash of blonde, curly hair disappearing into the basement caught his attention. Horrified, (who knew what the crazy woman will do for loot?) Link descended to find Tetra appraising the dusty stained glass appreciatively.
"Those aren't for sale." He moved protectively in front of the emerald hues of Sage Saria. "These stained glasses are remnants of history," he added and Tetra rolled her eyes expressively. "There are no treasures here, this old continent was sunk eons ago and the spell of time has been broken. Look," Link swiped dust off the richly tinted glass panes, "Hyrule Castle is degrading. It is a relic, nothing more, nothing-"
"Spare me your old man lectures," Tetra cut in as she spied a gossip stone. "Hmm, if I could pry the blue stone off, I might be able to get my boys new earmarkers." She climbed to the surface. "Did you see the giant statue in the middle?" the pirate captain asked excitedly, "I bet some rich bloke will pay handsomely for that statue. Whoever sculpted it must be a master artisan."
The hero's heart nearly leapt out of his chest. He briefly imagined his immortalized ancestor as a centerpiece in a fancy mansion... "Are you out of your mind?" he hissed, indignant. "That is the Hero of Time; you cannot treat him like...like one of your treasure pieces to be traded for a chest full of rupees!" Tetra shrugged. "You know about this realm's history, why don't you appreciate it?"
Still eyeing the gossip stone, the pirate captain joined Link at the Master Sword pedestal. Ringed by stone knights, the chamber oozed secrecy and nobility. She did not belong here. The small space and reek of stone suffocated her and Tetra longed to go back to her ship, sailing with her rowdy crew and surfing the dangerous waves.
"Respecting history ain't gonna feed me or my crew," she remarked and the stone behind her lit up. "A pirate charm?" she asked no one in particular and stalked towards the stone.
Interest piqued, Link followed her and the duo hovered above it, faces washed by sky blue light.
"It's good to finally meet you in person, Link." A nobleman's voice boomed behind them and the two spun. Wearing a scarlet robe often used by nobility, a man, his presence filling every inch of the basement, stood in front of the sword pedestal. "I am the one who made the gossip stone and the pirate's charm, I believe you and certain members of your crew use them." Tetra gawped and critically noted the ruby winking in the man's golden crown. Respectfully dropping to one knee, Link bowed and glared at Tetra to do the same. "This...is my kingdom and I am Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule."
A deafening silence engulfed the chamber. Tetra refused to bow but Link's head nearly grazed the ground.
The King of Hyrule?
That old boat, was the king of Hyrule?
Deeply ashamed of ever mistrusting his companion, he remained on his knee, mind suddenly turning to Princess Zelda...what if...the princess, could she be his descendant?
"Raise your head my boy, I too have erred in not telling you of my real identity, but caution must be practiced." Link raised his head and nodded in agreement. "With that out of the way, both of you listen to me..."
The chamber reverberated as the King of Hyrule recounted tales of bygone ages.
Long ago, the prospering Hyrule birthed the new holder of Power. Ganondorf. The Gerudo prince rose to the pinnacle of his power and unleashed an invasion of darkness, wanting to grab hold of the beautiful and fertile continent of Hyrule. The people prayed for a savior, a hero, but the goddesses did not see fit to bless the land with the Triforce holder of Courage.
Desperate to preserve their realm, the people prayed. The King prayed. Flood the land. Seal it off and cover it with an ocean so vast, Ganondorf will lose any hope of recovering it. Crush the power hungry ambition and let the continent lie in peace. The Master Sword, asleep within the castle, became a lynchpin, holding a spell of timelessness to preserve the castle and restraining Ganondorf's excess power.
Once removed by the true wielder, time set in motion again.
"But the goddesses are not cruel, for the destruction of Hyrule and its people meant Ganondorf's wish would come true. Instead, new lands dotted the Great Sea and people populated this world. And yet, he thrives and now the time has come," Daphnes related. The two youngsters listened to the tale with rapt attention and knee numbed; Link swallowed every word uttered by the King. "Tetra...come here please."
The pirate captain jumped, looked around and slowly climbed the raised platform to the king. He held a fragment of a golden triangle and as she drew closer, the piece lying in his palm pulsed. It rose from the King's hand and fused with the pendant around Tetra's neck.
The necklace shattered. The Triforce blazed in a retina searing glory and burnt on the back of her hand.
Eyelids fastened shut; Tetra pressed her temples, unable to bear the pain throbbing behind them. Images flashed, overtaking her memories of sun and sea.
Golden haired girls in velvet padded cribs stared at her, Triforce winking on their hands. Princesses of Hyrule poured their vast knowledge into her cranium, rewiring her personality, forcing, forcing her to shoulder a new destiny. Tetra stumbled, vaguely clutching a long gown wrapping around her body. The King steadied her but the present dissolved, gripping her back to the past and holding her there.
A goddess, the incarnation of Wisdom, the cumulative knowledge of time squeezed into her brain and she fought back venomously. Tetra of the high seas grew smaller, squeezed into non-existence by her royal duty.
She craved the sun...she craved the land. She craved her Hyrule.
She wanted her people.
Dizzy, Tetra stared at her hands, covered in silk gloves of purest white. She could not see her feet, swathes of luxurious material glided across the ground and she touched the dress, almost afraid. Forehead weighted by a tiara studded with precious rubies, the former pirate captain stared at it dumbly; she wanted to throw it away.
She froze as Link approached her; he dropped to his knees and gently holding her right hand, kissed the Triforce. Tetra shuddered.
He did this before.
Pain flared in her forehead. From now, she could not roam the high seas as a carefree pirate, duty dictated she help in vanquishing Ganondorf; like sand trickling in an hourglass, she watched her freedom fall. Link let go of her hand and dazedly, she stepped closer, gripped the Master Sword and slid it out of its sheath on his back.
Raising it, she plunged the sword between her thighs, and tore the dress. Link wheezed in indignation and the King wore a similar, puzzled frown. Holding her breath, Tetra sawed sideways, tearing the flowing gown till the ragged edges barely covered her sun kissed thighs. The boy clad in green gasped like a water starved fish, as if tearing the dress offended him personally. Tetra inwardly giggled at the part horror, part comical expression spreading over his face. Deed done, she balanced the silver sword in both hands and presented it back to Link.
Tetra hopped down the platform, tottering on a pair of platform shoes, and marched to the exit. Pausing, she stared at the stained glass of Princess Zelda. Zelda...her new name. The woman in the glass held herself with grace far beyond Tetra's league. But the piercing blue eyes demanded Tetra to take the mantle as the bearer of the Triforce.
Raising her head defiantly, the girl staggered to the stairs, desperate to escape the claustrophobic basement.
"What are you doing?!" Link sputtered and she stopped. His footfalls thundered in her ears. "You are Princess Zelda, you must help me in getting rid of Ganondorf," he insisted.
Reeling, Tetra observed him. Beneath the surface exterior of a child she saw a man with icy blue eyes and ruthless determination mapped on his face.
"And how dare you," he hissed, tan complexion tinting red, "dress like that!" He gestured to her ruined outfit. "You are a princess, the hope of your people, you can't go prancing around naked," the boy whispered hotly and Tetra stared bewilderedly at herself.
Was his definition of naked different? Because Jabun knows all her important parts were well covered. Link looked around, climbed the pedestal and returned with the King's mantle.
Draping it over Tetra's shoulders, he smiled, placated when the long, wine red cape covered her. "There, now you look more like nobility rather than a...greedy sea pirate," he stated, pleased by her appearance.
Holding the robe securely, she watched Link and the King talk. The words flew over her head and she constantly sought for her jeweled dagger before remembering it vanished, along with her musket and scimitar. The two discussed Princess Zelda, lauding her generosity, wisdom and mastery of Light magic. They beamed while discussing her future role.
Her. Future. Role.
Offended, she trotted between them but Link simply shifted and continued the conversation animatedly. He spoke of waking the Earth and Wind sages, his pitch irises shone proudly when the King of Hyrule told him about amassing the Triforce. The boy conversed with childish glee at the future adventures with his trusty boat and Tetra's heart sunk. Gripping the cape tightly around her, she again stood between them but the boy drove the final nail in the coffin when he said:
"We can't allow the Princess to be in danger." Addressing Tetra, he added, "You will stay here, we know Ganondorf will be searching for you, exposing you to undue harm..."
The rest of the words drowned in the wrath roaring in her ears.
Who did he think he was, dictating her destiny like this?
She was Tetra not Princess Zelda...not the figure of a noblewoman plastered at the back of her wardrobe. She refused to believe it. A princess?
Hah!
Grabbing the front of Link's tunic, she commanded, "You will take me with you wherever you go, I'm not gonna stay cooped in this dingy old basement while you and him," she jerked her head towards the King, "have fun on the high seas." The boy's visage hardened in rebellion. "I'll do what I have to do bring down Ganondorf, but, I'm not staying in here like some pampered, silly princess waiting for my knight in shining armor," she eyeballed Link from head to toe, "to rescue me because Nayru knows I can fight." Her words echoed and reechoed from the stone lined chamber. "I don't care what the other Zelda's did, I'm not one of them and I'm not going to sit around like they did."
Fingers circling Tetra's tanned arm, Link squeezed violently before wrenching her hand off his chest.
"You are the most dis-" He breathed deeply. "Listen Zelda..." he began gently and she twitched irritably. "I understand you don't want to stay here, I may not fathom what ordeal you are going through," Tetra's shoulders slumped, "but when we are the chosen ones. We have to make certain sacrifices." The King of Red Lions nodded. "Your mannerisms leave much to be desired," Link joked and when Tetra refused to bristle, he squeezed her hands warmly, "and you know very well what a princess'...a queen's duty is."
He thought of the noble Princess back home, her clear gaze able to glean everything. Link held utmost respect for Zelda, who despite her stoic exterior, held a heart of gold. The princess rarely smiled and he spent long hours, peeking at her through the royal library windows and waiting for her to laugh or frown.
The newborn Zelda of this realm currently sank in a bench, expressions flitting from shock to outrage and finally settling on despair. Her mouth curled downwards, tears clung to the edge of her chin and dropped in her lap.
"They were instrumental in keeping a semblance of peace." Tetra barely heard Link. "In any case, most of the princesses mastered archery, and Princess Zelda of my Hyrule, wielded a rapier and was proficient in swordplay." He recalled her graceful movements, flitting in and out like a butterfly when they sparred. "Compared to her you fight like a barbarian," he concluded his assessment.
"Excuse me knight." Tetra jumped to her feet and kicked the heels off, much to Link's dismay. "But do I look like I was born with a silver spoon in my mouth?" she scathed and pointed to the sheet of blonde hair cascading down her back. "Stop comparing me with royalty, I'm not your Princess Zelda and I hope you don't think I'll start behaving like one just because you two," she stabbed the boy's chest and eyed the King vindictively, "decided I should be like one."
Before the boy exhausted his supply of depleting patience, Daphnes stepped in.
"Of course my dear, asking that will be very ungrateful of us." Link stared at him, his mouth a perfect oval. "But like my boy explained, we cannot risk having you constantly hounded by Ganondorf, which he will do because currently the Master Sword is powerless and he knows it." He pointed to the pedestal. "Goddesses forbid he focuses solely on you and Link is unable to push him away." Tetra refused to acknowledge him; instead, she bit her bottom lip and glared holes in the stained glass. "Zelda, you must stay here, this is the safest place in the entire world and we shall come and take you once the Triforce of Courage is reclaimed." The boy nodded to the King's request. "I am sorry to place such a burden on you..."
Tetra stood her ground. "No."
Link, eyes widening like a startled guppy, reached for his sword. He faltered with the weapon in his hand and scowled furiously. Zelda clutched the robe, her heart beating a staccato in her chest. The boy's glower flared like an out of control fire.
She clenched her hands into fists. "You are taking me along or I will…" She racked her brains, could Link be threatened? "…I will steal the Hero's statue." Zelda grinned triumphantly when his face darkened like ominous thunderclouds.
Truce.
Link called the uneasy silence between him and Zelda. He hadn't spoken a word since their disastrous exit from Hyrule Castle. Sitting on the taffrails and bare legs dipped in the sun warmed ocean, Tetra watched him slipping on the power bracelets over skinny wrists. The past few weeks melted into a blur, she recalled marching onto the boat and claiming his cabin, the hero shot her an angry glare and relented, stringing a hammock between the crates of supplies shielding him from the sea's biting chill. They barely talked and she stalked out of the deckhouse every morning, slumping near the railings and going wherever the brat took her.
The boat zigzagged across mysterious islands teeming with magic and fairies. She blinked in astonishment when they neared a mountainous isle of fire and lava. Link shot an ice-arrow into the flaming island and it cooled. Mouth parted in disbelief, she bore witness as he nonchalantly jumped from the boat, quickly glanced at her and vanished without a word.
She waited, her heart hammering painfully for the island to erupt, what if it killed the boy?
Who will pay her those travelling fees?
"…This is Headstone Island, location of the Earth Temple," Link droned in a low voice. He sniffed disdainfully at the princess balanced on the taffrails and wearing one of his tunics which barely reached her knees. "I'm going inside to learn the Earth God's lyric-"
"And you want me to sit here and wait for you to come back?" Zelda smiled mockingly.
Fingers curling into a fist, Link jumped overboard. "You can do whatever you want, just don't make me worry." He hopped to the giant headstone resting on a slab of patched rock and admired it, running his fingers over the rough stone. Searching for a hand-hold, Link squatted and with a huff, lifted the giant boulder effortlessly, eyebrows arching in surprise. He examined the underside and placed it back on the ground.
Squinting, the hero inspected a circular cave cut into the mountainside. Headstone Island was small in diameter but it plunged deep into the ocean and lay east of Outset.
Outset. He wondered if his sister reached home.
Imparting one last glance at the difficult princess who tossed peanuts in her mouth, Link entered the cave, sneezing at the damp, earthy air brushing past his nose. Light barely reached the inside and he stopped at a large slab of stone sealing the rest of the temple. It contained a scale and reaching into his backpack, he retrieved the WindWaker. A ghostly presence materialized and without second thought, Link pointed his sword at the Earth Sage's neck.
Headpiece glimmering, the sage regarded the boy with calm, ocean blue eyes. "My name is Laruto," she stated, her voice rippling across the cave's walls and lowering the blade, Link bowed in apology. "To enter the Earth Temple, you need to learn the Earth God's lyric," she continued serenely and smiled.
Link stared at the harp in her hand as she strung a stirring melody.
Where did he see it?
The song came to a harmonious end and he wished for the melody to play on forever. "This is the Earth God's Lyric," Laruto announced in her soft voice, "learn it well and pass it on to my successor. Search for her, she lives across the Great Sea…" Her body faded into shadow as her words lingered.
"That was a beautiful song." Link spun to face Zelda, clutching Daphnes' cape around her shoulders. "So, any idea where the successor might be? Because she lives across the Great Sea is such a helpful tip."
Resentment bubbled in the hero's chest at her words, why, why couldn't she at least try to emulate a figment of the grace associated with the Triforce Wielder of Wisdom? Why did her every word grate on his nerves so much? She fought like a barbarian, lunging for eyes, face, in-between the thighs and clutching fistfuls of his hair when they sparred. Any attempt to teach her the fine art of archery, fell on deaf ears and she continuously missed the target and once buried an arrow behind the King of Red Lion's head.
"Medli," he announced and scowled at the dust fringing the royal red cloak, "she is a Rito residing in Dragoon Roost." Link trudged back to the boat. "She holds the same harp as Sage Laruto," he answered Tetra's unasked question.
The tight mask of irritation melted when Link talked with the boat, he opened the Great Sea Map and pointed to their destination, restless, Zelda sat on the rails and let sea spray sting her face.
She squinted at the triangles marking the back of her hand and sighed.
XXXXX
Reek of rust
He speared into the water.
Cold.
Hot.
Freezing.
He remembered gasping for breath, clawing upwards from the watery depths for the sun shining above. The burning circle of light danced above him, rippling and finally Link closed his blue fingers around the sun and faded into darkness.
"Link..." a voice called and he tried to put a name to the face? Aryll? No, she had a sweet voice. The person spoke again and Link groaned, opening his eyes a crack. Arctic light played against damp walls like an aurora and he shut his eyelids when pain rocketed through his skull. "Link, wake up, please. You have been unconscious for almost a week, you must be starving."
Come to think of it, he was starving; again, Link peeled his eyes apart and focused on a figure bending over him. Ralis? The Zora prince's pale green irises narrowed in concern and he raised his head, ordering a nearby soldier to bring a glass of water. Clammy hands helped Link into a sitting position and the human shivered in the cold air brushing against his arms and torso. Link stared at the thin cotton tunic wrapping his body and slowly noted a retinue of Zora guarding his bed and standing respectfully behind Ralis.
He blinked.
"Where am I?" Link croaked and frowned, he was in the Zora's Domain. Ralis passed him an ornamental cup and he drank greedily, water never tasted this good. "How did you-" he swallowed the lump in his throat, attention darting to the patches of umbrae cloaking the room. Did Midna find him? Link concentrated, crushing the cup between his hands, he could feel Midna's presence when she hid in his shadow, but now, his head remained suspiciously light. "How did you find me?" he asked.
Confusion and concern laced the young prince's brows.
Ralis nodded to his men and they meekly filed out of the infirmary. "One of my guards watched you plummet out of the sky," he explained. "You splashed into Lake Hylia and when you did not resurface, a search party fished out from the depths." The prince collapsed in a chair, worry mapping wrinkles on his forehead. "What happened? How did you fall from such a height in the first place?"
A royal guard entered, the pearl encrusted dagger at his waist glimmering in late afternoon sunlight, he whispered in Ralis' ear and bowed before leaving. Link did not like the way the Zora lingered near the doorway, he wanted to be left alone. Midna is probably on his tail and if she found him...
Gods, Link clasped his hands together and prayed. He did not know what to do anymore.
"You should rest for a while." Ralis got up from his seat, craved from a piece of light brown driftwood. "Take all the time you need to recuperate; we are honored to serve the Hero of Twilight."
Twilight...
Lunging, Link grabbed the prince's forearm, shuddering at the slimy, wet contact. A squad of guards rushed in, hefting bone spears and Ralis shook his head, warning them back. "I need to leave as soon as possible," Link rasped. Why did talking hurt so much? "I'm..." he gulped and scowled at the guards and the prince signaled for them to retreat. "I-I don't know what to do," he confessed, "I'm supposed to head to the Twilight Realm with my companion, but I don't want her to go and I feel like I'm not ready." He slowly let go, wiping his palm on the silk bed sheet and Ralis stood at the foot of the bed. Not long ago, they stood on opposite positions and Link had a sudden urge to laugh. "I'm pathetic, aren't I?"
"You fell from the sky and hit the lake, although it is water, the pressure of it broke your ribs." Ralis indicated to Link's midsection and he rolled the tunic to see bandages and more scarred skin. "I will not pretend to understand what ordeals you went through to get to this point, but, there are times when we are all confused and scared and we don't know what to do."
In another lifetime, Link thought, perhaps he and Ralis could be friends. Good friends.
Best friends.
"Perhaps you should runaway, like I did?" The Zora prince smiled widely, showing a mouthful of razor sharp teeth. "It put my priorities into perspective." He tilted his head to the side and his silver earrings reflected light. "Maybe you should visit home or," the prince scrunched his forehead, "roam around Hyrule. You might find your lost purpose." He gently squeezed Link's Triforce covered hand and whirled out of the room, his shoulder sash fluttering after him.
Alone, Link stared at the ceiling. I am running away. He closed his eyes and listened to the Zora bustling outside. Shouts reverberated through the arched corridors, snatches of it reached his ears. He folded the pillow around his ears, willing for the dizziness, the emptiness in his head to stop ringing. Breathing heavily, he drifted into a quiet sleep.
Ooccoo dashed to and fro, leaving ivory feathers trailing in the air. Sitting at a stone table laid for supper, Midna simmered. The food grew cold in front of her and she stared resolutely opposite, where a chair of white alabaster remained empty. Link, that brat, missed lunch and thinking nothing of it, she strolled the outdoor gardens, appreciating the jasmine scented air. Her mood whiplashed when an bird half ran, half flapped to a harried stop before Ooccoo, they gobbled something about the Hero of Twilight and when the messenger left, the rubies around its neck glowing like blood, Ooccoo turned toward her, expression solemn.
"I'm afraid we have bad news," he began.
"Spit it out," Midna barked, intuition told her it involved Link.
"The Hero of Twilight escaped to the surface world, he climbed in a Sky Cannon requiring maintenance and shot himself back to Hyrule." Ooccoo nervously hopped backwards, the Twilight Princess radiated anger like a volcano waiting to erupt. "The sentries report he fell into Lake Hylia and did not surface."
Midna froze. Did not surface? "Are you sure?" she asked and Ooccoo nodded. Mind drawing a blank, she sluggishly hovered away, drawing lower and lower till she collapsed on the granite pavement. Her hope...after everything thing she did to protect him, to keep the sniveling child alive he goes ahead and does this?
She clenched her hands tightly. Unforgivable.
The bird bowed to her once and warped in a shower of light. On the floor, Midna stewed in poisonous thoughts as the sun sunk, elongating her shadow into grotesque forms. She absentmindedly traced a circle on her sternum and jerked upright when a sinking feeling nestled in the pit of her chest.
Link was alive.
She breathed a sigh of relief and her eye rolled upwards. A half-moon glinted between sheets of dark grey clouds and she lifted to the air. Link probably ran away, again, however, she was not sure why. He seemed determined to complete his journey and return home. Swaying towards the long halls illuminated with sconces, Midna plotted.
The resident Ooccoo took flight when a grinning Twilli entered the banqueting hall.
Grateful for the lavish hospitality, Link tried to enjoy the Zora Palace. Lattices of coral decorated the walls and Ralis' throne stood above a deep pool of water. All very dramatic and grand, the human agreed and slouched on the throne while the prince directed his guards to several tasks. A few of the Zora shot him disapproving looks and slunk away, their weapons shining ominously. Link craned his neck when a boat glided into the water, its prow gilded with jewels and silver.
The Zora on board rowed it along, her eyes skimming the throne; she glared venomously at Link nibbling on a salted fish and searched for the Prince. Shrinking back from her glower, Link quickly rose from the seat and sidled next to Ralis, to better admire the boat.
On Outset, the fisherman only used simple kayaks and plain old rafts.
"We are going out on a hunt prince Ralis," the female Zora announced and hefted the oar, the wood shone in the pale light of the throne chamber. "May Lord Jabu-Jabu grant us a plentiful catch today." More Zora emerged from underwater and took up her prayer, they smoothly clambered on the boat, their scaly bodies dripping pearls of water. "We leave with your grace," the Zora dipped her head respectfully and the boat majestically cut through the water, disappearing over the crest of the thundering waterfall.
The hero watched them go; the stone lying in the pit of his stomach grew heavier every single day. Ralis did everything in his power to make him comfortable, but like the time Link spent in the City in the Sky, a shroud of unease suffocated him. His bedchamber in the Zora palace faced the lake and he spent the night hours gazing at the moonbeams falling into the water. Fyer's shop rooted on an island in the middle, a mere speck from the palace and the grey stone Sky Cannon sent twisting threads of pain over his ribs. Everything he laid eyes on reminded him of his heroic duty to restore the realm of Twilight and keep Hyrule safe. However, the willingness to do so dwindled day by day and he scurried from undulating shadows, in case Midna emerges from one of them and strangles him to death for daring to elope from his calling.
Midna...the Twilight Princess.
Sitting on a delicate chair conspired from bone and wood, Link observed the Zora prowling Lake Hylia. Mist clouded the boats and they drifted in and out through the fog like ghosts.
Like ghosts.
The Hero's shade left him and each day, Link wished for the Shade's guidance and rough talk, the constant criticism angered him and resentful determination bubbled in his chest. Grabbing a piece of paper, Link attempted to sketch the view, he gave up after a few pencil scribbles and half-turned when the door behind him swung apart.
"Would you like join me on a patrol to the boarders of Snowpeak?" Ralis asked and Link trained his eyes on the ground where tiles of multicolored coral created an underwater mosaic scene. "I understand you are not fully healed yet, but it's good to get exercise." The Prince patiently waited while his guards shuffled impatiently, grabbing their daggers and keeping their gazes respectfully lowered. "...I will see you later, please don't forget to eat," saying this, Ralis marched out, his diminutive stature flanked by royal sentries decked in belts of silk. They parted for him like a curtain of water and one shot Link a glare before skulking after the prince.
They spent more than a year together, Link recounted, yet, he did not know anything about Twilight, only that the residents did not resemble humans and they practiced magic. Twilight is a world of warm, golden glow; of archaic runes etched over sheets of ebony darkness. A universe of black squares and skies ribboned with portals.
What else?
They had a Princess, Midna, who somehow had her power stolen by Zant and the usurper cast her in a land of light, leaving her to fade into oblivion.
Also, Zant and Midna were destined to marry.
What did Link feel about Midna? The hero did not want to touch the topic; it remained buried like a thorn in his heart. He hated her. Hate. She constantly drove him like a pack mule, used him for her purposes and berated him endlessly, never missing a beat to point out his faults and shortcomings. She did not have the gentle kindness of Ilia, nor did she share his enthusiasm of critter catching like Agitha. Fisting in his tunic pocket, Link brought out a small crystal firefly and laid it carefully on the windowsill.
The jade insect glowed with a life of its own and suddenly, Link wished for the tooth aching sweetness of hot chocolate.
His hatred of Midna oscillated with jealously. Zelda. The Hylian Princess Link hardly met. A figure cloaked in mystery who gave up her life to save Midna's. The imp cried for her and the display of such raw emotion formed a lump in Link's throat. Why couldn't the demon princess at least spare him some form of sympathy?
Did she really not care about him at all?
Every time he breathed, the ache in his ribcage scattered everywhere. Up to his chest. Down his thighs and legs. Radiating to his arms. His body felt bruised, broken and shattered beyond repair.
What did he feel about Midna? Link tenderly picked the crystal firefly from the windowsill as the fog veiling the lakefront cleared.
He missed her terribly.
A/N: I honestly don't understand why Tetra's skin color changed after she became the princess. Here, she keeps her bronze/brown skin color and bits of her pirate mannerisms. It's impossible for her to change her skullduggery behavior in one magical afternoon.
Please read and review, constructive criticism is greatly appreciated. Coffee cake to all