The Legend of Tetra: The Wind Waker

by NTDOFAnonymous

Long story short, I replayed Wind Waker for the first time in a long time and had the biggest smile replaying it. I always was interested in Tetra's version of events so I created my own personal version, 14 Total Chapters in all. I try to keep the story close to the games but add in my own personal head cannon. I hope you enjoy reading this as much as did writing all of this.

10. The Heros of Time and Winds

Tetra's ancestor Zelda stood still after Tetra had asked her what happened to the Hero of Time. Tetra saw it looked like her ancestor was trying so hard not to show any emotion and she was trying to hold it all in. She looked like she wanted nothing more than to not show Tetra this memory. A brief period of total silence followed. Finally Zelda very briskly raised her arm again though kept her head down and eyes closed and once more the blue oceans below Tetra, her mother, and her ancestor Princess Zelda tuned instantly calm and became like a mirror once more and another memory of Zelda with the Hero of Time was emerging.

Zelda and the Hero of Time were floating in mid-air in the middle of the sky it looked like. They were looking at each other as if they were staring into each other's souls.

Zelda in the memory then spoke gently to him,

"Thank you Link. Thanks to you Ganondorf has been sealed inside the Evil Realm! Thus, peace will once again reign in this world…for a time."

Zelda in her memory looked away from the Hero of Time looking down and put her hand over her heart saying sadly,

"All the tragedy that has befallen Hyrule was my doing…I was so young…I could not comprehend the consequences of trying to control the Sacred Realm…I dragged you into it too. Now is the time for me to make up for my mistakes. You must lay the Master Sword to rest and close the Door of Time."

"However…by doing this, the road between times will be closed…"

The Hero of Time was looking at her with blank look on his face as if he didn't know what was going to happen next.

Zelda then held out her hand,

"Link, give the ocarina to me…as a sage I can return you to your original time with it."

The Hero of Time reluctantly pulled out the Ocarina of Time out of his pocket and very slowly put it in Zelda's hand. She then put her other hand on top of his hand looking incredibly sad.

Tetra looked at her ancestor and saw Zelda was refusing to look at her own memory like she was ashamed of it, Tetra could tell she was fighting back some tears.

"When peace returns to Hyrule…It will be time for us to say good-bye." Zelda said sadly in the flashback.

Tetra was watching this unlike her ancestor standing next to her, but like Zelda, she was fighting back tears of her own.

Their hands let go of each other and then Zelda held the ocarina close to her heart with both hands, she spoke again.

"Now, go home Link. Regain your lost time! Home…where you are supposed to be…the way you are supposed to be…"

Zelda started playing a slow song on the Ocarina, it was beyond beautiful to hear, and it sounded strangely familiar to Tetra. Tetra looked at the Hero of Time; he was now encased in a bright blue light and was floating upward. Zelda while playing the Ocarina of Time had her eyes closed but then opened them as he rose in the air.

"No!" Tetra said softly in her head looking at the Hero of Time.

The Hero of Time now looked horrified at what was happening! He looked as though he fully realized what was going to happen now, his eyes were wide! He could not move at all but was fighting so hard to! He was yelling all sorts of words Tetra could see but she couldn't make any of them out though Tetra swore she could read his lips as he spoke at the last second before he vanished, his eyes locked in fully on Zelda's eyes.

"I LOVE YOU!"

Zelda who still refused to look at her own memory was now silently crying Tetra could see.

Tetra heard Zelda in the memory say a few final words sadly.

"Thank You…Link…Good Bye…"

The memory ended.

Tetra herself now had some tears in her eyes; her mother looked very sad as well. They both looked stunned and just stared at their ancestor.

"Zelda…" Tetra finally started to say trying to stay calm.

Zelda had her eyes shut, but spoke very quietly.

"You…you now know the full truth about the Hero of Time. I…I sent the Hero of Time back to his childhood. He...he doesn't exist anymore with us in this time." She choked her head down fighting back more tears.

"But why did you? He…He Loved you!" Tetra said shocked, her heart feeling it had been split in two.

Zelda finally opened her eyes struggling to speak.

"I…I know he had feelings but while my heart could justify keeping him, my mind could not. He lost seven years, seven years of his childhood, his most precious years. He deserved to live those years out especially how much he sacrificed of his life to save Hyrule…to save me."

Tetra was about to ask her ancestor something but Zelda sensed what Tetra was going to ask her.

"Do not misunderstand me Tetra; the man I eventually married was a wonderful man. He was kind and thoughtful and was worthy and I loved him, but the Hero of Time… I would be lying to you if I didn't say he…he…he will always hold a special place inside my heart. I will never forget his courage which was only matched by his kindness to do what was right. I still remember how he believed me from the beginning and fully trusted me. How he had always been there for me and was willing to do anything to keep me safe."

"But why did you send him back Zelda? You two clearly cared for each other?" Tetra again implored her ancestor.

"I did not believe it was right for him to lose those childhood years, as I said to him…I used him. None of these awful events would have happened had I never tried to control the Sacred Realm and Triforce, I was too young to understand the consequences of this. Everything that happened was my fault, I dragged him into it." Zelda responded sadly.

"You weren't trying to control them for your own selfish gain, only to stop Ganondorf from claiming control over them himself. It's clear you had strong feelings for him as well. It's not your fault that the Hero of Time became trapped when he pulled the Master Sword out of the pedestal." Tetra fiercely responded back. She couldn't let her ancestor beat herself up for this.

"Your words are kind Tetra… but I refused even if I did truly love Link… to make him stay. I could not be that selfish to force him to stay even if he wanted to. Ganondorf I knew could eventually return. I could not and would not make Link risk his life again especially for me. He nearly lost it fighting Ganondorf as you saw. I was prepared to suffer the consequences and face them when they came. I cared too much about his wellbeing, he deserved that time back. I sent him back out of true love. " Zelda stated regaining some of her composure.

Though she then put her hands on her heart and then said rather quietly looking down,

"My only fear of what I did is if I left him with any regrets… If he did have any, I hope he was able to ease those regrets in some way."

Silence befell them for what felt like a while. Zelda then started smiling thinking of the Hero of Time for the first time in a very long time.

"I know that I sent him back to his childhood, but I know it and can feel it that he continued to help people and still was a hero in some way. That's just who he was as a person and hero."

Zelda then looked at Tetra and said rather seriously to her.

"Tetra, I hope you never have to make a decision like that like I did. It…it was the hardest decision of my life to do so but I truly hope you never have to make any decision like that but I will say this, what has haunted me now over the years about my actions is not giving Link the right to make his own choice on his fate. He deserved to after everything he did. You must remember that and any decision must only be for him to make without any outside interference."

Tetra didn't know what to say to this as she looked back down to the ocean below. Was her ancestor talking about her Link? Tetra knew what her decision would be if she ever faced a situation like this with him. She could not do what her ancestor had done.

Tetra then looked over at her ancestor. She had more questions and wanted them answered. She wondered though if her ancestor in her sad state would be willing to answer them.

Zelda once again seemed to sense Tetra was going to ask her something and smiled at her.

"You have more questions I assume Tetra?" she asked gently.

"Zelda, how did Ganondorf escape from the Sacred Realm?"

"…I cannot say for certain."

"Why not guess, you know everything?" Tetra said rather bossy back to her and her ancestor laughed a little hearing Tetra's bossy way of interrogating. Zelda had finally regained her composure. She closed her eyes for a moment as if she was deep in thought.

"Well Tetra, I can say for sure I do not know everything. I feel someone in our family's history further back does know everything or as close to it as possible, but I do have a theory on how Ganondorf escaped. There are legends in our family dating back to nearly the beginning of time. One legend states of an all powerful demon king who supposedly was the source of all monsters." She started before Tetra interrupted.

"But I thought Ganondorf was the King of Evil?" Tetra asked sounding confused.

"Whether this demon was an ancestor of Ganondorf's or Ganondorf really is just a reincarnation of him or his hatred in some way, shape or form, I cannot answer you. But the legend states, he like Ganondorf, tried to obtain the Triforce. He was stopped and was sealed away but he constantly broke free of his seal but was always stopped and sealed back up very quickly before he could cause any harm. He eventually was defeated for good by a hero. He had astounding power that was otherworldly. With Ganondorf having the Triforce of Power still in his possession along with his already immense powers, it didn't surprise me that he eventually broke free from the Sacred Realm to rain havoc on Hyrule again. After all, he vowed he would and I'm sure his hatred of me and the Hero of Time pounded through his mind constantly. He vowed to kill our descendants as you saw even though the Hero of Time did not end up with any descendants as least in our time. When Ganondorf escaped the Sacred Realm, his power was not at its full strength as it was before he was sealed away." She finished opening her eyes.

"What about the Temple of Time you mentioned?" Tetra asked.

"After Ganondorf was defeated, peace returned to Hyrule. The Master Sword was laid to rest again at the Temple of Time. The Master Sword in some ways was a key to keeping Ganondorf from gaining back his true power. While Ganondorf's castle was now gone, I did not want to re-build Hyrule Castle where it originally had been as Ganondorf's castle replaced it. The only good memory from that area I have was my first meeting with the Hero of Time…"

Zelda stopped herself for a second thinking about this first encounter again, but then continued.

"I decided Hyrule Castle would be rebuilt over the Temple of Time which had been damaged during Ganondorf's reign. The basement of Hyrule Castle was where the Master Sword would be kept hidden and sealed to prevent only a true hero from entering it. I ordered a statue of the Hero of Time to be built to honor him right above the entrance and hoped another like him would come one day when Hyrule needed protection."

Tetra remembered that statue and shivered thinking back seeing what Ganondorf had done to it in anger.

"When your Link entered the portal below to Hyrule Castle after proving himself to the gods, he solved the puzzle in the castle giving him access to the basement. When he pulled the Master Sword out of its pedestal which only a true chosen hero could do, he did not realize that by doing so, he restored time to the exact moment when the Goddess after flooding Hyrule had stopped time itself in Hyrule. That is why all of Ganondorf's followers were unfrozen who had infiltrated the castle seconds before the Goddess's seal happened and attacked Link when he tried to leave the castle and restored Ganondorf's true powers back to him. Poor Link never would've known when he pulled the Master Sword out of that pedestal that Ganondorf had thought well ahead in advance and had his followers kill the Earth and Wind Sages after he had broken free from the Sacred Realm. Their prayers to the gods powered the Master Sword and gave the sword its true ability to slay any evil. That is why Link failed at the Forsaken Fortress to even touch Ganondorf with that blade and Ganondorf knew this. He manipulated Link and the King into doing this with neither knowing the truth at the time about the sages. That was why Lord Valoo and the Rito came to both you and Link's aid against Ganondorf. Lord Valoo sensed this about the Master Sword and realized the truth."

Tetra remembered Link talking about his first visit to Hyrule Castle when he led her into the Castle and how bloody and mangled his clothes were when she saw him when he first left the Tower of the Gods through her gossip stone. She then remembered how when he went to slay Ganondorf, the Master Sword didn't even touch him and Ganondorf didn't even flinch when Link charged at him.

Tetra, now thinking about the Tower of the Gods, asked Zelda while looking at her mother,

"That map on our pirate ship, I now know it points directly to the Tower of the Gods in the center of the Triforce. How did that massive structure rise from the sea like that?"

Zelda gave a big smile to Tetra.

"You tell me Tetra."

Tetra already knew the answer. She had seen him leaving that structure as she got close to it the first time.

"Link," she said rather quietly.

Zelda continued smiling,

"Yes, to open the path to Hyrule, Link collected three pearls from those islands that lined the outline of the Triforce on your map. These pearls were those of the goddesses guarded by three spirits of the world whose ancestors were from mine and the Hero of Time's era; Din's pearl from Dragon Roost Island guarded by the Sky Spirit Lord Valoo, Farore's pearl guarded by the Great Deku Tree at the Forest Haven, and lastly Nayru's Pearl guarded by the Water Spirit Jabun on Greatfish Isle. Though he now as you know resides at Outset Island after Ganondorf attacked Greatfish Island. Ganondorf used his powers and cursed the Great Sea once Link and the King of Hyrule reached Greatfish Isle and froze time. That was why that night would not end and rain continued to pour down non-stop. Ganondorf was hoping to stop Link and King Daphes from reaching Jabun and turn the Great Sea into darkness for eternity. The reason Link was trying to hide from you that night was because the King at the point wasn't sure what your motives were though it wasn't just to steal Nayru's pearl obviously as well as he didn't think you or your crew would tell Link anything at that point."

It all made sense Tetra thought. It explained why Link was searching for Jabun and why the postman had told her Link needed to see the water spirit and why he had tried to hide from her. It also explained why that night wasn't going to end and when the rain stopped, why her crew immediately came back from the café on Windfall when the rain did end. Tetra felt better knowing she gave Link the head start to Outset at the time now knowing he did indeed break Ganondorf's curse.

Zelda finished her train of thought.

"Of course, only someone capable of being a true hero would be given all three of these sacred pearls and be able to place them on the guide posts of the goddesses on the triangle islands. Once Link raised the Tower of the Gods, he faced the deadly tests of the gods inside and was acknowledged by the gods to be the new chosen hero and that Link fully accepted his fate."

Tetra stayed silent thinking of this; she didn't want to think of Link at the moment, though it was harder for her to as she pictured his smiling face as she was apologizing to him down in Hyrule Castle. How he seemed to brush off her apology like it wasn't necessary. Tetra knew what would happen if her mind stayed on him too long. Getting her mind off of him, she thought about Hyrule Castle. Another question then popped into Tetra's head after thinking about the castle. That painting that her and Link looked at, the one that had people in it that looked like her pirate crew.

Tetra this time turned toward her mother to ask her next question.

"Mother, my, I mean your pirate crew…In Hyrule Castle, there was a painting. There was a princess in the center of the painting, but everyone beside her looked remarkably like your crew of pirates. Are they really related to the ones in that painting?"

Tetra's Mother smiled,

"You figured it out huh? Yes they are related Tetra. They probably do not know it as that picture is from hundreds of years prior, but yes your pirate crew, they are the descendants of those attendants of Princess Zelda."

Zelda smiled and responded,

"Well, they weren't my attendants; they were the attendants of the Princess right before the Great Flood happened."

This was the once piece of this puzzle that Tetra still needed to know about the whole flood and the Great Sea.

"Zelda, what happened with the Great Flood, the King of Hyrule wasn't very specific?"

Zelda took a deep breath and explained,

"When Ganondorf had broken free of the Sacred Realm though his true power was limited in ways, it was still enough to cause chaos and destruction and he once again was searching for the Triforce desperate for its power. He knew now that our family had the Triforce of Wisdom, but he was searching also for the Triforce of Courage. When I sent the Hero of Time back to his youth, the Triforce of Courage that he had in his possession shattered into eight fragments that were scattered all throughout Hyrule and eventually all of these fragments were buried underneath the waves of the Great Sea. Only one capable of being the new hero and had the courage would be able to find all eight shards. To assist the new hero, charts were created that showed where exactly these shards would be located. These charts were hidden in certain areas around the Great Sea so only one worthy could find them all. The charts though were also written to be incredibly complex to decipher to prevent those who were unworthy of finding these shards."

Zelda continued her story of unmatched insight,

"King Daphes Nordhansen Hyrule who was ruling Hyrule at that time before the flood knew that his power alone would not be enough to stop Ganondorf. All the people of Hyrule believed that the Hero of Time would reappear and defeat Ganondorf just as he done previously."

"But the Hero of Time didn't appear. Why did they think he would?" Tetra asked her ancestor though she knew the real reason now what had happened to him.

"The people misunderstood the legend of the Hero of Time Tetra. While the Hero of Time did indeed travel through time, he could not travel to the future. Even if I had not sent him back in time and he stayed with me, he would not have been able to appear to stop Ganondorf again in the future. He was still mortal as me or you or anyone else. The story your mother always told you said this. "His tale was passed down through generations until it became legend." He was only able to travel in time between the point right before when he originally pulled the Master Sword out of the Pedestal of Time and when he awakened from his seven year slumber. In many ways, the Master Sword was a ship that could travel upstream and downstream through time's river. The port for this ship was the Temple of Time. The Hero of Time used this time-travel ability to go back and forth between his youth and adulthood. By doing this, he was able to solve many challenges by going back to the past as a child so that when he went back to his adult years to these same challenges, he could overcome them which is why he became known as the Hero of Time."

"You probably are wondering then why didn't another hero emerge to stop Ganondorf before the flood happened? I cannot answer this question completely and have never fully understood this myself. The only possible explanation I can give you is that when I sent the Hero of Time back to his childhood, something happened that for whatever reason made it so another hero did not emerge to stop Ganondorf. The only explanation for this I feel is the Triforce of Courage as I said earlier split into eight fragments when I sent the Hero of Time back to his childhood and closed the Door of Time permanently. In our families history, there are many legends that whenever evil approaches, a hero will emerge to help the princess of the royal family stop this evil. I guess you could say in ways there was no spirit of the hero in a young boy to stop Ganondorf during this time because the Triforce of Courage was not complete to find a boy with this destiny. Your Link is not related in any way to the Hero of Time. He created his own destiny through all of this and most importantly, chose this destiny and was fully willing to do this to save his sister and eventually help aid you and defeat Ganondorf. Once Link proved himself to the gods, he was shown to be a true hero and proved himself worthy of wielding the Master Sword."

Tetra again struggled to keep Link's smiling face out of her head after hearing all of this. So he had forced his way into all of this mess and refused to give up she thought. He was willing to do all of this even if it wasn't his fate originally. That he was fully willing to protect her and help her. Tetra was glad that her ancestor was still talking, thinking of Link only made Tetra feel worse inside.

"King Daphes and the peoples only hope then was as he said to you was to pray to the gods and hope they would answer their prayers and stop Ganondorf. The goddesses responded by flooding Hyrule and had those chosen to keep Hyrule alive and reawaken it one day to flee to the mountaintops of the kingdom which eventually became known as islands of the Great Sea. Hyrule along with Ganondorf was sealed away under the Great Sea frozen in time and Hyrule eventually became a legend that survived only on the wind's breath over hundreds of years just as the legend of the legendary treasure, the Triforce did."

"The goddesses as I'm sure you have guessed by now did not plan on the Great Sea being permanent. The Great Sea Ocean is really just an illusion. The water on the Great Sea is unlike water here in Hyrule. That is why the ocean has no fish to catch and only sea monsters live in the Great Sea and why none can truly swim across it as you know sadly with your mother's passing." Her ancestor then looked over to Tetra's mother. She stopped for a moment wondering how Tetra and her mother would react to this. But Tetra's mother nodded and had Zelda continue her words. Tetra just stayed silent trying not to remember her mother's death.

"The goddesses made it possible for Hyrule to eventually be reawakened at some point. That is why you can breathe here in Hyrule and why running water is still actually underneath the Great Sea. No one other than Ganondorf and King Daphes who is still alive actually knows the full truth of Hyrule. That is why the Great Deku Tree in Forest Haven and Jabun despite having lived for hundreds of years themselves were confused as were you Tetra when they first saw Link wearing clothing similar to the Hero of Time and how remarkably similar he looked to him. They both wrongly believed The Hero of Time had returned to stop Ganondorf again."

Tetra tried to get that smiling image of Link out of her head again, but it was becoming harder to avoid. She was relived her ancestor started talking again to distract her thoughts.

"When Ganondorf broke free of the goddess seal from the flood, he decided to search the Great Sea above for who he was looking for. Though still limited in full power, he still had enough strength to create his own magical portal which he used to escape to the surface to his new base of operations above the Great Sea, The Forsaken Fortress. He used his monster bird the Helmorac King and started kidnapping young girls with long pointed ears like yours Tetra across the Great Sea. He did this because he was searching for someone. Someone in particular…he was looking for my descendant who he knew would have the Triforce of Wisdom in their possession so he could steal it. He was searching for you Tetra." Zelda finished.

Tetra shuddered hearing this. She remembered what the postman had told her on Outset that Aryll was kidnapped because Ganondorf's monster bird believed Aryll was her. How the bird had captured Tetra before that. Tetra didn't want to think about it anymore knowing this was the reason Link had been dragged into all of this. Tetra tried to think of more questions. Everything about Hyrule and her family's history now made sense to Tetra except one thing…

Turning to her mother, she asked,

"Mother, if we are royalty, why are we pirates then?"

Her mother laughed and then responded,

"Well, I cannot say we truly are pirates in the sense that we stole from the innocent and attacked peaceful communities. I'm proud to say you didn't take that approach either. I would say we were more treasure hunters in ways, hunting for the legendary treasure below the sea."

Zelda then spoke up,

"When your ancestor, the Princess Zelda of the time of the flood fled to the mountaintops with her attendants, a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom was given to her. That piece of the Triforce became as you know your necklace that you guarded with your life. King Daphes kept the other piece of the Triforce of Wisdom safe below in Hyrule. This Princess Zelda like her attendants was not sure exactly how to respond to their new way of life. They did not try to rebuild Hyrule above the Great Sea; rather they and all those chosen to flee to the mountaintops started to build a new country above the Great Sea, but she and her attendants did not interact much with others. Eventually as generations went on, her descendants became pirates though not the cruel and evil type that many associate pirates with. The very crew you have Tetra as your mother has already stated, their ancestors were attendants to the Princess during the Great Flooding of Hyrule. Her descendants eventually spread rumors of them being fierce pirates and terror of the seas so that others would not come near them and find out who they really were. Her attendants still vowed to protect the royal family and serve them but as the generations continued to move on, their descendants lost sight of what their real purpose was and just believed they were regular pirates roaming the ocean above looking for treasure but even then they still maintained fierce loyalty to their captains who really were members of the Hyrulian Royal Family."

"Those in the Royal Family also began to as the years went on to lose sight of their real purpose as well, though trying to find the legendary treasure of the Triforce showed that they still in some ways knew of their true purpose of protecting it. By having that map in your cabin Tetra as well as the picture of the Hero of Time showed that the Royal Family passed down his tale or heroism but as so many years passed, it was harder for the Royal Family to remember what this tale really was about and meant. Though having part of the Triforce of Wisdom in their possession is why like your mother had mentioned to you Tetra when you were really young that she sensed you both were not just mere pirates and why you both guarded that necklace with your life and why you searched for the legendary treasure below the sea. This is also why you had that dream you did with Ganondorf in it. As you know now Tetra only when you received the full Triforce of Wisdom in your possession did you awaken and realize what your fate truly was."

Zelda then added,

"The Forsaken Fortress on your ocean Tetra is actually the original home of the Gerudo thieves and their fortress, the very same Gerudo that Ganondorf came from and is King of. Ganondorf might claim he was trying to help his people as he told you Tetra, but he is still pure evil as you saw what he did to Hyrule when was given the chance with power. He went insane with it and always has been obsessed with obtaining the Triforce only for himself. He never could ever be trusted to ever help anyone other than himself. He killed innocent and defenseless people and stole from them. He truly is the King of Evil. The only difference between him now and when the Hero of Time and I fought against him was he was naïve then believing nobody would or could stop him. He most definitely has wised up during his imprisonment and does not underestimate Link's abilities."

"With regards to the pirates that you, your mother and your ancestors fought and competed against over the course of many years, they were not the Gerudo people themselves however. They were ashamed of their association to Ganondorf. Rather the pirates you fought against are monsters who eventually became part of Ganondorf's army once he escaped to the surface. As a pirate you never fought others just because you were pirates and wanted to hurt and steal from others; you and your crew only fought against those that you believed were trying to harm others and threaten peace. This was proven on Windfall Island. You didn't steal from the bomb maker just to get bombs. You were willing to pay for them but you saw through his incredibly selfish greed and forced him to change his ways showing you and your crew were good and not evil. You did the same when you returned the rich father's daughter on Windfall. He became happier by giving away his fortune despite not being rich anymore simply because his daughter was safe and realized happiness in life is not all about wealth."

Tetra stared ahead amazed by this, all of it made sense now to her except…

Zelda then spoke about one more thing before Tetra could ask her last question regarding Link.

"There is but one island on the Great Sea that still partakes in part of the legend of Hyrule and the Hero of Time. On the birthday of a boy who reaches the age of the Hero of Time when he first started his journey, the boy will be garbed in green, wearing the same clothes the Hero of Time wore in hope that the boy will have courage like him. That island is the one that Link was born on, on Outset."

"When Hyrule was flooded, King Daphes also was sealed below Hyrule and slept for hundreds of years and became a spirit. When Ganondorf escaped from the goddesses seal, King Daphes was reawaked from his own slumber and was ordered by the gods to stop Ganondorf's reign of terror before it was too late. He used his powers and became the King of Red Lions above the Great Sea and started searching the Great Sea looking for two people needed to stop Ganondorf. First, he needed to find the current and sadly the last remaining member of the Hyrulian Royal Family still alive. He figured out who you really were Tetra when he realized you talked to Link on Windfall Island through your gossip stone and saw you had a piece of the Triforce of Wisdom as your necklace. Only someone belonging to the Hyrulian Royal Family would have either of these things and he knew now for sure who you really were. And then when he saw Link had the courage to enter the beyond dangerous Forsaken Fortress without even hesitating to rescue his sister and vowed he would do anything to protect her, he gambled on him being the hero he needed to stop Ganondorf and reawaken Hyrule from its centuries long slumber. He found Link out at sea after the Helmaroc King had thrown him out of the Forsaken Fortress. The King found him in time and saved him."

"Link…" Tetra whispered sadly thinking about him now; she couldn't get him out of her mind anymore.

"The Hero of Winds Tetra," Zelda responded to her.

"…The Hero of Winds?" Tetra asked puzzled hearing this.

"Link, now having completed the Triforce of Courage is now rightfully known by his title as the Hero of Winds. He has controlled the wind using the Hyrule Royal Family's ancient treasure, the Wind Waker as he crossed the seas to bring peace to them. He is as courageous as the Hero of Time and the only thing that matches his courage is his kindness as you have seen yourself Tetra. He is a Legendary Hero in his own right and is fully worthy of being mentioned in the same breath as the Hero of Time. You should be beyond proud of him Tetra." Zelda said very proudly to her smiling.

"So Link had found the Triforce of Courage. He was a legendary hero. He was as legendary as the Hero of Time himself." Tetra thought to herself staring ahead.

Tetra then looked down and looked beyond uncomfortable, she started shaking a little. Her mother and ancestor looked at her. Tetra was struggling now to fight back tears. Thoughts she had been trying to hide were emerging and she had enormous guilt building up inside of her. The same guilt she felt at Hyrule Castle thinking of Link except now it was far worse after hearing about how much he had done for her and proven himself.

"What ails you Tetra?" her mother asked her softly, she could tell Tetra was deeply troubled by something.

Tetra started shaking more uncontrollably like she was trying so hard to keep her thoughts inside of her. Her eyes were closed. She didn't want her mother or her ancestor to see how awful she felt saying what she was going to say or be repulsed by her words. Seeing once again Link's smiling face in her thoughts as he brushed off her apology, she couldn't hold out anymore and finally burst out opening her eyes but stared at the ocean below avoiding her mother's or her ancestor's concerned gazes. She started talking quietly,

"When I first met Link…I…I didn't think anything of him. I…I told him he was helpless little kid and he would be a headache to me and my crew when he asked us to take him to the Forsaken Fortress and yet he still treated me with incredible kindness. He never lashed out at me or talked back to me as he rightfully should've seeing how I was treating him. He just wanted to be my friend..." Tetra finished sadly struggling to get her words out, tears now in her eyes. Guilt was washing over her again worse than ever before thinking of all of this but she kept talking, she had to let it out.

"I…made fun of his outfit. I…I called him… a stupid kid just because he had instinctively tried to run out and save his poor little sister from that monster bird. I told him his sister being kidnapped was not my problem. I mocked his shield and…his ability to handle it and then mocked him when he was waving goodbye to his family and friends despite knowing there was the real possibility he might never see any of them again particularly his grandmother who might lose both her grandchildren. I laughed at the look on his face when he entered the Forsaken Fortress despite him ending up unarmed because I messed up launching him out of the catapult. I believed at the time he was anything but a hero… but now…" Tetra said now sobbing uncontrollably and burying her face in her hands. Tetra thought of that image of Link when he grabbed her hands in Hyrule Castle, looked her in directly in the eyes and how he said he would protect her and keep her safe.

"And yet he still vowed to protect me and risk his own life for me and brushed off my apology like he never has been mad or upset at me for any of this happening to him. How he truly was just caught up in all of this for no reason at all simply because that bird kidnapped his sister instead of me. To think right now he is fighting and risking his own life to save me after how I treated him." Tetra said choking back more tears. She had stopped shaking but looked beyond miserable; the most miserable she ever had been in her life besides when her mother had died. She had never shown this much emotion since that day. She wondered how her mother and her ancestor would react to her saying all of this. Tetra felt they would be disgusted with her actions but nobody could be more disgusted with her than herself.

Her ancestor Zelda then smiled and gently said to Tetra looking down at her as she put her hand on Tetra's shoulder to comfort her.

"Tetra, there were those who didn't believe in the Hero of Time when he first started his quest either. You saw Ganondorf after being defeated by the Hero of Time in his tower still called him a kid. As you saw as well, even I questioned how some young boy had snuck past all the castle guards in the castle to see me when I first met him. The leader of the rock tribe the Gorons who really was one of the six sages was outraged when the Hero of Time first arrived at his home to search for the keys to the Door of Time questioning why some little kid was there only for him and the Hero of Time to become true brothers in the end once he saw the Hero of Time for who he really was. That letter I gave the Hero of Time was for him to show anyone who questioned him stating he was under my orders to save Hyrule. I'm sure there were those who laughed at him when he showed them this and thought it was just a game I was playing. But you know your Link now for who he really is and it's clear you both care very deeply for each other."

Tetra could not stop crying, she felt beyond guilty and sickened by how she had treated Link. Zelda spoke up again,

"Tetra, why do you think that statue of the Hero of Time in Hyrule Castle was him as a child and not as an adult when he did defeat Ganondorf? It was because I wanted people to see how even at his young age, he had the courage to stand up to evil and that age does not matter. It is the same with your Link. You weren't the only one who doubted him in the beginning as Jabun and the Great Deku Tree did as well but it's clear to me you do fully believe in him now as do they."

Tetra still was crying. It wasn't right to her. Link had shown kindness to her from the beginning and still befriended her despite her harsh treatment toward him. He easily could've deserted her after Aryll was rescued, she deserved it she felt. He hadn't been forced into this fate; he chose it and was willing to risk losing his own life just to protect her and save everyone.

Zelda then added seeing Tetra still upset,

"Tetra… Link needs you. You must aid him in his final battle against Ganondorf. He cannot defeat him alone. He stands no chance without you. You have sacred powers in your veins that are waiting to be unleashed. You two are destined to work together."

"…What can I do to help him? Ever since I learned of my fate, I don't feel like the bold brave pirate I was before. I don't have the confidence I had before. I failed to protect my piece of the Triforce from Ganondorf. What use am I to Link? I…I would be the helpless little kid to him. I would guarantee he would lose and be killed." Tetra stated sadly looking down at the ocean below them feeling completely defeated. She tried to summon an energy blast with her hand, but it died even quicker than all the others had before.

Tetra's mother then put her own hand on Tetra's other shoulder, gently lifted Tetra's head up with her other hand and forced her to look her in the eyes and said softly,

"Tetra, you still are Tetra regardless whether you are a princess or not. You still are yourself no matter what happens. Link cared deeply about you even before you discovered your fate. He was beyond worried about you after Ganondorf choked you into unconsciousness at the Forsaken Fortress. You cared about him from the moment you met him, I know that and most importantly, Link knows this. To Link, you are still Tetra, the bold brave pirate captain and to your crew, you will always be Tetra, their fearless captain. You still are the bold brave pirate you have always been no matter what happens and you should be proud of this, we both are of you."

Tetra saw her ancestor nod in agreement to her mother's words. Tetra then stared ahead now feeling only slightly better, but then chose her next words carefully.

"I… did care about him early on, but I felt he was reckless and did not think before acting. I was too harsh on him." Tetra said sadly looking down again.

Zelda then flashed a big smile and said sweetly,

"The Hero of Time was similar Tetra; he had the same as you say recklessness. But when it came to protecting those he cared about, he like your Link would throw himself headfirst
into any danger, without even a moment's doubt…if it meant protecting those that he cared about and keeping them safe. This might seem like a weakness to us, but to both of them this is actually their greatest strength. They have an unbreakable spirit of courage inside of them. They fiercely believe in helping people and protecting them at all costs that they cast aside any fear they may personally have to help those who do."

Tetra's mind then flashed back to how she watched Link charge towards the Helmaroc King when it kidnapped Aryll and Aryll's screams of help to him. There was no fear in Link eyes then. Tetra's vision then switched to him charging towards her trying to save her from Ganondorf in Hyrule Castle when she screamed for him. Once again the same thing with Link, no fear in his eyes, just fire in them. Tetra then finally understood what her ancestor was saying about him willing to throw himself without a moment's doubt into any danger if anyone he knew was in danger. While it might be recklessness, it was also Link's true courage and it was in his spirit of being the hero. He refused to let people he cared about be in danger and would truly do anything to protect them even if it risked his own life.

Her ancestor Zelda looking at Tetra's face felt she now knew what Tetra needed to hear to fully get her confidence back and unleash her powers. She grabbed Tetra by the shoulders and looked her right in the eye forcing Tetra to meet her eyes.

"Tetra… Link needs you. You showed your own kindness back to him from the beginning. You never were truly mean to him as you claim. You were trying to protect him back and show him you did care about him and he obviously did listen to your words of wisdom. You saved him from falling off the cliff on Outset. You made sure he was properly equipped before going to the Forsaken Fortress. You helped guide him through the Forsaken Fortress the first time. You refused to accept he possibly died after the Forsaken Fortress and searched for him. You showed how much you cared for him when you told him to go to Outset and told him how to retrieve Nayru's pearl. You lured Ganondorf's monstrous bird away long enough for Link to reunite with and free his sister. You saved his sister and those other poor girls trapped in the Forsaken Fortress. You came to Link's aid against Ganondorf and saved him from Ganondorf. You truly are worthy Tetra of belonging in the Hyrulian Royal Family. You have a pure heart. You are the only one who can help Link defeat Ganondorf once and for all. Those sacred powers flow through your veins. They always have and always will… concentrate on what truly matters to you now. I know what it is and more importantly you know what it is."

Tetra hearing her ancestor's last words then looked up and confidently smiled for the first in a while like she had before she transformed into a princess, her being a pirate captain. The same person that Link always saw in Tetra was always her despite learning who she really was and always would be her. That person never left her despite learning her fate, they were always inside her. Tetra knew what her ancestor was saying now and what mattered to her, no who mattered to her.

"…Thank you Zelda..." Tetra said quietly but with full confidence in her voice now, she could feel her magical powers had fully awakened. Tetra then confidently raised her right hand thinking of only Link, the first and only person Tetra believed was and had been a true friend to her, and summoned a great powerful bright ray of energy that she then fired off into the distance. Tetra now felt like the same brave person who charged at Ganondorf to protect Link from him at the Forsaken Fortress and not the one who was kidnapped by Ganondorf and afraid of him earlier. She truly felt like herself again. Tetra now fully accepted that while she was a princess and had this fate of protecting the Triforce, she also was still a pirate captain as well. Her ancestor and mother were both smiling at her knowing Tetra was back to being her true self and knew she was ready to go aid Link. Tetra felt the same way, she wanted to go to Link's side now and help him. It was time for her to assist him and be there for him.

Zelda then said softly looking at Tetra.

"Tetra, if you and Link manage to defeat Ganondorf, you do not have to stay down here in Hyrule. You can return to your ocean above."

"But I thought I'm destined to protect Hyrule?" Tetra responded.

"You are destined to protect the Triforce Tetra…that is your true destiny. There is now a world above Hyrule, it does not need to end for Hyrule's sake. It is not right that you and Link have been dragged into this never ending conflict, you both I know long to sail the seas above. There is nothing wrong with this and I do not blame either of you for feeling this way. It is time for everyone to stop clinging to the past of what Hyrule once was and instead look to a brighter future."

Tetra looked at her and realized what her ancestor was saying. She agreed with Tetra about not wanting to stay here forever. That Tetra's heart really was set on sailing, exploring and adventuring. That it was ok to feel this way about all of this despite the fate that was placed on her family by the gods.

Zelda then suddenly stopped and looked around; the oceans below them were suddenly starting to become violent. Zelda then closed her eyes.

"A wish is being made on the Triforce! I can sense it!"

Tetra gasped, Ganondorf must taken Link's piece of the Triforce. She then closed her own eyes and could hear the events unfolding in front of her.

"Gods of the Triforce! Hear that which I desire! Hope! I desire hope for these children! Give them a future! Wash away this ancient land of Hyrule! Let a ray of hope shine on the future of the world!"

Zelda opened her eyes as did Tetra.

"The King of Hyrule made that wish! He must've beaten Ganondorf to actually touching the Triforce! The future is saved! Tetra it is time for us to part for now!" Zelda said quickly.

Tetra saw everything was fading out now.

"The curse Ganondorf has placed on you Tetra has been dispelled by that wish on the Triforce! Link has fought his way to your position! It is time for you to go and aid him in his final battle against the King of Evil! Remember what I have told you. You will succeed, I know this!" Zelda said.

Tetra saw her mother and Zelda were both fading away as was the ocean below her.

"You will be fine Tetra, you will defeat him and no matter what happens, I love you and am beyond proud of you." Her mother said looking at her.

"But I don't want to leave either of you here." Tetra responded back.

"We will meet again one day Tetra, but it is time for you to fulfill your destiny now which you will do. Like your mother said, I am also beyond proud of you being my descendant. I see a lot of me in you. I know you will not fail especially knowing now you know who your best friend is and you believe in him." Zelda told her assuredly.

"And Tetra," Zelda said her voice becoming more faint though filled with kindness as everything had faded away.

"Thank you for helping me confront my own feelings for the Hero of Time."