Chapter 13: Tentalus 2.0

His instincts, Link decided, were both a blessing and a curse. Admittingly, they did grant him immaculate reaction time. Tackling Tetra to the floor had been easy and executed without so much as a thought on his part. But that was the problem. The thoughts came later. In his case, they came a second later, when a giant tentacle was already in the process of descending to crush both him and the girl he was crouched over.

Without any time to regain his balance, Link brought his shield to bear. It wasn't enough. The tentacle's slap drove him to his knees, and he immediately braced his left hand against the floor to keep himself from succumbing completely to its weight.

Even so, he found himself struggling beneath the colossal appendage, the shield raised above his head gradually drawing nearer. He knew he couldn't hold it off much longer. At least, not in this position, but he also knew that attempting to move into a better one wouldn't bode well for him or Tetra, so he stayed put, praying his arm didn't break under the pressure.

The goddesses must have heard his prayers, for just when he was sure his arm would snap, the tentacle slithered off of his shield, blessing him with sweet relief. Letting out the breath he'd unconsciously been holding, Link straightened and turned to Tetra for an explanation.

"What is that thing?" he asked, holding out a hand to help the young pirate up. He shouldn't have been surprised when she slapped it away.

"What's your problem?!" she demanded, glaring up at him and rubbing her elbow. "That hurt ya know!"

"And that would have hurt a lot worse," Link countered, flinging an arm in the direction the tentacle retreated in to emphasize his point. Tetra followed the gesture with a scowl on her face but it quickly transformed into a look of horror.

"It's going to wreck my ship!" she cried, scrambling to her feet and drawing her dagger. She was darting forward before he could stop her, and as Link made to follow, the sight he was greeted with momentarily froze him to the spot.

The tentacle that had nearly crushed them both had wrapped itself firmly around the railing like some grotesque, over-sized snake, and it wasn't the only one. Four more joined it, squeezing the wood so hard that he could hear it beginning to splinter.

Not wanting to put "ship wrecked" on his list of experiences, Link moved to help, reaching for his own weapon only to have empty air meet his grasping hand. Stupid. He'd left it in Tetra's room.

At the time it had seemed reasonable enough. He and Kid had been training with the wooden swords, so there'd been no need for either of them to have real weapons on their person. It would have only hindered their training. But Link hadn't wanted to cast the weapons aside in case some rogue wave came and sent them tumbling into their training. Nor had he wanted to store the Master Sword in his adventure pouch. It just seemed wrong knowing that there was a spirit inside it. Sure, Fi wasn't a flesh and blood person, and she was emotionless so she most likely didn't have the ability to feel offended, but Link hadn't wanted to take any chances. So they'd entrusted their blades to the girls' care.

Now, though, he was regretting that decision. His reasoning was pure ludicrous. No matter what, you kept your sword close to you at all times. It was one of the first things he learned about being a hero. Choosing to ignore that knowledge had been his own folly, so he could blame no one but himself for his current predicament.

Swearing loudly, Link backed away from the railing and pivoted on his heel, racing for the door that led inside the pirate ship. His hastiness nearly caused him to lose his footing on the rain-slicked boards, but he managed to get inside without falling.

Reaching Tetra's room, however, was another matter. Despite the floor being dry, it was far from stable, which made the relatively short journey from one door to the next feel less like feet and more like miles.

Knowing time was of the essence, Link tried his best to ignore the heaving of the floorboards as he moved forward, but they would not be ignored, it seemed, for a second later he found himself fighting for balance as the ship listed dangerously to the left, and he was slammed into the wall. The message was clear. Moving wasn't a good idea. At least, not while the floor was bucking like a wild animal. Resigning to this fact, Link impatiently waited until the vessel righted itself before continuing.

Just as he managed to throw open the door to Tetra's room and stumble inside, another unexpected tremor traveled through the ship, slamming the door closed behind him. Link was so intent on his mission that he didn't have time to be startled by it. He simply continued once he'd regained his footing, scooping up the sacred sword from the floor and turning to leave until another object caught his eye. Kid's sword, also laying on the ground.

Link exhaled heavily through his nose in exasperation. They were supposed to be getting better at this, not worse. Why were they always unprepared? It seemed like no matter how hard he tried to prevent them from being caught unawares, it found a way to happen anyway. But Link knew he hadn't exactly done everything he possibly could. They could have kept their blades with them while training, or they could have retrieved them when they were finished. But he'd been careless. He'd let his guard slip, and that was something they couldn't afford. It put them all at more risk than need be.

Now, not only was he wasting time to retrieve his weapon, but Kid was unarmed as well. Granted, he was on Linebeck's ship, so he was probably safer than the rest of them at the moment, but still. Those tentacles were very flexible and because of their impossible size, they had even better reach. If the monster wanted to, it could easily attack Linebeck's ship as well, and if it hurt his counterpart or anyone else-

"Hey, wolf boy!" Midna snapped, startling him out of his anger induced thoughts. "Are you going to get out there and fight or what?"

"I'm going," Link said, swiftly strapping the sheathed Master Sword onto his back, and then grabbing Kid's forgotten weapon and shoving it in his pouch. He'd give it to him later.

As he opened the door, a thought struck him, and he stopped. Removing his sword and shield in record time, Link delved into his pouch, ignoring Midna as she reemerged from his shadow and demanded to know what he was doing.

"This is no time to be changing clothes," Midna admonished as she watched him produce the Zora Armor from his inventory. Link ignored her, focusing his full attention on equipping the pesky armor and trying not to think about just how much more time he was wasting by doing this.

Too many minutes later, Link reemerged on deck, only to be assailed with a cacophony of sound. Everything from the rain patting the worn floorboards to the yells of those around him combined into one raucous monster that threatened to deafen him.

His quickly developing headache urged him to seek refuge inside the ship where the noise would be muffled, but he resisted. There was still a sea monster to take care of and from the look of things, his help was urgently needed.

Tetra was diligently barking orders at her crew, and while a select few of them were too frantic to be of much help, most of them were obeying their captain, racing back and forth between both sides of the ship, desperately hacking and slashing at the tentacles in an attempt to repel them. But their weapons might as well have been made of air for all the good they were doing. Even Zelda's magic appeared to be ineffective.

Tightening his grip on the Master Sword, Link dashed into the action. Surely a sacred sword could do some damage, right? He didn't know and asking Fi would take too long. He was nearly close enough to take a swing at one of the tentacles anyway. He'd have his answer soon enough.

Or he would have, if the monster hadn't decided to rock the ship just then. Screams, this time of pure fright, were wrenched from the throats of everyone onboard as they all fought for their balance, clinging to whatever they could. It was considerably scarier when one could see the monster attacking the ship.

Since Link wasn't close enough to grab onto anything, he could do nothing but try to right himself. Unfortunately, the flipper-like boots of the Zora Armor offered little to no traction, and he hit the ground almost immediately.

By the time he managed to get back on his feet, everyone else had already returned to attacking the creature, their actions twice as desperate as before. It seemed odd to him. Shouldn't the pirates have been able to handle a sea monster? Weren't they common here?

A loud whistle sent a new stab of pain through his head, and Link turned toward the sound, irritated. He'd been doing so well with blocking out the noise that he'd hardly felt the ache in his head. Until now, of course.

"New plan!" Tetra announced as she marched across the deck among the chaos. "Zelda, get a shield up around the entire ship."

"Wait-" Zelda protested.

"You can't do it?"

"I can, but-"

"Then do it," Tetra ordered. Reluctantly, Zelda obeyed, steeling herself for the spell she was about to cast. He didn't get to watch her cast it for Tetra whirled around just then, pointing a finger at him in a commanding manner.

"Link-" She paused at his strange attire, her confident stance faltering. "What are you wearing?"

He opened his mouth to respond, but just as she did Zelda, Tetra cut him off, waving a hand in dismissal. "Never mind. Just ask Fi what to do."

"You don't know?" It was less of a question and more of a shocked statement.

"If I knew then I wouldn't be asking, now would I?" Tetra glowered.

He sighed. "No, of course not, but … this isn't normal here? Like as far as sea monsters go?" He couldn't be sure. Many things on the Great Sea were new to him and he was finding that what seemed strange to him was actually normal.

"No!" Tetra snapped. "Now ask Fi."

Link was pretty sure that if Fi had any suggestions, she would have spoken up by now, but he humored Tetra anyway. He didn't have much of a choice seeing as the young girl was waiting expectantly for him to obey, arms crossed and foot tapping the ground.

"Fi." As soon as her name passed his lips, the human-like sword spirit materialized in front of him. She floated there attentively, her expression just as passive as it always was. "Do you know how we can get rid of the tentacles?"

"I lack sufficient data to answer your inquiry," Fi stated.

"Oh come on!" Tetra exclaimed, throwing her hands up in frustration. "You really have no advice for us?"

"No. In order to obtain the data I need, I must first assess my Master's skills as he combats the monster." Fi reported.

Tetra gaped at him. "You haven't even attacked it yet?!"

"I haven't had a chance," Link replied defensively.

Tetra rolled her eyes. "Of course you haven't because you've been playing dress up while we've been busting our butts to protect the ship."

"First of all, this is protective gear," Link informed her, gesturing to his outfit, "second, I was getting my sword so I could help you guys, and third, it doesn't seem like you're doing much of anything anyway."

"You-!"

"Both of you, quit it," Zelda interjected before Tetra could complete her retort. "Link, go get the data Fi needs. Tetra, stop distracting him."

"Distracting him?!" Tetra screamed in disbelief.

Rather than stay to hear the resulting argument, Link took the opportunity to escape and hurried over to the nearest tentacle.

There was no shield surrounding the ship, so he presumed that the princess had taken it down while he and Tetra were arguing. Either that, or she'd never managed to get it up in the first place. Either way, nothing stood between him and the tentacle. Link raised his sword, aiming a horizontal slice at the stubborn creature's limb.

As soon as his attack met the monster's flesh it encountered resistance, bouncing off and causing the plump appendage to jiggle like jelly. He tried once more, this time executing a vertical slice but the results were the same. Puzzled, Link inspected the purple tentacle. He had to be doing something. But no. Its surface was smooth, completely unmarred by his sword strikes.

"Master, I detect strong similarities to a certain abyssal leviathan that my first Master defeated. Therefore, I suggest using sacred power to dispatch the tentacles," Fi reported, appearing beside him.

"Sacred power?" Link repeated. "Like … a Skyward Strike?"

"Correct."

Wasting no time, Link raised the Master Sword to the weeping skies and watched as light mingled with rain, crawling down the blade and eventually engulfing it. He lowered the sword, careful not to accidentally release the power before he was ready.

Once again, Link aimed a horizontal slice at the bulbous tentacle before him. With sacred power coursing through the steel, the Master Sword sliced easily through the appendage, cutting it in two. The violet-tinged tentacle quickly turned black, writhing for a few seconds on the railing before flopping back into the water with an impressive splash and then disappearing.

He didn't know exactly how it worked, but he wasn't going to argue with it. Link raised his blade skyward once more, and as soon as it was charged he hacked through the next tentacle which blackened and released the ship in much the same manner as the other.

Boisterous cheering erupted from behind him, and it took Link a second to realize that it was directed at him. As he pointed his sword to the sky for the third time, Link glanced over his shoulder, trying to discern what the pirates were shouting as the sacred power charged.

"Finally!"

"Keep it up, lad!"

"Don't stop!"

Well, they didn't have to worry about that. Link didn't have any intention of stopping until all of the tentacles were gone. Returning his full attention to the boneless limbs wrapped around the railing, he made to attack the third one in line. However, the abrupt silence behind him caused him to hesitate, and he halted his attack, glancing up to see two tentacles looming over him.

That wasn't how it was supposed to work. Fi had some explaining to do. Link brought his shield up, knowing he wouldn't be able to move fast enough to avoid the things completely.

Suddenly a blue barrier surrounded the ship and the tentacles slammed down on top of it instead.

"Move!" Zelda commanded, but Link had already dropped his guard and was running to a safer location. He didn't see Zelda dispel the shield, but he knew when she did for the ship listed dangerously, and he lost his balance, falling heavily to the deck along with everyone else.

"We're all gonna die!" Niko wailed in despair as they all witnessed the two revived tentacles reclaim their previous positions on the railing.

"No, we're not," Link muttered. 'Not if I have anything to say about it.' Struggling to his feet, Link began to prepare another Skyward Strike since the last one had been dispelled when he'd fallen. Nothing was indestructible. It was just a matter of finding its weakness, and judging by the tentacles' reaction to sacred power, he just had to rinse and repeat until they stayed down.

Link approached the closest tentacle but before he could bring his sword down a shout stopped him.

"Don't!" Tetra yelled at him as she quickly closed the distance between them.

"Do you have a better idea?" Link demanded. They didn't have time to be sitting idle, deciding what to do. They had to take action. Now.

"Actually, I do," Tetra countered. He expected a satisfied smirk to creep onto her face but it didn't. Her expression was dead serious and even though he'd seen her serious before, this was different. So he listened, not that she gave him much of a choice, her oceanic orbs piercing his own despite the fact that she was a good deal shorter than him. "Linebeck's ship has a cannon. With it we can blast these things to pieces. The only problem is that neither Linebeck nor Kid is answering me."

"So what do you want me to do? Jump over there tell them to help us?" Link wondered, hoping it wasn't true. The water was far from welcoming even with the Zora Armor on, and he wasn't sure he could make the leap to Linebeck's ship with an unstable starting point.

"No, help me get their attention." She turned to address her crew and counterpart. "The rest of you keep attacking it. Even if it isn't getting rid of it, it's at least preventing it from snapping the ship in half."

With that, the fiery pirate captain turned on her heel and hurried away. Link had little choice but to follow her, his blade pulsing with sacred energy. Its glow was more prominent in the dark of the night than it was in the daylight.

When they reached the upper deck of the ship, Tetra began shouting for Kid, and Link chose to let out a piercing whistle, not unlike the one he'd used to get the attention of those inside the café at Windfall Island the other day. It didn't help ease his headache, but it did distract him from all the other noise.

Their combined efforts eventually enticed Kid out of the innards of the strange ship. Unlike Tetra's, it had no sail. Link couldn't begin to fathom how it was able to cut through the water at all, but now wasn't the time to concern himself with such things.

"Finally!" Tetra huffed. "Are you aware that we're being attacked while you two twiddle your thumbs down there?!"

"We weren't-"

"Whatever. Use the cannon to get these things off my ship!" Tetra yelled.

"I can't!" Kid called back.

"Why not?"

"It's not working right now," Kid informed them. "Nothing is."

Tetra cursed colorfully and muttered something about useless "engines," whatever that was, under her breath.

"But I can use arrows, I think," Kid spoke up, trying to assuage Tetra's stress.

Link raised his eyebrows at that. Surely his counterpart knew that arrows were like tooth picks compared to these things. Unless he meant bomb arrows but even then, Link doubted they'd work.

"No offense, but I really don't think an arrow can harm these things. Sword strikes do nothing and Skyward Strikes only get rid of them for a few seconds," Link said.

"Well, have you tried hitting the eyes?" Kid wondered.

"Eyes?" Link repeated.

"What eyes?!" Tetra demanded.

Kid pointed and the two of them leaned over the side of the ship, trying to follow Kid's finger.

"I still don't see them!" Tetra complained, leaning so far over the side that it was a wonder she didn't fall.

"They're there," Kid assured her.

"Then what are you waiting for? Shoot them already!" Tetra huffed, straightening much to Link's relief. They didn't need anyone falling into the water.

When Link redirected his attention to Kid, he found his counterpart nocking an arrow and aiming for a weak point that only he could see. Before Kid released the projectile, Link grabbed onto the side of the ship. It turned out to be a smart move, for the entire vessel shuddered when the arrow met its mark. Clinging to the side for stability, Link glanced over at the tentacles. None of them had budged.

'Did Kid miss?' he wondered. It seemed unlikely considering the monster's reaction. As the ship began to settle, Link and Tetra peered back over the side just in time to see Kid release another arrow.

"It's closed!" Kid announced as the ship trembled once more.

When Link looked, however, he was dismayed to see that nothing had changed. Would a Skyward Strike work now? There was only one way to find out.

Getting to his feet, Link raced towards the nearest tentacle, hoping it was the right one as he sliced through it. The tentacle blackened and fell into the water, giving Link a small window in which to clearly see his counterpart on the other ship.

Link's gaze, however, was not on Kid, but on the churning water below, searching for any sign of the monster tentacle he had just felled. He began to count in his head. When he reached ten and no tentacle made to replace the first, Link instructed Kid to keep going.

As his counterpart notched another arrow, Link pointed the Master Sword to the sky, waiting impatiently for the sword to charge up. It didn't take more than three seconds, but it still felt far too long. At this rate, the railing would break and the rest of the ship would soon follow.

"Don't hit it yet!" Kid called hurriedly as Link prepared to attack the next tentacle. He waited with his weapon raised, eyes on Kid as he released another arrow. It worked just as it had last time, causing the tentacle to shake the ship in its pain.

Link had been prepared for this and was already gripping the railing to steady himself as he sliced cleanly through the next tentacle in line.

By the time they began to work on the fifth tentacle, they had established a pattern that was practically second nature. Kid released an arrow and as soon as he did Link pointed his blade to the stormy sky, knowing that by the time the sword was charged his counterpart would have already taken the eye out of commission.

This particular tentacle, it turned out, had other plans. It repositioned itself so that Kid's next arrow snapped upon impact. Link thought that was it; that it would drop its defenses, but it didn't. The tentacle continued to move, unwinding itself from the railing.

Guessing what this meant, Kid quickly notched another arrow and let it loose. The tentacle, now free to move as it pleased, dodged to the side, and then began to descend, its sights locked on Kid.

Praying that it would be enough, Link cut the air, watching as a crescent-shaped beam of energy shot out of the Master Sword and sped towards the unsuspecting tentacle. The sacred energy passed straight through it and his heart skipped a beat. Kid was going to be-

Suddenly, the colossal appendage froze in midair, just a few feet shy of the deck of the smaller vessel. It split cleanly in two, blackening as if scorched by fire, half of it falling into the water immediately while the other half hit the deck before joining the first piece in the ocean.

"It's going to come back," Link said, narrowing his eyes at the nearly black water and wishing the light cast by the lanterns stationed at the front and rear of the pirate ship reached farther so he could see better.

In anticipation of the tentacle that was bound to reappear, Link charged up the Master Sword while Kid nocked another arrow, leveling it at the water warily.

As the seconds ticked by with no sign of the purple appendage, Link began to wonder if he was wrong. Maybe Kid's first arrow had damaged it more than they'd thought. Or maybe it only took one arrow to the eye make the entire limb vulnerable to attacks.

Just as he opened his mouth to voice this, the tentacle shot up from the ocean, spraying salt water everywhere. Kid immediately loosed his arrow and the tentacle jerked, writhing in pain as the projectile met its mark. Link raised his sword in preparation as Kid aimed for the monster's limb once more. Unfortunately for them, the tentacle was faster and slammed itself down onto the ship before either of them could attack.

Link didn't have to fight for balance this time because Tetra's ship hadn't been struck. It had been Linebeck's.

He gritted his teeth as Kid's scream entered his ears. Hardly taking time to aim, Link released the sacred energy towards the tentacle, watching the crescent of light streak through the darkness and briefly illuminate its intended target as it passed it by.

The tentacle straightened to its full height, so that even in the dim lighting Link could plainly see that it held his counterpart in its clutches.

It stayed like that for a second or two, as if taunting him, before plunging down into the sea with its captive. His body acted while his mind was still trying to process everything, and Link soon found himself submerged in salt water, eyes burning as they roved the black water around him, searching for any sign of Kid. But he might as well have been swimming in ink for all he could see.

Knowing it was unlikely that the tentacle was still near the surface, Link swam downwards. Slowly, very slowly, his eyes began to adjust, but it wasn't fast enough. He needed to see what was happening now.

"Down to your left. Hurry," Midna's voice startled him, but he didn't waste time responding. Link swam blindly in the direction his shadowy partner had indicated. Before too long he could see the general outline of the tentacle, but it was too far away for him to get to quickly and still moving besides. He'd never catch up in time, not as long as he swam.

After a small struggle to retrieve the double clawshots from his pouch, Link cast another look around, quickly locking his sights on the still moving tentacle. He aimed and let the claw fly, elated when it buried itself in the tentacle's bulbous flesh and propelled him through the water, closer and closer to the appendage until he slammed into it, expelling all the air from his lungs. His grip on the clawshot, thankfully, remained firm.

As he breathed in the heavily salted air that filtered through the fabric covering his nose and mouth, Link couldn't help but wonder how long Kid could hold his breath. It couldn't be very long, especially given the situation.

Shooting his second clawshot up ahead, Link released his current hold on the tentacle and allowed his new grip to pull him closer to the tip of the appendage. Unfortunately, it wasn't close enough. It took another carefully aimed clawshot to get him eye to eye with Kid.

Panic clouded his counterpart's eyes, and as he took in the full situation, Link was sure his own panic was becoming more and more apparent in his own orbs. He didn't have much time left to make his rescue, and it wasn't going to be as simple as he'd hoped. Kid's arms were pinned to his sides and the tentacle was so thick that even though it wrapped around him just a few times, his entire body was swallowed up by it.

Link's only choice was to cut him out. Stowing his other clawshot away and drawing his sword, Link swung his blade at the oversized appendage, remembering a second too late that it wouldn't work.

The attack bounced off, jarring his arm and causing the tentacle to flail in protest. Unprepared, Link was nearly thrown off, but he managed to tighten his grip on the clawshot at the last second. He stole a glance at Kid just long enough to confirm that he was still alright, before pointing the Master Sword towards the surface.

Impatiently, Link watched as the sacred energy began to engulf the blade, then flickered out as the tentacle's movements caused him to surrender his form. He tried once more but the result was the same. Growling in frustration, Link gave up on that method and sheathed the sword, resorting to trying to free one of Kid's arms one handed since he didn't dare release his hold on the clawshot lest he get separated. Even Midna pitched in, giving her hands substance and trying her best to help Link work Kid free.

As slippery as the tentacle was, one would think it'd be an easy task, but the suction cups on the underside held fast, making it nearly impossible.

"Midna, where's the eye?" Link asked without looking away from his work. Maybe if he could hit it then the monster would be in enough momentary pain to loosen its grip.

"Forget it. It's closed, you can't touch it." That wasn't what he wanted to hear.

"Master." Fi! She must know some other way to get the tentacle to release Kid. Thinking the same, all three of them gave the sword spirit their full attention. "It is unadvisable to go without oxygen for an extended duration of time. I recommend getting him to the surface at the earliest opportunity."

"What do you think we're trying to do, Fi?!" Link yelled irritably, redoubling his efforts to break Kid out of the monster's hold while the sword spirit continued to spout information and calculations. He didn't bother listening to it. She couldn't help and every second counted. Kid couldn't hold his breath forever.

"Come on, come on…" Link muttered, trying to work Kid's right arm free. If he could do that, then the tentacle wouldn't have such a tight hold on him, and they could pull him out.

He knew it was taking too long when Kid suddenly stopped struggling, bowing his head and squeezing his eyes shut tight against the temptation to take a much needed breath.

"Don't breathe in!" Link exclaimed as if it was something his counterpart could control. He knew it wasn't, but Kid couldn't breathe in. If he did, he'd only take in water, and then he'd try to expel it but take in more anyway, and oh Farore…

Suddenly the tentacle thrashed, surprising them both and causing Kid to expel all his air, a flurry of bubbles escaping his mouth and nose, floating upward. But he was free!

Link retracted his clawshot from the monster's flesh and reached for his counterpart. But the monster had other plans. Angry that it lost its hostage, the creature lashed out, catching Link in the chest and sending him tumbling through the water. Cursing his rotten luck, Link righted himself and searched for his counterpart. Thankfully, his eyes had adjusted to the poor lighting by now, and he was able to spot Kid floundering in the water ahead of him.

Swiftly closing the distance between them, Link grabbed his counterpart and propelled them both towards the surface. He didn't look at Kid to see if he was awake or not, but seeing as the boy was practically dead weight in his arms, he feared that his counterpart had slipped into unconsciousness.

A gasp when they broke the surface proved him wrong along with the violent coughing fit that followed. Relief washed over him, but it didn't last long. The monster was still active which meant it could come for them any second.

As his counterpart coughed and spluttered to expel whatever water he'd swallowed from his lungs, Link scanned the rough water around them. It wasn't much use. The waves were too dark and choppy for him to see anything within the ocean's depths. They had to get onto a ship.

That was when Link realized they had a new problem. The ships were nowhere in sight.

Link didn't believe they'd been carried very far. It had to be the rain, which was now coming down in fuzzy white sheets, distorting his vision. Still, he didn't know which direction to take them in which meant they were sitting ducks until he was given a sign from one of the others or until the rain let up.

"Th-thanks." Kid's hoarse voice startled him.

Link tugged down the fabric covering his nose and mouth. "You really think I'd let you drown?" he asked, cracking a smile. "I'm not Fi."

A small smile flashed on his counterpart's face, but it vanished as Kid dissolved into another coughing fit.

"Are you okay?" Link wondered, concern creasing his brow. He didn't really want an answer. At least, not yet. Not while they were vulnerable like this.

Still coughing, Kid nodded. If Link hadn't noticed the pained expression on the younger boy's face, he wouldn't have thought twice about the truth of the answer he was being given. But he did see it, so all he could do was pretend that he didn't. It wasn't like he could do anything at the moment.

"Where's…" Kid trailed off, unable to finish his sentence due to being winded from his recent coughing fit. It didn't matter, for Link knew what he meant.

"I don't know," Link replied, casting a look around as well, though he knew nothing had changed since the last time he'd looked. "I can't tell with all the rain." The waves weren't helping either. They were unusually big and for all he knew they were drifting farther away from the ships.

"Master, I have a suggestion," Fi announced, materializing beside them. She was the brightest thing in the vicinity but even with her ethereal light, it was hard to see.

"Oh, this should be good," Midna scoffed.

Link sighed. "What is it?"

"Dowsing for Her Grace will prove beneficial in regaining your bearings," Fi reported. That … was actually sound advice.

"Set Zelda as the dowsing target," Link ordered. As soon as Fi complied with his request, Link let go of Kid, reaching to draw his sword from its sheath.

His fingers hadn't even brushed the hilt before a sudden weight forced him underwater. His first thought was that the tentacle had found them, but as he struggled to free himself of the weight he realized that it wasn't the suction-cupped, or even slimy, hold of a tentacle.

With some effort he hauled both himself and the weight to the surface, sucking in a breath of stormy air. It was a good thing he did because he was nearly forced under again. Now he knew it wasn't the monster.

"Kid! What are you doing?!" Link exclaimed, trying keep them both above the surface as Kid forced his entire weight onto his right arm.

"I can't-!" Kid gasped, a cough cutting him off. Suddenly Link understood and internally kicked himself for not realizing it earlier.

"Sorry!" he apologized, pulling Kid closer and supporting him properly so he didn't accidentally drag them both under again. Link had been stupid to think for a second that Kid could tread water himself. The poor boy had just nearly drowned. Of course he wouldn't be capable of holding himself above water at the moment. He could barely breathe with all the coughing he was doing.

Another apology was on the tip of Link's tongue, but he knew that no amount of apologies would be enough, so he remained silent. He should have been more vigilant before. Then Kid wouldn't have even been grabbed, and they wouldn't be in this position right now. Why couldn't he do things right the first time? Why did he have to keep messing up? Putting others in danger when he was supposed to be protecting them?

The blare of a horn startled him out of his thoughts, and he tensed, his grip on Kid tightening though there was no danger of the boy slipping out of his grasp.

"Linebeck!" Kid gasped.

"That's his ship?" Link guessed.

Kid managed to nod before another coughing fit took him. But that was all the information Link needed. He drew in a breath and yelled the sea captain's name, hoping his voice was loud enough.

A second passed. Then two. Both of them bobbed in the storm tossed waves, silent aside from Kid's harsh breathing and occasional cough.

"I don't think he heard you," Midna spoke up.

"Me neither," Link replied grimly, ears straining for another sound to point them in the right direction.

"Maybe I should turn you into a wolf and you can howl," Midna mused, grinning mischievously.

"No," Link said, not amused by her joke. "Why don't you help me yell?"

"How are you going to explain a girl's voice?" Midna wondered. He couldn't tell if she was teasing him or if she was serious. Either way, now was not the time.

"Midna," he said curtly, indicating Kid with a nod of his head. It was obvious that Kid wasn't going to be yelling anytime soon. The Twili seemed to get the message and conceded.

On his count, the two of them shouted for Linebeck, and after a short pause, there came the answering call of a horn. This time, he'd been paying more attention and he had a general direction. Relieved, Link began to slowly swim towards their salvation, careful as he pulled Kid through the rough waters with him.

When he caught sight of Linebeck's sail-less vessel through the pouring rain, he stopped and called out. To his relief, the ship reoriented itself so it was heading straight for them. Smoke still puffed out the top, so Link assumed that it hadn't been completely fixed just yet, but it didn't matter. It was solid and that meant it was safer.

"Some of the pirates thought you were dead," Linebeck informed them as the ship cruised to a stop nearby. "I didn't though." He said this last part with pride in his voice.

"Great, can you help us up?" Link requested, swimming closer. At the moment, he could care less about what everyone had thought had happened to them. He just wanted to be out of the water. More importantly, he wanted to get Kid out of the water.

Linebeck must not have had a rope ladder, for they weren't given anything to climb aboard with aside from Linebeck's hand and that was currently out of reach since the sailor, for some reason or other, wasn't willing to bend over the flimsy guardrail, which was nothing more than a few wooden posts with a rope strung between them all.

Link let Kid go first, giving the boy a boost so he could reach Linebeck's proffered hand.

"Watch the paint," the man grumbled as Kid grasped his hand, scrambling for purchase on the smooth hull of the ship once Link could no longer support him. While Linebeck pulled Kid onto the vessel, Link scanned the water, watching for any signs of the monster or its tentacles. Actually, after seeing the tentacles, Link didn't much care to meet the creature they were attached to. Each tentacle by itself was roughly as long as Morpheel had been. It wasn't promising…

"Are you coming or what?" Linebeck wondered impatiently, snapping Link back to reality. Wordlessly, Link attempted to boost himself up but that didn't work out so well, as he had nothing but water to kick off of. He suddenly became conscious of the clawshot still clutched in his right hand and instructed them both to step away from the railing. Once they were a safe distance away, Link aimed and fired, letting the clawshot latch onto a post and pull him up onto the ship.

Reaching up and grabbing the top of the post with his free hand, Link pulled himself fully onto the ship, retracting the claw as soon as he was certain he had a firm grip. He then stepped over the rope, and stowed his tool away in his pouch.

"I'm not even gonna ask," Linebeck declared after a small pause, strolling to the door that led to the inside of the ship and throwing it open. The scent of smoke still lingered, causing Link to wrinkle his nose.

Kid let out a breathy laugh at the sea captain's comment that quickly turned into a cough.

"You should take a potion," Link advised him.

Kid shook his head. "I'm fine."

Link didn't believe that for a second. Kid's voice was hoarse, and though he was standing on his own two feet, Link noted that he was doing so unsteadily. Digging out a red potion from his belongs, Link tried to hand it to Kid, but his counterpart refused it.

"Just humor me," Link pleaded, concerned now. Why wouldn't Kid take it?

"I'm fine." He coughed. "I just swallowed some water."

Begrudgingly, Link put the potion away, but he kept an eye on Kid as the boy bent down to retrieve the bow and arrows he'd dropped earlier. Was that really the only thing wrong? He couldn't tell. Kid's movements were more lethargic than usual but that only made sense considering what he'd just gone through.

Link shook his head. He was just being paranoid. If Kid really was hurt, there'd be no question about it. He'd know. Besides, there was still a sea monster to kill, and they needed all the help they could get to do it.

"Don't forget this," Link said, producing Kid's sheathed blade from where he'd stowed it in his pouch for safe keeping earlier.

"Oh, thanks," Kid thanked him, putting away his bow and arrows and accepting the sword, strapping it on before heading inside the ship. Reluctantly, Link followed, bracing himself for the acrid smell of smoke. But the smell wasn't the first thing that hit him when he stepped inside shortly after his counterpart. It was a faded blue towel.

His gaze flickered to Linebeck who had returned to fussing over a panel full of levers and switches. He appreciated the gesture, but the Zora Armor was meant to get wet, and it dried fairly quickly.

Kid had already plopped himself down on the floor and judging by the tan towel draped over his head, Link deduced that he'd received the same treatment. Since he had little use for it, Link passed the towel in his hand to Kid. Not that it would be much help. His counterpart needed a change of clothes, not towels. Still, it was the best they could do at the moment.

"How far from the pirate ship are we?" Link wondered.

"Not far enough," Linebeck muttered, his attention still on the control panel in front of him.

"You are taking us back, right?" he checked. Linebeck seemed far too concerned for his own skin, and Link wasn't sure if he liked that. He could understand it, of course, large sea monsters were quite daunting, but leaving everyone else to fend for themselves was just plain cruel.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm working on it," Linebeck grumbled. "In the meantime, you two better not touch anything. It was hard enough repairing the engine in the first place…"

"What is an engine?" It was the second time Link had heard the word today and he was genuinely curious.

"It's a machine that converts steam power into energy," Linebeck replied, adjusting a lever and then taking hold of the wheel. "And if that makes no sense to you, then just know it's the most efficient way to do things."

"Except when it stalls," Kid spoke up, a small cough following his words.

"Shut up," Linebeck snapped. "That's Jolene's fault, not the engine's."

The conversation petered out then, leaving them in a tense sort of silence in which the only sound was the storm raging outside, battering the glass of the large viewing window and making Link very glad to be inside.

Unfortunately, the relatively safe environment didn't last long. Before Link knew it, Tetra's ship was in view, and from what he could see, things didn't appear to be going well. Ten tentacles were assailing the ship so Link could only assume that the four they'd disposed of earlier had regenerated. Perfect.

"Your aim better still be good, Kid," Linebeck commented as he took in the situation.

"It is," Kid said, getting to his feet.

"Good, go out there and man the cannon. I'll handle the navigation," Linebeck said, flipping a switch. There were so many Link had no idea how the man kept track of them all.

Knowing he wouldn't be much use to Linebeck, Link followed Kid outside, surprised to find a large cannon situated in the middle of the deck. That definitely wasn't there before. Kid, familiar with the functions of Linebeck's ship, didn't blink an eye at it and hurried over to it. It appeared to have a small control panel of its own.

"Finally!" Tetra exclaimed upon noticing their approach. "Get this stupid monster off my ship already!"

In response, Link unsheathed the Master Sword and charged it up so he'd be ready as soon as the first eye was out of commission. Now that he was on Linebeck's ship, Link could plainly see the eyes Kid had been talking about. They were similar to Midna's eyes in the sense that the sclera was yellow instead of white and the iris was a startling blood red. That, however, was where the similarities ended, for the eye bore another ring of color, green, and then gold, before the black pupil was introduced. As large as it was, it seemed hard to miss, but the tentacle was expertly folded, shielding the eye near the tentacle's tip from those onboard the pirate ship.

A loud boom rattled his bones and Link realized a second later that it was the cannon. He really shouldn't be standing so close to it, heightened senses and all, but it wasn't like he had much of a choice. The deck of Linebeck's ship wasn't nearly as roomy as Tetra's.

Upon returning his attention to the tentacles clinging to the ship, Link found one of the eyes closed. Taking that as his cue, he executed a horizontal slice in the air and watched as the sacred energy hit its mark, effectively destroying the tentacle.

The two of them continued like this, falling into an easy rhythm that was much more efficient than the one they'd started with. The bombs from the cannon took the eyes out of commission in one shot, which made the entire process faster.

Once they finished one side, Linebeck directed his boat to the other side of Tetra's ship and they resumed the pattern, making quick work of the remaining tentacles.

As the last limb turned black and fell into the sea, boisterous cheers erupted from the pirate ship, but Link found himself unable to join in their celebration. His intuition advised him against it, as did common sense. Those tentacles had to belong to something and the fact that they hadn't seen that something yet spoke volumes. Kid must have felt the same way, for he stayed silent, his grip on the cannon's controls remaining firm.

Their wariness turned out to be well placed, for a minute later the monster burst out of the ocean in a brilliant shower of water. Immediately, the cheering from the neighboring ship ceased, its occupants intimidated by the monster's terrifying image.

It was by far the largest sea creature Link had ever laid eyes on. He couldn't help but wonder how Tetra's ship was still whole after having such a monstrosity clinging to it. The monster's head alone must have weighed hundreds of pounds for the very top of its cranium was quite bulbous, sort of like a mushroom, while its actual face was round and purple with rage, though that may have just been its natural color. Eyeless tentacles writhed on the back of its head and around its mouth, which was open wide in an all too audible battle cry, showing off a ring of razor sharp teeth as if its massive bulk wasn't daunting enough.

"Now seems like a good time to leave," Linebeck piped up.

"No!" Link and Kid chorused.

"Why not?" Linebeck demanded. "Why can't we just let the huge monster be for once? It's not like it has anything we need."

"Because if we don't deal with it now, it'll go after someone else," Link pointed out.

"Or it'll follow us," Kid added.

"Stupid monsters…" Linebeck grumbled.

They all cringed as the monster let out another screech, perhaps insulted by the sea captain's comment, before plunging back into the sea. Even in the scant lighting, Link could make out the monstrosity's bulky form as it neared them. He sheathed his sword and grabbed his bow and arrows from his belongings in preparation for the incoming attack. However, it never came.

Instead, the monster continued past them and circled around the rear before disappearing behind the pirate ship. It reappeared a few seconds later, following the same path as before.

Silence reigned as everyone tried to puzzle out the creature's odd movements. But on the third complete pass it was broken.

"It's making a whirlpool!" someone from the neighboring ship yelled in realization. Suddenly, the chaos was back.

Digging out a bomb from his pouch, Link swiftly prepared a bomb arrow and waited for the sea monster to come back into view before firing. If not for the fizzing bomb attached to it, Link was sure he wouldn't have been able to keep track of the projectile. Since he could follow its path, he knew exactly when it struck the monster. And yet, the creature remained impassive, continuing to propel itself through the water with its many tentacles.

Link stared at the still mobile monster, unable to comprehend why it hadn't worked. Did the water nullify the explosion? Was its back impervious to any attacks? If so, they were in trouble. The whirlpool it was creating was starting to become glaringly obvious.

A streak of blue suddenly appeared in his vision, screaming towards the submerged monster. It hit the center of the creature, creating a sheet of jagged ice and forcing the monster to a standstill.

He turned to Kid. "How'd you know that would work?"

"I didn't."

A roar of disapproval, drew their attention to the monster. It had resurfaced and was now glaring at them with its main eye, one of its enormous tentacles raised like an arm. Kid took hold of the canon's controls, but before he could fire a shimmering blue shield appeared between them and the monster.

The tentacle slammed down onto the barrier, a spider web of cracks blossoming on its smooth surface.

"Now can we leave?!" Linebeck pleaded.

"No, but moving around is a good idea," Link replied as their shield disappeared and the creature raised its other arm.

The ship lurched forward, and Link's hand shot out to latch onto one of the posts so he wouldn't fall. He glanced back just in time to see the monster's tentacle slap the water, adding yet another wave to the already angry sea.

Another cannon blast rang in his ears as Kid fired at the creature. It batted at the projectile with a tentacle, causing the bomb to explode harmlessly in midair.

Deciding he would give it a try, Link readied another bomb arrow and took aim. There were three visible eyes. The main eye, and the eyes on the two tentacles. The question was: which should he aim for?

As the monster reeled back for another blow, Link decided that it didn't matter and let his arrow fly. Just like Kid's bomb, it was deflected. There had to be a better way to do this.

"Aim for the main eye, but shoot after I do," Link instructed his counterpart. Kid gave a nod to show that he'd heard, and Link nocked another arrow. He aimed just as he had last time and fired. Shortly after he released his projectile, Kid shot another bomb out of the cannon. The monster was so focused on batting his projectile out of the air that it didn't seem to notice the one headed straight for its face. At least, that's what Link thought.

The bomb was stopped by the other tentacle before it could strike the main eye.

"A report, Master," Fi said, materializing before him. "From my analysis I can conclude that this monstrosity is a more advanced version of Tentalus."

"Tentalus?" Link repeated. What in the world did that mean?

"Correct," Fi confirmed. "Because I have identified this monster with Tentalus, I have determined that there's a 99% probability that its largest eye is its weak spot."

"Yeah … thanks we kinda figured that out already. Do you have any advice on how to hit it?" Link wondered. Since when did Fi become captain obvious? Was it the sea air?

"I recommend shooting arrows immediately after Tentalus 2.0 attacks."

"Tentalus 2.0?" Kid echoed.

"I cannot refer to this monster with the same designation as the last because they are not exactly the same," Fi supplied. "Therefore, to eliminate confusion, I have given this monster a designation of its own that I have calculated as appropriate."

"Okay, thanks, Fi," Link said, dismissing the sword spirit and wondering why the monster needed a name in the first place. If things went favorably, it'd be dead soon anyway.

"I don't know about you, but I don't think waiting until after it attacks is a good idea," Kid spoke up.

"Me neither," Link agreed. So far that hadn't worked and if they stopped so it could attack them directly, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't be hurt.

"Do you think taking out the eyes on its tentacles would help?" Kid proposed.

"Yeah, but it'd be pretty difficult to do with the way it's defending itself. I think we need another distraction," Link said, his eyes drifting over to Tetra's ship which was still immobile. "Hey, Linebeck, take us closer to Tetra's ship but don't stop."

With some minor grumbling on his part, Linebeck complied, guiding the ship around the monster that was still trying its hardest to sink them and towards the larger vessel.

Once Link had determined them to be close enough he shouted for Tetra.

"What?" she demanded, appearing at the rail with an aggravated expression on her face, though that was nothing new.

"Do you have something you can launch at the monster?"

"Yeah, we're trying to-"

"Great, lis-"

"Don't cut me off!" Tetra screamed in annoyance.

Link sighed. "Really?"

"Yes, really!"

"Guys! Knock it off!" Kid exclaimed, a cough punctuating his words.

"Right, sorry," Link conceded. "We need another distraction so if you could fire at the left tentacle at the same time that I fire at the right, that'd be great."

"My left or the monster's left?"

"Yours."

"Done," Tetra declared, turning away from the railing and hurrying back to her crew.

Link readied an arrow once more and took aim.

"Ready?" he called to Tetra.

There was a short pause. "Ready!"

"Fire!" he shouted, releasing his arrow. Out of his peripherals, he could see a dark, round shape cutting through the air. Now all they needed was-boom! That. Eagerly, Link watched as the monster used its tentacles to ward off the projectiles coming from both sides, leaving the single, bulging eye on its face wide open to the bomb that was hurtling towards it.

The explosion was brilliant, illuminating the monster fully in its fiery glow. The sea creature screamed. Link was sure that they'd blinded its main eye, but as the smoke cleared, he could plainly see the eye glaring at them with even more enmity than before.

As if reading his mind, Tetra shouted, "It closed its eye at the last second. We have to do it again!"

Linebeck redirected his ship so they didn't stray too far from the pirates, and Link reloaded with another arrow. It took slightly longer for the pirates to prepare this time, but thankfully Kid was able to keep the monster's attacks at bay with the cannon.

When everyone was ready, they repeated the plan. It worked just like before, except this time they knew they'd damaged the main eye. The monster's tentacles flew to its face and it ducked underwater, kicking up a large wave that rocked both ships and sent cold saltwater onto the deck of Linebeck's ship.

"Tell me it's dead." Linebeck requested.

"I'm gonna say-" The monster burst out of the ocean, its head startlingly close to the ship. "Nope!" Link took an involuntary step back and notching another arrow as the bloodshot eye peered down at him intimidatingly.

"This is exactly why I wanted to leave! But no! You two have to be heroes!" Linebeck griped from the control room.

Ignoring the cowardly sea captain, Link nocked a new arrow and shot it at the creature. As close as he was, it seemed impossible to miss, but he was wrong. He hadn't noticed the monster's swaying until the arrow neared it and by then it was too late to factor it into his aim. The arrow bounced harmlessly off of Tentalus 2.0's flesh.

After his failed attempt, he expected it to slam one of its enormous tentacles down on the ship, but it didn't. Instead, the creature lowered itself, so that its head was even closer.

Link didn't see the advantage this gave it until movement caused him to redirect his attention to the tentacles on its face. They weren't as massive as the ones on its body, but they were still quite large which was why they had excellent reach as they shot forward.

Stumbling back in surprise, Link noted another difference. These tentacles had mouths and within their gaping maws were rows of viciously sharp teeth, dripping with what he would have assumed to be saliva if not for the liquid's blackish-purple tinge. Venom, if he to take a wild guess.

With little time to regain his bearings, Link dropped his bow and drew his sword, brandishing it at the nearest snapping tentacle. To his delight, the blade met no resistance as it cut the tentacle into two pieces. It was a good thing too, because there was no time to charge up a Skyward Strike. The hungry tentacles kept coming and from the sounds of battle that had taken up residence behind him, they reached all the way to the pirate ship.

It seemed like for every one he defeated, another two rose to take its place, so Link was relieved when Kid rushed in to help him ward off the snake-like tentacles. But even with the tentacles divided in their attack and everyone working diligently, it didn't seem like their numbers were decreasing.

"Fi? Help?" Link requested, slashing through yet another tentacle and raising his shield to deflect two more that were fast approaching.

"It appears that Tentalus 2.0 can regenerate its tentacles at a faster rate than Tentalus. Even an all-out attack will not be swift enough to dispose of them. Therefore, I recommend ignoring the tentacles and focusing on hitting the eye," Fi reported before disappearing once more.

"I'll get the eye," Kid volunteered, cutting through two more tentacles before ducking out of the main battle and running for the cannon.

While he did that, Link concentrated on repelling the snapping nuisances. Any that he found creeping towards Kid were swiftly dealt with. No way was Tentalus 2.0 going to capture his counterpart twice.

Link felt the vibrations in his chest as Kid fired the cannon. The bomb arced over his head, heading straight for the main eye. Unfortunately, they'd forgotten about Tentalus 2.0's other tentacles and the bomb was batted away, the resulting explosion hot in Link's face.

He gritted his teeth. They couldn't do the same thing as last time. He didn't have time to retrieve his bow. If he tried, he was sure that he'd be bitten. But even if he could reach his bow, it wouldn't work. The monster was too close and everyone was too busy trying to keep the smaller tentacles at bay. There was just no time.

Suddenly, a blinding light lit up the darkness, and Link looked, though he knew he shouldn't. It was a light arrow, not aimed at anything in particular. One of the girls must have fired it judging by its course, but why?

Another cannon shudder and a shriek from Tentalus 2.0 gave him his answer. Link turned his full attention back to the monster. It withdrew its snapping tentacles and screeched again in pain, its two larger appendages hurrying to cover its ruined eye.

Kid fired another round at its tentacles and this time it was in too much pain to move before the explosion destroyed one of the eyes on its tentacles.

Lifting his blade to the sky, Link quickly gathered sacred energy and released it towards the vulnerable appendage. He smiled in triumph. The monster had one less limb to attack them with now.

Furious at the loss of its tentacle, Tentalus 2.0 lashed out, opening its mouth. Link gasped as a tentacle shot out of its gaping maw like a tongue and wrapped around his middle. With a yell, Link was lifted into the air and the tentacle began to retract back into the monster's mouth. He wasn't a snack!

Link pounded on the slimy tentacle with the pommel of his sword as hard as he could in the hopes that it would release him but it only tightened its grip. When he was close enough to feel the monster's hot, fishy breath, Link redoubled his efforts to break free. Though his efforts did nothing, a well-aimed bomb did a whole lot.

He quickly found himself falling and didn't have time to right himself before he crashed onto the deck of Linebeck's ship.

"Are you okay?" Kid asked, kneeling down beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he replied as soon as he regained his breath. "Nice shot."

Kid smiled. "Thanks."

They both started as the monster let out another harsh cry. Peering up at Tentalus 2.0, Link found himself mesmerized to see the giant creature throwing a tantrum, writhing in the ocean and splashing more water onto the deck as it did so. Its tongue must have been important to it.

Nonetheless, it didn't seem to be dead just yet. Link quickly located his discarded bow and lunged for it. He couldn't miss this opportunity. Swiftly readying a bomb arrow, Link pulled back the bowstring, aimed, and fired.

The explosive projectile flew true, hitting home in the pupil of Tentalus 2.0's main eye. The monster froze mid-tantrum, as if shocked by the arrow embedded in its eye. Without any warning, it became animated again, letting out an agonized wail that was much different than any sound it had made thus far.

They all watched in disbelief as the monster stiffened and its violet sheen grew black. It stayed that way for a while longer, like some grotesque statue, before exploding into a puff of purple smoke that the wind happily carried away.

For a while, silence was the only sound to be heard. Then, victorious cheers erupted from the other ship, and Link couldn't help but smile. They'd won.