Disclaimer: Zelda, Wind Waker, and all their related characters are
copyright of Nintendo. You know that...I know that...we all know that.
*throws her hands in the air* Sheesh...
A/N: Wait! That wasn't the last chapter! There's a few more to go still! *gasps for breath* Whew...that was close. I thought for sure you people were going to stop reading. But everything fine now so I'm cool. Well it looks like peace has finally been restored! But that doesn't really mean the conflict is over. Nope...something is still bugging Tetra. But what could it be? *makes a wide smile* You'll find out soon.
Chapter 19: Return to Outset
-------------------------------------------------
A lamplight flickered from its spot on a desk.
The now resting Tetra was sitting at the edge of her bed, covers draped over her lap. A single bandage was wrapped around her arm, healing with time as she sat alone in her private room below deck. She had retreated down there after her brief but somewhat vigorous reunion with her crew, wishing time to herself to gather her thoughts and think.
A quiet sigh escaped from the young pirate as she gazed down at a picture that rested in her hands on her lap. The picture was obviously the one of her dear mother, and she stared at it with half-open eyes, looking as if she was either about to cry, or fall asleep on the spot.
But she did neither, and merely sat there in silence...until a knock on the door quickly broke the cycle.
"Miss Tetra?" came a voice from the other side. "Are you in there?"
Tetra looked up at the door, quickly slipping the picture underneath
the covers.
"Who is it?"
The door creaked open a little and a head peeked out, revealing it to be Nudge who was knocking at her door.
"I've come to change your bandage." He stated. Whenever anyone needed medical attention on the pirate ship, he was always the one to treat them. He glanced around the room, and added. "I'm not intruding on anything, am I?"
Tetra's expression lightened a little and gave him a motioning gesture for him to enter.
The tall pirate did so and began walking over to her bedside, carrying a wad of white fabric in his hands. He placed the supplies on the bed once he got there and sat down next to her to begin his work.
Tetra watched as he started to unwrap her already stained bandage from her arm and begin to put on a new one. She didn't mutter a word while he worked, which made Nudge wonder if she was even awake.
Not really wanting to ask directly if something was wrong however, the pirate spoke up to break the eerie silence.
"Zuko says we should be arriving at Outset Island in about three, maybe four hours." He stated in a cheery tone.
Tetra didn't respond much and began staring at her arm as if she was still deep in thought.
Nudge's smile somewhat faded as he quietly added "I just thought you should know, Miss."
Just now finishing his work, the male pirate made a satisfied nod and smiled at her again in an attempt to get her to respond. A look of concern replaced it however when she just went back to looking at the floor.
"Are you alright, Miss?" he questioned earnestly. It was very unlike Tetra to be this quiet. She seemed happy not too long ago; but when she left for her room, she had not emerged at all, which made him wonder if she was acting this way the entire time she was alone down here.
Finally, Tetra spoke up.
"Nudge..." she quietly began without lifting her head.
The tall pirate perked his head up and shifted his position slightly, letting his felt movement signal to her that he was listening.
Scrunching her hands to grip her covers, she continued. "...when my mom was leader...did she ever help any...strangers?"
Nudge cocked his head a little. That was a pretty strange question to ask...especially when you were a pirate. He scratched his head in thought for a moment before answering her question.
"Well...now that I think about..." he said. "...your mother did in fact help people." he paused for a moment before continuing. "She claimed that great rewards could come from helping others and that it pleased the gods to see such good deeds. In fact, most of the time she called us treasure hunters, instead of pirates." He looked down at Tetra. "But after you were born, we resumed being called under the pirate name, and she avoided most all contact with strangers unless it was absolutely necessary."
Tetra must have been listening intently since she lifted her head and looked at him with a wondering glance.
"Do you know why she did?" she questioned.
Nudge got a silly grin on his face and answered.
"I believe she told me it was because she wanted to keep you from all harm that could possibly come from it." He explained with a soft smile. "And...with us running under a pirate name, everyone did avoid us, so it was more of a reason for her to stay a pirate and keep you safe."
He was relieved when a small smile slowly appeared on Tetra's face as she fiddled with her covers and looked back to the floor.
"If I may say, Miss..." Nudge suddenly said. "...I thought it was very thoughtful of you to help the young boy in green rescue his sister." He smiled and added. "Your mother would have been very proud."
Tetra let his words play around in her head for a moment. She then lifted her head and looked at him.
"No, Nudge..." she said quietly as a light expression came to her
face.
"...she is."
The pirate gave her an understanding nod while reflecting her expression. He then began to stand back up.
"Well, I've got duties to fulfill." He stated as he slowly started to walk to the door. "I'll be back to check on you in a while."
Tetra watched him for a moment before glancing to the ground in slight
thought.
"Hey, Nudge..." she suddenly said, causing him to stop halfway through opening the door. He turned around and asked.
"Yes, Miss?"
Tetra glanced up at him with a look that seemed like she was holding back something inside herself. She waited a while, before she quietly asked him her question.
"How is...Link?" she managed to ask.
Nudge merely peered back at her for a moment before he made an odd smile and answered.
"Sleeping like a baby."
Tetra made another small smile at his description, as the tall pirate exited her room and slowly closed the door behind him.
As soon as he was gone, the young pirate's expression dimmed and she went back to looking at the floor. She remembered that shortly after Komali left and everyone had had their reunions, Link had suddenly collapsed to the ground, unconscious from seer exhaustion. She had quickly ordered Nudge and Mako to take the boy down to one of their cots and tend to his wounds, with his sister hot on their heels.
Of course, she couldn't blame him for wanting to finally give in to all that pain he must have been in...
With her thoughts set on the boy hero, she couldn't help but find herself turning back to what she had been thinking about ever since she had retreated to her quiet room.
She wasn't quite sure why, but no matter what she did, she couldn't keep her mind off what the King had said to her and Link during those last few moments in Hyrule. His words were still impressed on her mind that as long as the bloodline of Hyrule was still living, a future for the forgotten kingdom could still be made...a future that he vaguely claimed would be more prosperous than the last.
What the royal being said was still a little unclear to the young girl. He didn't specify where, or how this new kingdom could be made possible, let alone how it was suppose to be created. But one thing was for certain...she had to find out. As the last living member of the Hyrulian Royal Family, it was her un-chosen destiny to seek out a new future for her kingdom and make it possible.
It was something she knew her mother would want her to do.
"Well...it looks like I've got a long road ahead of me." Tetra thought. "The land waiting to be the next Hyrule is out there, somewhere. And I have to find it..."
Slipping the picture of her mother out from where she hid it, the young pirate gazed back down on it with a half wondering, half fearful look as she finished.
"But...am I going...alone...?"
Knowing now wasn't the best time to try and answer that question, the pirate merely put it aside and stood. She lightly hung the picture back on its spot above the couch and walked over to the door. Reaching for the handle and turning it, she opened the door, but paused before she began to exit.
Looking back in the direction of her bed, she set her eyes on the picture of the boy in a green outfit that hung on the wall next to her bed.
Then...she quietly left the room.
~ ~ ~
Barely anything happened during the next few minutes of sailing with the wind. The crew did however, spot a small upturned boat and had immediately informed their captain of the strange scene. When she had seen what they had called her for, she immediately ordered them to retrieve the small vessel without haste.
She recognized it to be Link's red boat that he mentioned was called the King of Red Lions, and which was also the form the King of Hyrule had taken at some point.
As they hauled the small red vessel aboard with ropes, Tetra gazed at it in hopes of seeing some kind of movement she had at one point seen it do. But when she gazed at the dragon-shaped head at its bow, she could tell that the King wasn't to be found in its vacant yellow eyes.
Quiet sailing resumed for the next few hours...until a loud call from Zuko signaled that Outset Island was in sight.
Knowing by his call that only an hour of sailing remained until they reached the tiny island, Tetra figured the least she could do was inform Link of their near arrival. And so, without allowing herself to be seen, she quietly slipped back below decks and paced down the short stairway that led to the storage room. Before she entered the room however, she took a sharp turn to the left and walked down another short flight of steps, which led to her crew's quarters.
Taking small quiet steps upon entering the tiny room, the young captain scanned the three bunk beds that lined each wall, expecting to find Link awake and resting in one of them.
She quickly halted her steps though, when she finally spotted him.
She had expected him to be awake...but instead she found him lying across the room in what she identified to be Nudge's bottom bunk bed. Though she wasn't getting a good view from where she stood, she could tell that his eyes were closed.
"Wow...he's still asleep?" she wondered in her head. She straightened up a little as she looked to the ground in thought. "He must be more exhausted than I thought. Should I really wake him up?"
Lifting her head back up to look over at him, she contemplated for a while before starting to quietly walk toward his bed. She figured he'd want to know when they would reach his home island enough to forgive her for waking him.
Upon reaching his cot, Tetra could now see that he was indeed asleep underneath the covers. His mouth was hanging open, and she could hear the faintest trace of light snoring escaping his open gap, which made her laugh a little since he sounded nothing like her crew when they slept.
His green cap wasn't on his head and had been replaced with a large bandage that was wrapped completely around and all through his blond hair. From what she could see that wasn't covered from the neck down by the blanket, stained bandages were also present on his bare arms and even around his neck.
But, Link was sound asleep as if he didn't have a scratch on him. The covers moved up and down lightly with each breath he took, making his otherwise beaten form look peaceful and innocent. He looked more like a sweet caring boy right now, rather than a strong courageous hero.
A smile made its way to her lips as Tetra watched the young boy sleep peacefully in silence. It wasn't until now did she suddenly notice the other form curdled up next to him.
Tetra looked over to see Link's little sister, Aryll, also asleep but lacking the snoring her brother was doing.
The pirate captain couldn't help but make another warm smile at the two siblings. She was quickly reminded of their two reunions; the one when he first rescued his sister, and also the one they had immediately after he set foot on her ship earlier that day.
Never in the short amount of time she had known him had she seen Link look so happy. Even with his injuries, the boy had shown no sign of fatigue whatsoever, as he allowed his little sister to squeeze the life out of him. It had reminded her of similar times she once had with her own dear mother, which is why she had quickly retreated to her room right after giving orders to set sail for Outset.
Letting a sigh escape her lips, Tetra looked back down at the small hero, giving him a heartfelt glance as she very quietly spoke.
"You're so lucky to still have family around, Link..." She whispered, being careful not to be too loud but not too low either.
The boy was too fast asleep to even hear her, but he must have been dreaming about something since he closed his mouth and moved ever so slightly, causing a couple bangs to fall over his eyes.
As she watched him resume his light snoring, a strange feeling came over her that made her heart suddenly skip a beat. Without even knowing what she was doing, she very slowly lifted one of her small hands and began to reach over to his face, longing to brush his hair aside and gaze into his young sweet face.
But suddenly...she stopped.
Slowly, Tetra pulled back her hand and lightly put it up to her heart. She merely gazed down at him for a little while longer in silence, before allowing a half smile to creep onto her lips.
"I'll let him sleep a little while longer..." Tetra whispered to herself, before she gradually turned to head back on deck.
Before her presence left the room, the young captain paused at the doorway and placed a hand on the wall, before lowering her head and turning back around to look at the boy and his sister one more time.
Her half-smile then suddenly but slowly turned into a saddened expression, before she turned back around and left the room...
For the next forty-five minutes, Tetra did nothing but sit on the railing of her ship and watch as they grew closer and closer to Outset Island. Eventually though, she brought herself to finally decide to wake up Link. But instead of doing it herself, she ordered Niko to go tell him of their arrival and added that she wanted him to wake the boy nice and easy, or else he'd be having fish bones for dinner.
The small pirate made a quick salute and dashed below decks, while Tetra herself followed him a short distance until she reached her room. She entered to check some things and act like she was doing something necessary, until she heard loud footsteps coming from below.
Tetra emerged out of her room just in time to see Aryll bulldoze Niko to the ground in excitement at the foot of the steps below her.
The female pirate made a small laugh as Aryll whizzed passed her and burst out of the door to the main deck, leaving Niko to lay there in soreness.
Not too long afterwards, Link turned the corner, wearing his tattered green outfit again and walking as fast as his wounds would let him while avoiding Niko's sprawled form.
"Hey Aryll! Wait for me!" he called, pretending to gasp for air but wielding a large smile while he spoke. He caught site of Tetra as he neared the top of the steps and smiled up at her. "You coming, Tetra?" he asked her cheerfully.
Tetra made a small smile back and slowly waved a hand through the air.
"You go on ahead." She said calmly.
The boy merely smiled again and bypassed her as he headed toward the same door Aryll went through earlier.
As she watched him leave, she slowly lowered her hand and quietly whispered to herself.
"I'll be...right...behind you..."
The sound of Niko's moaning quickly got her out of her quiet moment, and the young captain then headed back out to the main deck.
Just as soon as she emerged outside, Tetra had to stop in her tracks when she saw that Link had just spotted the King of Red Lions for the first time.
The boy just stood there, staring at the small boat tied to the ships railing in what she thought was shock. When he didn't move for some time however, Tetra felt compelled to speak up.
"We found it out at sea a couple hours ago." She explained, hoping to get him to move.
Link didn't even bother to turn around and quickly walked over to the red boat. Just like she had done earlier, he examined its face and also concluded that it wasn't going to speak to him like it usually did. When he realized this, the boy hung his head a little in sadness.
"Link! Come here! Look!"
Tetra kept her attention on Link as the boy lifted his head and looked over at Aryll, who was bouncing up and down and motioning for him to join her at the ship's railing. Link took one more look at the King of Red Lions, then made a very small and quiet sigh before working up a lighter expression and walking over to join his sister.
Watching them for a few seconds longer, Tetra was suddenly spoken to by one of her crew members.
"Awaiting orders to dock, Miss Tetra?" came Senza's voice from behind
her.
Tetra looked at him over her shoulder and replied with her normal captain sounding voice.
"Prepare for arrival, gentlemen." She replied, speaking loud enough so most of her crew could hear her. "Dock the ship near the closest pier, but not too close to shore. Got it?"
Of the ones who heard her orders, they saluted and replied with a mighty "Aye-aye, Captain!"
Satisfied with their replies, Tetra looked back to Link and Aryll as they exchanged joyous words to each other while pointing to their home island.
~ ~ ~
Word that a pirate ship was coming toward the island quickly spread like wildfire amongst the inhabitants of Outset. Immediately a crowd was formed on the shore's edge, awaiting the return of the young boy who had set out to rescue his sister.
One woman in particular was extremely happy to hear the news, and in no time flat, she was out the door and standing at the head of the crowd, a hopeful expression spread across her wrinkled face.
The pirate ship quickly anchored before it reached the shore, halting beside the longest dock on the island and already extending a walkway down to it. As soon as it was secure, two small forms sprinted down the wooden plank.
"Grandma!" Aryll shouted happily.
"Aryll! Link! You're back!" called the old woman as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the young girl and boy running up to her. In one great big hug, the old woman, Link, and Aryll were bunched together, squeezing the living daylights out of each other while exchanging relieved words and shedding tears of joy.
Tetra observed the heartwarming reunion as she made her way down the walkway and onto the dock behind them. She smiled warmly at all the happy expressions and joyous statements that hung in the air, knowing that this moment marked the completion of her goal to get Link reunited with his sister and brought back home to where they rightfully belonged.
She didn't think she could feel so good inside. The relieved words and smiles on everyone's face brought her joy that she didn't think she could feel just by looking at a family reunion.
It was Link's expression in particular though, that made Tetra feel the most joy from. He must have been so happy to be back with his family that he had forgotten all about his injuries, since he showed absolutely no sign of pain or hurting. All she saw was a huge smile, along with the happiest look she had ever seen.
As the family gathering grew on, Tetra continued to watch quietly with satisfaction as she spoke silently.
"You're home, Link." She whispered quietly.
"You're finally home."
A/N: Wait! That wasn't the last chapter! There's a few more to go still! *gasps for breath* Whew...that was close. I thought for sure you people were going to stop reading. But everything fine now so I'm cool. Well it looks like peace has finally been restored! But that doesn't really mean the conflict is over. Nope...something is still bugging Tetra. But what could it be? *makes a wide smile* You'll find out soon.
Chapter 19: Return to Outset
-------------------------------------------------
A lamplight flickered from its spot on a desk.
The now resting Tetra was sitting at the edge of her bed, covers draped over her lap. A single bandage was wrapped around her arm, healing with time as she sat alone in her private room below deck. She had retreated down there after her brief but somewhat vigorous reunion with her crew, wishing time to herself to gather her thoughts and think.
A quiet sigh escaped from the young pirate as she gazed down at a picture that rested in her hands on her lap. The picture was obviously the one of her dear mother, and she stared at it with half-open eyes, looking as if she was either about to cry, or fall asleep on the spot.
But she did neither, and merely sat there in silence...until a knock on the door quickly broke the cycle.
"Miss Tetra?" came a voice from the other side. "Are you in there?"
Tetra looked up at the door, quickly slipping the picture underneath
the covers.
"Who is it?"
The door creaked open a little and a head peeked out, revealing it to be Nudge who was knocking at her door.
"I've come to change your bandage." He stated. Whenever anyone needed medical attention on the pirate ship, he was always the one to treat them. He glanced around the room, and added. "I'm not intruding on anything, am I?"
Tetra's expression lightened a little and gave him a motioning gesture for him to enter.
The tall pirate did so and began walking over to her bedside, carrying a wad of white fabric in his hands. He placed the supplies on the bed once he got there and sat down next to her to begin his work.
Tetra watched as he started to unwrap her already stained bandage from her arm and begin to put on a new one. She didn't mutter a word while he worked, which made Nudge wonder if she was even awake.
Not really wanting to ask directly if something was wrong however, the pirate spoke up to break the eerie silence.
"Zuko says we should be arriving at Outset Island in about three, maybe four hours." He stated in a cheery tone.
Tetra didn't respond much and began staring at her arm as if she was still deep in thought.
Nudge's smile somewhat faded as he quietly added "I just thought you should know, Miss."
Just now finishing his work, the male pirate made a satisfied nod and smiled at her again in an attempt to get her to respond. A look of concern replaced it however when she just went back to looking at the floor.
"Are you alright, Miss?" he questioned earnestly. It was very unlike Tetra to be this quiet. She seemed happy not too long ago; but when she left for her room, she had not emerged at all, which made him wonder if she was acting this way the entire time she was alone down here.
Finally, Tetra spoke up.
"Nudge..." she quietly began without lifting her head.
The tall pirate perked his head up and shifted his position slightly, letting his felt movement signal to her that he was listening.
Scrunching her hands to grip her covers, she continued. "...when my mom was leader...did she ever help any...strangers?"
Nudge cocked his head a little. That was a pretty strange question to ask...especially when you were a pirate. He scratched his head in thought for a moment before answering her question.
"Well...now that I think about..." he said. "...your mother did in fact help people." he paused for a moment before continuing. "She claimed that great rewards could come from helping others and that it pleased the gods to see such good deeds. In fact, most of the time she called us treasure hunters, instead of pirates." He looked down at Tetra. "But after you were born, we resumed being called under the pirate name, and she avoided most all contact with strangers unless it was absolutely necessary."
Tetra must have been listening intently since she lifted her head and looked at him with a wondering glance.
"Do you know why she did?" she questioned.
Nudge got a silly grin on his face and answered.
"I believe she told me it was because she wanted to keep you from all harm that could possibly come from it." He explained with a soft smile. "And...with us running under a pirate name, everyone did avoid us, so it was more of a reason for her to stay a pirate and keep you safe."
He was relieved when a small smile slowly appeared on Tetra's face as she fiddled with her covers and looked back to the floor.
"If I may say, Miss..." Nudge suddenly said. "...I thought it was very thoughtful of you to help the young boy in green rescue his sister." He smiled and added. "Your mother would have been very proud."
Tetra let his words play around in her head for a moment. She then lifted her head and looked at him.
"No, Nudge..." she said quietly as a light expression came to her
face.
"...she is."
The pirate gave her an understanding nod while reflecting her expression. He then began to stand back up.
"Well, I've got duties to fulfill." He stated as he slowly started to walk to the door. "I'll be back to check on you in a while."
Tetra watched him for a moment before glancing to the ground in slight
thought.
"Hey, Nudge..." she suddenly said, causing him to stop halfway through opening the door. He turned around and asked.
"Yes, Miss?"
Tetra glanced up at him with a look that seemed like she was holding back something inside herself. She waited a while, before she quietly asked him her question.
"How is...Link?" she managed to ask.
Nudge merely peered back at her for a moment before he made an odd smile and answered.
"Sleeping like a baby."
Tetra made another small smile at his description, as the tall pirate exited her room and slowly closed the door behind him.
As soon as he was gone, the young pirate's expression dimmed and she went back to looking at the floor. She remembered that shortly after Komali left and everyone had had their reunions, Link had suddenly collapsed to the ground, unconscious from seer exhaustion. She had quickly ordered Nudge and Mako to take the boy down to one of their cots and tend to his wounds, with his sister hot on their heels.
Of course, she couldn't blame him for wanting to finally give in to all that pain he must have been in...
With her thoughts set on the boy hero, she couldn't help but find herself turning back to what she had been thinking about ever since she had retreated to her quiet room.
She wasn't quite sure why, but no matter what she did, she couldn't keep her mind off what the King had said to her and Link during those last few moments in Hyrule. His words were still impressed on her mind that as long as the bloodline of Hyrule was still living, a future for the forgotten kingdom could still be made...a future that he vaguely claimed would be more prosperous than the last.
What the royal being said was still a little unclear to the young girl. He didn't specify where, or how this new kingdom could be made possible, let alone how it was suppose to be created. But one thing was for certain...she had to find out. As the last living member of the Hyrulian Royal Family, it was her un-chosen destiny to seek out a new future for her kingdom and make it possible.
It was something she knew her mother would want her to do.
"Well...it looks like I've got a long road ahead of me." Tetra thought. "The land waiting to be the next Hyrule is out there, somewhere. And I have to find it..."
Slipping the picture of her mother out from where she hid it, the young pirate gazed back down on it with a half wondering, half fearful look as she finished.
"But...am I going...alone...?"
Knowing now wasn't the best time to try and answer that question, the pirate merely put it aside and stood. She lightly hung the picture back on its spot above the couch and walked over to the door. Reaching for the handle and turning it, she opened the door, but paused before she began to exit.
Looking back in the direction of her bed, she set her eyes on the picture of the boy in a green outfit that hung on the wall next to her bed.
Then...she quietly left the room.
~ ~ ~
Barely anything happened during the next few minutes of sailing with the wind. The crew did however, spot a small upturned boat and had immediately informed their captain of the strange scene. When she had seen what they had called her for, she immediately ordered them to retrieve the small vessel without haste.
She recognized it to be Link's red boat that he mentioned was called the King of Red Lions, and which was also the form the King of Hyrule had taken at some point.
As they hauled the small red vessel aboard with ropes, Tetra gazed at it in hopes of seeing some kind of movement she had at one point seen it do. But when she gazed at the dragon-shaped head at its bow, she could tell that the King wasn't to be found in its vacant yellow eyes.
Quiet sailing resumed for the next few hours...until a loud call from Zuko signaled that Outset Island was in sight.
Knowing by his call that only an hour of sailing remained until they reached the tiny island, Tetra figured the least she could do was inform Link of their near arrival. And so, without allowing herself to be seen, she quietly slipped back below decks and paced down the short stairway that led to the storage room. Before she entered the room however, she took a sharp turn to the left and walked down another short flight of steps, which led to her crew's quarters.
Taking small quiet steps upon entering the tiny room, the young captain scanned the three bunk beds that lined each wall, expecting to find Link awake and resting in one of them.
She quickly halted her steps though, when she finally spotted him.
She had expected him to be awake...but instead she found him lying across the room in what she identified to be Nudge's bottom bunk bed. Though she wasn't getting a good view from where she stood, she could tell that his eyes were closed.
"Wow...he's still asleep?" she wondered in her head. She straightened up a little as she looked to the ground in thought. "He must be more exhausted than I thought. Should I really wake him up?"
Lifting her head back up to look over at him, she contemplated for a while before starting to quietly walk toward his bed. She figured he'd want to know when they would reach his home island enough to forgive her for waking him.
Upon reaching his cot, Tetra could now see that he was indeed asleep underneath the covers. His mouth was hanging open, and she could hear the faintest trace of light snoring escaping his open gap, which made her laugh a little since he sounded nothing like her crew when they slept.
His green cap wasn't on his head and had been replaced with a large bandage that was wrapped completely around and all through his blond hair. From what she could see that wasn't covered from the neck down by the blanket, stained bandages were also present on his bare arms and even around his neck.
But, Link was sound asleep as if he didn't have a scratch on him. The covers moved up and down lightly with each breath he took, making his otherwise beaten form look peaceful and innocent. He looked more like a sweet caring boy right now, rather than a strong courageous hero.
A smile made its way to her lips as Tetra watched the young boy sleep peacefully in silence. It wasn't until now did she suddenly notice the other form curdled up next to him.
Tetra looked over to see Link's little sister, Aryll, also asleep but lacking the snoring her brother was doing.
The pirate captain couldn't help but make another warm smile at the two siblings. She was quickly reminded of their two reunions; the one when he first rescued his sister, and also the one they had immediately after he set foot on her ship earlier that day.
Never in the short amount of time she had known him had she seen Link look so happy. Even with his injuries, the boy had shown no sign of fatigue whatsoever, as he allowed his little sister to squeeze the life out of him. It had reminded her of similar times she once had with her own dear mother, which is why she had quickly retreated to her room right after giving orders to set sail for Outset.
Letting a sigh escape her lips, Tetra looked back down at the small hero, giving him a heartfelt glance as she very quietly spoke.
"You're so lucky to still have family around, Link..." She whispered, being careful not to be too loud but not too low either.
The boy was too fast asleep to even hear her, but he must have been dreaming about something since he closed his mouth and moved ever so slightly, causing a couple bangs to fall over his eyes.
As she watched him resume his light snoring, a strange feeling came over her that made her heart suddenly skip a beat. Without even knowing what she was doing, she very slowly lifted one of her small hands and began to reach over to his face, longing to brush his hair aside and gaze into his young sweet face.
But suddenly...she stopped.
Slowly, Tetra pulled back her hand and lightly put it up to her heart. She merely gazed down at him for a little while longer in silence, before allowing a half smile to creep onto her lips.
"I'll let him sleep a little while longer..." Tetra whispered to herself, before she gradually turned to head back on deck.
Before her presence left the room, the young captain paused at the doorway and placed a hand on the wall, before lowering her head and turning back around to look at the boy and his sister one more time.
Her half-smile then suddenly but slowly turned into a saddened expression, before she turned back around and left the room...
For the next forty-five minutes, Tetra did nothing but sit on the railing of her ship and watch as they grew closer and closer to Outset Island. Eventually though, she brought herself to finally decide to wake up Link. But instead of doing it herself, she ordered Niko to go tell him of their arrival and added that she wanted him to wake the boy nice and easy, or else he'd be having fish bones for dinner.
The small pirate made a quick salute and dashed below decks, while Tetra herself followed him a short distance until she reached her room. She entered to check some things and act like she was doing something necessary, until she heard loud footsteps coming from below.
Tetra emerged out of her room just in time to see Aryll bulldoze Niko to the ground in excitement at the foot of the steps below her.
The female pirate made a small laugh as Aryll whizzed passed her and burst out of the door to the main deck, leaving Niko to lay there in soreness.
Not too long afterwards, Link turned the corner, wearing his tattered green outfit again and walking as fast as his wounds would let him while avoiding Niko's sprawled form.
"Hey Aryll! Wait for me!" he called, pretending to gasp for air but wielding a large smile while he spoke. He caught site of Tetra as he neared the top of the steps and smiled up at her. "You coming, Tetra?" he asked her cheerfully.
Tetra made a small smile back and slowly waved a hand through the air.
"You go on ahead." She said calmly.
The boy merely smiled again and bypassed her as he headed toward the same door Aryll went through earlier.
As she watched him leave, she slowly lowered her hand and quietly whispered to herself.
"I'll be...right...behind you..."
The sound of Niko's moaning quickly got her out of her quiet moment, and the young captain then headed back out to the main deck.
Just as soon as she emerged outside, Tetra had to stop in her tracks when she saw that Link had just spotted the King of Red Lions for the first time.
The boy just stood there, staring at the small boat tied to the ships railing in what she thought was shock. When he didn't move for some time however, Tetra felt compelled to speak up.
"We found it out at sea a couple hours ago." She explained, hoping to get him to move.
Link didn't even bother to turn around and quickly walked over to the red boat. Just like she had done earlier, he examined its face and also concluded that it wasn't going to speak to him like it usually did. When he realized this, the boy hung his head a little in sadness.
"Link! Come here! Look!"
Tetra kept her attention on Link as the boy lifted his head and looked over at Aryll, who was bouncing up and down and motioning for him to join her at the ship's railing. Link took one more look at the King of Red Lions, then made a very small and quiet sigh before working up a lighter expression and walking over to join his sister.
Watching them for a few seconds longer, Tetra was suddenly spoken to by one of her crew members.
"Awaiting orders to dock, Miss Tetra?" came Senza's voice from behind
her.
Tetra looked at him over her shoulder and replied with her normal captain sounding voice.
"Prepare for arrival, gentlemen." She replied, speaking loud enough so most of her crew could hear her. "Dock the ship near the closest pier, but not too close to shore. Got it?"
Of the ones who heard her orders, they saluted and replied with a mighty "Aye-aye, Captain!"
Satisfied with their replies, Tetra looked back to Link and Aryll as they exchanged joyous words to each other while pointing to their home island.
~ ~ ~
Word that a pirate ship was coming toward the island quickly spread like wildfire amongst the inhabitants of Outset. Immediately a crowd was formed on the shore's edge, awaiting the return of the young boy who had set out to rescue his sister.
One woman in particular was extremely happy to hear the news, and in no time flat, she was out the door and standing at the head of the crowd, a hopeful expression spread across her wrinkled face.
The pirate ship quickly anchored before it reached the shore, halting beside the longest dock on the island and already extending a walkway down to it. As soon as it was secure, two small forms sprinted down the wooden plank.
"Grandma!" Aryll shouted happily.
"Aryll! Link! You're back!" called the old woman as she ran as fast as her little legs could carry her towards the young girl and boy running up to her. In one great big hug, the old woman, Link, and Aryll were bunched together, squeezing the living daylights out of each other while exchanging relieved words and shedding tears of joy.
Tetra observed the heartwarming reunion as she made her way down the walkway and onto the dock behind them. She smiled warmly at all the happy expressions and joyous statements that hung in the air, knowing that this moment marked the completion of her goal to get Link reunited with his sister and brought back home to where they rightfully belonged.
She didn't think she could feel so good inside. The relieved words and smiles on everyone's face brought her joy that she didn't think she could feel just by looking at a family reunion.
It was Link's expression in particular though, that made Tetra feel the most joy from. He must have been so happy to be back with his family that he had forgotten all about his injuries, since he showed absolutely no sign of pain or hurting. All she saw was a huge smile, along with the happiest look she had ever seen.
As the family gathering grew on, Tetra continued to watch quietly with satisfaction as she spoke silently.
"You're home, Link." She whispered quietly.
"You're finally home."