A/N: yes, this story has been at last updated! and this chapter is really long, just to let you know. heh, heh, it was fun to write! well, don't let me distract you. go on and read this, if you please.

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"No...monkeys took my money......eat the pine sauce! The penguins are--"

"Darunia! Wake up!" Link shouted to his sleep-talking shipmate.

The rock guy awoke with a start. "Wha...oh, sorry, Link. Was I talking in my sleep again?"

"Yes. About money stealing monkeys, pine sauce, and penguins."

"Wow. Jack's right, I gotta lay off the booze."

Link sighed with annoyance. "Quick, you imbecile, to the helm! There's a ship off yonder! Right north-west of us!"

With a gasp, Darunia leapt off his butt and towards the helm. "By Davy Jones, you're right! Do you think that could be Flynn's ship?"

"I don't know." Link got a telescope and put it to his eye. After a moment, he grunted with annoyance and threw down the instrument. "It's not his ship. There's not a mermaid on the bow."

"Maybe we should go to them anyway," Darunia suggested. "Perhaps they've seen his ship go by."

"I suppose there's a good chance of that being the case," Link said. "We might as well go for it. Steer towards that ship, Darunia."

"Okay."

"HEY! LOOK!" Link suddenly shouted, as they got closer to their destination.

"What is it?"

"There are two ships over there! One of them is directly behind the one we just spotted! How odd! Quick, hand me that telescope!"

"Um, Link--"

"That's it! It's the Pirate's ship! Ha, ha! Hurry, Darunia! We're practically there!"

"Hey, give me that telescope a minute," Darunia said, reaching out a hand. Link gave him the device, and he briefly looked through it. "Good Goddesses, Link! I knew it! I knew it!"

"What, what is it?"

"Gerudos," Darunia groaned, handing his captain back the telescope. "Geez, you know what that means, don't you?"

"Um...no, not really."

"It means Nabooru is probably there! She's the only Gerudo I know who started her own pirate colony! Didn't you have a fling with her once?"

"What?! A fling? With Nabooru? Are you insane?" Link asked incredulously. "That woman's tried to kill me more than once! She..." Realization suddenly dawned on his face. "Oh. Well, that's not good that she's right here."

"Should I steer around it, then?" Darunia asked.

Link folded his arms and thought for a moment. "No."

"No?" Darunia repeated, wondering if he'd heard right. "So you actually want to go towards the ship of a woman who wants you dead?"

"She has every reason for wanting me dead," Link informed him. "I killed her best friend a very long time ago."

"I didn't know you killed him," Darunia said. "I didn't think you were the killing type ... are you?"

"No, I didn't mean to kill him," Link sighed. "I thought I had him beat in our little sword fight; I thought he'd given up. I was just going to give his stomach a stab to teach him a lesson, but no ... he had to be macho and brave, give it a last try. So he stood up when I wasn't expecting it, and my sword went right through his chest."

"Ouch, what a terrible story," Darunia said. "What a dumb kid. But couldn't Nabooru see that it wasn't your fault?"

"Well, not really," Link said, rolling his eyes. "She came out of her room just in time to see me pulling my weapon out from his dead body. Not a nice sight. In fact, if it hadn't been for some of my allies, she probably would've killed me then and there. I have no doubt in her skill."

"How many other times has she tried to kill you?"

"Um...two, I think. In one situation, she tracked me down and found me in a bar. If it hadn't been for the intervening manager of the place and his stool that knocked her out, I could've been in deep trouble. Then the time after that, she found me in an inn I was staying at. She burst through the window at three in the morning and tried to attack me then. The only problem was that she was horribly drunk, and she said she could see four of me. Luckily for me, she kept attacking the mirages. So after all that, I decided it was time for a new identity, and that's when I became a gypsy."

"Ah," Darunia said. "How clever of you."

"Yes, but I suppose I need to face Nabooru head-on this time," Link muttered. "I'll give her her chance for revenge, and teach her a thing or two at the same time."

"You're pretty confident, aren't you?" Darunia inquired.

"A little," Link decided. "By now, vengence is not the only thing on her mind. She is annoyed with me. In fact, I think she's more annoyed than she is bent on revenge. But I won't kill her. I would never kill her."

"Why not?"

"I respect her too much."

Darunia groaned. "You pirate people can be so infuriatingly noble sometimes."

"Sorry," Link apologized with a shrug. "It's in my blood." His eyes suddenly widened and he jumped. "Oh, quick! Help me with the anchor!"

After locking the helm in place, Darunia followed Link to the anchor. "Hmm, this could be difficult," the former observed.

"Well, c'mon!" Link said. "We've got to move it!"

But alas, even with the combined strength of the two, they could not move the anchor. And, slowly but surely, their ship was moving away from the Gerudos.

"What the--look!" Darunia shouted.

Link looked up, and gasped in shock. Gerudos from the other ship were swinging onto theirs (via rope). Swords in their teeth, they slowly approached Link and Darunia, wearing rather menacing expressions. Then, they all grabbed the anchor, and managed to throw it overboard with one heave.

"Wow. Well, that was surpring," Darunia remarked.

"Um...should we be suspicious about this?" Link asked the Gerudos.

"No," one of them answered. "We had orders from our leader to stop any ship that comes by."

"Why, how handy!" Link declared. "Thanks for helping, gentlemen. We couldn't really get this anchor off ourselves, and we so wanted to stop."

"Where's the rest of your crew?" the same pirate asked.

"This is all the crew I have," Link said, pointing to Darunia (who smiled and waved). "You see, we borrowed this ship from ... from a good friend of mine. And naturally, his crew didn't trust a scallywag like me, and so they--"

"Hey!!" another Gerudo interrupted. "You're the Black Bandit!"

"Keen observation, my good fellow," Link said with a smirk, giving a quick bow. "How may I help you?"

"Quick, bring him to the leader!" the first Gerudo said. The men slowly advanced towards him.

"You don't have to press gang me," Link said. "I go willingly. Where upon your ship is this leader of yours?"

"She's not on our ship at the moment," the pirate said. "She's on Flynn's. They're having a... um, they're having a discussion about their current relationship."

"Uh-huh. Well, I guess I'm off to Flynn's ship, then!" Link said cheerily. "Good-bye, all, see you later."

"Hold on a minute, you," said a Gerudo. "We're coming."

"And me, too!" Darunia said.

"Oh, well, okay then."

--Meanwhile, On Flynn's Ship--

"By JOVE!" shouted Malon, looking through a telescope. "Saria, look! Another ship! Right straight next to Nabooru's!"

"How odd," Saria remarked, putting a hand over her eyes to shield them from the sun. "I wonder who it could be?"

"I'm trying to find that out, using this telescope," Malon said, scanning the ship. "But I don't see anyone... oh, hold on. There are some of Nabooru's men ... with a giant rock, and they're coming this way..."

"Um, a rock?" Saria questioned (the rock being Darunia, of course).

Suddenly, Malon let out a scream of delight and jumped up and down on the spot. "Saria! Saria! SARIA!"

"What is it??"

"It's the Black Bandit! Oh my Goddesses, he's here!"

Both of them shrieked and scurried to their room to make sure they looked dignified and presentable.

"Good heavens, I wonder what's gotten into them?" Zelda asked a loud, staring after Malon and Saria.

"I don't know," Nabooru said, picking up the telescope Malon had carelessly tossed aside. She looked through it. "Blast it; that red-headed idiot's gone and broken the lens! I'd better go fix this; I'll be right back."

"Uh, okay," Zelda said uneasily. She sighed wistfully, watching as Nabooru's men began to get closer. Honestly, what's so great about that? the Princess thought, boredly resting her chin in her hands as she leaned on her elbows on the deck railing. It's not like we haven't seen them yet. And that's when Zelda noticed the figure in black among them.

With a small gasp, the Princess straightened and strained to see furthur before her. She remembered what Malon had told her last night: "I would like to state that you do have a thing for our Black Bandit." By saying that, hadn't Malon been implying that this pirate and Link were one and the same? That didn't seem possible.

Zelda watched on breathlessly as Nabooru's crew, Darunia, and Link were just about to swing over onto Flynn's ship via rope.

"Great Goddesses, look!" Darunia cried, as they swung over the water (hundreds of feet below). "It's the Princess!"

Link gasped heavily. "GREAT SCOTT, YOU'RE RIGHT!" He turned scarlet when a smile of recognition dawned on her face.

"It's funny, it's like she almost knew it was you," Darunia said.

"Good morning, milady!" Link called out, saluting her brightly. Of course, this wasn't a very smart thing to do--hanging on a rope with only one hand.

"Hey, Link!" Darunia shouted.

"What--aahh!"

Unfortunately, this is about the time Link lost his grip on the rope he was holding on to. Darunia and the other men landed safely on Flynn's ship as he plummeted to the icy waters below him.

"Great balls of fire!" Zelda cried, running over to the general direction where her lover had fallen. Dreading what she might see, she peered cautiously over the rail.

"Do you see him?" Darunia asked.

"No!" she answered in horror. "Oh Goddesses, where is he??"

"Um, you two'd best look over there," said one of Nabooru's men, pointing to the plank. "You'll find what you were looking for."

Darunia and Zelda both glanced at the plank, and noticed eight gloved fingers barely holding on to the end. They heard a grunt, then saw Link miraculously swing himself up onto the narrow board, finishing his stunt with a gracious bow.

"I ought to have known, you old scallywag," Darunia said with a grin. "But really, pulling a stunt like that on your poor Princess, just to show off."

"I really ought to slap you," Zelda said with mock anger as Link sauntered onto the ship. "Tricking me like that, have you no shame?"

"Pirates never have shame, dear Princess," Link said, removing his black mask. "But I must know how is it that you, um ... found me out?"

"Well, let's just say a couple of lady pirates aboard this ship happened to know about you. The Black Bandit, that is. They described you to me, and I put together the pieces and just concluded that you were Link."

She caught him by surprise by putting her arms around him in a wanting embrace; rubbing her cheek against his neck. "Mmm..."

"Uh, your highness?" Link said wearily, standing there limply.

"Go on, you big lummox!" Darunia cried. "Kiss her, or something! You've been seraching day and night for her, and now you just stand there like a coward?! C'mon, what kind of man ARE you??"

"I know you'll think me stupid for asking, but may I kiss you?" Link asked timidly into her ear.

"You needn't ask," Zelda laughed. "Isn't that what we've both been waiting for, anyway? Goddesses, you're tense!"

"I just can't believe my luck at having found you," Link said. "My little Princess."

For a brief moment, their lips met in a timorous kiss. Darunia let out a loud noise of disappointment, causing Link to possessively pull Zelda closer to him and kiss her passionately.

She whispered his name in delight, clutching his shirt as he semi-savagely claimed her lips. Link hesitated as he came upon the top of her neck. "What is it?" Zelda whispered, gently stroking his back.

"These gloves," he responded, briefly pulling himself out of her embrace and removing the offending attire. "I could not really ... erm, feel you with them on."

"Oh," she whispered, delicately leaning foward and kissing his ear.

Link softly traced her jaw line when she drew back, and she smiled at him. Her eyes brimming with tears, Zelda said, "I do really think I love you."

"Good to know," he whispered back with a grin. "Because I'd hate to have wasted all my time and energy on finding you once more ... and I do truly believe that I would be lost without you."

"This is so sappy," muttered one of Nabooru's crewmembers.

"It is not!" protested Darunia, wiping away a tear. "Any of you brutes have a handkerchief handy?"

"Oh my Din!" came a loud cry from behind the lot of them. "It's the Black Bandit! Mask-less! Oh, Malon, come look!"

The speaker was, of course, Saria. Giddy with excitement, she and Malon ran towards Link, both of them dressed in their Sunday best. "What an attractive man!" Malon sighed dreamily.

"Um..." he said uneasily, his arms still loosely around Zelda.

"I've never seen you without your mask on!" Saria said shyly. "How handsome you are! Why on earth did you take it off, though?"

"To do this," Link said grumpily. He turned dramatically to his right and held Zelda in a dip over his knee, then proceeded to ardently kiss her once more. Her hands went up to caress his face, as his tongue carefully penetrated her open mouth.

"Oh, you are scandalous!" Zelda cried with delight, pulling away from him with an embarrassed expression.

All color drained out of Saria and Malon's formerly bright and cheery faces. They stared at the two lovers before them.

"Hello?" Darunia said, waving a hand in front of their eyes. "HellooooOOoo? Hm, it looks like nobody's home."

"The Black Bandit..." Saria whispered. "He's a...a..."

"A complete dog!" Malon cried, giggling flirtatiously. "Kiss me next, please!"

"No, me!" Saria whined. "I saw you first!"

"Blimey, men like red-heads better, Saria!" Malon barked. "No one's ever even heard of a green-head until they saw you!"

"It makes me exotic!" Saria retorted. "And interesting, which is more than anyone could ever say for you, you run-of-the-mill slut!"

Malon gasped in disbelief. "You little wretch, take that back!"

"It's true!" Saria taunted. "You've had affairs with every member of this crew, everyone knows!"

"Well that's because they like me better!" Malon shouted. "Who'd want to spend the night with a crummy little forest imp like you?!"

Saria flushed green. "Take that BACK!"

"You take back what you said first!" Malon yelled, taking a mop and whacking Saria with it.

"I'm gonna make you pay for that!" Saria shrieked.

And with that, she began to chase Malon around the deck with a large barrel in hand. Link and Zelda stared after them.

"Who were they?" Link asked slowly.

"The only women on this ship," Zelda answered simply.

"Mm, that makes sense," Darunia said, nodding.

"What's the disturbance out there?" Flynn asked, sticking his head out of his cabin's doors. He froze when he saw Link standing only about a dozen yards away, holding Zelda in his arms.

"What, couldn't you hear?" Link asked sarcastically. "Your uh, female crewmembers have been squealing all morning about the Black Bandit's arrival. Sorry, were you asleep? You look tired, and well...that's the only reason I can think up for your having not understood the ruckus out here."

"You sleazy scum, get your hands off the Princess!" Flynn barked menacingly. He drew his sword and pointed it at his opponent.

"No," Link answered simply.

Flynn's eyes widened in rage and he turned red. "Such insolence!! I said for you to get your hands off her!!"

"And I said no!" Link replied, his voice raising a little bit. "A filthy sea dog such as yourself cannot understand an emotion such as love, Flynn. But I've come a long way to get Zelda back, and I'm not going to let go now just because a skinny little coward told me to, you hear me?!"

"Link, don't talk that way," Zelda begged quietly, feeling bad for Flynn.

"What did you call me?" Flynn asked, turning (if possible) redder.

"A skinny little coward!" Link repeated, releasing Zelda in spite of himself. "In all the meetings I've had with you, you've been to cowardly to use your own sword, risk your own life! Why, it makes me sick. You call yourself a man!"

"Link please!" Zelda said. She remembered that cold night not too long ago, when Flynn had unraveled his life's story to her. The story of how he was constantly teased during his "nice" stage for being a goody-goody coward.

"Why are you defending him??" Link asked.

"Because...oh, Link, because--"

"Because she doesn't love you," Flynn growled. "She's been infatuated with me ever since she's been on my ship."

"It's true," Malon said, stopping by them temporarily (for Saria was not far behind). "Why, only yesterday the Princess was telling me that she was tired of waiting for you and decided she'd rather stay with Flynn."

"You little animal!" Zelda screamed.

"Oh, now you're getting on my case, too?" Malon asked.

"Wonder why!" Zelda said, picking up a nearby bucket and heaving it at Malon. Coincidentally, Saria had thrown her barrel at the same moment, and Malon was basically hit from both sides. Eyes rolling back, she fell with a loud clump.

"Oh, Malon!" Saria gasped. "I'm sorry!"

"She's unconscious, you idiot," Zelda said.

"Well what'd you attack her for?!" Saria asked.

"She accused me of being disloyal to Link!" Zelda answered before realizing that she shouldn't have said that to Saria.

"Well she was RIGHT!" Saria yelled. "Master Link, you ain't got any need for a naughty Princess like that who ... who has dirty dreams at night of the Cap'n here, and who'd cheat on you in an instant!"

"Stop this at once!" Link shouted. "I'll not have a wench such as you attacking the dignity of the Princess of Hyrule! Take back that insult, or I will have to cut your throat!"

"We're only trying to save you from her wicked, wicked ways, Sir!" Malon protested (having just gotten up). "She toys with men, you could ask our own Captain. Only last night she was--"

"Would you stop?!" Zelda interrupted. She turned to Link. "Dear, you've got to listen to me, you've got to believe what I'm going to say to you--"

"Don't take another step closer to him!" Flynn said, his voice cracking.

"Let her finish!" Link said, staring down Flynn. "What is it, highness?"

"I...I .... where's Prince Kishik?" she asked breathlessly. "That is his ship, is it not? I recognize the self-portrait on the side of him."

"Who?" Link asked. "Oh! Oh, you mean uh, the thingy... well, you see, we happened to meet by chance on an island not too far from here. Yes, uh ... when we told him our of quest--"

"Who's we?" Zelda asked.

"Oh, allow me to introduce my friend Darunia," Link said, stepping aside and gesturing towards the rock man.

"Your highness," Darunia said, sweeping into as graceful a bow as he could.

"Anyway, when he found out what our goal was, Prince Kishik gladly obliged and gave us his ship."

Zelda folded her arms and stared at him. Link sighed and rolled his eyes.

"All right, it was a little bit more complex than that. First, I had to break out of jail. Then I swam to an island, met Darunia, and we waited for a ship to come by. Eventually we tricked Kishik into thinking you were on the island, and we were some of Flynn's crew. Anyway, after a bit of talking, we managed to get his ship from him. So the two of us kept going the direction he'd been sailing in, and soon we came here."

"I see."

"Um...that's what you wanted to ask me about?" Link asked.

"Well, um...look," Zelda whispered. She sighed and took Link's hands. "There hasn't been a minute that's gone by for me that I haven't thought of you at least once... I even dreamed about you now and then. I never had a dream about him." She nodded behind her at Flynn. "It's just that... he acted so nice and genteel towards me. So unlike I had been expecting."

"He was being nice to you?" Link asked. "Zelda, did he do anything to you?"

"Oh, no!" Zelda cried. "He didn't! It was... it was me, Link. I just felt so awful for him, and I knew he had to be lonely, and I felt heartsick for him a little. And I thought maybe I loved him."

"Loved him?" Link asked, yanking his hands out of her grip.

"Link, not like that," Zelda objected gently. "Loved him like a sister would a brother. You've always been the only one for me."

Biting his lip, Link looked back up at her. If only she wouldn't look at me this way, I'd have a much easier time of not being biased here. "Zelda, I wanna believe you."

"Then believe me," Zelda said quickly, sliding into his arms. "They're all just jealous, that's why they're saying all those untrue things about me."

"It was good of you to tell me how you felt about ...um, Flynn," Link said rather uncomfortably. "I mean, you might've tried denying any feeling at all, but you're honest. I respect that in people."

"I'm sure you do," Zelda said sincerely.

"As touching as this all is," Flynn said through clenched teeth, "I'm afraid I'll have to challenge you to a duel, Link."

"You dare challenge me?" Link asked. "I, good man, have never before lost a fight. Are you sure?"

"Sure that you're going to regret ever coming here!" Flynn responded.

"Okay," Link said. He put a finger to his chin and thought for a moment. "Hmm."

"What is it?!" Flynn asked. "Come on, draw your sword!"

"Patience, fellow, patience," Link said. "I'm only trying to decide something here. I've already made up my mind that I will not kill you, but I'm wondering how to go about fighting you. I don't want to insult your talent--or Zelda--by going too easy on you, but I don't want to be too hard, either."

"That does it, you mutinous dog!" Flynn roared. He charged at Link, sword drawn.

Frowning, Link raised his boot and slammed it down on Flynn's weapon, pinning it to the wooden floor. "Tsk, tsk, captain!" Link said, as Flynn struggled to remove his sword from underneath Link's foot. "That is no way to start a fight." He held out his hand sideways, still staring at Flynn. "My glove, Darunia."

Darunia picked up one of Link's gloves and handed it to him. "Thank you." Link took the glove and sharply slapped Flynn across the face with it. "Perhaps you can learn some manners whilst you fight me."

"Oh Link, that was unfair!" Zelda said.

"Dear me, I don't think I can very well please you both!" Link said, turning to face the Princess. "You don't want me to be rude, but I don't want him to be rude. Meanwhile, he doesn't want me to go easy on him. What am I supposed to do?"

"Be a man and release my weapon from your hold!" Flynn barked angrily.

"Oh yes, sorry," Link apologized. He lifted his foot just as Flynn was giving a strenuous yank, causing the captain to fall backwards in shock. "Oh... sorry!"

Flynn furiously brushed red hair out of his eyes and stood up. He could see amusement in his opponent's eyes. "How dare you mock me in front of--!"

"Everyone?" Link offered.

"On guard!"

"But of course."

What followed was a brilliant display of swordsman ship. Parries and thrusts were exchanged, and Link was the unfortunate recipient of a scar on his chest. There was a large bloody sash that had cut diagonally through his shirt.

"Hey, this was new!" he said, inspecting the wound. "Ah, well at least the cut isn't all that deep."

"Oh my Goddesses!" Zelda said, running up to him. "Link, are you all right?"

"The fight is just beginning," Link informed her. He gave her a little tap as a way of asking her to move aside. He then unceremoniously pulled off his shirt. "I guess there's no use for petty things like attire to keep you from getting at my heart, right?"

At that moment, Malon and Saria (who had resumed their cat-and-mouse chase around the deck) screeched to a halt in front of Link. "Holy Din," Malon purred. "What a gorgeous body!"

"Can I touch you?" Saria asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Ummm...."

"GOTCHA!" Malon shouted at Saria, whirling around and crashing a lounge chair over her head. "A ha ha ha ha, that's my revenge for when you hit me with a barrel earlier! That's what you get!"

Saria rubbed her head and scowled. Then she smiled and, turning to Link, said "Make sure you don't put your shirt back on until I get back." Then, to Malon-- "Get back here, you little sea witch!"

"You'll have to catch me first!" came the response, followed by loud, maniacal laughter.

"Let us resume," Link said to Flynn, clearly amused by Malon and Saria's lovesick antics over him.

"Yes, let's," Flynn said darkly, clutching the hilt of his sword tightly.

As Zelda watched their intense fight, she couldn't help grinning and thinking to herself, Good Goddesses, the girls were right. That isa gorgeous body. She then slapped herself mentally. What in Nayru's name am I thinking?? Link is in grave danger and I'm busy thinking about how good ... looking ... he is. The Princess's thoughts were brought back to earth when she noticed Flynn held a fatal position over Link.

"Any last words?" Flynn breathed, the side of his sword on Link's chest, prepared to slash his throat.

"Just a few," Link said between breaths from his position on the floor.

"Well, what is it?"

Link grinned. "I am not left handed."

"What--"

Taking advantage of his adversary's moment of shock, Link kicked Flynn off him. Then, smiling devilishly, he tossed his sword to his right hand. "I'm ready now."

"Good heavens, he had me scared to death!" Zelda sighed, fanning herself to keep from fainting.

"Say, I know a bloke who used that trick once," Darunia said, mulling it over in his head. He snapped his fingers. "Ah yes! The Dread Pirate Roberts! What a splendid pirate he was, I hear!"

"I heard that wasn't the real Dread Pirate Roberts, though," one of Nabooru's men said. "I mean, the real one didn't use the whole 'I am not left-handed' thing."

"Eh?" Darunia asked. "What do you mean, not the real Roberts?"

"I heard he was merely a farmboy whom Roberts pitied," the man answered. "And the boy took over. 'Course, he abandoned the title to go save his true love or something stupid like that."

"Wow, that's interesting," Darunia said, glancing at Zelda.

"I hate to say this, but I'm afraid that I'm too good for you," Link said, in order to get Flynn madder at him. "You might as well stop now and avoid getting killed."

"I will not die in this battle, and I am going to defeat you!" Flynn yelled.

"Well, I'm just saying that--"

"Neither of you move!!" came a voice from behind them. "You scurvy sewage rat, I ought to have killed you years ago!"

Flynn and Link both turned to see Nabooru staring icily at them. Hatred oozed from her aura as she pointed a long sword at them. Then she was at them like lightening, issuing a loud "Yaaah!!!" of a battlecry.

The two enemies stared at each other, trying to figure out which one she was aiming for. But before a decision could be made, Nabooru's sword had pierced the skin of the man she so detested.

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A/N: at last, I have updated! I know that was sort of a little pathetic (especially the part where Link and zelda were re-united) but it's hard, ok?? just review, please, and this story will be finished shortly!