Okay, woot for school. It's so boring, that it only took me two days to write this chapter…
Well, this story has sure taken a different turn from what I've planned… Not that that's bad, but I sure am having a hard time writing it… Well, all that means is that parts of this story may sound awkward…
Oh, and sorry, but I keep forgetting Komali has a broken arm… I don't believe I said anything about it in the last chapter…
Oh, Santa said that if I asked him one more time for the Zelda Company, he'd call the Easter Bunny to come hunt me down.
Beware- Lots of crying and yelling in this chapter...
………………
The Birdie Man
Chapter 7
After the Storm
"So, Komali, what are you going to do today?" Lenzo asked, labeling boxes of photos. Komali shrugged.
"Oh, you know, stuff…" He grinned nervously. Lenzo looked at him for a second, and turned back to his boxes, labeling one 'Outset Island'.
"Well, if you say so, but just don't get into any trouble, okay?"
"I won't."
Outside, it was sunny. There were no clouds in the sky, and it was really warm. You'd never know that there had been a storm the day before, unless you listened in to people's conversations.
Despite the good weather, everyone was in a bad mood. Komali overheard people complaining about broken windows, destroyed shops, and who got hurt and how. A little more eavesdropping and he heard that the Bomb Shop had been completely destroyed. Well, that sounded like a good place to start.
After hearing the story form Arill's grandmother the day before, Komali had decided to prove himself. And what better way to prove himself then to help the town recover after a big storm?
He walked towards the beach, where the Bomb Shop was located. Sure enough, it was destroyed. The roof had been torn off, and half of the building lay in ruins. A bunch of wood lay floating in the water, being retrieved by probably the only swimmers on the whole island.
Komali ran up to Cannon, the owner of the shop.
"Please sir," Komali asked, trying to sound polite. "How can I help?" Cannon looked down at Komali for a second, then back up to his ruined shop.
"Go home, squirt." He said in an annoyed tone. "This is no place for Rito's, especially one with a broken arm." Komali looked down at his cast. He had forgotten about it.
"Please, I just want to help!" But Cannon just turned, away, and walked over to the water.
"Hey! Swimmers! Hurry up! We don't want all that wood to go to waste!"
"Leave us alone, we're doing the best we can!" Komali looked up. He knew that voice.
Cannon just sighed, and walked into his shop, slamming the door, which fell off its hinges. Komali ran over to the cliff.
"Hey! Tetra!" he called down. Tetra looked up.
"Oh, hi Komali." She waved. "What are you doing here?"
"I wanted to help!" He pointed to his cast. "But this stupid thing is getting in my way…" He kneeled down on the edge. "What are you doing?"
"Saving wood." Tetra laughed. "Apparently Cannon doesn't have enough money to buy more. Besides…" She winked at him. "I have lots of practice pulling things to shore."
Komali laughed. Tetra laughed too, and continued dragging the wood to shore.
After awhile, Komali got up. Maybe he could help someone else.
He walked away, leaving Tetra to her work.
Walking down the street, he sighed. It was going to be hard finding something he could do…"
He walked over to a strange looking girl wearing a poofy dress and a ridiculous looking bunny hood. She was yelling at her dad.
"Daddy! Fix my window! My room is going to get dirty!" she yelled. Her father looked annoyed.
"Maggie! There are more important things then a dirty room here!" Maggie slumped her shoulders.
"But my room…" Komali tapped her shoulder.
"I'll help you…" he said. Maggie smiled.
"Okay, just a second. Daddy, I found-"
"GET AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER!"
Maggie's dad was glaring at Komali, who looked over to him, and backed away from Maggie.
"What?"
Maggie looked at her dad. "Daddy please! He just offered to help me!" Her dad didn't listen.
"I will NOT have a Rito helping my daughter!" he yelled. "Get out of here!"
"Daddy!" Maggie pouted.
"But I just-"
"GET OUT OF HERE!" He picked up a rock from the ground.
"Geez, sorry!" Komali said. He dodged the rock, and ran away.
What the heck was that all about?
So much for that. Komali sighed again. At least he'd dodged the rock.
He continued on. Everyone but him seemed to have something to do. He looked up. There were a few people standing on the ledge near the windmill that carried people up to the top of the lighthouse. But the wheel wasn't moving… maybe they needed help there!
Komali ran up ,through the game shop, to the ledge where they were standing. Standing there were a few people, including Link, and the islands doctor, Doc Bandam. Link was holding a torch.
"…so I just climb up there?" Komali caught Link saying.
"Yes," Doc Bandam said. "Climb up and light the beacon. The storm wiped it out, and if we don't light it soon ships might miss the island completely!"
"Okay…" Link said. "Here I go!" He started making his way up to the lighthouse, torch in hand. Komali poked Doc Bandam's arm, and he looked down.
"What do you want, kid?"
"Is there anything I can do to help?" Komali asked hopefully.
"Actually, no. There's not much that we can do anymore, if you had just gotten here earlier…" He looked to Komali's arm. "You should really go home and rest that arm of yours."
"My arm is fine."
"No it's not. It can't be I'm the one who fixed it!"
"… Are you saying you're a bad doctor?"
Silence.
"What I meant to say," Doc Bandam stood straight. "Was that it's not fully healed. I had another appointment to go to so I didn't completely fix it. If you come to the laboratory later-"
"So there's nothing for me to do?"
"No." Doc Bandam ushered Komali down the stairs. "Now go home and rest, we'll take care of everything."
Komali slumped his shoulders. He wanted to stay, but he left anyways.
Walking home, disappointed, he saw something that would only make his day worse.
Mido was standing there waiting for him.
"Hey, birdman!" Mido called. Komali stopped, and looked up at him.
"What do you want?"
"Hey, you answer to that name now? That's good." He brushed the hair out of his eyes. "Heard you couldn't get a job, huh?" He pointed to his leg. Komali noticed that he didn't have a cast… "Should've faked that arm, like me."
Komali stayed silent.
"Saw someone chick a rock at you too. Why don't you just go home? Noone wants you here."
"I don't care; I'm just here for school." Komali tried to get past Mido, but Mido stopped him.
"I'm not finished with you yet."
"Leave me alone Mido."
"You know what?" Mido crossed his arms. "I'm sick of your attitude."
Komali glared at Mido.
"You know what Mido?" Komali stood up straighter. "I'm sick of you!"
Silence.
"You don't have any right to say that."
"Why not? You insult me all the time." Komali was getting mad, and he fought to keep his anger inside. He was better then that.
Mido bit his lip. He had never actually had someone stand up to him, and if they did, he usually had Tetra by his side to back him up.
"That's different."
"How?"
"… Because. You're a Rito."
Silence again.
All of a sudden, Komali winded up and belted Mido in the face.
"I AM SICK OF YOU!" he yelled. Mido, hand on his face, looked up. Komali was angry, fists clenched, and probably red in the face. "JUST LEAVE ME AND ALL THE OTHER RITO'S ALONE!" He had snapped again.
Mido just glared at him.
"Did your dad ever teach you to mind your temper?" Mido said, glaring at Komali. "Or is he just as pathetic as you?"
Komali tackled Mido, sending him flying to the ground. He pinned him down, and stared at him straight in the eyes.
"YOU DON'T TALK BAD ABOUT MY FATHER!" he yelled. By now people were starting to stare, wondering what the yelling was about, but Komali didn't care. "MY DAD IS NOT PATHETIC! HE IS THE CHIEFTAIN OF THE RITO TRIBE, AND THE BEST ONE WE'VE EVER SEEN! DON'T INSULT HIM!"
"Are all Rito's as bad as him then?"
"SHUT UP!" Komali punched him in the face again. Mido struggled, trying to get away from the crazed Rito, but he couldn't move. "WHAT IS IT YOU HATE SO MUCH ABOUT US?"
Mido didn't answer.
"Is it the feathers?" Komali yelled. He felt tears coming. "Well, is it?" He reached up, and pulled a handful of feathers out of his arm, cringing in pain. "Do you want some?" He threw them at Mido. "HERE YOU GO THEN!"
Mido closed his eyes. People were gathering to watch, he didn't need this kind of thing happening to him.
"And so we have beaks, SO WHAT! You see them all the time on birds, so why are ours so different? Is it just because we're Ritos?"
Some lady ran from the crowd, and pulled Komali off Mido. Mido got up, and brushed Komali's feathers off of him. Komali struggled to get away from the lady, he just wanted to hurt Mido, for all the stuff he had said about Ritos. He wanted to make Mido pay. Mido, on the other hand, attacked Komali. The lady that had pulled Komali off of him screamed, and backed away.
Mido and Komali started fighting, throwing punches and even biting eachother, both of them holding nothing back. People just stared in horror at what was going on.
And then Ms Marie ran over.
"BOYS! STOP FIGHTING THIS INSTANT!" she yelled. She hurried over to them, and pulled Komali off Mido. Mido just stood up, and brushed himself off. He had a big cut on his cheek, and a black eye. Komali, arm hurting, and cuts on his face, struggled to get away from the teacher. He didn't care anymore what anyone thought of him. He just wanted to leave. But Ms Marie grabbed his hand, and started dragging him back to Lenzo's house.
"LET ME GO!" Komali yelled. Ms Marie didn't let go of him.
"This was your last chance Komali! Your dad is going to hear about this!" She dragged Komali, stumbling all the way, to Lenzo's house. She opened the door when-
"Komali?"
Standing there was Quill.
Komali didn't care, He didn't want to see Quill. Not now, not like this.
"Please Quill, I need to- OW!"
Komali nipped the teacher, making her let go of his hand, and ran up to his room, Ms Marie rubbing her hand.
He ran into his little box-fort, and buried himself in his blankets, clutching Din's Pearl to his chest. Oh great, now Quill was here. He was going to hear all that all that he had been doing, and then he was going to tell his father everyting that his son had been getting into.
He tried to listen in to the conversation downstairs, every word making him closer and closer to crying.
"Always fighting… Doesn't care about others… Insults the students… Attitude not fit for a prince… Disgrace to the Rito Tribe…"
Komali looked down at his cast. Mido was right, he didn't belong here. He belonged at Dragon Roost, with all the other Ritos, learning how to fly and how to keep order in the roost. He was a prince, wasn't he? He didn't belong on a small overpopulated island, almost drowning and always getting smacked around. It just wasn't right…
He buried his face in his pillow, and cried silently, trying not to listen to the yells of Ms Marie.
After a few hours, long after the yelling had stopped, Prince Komali felt someone shake him.
"Go away…" he mumbled. "I'm not here."
"Prince Komali?" It was Quill. "You can come out now, your teacher has left."
"Go away. I'm not here."
"Please…" Quill pulled the blankets off Komali's head. "I just want to talk to you. Do you want to go for a walk?"
Komali just lay there. He had run out of tears, and all his emotion was gone.
"Why?"
"I just want to talk."
"…Fine"
Outside, there were less people then before, and the sun was almost touching the ocean. Komali didn't look at anyone; he just clung to Din's Pearl, which he had brought with him.
Quill led him to a bench over looking the ocean, a little ways away from the shop, and they sat down.
"So, Prince Komali, would you mind telling me what's going on?" Quill asked. Komali just stared out to sea.
"What's going on? Nothing's going on." he said, looking away from Quill.
"I heard that you've been getting into fights lately."
"… It's Mido." Komali looked to Quill. "Mido keeps insulting me, and he keeps saying stuff about the Rito tribe! And he's really mean to everyone, even his own friends!" Komali clenched his fists. "He's the one who starts all the fights, not me! He's automatically friends with anyone who hates me, and he keeps on going on about how everyone would be better off if I was gone!"
It was Quill's turn to stare out to sea.
"Komali, do you really believe all that stuff that that boy says about us?"
"Well, no, but-"
"Then why do you let it bother you? You know it's not true!"
"But he doesn't-"
"That doesn't matter. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, and noone can make that boy believe something like that. Besides, you have friends, do they agree with Mido?"
"… No…"
"Mido is allowed to believe whatever he wants, just don't let it bother you and he'll stop bugging you about it."
Komali looked up at Quill, who shook his head.
"Not everyone hates us. There will always be the few that do, but noone can change that. What you have to do is ignore the ones that try and get you down because of something that you can't change and are proud about."
"… But why do they hate us?"
"It's because we're different from them. We have beaks and feathers, and we can fly. They all find it completely unnatural because they're not used to seeing people like us." Quill poked Komali's beak. "Besides, being a Rito isn't so bad, now is it?" Komali smiled a bit.
"I guess not."
"Just ignore them. You're here for school, not for proving anything to anyone." He pulled out a letter from his mailbag. "Here," He passed it to Komali. "It's from the chieftain." Komali took it, thanked Quill, and put it in his pocket.
"Remember, Prince Komali, you're not here to prove anything."
Komali nodded. For some reason, he felt more tears coming.
"I'm sorry Quill." He said, trying to hold them back. Quill looked at him.
"For what?"
"I've been trying to prove myself to everyone." He sobbed. "Dad's going to be so mad at me when he hears about this- that I've been fighting with people and all that."
"Do you mean when he gets this?" Quill pulled another letter out of his pocket, labeled 'To Rito Chieftain, From Ms Marie, Teacher of School of Joy.' Komali nodded.
Quill took the letter and threw it in the ocean. Komali watched it sink beneath the waves, then stared at Quill.
"I won't tell your father." he said. "This will just be our little secret, okay?"
Komali nodded. He couldn't hold the tears back any longer.
He buried his face into Quill's shirt, sobbing.
Quill was confused. He wasn't quite sure what to do. He had never had another Rito cry in front of him, except maybe his own daughter. He had never expected the Rito Prince to need comforting from him.
Arill hid behind a wall, watching them. She had just been walking home when she had heard Komali's voice.
She smiled as Quill put his arms around the young prince, saying that everything was going to be fine…
She continued on her way home.
After Quill left, Komali walked home. He went upstairs, sat on his bed and read the letter.
Dear Prince Komali,
Hello. It has been about one week since you have left Dragon Roost, but I'm sure that it has felt like much longer. All the Rito's here miss you, and are wondering how you are doing. I have sent Quill to see you, since I'm sure you have probably not seen another Rito for awhile, I'm sure he will be of some company to you. I hope you are doing well, in your classes and with the other Hylians. I know that Quill doesn't have many problems when he goes there to deliver mail.
I have recently talked to Valoo, and he says that he will have a scale waiting for you here when you return. When you get home, you will receive your wings, isn't that something to look forward to?
Well, I have to go, please don't get into too much trouble.
Your Father,
The Rito Chieftain.
Komali smiled. This letter was just the thing he needed to cheer himself up. So Valoo had a scale for him… He couldn't wait to tell Arill!
Komali had made up his mind. He didn't need to prove himself to anyone anymore, he was just going to do good in school so he could go home… back to Dragon Roost.
Komali drifted off to sleep, still holding the letter.
What he didn't know was that the next day was going to change his life at Windfall forever…
………………
OO
I'm finished… I'M FINISHED! Okay, I have been typing for like the last (looks at clock) 4 hours. Sorry this took so long to put up, but I got sick of typing. And during that week, I wrote chapter 8, which I will start typing right away so I can put it up soon…
Well, I'm not sure if that is a cliffhanger or not. I had lots of problems with this chapter, mostly the fight between Mido and Komali, the letter, and trying to get Quill to sound, well, Quill-ish… but I have PREVAILED!
Sorry, ranting. Well, please review! Chappie 8 will be up soon!