A/N: I continue this for my first few readers, in hopes that more will join
in. I began formulating this story last year, when the Wind Waker was but a
wistful dream. Now that I have beaten the game, I have new inspiration. To
anyone who reads this right now, I thank you and hope you enjoy the next
chapter. R&R! I had just awakened the boy in the wreck of the scarlet
craft....
"D-Din, whatta night...." He groaned, his vivid green- black eyes flickering like an emerald flame in a twilight breeze. His tongue caught a drop of potion at the back of his mouth. He seemed to like it.
"Boy, by the way you looked, I was sure there wouldn't be another morning for you." I said, somewhat like the healer I was trained to be. "Are you all right?"
"Seagull-feathers, nothing I haven't felt before." He smiled mildly. "Thanks, though. Could you tell me what island we're on?"
"I-island? What're you talking about?" I said, puzzled. There wasn't an island for miles, or at least one I knew of.
He looked particularly surprised. "We're not on an island? Oh, Din!"
"Wha-"I began.
"This is GREAT!" he laughed happily, sitting up rapidly- and hitting his head on the floor of his boat. "Owwww...."
I, having a feeling that this would involve a long story, said: "Um... Before you get too excited..... What's your name?"
"Oh...yeah. My name's Link." The boy replied, rubbing his noggin, though still generally cheerful for one who'd just gotten hurt. "And yours?"
"Malon Aniku, but you can call me Anni- there's no 'e'."
"All right." Said Link, getting to business. "Now, Anni, do you think you can move, so that I can get outta this joint?"
"Oh, but of course!" I said, scooting rapidly to the side. He nodded his thanks and climbed out quite easily through the largest hole out of many in the hull of the ship, the one I'd been blocking. His being so thin most likely helped. He stood up, still somewhat wobbly, and examined the boat, which was probably his. A low whistle escaped his lips.
Link frowned. "Looks like the King and I aren't going to sail again for a while." He eyed the grotesque figurehead and sighed fondly. One could tell that it had been a beautiful craft at one time, although I still didn't trust that figurehead. I could imagine all the miscellaneous pieces put together like a giant puzzle, the bright red contrasting with the blue of the Great Sea..... I shook my head. This boat was too proud and wonderful to sail again on those wretched waters that had silently smothered my mother, and nearly done the same to Link. I began to pace in front of him, watching every one of his curious movements. As he looked over the remains of his sailboat, his eyes seemed to cloud over and see something different than what I saw. He cleared his throat and turned toward me. "You seen any pirates around here?" He tried to make it sound casual, but it was the Sheikah blood running in my veins that told me there was something more to that simple question, something more to him.
"What, are they chasing you?" I said, thinking it to be a clever guess. Link looked sort of shocked.
"Well...Actually, they're my friends."
I was so taken off guard by this answer, I could've easily ended this chapter.
"It's a looonng story..." He said with half a shrug. "When I first met them, I couldn't trust them at all." He grinned sheepishly at some outlandish memory. "'Course, if you rescue one of them a couple times, they start liking you." It was like a guy giving out casual advice on girls.
"I've read that they're drunken barbarians that mess around with girls and steal stuff they don't need." I wondered how a boy this pleasant and optimistic would be caught dead with that sort of folk.
"Ahhhh....I know some pretty... eccentric pirates." Link said. "And Tetra, their captain, would probably be furious if something like that happened in her crew. As long as no one disagrees with Tetra, they're a pretty sweet pack of guys; they let my other friends ride in their ship when we were traveling...Din, I hope they're all right...."
"They were caught up in that storm, too? I don't think I have enough revival potions to deal with all of them... How many, did you say?" I didn't think I'd like to be Miss Paramedic all day.
"You don't have to do that." He said. One could tell, he was really grateful for my help, and didn't expect me to do much more. He paused for a moment. "As for numbers, there's.... seven pirates, including Tetra, two Rito, and one Korok..... That's ten right there..."
I was about to ask him what Rito and Koroks were when I heard voices. Link obviously heard them, too, and I followed his gaze to the sky, where the clouds were beginning to scatter.
Two dark figures circled like vultures above. Those weren't seagulls, either.
"D-Din, whatta night...." He groaned, his vivid green- black eyes flickering like an emerald flame in a twilight breeze. His tongue caught a drop of potion at the back of his mouth. He seemed to like it.
"Boy, by the way you looked, I was sure there wouldn't be another morning for you." I said, somewhat like the healer I was trained to be. "Are you all right?"
"Seagull-feathers, nothing I haven't felt before." He smiled mildly. "Thanks, though. Could you tell me what island we're on?"
"I-island? What're you talking about?" I said, puzzled. There wasn't an island for miles, or at least one I knew of.
He looked particularly surprised. "We're not on an island? Oh, Din!"
"Wha-"I began.
"This is GREAT!" he laughed happily, sitting up rapidly- and hitting his head on the floor of his boat. "Owwww...."
I, having a feeling that this would involve a long story, said: "Um... Before you get too excited..... What's your name?"
"Oh...yeah. My name's Link." The boy replied, rubbing his noggin, though still generally cheerful for one who'd just gotten hurt. "And yours?"
"Malon Aniku, but you can call me Anni- there's no 'e'."
"All right." Said Link, getting to business. "Now, Anni, do you think you can move, so that I can get outta this joint?"
"Oh, but of course!" I said, scooting rapidly to the side. He nodded his thanks and climbed out quite easily through the largest hole out of many in the hull of the ship, the one I'd been blocking. His being so thin most likely helped. He stood up, still somewhat wobbly, and examined the boat, which was probably his. A low whistle escaped his lips.
Link frowned. "Looks like the King and I aren't going to sail again for a while." He eyed the grotesque figurehead and sighed fondly. One could tell that it had been a beautiful craft at one time, although I still didn't trust that figurehead. I could imagine all the miscellaneous pieces put together like a giant puzzle, the bright red contrasting with the blue of the Great Sea..... I shook my head. This boat was too proud and wonderful to sail again on those wretched waters that had silently smothered my mother, and nearly done the same to Link. I began to pace in front of him, watching every one of his curious movements. As he looked over the remains of his sailboat, his eyes seemed to cloud over and see something different than what I saw. He cleared his throat and turned toward me. "You seen any pirates around here?" He tried to make it sound casual, but it was the Sheikah blood running in my veins that told me there was something more to that simple question, something more to him.
"What, are they chasing you?" I said, thinking it to be a clever guess. Link looked sort of shocked.
"Well...Actually, they're my friends."
I was so taken off guard by this answer, I could've easily ended this chapter.
"It's a looonng story..." He said with half a shrug. "When I first met them, I couldn't trust them at all." He grinned sheepishly at some outlandish memory. "'Course, if you rescue one of them a couple times, they start liking you." It was like a guy giving out casual advice on girls.
"I've read that they're drunken barbarians that mess around with girls and steal stuff they don't need." I wondered how a boy this pleasant and optimistic would be caught dead with that sort of folk.
"Ahhhh....I know some pretty... eccentric pirates." Link said. "And Tetra, their captain, would probably be furious if something like that happened in her crew. As long as no one disagrees with Tetra, they're a pretty sweet pack of guys; they let my other friends ride in their ship when we were traveling...Din, I hope they're all right...."
"They were caught up in that storm, too? I don't think I have enough revival potions to deal with all of them... How many, did you say?" I didn't think I'd like to be Miss Paramedic all day.
"You don't have to do that." He said. One could tell, he was really grateful for my help, and didn't expect me to do much more. He paused for a moment. "As for numbers, there's.... seven pirates, including Tetra, two Rito, and one Korok..... That's ten right there..."
I was about to ask him what Rito and Koroks were when I heard voices. Link obviously heard them, too, and I followed his gaze to the sky, where the clouds were beginning to scatter.
Two dark figures circled like vultures above. Those weren't seagulls, either.