A/N: I feel bad about all the delays and cancellations to any potential continuation to The Festival of the Golden Land, but I regret to admit that I don't have the free time anymore to undertake a large, multipart project like that. However, I still have plenty of time for standalone stuff, and the desire to do another TeLink piece has never faded. In fact, it has finally now come to fruition and I hope you enjoy it.
"It's darkest just before dawn."
A saying as cliché as any, but it's one that was as true at this exact time and place as any. The time was just as the clock struck five and the place was the most seemingly ordinary of pirate ships carrying the most legendary of passengers. The legendary hero and fabled princess of the lost kingdom of Hyrule laid together, both reacting quite differently to the early morning atmosphere.
"Too much damn noise," the pirate captain clenched her teeth within her bed.
Wood creaking, birds cawing, and waves rocking against the side of the pirate ship were what she could immediately pick out among others. These were all familiar sounds to Tetra, but what would ordinarily relax her instead had her eyes shooting open in a flash. A quick survey of the faint traces of light creeping into the room allowed her to surmise that the first crack of dawn was very nearly upon them
"Ugh," she grumbled to herself, "That couldn't have been more than two hours of sleep I just got there."
Turning her head, she took a glance at her hero, Link, in peaceful slumber by her side, even moving herself a bit closer to where she could more clearly hear his content snoring. It was by far the most effective sound for putting her anxiously beating heart at ease yet it also got her nerves racing again just as she felt herself really beginning to calm down. Either way, the captain had finally had enough of this restless night.
"To hell with it," she cursed under her breath, "Sun's just about up and that will have to be good enough for me.
Tetra slipped out from beneath her covers in as gingerly a manner as possible as to avoid disturbing her lover, save for a tender kiss that she couldn't resist pecking on his cheek before she made her exit. Putting on a light shirt and shorts, Tetra strolled onto the ship's deck to catch the first glimpse of the sun as it began rising over the horizon. It only figured that, of all things, it would be the morning sun that finally had her feeling sleepy as her eyes grew heavy against the pink and orange dawn. Letting her eyes close for a split second greatly heightened her perception of the morning glow radiating on her already well-tanned skin. The soothing sensation of it helped her gather the thoughts that had been swirling through her head for several hours prior.
"Maybe I ought to just drag him out and tell him," the captain murmured in a state of half-consciousness.
The nagging questions in her mind that had kept her awake to this point had finally gone full circle in bringing her to a state of mental exhaustion that the outdoor heat only exacerbated. Before she could fall under its spell completely, the sudden sound of a certain someone coming to join her on the deck arrived to force her back to a fairly alert state.
"You sure are up early," Link stretched himself out as he approached her, "I remember us getting to bed a bit late last night. You feeling alright?"
"I guess so," she sighed while recovering from the shock, "Nothing a good breakfast and cup of coffee shouldn't be able to fix."
"I heard some of the guys already starting to wake up. Should I tell them to prepare something for you?"
"In a moment," Tetra turned back to the sky to absorb a little more of its healing warmth.
"Tetra?..." even the often oblivious Link could sense something different behind her relaxed expression.
"Link..." she spoke gently, "...What does the sunrise make you think of?"
"Huh?"
"Sorry, I suppose it is sort of a random question. I know it's not the sort of thing you're into."
"Hold on. I never said I wasn't into it, but it's not the type of question I'm used to you asking me."
"Fair enough, I guess I'm just in something of a mood this morning," she let out a sigh.
"What's up?
"...It's nothing," she replied after a pause, "Ignore the fact that I said anything."
"At the very least, I will give you an answer," he stood directly next to her, "What I notice is how unobstructed the view of it here out on the ocean is."
"Yeah, barely a cloud or landmass in sight..."
"Combined with the start of a new day, it makes me think of just how free we are to go wherever and do whatever we want. We're free, Tetra, in a way that so few in the world are."
"Free, huh?" Tetra slowly ran a hand along her torso, "but, is that really true?"
"What? Why wouldn't it be?"
"Well, I mean..." she seemed to be thinking over her choice of next words very carefully, "Once we settle down in our New Hyrule, we'll have a whole lifetime's worth of responsibilities and more. So many people will be counting on us for their very survival. You can't go prancing around as you like when so many are counting on you."
"Maybe so, but that's so far in the future, why stress about it now?" Link shrugged, "This journey isn't just about finding a new land but getting the most we can from our time in this world while doing so. For example, how you gave me the privilege of becoming your boyfriend."
"No, the honor's always been mine," she spun to face to him, unaware of just how magnificent her figure was to him with the sunrise serving as the backdrop.
"If you say so, but it often feels like I'm the one getting most the benefits," he stepped forward for a caring hug.
"Getting picked last for chores is pretty nice, isn't it?" Tetra giggled into his ear.
"Yeah," he felt her relax her head on his shoulder, "Now, don't you see how pointless it is to fret about all that more complicated stuff. We have the rest of our lives for that, but right now is just for moments like this."
"The rest of our lives..." she murmured in repetition, "It could still be coming sooner than you think."
"I promise I'll be ready to stand by your side no matter when it does."
"Thanks, but right now what I need is a good breakfast," she finally pulled herself away from him, "If you would."
"Of course, of course," Link was immediately ready to head back into the ship, "I'm sure Nudge has already gotten started making all of us pancakes. You won't need to lift a finger."
Link scurried ahead while Tetra followed at a much more leisurely set. As he had predicted, arriving at the dining area revealed the rest of the crew already making preparations for the first meal of the day with plates and utensils all set up around a large wooden table. Nudge brought out a hefty stack of pancakes but Niko also contributed a healthy plate full of bacon as well.
"Wow, what's the occasion?" Link asked his crewmates.
"Nothing special," Nudge announced, "Just got a really good deal on pig meat when we stopped for supplies the other day. I don't need any sort of special excuse to do something nice for you guys."
"Even so, I have a feeling that Tetra's really needing this right now," Link playfully patted her on the back.
"We're always happy to do what we can for our favorite Miss," Gonzo presented her with a cup of coffee brewed it the way it was known that she most preferred.
"And I'm always grateful for it," she accepted the mug and took her seat.
What Link had said with the intention of being a joke turned out to be more true than they ever would have anticipated. In a display of gluttony that would be rare even for the hero, Tetra was the first at the table to polish off her initial helping of the breakfast spread, and then followed up by quickly polishing off most of what had been left over for a second helping. The captain even let out a sudden belch that got all seven sets of nearby eyes gawking squarely at her.
"Damn, that was good," she picked at her teeth while the others were still frozen in place, "Thank you so much, Nudge."
"I'm... grateful that you liked it..." the well-built pirate had to do another double-take.
It was roughly another thirty seconds before any sense of self-awareness began returning to her.
"Oh, I went and ate all the extra food too, didn't I?" she looked over the table, "Sorry about that."
Her audience remained silently, all shooting glances towards Link as the one who was expected to address the situation.
"It's okay, Tetra..." he assured her, "If you needed it, you needed it, and... well, damn if you didn't need it."
"Yeah, I sure did," she tried to chuckle the awkwardness away.
"You sure everything's alright? I mean, I hope I wasn't keeping you up last night with my snoring or anything."
"No, you snore like an angel," she rested a hand on her abdomen, "My problem was something a lot smaller than that."
"Anything I can help with?"
"Perhaps, in due time..." her eyes briefly wandered off, "Anyway... what sort of course do we have plotted today?"
"I'm so glad you asked, Captain!" Niko immediately intervened, "At the same market where we acquired the food you just enjoyed, we also gained some interesting information."
"Information?"
"About a certain island," Mako elaborated, "To the locals, it's known as the island of Waypoint."
"Waypoint Island?"
"Yes, it's known as a must-stop to all nearby voyagers, not just as a place to resupply, but as a place to get a taste of the often forgotten pleasures of home with parks, games, and dining."
"But, as you mentioned, we just stopped for supplies, and our budget is running a little tight for it."
"We know," Niko butted in, "but we really only heard the best things about what it had to offer. Today is the day that we're projected to pass it by. We were only hoping that the captain would grant us permission to take this leisurely detour."
Tetra crossed her arms and legs to mull it over. She could tell from the looks on their faces that this was a shot-in-the-dark proposal that she was expected to swiftly reject. Heck, with their current stock of rupees, even she expected herself to shoot it down pretty quick but couldn't bring herself to do so. Especially when she took another look at Link to remind herself that she was currently in no position to lecture anyone about behaving recklessly in the pursuit of self-gratification. In fact, she found that it played perfectly to what had been currently weighing on her mind.
"Alright, we can do it," she announced, "You guys have been deserving a real day off for some time."
"Really?!" the whole room brightened.
"On the condition that you all put in the extra work needed to recoup any excess expenses."
"Yes, ma'am!" the six pirates saluted as Link observed more patiently.
"Then get this boat on course for Waypoint Island!" she commanded.
The swashbucklers all hurried off to their respective stations while Link stayed behind in hopes of a moment alone, suspecting that she was waiting to do the same with him.
"Come on now," he began once they had the room to themselves, "This is the third thing you've done this morning that I wouldn't normally expect of you. What's really going on here?"
"Our chat from before made me realize how long it's been since you and I have gone on anything resembling a real date," Tetra claimed, "I know we eat together and sleep together, but that's not the same as really getting out together."
"But is that really it?" he pondered.
"What's with all the suspicion today?" she pouted, "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I do, but it's something else that I can sense yet can't really pinpoint," he agonized, "It's like your whole aura has changed."
"Maybe it's being cramped on this ship for so long that's got your head all mixed up and perhaps it's an afternoon out with me that you need to help clear your doubts," she placed a kiss on his forehead.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
"I am right," she ascertained, "Now, go get yourself ready."
"Yes, my captain!" he headed off to get himself properly dressed for a date with the woman he was so fond of, unaware of how spectacularly her staunch facade deflated once he was out of sight.
"Those eyes are as sharp as ever. You always see right through me, though I'm grateful that's more figurative than literal," she tried to shake off her rattled feelings, retreating back into her spiraling thoughts much more.
Once Link made his change from his blue pajamas to his green adventuring outfit, Tetra took her turn to dress up with the vest and bandana combination that had become known as her own trademark. On top of that, however, she also made some rare use of her cabinet of makeup and jewelry, adding a black pearl necklace, and a touch of lipstick to the mix. For as slow as he could be on the uptake, Link was lightning quick to take notice of this particular change.
"You're really serious about this, huh? he remarked when they met back up on the ship's deck.
"Why shouldn't I be? Haven't you gotten plenty serious with me by now?" she retorted, "I mean, you do remember those things we did a few months back."
"More or less, with some specific details kind of fuzzy, but I already apologized for letting the booze from Senza's birthday party get to me like that."
"But you had fun, didn't you?"
"You could call it that, but I was really hoping you'd be fine moving past it and taking things a bit slower."
"I'm fine with going at your pace, but don't think you can expect to just forget what you said and did entirely."
"Of course not. I only ask that you accept my apologies for it."
"Make no mistake. I certainly enjoyed it. I just want to make sure you're fine with the fact that you can't take it back, no matter how much you may want to."
"As long as you're okay with what happened, why would I?"
"Well..." she seemed to have an answer ready but was cut off by a call from the crow's nest.
"Land ho!" the signal came down from Zuko.
"According to my chart, that's definitely Waypoint Island," Mako affirmed.
"Great!" Link thanked them, "So what were you saying, Tetra?"
"Just that I hope you're ready to get going," she tabled the present discussion."
"You sure bet I am."
It was just after the peak of noon that the ship properly docked on the shore on the impressively developed island. It wasn't the largest they had ever come across, but it clearly maximized the efficiency with which its free space was utilized. Even where there were no buildings, it was easy to spot a bench to rest on or a trash can to prevent litter. Other ships could be seen coming and going from the port the moment they arrived.
"Not even Windfall Island had this sort of traffic," Link noted.
"An island specifically intended to provide assistance to traveling ships," Tetra held a hand to her chin, "This feels like an idea I can get some good use out of down the road."
"After we get our fill of it today," the hero brought her mind back to the present.
"Naturally," she turned her attention back to the crew clearly raring to go, "Alright, you don't need me to explain the drill. You break it, you buy it. Our names aren't known in these parts. Don't do anything to change that yet. Zuko will stay behind for the initial watch while you guys work out the rest of the security rotation."
"Aye aye," the crew all disembarked for their own purposes while Link waited to offer Tetra a hand off the boat.
"Always the gentleman, aren't you?" she opted to take his whole arm instead.
"Just like my grandmother raised me to be," he led her down the pier at a steady pace, "This whole thing was your idea so feel free to make the call on what you want to do first."
"Let's see," she looked around, "Something tells me we'll want to have our money saved for when the sun starts to get a bit lower, so let's start out with that park over there which shouldn't cost a rupee."
"Sounds good to me," he went with her over to where they could see more trees.
The park was of a respectable size with groves of trees to get some shade on nearby benches. A walking path wound through the vicinity of the greenery and even around the whole island if one ventured along far enough. As they took their own seat in the shadows to enjoy the fresh air, what Tetra's eyes locked onto was a nearby playground with swings, a slide, and a jungle gym.
"What's this?" Link soon noticed where her gaze was pointed, "I didn't take you to be the type to be into that sort of stuff, especially not weeks away from your twentieth birthday."
"It's rude to comment on a girl's age, but, that aside, it still evokes a certain nostalgia in me."
"Is that so?"
"Mother was strict in making sure I developed an active and healthy lifestyle so places like this were commonplace for our quality time when I was a child," she gradually leaned into his side.
"We didn't have anything like this on Outset, but I can appreciate the sentiment. I preferred stuff like this to just sitting around, playing with toys, even if I had to from time to time anyway to keep Aryll entertained."
Almost right on cue, two boys and a girl entered from the corner of their field of vision, apparently led on by a running game of catch with one another. A throw of a rubber ball by a larger boy to the tinier girl went over her head and rolled right to Tetra's feet. With a simple kick, she sent the object back to the small child who had begun jogging over.
"Thank you, Miss!" she accepted the gesture before taking it back to the boy whom the couple could overhear her refer to as her older brother.
"Really takes you back, doesn't it?" Tetra commented.
"It sure does in a way," he agreed, "but it also makes you think ahead."
"To what?"
"To the children that will be living on our own land. They're the ones that I most want to do this for. In particular, I want it to be illegal to go screwing up any kid's twelfth birthday party."
"Is it really screwing it up if it involves meeting the love of his life or would you have had me sent to jail too?" she teased.
"Your rap sheet would run three pages long before we even got to it," he jabbed back, "but, seriously though, I only do what I do so someone else won't have to. I'd have loved to have the old hero of legend show up so I wouldn't have had to leave my grandmother alone, but I'm that hero now, so it's my duty to do what the last one couldn't in protecting both the common people and the Royal Family."
"And you've only done an ace job of it so far," she offered her praise.
"I've been glad to do it thus far, but it's really just practice for my own kids, whenever they happen to come along. I don't know when that time will come, but it's never to early to be ready for it."
"And just where do you think those kids will come from? Last I checked, I'm the one you're going out with at the moment."
"I'd never dream of needlessly imposing upon you like that. You have a lot more to think of in regards to children with this whole royalty thing, and I'll respect whatever decision you make. What I do promise is that I'll protect them all the same."
"Sorry, but I can't buy that you'd just be fine with me leaving you to marry for money, status, or whatever. If you would be then you were never the man I thought you were."
"I'd be hurt to be sure, but I'd never turn away from what I ultimately wanted to begin with. The world can't revolve around me, and if I can't accept that then I was never suited to be a dad to begin with."
"I see..."
"Why are we even talking about marriage and kids in such a depressing way? I know you'd never consider handing your family name over to anyone for any amount of money, so why speculate about it?"
"You're the one who started it, but I can't say that I haven't given my own fair degree of thought to it lately. I mean, for the sake of my royal line, me giving birth is practically inevitable."
"And I hope to make it a joyous experience for you in any way I can. It's all about when you're ready."
"And what if it happens when I'm not ready?" the princess stared up at him, "As I said, I have to have a child at some point. That could mean having a kid I'm not actually ready for."
"Then tell me what I can do to help make you ready from now on," he peered back down into her eyes until the rising heat forced her to shift them away, "I'm more than eager to help."
"Well, you see... I mean, actually... you... and I..." attempts at words suddenly began awkwardly fumbling out of her, only accelerated by his continued gaze, "What I mean is that we should get going for a walk. Physical fitness is important for bearing healthy children."
"If you say so," Link stood up with some confusion but went along with her plan wholeheartedly.
The weather was pristine for a stroll through the park that eventually took them on a tour along the sandy shores until making its way to the main town as a tinge of orange began to take hold in the sky. Their walk was spent largely in appreciation of nature and discussing what sort of climate and geology their ideal kingdom should have.
"You're really serious about that idea?" Tetra strolled with him into the more crowded area.
"Yes, I believe our land should have some desert areas to it and perhaps even something of an arctic region," the hero reiterated for her, "It was the lack of natural resources that drove Ganondorf to his maddening grudge against ancient Hyrule. I want a kingdom where people can learn to appreciate the gravity of such conditions and how to better accommodate those who've truly lived through them."
"That's an amazingly well-conceived concept," she spoke firmly, "I'll definitely do whatever I can with it, but at the moment, it seems we've come to a place where people are doing pretty well."
"Yeah, quite the place," Link began looking through the crowds, "Are you up for a little more casual fun yet?"
"I think so," she nodded, "Especially as I begin to check out some of these games."
In the area around the town's entrance, outdoor shops and amusement stalls had been set up as if part of a year-round carnival. Some old favorites of theirs like Squid-Hunt were immediately noticeable, but Tetra was feeling more adventurous than that and wandered her way over to what looked to be something new.
"Get the ball in the bin, win a prize!" the announcer called from a booth with a tilted bucket behind the counter, "Twenty rupees for three tries. What do you say?"
"I think I'm interested in this one," Tetra stepped up.
"Really? Seems kind of easy doesn't it?" Link examined the setup.
"You'd think so but that's how they get you," Tetra fished out a red rupee, "Three tries please."
"Most certainly," the man handed the balls over to her.
"You see, Link..." she turned to explain, "The angle is deceptive. If you throw it in haphazardly like you're probably thinking to, it'll deflect right back out.
The captain demonstrated her point by casually tossing the ball through the center of the bucket so it would rebound and exit in a similar trajectory.
"However, you can also make the mistake of being too cautious like I often am and not even make it in at all."
With her second ball, she made a gentle, arching through that bounced against and off of the rim of the basket. Link thought to intervene until he spotted how she intensifying her focus greatly now that she was down to her last attempt.
"But, in the end..." she built up to the conclusion, " If you take a little of what I do and a little of what you do, then you can achieve true success."
Tetra made her final throw with similar strength to the first but angled it more like the second so that it would get over the rim and roll inside rather than flying in and bouncing out.
"And we have a winner!" the host proclaimed her victory.
"See that, Link?" she finished her lesson, "with some of me and some of you, our goals can be truly accomplished."
"Sure, I get it," Link didn't get why she used such a simple game to demonstrate this but was more interested in the prize Tetra would pick.
"I'll take that one over there," he saw her point after some deliberation.
Rather than the sleek pair of sunglasses he thought she might fancy, she threw him her best curveball of the evening by going with a decently-sized plushy of a Red Chu-Chu.
"What? Are you kidding me with that thing?" he squinted. You want that sort of thing in your room, or are you saying you'd rather cuddle with it instead of me?"
"You can cuddle with it too if you like," she proposed, "It seems like it would good for either a boy or a girl, so I figured it might come in handy later."
"Why would something like that ever come in handy for us or anyone on that ship?"
"Well, to be honest..." she tried to talk before being interrupted by a growl from her stomach and stopping mid-sentence.
"What? Are you trying to say you think it might be edible like an actual Chu Chu?" the hero playfully theorized.
"Of course not!" she scowled, "But I guess we should talk more while we get something to eat..."
"What did you have in mind? The selection seems good out here."
"Something with a good deal of meat to it," she promptly decided while surveying the area, "Yeah, that place looks good.
Although more refined alternatives were readily available, Tetra was quick to zero-in on a grill that was off in its own corner nearby. The atmosphere seemed humble with tables available outdoors. With his arm in one hand and her prize in the other, Link and Tetra made their way over to be seated in a spot that had a particularly good view of the sun setting over the sea.
"Alright, I can go with this," Link took a chair across from her, "It's a good idea for us to eat cheap since you can't be certain Niko and the others will return with any cash left."
"You've been with us for over seven years yet you have so little faith in them," the captain laughed.
"Only because I've been with them while doing the same thing," the hero humbly confessed.
"Either way, I picked this place because eating by the ocean is something I can't possibly turn down. I know we talk of a new home, but I doubt anything will ever be a home to me the way these seas have been."
"I understand," he looked to the oncoming waiter.
"And what can I get this lovely couple today?" the gentleman asked them.
"Just some milk, a salad, and your soup of the day for me," Link requested.
"A glass of orange juice, a large helping of fries, and a double cheeseburger for me," Tetra went in the complete opposite direction with her order to Link's astonishment.
The waiter took their menus away professionally while Link struggled to get past what he just heard from her, even as she herself seemed to think nothing of it.
"What the hell was that just now?" he almost scoffed what?
"What was what?" she blinked nonchalantly.
"That order. That was some Gonzo level face stuffing you suggested."
"Oh? Well, this is something of a late lunch?"
"Because of that huge breakfast where you ate even more than me."
"I'm just going with... what my gut wants right now," she started to visibly blush, even with her tanned face.
"Hold on, I didn't mean it like that!" he waved his hands, "If anything, I was impressed. Actually, if you're going to pig out like that you should go all out and get some liquor to go with it. Cut loose!"
"No, I really don't think that's a good idea right now," Tetra had the fruit juice in question brought out to her perfectly on cue."
"Only trying to help. Forget I said anything," he accepted his own drink.
"Just forget, huh?" she took a deep breath with her first sip, "What would life be like if you really could?"
"Hm? What now?"
"Is there anything in your life you'd forget if you could? It could be anything."
"Like what? I'm not following."
"Like, if you just forgot this whole princess thing, and we could sail as we wished with no worries, or, conversely, would it be easier to forget those that you lost or left behind as you journey onwards?"
"Abandoning a memory would be like abandoning a piece of who I am. Even if ignoring the details of your heritage would make this journey simpler, it would cut away at too much of its meaning. I like sailing with a goal and purpose."
"But then you'd be able to decide your own purpose and goal, without any influence from elements you didn't invite or have any control over. How were you supposed to know what you were getting into when you first approached me. Is how your life turned out after that truly fair to you?"
"And what about you? You could have left me to my own devices afterward and foregone any involvement with Ganondorf or the King of Red Lions. Did we disrupt your plain old pirate life unfairly?"
"It was I who disrupted the lives of everyone who got tangled up with that bird monster. It's only if I were more self-aware that all of that pain and sacrifice could have been avoided. I feel like I need to make up for lost time, but I can't do it alone so I keep dragging you along on my personal quests. It's not that I'm not glad to have you as my partner and boyfriend, but I wish I could somehow let you retire and do all the tough stuff on my own."
"Which is why you think I'd be better off just forgetting the princess stuff and just having you as a normal girlfriend."
"Not necessarily, I'm sure I'll never be anything close to normal. It was just an example I came up with."
"As far as I'm concerned, that choice only has value because of all that I know. What kind of partner would I be if I laid about utterly oblivious to that you were going through. Despite what you seem to think, there's nothing tying us together aside from my love for you and desire to see you succeed. Even as you offer a chance to back out, I'm here before you, refusing to take it, and I'll do the same tomorrow and the next time you ask. This is my choice and always will be."
"How can you really say that will always be the case? How do you know that I won't soon have you tied down so you really can't get away from me?"
"What's with these mood swings?" Link grew exasperated, "You're talking all over the place today. I hope you're at least having fun because I know I am. If not, then what's wrong?"
"What's wrong is..." Tetra began to firmly clutch onto her stomach, almost seeming ill for a second, "What's wrong is that our damn food isn't here yet!"
"On its way, on its way!" the waiter made a timely arrival to their distress call with their plates.
Receiving his meal, Link resumed his personal worldwide quest to seek out a soup that measured up to his grandmother's. A scoop of this particular one gave him something not quite there but worthy of consideration for his top five. On the other end, Tetra tore away at her meal with savagery worthy of any moblin the hero had ever felled. Link restrained himself from offering any poorly timed comments but gained a firm conviction in his sense that something was amiss with Tetra that he needed to see through to dealing with.
"Aah," she let out a growl, "That was what I needed, even if I'll likely be throwing it back up before long."
"Is that it? Are you sick?" he probed for more information, "If so then I see all of this as perfectly understandable and apologize for anything rude I might've done."
"Oh, I'm sick, alright," she slammed down the cup in her hand, "I'm absolutely sick of all this bullshit."
"Excuse me?"
"The bullshit. I've had it up to here with it," the pirate made a throat-slashing gesture.
"What bullshit?"
"My bullshit, it's truly disgusting now that I reflect on all of it."
"What bullshit are you referring to? What the hell are you trying to tell me?" he sincerely pleaded with her.
"Same shit since this morning but still don't have the spine to..." she lamented.
"Well, I've been listening to you the whole time and still am. What is it?"
"What it is is not right to talk about in a place like this," she dodged him again.
Tetra shot back up to her feet and slammed an abnormally large number of rupees on the table to avoid any need to calculate the bill and tip. As he grabbed the prize toy she had neglected to take in storming off, this overall stunning lack of financial consideration was the last straw Link needed to take this all deadly seriously as he followed her lead away from the girl and crowds of people entirely. Her path seemed aimless until Link pointed her attention up to a lighthouse that was even larger than an average one to be able to handle such a bustling destination.
"There, Tetra," he made sure her eyes followed his exact direction, "I want you to come with me up there to check out the view."
"That's nice but I'm sure the guys are waiting for us by now," she instead stared into the blackened sky.
"They can wait, but I can't," he glared sharply at her, "And I don't think you can either."
"If only you knew what I can wait for," she muttered under her breath as he refused to budge, "Fine, we'll check it out."
A route to the scenic area of the lighthouse was publicly available by way of a winding staircase that took an unexpected toll on her visible stamina as they led their way up. So much so that Link made the rare decision to act without her permission and carry her up the rest of the way. She struggled a bit at first but he was steady in his pace to get up the rest of the way to where the light spun just above their heads.
"There, I'm sorry, but now we have the view to go with plenty of quiet and privacy. Feel free to let out what's bothering you, especially since I'm not leaving until you do."
"Trust me, when I do tell you, you absolutely won't be leaving," she crossed her arms with a continuous, heavy breath, "This is actually your last chance to leave. Are you sure you don't want to take it?"
"Leave what? You're still going in circles," he brought a hand to his head, almost ready to develop a headache.
"Everything! All of this!" she spat before stepping over to gaze out into the horizon, "You still have this whole world to live in as you please. I don't know if I can be the one to take it away."
"Take what away? I feel as though I've only ever seen you give and give and give for me, and I've accepted it with some hesitation but all of my own volition!"
"Yes, so you should go before I give you the one gift you can't refuse."
"What gift?"
"My gift!"
"What's with all the cryptic doubletalk, Tetra?!"
"Because I want so badly to give you a choice in all of this, yet I'm stuck because just by telling you what it is, I take that very choice away forever!" her frustration began to soften into sadness.
"And yet you've already made it clear that you've presented me with something I can't run away from regardless."
"Yes, and I'm so sorry for it."
"When have you ever seen me run away from anything in my life anyway, even when you yourself have told me I should. Can you really still have any doubt as to what decision I will make whenever it truly matters? The idea that you still have to ask is what I find most hurtful in all of this. Well, do you?"
"No, I know exactly what you do and that's what I can't handle about it," she began to tear up, "The fact that I can so casually dump life-changing shit on you without you batting an eye as I've done from the moment we met straight up until now. I... I don't feel worthy. I feel as though I need to at least once be able to spare you of a great burden instead of the other way around."
"What is this burden you feel I can't be spared of?"
"I told you, the burden of my bloodline and all the threats and responsibilities that come with it."
"I already told you? The only burden there for me is the idea of watching suffer alone. The only way you can alleviate that burden is to let me in and let me help."
"Well, you did help, in ways you can never imagine and now we can no longer avoid the consequences."
"What consequences?
"That my bloodline is now yours."
"In what sense? I'm honored that you would think of me as family that way."
No, I mean it in the most absolutely literal way! My bloodline is yours. My descendant is your descendant!"
"Your descendant?" a legitimate chill shot up through his spine, "But you don't have any children I know of."
"You will. Sooner than you think..."
"...How soon?"
"Six months, maybe five by now," she made the revelation that she knew there'd be no walking back from.
"But that would mean..." now Link was the one scared to state the obvious.
Bringing both hands to her belly, Tetra swallowed her fear so that she would at least make the following remark in a way she could hopefully remember with pride someday.
"I'm pregnant, Link," she dropped the proverbial hammer.
"Hm... I see..." his expression became dour.
Both remained quietly in place at her revelation, as if in an old western showdown, waiting for the other to draw. The silence lasted so long that she wondered if Link even heard what she had told him before he finally did speak up.
"Well, I hope you feel you got it right with the father you picked for it," he followed up in a way beyond any and all of her prior expectations.
In shattering every record he had ever set for being clueless to the obvious, Link unintentionally managed to reshape all her misgivings into utter indignation with the response he chose.
"What the fuck are you talking about?" she shot him the dirtiest glare of her life, "Just who the hell do you think the father is?"
"I don't spy on everything you do in your spare time, but I'm fairly certain it can't be me," he dug his own grave deeper, "I mean, I like cuddling with you a lot, but we really haven't gone much further than that. I mean except for that time at Senza's party that my memory's still a bit foggy about, but, even drunk, I don't... think... I would have..."
Link's rambling slowed to a screeching halt under the weight of her scathing stare. She kept a cold eye on him but refused to let this conversation go a single step forward until she saw his common sense put in some work for once. His memories of the night in question were still sporadic, but individual images of what they did flashed within his mind in succession until he could construct a sequence of events to chain them all together.
"Wait, I mean I remember you grabbing at my... err, sensitive areas, I guess you did get a whole hand on it, but, even when I came to with my pants off, I never thought you would've actually... you know..."
"I did, Link," her face flushed red, but it was actually more pride than real embarrassment, "I only meant to tease you a bit in your stupor, but then I inadvertently found out what you were really packing down there, and, with the alcohol, I needed it like nothing before in my life."
"So then, you really went and..." he did everything he could sort out the images frantically re-emerging in the deepest recesses of his brain.
"I needed you inside me, and I got you inside me..." she tried to make this acknowledgment of her libido as romantic as possible, "You were beyond wonderful, and I got so much more of you than I ever expected that some of it decided to make a new home in there. This is your baby I'm carrying, Link!"
Any concerns with how the timeline up to now may or may not have played out faded from Link's consciousness upon hearing her full confirmation of the end result of it now. Within seconds, his face was shining brighter than the lighthouse they were in, his eyes solidly focused on her stomach as if trying to see directly through to the little life within.
"Oh goodness, that's the most wonderful thing you've ever said to me, Tetra!" he picked her up before deciding it was best to be gentle with her now, "Honestly, I only thought you would've felt any need to keep this from me if it wasn't mine."
"No, it's one hundred percent yours," she rubbed her belly for him more fondly than before, "Even disregarding the fact that you're my first, last, and only, this little one has an energy that I would only ever expect out of your seed. I mean, it's kind of doing a number on me, to be honest."
"That's just how much we both love you," the expecting father joined his hands with the mother, noticing that her stomach had gotten a tad bit rounder now that she had him looking for it, "I mean it. I love you so much, but I've never come close to knowing just how I could ever ask this of you."
"It's made me happy too," she grinned, "Beyond all words, it's just I couldn't bring myself to let you be forever chained to me by a baby born solely from my own carelessness without me ever asking what it is you want."
"From our first day together, I tried to be the chivalrous gentleman that my grandmother raised me to be, for all of our sakes, but the desires were always there no matter how much I refused to act on them."
"The same goes for me, but there are certain levels to these things. Wanting a kiss isn't the same as wanting a..." Tetra stuck to her captain's sense of responsibility until she noticed Link's hand moving towards her wrist.
Just as he got it into his grasp, he bent his neck over to share a kiss with her on the lips. He even took the rare initiative to be the one to sneak his tongue into her lips, but as their mouths went to war, and his free hand continued sweetly rubbing her belly, he brought her hand over to touch him, first on his well-toned abs but then gradually down to his pants, where the same instincts from that lone night guided her to take hold of the now hardened protrusion the moment her fingertips brushed over it, eliciting a husky moan from him into her throat.
"Oh gods!" she parted from his lips with a sexy laugh, "Even my own memories don't do justice to what I'm feeling from you now."
"Yes, despite how I seem, I'm a guy with needs as strong as any other," he almost became bashful at how giddy she was to freely grope him, "And it's not about a few beers or anything like that. It's about you, Tetra. It's all for you."
"And I only wish I could accept it properly this time but not up here," Tetra released him to prevent any other likely regrettable actions from occurring, "Your time in my bed will never be the same again, now that I've got nothing to lose."
"You never had anything to lose, Tetra," he corrected her while trying to calm the nerves she had agitated, "The only reason I sought to avoid it was how badly I knew I would want to do it. I didn't know when you'd be ready."
"I doubt I actually am yet, but your child is something that will be worth forcing myself to be ready for."
"What you ought to be ready for first is how the crew will take it when we tell them," he poked her abdomen, "I know those guys well enough to know you've got some killer bear hugs headed your way."
"As well as some sly congratulations to you when I'm not looking," she added for them to share a laugh over before getting totally serious with her next statements, "If I have a regret though, it's carrying a baby within me without knowing where I'll want it to be born. I know that with you and the guys around, we could build a happy childhood on our boat as my mom did for me, but I want this child to know an unquestionable home as you did."
"Home is where the people who need you are," he replied, "More surely than you taught me that."
"And I'm eternally grateful to share one with you," she opened her arms to him for a sincere embraced.
"As am I," he wrapped his own arms around her back in return.
Peering over her shoulder, he could see down to their familiar ship where he could see signs of its other passengers having returned from their own fun and errands.
"So then, shall we make our way back to our present home?" he suggested as he could make out the signs of her pent up fatigue coming out as her stress washed away.
"Yeah, sounds good," she murmured, "I hate to admit how much sleep this has cost me of late."
"But since we are up here where the mood is calm and the view is great, may I take my own chance to do things a little out of the ordinary?"
"Yes, what is it?"
"I wasn't ready to buy a ring, but if you're already carrying my child within you, may I have the distinct honor and privilege of asking your Majesty to marry me?" the hero dropped down to a single knee.
"Really?... I mean how could I say no after all I've done? It's only fair that I... I mean of course I will, Link."
"Then may I also offer you this for our engagement instead?" Link grabbed her long-forgotten stuffed toy off of the floor."
"I guess so, I mean, even if that's technically mine," she started but promptly stopped complaining as her man was clearing making the best out of what he had, a favorite trait of hers about him, "Yes, I'll treasure it forever."
With this, he lifted her and the stuffed toy into his arms for a classical princess carry, having no intention of allowing the future bride and mother take another needless step tonight.
"Even if you've got me like this in your arms, I'm sorry to say I don't have the energy to properly consummate our vows when we get back tonight," she apologized with her head nestled against him.
"I can't believe you're already back to thinking about that," he shook his head while carrying her away, "Now that my memory's a bit clearer, I think we did doa pretty good job to get here. I mean, we got our baby out of it. What could be better?"
"Well, I mean, you did finish, but you didn't really... finish. I was down for the count while you were still... standing tall... if you catch my drift..."
"Ah, now it makes sense," the hero's tongue slipped.
"What makes sense?" she wondered.
Link tried to avoid the question at first but she began jabbing at his ribs to get him to talk.
"Come on. What did you figure out," the pirate continued to insist upon getting an answer.
"The reason I convinced myself we didn't actually go all the way," his cheeks reddened, "I mean, the next day, I've never had morning wood like that in my life."
"Given what I've seen in your bedsheets, I know that sure is saying something," the pirate further embarrassed him.
"Thanks for noticing," Link tried to reclaim some of his pride.
"I always do," she affirmed, "I'm only glad to no longer have to pretend that I don't. So what did you do about it? You guys can't just leave it like that, right?"
"Well, I snuck out of the room thanking the gods above that you didn't seem to wake up. I caught a bad break when Niko was on the toilet with his own hangover but got lucky that the rest were so wiped out that nobody was up on deck yet. After that, it was then just a matter of aiming into the water, and..."
"Those poor fish?" she finished his sentence for him.
"Yeah, those poor fish..." his shame was made plenty worthwhile by the genuine laughter it got out of her.
"Ah, I guess you really are right then, I can't complain about how any of this played out."
"I won't if you won't," he consented, "I'll just make sure the next kid comes along a bit... cleaner."
"That's my future husband," she fawned, "I'm looking forward to seeing you try."
"And I look forward to having this child with you and so many others to follow."
"Sounds like a solid vow to me, Link."
"It is Tetra," he stroked her hair, "It absolutely is."
Ultimately, they would have the formal wedding and newborn baby they dreamed of together in a kingdom as bountiful and prosperous as they had ever discussed, but when asked where it all got started for them, even years later, it would always be the tiniest of islands and the tiniest of ships in the grandest of oceans that they would always hold most dearly to their hearts. Just a little waypoint along the path that changed everything.
A/N: I want to give credit to two other TeLink stories on here, Young and Old, Finally, and Seeds of the future, for helping to inspire the core premise of this work while also hoping I managed to give enough of my own take as well.