vii.

"Tetra, what are you doing?" Aryll stepped away from her, surveying the scene in front of her. Surely that wasn't Tetra, but she clearly also was. "Tetra, you look so, so-"

"What?" Tetra raised a blond eyebrow, smirking slightly. "I really hope that you don't say ugly."

"No, of course not." Aryll looked away from her. "It's just that you look so formal. You're just standing there and looking in a mirror, your back straight, and your movements looking so stiff. What's gotten into you?"

Tetra certainly wasn't the type to keep a mirror around, unless of course she needed some glass shards.

"It's nothing that you should be worrying about, Aryll. This is my business only." Tetra looked back to the mirror, continuing to look at herself as if nothing had happened. "You wouldn't understand."

Aryll stood still for a moment, trying to process the words. What was Tetra even saying? She was standing in front of a mirror and analyzing herself. Did she think that there was something wrong with her? Aryll hadn't even known that the ship had a mirror!

"Tetra-"

"Really, Aryll, you wouldn't get it." She sighed. "I'm not even sure that the rest of the ship would understand it."

"Even Link?" Aryll stepped forward, balling her fists.

"No, not even him; I just don't think that Link would fully be able to understand it.." She sighed, then turned to her. "This isn't as bad as it looks."

"Then what is it?"

"I'm only practicing."

"What?"

"Aryll..." Tetra trailed off, looking back at herself in the mirror. Weakly, she raised her arm. "Someday I am going to be the next ruler of Hyrule, at least once we manage to bring it back into its old glory." She tugged on the front of her shirt. "I may have fun with you guys, but I have to make sure that I one day look and act like a real princess should."

Aryll raised an eyebrow. "Have you ever met another princess?"

"No." Tetra's voice rose slightly. "Why?"

"Then I guess that you have no one else to compare yourself to." Aryll chuckled. "You know, when I was little Link and I used to pretend that we were mermaids. He was the prince of the mermaid kingdom, and I was the princess. Going from past princess experience, I can tell you that you are doing just fine the way that you are."

Tetra laughed. "You guys really did?"

"Why would I lie about that?" Aryll closed her eyes, picturing her and her brother before Ganondorf had kidnapped her, and soon after they had moved in with their grandmother. "It was a lot of fun."

"I'm sure that it was."

"This doesn't look fun."

"Well-"

"And it doesn't look like you need to do it, either." Aryll held out her hand towards the taller woman. "Link has been wanting to have a little sword fight with you before dinner. The other pirates are already placing bets."

Tetra snorted. "That certainly sounds like them."

"Come on." Aryll bounced from one foot to the other. "I need you to go fight and earn me some Rupees, princess."

viii.

In all truths, Tetra had never actually cooked before. Her mother had tried to teach her a few times, but Tetra either would refuse to pay attention, spend the whole time begging to lick the spoon, or their ship would be attacked by other pirates (not that the invading forces ever won). A few of her crew had tried it with mixed results. Link had made some surprisingly good stew (only) one time, and Nico was a better cook than he looked. A few of her other crew were far from good, but they did better than Tetra (if only because they actually tried).

For once, she was sick of eating her ship's supply of stored foods. There was far better food in the world, and Tetra would have it.

"By Farore," Tetra whispered, leaning in closer to the ancient book. The paper was old and yellowed, and every time she touched it she was careful not to accidentally damage the paper. "Could the text be any tinier?"

On the page was the smallest Hylian that she had ever seen; the symbols being so closely put together did not help much either. Tetra looked up from her book, back to the boiling cauldron. It seemed like something that would have a witch's potion inside of it instead of just soup.

"Mom could read this if she were here," Tetra whispered, looking back down to the pages. It had taken her a while to find the book, having to search the ship high and low until she finally found it again. She had many of her mother's old possessions, but this was one that she had refused to look at after her death. It had always been by her mother's side. Tetra's mother could lead a feared band of pirates, travel across the Great Sea, fight better than any other pirate, kill if needed, and could cook.

"Good food," her mother had once said as she stirred a bowl of delicious smelling soup. She wiped some hair away from her eyes. "Is something that should not always have to be stolen. Sometimes, you will have to make it yourself, and failure will only sicken the tongue and sour the stomach."

I should have paid more attention, Tetra thought, staring into her reflection in the cauldron.

She could run a ship just fine most of the time, but she and her crew got hungry.

Tetra began to stir the soup again. It didn't look that bad. If anyone complained, then Tetra could always tell them to shut their mouths and that they were to make the next night's dinner. That would give them a good scare, and the rest of the ship a good laugh.

"Hmmm," Tetra said, taking a quick sip of her soup. "It could use a few more vegetables; everyone on this ship could use some."

She walked over to where she had laid out some vegetables earlier and began to mince some carrots. She couldn't remember if her mother had added carrots to her soup, but it couldn't be that bad to add some. It would surely still taste fine.

Once she had finished mincing the carrots, Tetra added them in, watching the little pieces fall into the cauldron. They distorted her reflection, and sent ripples across the cauldron's surface.

"Tetra."

Tetra looked up. "Aryll, what are you doing here?" She tensed.

Aryll raised her eyebrow. "I just came in here to check on you, to make sure that you were doing fine. You were not in your room like usual." She smirked. "I am finding you in a lot of weird places."

Thankfully, Tetra's naturally dark skin hid her blush. She relaxed - after all, what point was there in being tense? It was only Aryll who was there, and soon enough her entire ship would know that she had made them dinner.

"Are you really making dinner?" Aryll brightened, and walked over to the cauldron. "I had thought that was just a rumor, but this smells delicious."

"Really?"

Aryll giggled. "Of course it does, Tetra. Besides, it's certainly different from what we have been eating over the last few weeks." Aryll closed her eyes and took a long breath. "Can I try some?"

"Sure," Tetra said, handing her the ladle. "Just don't eat too much; it isn't even finished yet."

As Aryll took a sip, Tetra watched her. She did not hesitate to pull the ladle to her lips, and her face did not change as she took a taste. That was as good of a sign as any.

"You never told me that you could cook."

"Oh, I guess that I never got around to letting you know." Tetra's eyes darted away from her. "I guess that I was just a bit too busy." Tetra closed her mother's book; she had gone far enough away from the recipe already to not even need it.

Aryll chuckled. "Maybe I can help you out next time."

"I think that would be good."

After all, Tetra might not get so lucky next time.

Tetra allowed Aryll an extra sip.

ix.

There was hardly a cloud in the sky, a good wind was blowing, and the water was peaceful. Tetra could not have asked for a better day; still, she got one. Surprisingly, the other pirates had managed to get their work done as well, meaning the ship could relax (though they always had their weapons with them in case something happened).

Tetra sat on top of a barrel and looked up to the sky, watching some seagulls fly above her. The smell of salt filled her nose, and the sound of waves filled her ears.

I'm glad that everyone has stopped their chattering, Tetra thought. It was almost strange, having the constant noise be absent, but Tetra preferred today to what she usually heard. Maybe everyone else was just as happy as her to be able to enjoy a peaceful day.

There had been peaceful days before, but none quite like this. For all the excitement that the job of a pirate advertised, a day to relax was always still welcome.

"Tetra?"

Tetra turned. "Oh, Aryll, I didn't hear you."

Aryll, even before she could train, had been ready to become a good pirate. Unlike most, she could be quiet and even sneakier. Her sword was in a sheath attached to her side, and she held a box in her right hand.

"Is something wrong?"

Aryll held the box up, allowing Tetra a closer look. "I was actually going to ask you-"

"Is that Link's?"

Aryll's cheeks turned slightly pink. "I just wanted to see if you would take pictures with me."

"Oh," Tetra said, "sure."

The clear sky would be a perfect background. Besides, Link probably wouldn't notice that the old thing was missing. He had stopped using it years before; Tetra had not even realized that he still had it.

Aryll immediately bounced into action, putting an arm around Tetra and holding up the pictograph box towards them.

"Smile!" Aryll said.

Tetra did.

The pictograph box clicked.

"Another," Aryll said. "This time, lets make it silly!"

"Fine," Tetra said, picking Aryll up in one arm.

Aryll giggled, and the camera clicked.

"Can I see what they look like?" Tetra asked.

Aryll shook her head. "I want to take another."

"And another after that, too?"

"Just one more." Aryll held the camera up, and then leaned in and kissed Tetra.

The day certainly had started great and had gotten better. This time, however, Tetra had proof of it on camera.