It was dark and dreary outside, not to mention rainy and cold. Link almost wished he didn't have to go back outside after the relative warmth of the bomb shop, where he hid on the top shelf with the barrels and pots. Or at least he tried to be stealthy; unfortunately, Tetra had seen him and winked, much to the boy's chagrin. At least he had also garnered some very valuable information. Like the pirate ship's password, for instance. It was "barnacle", as Niko had helpfully "whispered" to the big pirate that Link thought was named Gonzo.
Then the pirates all left with the bombs in tow. The bomb shopkeeper was left behind in the store, still trussed up and gagged. Link counted to ten, then jumped off the ledge where he had eavesdropped on the pirates. Link looked around. In front of him was the door, to his left was the man in the rope-cocoon, to his right was the wall, and behind him was the counter where the shopkeeper normally sat behind. The coast was clear.
Link decided to explore the back of the room first, barely listening to the cocoon's muffled protests. Link wanted to find some bombs as well, even if he didn't exactly have a place to put them. But there were none left for him. The pirates had pillaged them all.
In the very back of the building behind the counter were some nondescript barrels and crates. Link studied them for a moment, then picked a barrel up and threw it onto the ground.
It was quickly demolished. Out from it spilled a plethora of rupees. Link's eyes widened as he ran through it all, collecting the money. The shopkeeper squirmed and made strange squeaking sounds in protest, but Link barely noticed as he trashed the place to rob the money. Then, barely giving the shop master another glance, he calmly walked out the door.
The stinging rain brought him back to his senses. Poor guy. He gets robbed of his goods and his profit. But Link had a sneaking suspicion that for the guy to have that much money, he must have robbed other people. So Link figured that it was okay to take some of it back. Oh my gosh I'm like Robin Hood! Just kidding I don't even have a bow.
Anyway, Link made his way to the inconspicuous, poorly-docked pirate ship and jumped aboard. Nothing happened. No one was there. Quiet as a mouse, he looked around, but nothing was there. Hmm...they wouldn't need a secret password for anything except for...
Link knocked loudly on the door that led to the interior of the ship. A boyish voice rasped something that Link guessed was supposed to be menacing. "What can-" was all he heard, for at that moment thunder boomed and the rain increased, heavily beating on the wood.
Link just responded with "Barnacle". Hopefully that was the answer to the question or riddle or whatever it was that the pirate had asked. He was certain that it was the secret password, at least.
The voice paused. Then, trying to hide its surprise, it asked, "Yeah? Then spell it."
Wait... is that Niko? Ugh, just let me in already. It's "your swabbie". Link sighed in frustration, and tracing the letters of the word on his right palm, snapped, "B, a, r, n, a, c, l, e."
"Excellent. You may enter!" Niko chirped, and unlocked the door. Following that, Link could hear someone scampering down the steps. Link twisted the doorknob and strode in.
Link passed Tetra's private chambers, though no one was guarding it. He blushed as he momentarily considered entering it. Link then quickly made his way down the steps into the storage chamber.
The room was much as Link remembered. Lanterns dangled down from swaying ropes high above the floor. There were the large yellow switches that would only lower if he hopped onto them. But the room was also different somehow.
Niko tore the boy's attention from him by shouting, "Hey! It's Link, my old swabbie! You're alive!"
Naw, I'm a ghost. "Of course I'm alive, why would you think I wasn't?" Link replied.
"Everyone else said that you were done for by that monster-bird back in the Forsaken Fortress, so... But that doesn't matter! You're here now! You know, because you wanted to be my swabbie again, right?"
"Sure," Link said, but he was hardly heard as Niko informed him, "Well, after you left, I went back to being the bottom rung of the ladder. That's why I'm here now, while all the other pirates are in town, eating and having fun... But, I guess since you came back for me, that ought to make up for us being stuck here!"
Us? Link was starting to think he had no purpose here, but when he turned to walk back up the stairs, Niko shouted, "Wait, swabbie! Didn't you come to see me? I'm over here! And, I have a new test for you."
Link sighed and faced the pirate again. "Good! Now here is the challenge. So, like last time, there are lanterns hanging down from ropes that you used to get to that end of the room. You remember how last time when you pressed the switch, there was platforms for you to land on? Well this time, there aren't any!"
Link looked around. So that's what was missing. As Niko had pointed out, there wasn't any platforms, only crates and barrels stacked up into heaps under some of the ropes.
"So," Niko continued. "This means you gotta jump from one rope to another! Pretty tough, huh? So watch and learn!" He demonstrated it for Link.
He jumped from one rope to another. Link noted how he would stop and turn the rope so he could jump to another. He also noticed that the ropes seemed to move sometimes, swinging back and forth and sliding left and right. Weird.
Niko took a very long time. Often, he took breaks to catch his breath, and at times he swung excessively. Meanwhile, Link grew bored and glanced around the room. Hmm, there doesn't appear to have stakes on the wall for my grappling hook. I guess I could use my Deku Leaf...
"Hey Link, you listening?" Niko called from across the room. Link looked up, startled. Somehow, Niko actually made it to the other side. "There's another catch to it," he said. "This time, I installed a gate here." Niko gestured behind him at the metal gate and chuckled evilly. Or tried to.
It was all Link could do not to burst out laughing. Niko must have wasted so much time and resources for that lame door. A gate's not going to stop me! And Niko's squeaky cackle needs some work. Though Link didn't hate Niko, Link didn't exactly respect him that much either.
Niko saw through Link's effort to maintain a straight face. "Hey, I spent three month's worth of pay building this for you! It's not that easy to get that up there, you know!"
Link couldn't help it anymore. He started cracking up and was about to roll on the floor. Niko screeched, "Link! If you don't pay attention and fail the challenge, don't come crying to me!" Link calmed down a little. "As I was saying, the switch opens the gate, but if you don't get here in time, it closes and you gotta start over."
"Niko," Link began. "It's been, uh, great seeing you! But there's nothing here for me, I'll just leave now."
"Uhh," Niko scrambled for an answer. "Fine, swabbie! If you make it here in time and pass my test, I'll give you all the bombs we got in town!"
"Deal," Link stated.
"Whoa whoa whoa don't think I didn't see that, cheater!" Niko yelled after a moment. "Put down all your items and weapons!"
Link groaned as he laid down his sword and shield. He hadn't anticipated Niko catching him in the act of trying to take out his Deku Leaf. He really hoped that in the middle of his stupid task the pirates wouldn't barge in, pilfer his stuff, and leave him defenseless. He then put down his grappling hook, his Deku Leaf (he'd wanted to use it so bad!), his beloved boomerang, his bottle (with the fairy still in it), the sail, the Wind Waker, the telescope, and his pictobox-
"Wait, can I take a picto of you real quick?" Link blurted. He didn't exactly want a picto of Niko around with him, and obviously Niko was not a boss or mini-boss, but who knows when he'll get another chance to get his picto for another room? So before Niko could protest, Link faced him and pressed the button of the pictobox. Content with the picto, Link then set it down.
"What did you just do, swabbie?! You trying to blind me?" Niko yelled indignantly. He hadn't expected his time with his swabbie to be like this. Niko was supposed to boss him around, not the other way around! Hilariously, Niko's own gate slammed down and shut him in the small treasure room with the bombs.
"Nothing!" Link called. Well, nothing you need to know. Besides, too much explaining. "I'm going to try your challenge now, boss!"
"That's the way to go, swabbie!" Niko shouted back, forgetting about the pictobox.
Link took a deep breath. It sure felt strange without anything with him. He missed the familiar feel of his shield rubbing against his back. Well, at least I'm lighter now.
Link jumped onto the switch. The gate creaked as it rose.
Link leaped onto the closest rope, straight ahead. He caught it and started swinging lightly, looking for another rope. The nearest one was to his northwest. He stopped swinging, turned his body until he faced it, and started swinging again. When he got to an adequate altitude, he released the rope with a yell.
He firmly caught onto that rope. He saw a different rope straight ahead, so with the momentum he gained from the jump, he immediately jumped again without pausing for another swing.
He grabbed onto that rope, but only barely, since it was one of those ropes that shifted left and right. He had to stop himself from swinging too much or else he'd crash into the wall. Then Link realized something. Ugh, I didn't need to catch this one. Since the rope ahead also moves, I could have just caught that one instead. Well, too late. Link stopped his swing and directed himself to the rope he was just thinking about. After swinging for a bit, Link jumped.
There was less of risk this time; boxes and crates were stacked up under the rope. But he clutched the rope anyway, so it didn't matter. However, he jumped so high he grasped the top of the rope. From the last time he was on this ship, he learned that being near the top meant he could swing faster, but would jump a much shorter distance.
So Link took the time to slip lower until he faintly could feel the lantern's heat through his boots, then faced the next rope on his northeast. Link was getting nervous now. He'd wasted a lot of time stopping and turning (although it was necessary), and especially with the extraneous rope. He had no time to lose.
Link began the tiring task of starting a swing. As he gained a steady swing, Link waited for the perfect chance. The ropes were swaying a lot now, and he didn't want to screw up, so he waited, and swung...
And jumped. Again, he paused to face the last rope. Almost there...
Link swung and swung for what felt like the hundredth time that night. At least the grappling hook had given him a lot of practice. He longed for that rope. It was much less prickly than these ropes. And easier to swing with.
When Link gained enough height, he let go and reached for the last rope. He gripped the middle of it and took an extra second to turn left make sure he was directly facing the platform where Niko was. Then he commanded his aching legs to start swinging.
Immediately, Link could tell that this last rope was longer than the others. It felt awkward and heavy, and it took all of his energy to get to a good rhythm. Link now wished he'd taken some time to catch his breath. He almost collided with the wall.
But he was running out of time. He swung back and forth harder, spending every last drop of strength he had on these final swings.
At its highest point, Link let go with a shout. As he looked down, horrible realization shot through the boy. He was too far up on the rope when he swung, so there was a good chance he would land short. And have to start over. It was weird though; Link didn't feel like he would land short when he was on the rope.
And he didn't. Link's feet hit the edge of the platform with a loud thud.
But then he slipped. Instinctively, he threw his arms up, and his sore hands latched onto the edge. Link's heart beat madly from the surprise fall. So he was surprised to find his hands rescued him. "Whoa!"
Tiredly, he climbed back onto the platform and after getting over the shock, he carefully walked up to Niko.
The pirate was nodding off. Link cleared his throat loudly.
"Oh! Uh, what? Whoa, Link!" Niko exclaimed. "You-you're done? Already?! You're incredible." After this, Niko started muttering to himself. It sounded like he said "...I've never even completed this...how did swabbie do it so quickly? And easily? If I give this to him, I'm busted."
Link cleared his throat again. Niko looked up, nervous. "Okay, swabbie, I guess you want your loot now. But don't tell anyone, got it? I'm serious!" he hissed. Then Niko stood outside the doorway, watching out for any pirates coming back.
Link threw open the treasure chest cover. He reached in, and pulled out...
A pillowcase. What the heck?! Is this a joke? But as Link dumped out its contents, some bright blue bombs rolled out. Ah, these are the bombs. At least they're not lit! I hope...
The explosion that followed sent Link careening into Niko. He shouldn't have been surprised that Tetra yelled at him with the gossip stones either. But now Link wondered how he was going to tote around his pillowcase of explosives.