The moon was rising up in the sky when Krystal stepped outside. She made her way back to the King of Red Lions, covering her mouth with her hand when the figurehead let out a yawn as she approached. He noticed her and quickly straightened up. "I have the second pearl now," she said, pretending she hadn't noticed his yawning.
"Yes. I could tell by the way you're carrying yourself," he replied. He looked up towards the central structure, "So, this place, too, has been attacked by Ganon. Could he already be regaining his power?"
Krystal turned back to him, "What is there left to do?"
He looked at her, "We must set sail immediately! There is one pearl left! It lies in a place northwest of here. I will mark it on your device." She nodded and climbed aboard, using the Wind Waker to shift the winds to carry them to the northwest. When she checked her Sea Chart on the Tingle Pad afterwards, she saw a square to the northwest of the Forest Haven lit up. It looked to be further away than Dragon Roost Island had been from the Forest Haven, but she didn't let that bother her. She flicked the pad off and drew the sail, the wind pushing them northwest.
Even with her night vision in full effect, the green in her eyes shining in the dark, it was still difficult to see very far across the ocean. Krystal found herself using Aryll's telescope frequently as the King of Red Lions glided across the water, raising it to and lowering it away from her eye with her left hand while she kept her right hand on the rudder. She met with any Fishmen they crossed paths with around the islands they passed, but she couldn't shake an uneasiness gnawing at her from within.
A little while later, she checked the Tingle Pad to see where she was in relation to their destination. The display showed them being a square away, so she grabbed the telescope again and peered through it, searching for their destination: Greatfish Isle. She soon began to see an island off in the distance, but something else caught her attention. There was a thick cloud swirling in the sky above the island and it made her unease grow because it reminded her of the cloud that had been swirling around Dragon Roost Island when they arrived, which made her think Ganon's hand had reached this place as well.
She looked back down at the island and, now that they were closer, she could see something was off about it. It didn't look like an island; it looked more like a bunch of chunks of land that happened to be clustered close together. She could make out what looked like trees and the remnants of a few structures from where she was, but otherwise, it didn't look like much of an island. "What's going on here?" she breathed.
The King of Red Lions was also looking towards their destination with a perturbed expression on his features. "You can see it too, can't you, Krystal? What has happened to this place?" he breathed. A light rain started falling as they got closer to the island.
The rain had picked up into a storm as they approached a beach on one of the land chunks, bolts of lightning flashing in the distance. Now that they were right on top of it, they could see that at one point, it HAD been an island, but it wasn't much of one anymore. The land had been ripped apart by something, leaving only these chunks of land sticking out of the water, the scattered remains of structures on them, fishing boats, and the debris floating in the surrounding waters the only indicators that people had lived there until very recently.
"Wh-What is the meaning of this? The island, it's…" Krystal breathed as she stepped off the boat, the water rising up around her boots as she stepped onto the wet sand of the beach, looking around.
The King of Red Lions was silent for several moments before shaking his head and saying, "…We are too late. I knew we had precious little time, but I never suspected how little…" She turned to look at him, "A great water spirit named Jabun once lived here, but I don't see any sign of him now…"
Suddenly, they both heard a voice call, "Ho, there! Krystal!" She raised her head and looked off into the distance. During another flash of lightning, she saw a winged figure flying towards her. As it got closer, she saw that she was correct about the voice seeming familiar.
"Quill!" she exclaimed as he flew overhead, her eyes following him as he landed further up the beach.
He turned to look at her as she ran up to him. "So, you are here!" he stated.
"You were looking for me?" she asked, tilting her head and holding her hand up to try to keep the rain out of her eyes.
He spoke, "After you left, the great Valoo spoke to us again. Medli said that it was urgent, so the Chieftain asked me to find you and tell you. I'd hoped to find you before you got here, but no matter. Are you here seeking the great spirit, Jabun?"
Krystal nodded, "Yes, but…" Her eyes took in the sight of the island again, her mind still not believing what she was seeing. "It would appear he's not here anymore," she managed.
"No, I'm afraid not," Quill replied. He looked around himself, "Just look at how this place has been torn to pieces… I suppose this, too, is the work of the darkness lurking in the Forsaken Fortress." He looked back at Krystal, "But it's not too late! The great Valoo said that Jabun was able to flee this island before this happened. He has found a new abode."
Krystal looked up at him, "A new abode?"
Quill nodded and asked, "Do you want to know where that abode is?"
Krystal replied, "If you wouldn't mind telling me."
Quill answered in a tone of utmost seriousness, "It's on the island you call home."
Krystal's eyes widened at this. "Outset?!" she gasped.
Quill replied, "Yes. But even if you were to go to Outset now, you would not be able to meet with him." He gestured to a stone slab sticking out of the water nearby, "Do you see that, Krystal?" She nodded quickly, her anxiety through the roof at the revelation that the water spirit was hiding on her home island. "That is part of the mighty stone slab that sealed off Jabun's cave on this island, and he has erected the same slab to seal off the cave at the back of Outset Island. Not even the pirates with their mighty ship could break through it."
Krystal blinked and looked back at him. "The pirates?" she asked.
Quill bowed his head, his eyes closed and a look of guilt on his face. "I must apologize, Krystal. I came across the pirates while I was searching for you. I had no idea of what transpired between you and them, and I shared this information with them without so much as a thought for the consequences." He raised his head and looked at her, "I did have my suspicions afterwards, though, so I put off searching for you and followed them at a distance."
Krystal said, "So that's how you know."
Quill nodded, "Yes. They immediately set sail for Outset and tried to break into the cave. They couldn't even shift the stone over the entrance. On my way here, I met with some other Rito carriers who told me they had seen the pirate ship heading towards Windfall Island."
Krystal tilted her head, "Windfall Island? Why would they go there?"
Quill replied, "I do not know. Perhaps they had an idea?" His gaze flicked up to look at the King of Red Lions for a moment before looking back down at Krystal and saying, "Krystal, if you wish to meet with Jabun, I think you'd better find out what the pirates are up to."
Krystal nodded, "I'll do that."
Quill held a hand to his beak as he murmured, "What an eerie isle this has become… Everywhere else has been boasting clear skies and calm seas, but this place now suffers under dark clouds and rain." He looked at Krystal, "It seems Valoo was right when he said to bring word of Jabun to you…" She tilted her head at this. "He called this island… cursed…" That word sent a chill down her spine; she could certainly see why he might say that.
Quill turned to leave, but he looked at Krystal one more time. "I would counsel against staying here any longer than you have to. …But that is your decision, and I trust your judgement. I've delivered Valoo's message, so I must report back!"
Krystal nodded and said, "Thank you, Quill, for all of this. You really are the best." He gave her a slight smile before he spread his wings and took off, flying northeast.
After he disappeared from her view, she went back over to the King of Red Lions. "So, Jabun has survived! The sea spirit has lived through the trials of many long years. He must have caught wind of Ganon's attack beforehand…"
Krystal looked towards the remains of the island once again, a sorrowful expression on her face. "The same probably can't be said for everyone else on the island…" she murmured.
The King caught her gaze and softly said, "Yes… There's no way we'll ever know if anyone else was able to escape… But there's no time to grieve now, Krystal." She looked back at him and he went on, "If Ganon finds out where Jabun is, the same thing may happen to Outset. And if we are to believe the words of the Rito postman, then the pirates may know of a way to reach him."
Krystal nodded, his words causing her thoughts to focus. "He said they were last seen heading for Windfall Island," she breathed.
"Then we'll start our search there," he said, turning slightly. She climbed aboard and adjusted the direction of the wind to take them northeast before drawing the sail. They quickly left the remnants of the Greatfish Isle behind.
They weren't able to leave the storm behind, however; it followed them as they sailed towards Windfall Island, the rain coming down in heavy sheets upon them, the recurring lightning flashes briefly lighting their way as the thunder boomed. It was harder to see than it had been before arriving at Greatfish Isle. Even with her night vision and the telescope, Krystal wasn't able to see much through the storm.
It was a trip that filled her with dread, but eventually, she did see the buildings of Windfall Island rising up in the distance through the telescope. Relief flooded through her as she was able to make out something else as well: the mast, crow's nest, and the flag of the pirate ship. "I can see it! I see the pirate's ship!" she exclaimed as she lowered the telescope. The King of Red Lions squinted his eyes a little and he was able to make it out too.
Krystal hauled in the sail and they drifted across the water, passing the dock and going around to the small alcove where they had met. The pirate ship was pointed in their direction as they drifted past the beach. "So, the pirate ship has stopped here in order to avoid drawing the attention of the townsfolk…" the King of Red Lions mused. He came to a stop in the alcove and Krystal climbed out. She turned to him and he said, "Krystal, I do not know what the pirates are planning, but if they are hoping to get their hands on Jabun's pearl, I doubt they would tell you anything directly if you were to ask them. I think you should try to figure out what they're up to… without them finding out about you." Krystal nodded in understanding.
She made her way up the grassy hill outside the alcove, looking around, wondering where she should start. She decided to try the café first to see if anyone had seen the pirates around town. She shook the rain off of her fur and dress outside the café before going inside. She found sailors and surly men hanging out in the café, the air inside much different compared to her previous visit. The café owner was worrying about the possibility of pirates coming in and making a scene and the patrons were either skeptical of pirates being in town or weren't concerned about them.
She stepped out of the café, her hand on her muzzle. The café was the liveliest part of town at night and nobody had seen the pirates, so where were they? She closed her eyes, recalling the various buildings in town, trying to figure out where they most likely were. "The prison? Definitely not. Lenzo's studio? Possibly, but how could he help them get to Jabun? There's also…" She stopped in the middle of her thought, her eyes flashing open. She knew where they had to be.
She ran down the café steps and down the main street, every step causing splashes in the puddles that had pooled on the ground. It was clear that it had been raining for a while with how wet the ground was. She ran through the gateway at the entrance to town and over to the Bomb Shop. She walked up to the door and tried knocking. "We're closed today! Scram!" a voice yelled out from inside after a moment.
Krystal raised an eyebrow, "That's not the Bomb Shop owner's voice. It's not angry enough." She turned and pressed the side of her head against the door. She could hear a lot of movement and the sound of muffled screaming on the other side. "A lot of activity for a shop that's owned and operated by one person. The pirates have to be in there," she thought. She stepped back from the door, looking up at it, "Is there any way to get inside without them knowing?" She thought for a minute before she remembered something. "Anton mentioned that there was a path around the side of the Bomb Shop! Maybe there's a back entrance," she thought.
She ran to her left and peered around the corner. There was a thin, narrow strip of land running along the side wall. She walked over to the wall and raised her hands, pressing them and the front of her body against the rain-slicked wall. Slowly and carefully, she slid along it, taking care not to slip and making sure the ground wasn't going to give way beneath her. She reached the end and peered around the side. There were some vines going up the middle of the back of the Bomb Shop. She slid around and made her way over to them, climbing up onto the roof. There was a small opening in the building that she could just squeeze into if she crawled, so she did.
The opening emptied out onto a shelf overlooking the entrance to the shop and she peered over the side as the rain water dripped off of her. As she suspected, the pirates were there and they were raiding the Bomb Shop. Gonzo was currently tying up the owner while Nudge and Senza were carrying barrels filled with bombs out from behind the counter. It was clear to her that the pirates weren't messing around.
"Look, don't be mad at us! It's not our fault that we absolutely gotta have bombs to get the treasure we're after!" Krystal turned to look at Gonzo, who had spoken, as he finished tying up the owner, who was shaking and letting out muffled screams through the tape over his mouth. "How about you just think of this as payback for the nasty little monopoly you've been running here, yeah?" Gonzo grunted as he finished tying the last knot, standing up afterwards.
Mako, who was standing in front of the owner, held his right hand up to his glasses as he chuckled, "So I bet you're thinking it was foolhardy to ask pirates to pay such outrageous prices for bombs, huh? Yup, I bet you are." He turned to Gonzo and said, "You know, Gonzo, I still can't get over that bit of fast-talking you pulled to get the information out of the postman!"
Gonzo stared at him for a moment before saying, "…Oh! Oh yeah, that was smooth!" He placed his hands on his hips, "I tell you, the minute I laid my eyes on that fox girl Krystal, I just knew there was something funny going on at Outset, yeah? So, when the postman showed up looking for her, I just acted like I was all worried about her, and presto! He spills the beans!" Krystal raised an eyebrow. It wasn't too much of a stretch to think that they might have pulled a fast one on Quill when they saw him, but the way Gonzo rambled made her wonder if what he was saying about pretending to be worried was the truth.
Mako spoke, "Good work, Gonzo! Really! Just top notch!" He held his hand to his glasses again, "I have to say, though… I'm thinking this is the first time you've shown such wit, such cunning… With that kind of cunning and Miss Tetra's smarts… If you two got married and had a kid… That kind would have to be the greatest pirate to ever sail the seas! Yup! The greatest!" Krystal rolled her eyes, suppressing the urge to gag.
Gonzo evidently did not share his sentiments, though he did blush and run his hand over his head as he said, "Hey, keep your mouth shut, yeah? Don't be so stupid, you idiot!" He turned to look towards the counter, "Hey! Miss Tetra! Are you listening to this nitwit? Can't you dock him some pay or something for that?"
Krystal realized she'd been so caught up in listening to them talking that she hadn't bothered to see if Tetra was in the room. She peered a little further over the edge of the shelf and saw her leaning against the wall next to the counter with her arms crossed. Under normal circumstances, it probably would've looked like she was pretty relaxed about what they were doing, but Krystal could sense the tension in the air around her. It was palpable and the expression on her face further indicated that she was anything but relaxed.
"Quit goofing off, you two! Keep your childish jokes to yourselves and get those bombs back to the ship! The second you're done loading them, we're setting sail for Outset Island!" she ordered.
A shocked look crossed Gonzo's face. "Whaaat?! Miss! We have to leave immediately? But it's been so long since we were onshore!" he exclaimed. Mako looked between him and Tetra as he went on, "We need to fill our bellies with some good eating, yeah? How about we grub tonight and shove off tomorrow morning instead?" He then seemed to remember who he was talking to and quickly said, "I mean, uh… I-I'm fine either way, of course! Whatever you say is fine, Miss, is what I mean to say! It's just that the boys were so excited to come to town, yeah? And I can't help but think it would be awful hard on them leave without a proper layover." He cleared his throat and finished, "So, what do you say, Miss? What say we set sail tomorrow, yeah? No one's getting that treasure without these bombs!" He turned to Zuko, Nudge, and Senza, "You're with me, right, boys?! Who's up for a night of fun?" The resulting silence was deafening.
Tetra glared at them all. "You're all fools, you know that? You saw that demolished island! The senseless destruction. We have to hurry to Outset, or the same thing could happen there!" she exclaimed.
Mako approached her, giving her a curious stare. "Not to be disrespectful, but it sounds like you're more worried about that island than the treasure, Miss…" he noted.
Tetra looked straight at him, "Don't be ridiculous! What do you think is going to happen if Outset Island gets destroyed?! That treasure could be lost for good!" Krystal blinked at this; despite her heated words, it almost sounded like Tetra was trying to cover up how she really felt as well. Her gaze drifted to the floor and she raised an eyebrow when she saw a small puddle on the floor that hadn't been their earlier. Krystal gasped softly and crawled back, but Tetra still saw her pointed ears poking out over the edge of the shelf when she glanced up towards the ceiling.
Her tense expression eased off and she couldn't help but wink up at where she knew Krystal was. "Well, what do you know?" she thought. She pushed away from the wall, her face set in a more neutral expression, and headed for the door as she said, "All right, fine! Have it your way, you big babies. We can leave town tomorrow." She looked back at them as she swung the door open, "But we're setting sail at first light, so no sleeping in! Understood?" The crew responded with a hearty "Aye, aye!" and they all followed her out into the dark, wet night.
Krystal remained still atop the shelf for a minute after the door swung closed, listening to the rain falling outside and waiting to make sure no one came back. She then crawled to the edge and swung her legs over first, dropping down to the floor and moving to the door. The owner cried out to her through the tape over his mouth and she paused, her hand hovering in the air as she turned to look at him. She looked between him and the door for a second before her hand grabbed the doorknob, turning it. "You didn't have to be so rude," she said, looking at him one last time before she opened the door and stepped outside, closing it behind her.
Outside, her eyes quickly readjusted to the darkness. She spotted the pirates walking under the gate, making their way up the main road. She ran over to the tree near the gate, taking shelter under its dripping leaves for a moment as she thought about what she was doing. She looked to her left, towards the prison and the cape. She glanced towards the gate one more time before running up the hill. She pressed her back up against the prison and peered; the pirates came up the stairs and walked past Zunari's store after a moment, Gonzo, Mako, and Zuko turning to go up the café stairs while Nudge and Senza walked across the gangplank onto the ship with their barrels of bombs. She dropped down onto the wet grass and crawled over to the edge, peering over to watch them as they approached the door leading below deck.
"Barnacle!" they both said as they stood in front of the door.
Krystal raised an eyebrow at this. "Barnacle?" She watched as the door opened for them and they stepped inside. "Oh, I get it. It's a password," she realized. She waited several minutes in the rain and the chill before Senza and Nudge exited the ship and made their way back across the gangplank, going to join the rest of the pirates in the café. She stood up and jumped down onto the deck. She took one last look across the gangplank before running over to the door and knocking on it.
She heard Niko's voice on the other side a second later, "The ship's only tooth is a…?"
Krystal nodded and cleared her throat before answering, "Barnacle!"
Niko responded, "Right, right! You may… huh?" She heard the lock click and her breath hitched as he opened the door and peered out. His eyes quickly lit up when he saw her. "Oh, Krystal! My old swabbie, Krystal! Come in, come in!" he exclaimed, opening the door all the way and grabbing her wrists, pulling her inside with a yelp.
The door swung closed on its own as they stood in front of each other, Niko's hands still holding her wrists. He leaned in close to her as he said, "You're alive! All the other pirates said you got done in by that bird monster in the Forsaken Fortress, so I thought…" He stopped himself and released her wrists, wrapping her in a hug instead. "Never mind what I thought! You're alive!"
Krystal was taken aback by his overt display of affection. "Um, yes, thank you. I missed you as well, Niko," she said, hesitantly placing her hands on his back.
He suddenly released her and stepped back, a knowing look appearing on his face as he crossed his arms. "Oh, I get it! You came back because you missed being my swabbie so much!" he said.
Krystal shrugged, her attention more focused on the wet spot her dripping fur was leaving in the wood than him. "Yes, exactly," she replied half-heartedly.
Niko stuck his nose in the air as he said, "I had no idea you wanted to be my swabbie so badly… which is great! After we left the Forsaken Fortress, I went back to being the bottom rung on the ladder, which is why I'm stuck in here while everyone else is in town having fun and eating and stuff…" He lowered his head to look at Krystal and noticed she had moved away from him and was bent over, her hands on the floor as she held herself up. "Hey, what are you doing?" he asked.
Krystal shook her entire body, sending water droplets flying everywhere. Niko yelped and leapt back to avoid getting hit as they flew off her dress and fur. She stopped and stood up straight after a few seconds, her fur slightly fluffy. "At least they didn't tell you to stand outside in this rain, Niko. Any excuse to be inside on a night like this is a good one in my book," she said, looking over at him as she smoothed her fur down.
Niko looked down as he conceded, "That's true… I'm still gonna get stuck with the last dregs if I get anything, though." He looked back up at her a moment later, "Still, getting worshipped by my old swabbie does make me feel better! So, let's get you to your next test, and this one's harder than the last!" Krystal finished with her fur and followed him down the stairs.
When they made it down to the ship's hold, Krystal noticed all the barrels and crates on the floor below, the former no doubt filled with bombs. She looked over at Niko when he spoke, "Luckily for you, I was about to do a… review of this test, so it's all set up for you!"
Krystal looked down at the floor again and noticed something. "There are no platforms this time," she said.
Niko nodded, "That's right, but the lanterns are still here, so this time, you have to jump from one lantern to the next! Pretty tough…" He pointed to the other side, "And that's not all! This time, there's a gate over the entrance!" He pointed to his right to the switch they had used last time, "This time, the switch opens the gate, but it'll close if you take too long!"
Krystal said, "So, I have to get to the other side before it closes."
Niko nodded and said, "If you can manage to get to the other side, I'll give you the bombs we got in town! Give it your best shot, swabbie!"
Krystal walked over to the switch and looked down at it for a moment before looking back at the lanterns, mapping out her course in her head. She slid her fingers together and thrust them out, cracking them before stepping on the switch, the gate sliding open with a creak that echoed through the hold. She got into a running stance and ran to the edge, jumping to the first lantern. Niko watched her, expecting to get some amusement out of this like before, but she wasn't quite the naïve, inexperienced vixen he had met before. Her adventure so far, especially her time using the Grappling Hook, had given her plenty of experience with swinging and it was familiar to her now. She slowed her swinging, slid down the ropes to plant her foot on top of the lanterns so she could change the direction she was swinging, and started swinging again towards the next one, easily jumping between lanterns with a practiced grace.
She made it all the way to the end and placed her hands on the sides of the doorway as she coolly leaned back under the gate, tipping her head back while doing so. She brought her head down to look back across the room at Niko, who was staring at her with his mouth hanging open. "What?! You've gotta be… You did it already?!" he exclaimed. She shot him a small smirk as she let go of the doorway and stepped away from it. "You're… You're incredible!" he breathed.
"Why, thank you," she called to him.
Niko lowered his head as he thought, "This isn't good… I haven't passed this test yet… How could she do it so quickly…? And make it look so easy?! And if I give it to her, everyone will know for sure… Oh, I'll be so busted…" He raised his head a moment later and called, "Uh, okay! You're the best swabbie of all time! So… like I promised, you can have the bombs! Go grab the bomb bag in that room and go ahead and load it up! Just… don't tell anyone about this, okay? I'm serious! …Really serious!"
Krystal turned her head to look back into the room for a moment, her gaze lingering on the gate before turning to look back at Niko. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she raised her right hand, pointing at her eyes with two fingers before pointing them at him, silently telling him not to try anything funny. She kept looking at him over her shoulder as much as she could as she went into the room and pulled the bomb bag out of a chest in the back. She exited the room without any trouble and went to one of barrels in the hold, pulling the lid off and pulling bombs out to put in the bag. It was similar to her Adventure Pouch as the bombs shrunk down when they were placed inside. Niko came down the ladder to watch her, doing his best to keep a calm face as she pulled bombs out.
After she had taken thirty, there was no more room in the bag and she cinched it up, placing it inside her Adventure Pouch and putting the lid back on the barrel. As she was lowering her hands, they both suddenly heard Tetra's voice, startling them as she said, "That's mighty courageous of you, girl… trying to steal treasure from pirates."
Niko immediately looked around fearfully, thinking Tetra was in the hold with them, but Krystal only needed a moment to realize what was going on. She pulled out the stone Tetra had given her, which, as she expected, was glowing brightly. "Tetra. I'm surprised you didn't try to contact me earlier," she remarked.
The pirate girl, who was leaning against the wall outside the door to the café as she held out her own stone, replied, "I suppose I should have… but I'm more amazed than shocked that you managed to survive after being thrown out of that tower… I take it you didn't manage to free your sister, huh?"
Krystal's eyes narrowed slightly. "No," she admitted.
Tetra sighed before saying, "You get caught up in the moment, don't you? You don't always think about what you're doing; you see something, you feel something, and you just rush in, not thinking how badly things could go for you. Like now, for instance… The only reason you got what you did is because we left a simpleminded little rat like Niko behind to look after things. No one else would be letting you walk away with our treasure this easily, I assure you!" Niko held his hand to his chin and lowered his head as if in thought at this. "And what are you planning to do with those bombs, anyway? Don't tell me you're going after Jabun's treasure too…"
Krystal blinked at this. "Why are you looking for Jabun? What are you planning? I take it you're not planning to just sell his… treasure," she said.
Tetra smirked, "Smart girl. Maybe getting thrown out of that tower knocked some sense into you. Well, if you know about Jabun, then I take it you know where he is?"
Krystal replied, "I have an idea of where he may be."
Tetra paused for a moment before saying, "All right, I'll tell you what: I'll let you have a head start. We're going to relax in town and eat our fill of whatever it has to offer, but we'll be leaving first thing in the morning. If you manage to find Jabun tonight, I guess you win. But take too long and we'll come sailing right by you, and we've got WAY more bombs than that bag of yours can possibly hold. You'd better get a move on, girl!" She closed her hand around her stone and slipped it back into her pocket. She hesitated a moment before she pushed off the wall and went back inside the café.
On the ship, Krystal noticed the glow of her own stone dimming and put it away. As she turned, she saw Niko staring at her in amazement. "Wh-What?" she asked.
He exclaimed, "You have a stone just like the one Miss Tetra has! That's awesome! Hey, how does that thing work? Can you really talk to Miss Tetra through it?! Man! You're so lucky!"
Krystal blinked. "Um, thank you?" she offered as she started to move towards the ladder.
"Hey, can I have that stone?! I'll be YOUR swabbie!" Niko exclaimed.
Before climbing up the ladder, she offered him a sympathetic smile as she said, "I think we're both in enough trouble as it is, Niko. Let's not make it worse." She quickly climbed up the ladder and made her way out of the hold.
When she finished climbing up the stairs to deck level, she was standing in front of the doorway leading to Tetra's cabin. Nudge had been standing guard in front of it before, but now there was no one there, so she decided to take a peek inside before leaving. It was a small but quaint space with a rug, a fairly sizable bed, a dresser, a desk, a couch, and a chest. Krystal couldn't help but marvel at what a nice space she had.
She looked around a little bit. There was a painting of a woman hanging over the couch that she guessed was related to Tetra, but what really caught her interest was at the back of the room. She recognized the picture over the bed of a boy clad in green clothes holding up a sword and a picture over the desk of a prosperous kingdom from the book Grandma had read the tale of the Hero of Time from. And on the back wall was a sketch of a pyramid-shaped object made up of three triangles, one resting on top of the other two. She recognized this as the same symbol that was on her shield, and it made her intrigue about the pirate captain grow. "What are you searching for, Tetra?" she wondered as she looked at the three triangles.