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As Tetra was shouting at the crew for not helping her, I felt the hourglass in my pocket and pulled it out to see. As I was looking at it I heard the engine of a familiar ship. Looking out into the ocean I saw Linebeck’s ship sailing off to the horizon. Tetra was still arguing when I rushed over and grabbed her wrist dragging her to the railing pointing to the ship. Her eyes widened, recognizing the ship before turning to look at me. “I knew we weren’t crazy.” She whispered, before turning around and shouting, “Alright crew due to the events of the ghost ship I need a drink, were taking some shore leave at the next port town!”
Thankfully the nearest island was only a couple of days away. It was some small merchant village much like Windfall, many of the trading villages we’ve come across in the last two years of traveling end up feeling like it, and reminded me of home. After everything with the ghost ship I just couldn’t bring myself to join the crew in the local café. Instead I walked up to a nearby clifftop near the edge of town overlooking the ocean. It always helped to ground me after a stressful day back on Outset. We got to the island in the early evening, so I’m able to sit and watch the sunset.
As I enjoyed the breeze I heard someone walking up the trail to where I sat. “Hey, are you doing ok?” I heard Tetra speak in a quite voice. I turned and watched her walk up to me, she was wearing her normal outfit of a purple tank with a blue vest and red bandana, the same outfit she wore the day I met her. The big difference is her blonde hair wasn’t up in a bun like normal, but down in a loose ponytail and she had a cloak on to help with the evening chill. As she got closer she sat down next to me staring off into the sunset, “Normally you are a little more active on the ship, and you always enjoy shore leave with the rest of the crew. You may have gained your sea legs, but you always were a landlubber.” She grinned as she finished.
I turned to stare off to the sea, “I’m fine.” I lied.
At the corner of my eye I could see her looking at me with an eyebrow raised, she didn’t believe that for a second. She always was able to read me pretty well, but it didn’t take someone knowing me to be able to see through that lie. I didn’t hang out with the crew the last few days even during our free time. Being on the sea and far away from Grandma and Aryll I’ve come to rely on them to help with the homesickness which has thankfully not been as much of an issue as it once did. After the events of the ghost ship I just couldn’t bring myself to join in with the crews excitement with the promise of shore leave, I just couldn’t celebrate, not when I nearly lost Tetra.
I felt her hand touch my shoulder, “Hey, earth to Link. What’s wrong?” I didn’t realize I had zoned out and that she was waiting for a real answer.
I merely shook my head, “Honestly, I don’t know if I could put it all into words.” So much had happened in what ended up being only ten minutes to our world but to me was months of difficult trials, rough seas, and desperate emotions. How was I supposed to describe all of that, and worst of all, I almost lost Tetra. She is my best friend, the first friend I made outside of Outset and if I had lost her, especially when I was so close, I would have blamed myself.
She squeezed my shoulder reassuringly before letting go, “That’s ok, we don’t need to put it all into words, not today at least. Why don’t you start with one thing for now and see if more comes to you.” She gave me a gentle smile. She always had a way of inspiring her crew, it's no wonder she has done so well as captain.
I looked back out to sea, took a deep breath and spoke, “It’s nothing new just homesickness, I know we were only on the ghost ship for a little while, but it was a long time for me, and I just miss Aryll.” While not a lie, I did miss her, but I knew we planned on making a return visit to Outset and Windfall soon to rest, recover and plan for our next route. Based on the look she gave me I could tell she knew there was more bothering me then just my regular homesickness. Nothing gets past her.
I looked down to my lap and to the back of my left hand where I had a tattoo of the triforce highlighting the right piece, the triforce of courage. I took another breath and let it inspire me to be brave and open up about my feelings. “It’s more then just homesickness. A lot happened during that time, I had to fight for my life and to protect others more so then I’ve had to since we defeated Ganondorf, and it was more difficult then I remembered it being, but even that wasn’t even the most difficult part. Despite everything I’ve gone through ever since Aryll was first taken by that stupid cucco, the most difficult thing was seeing you as nothing but a cold statue.” When I freed the three fairy spirits and boarded the ghost ship and delt with the very obvious trap of the girls asking for help I was excited to see Tetra again. I don’t remember what I expected to find when I saw her, but stone was not it. “You know, I almost gave up right there, I only continued because Oshus said you could be saved.”
I felt her scoot closer to me and began rubbing her hand up and down my back helping keep me grounded and causing my face to heat up a little. “I didn’t realize it affected you that much, I only saw bits and pieces of your journey and what I did see felt more like a dream than watching through a window.” I remembered her mentioning that she saw my adventure after I initially beat Bellum, but she never fully explained what she saw to me, we didn’t interact much on the ship, she seemed just as reluctant to interact with anyone as I was.
“I’m sorry, I’m sure it was way worse being stone then it was for me to see you as a statue.” I was so lost in my own thoughts and stress that I hadn’t even thought about her experience affected her.
She removed her hand from my back and looked at the tattoo on the back of her right hand, it was the same as mine only mirrored, highlighting the left piece of the triforce of wisdom. She let out a laugh, “You know, despite being the holder of divine wisdom it was pretty dumb of me to just board a ghost ship alone knowing that it had been causing trouble in those waters, even if it hadn’t been a ghost ship it was a dumb move.” She looked away from her hand and met my eyes, “Honestly I don’t really remember much, it was pretty painless. I remember feeling like I was stuck in quicksand struggling to move and then watched as my legs turned to stone before it completely took over me. After that I didn’t feel a thing and once I was aboard Linebeck’s ship I started having dreams, or I guess visions of your adventure.”
After a moment of silence, we both seemed to realize that we were still looking at each other and turned away at the same time with a hint of a blush showing up on our faces. We just sat there in silence for several minutes, neither of us noticing or commenting on how we’ve leaned towards each other bumping shoulders. We spend our days on a pirate ship with little personal space, so this is nothing new for us. What was new was our pinkies linking together closing the tiny gap between our legs. Neither of us dared to break the silence or move to disturb the moment.
After a few minutes watching the sunset Tetra was the first to speak, “I’m sorry I jumped onto the ship without thinking, I should have at least had you join me, then again we’d probably both be stuck as statues at that point.” She chuckled, “Since I’ve met you, you’ve always been the impulsive one, I mean you were the one that jumped off a cliff to go after a giant bird, and then rushed into it’s home multiple times.” She turned to look at me, “I thought, that it was just another pirate ship causing trouble and that I could just jump aboard beat up a couple of no good troublemakers and all would be good. I guess I was wrong.”
I couldn’t help but laugh. She gave me a confused look, “I’m sorry,” I said wiping my tears with my right hand, not wanting to let go of her pinky with my other hand, “It’s just that you sound just like Sturgeon when he yelled at the little kids running around his house, ‘Why you no good troublemakers!’ he never did beat them up though.” Sturgeon never would beat up the kids, and I think he actually enjoyed hearing Joel and Zill running around.
She just scoffed at that and looked out to the sun as it inched it’s way closer to the horizon while quietly chuckling herself. “He would say something like that wouldn’t he? I feel like Mako will be like that when he gets to be an old man.” She trailed off seemingly getting lost in thought.
She just stared off to the horizon the longing shadows making her look much older, “Hey, Rupee for your thoughts?” This time it was me having to drag her out of her thoughts.
She surprised me by not hesitating, “Do you ever think about the future, I mean, beyond searching for a new land?” She didn’t meet my eyes this time as she asked almost like she was afraid of my answer.
“I mean, I hope we find it in the next few years and are able to bring my Grandma to see this new land for herself, and give Aryll the chance to help build this land with us.” I said confused on where this is coming from.
She was quick to respond this time looking at me, “Yes but what about you? Do you have any hopes, dreams, aspirations? You only mentioned what we plan to do as a crew but what do you want?” She glanced away and I swear I noticed her face start to turn red, though that was probably just the sunset. “I have my hopes of course, but you never really speak about what you want.”
Of course I have my hopes and wants, but how am I supposed to explain them to her of all people, let alone any of the crew. “I do have my own dreams, but that’s all they can be, I don’t get the luxury of my dreams getting to be real.” I can’t just tell my captain that I have a crush on her, that I probably have since at least she launched me in a barrel from a catapult into an enemy fortress.
“And why do you think that? I feel like of all people you deserve the most for you dreams to come true. Even if you don’t think they can be real what’s the harm in telling me huh?”
“There can be so much harm in telling you.” What I don’t say I don’t have the courage to tell her the truth. The best I can do is tighten our tiny grip before letting go, hoping that maybe just maybe the message gets across to her.
She looked down at my hand retreating from hers before looking me in the face, “Why did the goddess even let you be the holder of divine courage if you’re going to be such a coward?”
My gaze snapped to hers in confusion, “What do you…” I was cut off from finishing my thought by her hands grabbing the sides of my face and her lips crashing into mine. It took me a moment to get over the shock that Tetra was kissing me! Once I recovered I closed my eyes reaching up to cup her cheek with my left hand while keeping myself from falling back with the other. Her lips were surprisingly soft, unfortunately the kiss ended far to quickly with her pulling back a few inches and stared at my face, trying to gather my reaction. It must have been one she wanted because her face quickly sprouted a wide grin.
“You are such an idiot you know that?” She said still not moving away or letting go of my face.
I couldn’t stop staring at her either, “I-I never thought you would f-feel this way about me.” I stammered trying to catch my breath. The kiss, while short and fairly chaste for a sailor still was enough to affect me this much.
She only shook her head in response, “How could I not? First off you helped me after Ganondorf took me, and then again when I was a useless statue. You are a fun guy to be around, you roll with the punches, and an excellent sailor despite being a landlubber. On top of all that, you balance me out perfectly, you encourage me to continue on when things get tough, and unlike the rest of the crew you aren’t afraid to keep me in check when needed.” She smiled even wider, “I love that about you, the crew has always been my family, but you, you’re different you never were my family, instead you are my best friend, something I didn’t realize I was missing in my life until I met you.”
I sat there in complete shock, here I was worried about her knowing I’ve had a crush on her all this time, and she just said all that without any hesitation. “I…” I was at a loss for words unsure of what to say to all that. Thankfully I was saved from having to speak by her leaning back in stopping just before my lips waiting for my reaction, I leaned in the rest of the way and met her lips. This kiss was less intense and felt more like a loving embrace, a welcome home. I took my other hand that was resting behind me supporting me and rested it at the small of her back, and leaned forward deepening our kiss.
She also began to lean forward and very quickly I fell backwards with her leaning over me, and we both just laughed unable to contain our joy at this turn of events. After catching out breaths she leaned down and kissed one more time before laying down next to me and resting her head on my shoulder and we stared up to the sky holding hands and watched the stars as they came out with the sun finally disappearing beyond the horizon.