A Tale of Two Robots

Chapter 1 - Stowaway

Hyrule, thousands of years ago…

Before the great war against the demon king Demise, the young land of Hyrule was prospering perfectly; creatures of various shapes and feats populated different parts of the land, making them the respectful caretakers of their homes.

And one species in particular was the rather unique Ancient Robots, mechanical creatures with odd organic abilities, such as emotions and free will. The first few robots were placed under the care of the leader of the Lanayru District, Lanayru the Thunder Dragon, and they served him with true loyalty; the "Prime Model" of the Ancient Robots was a wise and sea-loving chap named Skipper, who hastily took to the pirate's life, and explored the Great Lanayru Lake under the Thunder Dragon's orders.

Lanayru had made his home in a lush grove deep within the Lanayru District, housing the majority of the Ancient Robot population. And, of course, Skipper was bestowed the honor of royal advisor to the Thunder Dragon, but he also had the honor of being the mighty beast's closest friend.

"How is the sea treating you, Skipper?" the old dragon inquired while floating comfortably in the air with his legs crossed, like always.

"It's the perfect place for me. Who knew I had a sailor's spirit in my circuits?" Skipper chuckled, earning a smile from Lanayru.

"I'm glad to hear it. I also heard you made your new home on a remote isle out there?"

"Oh, yes, Your Highness. A tower that stretches hundreds of feet into the sky, providing the perfect view of the entire lake!" Skipper paused and blushed. "The missus loves it, too."

"Ah, yes, I forgot! How is Clicker doing?"

"She's fine, thank you—though, she's been acting very strange lately."

As if on cue, Skipper's beloved wife came buzzing into the grove, a bright smile plastered on her face; the female Ancient Robot was very similar to the other robots, except her helmet's color patterns were magenta and light purple instead of the typical red and blue. She was also a curious robot with a kind soul, and she whirred with the exciting news she couldn't wait to tell her husband.

"I thought I would find you here, but I really wish you wouldn't worry me," Clicker sighed in relief, as she embraced Skipper in a big hug.

"Why? Is something wrong?" the pirate robot quickly asked.

"Oh, no! Quite the opposite, actually—you see, I have a wonderful present for you when you come home tonight."

Skipper couldn't help but blush darker. "R-Really?"

"Yes, Dear. You'll love it, I promise." With that, Clicker kissed Skipper's cheek and left the grove, leaving confusion and curiosity hanging in the air.

"What's she up to?" Skipper eventually spoke.

"I have no clue. She's your wife, after all," Lanayru protested, "Is it your anniversary?"

"No…but I have this faint feeling I'm in trouble, nonetheless."

That night, Skipper returned home after some last-minute exploration of the great lake, but a nasty storm hit and delayed his trip back. So, when he finally arrived, albeit over a half hour late, Clicker was already waiting for him at the dinner table.

But the sailor was surprised yet mesmerized by the scene of his wife leaning back in her seat, clearly at peace as she gently rubbed her torso with both hands and breathed slowly.

"Clicker?" Skipper quietly spoke, approaching from behind and tenderly wrapping his arms around his wife.

"Hmm, are you ready for your surprise?" Clicker hummed while leaning into him.

"For you, My Darling, I'm ready for anything."

"I'm so glad to hear that—because we're expecting."

Skipper felt a numbing surge run through his body, paralyzing him in fear and joy, "A…a-are you serious? How is this even possible?!"

"Dear, in a land filled with magic and possibilities beyond comprehension, it's quite possible for an organic robot to having children. Your boss is a mighty dragon, for crying out loud!"

"Ok, ok! I didn't mean any offense, it's just…wow! …I'm going to be a father…I'm going to be a father!"

Clicker giggled at Skipper's overreaction, but was happy that took the news so well. She then got out of her chair and approached her husband, grabbing his hands in hers and stared lovingly into his eyes, "I love you."

"I love you, too." Skipper pulled Clicker in for a passionate kiss and embraced her, all while gently sliding a hand down to caress her belly, which now carried a new life.

Quite some time has passed since Skipper found out his wife was pregnant, and news of their expectancy traveled fast amongst the other Ancient Robots, especially Skipper's crew. Halfway through Clicker's pregnancy, Skipper was once again given a gift, courtesy of Lanayru himself; in fact he received two gifts: A large crew worthy of a captain like him, and a grand ship to sail the waters, to which he ironically named Nayru's Gift.

The captain's quarters wasn't Skipper's favorite part of the vessel, as he would much rather be up on deck and admiring the salty sea air, but duty calls and he had to occasionally report there with his first mate; the first mate of Nayru's Gift was another strong robot like Skipper, named Rover, one of the newer models with spinning propellers that provide flight like that of a bird.

"Captain?" Rover began firmly and flew into the captain's quarters, landing shortly after in respect, "We found a stowaway, a young robot."

"A stowaway? How did he get on board?" Skipper questioned with great concern.

"He flew." Rover gave a little flick to his still propellers to give them a spin for emphasis.

"Where is he now?"

"I had him locked up in the brig, just in case. Would you like me to bring him here?"

"No—I'll go have a chat with the lad myself."

"Yes, Captain."

The two sailors made haste down to the lower parts of the ship until they reached the brig, where they stopped in front of the only locked cell in the whole room. Inside, a tiny and young Ancient Robot with propellers just like Rover's was locked away, glaring daggers through the bars at them.

"What is your name, Lad?" Skipper asked gently.

"Why should I tell you, old man?! I have the right ta remain silent!" the young robot snapped, grabbing the bars angrily.

"Watch your tongue, Boy! You will respect the captain or else!" Rover scolded, matching the young robot's glare.

"Stand down, Rover," Skipper demanded firmly yet gently and placed a gentle hand on the said first mate's shoulder before averting his attention back to the stowaway, "If you won't cooperate, then I shall have to return you to your parents, and they will not be pleased."

"Fine! See if I care! I only left ta see if I could make 'em mad."

"I really don't like him," Rover growled under his breath.

"We may be robots, but even our children will be flawed," Skipper joked, "Tell the crew to set sail back to land. We are not barbarians, and we must return this boy to his family."

Rover respectfully nodded and his propellers spun, lifting him up so he could get to the upper deck quicker. And just as Skipper attempted to follow his first mate, a certain female robot and her daughter made a surprise visit.

"Daddy!" the much smaller and younger Ancient Robot the spitting image of Clicker, giggled and jumped into Skipper's arms to hug him.

"Oh, there's my little Kipper! As jumpy as ever," Skipper chuckled after the adorable surprise attack from his daughter.

"She wouldn't stop jumping around until you came home, and I really missed you, too. So, I thought why not kill two birds with one stone?" Clicker informed and joined in the group hug.

"I've only been gone for a few days," Skipper mused.

"That's too long! …And I missed playing on your ship," Kipper whined and curled up, staring up at her father with puppy eyes, "So, can I go play?"

"Alright, but stay where we can see you, and come when we call you."

"Ok!"

But even though Skipper had faith in Kipper, Clicker was far less reliant, "How could you let her go on her own like that? This vessel is too big, she could get lost, or hurt, or worse!"

"Don't worry, I know Nayru's Gift like the back of my hand. There is nothing on this ship that could put her in danger, Dear."

"You had better be right…"

Meanwhile, Kipper ventured down the hall, already forgetting to stay where her parents could see her like they asked, and unknowingly trespassed right into the brig; a whole new part of the ship she had never seen before, and was instantly intrigued.

But the first thing that caught her eye was the obvious bright robot-shaped object in one of the cells, and she slowly approached the bars to see the same stowaway inside. Kipper was wary of stranger danger, and it was obvious that this boy was older than her, but she never felt and ounce of fear.

And when the stowaway finally noticed her, his glare finally softened, but only a little, "Who are you?"

"I'm Kipper," Kipper replied with a smile.

"Well, Kipper, I want to be alone. So, just go away," the stowaway stated grimly and crossed his arms.

"But you're just a kid."

"And you're just a baby!" The boy suddenly ran up to the bars and grabbed the tightly, making her jump back in fear. "For the last time, leave me alone."

Kipper was speechless and her eyes were wide, but her parents suddenly broke the awkward silence and called for her. Taking a few more glances at the boy, Kipper reluctantly backed out of the brig. But even after she left, the boy couldn't help but sigh in disappointment.

Guess I'm always gonna be alone, he thought in sorrow.

Who is this mysterious stowaway? And what's his story?

Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!