The Pirate and the Hero
By: Wordsworth 13
Rating: T
Disclaimer: I do not own the legend of Zelda
Chapter 7: This & That
Monotony didn't kick in the next morning as was expected, though Link's constant back pain was still staple. The rest of the crew had vacated the lower deck and it now had an echoing, chasm like feel about it, which is probably why the words 'time to leave' quickly ran through his head. He hurried up the staircase and was about to turn onto the next flight before something caught his eye. And he caught someone else's. Tetra quickly finished buttoning up her waistcoat and moseyed over next to Link. She glared at him. "I- it was and accident and I didn't see anything!" He stammered immediately. The captain merely grabbed his collar and looked into his eyes, hers full of something somewhere between unyielding rage and sheer irritation. She could tell he wasn't lying, and she also knew it was true due to the fact that when she saw him he was still on his way up the first staircase, and she was definable as decent even at that point. But still, this was… a personal matter.
Link stumbled out of her room two minutes later and wheezed. "Ow…"
"Oh, quit whining you baby!" The pirate scolded him. Then she sighed and said "I'm going to have to get a door."
"Good idea," Link said, smiling and hoping he could get the girl to forget a certain one of his numerous screw ups further than she already had.
"And as punishment; you're putting it in." Link's face fell. It wasn't like it was on purpose. But what Tetra said went; she was the captain after all.
The two went onto the deck as normal; after all it was a pretty much normal day. "We're at the island, miss!" Senza announced.
"Good, Link-" she paused "and I will be going to fetch those ingredients." Senza saluted for no real reason
"Yes, miss!" And as one would expect, after that a gang plank was lowered and the captain and navigator walked down onto the island.
"This is a pretty big rock so give us about a day, 'kay!?" Link yelled at the pirates collectively. Senza nodded and replied:
"I'll get back to carving those playing cards."
"And I won't eat these ones!" Nudge yelled. Link just narrowed his eyes and murmured to himself a single bemused syllable
"What…?" Before deciding it wasn't important. He and Tetra sauntered up the staircase like 'dock' of the island. They expected no threats as most of the monsters had disappeared after Ganondorf's defeat. Tetra was still slightly edgy as the pair walked past a shrivelled Boko Baba bulb. "Don't worry Tetra, all the Boko Babas on this island are dead, trust me." Link said reassuringly. So he almost wet himself when the seed sprang to life, its huge green and violet head drooling like an old dog. "Oh, holy-! I stand corrected!" He cried in alarm, whipping out his boomerang, skilfully delivering the plant its final breath, or in the vegetation's case, final moment of photosynthesising. Then again, in the early darkness of autumn there wasn't much sunlight to be absorbing. Either way it was dead.
Link wiped his brow of sweat "Well, that's two potentially deadly screw-ups today." Tetra thought for a moment before that morning's 'interesting' events crossed her mind.
"How was the first one potentially life threatening?"
"Everything involving you is potentially life threatening." Tetra just glared at the so called 'fairy boy'. It never ceased to amaze her just how stupid his outfit really was. How did he get away with wearing something like that? Was it his face? He was pretty handsome after all, with his deep, viridian eyes and pretty-boy long hair. Was that last one cute or just freaky? Why was she thinking about how gorgeous the damn boy was? 'What the hell!?' was the next sentence uttered by her psyche 'Did I just think that…' She had to remind herself that her identity crisis was over and she knew herself to be Tetra; someone who beat Link up on a daily basis, not someone who mused over his boyish charms.
"Yo, Tetra, you okay?" He asked snapping his fingers in front of her eyes "Ya just spaced out there for a moment." Tetra shook her head.
"Sorry, let's just get going, okay?" Link dusted himself off
"Yeah, yeah." He said, looking up at a branch that hung over the body of water between. He produced a metal hook tied to a frayed length of rope from one of the countless little treasure troves within his tunic. "Well, grab on." Tetra just looked at him.
"What?"
"It's the only way to get across." The Hylian boy reiterated with his right arm outstretched
"Then you're going across alone."
"So you want me to leave you out here alone with the monsters?"
"I can handle a few weeds!" Tetra protested
"Not with that." Link pointed out, gesturing towards the dagger wound into her belt.
"Then give me your sword." Link took a step back
"No way, it's even more dangerous inside the Haven."
Tetra grumbled "Then why is it a 'haven'?" before adding louder "Fine, you win." Like I should have expected anything else she hissed in her mind. She stepped reluctantly in defeat into Link's reach, at which point he wrapped the one arm around her and used the second the swing them both across the water, and landed skilfully followed by a quick slice of his Hero's Sword which sent a random spiny cannonball back to its point of origin. This was rather painful for the creature responsible. "That was what you meant by monsters?" Tetra asked, watching the writhing invertebrate vanish in the usual amethyst dispersal.
"Yeah, that and man eating plants, kinda like what did that." Link replied, pointing down at her electric blue scar, which was now barely visible
"Just a scratch," She said in a prematurely victorious tone
"Yeah, a scratch that'll have you dead if we don't hurry up," He said, by now having grappled onto yet another outgrowing limb, his arm reaching out to her. Again, she thought to herself in annoyance. "This better be the last time."
"One more," Link apologised, taking hold of the girl and swinging to the next platform, not even taking time to talk to her before latching onto yet another herbal outcrop. This time he had to drag Tetra across to evade an incoming projectile.
After this he somersaulted over the responsible sea bound, gelatinous predator and drove his mighty and heroic blade into the beast's grey matter, and it slowly diffused into the air as the normal plum smoke leaked from its wound. "Show off," Tetra muttered spitefully as she sauntered, arms crossed, into a mouth in the rock face which lead to the only part of the Forest haven that even remotely resembled a forest or a haven. The hero in green hurriedly followed her.
The two were met by a sight that was familiar to Link but an untapped well of amazement to the tanned pirate captain accompanying him, the soft sunlight gently caressing the canopy and drifting slowly down like a feather, tickling her skin with its delicate warmth, and dyed green by the leaves above the duo's heads. There was sparkling blue water flowing around her feet. She almost felt like a sinner standing in it with her muddy shoes, but all this poetic beauty and muse was interrupted like a voice. Not the high pitched, grating voice of her blonde companion, but a deep, echoing voiced that boomed and seemed to shake the very island itself. "Link!" It said. It seemed happy, like it was greeting an old friend. Tetra's eyes and face darted back and forth, trying to find the source of the mysterious baritone, until Link put a hand on her shoulder and pointed up at the largest tree in the forest. It was looking at them. Trees aren't supposed to look.
If I were to say that Tetra was somewhat taken aback by this I would be speaking literally; she actually took a step back and tripped over herself, landing on the floor with what could be described, though this is an odd turn of phrase, as a good, healthy thump. Infer into that what you please.
"Link, it's good to see you!" trees weren't supposed to talk either.
"Yeah, it's good to see you too, Great Deku Tree," Rising to her feet, Tetra enquired abruptly
"What the hell kinda name is that?" The tree looked directly at her now
"It's my name!" He yelled indignantly, turning his eyes away from her in a huff
"Tetra, don't insult the tree!" Link whispered harshly at the girl, and then yelled up "Um, sorry, she's a pirate, ya know," apologetically to the former keeper of Farore's Pearl. "Oh, so this is that 'Tetra' you were always complaining about." He replied knowingly, followed by an observant glance back at the blonde. Tetra glared at Link, who came up with "Look, Tetra, it was a long time ago." as his only feeble excuse. She kept on glaring and Link had a premonition of himself melting into a silver goo like substance if he didn't change the subject with some rapidity. "Uh, don't we have something to be doing?" He asked his cold-eyed companion.
"I don't know. You're the navigator." She replied, taking a step forwards in her usual authoritative, cross-armed, semi-inquisitive stare position
"Well we do, and if we don't do it you and the whole dindamned crew is," he thought carefully for a moment and finished "sunk."
Tetra stayed quiet, internally wondering how the crew would fare without her leadership and IQ of more than eighty, and also chuckling slightly. "What are you talking about, Link" The huge tree asked uncertainly.
"Uh…" Link mumbled. Tetra returned to coherence and stated flatly:
"I got bitten by a killer plant and I'll die within four weeks if I don't gather up all the ingredients for the meds." She seemed to have no problem saying it, which is likely the reason that both Link and the Deku Tree just stared at her for a while. The Deku Tree's expression changed, his expression returning to normal. "I assume that this is the reason you came. What can we help you with?"
"We?" Tetra said in surprise
The tree smiled "Me and my children." He looked to Link inquisitively.
"Um, we need a Boko Baba seed." The forest's guardian smiled kindly and replied in his most sincere voice
"Of course, of course, this is no problem, there are many scattered through this area, it should be no problem for you to find the things you are looking for."
Link bowed, knowing that he was talking to a demi-god, Tetra, in general confusion at the whole situation followed suit. The pair of thirteen-year-old adventurers then went about searching the ground for what it was they sought. Despite the Great Deku Tree's words it would be hard to find; it had been a long time since Ganondorf's fall after all.
After scanning the ground and not coming up with a single seed link rolled up his sleeves. "Well, it looks like we're gonna have to do some dirty work." He said.
"Excellent." The captain replied, cracking her knuckles. It was impossible to tell if she was being sarcastic or not.
Both children got onto their knees and began rooting between the tall blades of grass. "So how long d'you reckon this is gonna take?" Tetra said, clearly bored already.
"Not sure, but we're making progress." Link replied, brushing aside a clump of foliage to reveal their spiny, half-wooden treasure trove.
"Great, so I'm gonna have to eat that?"
"Not on its own." Link replied playfully "You'll also get weird tasting goo, scales and some nutritious dust."
"Whatever, let's just get back to the ship."
"Sure, sure, fine." The hero said, getting up and dusting himself off. He was about to turn around when he heard a familiar voice, with a slightly screechy, crow-like quality, yelling:
"Link, Link! I- Oh, buggerit, dah! Stupid branches. I- Ah! Here we are."
Link looked up and watched a human shaped creature with a beak and wings descend to the forest floor. "Qwill?" Link said in a surprised tone "What are you doing here?"
"I-" the harpy-esque creature gasped. "I have a letter for you!"
And that's that, a none too exciting cliff-hanger and another chapter complete. Don't hold your breath for no. eight I'm a lazy bugger. Please review, if you do, I promise not to murder you with a chainsaw and feast upon your delicious marrow. Wait! I did not just say that!