Epilogue

It was late morning on Outset Island. Sunlight glistened off the sea. On the beach, everyone was getting ready for the big sendoff.

An old woman in a red dress greeted islanders and told them where they should stand to say their goodbyes. A tall, fit old man stood beside her, hand on her shoulder.

Pirates carried crates and boxes of supplies back and forth across the shore, directed by a tall man in a green shirt and red bandanna. The man occasionally turned to look at the smaller of Outset's two islands, as if searching for someone.

On the smaller island, two blonde girls with long ears hurried to the island's watchtower. The shorter of the two, a girl with braids and a pink dress, clutched a telescope and hurried to keep up with the purposefully striding older girl, who was dressed in the garb of a sailor.

High atop the watchtower, a boy with golden hair slept, ignorant of the hurried preparations going on below him. He wore green clothes, newly washed and repaired with patches and odd stitches. In his left hand he clutched a book about the Hero of Time.

"Link, wake up! It's almost time to go!"

The boy stirred. He opened his eyes to find Aryll and Tetra standing over him with identical postures of cross-armed disapproval.

Link rubbed his eyes and sat up.

"G'morning," he said.

"It's past good morning!" Tetra burst out. "You've gone and overslept again! And on the big day too!"

"Yeah, Link," said Aryll, doing her best to sound as stern as Tetra.

"You have got to stop hanging out with her," Link said.

He got to his feet. A smile broke out on Aryll's face.

"I brought your bag!" she said, apparently unable to keep back her cheerful demeanor.

"Aw, thanks Aryll."

She handed him the plain brown knapsack. He slipped his Hero of Time book into it.

It was an ordinary bag, not magical like the one the King of Red Lions had given him. Most of the items he'd gained throughout his quest, including the Wind Waker, had been lost, left behind at the bottom of the sea when Hyrule flooded. All he had left were the clothes Grandma had made him and whatever that had been in his pockets at the time—Aryll's telescope and his book, to be exact. Though Link could no longer control the wind, the loss of the things didn't trouble him very much. It felt right, somehow. Like a fresh start.

Besides, there were more important things he could have lost. More important things he had lost.

"You're too soft on him, Aryll," Tetra was saying. "Link's not gonna get any of that cushy treatment on my ship. No sirree. He's gonna work to earn his keep."

"I thought we were going to be equal members of the crew," Link said flatly.

"Sure," she said. "But I'll be slightly above you."

She winked.

It had been a week since he and Zelda had defeated Ganondorf and returned to the surface of the Great Sea. It was a week filled with celebrations and visitors. Medli and Makar had been guests in Grandma's house, with Tetra and the other pirates, who were still docked off the coast, popping in frequently. Other common visitors were Quill and Prince Komali, who came to see that Medli was safely settled, and to discuss the future with Link and Tetra. This wasn't even counting the visitors who lived on Outset—like Orca—who popped in throughout the week to congratulate Link and Aryll on their safe return, and to say goodbye.

It was also a week of preparations, because Link and Tetra had decided that they didn't want to delay their quest to find the new Hyrule. Today they would set sail on their next journey.

Tetra and Aryll headed for the watchtower ladder and started to climb down. Link stayed on the platform, looking out over the water.

Tetra paused.

"You coming?" she said.

"Sure," Link said. "In a minute."

Tetra shrugged.

"Suit yourself," she said. "See ya on the beach."

The girls climbed down the ladder. Link leaned out over the railing, getting one last look at Outset Island.

A part of him regretted that he and Tetra were leaving so soon after his return. He still loved the island, loved its beaches, its forest, its coves and hiding places. He loved his house, but most of all he cared for the people he shared it with. It was hard to face the idea that he might never see his home again, and even harder to contemplate how long it would be before he was reunited with Grandma, Aryll, and Orca.

At the same time, things had changed since Link had been gone. Or maybe he had changed. The island itself, once his whole world, seemed smaller than before. Less like home. So while a part of him mourned his departure, a part of him rejoiced at the thought of the journey ahead.

Link took one final look at the familiar view spread out below him. Then, he headed for the ladder.

It's not like it's goodbye forever, he thought.

Over the last week, Link and Tetra had spent hours in consultation with the pirates, with the former sages, and with the Ritos, discussing how they would go about founding the new kingdom. Quill, speaking on behalf of the Chieftain, promised to organize a system of message delivery between the pirate ship and the peoples of the Great Sea. This way, everyone might know the progress of the children's journey and, if they chose to, join them in their new land when the time came.

"I am sure there will be many who wish to join you," Quill had said, speaking with his usual seriousness. "As well as many who do not. There are always those who resist change."

"Not the Koroks!" Makar piped in. "My brethren will be happy to spread forests across your new land."

"I'm sure we Ritos would like to join you, too," Medli said. "Some of us, anyway. I may not be a sage anymore, but I would still like to help you and Miss Tetra in whatever way I can."

Komali, sitting close to Medli at the table, nodded in agreement. Since their reunion, the two young Ritos had rarely been out of one another's company.

Link reached the bottom of the ladder. Thinking of his Rito and Korok friends filled him with sadness. The last of them had departed the previous day, returning to their respective islands. But they would not return to quite the same situations they had left. As former sages, Medli and Makar in particular were to be given positions of honor and influence among their respective peoples.

Link had been overjoyed by the appearance of Medli and Makar on the pirate ship all those days ago. For several terrible moments after the flooding of Hyrule, he feared that his two friends had drowned. After all, they should have been in their temples when the barrier broke.

"It happened to both of us," Medli explained, once a dripping Link was aboard the pirate ship. "I was in the central shrine, praying for the strength of the Master Sword, when an old man appeared before me."

"He looked like a spirit," Makar cut in, "all see-through, like Fado was, but even fainter."

"He told us to flee," Medli said, "get out of our temples immediately and head for the surface. He said that our tasks were over."

Medli had met Link's gaze then, her eyes sad. As if she understood who the man had been. As if she understood her friend's pain.

Link headed for the beach. Even from this distance, he could see the crowd of islanders who had gathered there to see the travelers off. He walked slowly, and somewhat carefully. He had mostly recovered from the injuries he received during the battle with Ganondorf. Luckily, none of them were particularly severe. He was still a bit bruised and sore, though, and he would have a long scar on his chest forever. Tetra, for her part, still had an impressive black eye which she refused to stop bragging about.

Thinking of Tetra, Link smiled to himself. She was the same as ever-albeit a bit nicer-and he was glad about that, especially after the time she'd spent as Princess Zelda.

"So, Tetra," Link had asked her several days ago. "I've been wondering. Were you a… different person when you were Zelda?"

They'd been enjoying a pleasant walk near the Fairy Forest—Tetra in particular was in a good mood—but when he asked this questions she seemed to stiffen.

"Why do you ask?" she said imperiously.

"Well, you said you felt different," Link said, pressing on. "You even seemed a little different. So, I wondered."

Tetra appeared to think this over for a moment. She looked back at Link, as if sizing him up.

"Well, I never stopped being me," she said thoughtfully. "Not exactly, anyway."

Link frowned. He didn't understand. Tetra sighed.

"Let's put it this way, then," she said. "You try running around in a pink dress sometime, and see if it makes you feel any different."

Yes, Link thought as he walked toward the beach. Tetra was a little strange… but also smart, and brave, and pretty, and…

"Link!" Tetra called from the deck. "Move your sorry behind and get over here!"

"Okay, Tetra!" he replied.

Link arrived at the beach. Tetra and her crew were already onboard the ship, getting it ready for departure. Link said his goodbyes to the first of the islanders, saving Orca, Grandma, and Aryll for last.

Orca greeted him with a back-slapping hug that made him wince.

"Ribs, Orca," he groaned. "Ribs."

"Sorry," Orca said, pulling back. He shook the boy's hand instead.

"Congratulations, Link. I knew I was right to train you."

Link smiled. Orca reached behind his back.

"I've kept something for you," the old man said. "As promised."

He handed Link his old sword, and nodded his head toward Link's family. Link nodded back, showing that he understood.

"Thanks, Orca," he said.

Grandma gave him a much gentler hug and a peck on the cheek. She handed him a covered cup of soup.

"For the journey," she said, gripping his shoulders. "Stay safe."

"I'll write to you," Link said. "Quill said he'd carry my messages."

"I'll hold you to that," she said. Her dark eyes glistened with tears, but her voice remained steady. "I love you so much, dear."

Link's eyes, too were prickling by the time he reached Aryll. She jumped into his arms, eyes already watering as she struggled not to cry.

"I'll miss you, Aryll," he said.

He gently kissed the top of her head, and put her down.

He held the sword out to her.

"When I'm gone," he said, "it'll be up to you to protect Grandma and Outset Island."

Aryll stared at the sword, then back at him.

"This sword is yours now," he said. "If you want it, I can guarantee that Orca will train you to use it. Whether or not you'd like to learn is up to you, though. I'll accept your choice, whatever it is."

Aryll paused. For a moment, she held eye contact with her brother. Then she smiled, and took the blade.

"I'll be the best swordfighter in the world," she said seriously. "And when I see you again I'll beat you up."

"I bet you will," Link said.

He gave Aryll another hug, and climbed aboard the pirate ship.

He went to stand next to Tetra, who waited beside the helm.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey."

She glanced over at him.

"Are you ready for this, Link?" she said.

"Yeah," he said. "I think so."

He looked down at the deck, not saying anything.

"What's wrong?" Tetra asked.

"I wish he was here to see this," Link said quietly.

Tetra nodded. She didn't have to ask who he was talking about.

"He meant a lot to you, huh?"

"Of course," said Link. "He was there with me almost from the beginning, almost as long as you were. I thought he was kind of annoying sometimes, but, in the end… when it came down to it…"

He looked over at her, his eyes filled with pain.

"Why didn't he just take my hand, Tetra?"

For a moment, Tetra looked at him, her face impassive. Then she pulled him into a tight, one armed hug.

They stayed that way for several moments. Link didn't notice, or much care, if the pirates were looking at them. He was just glad to be by her side.

Tetra pulled away, her face slightly red. Link's face felt a little hot as well.

At that very moment, the wind began to blow.

The sail billowed. Link smiled at Tetra.

"Weigh anchor?" he said.

She grinned.

"Weigh anchor!" she called. "Hold the tiller steady!"

The pirates rushed to obey her commands. The ship drifted forward. Excitement built in Link's chest. He looked back just once to see the islanders on the beach, waving goodbye. As he watched, Aryll ran out to the edge of the dock, the sword already strapped to her back. She waved and smiled.

Link turned back to Tetra.

"So, what's our destination, Miss Tetra?" he said.

She gave him another wink. Her hair blew in the breeze as she looked out across the vast sea.

"Our destination?" she said. "The wind will guide us there."

-The End-

First of all, I would like to thank everyone who read, and especially reviewed, this story. Your feedback was extremely helpful. The story wouldn't have turned out half as well without all of you.

Not that they'll see this, but I'd also like to thank my family-especially my brother-for being great sources of advice, ideas, and support.

I finished the first, handwritten draft of The Wind Waker almost exactly ten years ago. The story has been with me a long time, and the characters, even though they're not really my creations, have become very dear to me. I'm going to miss working on this project, and I'm going to miss hearing from all you readers. But, much like Link, I'm looking forward to the next journey, whatever it may be.

I'm so glad I could share my interpretation of this story with others who enjoyed it. Safe travels, and let the wind guide you to a good destiny!

-RosieG9012