Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Link: Lucky Number 13 ❯ A Couple's Union Pt. 03: The Pirates of the Great Bay ( Chapter 22 )

Author's Notes: Here we go; the beginning of a long overdue updating process. For those new to the story, chapters 22 through 36 are in their original states for the most part. They will reference things in the original versions of the first 21 chapters, which could still be there or completely absent because I felt they didn't work. If you come across something addressed in an earlier chapter it should go without saying that said event originally happened in one of these unedited chapters, but was moved up or changed for some reason or another. Basically, all I'm saying is this: Don't bitch me out too hard about redundancy, because I'll be synching it up sooner or (knowing me) later. Now, go forth and read.

Chapter Twenty-two

That's a first, well, since becoming a god and everything. It wasn't even like I wore myself out or anything-I just passed out. I'm coming around now, though, feeling oddly disturbed by eyes walking across my naked ass. Using my mind's eye, I can tell that something surrounds our makeshift home. Surrounded by what you ask? I'll give you one guess. No, it isn't the Zoras. They tend not to be territorial. So, take one more guess. Bingo, we're presently surrounded by thirty-six Gerudo pirates-guess I was too preoccupied earlier this morning to notice their ship. I doubt things would be this calm if they hadn't recognized Nabooru as one of their own, which needless to say, is probably why they're hesitant to attack. I guess I better wake Nab up to inform her of our houseguests. Huh? Oh yeah, I almost forgot about the clothes… done.

"Nabooru," I whisper, nibbling her earlobe for added effect. She stirs slightly, cutely pawing at her ear. "Come on, there're some people here to see us."

"What? We're the only people here! Tell them to come back later," she says harshly, pulling the pillow over her head.

Did I mention she's not much of a morning person? Never the less, I sense hostile intent in the group of women. Perhaps my wife-pending she wakes up-can say something to end this without bloodshed… not that I couldn't mind you. I just don't feel up to being mystical at the moment. What the… Rude little bunch, aren't they? I don't recall inviting them in but slowly, a group of ten women armed with scimitar enters our home. Gotta admit these ladies take a mysterious island with a lone house very seriously, eh?

The leader of the group, clad in an outfit like the ladies back home (minus the turquoise color), looks upon me like filth. Wow, I haven't had someone look at me that coldly in a while. Nabooru emerges from under the pillow amidst all of the strange whispering and fearsome staring. She is not amused. I'm sensing a death by way of impaling for this foreign woman radiating from my wife's narrow, sleep deprived eyes. What are you getting? Scalping? What the hell is a scalping? Are you serious? It's like cutting the top off of her head off like a carrot… eeew.

"Are you done with this 'man'?" she directs this question at Nabooru, who somehow manages to grow even viler in mood.

"Who are you to come into our home and question us?" Nabooru asks straight to the point, already beginning to bore a hole through the woman leading the pack. Oh, and you can tell it's going to be good, because she doesn't seem the least bit intimidated by my wife's methodically cold glare.

"I am Adara, second in command of the Gerudo Pirates of Great Bay," the big headed little scamp says. Could she reek of anymore pride? Anyway, let's see what Nab has to say that little bit of info.

"And I am Nabooru, Queen of the Gerudo Nation of Hyrule. Where is your first in command you rude little… thing?" She put a killer inflection on the word thing didn't she?

Is it me or would a simple exchange of names suffice? All this title stating sounds a little off center to say the least. The pirates seemed to have called a little group meeting because Nabooru outranks them on some scale, which must be prevalent throughout the various Gerudo divisions. Can't wait to see the little spasm Ms. Adara has when she finds out I'm king.

"Fine, but the man stays," she agrees pointing a rather mean finger at me. Gee, I almost forgot how cold the Gerudo could be towards men, but at least those back home had a reason. I wonder what theirs is.

"No, he's going to come along as well, being my husband and the Gerudo King gives him that right," Nabooru amends on my behalf.

Sure, I could've said it myself, but then I wouldn't get the chance to savor the mortified expression on all of their faces. This sends them all into a huddle again, which they whisper in detail about the unfathomable idea of a Gerudo marrying one of my kinds. Oh, if only they knew how much that statement applied to me. I don't know; maybe the sex is still clouding my mind, but I figure it's probably for the best. Any other day and I more than likely would've tossed these women back out to sea for screwing over my honeymoon like this. Wait, huddle's over…

"Fine, he may attend," Adara states, trying to intimidate me with her constant staring. I sarcastically wave, garnering a bolster of gasps and growls. I ignore the heated responses, as Nabooru and I make our way off the bed. Funny, now they can look like peaceable people when they realize I'm taller than they are. Here I thought they were fearless, when all it was, was that they'd misinterpreted my height.

"I could've sworn I put this island far enough away from the mainland so as not to be disturbed." Nabooru simply shrugs at my commentary.

Anyhow, we follow the group of women outside to a small collection of dinghies. The main ship is about 20 yards off the coast, making for a short row. Wow, they row rather quickly. One of the women gives the hull of the ship a distinct knock, obviously signaling for the lowering of these ropes. We watch the eight of the nine pirates climb the ropes with little effort, leaving us with an armed soldier.

"I have to secure the boat," the woman implies, angling her head upward. "If you would be so kind."

Nabooru takes the initiative by leaping directly from the dinghy up to the deck. The pirate looks at me with popped eyes, apparently unaccustomed to such a feat. It still unnerves me that she has a 60-foot vertical leap. Then again, I thought Zelda had maxed out at 30 feet back in the Sheik days. But the other day-when I sort of stopped being a corpse-she actually made the unassisted leap to the roof of the Temple of Time. That has to be at least 80 or 90 feet, if not an even 100. Oh, well, I guess 20-foot leap over the side of a boat isn't much these days.

"Don't look so surprised," I casually say to the guard. "She jumps high, but I can fly." The woman falls back on her ass with a startled scream, acknowledging flight is rarer than a standing jump.

I hit the deck with a light thud, as the old wood creaks under my feet and in time with the gentle bobbing from the ocean below. Nabooru stands toward the back of the ship, which is where I make my way. The dissention is visible here; me and mine are on one side of the deck while the others are on another. Okay, so they actually have to maintain the sails, raise anchor, and steer the thing, but you can almost smell the tension… and if you're in my boots, you can.

"Why'd you want to see their leader?" I ask, watching Nabooru already begin to show signs of seasickness.

"I will not tolerate disrespect of this magnitude. They should've minded their own business and left us alone," she says with grunt of nausea. "Whoever this leader is should train her people better than this; I intend to tell her that face to face."

In other words, she's pissed off about them waking her up so soon.

"Do you need something for your stomach?" A quick change of subject never hurts, so let's see if this theory works today, shall we. She stands in contemplation for a moment, quickly scanning our half of the ship. Luckily we're in the back and the crew is mainly towards the front and below deck. Nabooru accepts with a gracious nod, upon this time, I work my magic…

"Interesting cure, Hero," she says with a sigh of relief, leaning back against me while my hands are interlocked upon her stomach to stabilize the rumbling.

"Kinda like our own personal cruise, isn't it?" I toss out, stooping so my chin rests on her shoulder. I can already tell from the distance I put us out to sea on that island is going to make our trip a long one, pending I don't interfere. Of course, I will interfere eventually; I'm not going to be stuck on this boat for a week or two. For the time being though, I think we'll enjoy the vast blueness for a while.

"Yes it is," she finally answers, obviously a bit taken aback by the enormous expanse of water around her. "I didn't really pay any attention to it the other day, but this is almost a frightening amount of water. Can you imagine what's down there?" Sure I can, considering the majority of it attempted to eat me at one point or another.

Nabooru slips out of my embrace and eases closer to the edge of the boat to look at the water. I soon follow, only to notice a very large school of fish leisurely jumping out of the water alongside us. They don't have any scales that I can determine, and stranger still, they don't have any gills. A lone hole in their skull seems to be their breathing passage, as they leap out of the water to intake gulps of our air. What kind of sick mind makes a fish need to breathe air? They're water based with no legs to walk in and out of the water like the Zora, so if they sleep do they drown? Madness, pure madness is what it is.

"I could always take you down and give you the tour." She meets my offer with a raised eyebrow, and a look that screams no. I shrug my shoulders to the suggestion and begin to toy with my powers out of boredom, turning small balls of energy into various shapes and the sort. Funny how I never seem to grow tired of this aspect of things. It's so simple, yet so destructive when I want it to be. I flick my wrist, sending a purple shaded disc of energy into the water. Tick, tock, tick, tock… A gigantic column of water explodes into the air, drawing the attention of the pirates and an amused grin from my lovely wife.

Yes, I do realize I could do more, but there's something about creating a new species or race of people that makes me a little uneasy. It'd be like having a puppy only multiplied and more complicated. Besides, what would I call them-Linkians or Linkies or the almighty, Linkonians? See? I'm not creative enough to create a mass of people. I'll leave that up to the people who've been doing it from the start. Huh? You meant use my powers to speed the journey along, and not make a new species of people? Oh, well how was I supposed to know? I mean, you start in with all this mumbo-jumbo about doing greater things; naturally I'd assume you meant create something living.

What do you mean I'm losing it? Look, we go from talking about fish that breathe air. Then I start fiddling around with my powers and you start in about using a broader array of power, right? Right, so that's how I connected the two. Creating my own group of people was the broadest thing my mind could come up with now.

"What… what are you doing?" Adara asks suspiciously, returning just in time to watch me skip a stone sized piece of energy across the sea. Why am I ignoring her? I don't know. Guess I don't feel like trying to talk to someone who deems me inferior or evil via the dangling appendage between my legs. Nabooru casts her eyes up at me, exchanging a look to gauge my stance on the aforementioned woman. She nods, showing her understanding of the fact I don't really feel like addressing the obnoxious little woman. "I asked you a question!"

"And he's not going to answer it," Nabooru replies calmly, though, not looking directly at the pirate.

"Look, this is my ship and I say he answers my questions!" Now she's beginning to irk me. I feel Nabooru's muscles grow rigid, proving her patience is beginning to strain as well, and thus this must end.

"There are some things you're better off not knowing." My voice echoes inside of her head, widening her eyes in bewilderment. I nod slowly, affirming that the voice does belong to me. She begins to backpedal as (for effect only) my eyes flare a radiant white, which serves as a distraction by which I move the boat back to the Great Bay. "I see we're here."

"How…?" she asks, as her head whips back and forth between the coastline and me. Depending on the wind, this journey could've taken anywhere from five to ten days, and here we are in a little under an hour and a half.

"Some things," is all I say in reply. I take hold of Nabooru's hand and we brush passed the astounded pirate, waiting for our entry into their fortress. A few moments pass before the crew is on all sides of us, lowering various sails, and properly adjusting our course. Nab and I wait for the large gate to open and in the back of my mind, I hear Adara whispering to her crew about my little display. We slowly drift to the pier where we all wait patiently for the lowering of the gangplank. Personally, I would've used my Longshot to anchor onto the wall, hit the ground running, and been done with it. Yeah, well after all the years of entering places like that, walking in the front door seems a little boring now. Anyhow…

"I'll assume you want us to lead?" They answer my question with more silence, as the women stand behind us like little statues themselves now.

"Follow me," Adara finally says, walking down the gangplank with authority… despite being panicked about me. The rest of us soon follow and we all begin to make our way through the maze of doorways to find their leader. I audibly sigh, as I realize that I've wrecked my honeymoon by pointless decision making. Oh, well, no need to start bitching about it now.

Hmm, well that's strange. Do you notice how all the Gerudo eye colors around here seem to be mainly variants of green and blue? If I was a betting man-which, I am-I'd almost think their eye color was determined by surrounding. That could explain the various shades of red, brown, and yellow back home. Ugh, I think about too many things now. Back in the day this wouldn't have even charted on my map…

"We're here," the snobbish woman announces finally. The door opens, revealing a room I remember all too well. This time however, the leader is somehow different.

"What is the meaning of this intrusion?" their Queen, leader, or whatever barks, though half-heartedly. Nabooru says nothing, I say nothing, and no one says anything. Nabooru simply fixes the woman drawing a map with a stare, which seemingly makes the seated woman recall something. "Nabooru? Hey, it is you!"

Huh? Yeah, we both missed something this time. My outward appearance is that of confusion, as I watch my wife hug an apparent friend. So, seeing as they're obviously going to start reminiscing any moment now, I better ask while the asking is good. I interject with a slight cough, which draws the yapping faces in my direction.

"Hi, remember me?" The meeting of the question is with a bemused grin from Nab, who escorts her little friend towards me. "Do I know you?" I find myself asking, as her presence seems oddly familiar.

"You should," Nabooru informs me in a nonchalant little voice. "Do you remember the guard I asked you to give that note a few years ago?" I nod. "Well this is her. Tasca, allow me to introduce you to my husband, Link." Upon the speaking of my name, her eyes nearly bulge from her skull. I guess I better break the ice, unless I want eyeball goo on me.

"Uh, hello. See you let your hair grow out." Okay, that was a weak starter line, but the short hair is all I can remember. Well, that and the fact she isn't trying to charge me an arm and a leg to attempt the Gerudo training facility.

"No way! You're that little kid with the fairy?" she asks, already beginning to circle me like a vulture. "No-fucking-way! You filled out nice…" she lifts the back of my tunic as I twirl in defensiveness, "real nice."

Do you ever get that used feeling? Well, I do and I'm getting that feeling right about now. Nabooru's sitting on a lone treasure chest looking like she's just robbed the Hylian treasury, and a bevy of spectators see fit to grope me now. Hey, I'm not complaining. I'm just saying, I don't think I've seen buffets get this kind of attention.

"So are you going to wait for them to fuck me or what? Because you know, I think I could take them," I jokingly project to Nabooru, who finally makes a move to end show and tell before the judges start trying to walk off with me. "Can I assume you two want to catch up on old times or something?" Patience… running thin… must break free! Nah, I'm just bored.

"If you don't mind, we would," Nabooru says rather friendly considering her prior mood. "And I trust he can walk around freely? I'd hate to see anyone hurt."

Wow, and when have I ever been so predisposed to violence that I couldn't walk around outside without attacking something? Oh, shut up, I only attacked those chickens once! Geez, one… okay, I attack a few chickens… Okay! Fine, I attacked 400 chickens and now I'm a psycho, bah. Try to kill a little time while you're having your sword forged and you're suddenly a chicken kicker…

"Don't worry. We won't hurt your little man." Hurt me? The incredulous look cast from both me and Nabooru speaks an offended volume. Even as the soldiers chuckle, I decide to let the comment slide, but I can tell Nabooru's looking at it as a direct insult on her choice of man.

"Hurt him… doubtful. Anyway, I'll come find you when I'm finished here."

"Ladies, spread the word: This one is not to be harmed," Tasca yells, which sends the masses off to do her bidding. All of the pirate women dispersed I notice, except for the once boisterous Adara. She busies herself, thoroughly watching me, and sizing me up no doubt, and wondering if I'm a magical threat. Hmm, she's wondering if I'm like the Ganondorf man of evil legend that Tasca spoke of, interesting. I blink to dislodge my presence from her mind, as her thoughts are again hers and hers alone to hear.

"Ma'am, I don't think it would be safe to let him…" the young pirate's words are cut off by an almost insanity driven stare from her queen. With little more than a humbling nod, Adara departs the chamber, and leaves the three of us alone. Personally, I would've taken my soldier's comment with a little more thought than that, but I don't run this fortress; I'm only visiting. Hmm, I almost forgot…

"Oooh!" Tasca mocks, as I dip to give my wife a departing kiss. Now isn't that a rather childish thing to do for a 30-year-old? I can't even kiss my wife without a big deal being made about it. I arch away from her smiling lips, admiring the cute flush to her cheeks.

"Wrap this up quick and I may kiss your other lips, too," I whisper, making her gasp and giggle despite herself. With my sexual baiting done, I make my departure to the outer complex. I listen to the heavy thud of my footsteps as I march down the narrow hallway, unaccustomed to the familiar bass in my step. I shrug off the old memories that usually accompany plodding footsteps, as I arrive at and open the door that leads to the inner-complex.

As expected, the majority of the guards have gathered in the upper structures to see exactly who I am. This gives me an idea. Do you want to cause some more staring and pointless alarm? No? Bah, who asked you anyway? With little more than a thought, I fade from their sight, and reposition myself in their harbor atop the gigantic sea door. Why up here? I don't know really, but it seemed like the only place I could go without a bunch of odd looks.

"Let's see if I can still play one of these things." Okay, note to self: Saria's ocarina is too small for my freak hands. A little sprinkle of the good stuff and… voila, perfect fit. Taking a seat, I begin the regiment by playing my personal favorite: The Serenade of Water. Ah, so you're a fan of it as well. Good, this way I can play one song until Nabooru is done traveling down what few good times there were on memory road. This is also a good time to address something else that I've been wondering about, I think it's time to call on the oracles-more commonly known as my aunts-Farore, Nayru, and Din. My tune comes to a slow halt, as I focus on what I want and get it. Deciding on Din, she appears in hot-tempered glory.

"What do you want?" Yes Din, my lovely-inflamed aunt, questions like a kicked dog. "I don't appreciate being summoned for petty matters," she adds, as I relay my query to her mentally.

"And my lack of sleeping is petty?" I repeat, this time aloud. Sure it is, but something about pissing a seven-foot-tall woman-incased in flames hotter than the sun-off that makes it all worth it. "Anyway, I never fell asleep before, why did I do it today?" She hovers in front of me in silence, staring at me with a look meant to intimidate. I flex my own means of intimidation, extinguishing the flames on her body as a reminder that I'm the one controlling this situation.

"Cute," she responds evenly, softening her eyes… as much as solid red eyes can be softened. "To answer your query, you're too powerful to live on this side." Din lands beside me, soon taking a seat on the cool metal door. Interesting, but let's hear what else she has to say on the matter. "Gods and Goddesses control or, rather, influence every aspect of life around you. People live, die, sleep, and eat based on schedules we set but you're-we're-different. On this side, our powers shield us from the powers of low-level gods. So things you used to do-sleep, eat, drink, feel pain-are all controlled by a god lower than you, thus you aren't affected by their powers."

"So, because I'm super god or whatever, I can't get to sleep until some random fit of sex?" She meets my question with an over dramatic sigh of frustration.

"Ugh, why didn't you call Farore? Look, you're a puppet without the strings over here. One or heck, all of the gods of sleep trying to make you fall asleep is like one of them," she points to the Gerudo pirates patrolling the harbor, "trying to kill me, which is to say it's pointless. When we told you things happen at your bidding, we didn't know that your bidding would become absolute. Thus, you sleep when you want. Nothing is beyond you now, not gods, not mortals, you're simply everything."

Whoa, from a tree house to the ultimate deity, sweet… but I already understood that point from the last three dozen times they said it.

"So, the puppet without strings is actually the puppet master," I ask, or more so, comment on the slide. Din chuckles, yeah, it's creeping the hell out of me too.

"You could say that. But understand something, when you change certain constants-those things that have been in existence for millions of years on this plane-it will dent your power. So, if you're not careful, you'll temporarily 'weaken.' However, I'd still venture to say it'd take most of us at our full strength to defeat you, but most have never heard of you or care enough about you to warrant violence. Then again, my knowledge isn't certain when it comes to you. Fate and Destiny probably know, but good luck getting them to open up with anything."

"So, you're plotting to kill me already… again?" I ask sardonically, yet keeping an innocent tone to my voice.

"No one's plotting anything against you," Din sighs, giving me an actually elbow in the ribs playfully. "And contrary to popular belief, I don't hate you." She extends a hand out in front of us and makes the sun do a little dip below the horizon. "I know you can kill me and I'm fine with it. But I do enjoy my life, not to mention having a big ball of fire do my bidding is damn cool." Hmm, that gives me an idea…

"I guess it is sort of cool," I add, actually making the sun change color and bounce. Din gives me the look again, and out of respect, I undo what I've done. Idle silence ensues as I ponder this new-yet unsurprising-bit of information. Who knew I had to control this much of my own life now? Having to think to actually achieve orgasm and now, I have to literally not think to go to sleep. Man, if I hear someone ever bitch about oversleeping again I'm going to make him or her stay awake for days on end. "Well, how is the sleeping thing arranged on the other side? Or do you all simply stay awake for the duration?"

"It's a matter of choice, really. Fate and Destiny sustain our realm; so, we fall asleep like normal people if we like. However, most of us don't really see the point in it since we exist on the same plane as our dreams and sleep state…"

"Wait, so you're saying our dreams are real?" Sorry, I had to interrupt with that bit of knowledge.

"Yes, to mortals dreams exist as a moving form of life or thoughts that they can't fully interact with. To us, though, it's merely another dimension on which to exist. Everything in our dreams is a reality on some front, in either this realm or another. I'm trying to say that you'll never sleep as you used to. You'll only travel from one surreal state to the next, sometimes there'll be something to interact with, and sometimes there won't." And the complications keep on rolling, I guess I'll ask her a few more and let this lesson in godliness be done with for the day. "Spit it out. I know you've got something else to ask me so just do it."

"Okay, how exactly do you move around without normal people seeing you? More so, why not let them see you? I mean, the nude thing will probably get you a few dozen teenage boys following you around, but that's easily fixed." She gives me a look as if to say: "What form of magic mushroom have you eaten today?" Heh, I thought they were a rather simple couple of questions.

"I exist on a higher plane of existence than the ordinary mortal's eye can see. I could easily pass myself off among them, but to do so my power would decrease extremely," answers my aunt with a dismissive wave.

"Why?"

"The energy our bodies are filled with-when in base form-would wipe out everything on this plane. So, to exist here, we have to put that energy in check, and that's why I don't let them see me. I have no desire to walk around in a mortal form or journey on that plane of reality. Besides, I'm happy in my own body." Din adds with an appreciative stare at herself.

Nice explanation, but a new question has arisen in my mind. "Then explain to me this, you said this is how I was intended to look. Well, I'm sitting here and yet everyone is still alive and I don't think I've taken any major dips in the power department since a few months ago. So, how am I here?" I hear what I can only assume are her teeth grinding, obviously losing more patience in my lack of knowledge… oh, well.

"Again, I must reiterate, you are supreme. I've never held your type of power, so I can only give you my theory on why you're able to exist here and not kill everything. Your true form-while looking identical to this one-has the aura of a god shrouding the base of yourself, which would grant you your full strength. However, your powers seem to be so immense, until even when you're more or less in mortal form, you're stronger than our best." Her voice quiets, almost sounding sad.

"Thanks for explaining all of this." She looks at me with a smug expression, finally nodding her acceptance. "Sorry…" Hey, I still haven't forgot about my years of abuse, she should be lucky I'm saying that much.

"Sorry? Oh my god! After all the years of being called this, that, and the other, he actually says, sorry?" I see sarcasm runs in the family… runs deep in the family. "Not to mention, thank you! Oh! I think I've actually died." Din puts her hand to her forehead and falls backward as if to faint.

"Is your production over with?" I ask as dryly as I can manage.

"Wait, almost…" she stands up and begins to enact a person having a heart attack, stumbling along the edge of the door. You know, this is actually quite funny…

"Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha! Okay, okay, I get the point." I tell her, managing to drown my laughter into minute giggles because I know the Gerudo below are watching me like I'm insane now.

"Well, if you're done asking questions…" Din drifts, hinting that she's ready to go. I return her glow in hopes this is what she's hinting at. "…That's better. Before I go though, there is something I'd like to ask you." I barely manage to tilt my head back and she asks, "What do you intend to do about your family?"

"What do you mean?" I ask in genuine confusion.

"Immortality. You gave it to your little wife, and more than likely the child will be rooted in some form of age defiance as well. What do you intend to do when your child chooses a lover? He or she won't age or possibly die, but the person they love will. And since we can't have a race of immortals running around, how do you intend to rectify the situation while sparing the child's feelings?" Talk about getting ahead of yourself. The kid isn't even out of the womb yet and she's talking about life and death.

"Two things: I'll cross that bridge when I get to it. And since when are you so uppity about me or anyone I care about?" For a record 3, 999th time, we're back at silence. Din casually steps off the door and floats around until she's directly facing me-arms crossed and red eyes narrowed.

"We're not as heartless as you'd like to believe," her voice fades into nothingness, as does the rest of her. "We'll see, nephew…" I guess we will see, but it is food for thought as they say. I don't know who they are. They're just people who say stuff like that.

Anyway, the paranoid pirate has finally smoked me out, as evident by the silent grappling hook she threw up on the cliff side a while back. I imagine she's been perched up there the entire time I've been chatting with Din, even though she didn't see with whom I was conversing. Let's resume ocarina practice, shall we? I close my eyes and begin the Serenade of Water again. The ageless sound rocking me like a giant baby, I put my surroundings on hold as I let it sedate me.

*Sigh*

"What do you want?" I ask, breaking my melody briefly. Adara hesitantly stops, but presses on closer toward me to show her bravery… or stupidity if I was a hostile. I guess I'm the only person who thinks in strategic means even in peaceful times.

"You don't fool me," Adara says with false boldness.

"Yes I do or you wouldn't need to say it." Sorry, she's so confused about whether or not I'm a threat until it's literally oozing out of her head into mine. "You don't know if I'm as harmless as Nabooru makes me out to be or if I'm like the Ganondorf guy." Heh, I don't read minds at home, everywhere else is free reign. "I'm no threat to you."

"Well, I still don't trust you," she says, almost matching Sepaaru's earlier petulant behavior towards me.

I finally look up from my ocarina, staring casually into her brown eyes and say, "I never said you had to trust me. My only action was to inform you that I wasn't a threat. So, whether or not you trust me is of little consequence. Is there anything else you wish to ask?"

"Are you the same little boy who stopped the moon from falling a few years ago?" Oh, she kind of caught me off guard with that one. I figured she was older than she looked, though, seeing as the Gerudo seem to age uniquely. "There were a few drawings, but he never came back."

"I didn't have the time to come back. Besides, your other queen wanted my head for stealing those Zora eggs away from you all. Speaking of which, whatever happened to her?" Adara stands in silent contemplation. "I'm the little boy in green, all right?"

"That's better." Figures she'd want me to answer first. "She lost her throne in the trials. That warrior, Tasca, came with some of her troops a few years ago and made the challenge. For whatever reason, she stayed behind when they left. The rest, as they say, is history."

There "they" are again. "These types of things happen often-Gerudo swapping out leaders and such?"

"If the current queen seems to do things that harm the greater good of the group, then yes, she may be challenged for her throne. Our last leader seemed hell bent on destroying the Zora, and all because she thought their heads were shaped to cause bad omens." Okay, I knew the lady seemed a little short on patience, but that's just ridiculously insane. Hell, even Ganondorf had better reasons for killing than the shape of somebody's head. "Now, about what happened on the ship?"

And now she reveals the reason for her kindness-she wants something in return. No, I'm not going to tell her. I only told them because they're my friends and extended family. Beyond that, my new reality is on a need to know basis and she doesn't need to know.

"Like I said before, some things you don't need to know." My face returns to the horizon, determined to finish this damn song. I breathe life into the ocarina. Hmm, maybe I'm not so rusty after all… ah, hell. "That wasn't very nice of you," I say nonchalantly, ignoring the fact this little twit just kicked one of the most important possessions in my life out of my hands. Bending reality to a shape I see fit, my ocarina stops mid fall and returns to my hands, where I play it as if nothing ever happened… pissing her off infinitely.

"Look, I have been patient enough! Tell me how you did those things!" she demands, finally beginning to upset me.

"No," I reply.

"I suggest you not try my patience," she pauses mid rant, seeing me appear directly in front of her.

"And I suggest you don't try mine. I've been nothing but kind to you from the moment you interrupted my honeymoon, yet you continue to ride this 'all men are evil' wave of bullshit. That's despite not knowing half of us. Think what you will about me, but since I don't ask to know your secrets, stop asking to know mine," I say with obvious disgust.

Hurt her? No, I'll erase her mind of the events that took place if she pursues the subject any further. I'm not in the habit of hurting people simply because they annoy me. So, as the intimidating glow fades from colorless eyes, I stroll back across the door and plop down to finish my song. Now, I suppose she'll stand here and watch me into submission. Oh, screw it. A one, and a two, and a… "Ah, so here you are, Hero." Why do I even bother? My wife has sniffed me out with her fellow queen in tow. This ought to be interesting.

"That's it! Take one more step and I'll jump!" I stand in dramatic fashion, startling them with my faux mood swing. I'm in a playful mood, though Tasca and Nabooru stop cold in fear. Adara takes the step, and I take the plunge. "I told you I'd jump! Goodbye cruel world that never got a chance to hear my song! Aaaah!" We're falling, we're falling, and… we've slid between dimensions. "AAAAH, don't believe you let her take that step," I say to Nabooru, as I fade into place behind her with my arms around her waist.

"Cute, Link, very cute." Uh-oh, she's using the name. I keep forgetting she isn't as used to this as the Triforce is making me out to be.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you," I said through mental means.

"Who says I was scared?" Look of panic, accelerated heartbeat, and sweaty palms, I guess I was wrong. She wasn't scared. "Apology accepted, though." Adara and Tasca look on in shock, watching Nabooru go from angry to calm in my arms without a verbal word spoken between us. To one, it's a sign of contemptible weakness. To the other, the more experienced of the two, it's a sign of love.

*Cough*

"Nabooru, you were going to ask him something." Shit, and here I thought she was ready to leave. I un-attach myself from her waist and wait. It must be important if she's dragging me out of their earshot.

"Is something wrong?" I ask, watching her take a seat on a particularly smooth part of the cliff. "Come on, just ask."

She raises her head to my face and simply says, "Fight."

"Fight who and for what?" She responds to my question by looking apprehensively at the now, noonday sun. Well, damn, I know she couldn't want me to fight her… "You don't mean that you want me to fight you, do you?"

"No! But there's this sort of tradition to it. The kings or queens of separate Gerudo nations-to settle certain issues-hold fights. They're usually between the queens, but if there're kings or males present, they have to fight." She finally looks at me, which already leads me to believe this means a lot to her, if not sounding too petty a thing for violence. "And Tasca kept going on and on about how her son could've defeated Ganondorf. Then she said, he could beat you and prove that the Hero of Time thing didn't mean anything and that anyone strong enough could've done it." And just when you thought it was safe to let a title stay dead and buried, it comes up to bite you in the ass like a Re-dead.

My first instinct would be to call this all petty competition. But if I've come to realize anything about living with the Gerudo these past few months is that they value their traditions. So, if I am to be king, I must learn to take value in them as well… although I could probably mop the floor with said king-to-be in a few seconds. I decide upon my answer, watching her grow more dejected by the silent-second.

"That all? If it is, I got it covered." Insert smile, and Nabooru's spirits rise. I move aside, as she triumphantly hops off her rocky seat to inform the others of my decision. No thanks or anything, but that's okay. Knowing she has this type of confidence in me is good enough. Though, I suppose I should try to refrain from using too many of my powers in this endeavor, because I didn't have them when I faced Ganondorf, and facing this guy with them is a bit unfair. Yeah, yeah, no such thing as a fair fight. But fighting him with the universe at my disposal, you won't even have a fight worth mentioning. Let's go on and see what they're chatting about… talk to you in a while.