AN (feel free to skip if you just want to get right into the story)-Hello All! So, for those of you who have been following me and taking occasional looks at my profile, you'll have been able to see that I've been planning this one for quite a while. My original intent was to not start this one until I was in the middle of writing the third book in my Bound Destines trilogy (I'm in the middle of the second book at the moment), but there are several reasons why I wanted to start this so badly. The first is that my brain won't shut up about this story, and I'm really excited for it! The second is that I've been obsessing over the Wind Waker lately, and since the release of WWHD is so close, I decided to unleash my latest creation upon the fanfic communities! Yay! So anyway, let me just state for those of you who are fans of my trilogy, I will by NO means be putting it on halt to write this. This is going to be another epic project, but I'm writing it solely because I want to. Now, for some background info (Otherwise called me rambling on about pointless stuff for a while because I want to)...

Twisted Fates is not related to the Bound Destines Trilogy in any way. The title may sound like an allusion to it, because it is, but its not part of the trilogy directly. I had once planned to write a Wind Waker story as part of the trilogy (Since it consists of OoT, SS and TP, with MM elements peppered throughout), but then I realized that I had no idea how to do that. So, instead I decided to take another original idea I had and work with that instead. Twisted Fates will most likely make indirect allusions and refrences to pretty much every single Zelda game out there in its characters, plot and other elements, but it is predominately based within the world of the Wind Waker. It will largely center around things in the adult timeline at large (including direct refrences to Phantom Hourglass and Spirit Tracks), since I want to make a more cohesive tale about what could have potentially happened post-Wind Waker leading up to Spirit Tracks. :) There is one important thing I should mention though... In this story, I'm going to make a huge retcon and change how the events of Phantom Hourglass went about and how the actual plot went, so it will favor my main story much better. Its hard to explain right now, but once I write it in the story, it will all slowly hopefully start to make sense. :D

Now knowing the nature of the Wind Waker and the fact that many consider it to be a 'kiddy" game, I've never seen it that way. In fact, I think it has one of the darkest storylines in any Zelda game and that's what makes it one of my favorites! Likewise, this story is not going to be a light, fluffly jaunt. Like my Bound Destinies stories and many of my other works, this story is going to be rather dark. Its rated T for a reason, but don't worry, there won't be anything too graphic or explicit in here, since that just isn't my style. But as a forewarning there will be violence, blood, deep emotional turmoil and themes, some very mild adult themes, and possibly a few other things that I can't think of right now... Also know that this story is going to be chock full of romance, drama, action, adventure, mystery, some humor, angst, hurt/comfort, and more!

MORE DETAILED SYPNOSIS! (Without revealing too much because I want a lot of things to be a "secret to everyone" ;) The story's prologue (aka this first chapter) is going to take place a few months after the Wind Waker (Around the time you would think PH would start). It starts with Link and Tetra (who will both be 12 in the beginning of the story, as that's how old I think they are in the game) and the pirates, sailing around, looking for the land that will become the next Hyrule. Like in the beginning of Phantom Hourglass, they encounter the Ghost Ship, but here's where the retcons start to come in. Instead of Tetra leaping onto the ship like in the game, Link does instead and the ghost ship appears to go down with him on it. Tetra and the rest of the crew believe that the Hero of Winds has been killed in the sinking, but in reality he was whisked away to the waters of the Ocean King (from PH, ya know), where he becomes stranded for quite some time thanks to the monster Bellum, who is terrorizing the area. In both worlds, five years pass simultaneously (and in my interpretation, time passes in the same way for both the Great Sea and the world of the Ocean King, unlike in the game). Link, now 17, was able to defeat Bellum, but because of the Ocean King's significantly weakened state, the hero was unable to return home all this time. However, during a rare natural phenomenon, the Ocean king is able to temporarily regain his full powers again and he is able to use them to send Link back to his home world. Meanwhile Tetra, also 17, has spent the past five years embittered by the loss of the hero, whom she had considered to be one of her few actual friends. She blames herself for the accident and as a result, she keeps to herself, letting no one, not even her loyal crew in on her inner heartache. However, on one fateful night, she encounters the hero she had long thought to be dead and despite Link's clear joy in seeing her again, Tetra refuses to believe that he is anything more than another dream or illusion sent to haunt her. The hero continues to pursue the pirate captain, desperately trying to convince her that he really is back, but little do either of them know that something treacherous is rising up from the depths of the ocean. An evil that seeks the life of the hero and the love of the pirate girl... The Great Sea has changed, and its nothing at all like it used to be...

And that's my VERY long plot sypnosis! Yeah, it may have been a little confusing, but it will make more sense when i explain it in better detail in the story! And in case your wondering... here's a glimpse at some of the characters we might be seeing along the way. Obviously there will be Link and Tetra (and Zelda might make an appearance, I haven't decided yet), the pirates, Aryll, Grandma, Medli, Komali, Makar, Quill, Linebeck, Oshus, Ciela, Bellum (mention), some other Wind Waker and Phantom Hourglass characters and a few Spirit Tracks characters later on... Plus, a main antagonist that I refuse to name at the moment... Let's just say that they've been in a few Zelda games before and they're a fan favorite... I'll leave you to guess who it is from there. It doesn't mean that I'll tell you if you're right! ;D

And that's pretty much it for my WAY long intro. This chapter will serve as the prologue, and the beginning of it (or my framing device) is set a few months after Spirit Tracks, though the main bulk of the story will take place in the time period of the Wind Waker (or rather, five years after it) and you'll be able to see huge references to Phantom Hourglass in this prologue ;) So with all of this huge exposition out of the way, let's get started!

MiniJen Presents

The Legend of Zelda

Twisted Fates

Prologue: The Ghost Ship

"It takes ten times as long to put yourself back together as it does to fall apart."
-Finnick, Mockingjay

New Hyrule, Circa 101

A loud and sudden whistle broke through the calm of the afternoon. The squirrels and rabbits that frolicked through the trees of the Forest Realm were startled at the noise, and were quick to flee for cover from the approaching train as it sped along the tracks that crossed the countryside.

On the outer platform of the last car of the train stood a boy, no older than twelve, frowning as he watched the scenery go by. This young boy was hailed as a hero by most of the people of New Hyrule, for along with the kingdom's young princess, he vanquished a great evil and saved the land from certain doom. However, that had been months ago. Since then, the boy had undertaken the responsibility of serving as the princess's bodyguard. It was a job that certainly had its ups and downs; on one hand, it allowed him to spend a good amount of time with the princess, who had come to be one of his closest friends over the course of the adventure they had been on together, but on the other hand, the young hero was bored. During his journey, he had gotten used to exploring the vast realms of New Hyrule by train, decoding mind-boggling puzzles, and slaying fierce monsters. Now, his duties were largely regulated to standing around while the princess preformed her royal duties, spending most of his time being cooped up in the castle, and not really doing too much of anything else. Since he had become her bodyguard, she had indeed been the safest she had ever been, but that was largely because the land was experiencing a time of great peace, with nothing placing any threat on the princess's life whatsoever. Even this short train journey, in which he was accompanying the princess to the snow realm on matters of diplomacy, was nothing more than simple trip that most likely wouldn't consist of any action or adventure. But, at the very least it was a rare chance for the young hero to leave the castle along with the princess, even if he would have liked to be the conductor of the train more than a mere passenger.

"Link?" the princess called out as she opened the back door of the train to find him there. "Oh, there you are!"

"Zelda!" Link exclaimed in slight surprise at the suddenness of her appearance as he turned to face her. "I mean, princess," he inclined his head in respect, remembering what he had been taught about how he was to address her. "I'm sorry. I was just getting some fresh air."

Princess Zelda smiled warmly, letting out a soft laugh. "Its fine, Link," she said, waving her hand aside to show that there was no need for him to use formalities at the moment, since no one else was around. "I have a feeling that if you were supposed to protect me every minute of every day, we'd both get tired of it really fast." The princess giggled again, but the hero did not join her. Instead he sighed and turned around once more, leaning on the railing as the train continued to follow its course. Zelda frowned when she noticed his melancholy and so she stepped up beside him and leaned on the railing as well.

"I know how much you've missed this..." she said to him after a moment of silence between them. "Things have been slow ever since we defeated Cole and Malladus. I'm sorry that being my bodyguard isn't as fun or exciting as I made it out to be... Its just... I knew that if you had decided to become an engineer, then I wouldn't have been able to see you as much. That's why I begged and pleaded with you to take on the job, remember?"

Link couldn't help but smile fondly as he thought back to how Zelda had hard pressed him to take on the position, promising him that it would be full of adventure and action. Though his first inclination had been to become a full-time royal engineer, he was unable to turn the princess down and so he had agreed to take her up on her offer. "Yeah," he said, glancing over at her with a slight grin. "I do..."

Zelda returned his smile only for a moment, before looking down and letting out a sad sigh. "Link?" she asked, as the hero turned to look at her fully. "If... If you could go back and do something else... would you? Knowing what you do now... would you still have chosen what you did...?"

He was silent for a moment as he thought through how to phrase his answer before giving her a soft smile and gently placing his hand over hers. "Zelda," he said resolutely. "I would have chosen you a thousand times if I had to."

The princess's cheeks grew slightly red upon hearing him say this, but she nodded her gratitude and thanks to him. However, she knew that he was still not content. Fortunately though, she knew exactly what would cheer him up. "You know..." she said as she finalized the plan in her mind. "Your answer reminds me of a story that my grandmother used to tell me that's been passed down in my family. Its about my great-great grandmother, Tetra and the Hero of Winds..." Zelda gave the hero beside her a small grin as she watched his eyes light up with interest. She had told him many stories before of the female pirate captain and the courageous hero from over a century ago, who had founded New Hyrule and made it a prosperous land, and each and every one fascinated Link to no end as they were full of adventure, action and suspense. "Its one that I've never told you before," she continued. "From when they were young. Its probably the best story about them out there, even though it hasn't made into the history books just yet... Do you want to hear it?"

"Of course!" Link exclaimed with excitement, already devoting his full attention to the princess. "I mean... Please, tell it to me, princess."

Zelda laughed and nodded as she began to recall the details of the distant tale. "Okay," she said, looking out over the passing landscape her kingdom as she started her story the way she did every story she told. "This is another one of the legends of which the people speak..."

Southwestern waters of the Great Sea, More than 100 years ago

The waters of the Great Sea always shined their brightest under the mid-morning sunshine. The yellow orb cast a glow upon the vast ocean as its blue waves rolled on and on for miles, to a horizon that never seemed to end. The cloudless skies above also stretched far and wide, obstructed by no nearby islands in sight. It was a part of the sea that few ever really thought to sail through, but on this particular warm and flawless day, a grand ship cut through the waters of the area. A pirate ship to be exact.

The large sail of the sizable vessel flittered in the fresh wind, which blew in the favor of the crew as they traveled through the southwestern sea under the command of their young captain. There were approaching these parts in search of a rumor. Whether or not that rumor had an ounce of truth to it was what the pirates had come to find out.

As usual, the main deck of the ship was abuzz with activity, as the crewmen hustled about, carrying out their chores and duties. Zuko, the ship's lookout, peered through his trusty telescope across the wide sea from atop the crow's nest. Mako, the brains of the crew, fiddled around with some rope near the ship's bow, most likely trying to rig some sort of contraption. Towards the back end of the ship, Gonzo, the ship's second-in-command, stood steering the ship, with Nudge standing nearby, supervising the rest of the crew in place of their absent captain.

"Hey Nudge?" Gonzo asked the pirate next to him as he took a quick glance over the deck. "Where's Miss Tetra?"

A smirk came across Nudge's face as he shook his head and chuckled. "Well, knowing Miss Tetra, I'd say that there's a pretty good chance she's below deck, looking for you-know-who..."

"Oh..." Gonzo nodded, knowing exactly who Nudge was referring to. And as it turned out, the two men were exactly right in their guess of the captain's whereabouts. Tetra was indeed storming the lower decks of the ship, on a mission to find the newest passenger on her ship and to give him the scolding he deserved.

Tetra held her expression in a firm scowl as she quickly marched down the halls of the ship's lower deck. Her hands were curled up into tight fists at her sides and she muttered to herself angrily in a low voice. "I can't believe him..." she hissed quietly. "Of all the nonsense I have to put up with... He's probably off sleeping somewhere instead of doing his chores... Well this time, its the last straw. The moment I find him, I'm gonna throw him off my ship once and for all!" The pirate girl let out a huffy breath of frustration through her nose as she headed for one of the hatches that opened up to the main deck. She emerged near the stern, and quickly made her way towards Nudge and Gonzo, who watched her with wide eyes when they noticed how angry she looked.

"Alright!" she said, crossing her arms and slamming a foot down to the ground in fury. "Where is he?!"

The two pirates exchanged a look before relenting. "Down there, Miss," Gonzo nodded towards the deck below the steering platform. "With Niko."

"Figures," Tetra sneered as she started to head to the steps that led down towards the main deck. "They're probably goofing off, as usual." She stopped short however, when she saw the sight below her as she stood near the platforms wooden railing and looked down. "Aha!" she whispered, glaring at the boy in green who lay sleeping on the deck, just as she had suspected him to be. Niko, the lowest ranking pirate on the crew, stood nearby, not even noticing that the young boy had dozed off, but instead, he was engrossed in telling a story it seemed. Tetra decided to lean forward and listen for a moment, instead of leaping down there to order them both to get back to work.

"Our story begins not long ago," Niko began after he finished rambling about the paper cut-outs he had made to accompany the tale. "There was a young girl, savvy to the seas and head of a band of pirates. Her name was Tetra. She was pretty, brash and brave."

Tetra couldn't help but smirk pridefully, knowing that everything Niko had just said about her was absolutely true. "Tetra and her handsome pirates set out to explore the vast and unfamiliar seas..." the small pirate continued. "One day, at a stop on an island, Tetra met a young boy dressed in green. After a series of strange events, the two began traveling together."

The pirate girl frowned as she recalled those strange events from just a few months ago, but Niko was nowhere close to finished yet. "They found old ruins and light enveloped Tetra. At once, she transformed into a beautiful princess. Her lineage traced back to an ancient, ruined kingdom. She was Princess Zelda of the kingdom of Hyrule."

Tetra's frowned deepened as she remembered this shocking revelation of her royal heritage. Her mother had never told her of it before her passing, and even still, the pirate girl treated her inherited title with distain, for it was something she had never wanted and something that she wished she could get rid of. "Just then," Niko went on, his eyes alight with excitement as he continued his epic tale. "A huge, ominous king appeared! He carried Princess Zelda away... The evil king sought the sacred power passed down to Hyrulian princesses. He schemed to take the power and use it for himself..."

"The Triforce..." Tetra muttered to herself, glancing at the back of her hand, which used to carry the mark of the Triforce of Wisdom upon it, until it was stolen from her by the evil king, Ganondorf. He had sought the golden power, which had the ability to grant any wish, and use it to take over the world. And he very well would have succeeded if one thing hadn't stood in his path.

"The boy chased after him, determined to save the princess. The boy crossed seas and climbed mountains. The journey was perilous. He slayed evil monsters and used their power to become a true hero."

"Ha!" Tetra scoffed quietly, glancing down at the still-sleeping boy. "What kind of hero lays around and sleeps all day?!"

"After long and hard adventuring, he defeated the evil king and beautiful Princess Zelda was rescued at last. Later, the two set out with the brave pirate crew in search of new lands...Yes, they set sail together! A happy pirate ending!"

Tetra couldn't help but smile as the story came to a close, satisfied with how it ended. Niko had summed things up pretty nicely, detailing how their current situation came to be and what their current overall goal was: to find a land that would become the next Hyrule.

Niko placed his paper cutouts aside and grinned widely. "So, what'd you think of my amazing paper cut-outs?" he asked, not aware that the boy he had been telling this story to was still snoozing. "Did you guess that Tetra was really Princess Zelda?" The pirate's smile suddenly vanished when he finally caught on that no one, save for Tetra, had really been listening to his story. "Hey!" he exclaimed in slight frustration. "Link! Are you sleeping, swabbed?"

The young hero stirred at the sound of his name, but only slightly. Tetra rolled her eyes at him, finally deciding at enough was enough. "Link!" she called out harshly, starting to hurry down the stairs before leaping down them altogether. She marched right for him, her scowl returning and her anger towards him burning hotter than ever. Niko simply stood by with a stunned expression on his face, hoping that he wouldn't catch the captain's burning wrath as well.

"Stop messing around down there!" Tetra scolded Link, placing her hands on her hips as she yelled. "You're both supposed to be on lookout!"

Link groaned sleepily as he slowly sat up. "But Tetra..." he whined tiredly.

"But nothing!" the pirate girl growled. She sighed and shook her head. "Some 'legendary hero' you are!" she scoffed. "Who would ever believe that you saved me from the evil king?"

"So you're not glad that I saved your life?" the boy challenged defiantly.

Tetra scowled fiercely at him, but then set her expression in a sly grin. "Am I glad that you saved me?" she asked rhetorically. "Yes. Do I think you could ever do it again? Goddesses, no! I mean, come on! All you do is sit around and sleep! Give me one good reason why I shouldn't toss you off this ship and leave you for the fishes!"

"One good reason?" Link asked with a clever smirk, knowing that the only way to deal with Tetra when she was in one of her common hateful moods was to retort with jokes. "Okay, I've got one: because you like me."

Tetra's eyes widened in sheer fury at this response. "WHAT?!" she screeched widely. "Are you kidding me?! What could make you EVER think that I actually LIKE you?!"

"Because," the hero said calmly, his smile not fading. "You know why..."

Tetra was about to send a firery comment back at him before restraining herself. She glanced around at her crew, who were all watching the scene intently, before looking down at the ground sheepishly. She knew that he was right. In fact, she had remembered confiding in him, one night not long after they set out together, when she was feeling particularly low, that she did actually trust him, perhaps more than anyone else. And aside from that, she had told him that she considered him to be one of the few actual friends that she had ever had. And considering the life-or-death circumstances they had been through together, she had every reason to both trust and befriend him. Most of the time, her anger towards him or really any one else was one of two things: a way for her to vent out her frustrations, or a front that she put on to enforce order and command amongst her crew. She didn't always mean it, and she realized, that despite her earlier anger, she didn't mean it this time either. "Fine..." she whispered so quietly that only he was able to hear her. "I'm sorry..."

Link nodded silently, accepting her apology. He knew just as well as she did how important the image she presented to her crew and the rest of the local islands were. Her desire was to be known as a fierce, strong-willed, brave pirate captain, but he knew that the pirate captain wasn't all she was. She had hidden fears and dreams, and though she liked to keep them well hidden, she had shared a few of them with him. He genuinely did care for her; after all, he had went to such great lengths to save her. He had grown accustomed to her mannerisms of anger and hostility, and he was perhaps one of the only people on the ship who knew how to really deal with her in a way that ended in peace. Both of them were at the point where they considered the other to be a good, close friend, though sometimes, the hero wondered if perhaps one day, when they were older, they would be more than that. There was no question that he liked Tetra and it was clear that she liked him too on some level, but still, both of them were only twelve, and though their experiences had matured them, they were still both too young for thoughts of romance.

"Princess Zelda!" Zuko calling out from the crow's nest broke through their subtle exchange. "We're nearly at that spot in the sea!"

Tetra scowled as she looked up, hating the mere mention of that name. "I told you not to call me Zelda!" she shouted bitterly. "Tetra worked just fine before, you know!" The pirate girl glanced a glance towards Link, who was smirking playfully at her for reasons only she knew. In private, he liked to gently tease her about her royal heritage, much to her annoyance, by calling her "Princess", "Zelda", or often times both together. Tetra glared at him, even though she felt her cheeks redden for some reason. "But enough about that!" she called out, hiding her awkward blush the best she could. "So this is where that Ghost Ship is supposed to appear? Stay on the look-out for a creepy-looking ship!"

"Ghost Ship?" Link asked with a frown. "Is that really why we've come all the way out here? Because of some stupid rumor?"

"Who said it was a rumor?" Tetra said, crossing her arms. "We've seen crazier, haven't we?"

"Well yeah," the hero admitted. "But even if it does exist, what are you planning on doing when we find it?"

"Link's right!" Niko chimed in. "Are you sure this is a good idea, Miss? What about all those ships that have gone missing in this area? I say that Ghost Ship is behind all of it!"

Tetra smirked, knowing that she had a perfect chance to scare the daylights out of her lowest-ranking crew member. "That's right, Niko," she said calmly. "Every ship disappears. And its all because of that scaaaaaary Ghost Ship! I'll bet its full of monsters... and demons... and of course, ghosts!"

"G-ghosts!?" the small pirate stammered, already quivering in his boots.

Tetra grinned back towards Link, who merely rolled his eyes at her usual antics. "Don't worry, Niko," he said reassuringly. "She's just trying to scare you."

Niko stopped shivering in fright upon hearing this and let out a half-hearted laugh. At the same time Tetra frowned at the hero. "You take the fun out of everything," she pouted jokingly, giving him a soft punch on the arm.

"Hey Tetra!" Gonzo called out from the steering platform. "They say these seas are protected, yeah? Something about a spirit called the Ocean King... Wouldn't a spirit like that protect the ships? Unless there really is an evil Ghost Ship..."

"Don't be ridiculous!" the pirate girl retorted. "There's no such thing as a Ghost Ship! I bet its just some pirates up to no good! I'll expose them as a bunch of frauds and remind them that there are rules to being pirates! And who knows? Maybe we'll even find a little treasure along the way as a bonus..."

"Is treasure all you think about?" Link asked sarcastically.

"When you're a pirate, its the only thing you think about," she said, sending him a sly wink and a grin. "And besides, I doubt there really is an Ocean King anyway. Its probably some silly myth or legend made up by the locals, right along side the Ghost Ship."

"Well what about all this fog then?!" Mako called out from the ship's bow.

"Fog?" Tetra asked, glancing around and noticing that they had run into a thick patch of fog. The sunshine was completely gone, obstructed by thick dark clouds as thunder roared ominously from the heavens. "Zuko!" she called up to the look out. "Can you see anything?!"

"No, Miss!" he answered. "Its too thick!"

"The air feels chilly..." Niko mused as he began to shiver in fear again. "Eerie even... I say we take a detour around this creepy place..."

"Quit being so scared!" Tetra reprimanded. "We're here to see the world, not take detours!"

"Uh, Tetra?" Link asked the pirate captain. "Are you really sure this is a good idea?"

"Oh, come on!" she said, rolling her eyes at him. "Don't tell me that the great 'Hero of Winds' is afraid too!"

"I'm not afraid!" he said firmly. "Its just... this seems kinda dangerous, don't you think?"

The pirate girl smirked, showing no traces of fear or reservations. "Danger is always the fun part, isn't it?" she asked daringly, staring off into the fog with excitement in her dark blue eyes.

"Ship ahoy!" Zuko called out as he looked through his telescope. "Miss Tetra, I can see a ship..." he said with slight uncertainty. "Yeah, a... a ship... up ahead!" He pointed to the direction in which he had spotted the supposed ship and everyone on deck followed his gaze. And indeed, cutting through the waters and through the fog was a ship, unlike any of them had ever seen before. It was made of wood that seemed to be rotted, but somehow it still stayed afloat upon the water's surface. Its figure head was a golden skull and its sails were red, and torn to tattered shreds. Jutting from its sides were two golden fixtures, both of which poured an unearthly blue light onto the waters in front of it. No one appeared to be on it as it seemed to move through the sea on its own accord and direction. It slowly came up beside the pirate ship, nearly doubling it in size as it came to a halt and floated along side it.

"It... its... its the GHOST SHIP!" Niko cried out in fear at the monstrosity of a ship. "These waters really are cursed! Now we're doomed!"

"And you call yourself a pirate!" Tetra scoffed, rolling her eyes at him. "Please! Its just a ship! But... it does look like it could be a Ghost Ship... And like I said, there might even be a load of treasure on board!" The pirate girl's expression turned from angry to excited at the prospect of riches untold. "That's it! This is just too good of an opportunity to pass up! I'm gonna get to the bottom of this!"

As she started to approach the ship's railing, Link was quick to grab her arm and stop her in her tracks. "Tetra, wait," he said firmly, knowing she was leaping headfirst into trouble. "Think about this. What if the Ghost Ship really is cursed?"

"Pfft," Tetra rolled her eyes. "Don't make me laugh. You're only saying that 'cause you're scared!"

"I told you!" the hero said, growing more impatient with the pirate captain by the second. "I'm not scared. I just don't want you to get hurt."

"I'll be fine!" she said, roughly pulling her arm away from his grasp. "Now if you'll excuse me, I have some treasure to go find."

"Tetra, stop!" Link said, taking her hand once more. "You're not going. I won't let you."

Tetra spun around and glared at him, her eyes alight with fury. "What?" she asked, her voice quiet but clearly shaking with rage.

The hero took in a deep breath, knowing that he was about to catch it. But at the same time, he knew he couldn't let her go through with this. Leaping on that ship would be suicide. He had already been through so much to save her before and even then, he had almost failed. He wouldn't be able to live with himself if he actually did fail. "I said, I'm not going to let you go on that ship," he said calmly.

"How DARE you!" she hissed, leaning into his face with a look that could certainly kill. "I am the CAPTAIN of this ship! I will do whatever I want! You're the LAST person I would EVER take orders from!"

"Tetra, please," the boy said sincerely, finally showing a piece of how desperate he really was to keep her safe. "Don't go."

The girl's glare softened when she heard his earnest plea. Though she was still enraged with him for his clear insubordination, she finally understood that he simply didn't want to see her get hurt. She knew she could take care of herself, and that she wouldn't need his help, but at the same time, she also knew just how important this was to him. But at the same time, she wanted that treasure badly. Her pirate instincts were just too strong to leave it behind. And if she wasn't going to go on that ship, then somebody else was... "Alright, fine," she said calmly, casting a small glance behind her at the Ghost Ship. "Then you go."

"What?!" Link exclaimed, taken aback by this sudden turn of events.

"You heard me, 'Mr. Hero'," Tetra said callously. "Somebody is going on that ship to get that treasure and since you're not allowing me to go, that means that you have to go instead of me. Its only fair, isn't it?"

"No!" the hero said, knowing that no one should have had a dangerous task of going on that cursed ship merely for treasure. "Tetra, what I meant is that nobody should be going on that ship at all! Its not worth it!"

"And this coming from the so-called hero who journeyed across the Great Sea and defeated an evil king?" the pirate girl challenged. "How pathetic. You know, I used to think you were kinda brave. Has sailing the seas on a big, comfy pirate ship and lazing every day made you soft?"

Link scowled at her, hating when she teased him like this. Yelling at him was one thing, but undermining his accomplishments and courage was something else entirely. But all the same, he wasn't about to let her get the better of him again.

"Tetra," he said firmly. "I'm not going and neither are you."

Tetra simply shook her head and let out a quiet laugh. "I don't think you get it," she said tauntingly. "Its either you... or me... Your choice."

The hero took in a deep breath, knowing that like him, she wasn't about to relent at all. If he refused to go, then not only would Tetra continue to hang it over his head by calling him a coward, but she'd also be throwing her own self into danger. Either way, Link knew that he'd be going on that ship, either if it was on his own or to save the pirate girl from certain danger once more. And out of those two choices, the path that kept Tetra out of danger seemed to be the best, even if there was a very high chance it wouldn't end well for him.

"Fine," he sighed in resignation as he slowly approached the railing. "I'll go." Tetra smirked victoriously at him, knowing that she had finally worn him down.

"Its not that bad," she said with consolation as she came up behind him, feeling somewhat bad about how she had insulted him. "Who knows? Maybe you'll even find a few monsters to slay in there, get a little exercise and then come back as the hero of the ship with a bounty of treasure. It'll be great."

"Sure..." Link said skeptically as he took in the sight of the ominous ship in front of him. "But until I get back, can you hold onto this for me?" He pulled something out of one of the pockets of his tunic and turned to Tetra, holding a small white baton in his hands.

"The Wind Waker?" she asked, taking the object and holding it in her hands. "What for?"

"I don't want to loose it," he said with a cryptic smile. Tetra raised an eyebrow at him, knowing that he meant to say more but wouldn't. All the same though, she nodded and placed the Wind Waker in her pocket for safe-keeping.

As the young hero stepped up onto the railing, the pirate girl couldn't help but feel somewhat guilty about the methods she had used to convince him into doing this. She had blatantly insulted him, something that she had not done since they first met. She didn't want him to get hurt, but at the same time, she was confident that if he ran into danger, he would be able to take care of on his own. He'll be fine... she thought as she watched him closely. After all, if he can save the world, then he can save himself... right?

"Are you ready?" Tetra asked Link as he prepared to jump onto the other ship.

"Yeah..." the boy nodded, trying to hide any trace of fear or nervousness, even though he did have many reservations about doing something so blindly reckless.

"Link, wait..." the girl said, coming up behind him as he glanced down at her. "I... Well, I..." She scolded herself mentally for not being good at these sort of things, but nonetheless she hurriedly untied her signature red bandana that always hung around her neck and pressed it into his hands. "Take it," she said, looking him squarely in the eyes.

"Tetra..." he said, knowing how much the scarf meant to her as he tried to hand it back. "I can't-"

"No," she said, giving him a small, sincere smile. "I want you to have it... For luck..."

"Thank you," he nodded, tucking it safely away into his pocket. With one final glance exchanged between the two of them, Link faced the Ghost Ship once more and placing any thought of danger out of his head, he closed his eyes and leapt from the safety of the pirate ship, landing squarely on the deck on the seemingly haunted ship.

"Don't come back until you find me some treasure!" Tetra called out jokingly as the thick fog quickly obscured her view of him. If he shouted an answer back, she didn't hear it. A strong silence came over over the area as every one watched and waited to see what would happen. The only sound that could be heard was the pounding of the waves against the two ships below. The pirate girl stood, watching the Ghost Ship closely as she gripped the railing tightly, silently hoping and praying that Link would make it back safely. She kept her expression cold and distant though, so none of her crew could see the fear and worry that was coursing throughout her.

Suddenly a deafening boom of thunder rattled throughout the area as a bright bolt of lightning shot down from the dark heavens, striking the Ghost Ship directly. The impact rocked the pirate ship roughly about as all of the pirates struggled to keep their footing, but as Tetra watched the lightning strike down with wide eyes he thoughts were only on one thing. "Link!" she shouted, letting her worry finally pour forth. Cold fear gripped her heart when she received no reply and it only got worse as she saw the haunted vessel burst into flames. "No!" she screamed, knowing that it would only be a matter of minutes before the ship would go down with the hero on it. She had to do something; she wasn't about to let him die because of some stupid dare. Without thinking, Tetra leapt up onto the railing of the pirate ship and prepared to leap towards the Ghost Ship, until Nudge and Gonzo quickly grabbed onto her arms stopping her in her tracks.

"Let me go!" she struggled fiercely against their grips. "I have to go help him!"

"Miss, no!" Gonzo said firmly. "We can't let you go in there and get killed, yeah? That ship is gonna sink!"

Tetra didn't stop struggling as she saw the Ghost Ship begin to tilt backwards in the water. "I don't care!" she shouted in both fury and desperation. "As your captain, I COMMAND you to put me down!"

"Miss Tetra," Nudge said as respectfully as he could. "We can't. I'm sorry. But don't worry, I'm sure he'll be OK. He's survived worse, right?"

The pirate girl glared hatefully at the older pirate but before she could say anything, the Ghost Ship split in half within a matter of seconds. Its back end continued to sink into the water until it was fully submerged, but its front end bobbed in the water for a few seconds before it began to sink backwards as well. Tetra strained her eyes to try and catch even the smallest glimpse of Link, but she found nothing amongst the tall flames. This was the fastest ship sinking she had ever seen, and that gave her the idea that the bolt of lightning that had struck it down had not been a mere accident. Maybe these waters really were cursed... But even so, the girl's heart pounded hard as she silently watched in terror and dread as the final piece of the ship slipped into the depths of the sea, leaving no trace of its presence behind. With the Ghost Ship gone, the fog vanished almost instantly and the dark clouds subsided, revealing the clear blue skies once again. The moment the ship had finished sinking, Tetra finally broke free from Nudge and Gonzo's grasp. She ran to the edge of the ship and peered down over the railing into the blue waters below, looking for any sign of the hero at all.

"Link!" she called out, almost on the verge of tears. "Link! Where are you!? Are you out there?! Answer me!"

She was answered with nothing more than the sound of the soft breeze blowing nearby. Her body grew numb as the realization set in. Link was gone, and it was all her fault. Tetra closed her eyes tightly, not wanting to look at the sight of the teasing, bright seascape. She didn't want to see the place where the Ghost Ship had been, the treacherous, haunted vessel that had taken the boy who had saved her life to his watery grave. All of the pirates looked down in silence and grief over the loss of the hero, but there was none more saddened than their young captain. Tetra kept her eyes shut until she felt something warm and wet stream down her cheek. She tentatively opened her eyes and placed a hand to the liquid as she figured out what it was. For the first time in many years, Tetra, the fierce, brash, fearless leader of the pirates of the Great Sea, heir to the lost kingdom of Hyrule, was crying, shedding silent tears over Link, the boy from Outset Island and the Hero of Winds, who had saved her life, who had been perhaps the only person who had ever been her true friend, and who was now lost forever to the same waters he had once sailed.

And that's a wrap for my overly-long prologue! Know that the only reason its this long is because I really needed to establish the starting relationship between Link and Tetra for later on, as well as put the beginning of one of the plots of this story into place. For the next chapter, keep on the lookout for more Phantom Hourglass characters (a little Linebeck anyone?) and then after than, some huge foreshadowing to the main conflict! But I'm not giving out any huge spoilers yet! After all, I am still trying to keep the main antagonist a secret so no peeksies! Hahahah, alright so now I'm off to work on the next chapter in my Skyward Sword story, Blood and Spirit, if anyone wants to follow me there! As for this story, if you like what you see and can't wait for more, follow, favorite and most of all REVIEW please! Until next time! :D