Fan Fiction Friday: Crossing Sapphire Waves – Chapter 1

 ||  Next Chapter  ||

The salty air is crisp and clear as Aryll dips her toes into the cold ocean water. The sun is just starting to peek over the horizon line, casting warm tones of yellow, pink, purple, and orange on the water. The waves are choppy today, and her breath hitches as she scans the horizon intently for the one thing she longs for. She hasn’t seen it in years, but she can vividly recall what she’s looking for: the black sail with a pirate skull emblem stitched into the fabric, the ornate dragon bowsprit, and the dark browns and golden trim along the hull. A moment passes, and Aryll sighs, diverting her attention to the restless crabs crawling beneath the waves.

So much has changed in the time since she last saw the pirate ship sail over the horizon line. How long has it been now? Aryll’s eyebrows furrow. A crab takes advantage of her lapse in focus and wriggles out of her fingers. She hastily tries to scoop it out of the water and into the crate nearby, but it burrows beneath the sand before she can catch it again. The crate is half full now, but Aryll is determined to fill it to the brim.

At the southernmost region of the Great Sea, Outset Island is part of a trade route, most famous for their crabs, grass-fed pigs, and Grandma’s Elixir Soup, but they’ve expanded their catalog over the years. The way she sees it, the more they provide, the better. Aryll rolls up her trousers and takes a few more steps out into the ocean, letting the water rise above her knees while her toes sink into the sand. She hovers above the waves and carefully watches for another moment to strike.

The sun continues its slow ascent over the ocean while Aryll works. The sky is bright and clear, a cloudless day by the time the crate’s filled, and Aryll wipes the sweat from her brow. Seagulls circle overhead as she wraps a net over the top of the box. Aryll hoists it over her shoulder and slips her sandals back on before slowly making her way to the pier. Several crates are filled with assorted items and lined up for today’s exchange. 

Outset Island has become a popular spot for visitors looking to catch a glimpse of the Hero of Wind’s home over the years. Items associated with his legacy and stories of heroism, like his green garb and wooden shields with carvings of the Hylian crest and fairies, have become popular along the trade route. Sue-Belle peers into one of the boxes with her hands on her hips, and Aryll notices it’s filled with folded pieces of fabric dyed in forest green. Sue-Belle excitedly waves as Aryll sets down her box and secures the net, 

“Aryll, come take a look! It’s some of my best work yet, and I think I’ll get a lot of Rupees for these. What do you think?” 

Aryll lifts one of the squares of fabric and holds it out against the sun. She nods approvingly and grins, “It’s nice and bright, just like Brother hated. They look great!”

I wonder what Brother would do, knowing that the outfit he disliked would become coveted across the Great Sea? He’d probably make that goofy face like he always did…

“You know, I wanted to do the best work I can since today is his birthday…” Sue-Belle’s voice trails off as she gently rubs the fabric between her fingers.

Aryll absentmindedly gazes across the waves and replies, “I almost forgot what day it was since we haven’t celebrated in so long…”

After a moment, Sue-Belle shoves a handful of squares into Aryll’s hands and clears her throat, “Here, I saved some squares for you and your grandma.”

Aryll gingerly takes the squares from her and smiles, “Thank you.” Her eyes start to tear up, so she quickly tucks them into her pocket and turns, “Well, I better check on Grandma. See you!”

I hope they found what they’ve been looking for after all these years… Aryll thinks as she hurries back home and hops up the stairs. The front door swings open, and she is overwhelmed by the delicious scent of Grandma’s Elixir Soup wafting through the house. Her stomach growls loudly in response as she turns the corner, “I’m back, Grandma. How is the soup coming along?” 

Grandma is sitting next to the boiling cauldron, slowly ladling soup into bottles. The crate next to her is lined with bottles all filled with the soup. The lines around Grandma’s eyes wrinkle when she beams. Aryll loves seeing this side of her. Grandma hands Aryll a bottle of freshly poured soup and chuckles, “Almost done, dear.”

Aryll greedily gulps it down, enjoying the warmth as it courses through her body. The flavors are rich and savory, and no matter how she tries to replicate it, she can never quite capture the same taste. Outset Island’s signature Elixir Soup recipe is always best when Grandma makes it. 

Finishing her bottle, Aryll sets it aside and says, “Here, let me help.” 

They take turns ladling the soup into the bottles until the cauldron is empty. After they’re done, Grandma leans back into her chair and sighs contentedly. After a moment, her gaze wanders to the ceiling as she asks, “Where is your brother today? Is he asleep on The Lookout again? He missed breakfast.”

Aryll sighs sadly. She’s been saying things like this a lot more often lately. Aryll forces a gentle smile and hopes her eyes don’t betray her as she repeats the familiar response, “He’s gone, remember? He left five years ago, and he’s sailing the Great Sea looking for new land for us to live.”

Grandma’s face is crestfallen as she replies softly, “Oh…”

The silence that follows is oppressive and drags Aryll down like an anchor. Aryll desperately tries to comfort her and says hastily, “But once he does, then he’ll come home and we’ll be together again, okay?”

Grandma just nods her reply. Aryll sniffles and blinks back tears. She reaches for one of the green squares of fabric tucked away in her pocket and absentmindedly wipes her nose. Remembering Sue-Belle’s gift with a small gasp, she exclaims, “Oh! Look at the squares Sue-Belle dyed today! They’re really pretty, and she even saved some for us.”

Grandma nods again and holds the fabric to her chest. Aryll watches her for a moment and sighs. Standing up with a stretch, she says softly, “Okay, I’m going to take these to the pier. I’ll be back later today, okay?” 

Aryll doesn’t get a response, so she leaves with the crate after a moment. The bottles clink against each other with each footstep as she treks back to the pier. Southeast of the island, she recognizes the blue windmill insignia against the white backdrop of the sails as the crest of the trade route ship.

They’re here early. They must have had favorable winds today, Aryll observes as it looms above them. She carefully positions the crate of bottled soup and is joined by fellow islanders on the pier to prepare for today’s trade. Rose is carrying piglets under her arms while Joel and Zill struggle to hold up the wooden pen for the piglets behind her. Orca is tying off the last of his shark tooth spears, and Sue-Belle is rearranging her painted vases.

Once the ship is brought to berth and the anchor crashes beneath the waves, the exchange of trade items and correspondence between the crew and islanders is fast-paced and light-hearted. Familiar faces like Kane and Dampa greet Aryll as they lug crates to and from the ship, and even Zunari has joined them this time, no doubt to garner interest in the wares he’s selling at the Auction House. 

Aryll shakes her head politely when he approaches her and gestures dramatically to the trade route ship. She says innocently, “But I can’t leave my Grandma alone, Mr. Zunari.”

“But you can’t stay here forever, now can you? You’ve sailed across the Great Sea before, don’t you love it?”

She darts around the question with one of her own, “Do you have a wish-granting fairy? If you do, then I might be interested in going to the Auction House.”

Zunari barks a laugh but doesn’t reply. He moves onto his next target, trying to convince Sturgeon to come and participate in the auction. Aryll watches as Dampa tries to barter with Rose to give him a few piglets free of charge. Judging from Rose’s hearty laugh in reply, his hopes to raise additional piglets won’t come without a cost. Kane compliments Sue-Belle’s vases and tells her that her artistry has improved since he last saw them. But as expected, no one asks Aryll about her brother anymore. 

In exchange for the piglets, crabs, Elixir Soup, and items in honor of the fabled Hero of Winds, Outset Island receives an ample supply of lumber and metals that Mesa and Orca use to construct smaller fishing boats, along with fishing lures and an assortment of spices and potions from Windfall Island and Forest Haven. Everyone works together to exchange their wares, smiles wide as their laughs fill the air.

Brother would be so happy if he could see how connected and peaceful everything is now… Aryll smiles to herself.

---

By the time everything is bartered and the trade route ship leaves the berth, it’s well into the afternoon. While Sue-Belle and Rose wave from the pier, Joel and Zill frolic and splash each other in the water. Aryll finds herself drifting to the back of the group before strolling along the shore. She watches the ship fade from view as it curves around Outset Island before she turns her gaze south, her feet ankle-deep in the water as she looks out to the horizon intently.

Aryll feels something brush up against her leg, and she’s surprised to see a bottle with a rolled-up piece of parchment inside. She snatches it out of the water and turns it over in her hands. The cork is secure, so no water leaked inside, but judging by the parchment’s stained color, she concludes that this message was written some time ago. Yanking the cork out of the bottle, she carefully unrolls the message and nearly drops it in shock.

To Anyone Who Finds This Message,

We shipwrecked off the coast of a small island in the northeastern seas of the Ocean King. Our ship is damaged beyond repair, and our rations are running low. Please send help. We won’t last much longer.

– Tetra

 

Featured art: Michaela El-Ters

Michaela El-Ters is an Associate Editor for Zelda Dungeon. Her first foray into fan fiction, this story was inspired by her love for The Wind Waker and the surprising amount of tragedy that permeates the game’s narrative and characters. When she isn’t writing or blogging, Michaela loves to watch movies and anime, read books, and cuddle her doggo. To read more of her content, check out her blog here.