Fan Fiction Friday: Crossing Sapphire Waves – Chapter 5

||  Previous Chapter  ||

The demonic laughs and taunts of the Cubus Sisters as they surround her are the only thing Aryll can hear and see. The fog is oppressive and thick, and the only thing she can think is about how she’ll never see her brother again. He’s gone, and I’ll never see him again. Never. I’m so selfish, putting Komali and everyone else at risk to go on this journey and for nothing! As she tries to wipe her tears from her cheeks, she sees a faint glow next to her. She pulls the bottle from her pocket and inspects it. The Forest Firefly’s light is pulsating brighter, not just its rainbow colors, but a golden glow. It feels warm and comforting. Familiar, like an old friend.

The Cubus Sisters screech in response to the light, shielding their faces with their hands before the light overwhelms everyone around them. Aryll thinks, at the moment that they’re enveloped in the white light, that she hears a voice. She can’t make out the words, but it’s a soft, gentle voice followed by a light giggle. But before she can reply, the light fades, and she’s back on the boat. The fog and Ghost Ship have disappeared, and the sky is a gentle pink with the rising sun. She’s standing on the deck with the bottle in her hands. The Forest Firefly returns to its usual pulsating light, its glow dimmer than before.

“What happened just now?” Loot still has his guard up, ax in hand. “Where’d they go? Where’s the Ghost Ship?”

“I think we’re safe,” Aryll replies, holding the bottle to her chest. “My brother’s gift protected us.”

“The light from that fairy…That magic seemed incredibly powerful,” Komali observes. “It felt otherworldly, almost.”

“A fitting end to the journey, isn’t it?” Aryll’s slight smile is somber and melancholic.

“What do you mean?” Komali raises his eyebrows. “Surely they were lying — “

“No, they weren’t. They’re the ones who wrote the letter… Remember the stories about the Ghost Ship? They prey on lost souls, so….they tricked me. Because I was so desperate to help and find brother, that…” Aryll can’t bear to make eye contact. She sits on the deck and lets her legs hang over the side between the rails. She rests her head against the stump and laughs sadly. “I didn’t even question the letter, once. Like how after five years of sailing, they would have shipwrecked here…”

“You couldn’t have known,” Komali says softly and sits next to her, mimicking her pose and letting his legs sway between the rails.

“I’m…never going to see my brother again, am I?”

“I don’t know for sure. The best we can do is believe in them and the journey they set out on.”

“It’s not fair!” Aryll sobs.

“I’m sorry, Aryll.”

“I just wanted him to come back home…” Aryll says, more to herself than to him. “I hate seeing Grandma so sad every day when she can’t remember where he’s gone, and I miss him so much it hurts, but everyone else…everyone else acts like he was never even a part of their lives! I thought if I could find him and bring him back, things could go back to normal…” 

“I understand the desire for normalcy,” Komali replies. “I felt the same way, once.”

“…What do you mean?” Aryll croaks.

After a moment, Komali says softly, “Do you remember when we rescued Link and Tetra, after they felled the King of Evil?”

Aryll nods.

“Medli was on the pirate ship when we found them. Afterward, we went back to Dragon Roost Island, and it was nice for a while. I felt confident again knowing that Medli was home. But then she disappeared one day. The only thing she left behind was a letter telling me she had unfinished matters to attend to. I…haven’t seen her since, and no matter how far I searched, I never found a trace of where she could be.”

“…I’m sorry, I had no idea that happened,” Aryll sniffles.

“Eventually, I stopped trying to find her. I decided that I couldn’t spend my whole life searching and hoping for her to come back home.”

Aryll blinks back tears as she says, “But don’t you still miss her and want her to come back?”

“I miss her every day. Not as much as I used to, but I think the feeling will always be there,” Komali says. He fiddles with the wooden bracelet and shows it to Aryll. On closer inspection, she recognizes it as the harp Medli wore on her back.

“I understand how much you miss him,” Komali says. “But something important that I learned was that the people we love and miss, they’ll never really be gone.” He points to his chest and finishes, “They’ll always be here.”

---

The return voyage to Outset Island is difficult and tumultuous, rife with storms and crashing waves. Loot seems to enjoy the return of more normal, predictable weather, shouting joyously as they navigate the waves. After two weeks, Aryll can see the familiar silhouette of Outset Island in the distance, and she cheers. 

“We’re almost home!”

“Land ho!” Loot shouts from the pilothouse. Komali pulls Skett, Akoot, and Aryll into a group hug and celebrates. 

“I’m sorry I put you all in danger,” Aryll says as they finish celebrating.

“You don’t have to say sorry,” Loot says. “The journey isn’t always about the destination. The voyage is always valuable.”

When they dock at the pier on Outset Island, they’re greeted by the denizens of Outset Island. Aryll didn’t realize how much she missed everyone and joyous tears stream down her cheeks. Joel and Zill practically tackle her in a hug while Rose offers to prepare the group a wonderful feast. Sue-Belle is by Grandma’s side as she hobbles across the pier, and Aryll squeezes her in a tight embrace.

“I’m back, Grandma,” her voice shakes.

“I’m so glad you’re safe,” Grandma says. “I missed you.”

“I missed you, too.”

That afternoon, the islanders contribute to the grand feast. A large table is set up outside on the beach. Rose and Abe bring sea trout, Sue-Belle brings fresh water from the well, Mesa brings a salad, and Aryll helps her Grandma carry the pot of her Elixir Soup. Aryll can’t remember the last time she laughed and enjoyed herself with everyone. Afterward, Komali, Skett, and Akoot take to the skies and return home to Dragon Roost Island, and Loot sails back to the Boating Course.

She helps Grandma back to the house, and as she reclines in her chair, Aryll says, “I’m sorry I couldn’t bring brother back, Grandma.”

“Why are you sorry, dear?”

“Because…I know how you missed him.”

“We both do,” Grandma nods. “But I know he’s safe.”

“He’s…paving the way for the future,” Aryll says. “And no matter where that takes him, even if he can’t come back home, we’ll be okay. Right?”

Grandma closes her eyes and rests her head against the chair. “No matter where you may go or how far away you may one day be, you both are my pride and joy. Always.”

Aryll has to turn her face to hide her tears.

---

Aryll stirs to the sound of a seagull’s call outside. She grabs her shawl from the footboard of the bunk and tiptoes outside. She takes a deep breath, enjoying the salty air and cool breeze. It’s still fairly dark outside, though she suspects it will be dawn soon. She strolls along the path and spots the Lookout. I haven’t been up there in so long, she thinks. She makes her way across the bridge to the other side of the island and looks up. The ladder to the Lookout hasn’t been well maintained and it’s been roped off. She ducks under the rope and carefully climbs the ladder to the top.

She remembers the countless times she would climb up to the Lookout and find her brother sleeping. The world doesn’t seem as huge from up here as it was when she was younger. But she loves the view all the same. She leans against the railing and watches the seagulls circle the lookout. Two of them break away from the group and glide away as the sun starts to peek out from under the waves. She doesn’t watch the horizon line for any signs of a pirate ship sailing back to Outset Island. Aryll watches the gentle ebb and flow of the tide along the shore below and smiles.

 

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.