The Wind Waker

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THE GROUP of three traveled along at a brisk pace along the spine of the island, Komali occasionally flying up above them, trying to get a look at the smoking mountain.

"It's getting worse," he said as he landed on the loose stones.

"Do you think they'll be able to finish the evacuation?" Link asked.

"I saw the first flocks leave the caves the time before that I flew up," Komali said. "It'll be close. But I'm worried about Medli. She can be reckless, in a very formal, kind hearted way."

"Hey," Tetra elbowed Link a bit hard, "you two were made for each other."

"I'm not reckless," Link protested. "I'm bold, but I don't risk my well being for no reason."

Komali shot him a look. "Medli does not do things like this for no reason. I'm going off for another look."

He took off again, and Tetra made her stupid smirk. Link immediately pushed back that thought. That was judgmental of him.

"He's head over heels for her."

"Huh?" Link glanced to Tetra.

"I thought it was obvious," she said. "He's dropping everything as his home is facing total destruction, all to go after her. Awfully fond of her for her being a servant."

Link felt foolish for not noticing it. Now it did seem obvious.

"Hey," Tetra asked, pointing to his hand, "what's that?"

He'd been fidgeting slightly with that blue stone, mostly without noticing.

"Hand it over."

Link straightened up his expression. "No."

Tetra stopped, her face twitching slightly. "What?"

"Give me a good reason why you should have this back."

"It's mine."

"Is it yours," Link asked, "or does it belong to some elderly man with eyesight too poor to see you snatch it from him?"

Tetra's eyes narrowed. "You treat me like I'm no better than Ganondorf. He was a thief. Do you think I'm the same? Do you think I'd steal a kingdom if I could?"

Link stared her down for a moment.

"We need to keep moving," he said, continuing down the barren rocky trail again.

"Answer the question," Tetra said. 

He looked on straight ahead, as the repetitious sound of gravel crunching beneath their feet thumped in his ears.

It was a foolish question, of course. No one was as evil as Ganondorf. Even the worst murderer... or yes, pirate, hadn't brought a civilization to his knees, and threatened the Triforce itself.

But Ganondorf, though Link had spoken to the dark creature, was not someone he hated. Ganondorf was almost like a force to Link, extending his subtle power across the land.

Tetra in contrast was constantly demeaning him, got him angry, and blasphemed the goddesses with a tongue well calloused from cursing. From the beginning, she had seemingly been an antithesis to everything his family held sacred.

Then the goddesses had shown him more of her. He had seen a truer, purer person that seemed to be lost. A person wracked with guilt. A person who wanted to change.

And then she continued to berate him, continued to commit wrongdoing, and overall be a villain. She may feel herself inside to be a good person, but her actions said otherwise. Link wished that she didn't have that softer inside, or that he couldn't see it, so he could be free to hate her.