The Wind Waker

II

"LINK...LINK...Link..." 

Link slowly opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep on the lookout tower.

Again.

With great effort he stood up, rubbing his eyes.
"You were looking at the stars again," his little sister said. Link closed his eyes as he stretched his arms over his head.

"And you took my telescope again too," she accused. Link reached into his pocket to give it back, but Aryll stopped him.

"You can have it for the day," Aryll said smirking, "it can be your birthday present."

Link placed his palm up to his forehead.
"Was that today?" he realized in astonishment.

"You forgot your own birthday!?" Aryll shouted. She threw her hands up in the air. "Woooow. Who forgets their OWN birthday?"

"I - I didn't," Link said in reply, still half asleep. "I've just been distracted lately."
"That's for sure," Aryll said, shaking her head. "This is only the biggest birthday of your life Link! Today you're all grown up!"

Link glanced out over the ocean.
"I'm not really grown up Aryll," Link corrected.
"Yeah, but still!" Aryll said unrelenting. Link heard her mumbling, but he ignored her.

Link sighed and sat down, dangling his legs over the edge of the platform. Aryll followed, unfearful of the edge, and tucked her blue flowered dress under her, resting her hands on the handrail.
"Are you excited?" she asked happily.

Link closed his eyes and listened to the sound of the wind blowing. He breathed in the smell of the ocean.

"Link?" Aryll said. He opened his eyes, looking back to his sister.
"Sorry," Link said. "I'm just a bit nervous"
"Nervous? Why would you be nervous? All you have to do is put on a silly outfit."

Link tensed up, but cut off a response. Aryll was still only eight. She didn't know better.

Aryll got up from her place and walked to the center of the tower. Link smiled as a thought came to mind.
"You know what I want for my birthday Aryll?" he said.
Aryll put her hands on her hips.
"I already got you a present!"

"Yes," Link said, "because you know I use the telescope in the daytime."
Aryll put on her best scowling face.

"You can see lots of cool things in the day!" she said. "You can watch the seagulls fly, look at the clouds, look at seagulls again..."

Link spun around and tried to tickle her foot. After chasing her around the platform for a moment, he caught her, tickling her foot as she giggled.

"You know what I want for my birthday?" Link said.
"For daddy to catch a giant Loover for dinner?" Aryll tried to wriggle away from his grasp.

"Well, that would be nice," Link laughed, "but I want you to promise me something."
"What?"

"That as long as I have those clothes on," Link said, "you won't laugh at me the whole day."
"Ahhh...," Aryll moaned, "That's awfully hard..."

"You don't even know what they look like," he pointed out.
"I just know they'll be silly though! You'll probably have to wear a purple cape and a big poofy hat!"

"If you laugh at me," Link said, "I'll tell mom and dad that you were the one that snuck that jar of soup."

Aryll folded her arms, forced to comply. "Fine," she said.
Link yawned. "Can I go back to sleep now?"
"Nu-uh," Aryll refused. "It's your birthday! We've got so much to do!" Link yawned again and laid back down.