#lu aryll

aryll giggled as the seagull she was playing tag with once more fluttered just out of reach. The sun was shining on the beach and the sands where strewn with the treasures washed ashore by last night's storm. 

It was the perfect day. She had been searching for interesting stuff before getting caught up in the game of tag with the seagulls. The small bag she had brought along with her was already half full with the fruits of her labors. 

Weird shells, the odd rupee, funny bits of wood. All of it would be brought home with her to show to her grandmother. 

The seagull once again bounced out of reach. This time however it fluttered up into the air, distracted by something. 

Aryll called after it confused. What was that about? They where having fun! Her eyes followed the bird as it flew a short distance and landed on a barnacle encrusted rock. Several more gulls where tottering around it with interest. 

What was so interesting about a stupid rock? Aryll thought to herself. Well other than the fact she was fairly certain it hadn't been there yesterday… 

but the beach changed a lot especially after storms so who's to say. Despite this the longer Aryll looked at the rock the more she was less certain it was in fact a rock. 

Talking out he spyglass the young girl peered at the object that had stolen the seagulls attention from her. 

"That's not a rock!" She suddenly exclaimed to herself. The thing she had previously mistaken as a rock was actually something that looked suspiciously like a chest!

All greenish and kinda old looking. But definitely a chest.

And if there was one thing Aryll had learned from her eight years of life it was that chests meant treasure. Like pearl necklaces or pretty bracelets. 

And it was right there! 

With a cry of exitement Aryll raced down the beach and skidded to a stop next to her finding.

One corner was partially buried in the sand. Aryll tried to push it up but the thing was heavier than she thought. It managed to scoot a bit or the left but not much else. 

Well she guessed she'd just have to open it as is. 

There wasn't any lock on it anyways. Even if it might have had one at some point. In fact it was already cracked open a little bit. 

With a heave Aryll shoved the heavy lid open, buzzing with excitement. 

It took a moments to make any sense of what was inside but when she did she let out a delighted gasp. Bracelets!! 

Or that was what she was certain they where. There was a few other metal bits but the rings with intricate patterns carved into their faces were numerous. 

She picked one up and held it to the light of the sun. It shone wetly and a little slimy with algae. Well it had been washed up from the ocean Aryll supposed. 

She slid it over her arm and frowned a little bit. It was kind of big for her arm, maybe she could use it as a crown? She placed the ring on her head, carefully trying not to lean her head too far in one direction and make it fall. 

It definitely worked as a crown but it was kind of small for that. Maybe there where other stuff in the chest that would work better?

He dug through their various pieces of jewelry and let out a startled squeak when quite suddenly there was a face staring back at her. 

It was clearly a mask of sorts maybe? She poked it experimentally. It did nothing. Dark eyes just staring blankly. 

Feeling a little more brave Aryll reached down and with a little effort tugged it up. It was a little greenish just like the rest of us he weird metal with some sort of lining. Barnacles had glued themselves across it's cheeks. But thought the eyes where dark they definitely weren't holes.

It wouldn't make a very good mask of it didn't have any eyeholes though. Or a place to put one's face. Aryll felt stumped.

She turned it in her small hands again. Maybe it wasn't a mask then? A doll then? It was a very big doll if that was true. The head was the same size as her's!

And also it was only a head… hmmm. Maybe there was more of it in the chest? 

in fact what if ALL of the stuff in here was actually for a doll. 

Curiosity burning Aryll quickly emptied the rest of the stuff I the chest and laid it out on the sand. 

The cage looking thing was kind of like a torso, and she found pieces that could be arms and some hands. Also she was fairly certain one of its legs were missing since she only had one piece that might be a leg.

But where did the rings go?

The little girl picked up the same ring from earlier. Scrunching he brow in concentration. As if staring at the thing long enough would make it reveal its secrets. 

Maybe there was instructions? She turned back to the chest once more and scowered the bottom for any clues. Just a bunch of sand. 

She poked it in frustration. To her suprise something silvery showed under the small indent her finger made. 

Of course! Things got buried in sand all the time! 

She brushed more of the wet sand away, revealing a spiral of silvery white material. It looked like it was broken off something. 

But it was so pretty! And round! She'd seen a round slot in the doll right? 

Prize in hand Aryll quickly made her way back to the halfway arranged doll. She held up the spiral thing to the circular shape thing I it's chest.

While she had expected it to just sort of click in place… she did not expect it to be yanked out of her hand.

Instead of fitting into the round space in the doll's torso it just sort of hovered between its ribs. 

Aryll stared unsure what to do about this. Then it started glowing. Pale blue and yellow light eminated from the spiral spreading like tendrils of an octorocks arms. 

The light reached the edges of the torso but then just feebly waved about as if searching for something. It's limbs?

"You looking for your other bits?" Aryll asked the strangely glowing thing in front of her. A breeze ruffled her hair and something felt like it was whispering. The glow seems to be pulsing in response. 

Aryll took that as a yes. 

Quickly Aryll picked through the metal pieces laid out in front of her. Carefully holding them up to a tendril and waiting to see if they just… stuck? Surprisingly they did. 

The light flowed through each piece, and held it in place. The rings it turned out made up most of its limbs. 

Soon enough most of it was assembled aside from the missing leg right beneath its left knee. 

The only piece She had left was the head. Tentatively Aryll held it up to the light. It settled into position. She saw the light make its way through it. Gasping in delight as a fluffy looking head of glowing white hair sprouted from the empty space behind the doll's face. 

It looked like a bunch of clouds. She wanted to touch it. 

So she did. 

The light felt semi solid under her fingers and delightfully fluffy. She laughed, this doll was the best ever. 

An almost chimeing noise brought her attention back to the rest of the doll. Mainly the pale blue glowing eyes now shining up at her. Wide, friendly, curious. 

The chime sounded again. It sounded questioning. Aryll grinned, hand still patting the doll's head of light hair. As she crouched next to it.

"Hi you." She giggled,"I'm Aryll." 

A chime. The eyes spun in their sockets. 

"You have nice hair." Aryll continued, still smiling. 

The doll chimes again. Tilting his head, he seems happy. 

"Can you move?" Aryll asked, eyes sparkling. 

The doll seemed to contemplate this. He tilted his head again, this time in the opposite direction and Aryll watched as the metal arms twitched. 

The Doll lifted an arm and raised it above his head. 

Segmented fingers spread wide. A delighted series of chimes followed from the very pleased dolly. 

"Woah…" Aryll breathed. "I bet you can stand too! Here I'll help you up." 

She reached for the dolls arm And tugged it. Attempting to help bring it to its feet. The doll carefully rose, wobbling and twitching as sand fell from his frame. 

He stood all of two seconds… Before faceplanting straight back into the sand. Which was about the time Aryll remembered she could only find one of his feet. 

"Oops I forgot to mention that. I couldn't find your other leg." She apologized, crouched by the doll's now sand covered head. 

The doll supriseingly didn't seem all that upset. He pulled himself out of the sand and shook it from his face. Kneeling this time instead of standing. 

Aryll settled into a similar position right in from of him. It actually seemed like he might be a bit taller than her. Only by a bit though! 

"Do you have a name?" She asked. Dolly had to have come from somewhere. So he had to have a name right? 

The doll tilted his head. Clearly puzzled. Then he chimed something and shook his head. 

"No name!?" Aryll gasped. "But that's not right you need a name!"

It seemed dolly was even more confused by her reaction. Well if he'd never had a name then he wouldn't know how important they where! 

Her dolly needed the Best name! 

"Come on we're going to Grandma and she can help you get a name!" Aryll stood, hands on her hips. "Grandma's the best at names and stuff, she gave me mine too!" 

Dolly looked down at his missing leg, then back at Aryll. The message was clear. 

Aryll thought hard. "Here you can lean on me and I'll be your your leg for a bit!" The perfect plan! 

Or it would be is Aryll was just a bit taller. Her dolly had to crouch and lean over a little bit for it to work. 

It felt weird to have an arm made of light and metal draped around her shoulder. Not that Aryll minded, weird was fun. She knew she was weird. No one else liked to play with the seagulls like she did. 

Which was kinda sad since they where missing out. 

Maybe dolly would play with them too! Unless… what if he didn't wanna stay? She made a friend with a merchant's daughter one time, she was weird like her! But then she left.

Aryll frowned "You gonna stay with us?" She asked the doll. He stared at her a moment, he bobbed his head, a cheerful noise eminated from his chest. 

Aryll smiled wide. "You can play all the time with me then! You could be like…" aryll thought for a moment. Hmmm he was bigger than her. 

She blinked up at the strange doll, "I always wanted a big brother." She stated matter of factly. "Do you think you could be my big brother?

Aryll bubbled with joy, she moved faster towards her house."Now we gotta let you meet grandma double bad now! Cause she's your grandma too now!"

Her newly dubbed big brother made a startled noise as he stumbled with the increased speed. 

Aryll slowed down, looking a bit sheepish. "Oops sorry." 

He didn't seem very upset. Which was probably a good thing. In fact he seems far more interested in the house they where approaching. 

"this is mine and grandma's house." Aryll explained. "Which means it's your house now too."

Her brother's head tilted, eyes widening. She could have sworn his eyes sparkled. It reminded her of the ocean on a sunny day.

"Alright! Come on" aryll laughed and moved forward onto the porch. She knocked loudly, excitement making her jump from one foot to the other. 

"Grandma! Grandma! I gotta show you something!" She called out. 

Aryll heard the sound of shuffling footsteps and soft laughter. The door opened and her grandmother's gentle wrinkled face greeted her. 

"There you are dearie, I was wondering where-" The old woman stopped mid sentence. Starring wide eyes at the strange doll leaning heavily on Her young granddaughter.

Unperturbed by the suprise Aryll blurted out, "Grandma grandma look I got a big brother now! But he's missing a foot and a name and some clothes so we gotta help him right now before he can get to being my big brother." Aryll said, letting her serious voice through at the end so grandma knew how important this was.

Grandma blinked,"Oh." 

Her big brother chimed in what Aryll assumed was a greeting. Lifting a hand and to Aryll and her grandmother's suprise stretched his arm to pat her grandmother's head. 

He tilted his head and chimed again. Retracting the limb. 

Aryll giggled. Grandma looked very befuddled. It was a look she'd never seen on her grandmother and she found it hilarious. 

"…Where did you find him?" Grandma finally asked

"In a box." Aryll chirped, "I think he got washed up with the storm Last night. You seem mostly fine though right?" Aryll asked her big brother. 

He chimed an afermative noise but then paused. Looking down and moved his half leg. 

Aryll hummed,"Well other than that. I couldn't find his other foot n' stuff" She explained to her grandma. 

Grandma nodded. "I see that dearie. Do you two want to… come inside?" 

"Yea, he's getting kinda heavy." She admitted. 

Her brother chimed again. Probably agreeing with the statement. 

They made their way inside and aryll set her new brother on a chair. He sat there and kicked his one foot. Looking around the space with wide eyes. 

Aryll swore she could hear the very soft jingling of bells. 

"Like your new house?" Aryll asked. "Here move your head like this to say yes and like this to say no." She demonstrated herself. Shaking and nodding her head. 

Her brother took this in and very quickly nodded his head vigorously. it looked kinda funny and he did it longer than he needed.

Aryll laughed, "You can stop nodding now." 

"So you said he doesn't have a name?" Grandma asked. Walking towards them from where she was lingering by the door. Attracting the searching gaze of her brother. 

Aryll shook her head,"No he doesn't. Which is a problem cause everyone should have names!"

"Are you sure?" Grandma asked.

Aryll opened her mouth to say yes then stopped. She looked at her new brother. "It's true you don't have a name right." 

He nodded. 

"See no name!" Aryll exclaimed, she tried to convey how much of a travesty this was to her grandmother. "You gotta give him one since your so good at it and your his grandma now." 

Grandma went quiet and seems to be thinking hard about something. Probably a name. Good names where probably hard to come up with even for her grandma, Aryll decided.

Her brother made another chiming noise. Grandma looked at him. They stared at each other for a good long minute. 

Aryll shifted a bit impatient. "Grandma? You got a good name yet?" she proded. 

"Oh?" Her grandma seemed a little startled as she looked back at Aryll. "Oh, right. Well… how about Link? I knew a very nice young boy named that. I think it suits you." She patted the cloudy white hair

Aryll watched as her brother knodded more vigorously than every before. Spouting chimes like no tomorrow.

"I think he likes it." Aryll grimned. "And I do too! Hi Link!" She waved 

Tilting. His head link carefully lifted his arm and slowly waved it back. 

Her grandma smiled, a srange look to her eyes. "Well it's very nice to meet you Link. Welcome home."