The Stars Above and the Sea Below
When Ciela was first told of the news, it took a moment to sink in.
Oshus had rushed out of the room so quickly and so suddenly a couple of hours ago, Ciela hadn't known what to think. Especially with the grave expression that fell upon Oshus's face.
Then he came back and looked like he had aged a thousand years. Head hanging low, Oshus gave the news that someone had died in the bar. No, not someone. Him.
It took a shamefully long time. Connecting together that who Oshus was talking about and who she knew was the same person.
That he was gone.
He was gone and not coming back.
Slowly, she sank to the small wooden table, wings dropping low. She gazed around the room, room going fuzzy. Blinking a few times, wetness began running down her cheeks. Ciela lifted a hand to her cheek, wiping away tears and looking at them in confusion.
Why was she crying? She hated the man... shouldn't she be glad that he was gone?
Shouldn't she?
She casted her gaze to where Link now sat, collapsed into the wooden chair. His shoulders trembled with grief, eyes screwed shut, tears leaking out at a steady pace.
Ciela knew she should be over there, comforting the young boy. But, she felt unable to move. Her wings hang low, frozen in shock and confusion. A rushing sound filled her ears as she tried to understand.
"It sounds like the waves breaking against the hull of the ship." Ciela off-handedly thought, and soon, her head is filled with the sound accompanied by the barked (and ignored) orders of the ship's captain.
Faintly, she heard Oshus asking if she was okay. Feeling like she was moving through syrup, Ciela looked up at him and nodded a couple of times. She realized she had this blank look upon her face, the only sign that she was feeling anything, were the tears still running down her face.
She looked back to Link, who now had Leaf and Neri on each side, Neri holding his cheek and Leaf hovering close. Catching Ciela looking at them, Leaf looked up and began moving toward her.
Ciela's limbs unlocked and she took a few steps back, nearly collapsing for some reason.
"I-I'm going ou-t for a w-walk," she croaked out, throat locking up, causing her voice to break. Her wings began beating and she haphazardly careened out of the room and into the island's air, escaping before anyone could stop her.
And watch her break over a man she thought she hated.
Swiping at tears, Ciela bolted around the trees on the island, unsure of where she was going, just knowing she had to get away. Her wings and back muscles burned with the harsh workout, chest heaving with strangled breaths. Ciela only pursed her lips and pushed herself further, letting the pain distract her from the ache in her heart
The trees began thinning and Ciela looked up to see the harbor town, people milling around in clumps, heads together and voices low. And just barely peeking out from behind the shipyard, a faded red and yellow prow, bobbing in tandem with the waves, waiting for it's captain that wasn't going to return.
Ciela hovered there for a moment, staring blankly at the bobbing prow, before slowly floating over to the ship, in a way reminiscent to her other half once trapped in the Temple of Courage.
As she made her way through the town, she heard snatches of conversations as she passed them.
"...you heard about..."
"... yes, it's such a tragedy..."
"... just kneel right over..."
"... right in the middle of the bar?"
"... such a shame..."
Ciela let the words wash over her. They only were variations of what Oshus told her, only a hour ago.
"Has it only been a hour?" She numbly thought. "Feels like it's been forever."
Soon, Ciela was hovering over the gangway of the S.S. Linebeck, unwilling to fly onto the ship. Because in doing so, she would have to believe that her stupid, cowardly captain wasn't coming back.
"I can pretend... just a little longer..." she murmured to herself and she floated over the gangway and toward the doorway.
Just before she flew through, Ciela pulled herself upright, nearly smacking into the doorknob.
"He kept the door open" Ciela breathed, before shoving her wrists into her eyes. "He kept the stupid door open." She swallows, nearly choking on a sob. "You stu-stupid cucco!"
Whenever they had to stay at Mercay, Ciela would be darting between the ship and Oshus's hut whenever they did. However, due to her small size, she would have been unable to open the door without difficulty. For some mysterious reason, Linebeck had started simply leaving the door open just enough for Ciela to squeeze through.
However, when he would be questioned about it, he would furiously deny it, saying that it get's warm on the ship and was simply letting a little air onto the ship. Ciela knew that he was lying, but didn't push the issue.
Now she wish she had. She wished that she had pushed a lot of things.
Ciela pushed into the engine room, air suddenly becoming very hard to get by. Ciela gulped at the sea air as she flew past the giant empty crate and down the steps into the lower level of the ship.
His cabin door was open and Ciela fluttered in, half expecting a voice to bark at her to respect his privacy and get the hell out.
But no voice came and so Ciela flew further into the room. She looked around for a place to rest herself.
Then she saw the navy fabric thrown into his chair and Ciela's vision went blurry. She clamped her lips together but a strange squealing sound escaped from her vocal cords, as if she was trying to scream but wouldn't let herself do so.
Ciela was unable to deny it any longer. Linebeck wouldn't have gone anywhere longer than an hour without that damnable jacket and to see it there, crumpled up like he must have been on the bar floor-
She couldn't take it anymore and Ciela flung herself to the chair and into the crumpled fabric. She gripped the jacket and made herself a dark cocoon in the fabric, hiding from the world and the shattering of her denial.
The spirit of courage sobbed into the fabric for what felt like hours to her. He was theirs, and he wasn't supposed to die! He was theirs and they needed him. He was a father figure to this dysfunctional family. He made sure Link was patched up properly and chided Leaf whenever the red fairy was being too rambunctious in the small ship or told Neri to tone down her wisdom speak and- and- and-
And he was always a steady rock of sanity when things became a whirlwind of activity and saving the world to Ciela.
He was theirs... and he taken from them and it just wasn't fair.
Ciela buried her head further into the fabric as her sobs trickled down into soft hiccups. Her eyes were scratchy and the small fairy felt sick from her crying. She felt the wetness below her head and could hear Linebeck's voice in the back of her head, telling her off for sniveling all over his precious jacket. It almost sent her into hysterics again, but Ciela felt like she had cried out everything in her and didn't have anything left within her.
She gazed blankly at the wall of her jacket cocoon, the only thing signaling that she was alive was the rise and fall of her chest. She didn't even give off a glow, so immersed in her grief.
"I don't know what to do, Linebeck. None of us are okay. I'm not okay. You're gone and dammit, it's too soon. You're gone and somehow you took parts of us with you. I don't understand why. I thought I hated you. You pissed me off more times than I can count and-" Ciela choked off with a sob. She curled into a tighter ball, and continued whispering her words through her tears.
"But really, I do know why I'm this way over you wreck of a moron, but I can only tell you right now, no one else. You were always there and even though you frustrated me to my very core, you made me laugh and forget that there was this whole world that depended on us to save it. In those times, it was just you, me, Link, Leaf, Neri and the stars above us and the sea below."
"And... And there was something... something starting between us. Don't know what the hell to call it. We weren't enemies, not anymore. We still bickered and fought, but something more playful had entered in the background and lately, there was something even more than the playful bickering. Like it was almost love. Not quite, but within time, it would have been there. Or could have been."
Ciela fell into silence again. She gulped a few times, feeling the tightness in her throat return.
"I'll miss you, you pathetic, cowardly, moronic, greedy, grubby, asshole of a captain." Ciela breathed into the dark cocoon. "I'll miss you hiding in that stupid crate, I'll miss that stupid smirk on your face, I'll miss you making up excuses to keep from helping us. I'll miss learning those small tidbits about your life before us. I'll miss when you would become concerned for our well being and then immediately trying to play it off. I'll miss those small moments where we felt like a family." Ciela had started sobbing again. "But, I'll especially miss you, Captain Linebeck. A man who could have been more, but was enough for all of us..."
Ciela laid there for a few more moments, getting herself under control. She wasn't okay, not by a long shot. But she needed to finally be there for Link. By any means possible, and taking drastic measures to make sure they could still save the King's Ocean, even with their trio missing one.
Ciela pushed herself off of the cocoon floor, tugging at the fabric until fresh sea air filled the overly warm, humid environment created. Ciela lifted up her head, pushing back her messy hair and closed her eyes, breathing in deeply through a stuffy nose. She looked to the side, shivering a little in the chilly air.
"It still hurts, doesn't it?"
Ciela gave off no sign of shock at having Oshus suddenly in the room. She looked up at the sea God and nodded mutely. She rose from the folds of the fabric and hovered in front of Oshus.
"Grandpa... I have a feeling that you know what must be done now." Ciela stated, clasping her hands in front of her.
Oshus looked at his oldest spirit, expression grave. "Are you quite certain, Ciela? There will be no chance of reversal."
Ciela nodded only once. "I do understand, Grandpa. However, Link needs me in a different form."
Oshus returned her nod. "Very well, my young one. I have no objection to your choice."
Ciela blinked and gave a whisper of a smile, feeling strange. "Thank you, grandpa."
...
"Ciela? Oshus said that you had wanted me to come back to the ship?" The young boy's eyes were still red rimmed and his voice sounded unnaturally raspy. Neri and Leaf hovered on each side of his shoulders.
Link stepped further onto the ship, looking around worried, squinting into the setting sun.
The engine room door creaked open and Link spun on the heel of his foot, his heart leaping with hope that it was all just a misunderstanding, that Linebeck really wasn't dead.
His hopes were quickly shut down upon seeing an unfamiliar woman standing in the doorway, wearing the clothes of the former captain.
Anger rose within the hero's chest. Who would dare-
The woman raised up her hands in a calming matter. "Link. It's me. Ciela."
Link stared at the woman, taking in her appearance, not letting down his guard. He studied her short golden hair wisping around her head, and her willowy appearance. She looked like his fairy companion, but only when Link locked eyes with her equally red-rimmed, seeing the hurt and grief that cut deep, was when he was certain.
The sword that Link was starting to pull from his hilt, slid back in with a sharp snick. "Ciela...?" Link breathed. Beside him, Leaf and Neri took in sharp intakes of breath, wings beating a touch slower in their shock.
Ciela nodded, then knelt down to Link's height. She held out one hand for the young hero to take.
Link stepped forward cautiously, holding out a hand. It slid onto Ciela's and the former fairy gripped it tight. Still, the young hero stood steadfast, not allowing himself to break. He was a hero and he had to stay strong. Even if he couldn't look his friend in the eye.
Ciela looked worryingly at Link, noting his avoidance. "Hey." She whispered, bouncing his hand in hers. She gently reached up her other hand to gently hold his check within her other hand. She turned his head to make the blond look at her. "It's okay." She began rubbing at his cheek with her hand. "It's okay to let go."
Something in Link shattered at that, and the boy threw himself into Ciela's arms. He didn't understand why Ciela was Hylian, or where she had been. All he cared about was the fact that strong arms were closed around him and a familiar, familial scent enveloped him, a mixture of Ciela's earthy fragrance and Linebeck's sea salt scent.
Ciela held Link close to her chest; rocking him back and forth, murmuring words of nonsense and curling around him protectively, as Link finally broke down and properly cried. Leaf and Neri gently alighted themselves onto Ciela's shoulders, keeping close to give both Hylians comfort from their presence.
Ciela wasn't sure how long Link cried into her chest, but when his sobs ultimately calmed down into soft hiccups, the sun had fully set, and the stars shined upon the four.
All remained silent, other for the sea gently lapping at the sides of the S.S. Linebeck and the occasional sniffle from adjusted her position, still keeping Link close to her; but now having her legs curled out in front of her. Then, the boy spoke, his words so soft, that even with the boy practically right next to her ear, Ciela almost missed his words. .
"Do… do you think he made it… to a better place?"
Ciela stared at the wood grain of the ship's deck. Unsure of how to answer. Then she closed her eyes and held Link closer to her chest; the boy was now almost completely sitting in her lap, head resting on her shoulder, face nearly buried in the crook of her neck.
"Yes. Of course he is." Ciela swore. A few more tears trickled out from underneath her eyelids. "I bet you, he's probably giving all the people up there hell with his antics."
Link gave off a watery laugh, before deeply breathing in the mixed scents of Linebeck and Ciela. "I'm going to miss Linebeck." A fresh wave of grief overcame him, and Link fully hid his face in the crook of Ciela's neck, beginning to cry again.
"I will too, Kid." Ciela replied, feeling her heart clench at the nickname Linebeck mostly called the boy. Then, wanting Link to finally rest after an emotional day, Ciela softly began singing, using a song she had more than once caught Linebeck crooning under his breath, late at night when he thought no one else was awake. Again, Ciela wondered if the captain had a family out there somewhere, or if he too, considered them his family..
"Hush now, my child.
Close your eyes and sleep.
Waltzing the waves,
Diving the deep.
Stars are shining bright,
and the wind is on the rise,
whispering words of long lost lullabies."
Ciela brought one hand to bring Link fully onto her lap, his legs going off to one side. She kept her one hand on the back of his neck, while her other held his lower body, keeping him from sliding away from her. The sea air blew through gently, ruffling the golden locks of Ciela's hair.
"Oh, won't you come with me,
where the moon is made of gold.
And in the morning sun,
We'll be sailing.
oh won't you come with me,
where the ocean meets the sky.
And as the clouds roll by,
we'll sing the song of the sea."
Noticing Link's grip on her shirt front was becoming looser, Ciela maneuvered herself to be able to push herself off the deck. Her legs complained at being forced to sit in a single spot for a long period of time, but Ciela ignored the static feeling. She concentrated on keeping Link steady in her arms, and the lullaby she was singing.
"I had a dream last night,
and heard the sweetest sound.
I saw a great white lighting,
and dancers in the ground.
Castles in the sand,
cradles in the sky.
Don't cry, we'll see him by and by."
Ciela moved for the door to the engine room, having been left open when she first stepped out and had to quickly calm Link. She walked in sideways, always keeping Link steady in her arms. Leaf and Neri darted off her shoulders, lighting Ciela's path since no lanterns had been lit.
The group of four soon reached their destination and Ciela placed Link on the covers of his small cot. She drew them back and then tucked them around the form of the nearly asleep boy, all the while singing.
"Oh, won't you come with me,
where the moon is made of gold.
And in the morning sun,
We'll be sailing.
oh won't you come with me,
where the ocean meets the sky.
And as the clouds roll by,
we'll sing the song of the sea."
Ciela kept one hand on Link's, gently rubbing her thumb into the back of his hand, while the other combed down his hair, and wiped away any remaining tears on his face.
"Rolling, rolling, rolling, rolling."
Ciela continued singing, even when Link's eyes fell fully closed and his breath began evening out. Her voice was no louder than gentle waves on the surf.
"Oh, won't you come with me,
where the moon is made of gold.
And in the morning sun,
We'll be sailing.
oh won't you come with me,
where the ocean meets the sky.
And as the clouds roll by,
we'll sing the song of the sea."
Ciela remained kneeling by Link's side, holding his hand as her last note quickly disappeared into the sea sounds. She stared at the boy's face, all distressed emotions evened out in the comforts of sleep. Then slowly, she slid her hand from his and stood up.
"Keep a watch over him." Ciela whispered, looking to the blue and red forms of Neri and Leaf, now settled on the bed posts on each side of Link. "There are a few… things that need to be taken care of, even at this late hour. You know where I will be found."
Their wings dipped and raised back up in agreement, before remaining still.
Ciela exited the room and the ship, stopping only to grab one item. When she stepped out onto the deck, she found Oshus standing on the dock, next to the gangway.
"Grandpa… Where are they keeping him?" Ciela asked, voice emotionally drained after the long day. She began walking down the gangway, stopping at the end.
Oshus said nothing, only motioned his head for Ciela to follow. Ciela nodded, and stepped off of the gangway to follow him.
They were silent for a few moments, the only sounds being the tap-tap-tapping of Oshus' staff against the cobblestone. Ciela kept her head slightly bowed, eyes staring at his bundle.
"He would have wanted you to have it." Came Oshus' voice suddenly.
Ciela started, stopping in the middle of the street. "Excuse me?"
"Linebeck. He would have wanted you to have his jacket." Oshus said gently. He turned to be facing Ciela.
Ciela gave a half-hearted snort. "I don't think so, Grandpa. This was one of his most precious objects." She trailed a hand down the folded material. "He wouldn't want the fairy he hated having it." Her dropped to a low, sullen tone.
Oshus put his hand over Ciela's. He squeezed it once, prompting her to look up. "He never really hated you." Oshus told, in an equally low tone. "Yes, you two aggravated each other to the ends of my seas… but the both of you never really hated each other." His eyes twinkled.
Ciela gave a worn smile. "But still, Grandpa. I was a fairy. I never would have fit the jacket and he never would have known that I might transform into a Hylian."
A single nod came from Oshus. "I realize I never finished my thought. He would have wanted you to have the jacket… Or Link, when the boy was older."
"He would have wanted Link to have it? Why?"
"It was his father's." Oshus stated, eyes falling to the folded jacket.
Ciela mouth dropped open and her eyes fell back down to her and Oshus' hand still clasped over the jacket.
"His father died when he was a boy, and his mother gave the jacket to him before your fool of a captain left for the seas. She told him that he should take good care of it, and in turn, give it to his son when the time was right." Oshus explained, voice still low.
Ciela felt her chin start to tremble again and she hastily blinked tears away. "H-how did you know of this?"
"When Linebeck visited us, before leaving for the temple, I needed to make sure that he would be right as a helper for this quest. So I took note of his most important memories, and they were in the forefront of his mind." Oshus explained. "While not the most ethical, it was one of the more necessary things I needed to make happen."
Ciela remain silent, and silently drew her hand from Oshus', placing it to be holding the jacket again.
"I think I can walk on my own from here. Where are they keeping his…" Ciela trailed off, unwilling to finish her sentence."
"Above the Milk Bar. With the town so empty, they had no where else to take him." Oshus said. He stepped aside, allowing Ciela a clear path.
Ciela said nothing, and stepped past Oshus. A few tears trailed down her face and dropped onto the jacket.
Within minutes, Ciela stepped into the bar. For a moment, she faltered in the doorway, eyes adjusting to the dim lighting. After which, they immediately found a rather disrupted area, where one stool had been tipped over and others having been hastily shoved out of the way.
Ciela stared at the spot for what seemed like ages, body not moving.
"...-ss. Miss. Miss!"
Ciela shook her head, hastily taking a breath after realizing she wasn't breathing. She relaxed her fingers that were digging into the jacket. She looked up and saw the bartender, always standing behind the bar. Ciela noted the man looked more haggard than normal, the bright smile that always seemed to be on his face gone.
"I'm sorry, Miss. But the bar is closed today." The bartender said. "There was… a rather mournful circumstance earlier and out of respect, I closed the bar for the remainder of the day."
Ciela coughed a few times, trying to find her voice. "I-I know… I'm Ciela… The little fairy that would come in and listen to the other sailors' stories?" A breath. "The one that would travel with Linebeck and Link, the boy in green?"
The bartender's eyes widen in realization. "Oh! You have greatly changed appearance, so I did not realize… Forgive me, Ciela."
"It's fine. I'm not really expecting people to recognize me anyway." Ciela shrugged. Her mouth set in a grim line. "However… I am here to… here for…" Ciela's voice failed her and her head dropped.
"I understand. Come with me." The bartender flipped up part of the bar, allowing Ciela access to the back of the bar. This meant Ciela had to walk past the spot where….
Ciela took a breath and willed her feet forward, keeping her eyes steady.
She followed the bartender past the bar, into the back room area and up the stairs that led to the personal rooms of the bartender.
"I had him placed in that back room there." The bartender gestured to a closed door at the far end of the hallway.
Ciela had to force herself to breathe, nod to the bartender and tell him to please give her some time alone. Once he was back down the steps, Ciela reached out a hand to place on the wall, to steady herself. Linebeck's jacket was squeezed against her chest as Ciela continued to force herself to breathe in and out.
Once Ciela felt like she had been put back together (barely), she straightened up and made her way down the hallway.
Ciela stepped into the room, quickly closing the door behind her, to prevent herself from running. She gazed at the sheet covered figure on the bed opposite of the room. Ciela stepped toward it, all emotions suddenly fleeing her. She placed the jacket on the edge of the bed, allowing her hands to fall limply by her sides.
For a few moments, Ciela could only stare at the top of the sheet covered figure. Then, she reached forward and grabbed the end of the sheet and pulled back.
The sheet fell halfway down Linebeck's unmoving chest and Ciela painfully collapsed to her knees, all of her emotions returning and overwhelming her when faced with the missing member of their family. She covered her mouth and squeezed shut her eyes, trying to regain control over herself.
Moments passed, and soon Ciela was looking at the still face of Captain Linebeck, still kneeling on the floor.
Ciela sat up a little and hesitantly took Linebeck's hand, wincing at the coldness of it. Her lips thinned, thinking how anything she would have wanted to say had already been said when she was cocooned in his jacket.
"I often wondered if you felt like we were a family to you, like you were to us." Ciela said, gently holding his hand. She looked at the jacket, remembering Oshus' words from earlier. "I guess you did, since you wanted to hand the jacket down to Link."
Ciela looked back up at Linebeck's face. "I'm not sure how we will fare now. I have the basics of how to drive your ship, from hovering over you all the time. But things are going to be different. Forever."
"I have my spirit powers until the end of the quest… but after that I have to give them up for the next worthy fairy. I'm a mix between my old role and yours… but goddesses… There were things that you gave us that none of us can provide. There's a hole in our family that can't be filled." Tears welled up in Ciela's eyes again, and the former fairy tilted her head back, looking up at the ceiling to let the tears fall into her hair.
"I'm gonna miss you so much, Moron." Ciela whispered, closing her eyes.
She stayed like that for several moments. Then Ciela took a deep breath and let it out in a rush, dropping her head down. She squeezed his hand once, before relaxing her grip and placing his hand back on the bed. Standing up, Ciela laid the navy blue jacket off to the side before grabbing the end of the sheet, beginning to cover him back up.
She hesitated before covering his face, then leaned over and placed a lingering kiss on his forehead, before resting her forehead against his.
"I love you, and farewell, Captain Linebeck." Ciela breathed.
Ciela straightened, and finished covering up Linebeck's body. She paused when she started reaching for the jacket again, but remembering Oshus' words, grabbed the jacket.
Pausing at the door, Ciela looked back at Linebeck's covered form, moonlight streaming on him causing an unearthly glow around him. Then Ciela closed the door, hearing the soft click echo through the empty hallway.
...
Stepping onto the ship, Ciela almost didn't notice the bundle of blankets sitting on the crates outside. Neri and Leaf had zipped up into her face, circled her head, then flew toward the blankets.
Ciela walked over and placed a hand on Link's shoulder. He looked up at her, and even in the little light, Ciela could see that he had been crying again.
Ciela only gave a soft, worn, smile, and sat down beside Link, placing Linebeck's jacket beside her. She wrapped her arms around the boy, holding him close to her chest.
No words were spoken, since they had already been said. Leaf and Neri settled on Ciela's
shoulders. All four gazed up at the stars above and listened to the sea below.
And behind them rested the well worn, navy blue jacket of their missing family member.
…
This oneshot is dedicated to two very special people in my life. Both of whom had a very special impact on my life, and I will never forget what they have done for me, and who they were as a person.
This story had been written in three parts. It was begun last year when I learned that a friend of the family passed away, a man who never failed to make me laugh or smile and always encouraged me to continue and be strong in sticking with what I loved.
The second part was written in the end of April when my dance teacher Ms. Lauren Thomas lost the battle with cancer. She was there for many milestones in my life and she pushed me like no other and my studio family misses her very much.
The third and end of this story was written during this summer, a year later after it was started, when I can now look back upon their lives and the time I was able to spend with them and smile. They are both sorely missed in my heart, but I know they are happy and healthy in a better place.
As this story was written to help my grieving process, I am not looking for criticism or critiques. Please respect that in your comments and I thank you for taking this time to read this.
~Roses