Seagulls
He stood on the prow of the Lemurian ship, hair blowing in the strong winds. Piers couldn't help but smile at him, at how tall he tried to make himself look even though he was still a child. When the boy turned to face Piers, he smiled. "Look, Cap'n! A seagull!"
Piers gazed upwards in the direction the boy was pointing, and saw the bird flying into the distance. He looked at the boy again, nodding. "Yes, Cody. That's right. A gull."
Cody laughed. "I like seagulls, Cap'n."
Piers tilted his head. "Why? What do you like about them?"
Cody grinned. "They're pretty. And they can fly—without Psynergy. They just jump and whoosh! They're in the sky!"
Piers chuckled to himself as Cody mimed the actions of a seagull flying around the ship. "You know something, Cody? About seagulls? A lot of people believe that they used to be sailors, once, who died and were reborn."
Piers had learned that from his father, and it was something he liked to believe. That the seagulls he watched circling in the air around his ship were the spirits of his father, his grandfather, his great-grandfather... all the way back to the beginning of time.
Cody stopped, standing still on the deck for a moment, golden eyes wide with wonder. "Really? Does that mean you'll become one when you die?"
When you die. Piers turned away from Cody so the boy wouldn't see the look on his face. "Yes, Cody. If it's true, the I have that to look forward to, someday."
If I die. It was a sad thought, to think that he might never die thanks to the energy he'd absorbed from the Golden Sun.
Piers felt Cody tug on his jacket then, and he glanced down at the child. Cody's eyes were worried, so he tried to smile at him. "It's all right. It's not something you have to worry about, Cody. Here, why don't you try steering the ship?" Piers took hold of Cody's hands and put them on the wheel. He was still too young to steer on his own, but Piers looked forward to the day he could stand back and watch Cody sail all by himself.
He wished his father could have done the same for him.
"Really?" Cody asked, and Piers nodded. Cody frowned, thoughtful. "Does that mean I get to choose where we sail to?"
Piers tilted his head, eyes questioning. "Where do you want to go?"
"To wherever Mom is," Cody grinned, and Piers felt a pang go through his heart. His grin was just like hers.
"I don't think that's a good idea," he said, standing up.
Cody looked down, sad. "Why not?"
If only I could tell you, Piers thought. But even if you understood, you'd only hate me for it. "She lives far, far away, Cody." And I don't think the others would take kindly to you, if they knew. "Is there nowhere else you want to sail?"
Cody frowned, thinking about it. He gazed out past the horizon, and Piers knew then that Cody would never give up until he let him go to her. Piers sighed, and stood back. "Someday, Cody. Someday, you can sail there. To your mother." It's not like she'll die waiting for us.
Cody smiled, then, but it was a wan smile—and it vanished abruptly as Cody fell to his knees, face pale.
Piers caught him before he hit the deck with his face, and held him in his arms as he gasped and sputtered. Piers felt like the very boat were lurching beneath him, though the ocean was calm that day and clear.
"Cody? Cody, what is it? What's wrong?"
Cody coughed, patting his chest. "H-hurts," he stammered. "My h-heart."
Piers bit his lip, remembering.
Your mother always had a weak heart. When you were lost, I'm afraid it was too much for her.
"Oh, Cody..." Piers sighed, cradling him close to his own heart. "I'm so sorry."
Don't die too soon, son. Please. Meet your mother first, at least. Hold on a while longer.
Finally, Cody's breathing returned to normal and he smiled up at his father. "It's okay, Cap'n. I'm okay."
Piers smiled down at him, brushing his hair away from his bright, golden eyes. Gold, like his, but they shone with the same inner spirit as hers did. "No, Cody. When we're at sea, you don't have to call me that. Please."
Cody got back to his feet, even as the seagull circled back around and flew between them. Cody gazed after it for a moment before looking back at Piers again. He grinned. "Alright, Dad."
...
Author: So, this one's been sitting in my computer for a while. Just an idea of what a child of Piers might be like
(And, again, I left Cody's mother unnamed, but if you know me then you should know she's Jenna. And the complications born thereof could be a fic in and of itself... But if you don't like that, then she could be anyone, really. Someone Piers met on shore, or something.)
I need to stop making Piers so unlucky. But it's true that his mom had a weak heart, and it could be genetic. (At least, that's my guess.)
The seagulls thing kind of brought it together. It's adding that in that made me consider it good enough to post.
Thanks for reading.