Chapter Ten

Life Will Move On

Morning sunlight filtered through the trees, shining on the wide, cobbled path. A fall wind swept through, skittering up the red, yellow, and orange leaves on the forest floor. Voices break through the morning stillness, along with the hoofbeats of two horses. Around the curve of the road, Ciela and Linebeck ride through on Isamu and Kaito, respectfully.

"So how much longer until we reach this 'super secret' area?" Ciela inquires Linebeck, using one hand to put air quotes around "super secret".

"Not long," Linebeck replies with a flat face towards Ciela. He gestures with one hand towards the second curve in the road, which they were beginning to take. "You'll see it when we round this last curve."

"So will you finally tell where in Nayru's name we are headed?" Ciela gripes, "because while I have a map, it gives no names of the areas."

Linebeck chuckles. "Impatient today, Sparkles?"

"With good reason." Ciela returns, not even bothering with deniment of Linebeck's statement. "You have been meaning to take me to wherever this place is, since two weeks ago." She gives a pointed look to Linebeck. "Obviously, it was postponed for a week after that disastrous morning, and for the last week, you have tried, and almost failed, in keeping me inside the ship for last past week so I wouldn't aggravate my ribs more. Forgive me for becoming a little stir-crazy."

"Alright, a little?" Linebeck snorts, "Sparkles, you seemed ready to grow yourself wings again through sheer willpower so you could move farther than the ship's length."

"I was not that bad!" Ciela huffs, looking off to the side, blowing a stray bit of red hair out of her face. "Though I might have thought about how nice it was to have my wings... But only once!"

"You brought it up, Sparkles."

Silence before a muttered, "oh, shut up, moron," was heard.

Linebeck simply smirks, mentally chalking up a point for himself.

"You never answered my question. Where are we headed?" Ciela inquires once again.

"We are headed to a place where my family frequently visited. It's called the Blue Tala field," Linebeck answers, pulling back on Kaito's reigns, mummering a "woah, woah," to the mare. He dismounts, gesturing for Ciela to do the same. Ciela hesitates, then does as motioned, following Linebeck to tie up Isamu beside Kaito.

"Tala..." Ciela frowns, while tying up Isamu,"why does that sound familiar?"

"It was Wolf Girl's last name." Linebeck replies, giving a yank on the reins to make sure that they were secure, "I often wonder if Beck remembered the fields, if they're still around, and gave the last name to Wolf Girl."

Ciela cocks her head towards Linebeck, "what do you mean?"

Linebeck begins walking for the field, gesturing with his head for Ciela to catch up, jerking it to the side. "You'll see, Sparkles. Don't want to ruin the surprise."

Ciela gives a quick jog to catch up, giving Linebeck an annoyed and suspicious look. "The last time you tried to surprise me, we ended up in a tree for several hours, surrounded by White Wolfos."

Linebeck pinches the bridge of his nose. "Make one mistake..." he mutters, removing his hand. "Don't worry, Farqay keeps up a good policy with making sure no nasties pop up on our island. We have our few of course, no place, short of a holy place, is completely free, but they're your run-of-the-mill creatures."

"Still doesn't mean you won't end up cowering behind me while I kill them with a stick." Ciela jibes, poking Linebeck, who simply pulls a face and swats her hand away, before suddenly shivering and wrapping his arms around himself.

"Wish it was warmer," Linebeck mutters, rubbing his arms.

Ciela rolls her eyes, "okay, it was way colder than this on the Isle of Frost, an island where you got to stay comfy cozy in the ship while I was flying through the air, nearly freezing my goddesses damn wings off."

Silence, before a muttered, "shut up, Sparkles."

"You brought it up~!" Ciela parrots in a sing-song voice.

Linebeck simply rolls his eyes, shoving his hands down into his pockets. Ciela smirks, then slips one arm around Linebeck's, leaning into his side so they could share warmth. She begins to say something, but ends up falling silent as the couple finally reach their destination.

A sea of blue flowers rippled in the fall breeze, surrounded by a wall of forest and broken only by a stone path leading to a white gazebo. Sunlight shined in, making the flowers turn different shades of blue. Bird calls echoed in the clearing, the only sounds other than the soft whisk of the branches.

"The gazebo is new," Linebeck comments, raising an eyebrow.

Ciela didn't even bother to look at Linebeck, let alone answer Linebeck's comment, so entranced with the field. She slips her arm out of the crook of Linebeck's, stepping forward onto the stone path. She kneels down to examine the bobbing flowers.

"Oh, wow..." Ciela says in wonderment, noticing how the petals created a rough version of a wolf head. She reaches out and gently lifts up one of the flowers, to see the image created better. "I can see now why Beck might have used the field for inspiration for Ruby's name."

Linebeck nods his agreement, even though Ciela couldn't see him. "I always meant to ask Beck or Ruby, but never remembered in a proper moment, then she was killed... just didn't seem to fit to ask him about his dead fiancee'."

Ciela bows her head, eyelids going to half mast. Even though she never knew the woman, she still felt the loss, hearing it in Linebeck's voice. She stands up and resumes standing beside Linebeck, silence falling between the two as they stare at the flowers.

"You said something about the gazebo being new?" Ciela queries, trying to get Linebeck's mind off the somber subject.

"Erm, yeah..." Linebeck shakes his head, trying to reorganize his thoughts. "It wasn't there when I left. Mum, 'Net and I were actually here the day Jolon came..." He raises his gaze to stare at the structure. "Wonder why it was built."

Ciela slips her hand down Linebeck's pocket, bringing out his hand. "Then let's check it out!" She chirrups, trying to pull Linebeck towards the gazebo.

Linebeck rolls his eyes, but lets Ciela move him. "You know, I remember you getting this way whenever we found a new island. A gazebo is nothing to get that worked up over."

Ciela simply waves her hand in a flippant manner, examining the scenery around her while still moving towards the white structure. Eventually, she gives up on dragging a plodding Linebeck and lets go of his hand to move faster towards the gazebo.

Ciela steps into the gazebo, noticing a wave pattern carved into the wood. Tracing a hand along the railing, she follows the pattern up the post, craning her head up to look at the ceiling. When she does however, Ciela lets out a small gasp of shock.

"Look up." She demands, looking at Linebeck who just entered the gazebo. She gestures as she says this. Linebeck does so, but not before giving Ciela a "Are-you-crazy?" look and getting a glare in return.

"Do you see? The entire Great Sea is carved into the wood." Ciela says, "They even have New Hyrule."

Linebeck raises up his eyebrows in acknowledgment. "It looks like Master Irball's work."

Ciela looks at Linebeck, again cocking her head in curiosity. "Master Irball? Isn't that Max and Maris's last name?"

"Master Irball was Maxi's father. He did this kind of stuff on the side, when he wasn't working with the horses." Linebeck explains, assuming his pondering pose. He feels a slight stab of guilt upon remembering Master Irball, one of the prominent father figures in Linebeck's life growing up. Apparently the man had suffered a heart attack only three years before. In Linebeck's opinion, the man died too soon and the loss hit him almost as hard as the loss of Linette.

Ciela suddenly notices a gold plaque plated on a post left to the entrance of the gazebo. She steps over to it, curiosity winning over. She begins reading the words engraved upon the metal.

Her throat suddenly develops a lump and her eyes begin to burn with tears. She twists around, furiously trying to blink the tears forming out of her eyes. "Linebeck," she calls, voice breaking.

Linebeck whips his head towards Ciela at her tone of voice, looking worried.

The ex-fairy simply lifts up her hand and taps the plaque. Linebeck walks over to join Ciela and she begins reading off the plaque, her voice breaking in some areas.

"Dedicated to Marlene and Linette Brante, who had been taken too soon, and to Linebeck Brante, who we pray come homes soon. Goddesses be with the Brante family."

"Guess this is why they built the place," Linebeck states, voice flat as his gaze seems to look past the post. "Must have done it after they discovered Linette's..." He abruptly cuts himself off, turning on his heel to stand on the opposite side of the gazebo. He lends over, gripping the railing tightly.

Ciela's gaze follows him, her eyes filled with concern. She turns back to the plaque, fingers running over the wording, inwardly thinking of the gazebo as a beautiful tribute. Giving a quiet sigh, she lends against the post, staring out across the flowers.

She breathes deeply in the scent of the flowers, twisting her engagement ring around her finger off handedly. Ciela looks down upon it, suddenly remembering something important that Linebeck and she somewhat needed to begin thinking about. Something that would hopefully get his mind off the recent developments. She turns and walks over to stand by Linebeck's side, placing her hand onto his.

"This is where I want us to get married," Ciela states, not even bothering to beat around the bush.

Linebeck starts, staring at Ciela like she really had grown back her wings. "You wanna get married here?"

"Yeah, is there a problem with that?" Ciela snipes, crossing her arms and meeting Linebeck's gaze evenly.

"Yeah?" Linebeck replies in a 'duh' tone. "Look, Sparkles, has anyone even told you the myth behind this place?"

Ciela's eyebrows start raising towards her hairline. "What myth?"

Linebeck heaves a sigh, rubbing his eyes. "There's another unique property to the Blue Tala other than it resembling a wolf's head. When it's plucked, it only stays in bloom for a few hours until it wilts and turns brown all at once." Linebeck gives a shrug of his shoulders, placing his hands into his pockets. "Because of that, the flower has this connotation that if it's used for something, that something won't last that very long."

"This is helped along by the story behind the flowers, or the whole reason for that belief, really." Linebeck looks out across the field. "Way back, when Hylians first arrived on Farqay island, among them was an couple soon-to-be-married. They found and got married in the Blue Tala field, with the bride using the flowers in her bouquet. When the newlyweds walked back down the aisle, the Blue Talas wilted in the Bride's bouquet.

"For the next few months, the couple is almost in eternal honeymoon mode. The wife becomes pregnant, the husband's business is booming, all that good stuff happens. Yada, yada."

"Then, the husband's business started declining. Wife miscarries and begins miscarrying more and more. Eventually gets to the point that the wife seemingly can't even conceive children anymore and the husband's business is lost for good."

"So depressed over their new predicament that seemed to be going nowhere happy, the wife hangs herself in the trees off the edge of the Blue Tala field. Her husband follows her into death by flinging himself into the ocean."

Linebeck gives another shrug. "There you have it. The myth behind this place and the reason I'm not so sure this is the best placed to be vowing ourselves to each other."

Ciela simply gives Linebeck a flat annoyed look, moving one hand to rub at her temple. "You want to give a near perfect wedding spot over some goddesses damn ghost story?" She lets out a snort of disbelief, looking out across the field. "I thought you weren't even a superstitious sailor?! That you don't believe into all that crap?"

"I don't!" Linebeck protests, "even though there have been quite a few instances where myths and superstitions turned out to be true..." He gives a shake of his head, " What I'm trying to say is that I'm just not sure we should marry in a place that has such a negative association."

Ciela rolls her eyes, "It's a myth, for Din's sake. There is no real evidence that suggests it's true." She looks back to Linebeck, one of her eyebrows going down. "How 'bout this? Even if the myth is true, I won't use the flowers in my bridal bouquet. That seemed to be the reason the myth couple got screwed over."

Linebeck looks to Ciela, then gives another survey of the field. "I'm not going to win this... am I?" He looks back down to Ciela. "Screw the myth. If you wanna get married here, we'll get married here."

Ciela feels her mouth split into a wide, sly smile. "I knew I would get you over to my side." She moves closer to Linebeck wrapping her arms around his neck to bring him closer to her height. "Even if it meant the used of more ulterior methods." Ciela leans to kiss Linebeck's lips before moving to his neck.

Linebeck smirks, wrapping his hands around Ciela's waist. "Damn, I have corrupted you. You're starting to use my methods against me."

Ciela draws back giving a smirk. "Well, I learn from the best." A pause. "Or at least who seems to be the best."

"Ouch, Sparkles."

Ciela lets out a giggle. "Actually, I've been thinking about a place for us to get married at for the past few weeks."

"Sparkles, that's almost as long as we've been engaged, give a few more weeks." Linebeck gives her a disbelieving look. "Didn't you ever take a moment and enjoy the fact that in three or more years, since we've only really known each other for less than two years and a year of that is our actual dating, we're going to be husband and wife?" This time, he gives an eye-roll. "You literally have all the time in the world to be figuring out wedding details."

Ciela straightens, giving Linebeck another dirty look. "You mean, 'we' have all the time in the world."

"Oh, hell no," Linebeck states, making a face. "I'll show up to the alter in time and be wearing a nice tux, but all the other wedding details will be left up to you."

"You really think so?" Ciela says, drawing away her upper body.

"Yes." Linebeck brings Ciela closer to him. "Hell, Sparkles, it would be my pleasure to steal you away to elope right now." He gives a smirks, "I mean, I am a captain. I have the legal right to marry us right now."

"Sounds tempting..." Ciela mummers, beginning to play with Linebeck's ascot. "But Neri would kill us both if we married without her. And like you said, we've barely known each other for two years. Let's keep that three year engagement in place so we don't seem like love-sick fools."

Linebeck blanches at the thought of Neri. "You bring up good points." He admits. "However, I will keep my hopes up on you changing your mind on us eloping. We could simply give Neri and Leaf a heads up so she doesn't kill us."

Ciela laughs, and extracts herself from Linebeck's arm. "Come on, Moron."

Linebeck gives a questioning gaze. "Where are you going?"

"The day's still young and I want to check out the rest of the island." Ciela gestures for Linebeck to follow her.

"Well, I thought we could go back to the ship and 'celebrate' the picking of out wedding area." Linebeck gives a rouge grin and a wink towards Ciela.

"Nope, we shall be exploring the horse trails." Ciela shoots over her shoulder, already heading down the stone path back towards the horses.

Linebeck heaves a sigh, before following his fiancee'. "Always with the exploring. Doesn't she ever get bored of it?" He mutters.

"I heard that!"

...

Linette makes a mark onto the stone wall with her piece of charcoal. Stepping back to examine her drawing, a ghostly fierce wolf. It's frozen in mid-trot, staring right at Linette, fur trailed off into wisps.

Linette cocks her head before moving back towards the drawing, making more tiny markings. When she finished, the wolf had gained a scar in its body, going from above its right forward leg to its back leg. Linette again steps back, where she nods, deeming the drawing a worthy rendition of the same ghostly wolf she had spotted a few nights before. Still unsure if what she saw was real or a hallucination from no food, Linette drew the wolf onto her walls, seeing as she had nothing else to do.

Linette presses her fingertips on the drawings, wishing she could will the charcoal wolf into being. "Then you could take care of Jolon for me. And I could escape from this hell-hole," She thinks, staring into the wolf's charcoal eyes.

Suddenly, Linette hears the sounds of a horse galloping near the temple. She whips around, drawing in a sharp breath, before scrambling up to the small window in her room, grabbing ahold of the bars so she could remain there. Being glad that Jolon had removed her bonds a week before, finally deeming that Linette wouldn't attempt to escape, Linette peers out under the bush that covered the small window. She cranes her neck for a better look at who may be riding by. Linette gasps in shock when it was none other than her brother who emerged from the foliage.

Linebeck slows Kaito from a gallop to a stop, turning the mare around as if waiting for someone and Linette feels her heart constrict as she takes in her little brother, how much he has changed from thirteen years ago. "Actually, he's not so little anymore," she mummers, leaning her head along one of the rusty metal bars.

For a moment, Linette contemplated calling out for Linebeck, as her heart sped up in hope. Then her common sense kicked in.

Jolon was dangerous as ever. Linebeck wouldn't be able to hold his own in a fight against his father, especially if he was ill-equipped. As she examines her brother, she was not surprised to not spot any kind of weapon on her brother's person. She would have been shocked if she did. And Linette couldn't even be sure that Linebeck would even hear her. He was close, yes, but Jolon was closer. If Linebeck didn't hear her, Jolon definitely could.

Linebeck closes her eyes in despair, giving a soft sigh.

More hoofbeats cause Linette to open her eyes. There was a voice, sounding angry and Linette raises an eyebrow as Ciela trots out of the woods.

"Hey moron! Forget something important?" She yells, a cross expression on her face. "I can't gallop yet, and the whole purpose of exploring is examining the areas around you."

"Is this Little Bro's girl? The one Jolon said he's gonna marry?" Linette thinks, perking so she could examine the woman better. "Well, now I'm glad I didn't call out. She looks like she couldn't hold herself in any kind of fight, with how small she looks."

Linette watches the two bicker with a strange fondness. She could see her brother was happy, probably happier than he ever had been in the years he's been searching. She could see it in his stance and hear it in his words. Linebeck was moving on from the tragic night thirteen years ago. Moving on from his mother's death and her disappearance. From her.

At that, Linette feels her heart give a painful twist. Before it got any more painful, she quells the sting of jealousy and hurt. Or tries to.

Linette knows the only chance of her reuniting with Linebeck is only going to be under Jolon's terms and that it was even slimmer that they would both escape Jolon's game, alive. Yet she still couldn't stop that sting of sibling jealousy as she watched her brother and Ciela ride into the trees, now holding hands, still bickering. Linette turns around and slides down the stone wall, drawing her knees to her chest, heart heavy.

Rolling her stick of charcoal in her hands, Linette loses herself in fantasies where Jolon never returned, her mother is alive, her brother is with her, and she is free.

The stick of charcoal pauses in Linette's hands, thinking about her brother's change in appearance, she looks back up at the wolf and the blank space beside it. Almost at once she gets up, moving towards the black space that is covered by the door when it was open, quickly darting around her eyes at the stone. Then, she raises up her arm and begins drawing the outline of her brother, praying to the goddesses, that maybe, just maybe, she and Linebeck would survive this man-made nightmare.

...

"So what was that temple back there?" Ciela inquires, jerking her head back towards the remains of the temple.

"It's ancient so no one really knows. Some theorize it was a temple for the goddesses." Linebeck throws out, then gives a look towards Ciela. "And hell no, are we exploring it. That place is thousand of years old, at least. There are multiple stories, some of them happening while I was young, of people going in and dying in the lower levels when there was a sudden collapse."

Ciela rolls her eyes. "I'm not an absolute idiot. That place makes the Temple of the Ocean King look new."

Linebeck doesn't answer her, having become engrossed in his surroundings, slowing down Kaito. Ciela follows suit, a strange expression on her face. Linebeck suddenly urges Kaito off the path and into the woods. "Follow me, Sparkles!"

"HEY, woah, Moron, where the hell are you going?" Ciela exclaims.

"Don't worry, Sparkles. I know exactly where we are going!" Linebeck calls back. "Just follow me."

Ciela glances around, before following suit and nudging Isuki off the path. "I know he's lived here for 16 years and it's an island, but if he gets us lost, I'm kicking his ass. Because knowing Linebeck, he would manage it," she mutters. Raising her voice, Ciela calls to Linebeck, "so where are we headed?!"

"Where we are headed, is where I used to live Ciela," Linebeck answers. "Maxi gave me the key when we had saddled up this morning."

Ciela straightens in her saddle, staring at Linebeck. She stays silent, though, and simply follows him.

Soon, they start seeing the pale green house peeking through the trees. Linebeck leads the two onto the dirt path, turning them to be looking towards the house. Ciela glaces at Linebeck beside her, seeing how he was reacting.

Linebeck only had a soft smile on his face... But in his eyes held a long suffering sadness, lingering after thirteen years worth of grief.

Ciela simply reaches over and again takes Linebeck's hand, giving a smile when Linebeck looked over at her. "You got to stop doing that, Sparkles. You're going to fall off one day." Linebeck states evenly, shaking his head. However, he does give a small squeeze before letting go of Ciela's hand and dismounting, Ciela following him.

Linebeck stares up at the house, not moving any further from Kaito. "It's been a long time," he mummers, more for himself than Ciela.

Ciela again doesn't say anything, but simply takes the reins from Linebeck's hand, holding on to Isamu's. "I'm going to tie up the horses," She says, letting Linebeck have a moment alone. She does wait, until Linebeck gives a nod, before moving off.

Linebeck hesitates for a few more moments, before simply willing his legs to move towards the house and up the porch steps. He lightly runs his hands over the faded, peeling paint, while his other rests in his pocket, fingering the rusting house key.

Upon reaching the doorway, once more, Linebeck hesitates. Then he makes himself move, drawing the key out of the pocket of the navy blue coat, slipping it into the lock with a little difficulty, and deftly unlocks the door, opening it and slipping inside before his nerves could fail him. As the door clicked shut behind him, the small click sounding like it was echoing in the former home, Linebeck truely, truely felt the years difference. Standing in the front room, Linebeck saw how empty the house looked, felt.

"Isn't it true, however? The place is empty. Its been abandoned, abandoned ever since you left that night." Linebeck thinks to himself.

Gazing around, Linebeck swallowed hard. Pictures still hung on the walls, but covered in over a decade's worth of dust, obscuring the images beneath. Walking further in, Linebeck saw all of the furniture covered in yellowed sheets. Trying to breath in, Linebeck nearly choked on the stale air, no traces of his mother's scent remaining. The smell of the sea, pine, and nutmeg that always seemed to follow his mother around. The floor creaks as Linebeck walks further in, and when Linebeck glanced back, he saw his own footprints in the dust.

A heavy feeling settles in Linebeck's chest as he places a hand onto the dusty kitchen counter. "It's just a house..." Linebeck thinks to himself, trying to keep away the emotions. However, it was more than a house... It was his home. Seeing it falling into ruin... It hurt Linebeck more than he would care to admit.

Gazing around the house, Linebeck's eyes fall upon the wall, where the words "Where's your sister now?" thankfully no longer rested. For Linebeck, though, the words were still ingrained into his brain, so when he looked at the wall, all he could see were the words; deep red, almost black, dried, small drips hanging from the bottoms and curves and still signed by his father.

Linebeck sharply yanks his head to the right. The staircase then meets his gaze, causing his dead mother and her own bloodstains peppering the wall and steps to flash in his mind. He squeezes shut his eyes, shaking his head, trying to block or dispel the images, hand balling into a fist.

Then, petite arms slip around Linebeck's middle, fisted hands resting on the frozen captain's chest, one thumb rubbing into the shirt and vest.

"Breathe," Ciela gently commands, "breathe, Linebeck."

Not even realizing that he had stopped, Linebeck lets in a shaky, raspy breath. Still keeping his eyes shut, he raises his hands to wrap around Ciela's.

Ciela places her head onto Linebeck's back, closing her eyes. "You okay?" She asks, not raising her head.

"No," Linebeck honestly says, "I walked in here, and then the memories of that night came rushing back. They kinda overwhelmed me."

Ciela nods her head in understanding, forehead still not leaving Linebeck's back. "When I had first regained my memories, my basic memories returned, that I was the Spirit of Courage, my knowledge of spells and power, basic stuff. But when I looked around at the town of Molinda, all the memories of the town that I had rushed to greet me. Same way everywhere else. Sometimes, it wasn't until I looked at a certain object and boom, more memories came to attack me." Ciela mummers.

"I... even had went back to the temple on Molinda Island. The night before we set sail for the fog. The night you told me about your sister," Ciela clarifies. "Since that the village gave me memories, I wanted to see if the temple I was meant to reside in and watch over would as well."

"I traveled there and easily zipped through the rooms, path having been cleared by Link. When I flew into the main room... horrible memories stole my mind." Ciela takes a sharp breath. "Bellum's attack hit me, front up and center. I was so overcome by the fear, pain, and anger I had became paralyzed. To the point that I fell to the floor, a good 15 foot drop for a fairy. However, the pain did jar me out of the memories, but the pain and fear remained. The pain upon separating my body and memories and soul. The fear upon seeing Bellum's squid form burst through the door, tentacles alight, because at this point... I was the only one left... Oshus... Neri... Leaf... They had all disappeared, and I couldn't contact them or sense them or get anything from them. I was completely alone when Bellum tried to capture me."

Ciela forces her arms to unlock and she removes herself from Linebeck, moving so she could be standing in front of Linebeck. She raises up her hands to run down from the sides of Linebeck's face to rest on his shoulders.

"But soon, different memories poked through," Ciela says, giving a smile. "Memories of good times that occurred in the temple. Like when I first stepped into the room as the Spirit of Time and Courage and the temple accepted me as the new spirit."

Ciela stands on her tip-toes, drawing Linebeck closer down to her and she gently head-butts him. "So what I'm trying to say in the mist of all that is... Don't let a single night of bad memories become your focus. Concentrate on all the good memories that your home holds."

Suddenly, a clatter is heard from the front walkway, breaking the moment and silence of the house.

Linebeck jumps violently, crashing into Ciela and nearly knocking the both of them over if not for Ciela quickly grabbing the kitchen counter.

"Smooth, oh fearless Captain," she dryly quips, gingerly righting herself. She rubs off the dust on her hands into Linebeck's coat, drawing a noise of disgust from the twenty-nine year old captain. While slapping out imaginary wrinkles, the ex-fairy goes to investigate the noise.

Rounding the wall that separates the living room area and front entrance, Ciela notices a solitary picture frame on the ground, glass side face down. Picking it up, Ciela flips it over while returning to Linebeck's side, wiping off the layer of dust with her shirt sleeve to reveal the pictograph underneath.

Ciela hands it over to Linebeck, who was still wiping away the dust that Ciela wiped on him, moving closer to him so they could examine the pictograph together.

It shows a much, much younger Linebeck, Linette and Marlene, with the twins looking around two or three. The trio was seated on the porch steps, with Marlene in the middle. They were all laughing, the twins captured in their mother's arms, frozen in mid-squirm. The house behind them was a stark contrast from the house today. The steps and railings were a crisp, freshly painted white, the porch floorboards a grey-blue and the house a bright light green, instead of the faded colors today.

"Holy Nayru," Ciela whispers. "You were cute!"

Linebeck snorts. "And what? I'm not now?"

Ciela swats him. "So when was this taken?" She inquires, tapping the glass.

"If I''m remembering Mum correctly, shortly after we moved to Farqay island and knew this is where we were gonna stay to hide." Linebeck replies.

"Having memory issues?" Ciela jibes, poking Linebeck's arm.

"Shut up, Miss Amnesia!"

Ciela moves away with a roll of her eyes, walking over to the stairs, picking up another pictograph on the wall to wipe off the dust and examine.

Linebeck watches her for a few moments before walking back to the front hall to return the pictograph to its rightful place. Looking at it, Linebeck suddenly frowned. Flipping the frame over, Linebeck sees that the string holding the frame up is sound, and the nail it rests on equally sound as well. No open windows that would let a gust come in. There was nothing that suggested itself that it could have caused the pictograph to fall. It was like someone simply hooked their finger under the pictograph and flipped it off the nail and onto the floor.

Not a superstitious man, yet Linebeck still felt something... otherworldly.

Looking back down at the laughing face of Marlene, Linebeck suddenly caught a whiff of his mother's old scent.

"Alright mum," Linebeck thinks, hanging back up the pictograph. "I get what you're trying to say."

"Hey, Sparkles?!" Linebeck calls, walking to the stairway.

"Yes, Moron?" Ciela calls back down, already having made it nearly to the top.

"I've been thinking about what you said, before the pictograph falling." Linebeck says, walking up the steps. As he does so, Linebeck can't help but glance over at the pictures free from dust, documenting his and Linette's life, solidifying his decision.

"And?" Ciela simply inquires, placing back a pictograph of Linebeck, Linette, Marlene and Max at the ranch. She turns to face her fiancé.

"Yeah, this house holds some pretty dark memories. But my home, holds even more happier memories," Linebeck gestures down the steps, still walking up them. "And with you... I want to create even more memories." Finally reaching Ciela, he wraps his arms around her waist, gazing down at her.

"Like, moving in? Fixing it up? Starting a family when we're married? Growing old together?" Ciela says, starting to smile, leaning against Linebeck.

"Yeah, all of those things, you sap," Linebeck confirms, smirking.

"Then hell yeah," Ciela says, dragging Linebeck back down for a kiss or several. In between them, Ciela breathes. "Now... We can go back to the ship," to which, Linebeck happily agreed to.

But yet, when night had fallen, and with Ciela's nude form pressed against his, Linebeck remained awake, simply running his hands through her flame red locks. Even with the day's happy events, Linebeck still couldn't shake that feeling that this was simply a calm before the storm, that worst things were to come.

And those feelings had only begun when Linebeck and Ciela had passed by the ancient temple...

...

Hey, hey! Quicker update from last time and guess what? Chapter eleven "Oversized Firefly" 's rough draft had been written, so with luck that will get typed up and both will be posted before the weekend is up!

And onto the chapter, with another appearance from Linette! As you all can see, this is chapter ten, and there are only 14 chapters to go before SARF is completed and I can move onto the third and final installment of the Really Series. WOOP.

So with the chapter. Thoughts? Questions? Things I could have done better? As you can see, Linebeck is moving on in grief, but still can't quite get past it. Also, ending scene, yay or nay? I like it, but not sure about your guys thoughts. And another thing, I'm trying to tone down the fluff, but I don't know what you all might consider fluff. I don't it's all that fluffy, but what the hell do I know sometimes?

Another side note is that FINALLY, I have moved on to my second semester of school, a.k,a: Three art classes and one core class. While that does mean I will have less time to write at school, it means more time to write at home, so hopefully, hopefully, I will be able to get started posting more and quicker. Hopefully.

~Roses