A/N: Tip to anyone who writes or may write fanfiction: Do not go and get yourself completely obsessed with another fandom (*cough* Harry Potter *cough, cough*) so that you find yourself reading all of the books nonstop, watching and re-watching all of the movies, and even going as far as diligently searching for fanfics of it, even though you consistently can't find any good ones which is utterly disappointing, so that you lack all concentration, motivation, and every bit of focus for the fanfic that you should be writing.
(Fortunately, I have managed to get my obsession under control, so now I will be able to turn my fully divided attention back to this.)
Chapter 6: The Departure
When Link awoke the next morning, he nearly threw himself out of bed out of sheer panic. But he quickly regained his bearings when he became aware that the sun was only just beginning to peak over the horizon. All of last night, he kept having ridiculous dreams, mainly of himself running out onto the dock only to see Linebeck already sailing away on the King of Red Lions and calling back, "Too late, morning's over. You missed your ride!"
He ran his hands over his face. Standing up, he threw on his white shirt and green tunic over his bare, scarred chest. He was once again in Oshus's house, in the same room he had been in when he had first found himself on Mercay Island. After the negotiations with Linebeck the previous day, Ciela had offered for Link to stay with her and Oshus, which he accepted gratefully.
Link pulled on his boots and left the room, walking down the hall to the front room. Oshus was sitting in a chair, his large staff resting across his lap. His eyes were closed once again with that look of deep concentration upon his old features. Even during the short time he had been there, Link often found Oshus doing this, sitting silently for hours on end.
Link had no idea why the old man did it and didn't bother to question it either, but he always got the impression that Oshus was either trying to see the future, reappear in a different location, or was maybe even having an out-of-body experience.
Despite the bizarreness of these ideas, none of them were foreign to Link. Fortune-tellers weren't unheard of, as he was about to leave to go visit one shortly. Near the end of his last great adventure, a wind god, Cyclos, had helped him out a few times by warping him across the oceans. And he had become quite accustomed to the King of Red Lions becoming still and lifeless as his spirit had left the vessel to live in his real body beneath the seas.
However, even as he considered each of these possibilities, they all seemed unlikely as to Oshus's seeming lack of awareness. But he still highly doubted that Oshus was simply tired and was resting, as Oshus liked to describe it as.
Link cleared his throat loudly, and Oshus opened his eyes, turning to look at the former. "Good morning, Link," he greeted him.
Link cracked a smile. As he strapped the sword onto his back, he said, "I need to get going here soon, but do you know where Ciela is? I thought I should tell her goodbye."
"She'll be back soon," Oshus said. "She just went out to get you something, I believe. Help yourself to something to eat in the meantime."
Link paid no mind to the invitation and instead approached Oshus. "Sir," he started. "I was wondering..."
"Yes?" Oshus prompted, though Link got the impression he already knew what Link was going to talk to him about.
"What's wrong with the Temple of the Ocean King?" he said. "I've heard it used to be, well, not cursed. Is the Ocean King angry or something? It is him causing all the earthquakes and monsters, making the seas unsafe?"
The previous day after his encounters with Linebeck, he and Ciela had wandered around the different shops. Curiously, he found that (in the words of Ciela) 'many others don't intend to leave the island for a while', not because they were busy here, but because they were frightened of what was out there. Most everyone he talked to raised the belief that the seas were cursed, blaming the problems on the guardian of the ocean.
Oshus studied Link. "Yes and no," he answered simply.
Link stared at the old man, confused.
"The Ocean King is not responsible for these problems; I believe he is trying to fight them," he said. He raised an eyebrow at Link. "I think you know what is causing them...?"
Link thought for a moment, the answer coming to him easily. "The Ghost Ship... So, it's not being controlled by the Ocean King?"
When the Oshus nodded his agreement, Link continued, "Then the Temple of the Ocean King... Why does it suck the life out of those who enter? What were those things patrolling the corridors?"
"The Ghost Ship is not just a haunted vessel; a great evil controls it. It is that same evil that has cursed the temple. The monsters in the temple, Phantoms, were created by the curse laid upon it," Oshus explained. "You're an amazing lad to have emerged alive from the temple, Link. Very courageous for one so early in his years... I'm sure you noticed that in certain areas of the temple, your life was not being drained from you?"
Link nodded.
"The Ocean King still fights the evil that is the Ghost Ship. Those safe areas of the temple are patches that the curse has not yet reached due to his resistance... But his strength is waning..."
"Sir, why did you send Linebeck in there?"
"I did not." Oshus shook his head. "He came here demanding to know about treasure, asking about the secrets of the island, about the temple. I let slip that there was a treasure deep within the temple. I didn't expect to him to rush off to it. Most would lose heart and flee for their lives upon hearing me say it. I warned him that any who enter the temple unprepared will find it a terrifying ordeal, but he was immediately set upon finding the treasure... That man is a fool. He would have been lost had you not taken his place in going further into the temple for the treasure."
"Sir, there wasn't any treasure in the temple, though," Link said. "All we found was this old, empty hourglass."
Oshus thought on this for a moment. "Do you have it with you now?"
"I left it back in that room," he said, indicating to the room he had slept in. "I didn't think I would need it."
"Would go and retrieve it for me, please."
Link nodded and stood up. He went again to the back room. The hourglass sat upon one of the shelves next to jars of fruit preserves. He picked up the delicate object. He returned to Oshus and placed it in his outstretched hand. Oshus observed it closely.
"This is indeed treasure," Oshus decided. "It is the Phantom Hourglass."
"The what?"
"The Phantom Hourglass. It is a legendary instrument. As long as you carry it, the Temple of the Ocean King cannot drain the life from you, but only so long as sand remains at the top of the hourglass. When all the sand has drained to the bottom, your life, too, will be drained."
"But there isn't any sand in it," Link pointed out.
"True," Oshus said. "The sand it usually contains is called the Sand of Hours, made of Force Gems of the great spirit, the Ocean King... It seems the sands have been stolen from it to keep any from entering deeper into the temple."
"There's more in the temple? It goes deeper?" Link asked, astonished.
"Oh, yes," Oshus confirmed. "Much more. I fear you may have only scraped the surface of the temple."
"How deep does it go?" Link questioned.
"Possibly several levels. It is believed that the temple is the dwelling place of the Ocean King, so it must go deep enough with plenty of secret passages that worshipers can't accidentally stumble upon him."
Link studied the Phantom Hourglass in Oshus's hands before asking that which had been surfacing the more the conversation progressed. "I'll have to go back into that temple, won't I?"
Oshus leaned forward, a sincere glint in his eyes. "Link, you don't have to do anything... What you do haveto do, however, depends upon the outcome you desire to see."
They sat in silence as Link thought on that. Finally, he said with a crooked smile, "So that's a 'yes' then?"
Oshus's eyes twinkled behind his bushy eyebrows, but said, his tone serious, "Eventually, yes, I do fear you will have to endure the horrors within the temple. But to do so you will need to collect the Sand of Hours... I sense that the evil that controls the Ghost Ship now dwells within the temple, and I fear your friend might never be safe until it is destroyed."
Link nodded his understanding. Then he voiced the question which had been swirling around in the back of his mind ever since he first met Oshus. "How is it that you know all this?"
"I am an old man," Oshus said simply, chuckling. "We old people know things."
Link wasn't convinced by this answer and was sure Oshus was keeping the real one from him. But he decided against pressing the matter.
There was one last thing on his mind now. "Sir, while we were in the Temple of the Ocean King, my life would drain every time I stepped into the fog. But Ciela... The fog didn't seem to effect her at all. Do you know why?"
For once, Oshus seemed startled, his eyes wide and mouth parted. "It didn't effect her?… That is curious..."
Just then Ciela flew in, struggling to carry a large, brown bag. She set the bag on the floor, panting as she said, "Hey, Link!" She lifted the bag back off the floor, flew it another foot or so forward before dropping it again. "I went and got you this bag. I figured you'd need something to carry your stuff around in." She flew it forward another foot, before attempting to drag it towards him. "I put some food in here for you, too. I hope it's enough."
Link grinned wide, touched by her efforts and went over to her, taking the bag from her tiny grip. "Thanks, Ciela."
"It was nothing," she said brightly, her chest heaving.
"Well, Ciela," Link said. "I'll need to get going so Linebeck doesn't leave without me. So I guess this is good-bye for now."
Ciela looked stunned. Seeing her expression, Link held out a hand and she landed on it, looking him in the face. "You're leaving already?"
"The deal was I would meet him first thing in the morning," he answered. Looking out at the horizon of the sea, he could see that the sun was already making its ascent. Linebeck would undoubtedly be expecting him any minute now, if their meaning of 'first thing in the morning' was the same. "But I'll be back. I promise you, Ciela."
She dropped her gaze, disappointment evident on her face and her wings drooped. Oshus sensed her sadness and said, "Now, I don't see why we can't accompany him down to the dock and see him off, Ciela."
She smiled slightly and nodded. Link placed the light-pink fairy on his shoulder, swinging the bag she brought him around his other shoulder.
"Do you have everything you need, my lad?" Oshus asked standing up, the staff supporting his weight.
Link nodded. "I think so."
"Oh!" Oshus walked towards him, holding out the Phantom Hourglass. "Take this with you."
"Wouldn't it be safer here?" Link asked.
"Perhaps," Oshus said. "But it would also remain empty here... I'm afraid that is often the cost of safety; in the effort to remain protected and hidden, one misses out on experience and opportunities, and can forget to live and to love... If you wish to go further into the Temple of the Ocean King, you will need to fill it with the Sand of Hours, which I am certain you will find along your journey."
Link took the hourglass, holding it more reverently than he did previously. He considered where he should put it, but the bag didn't seem like the most secure place for it and there wasn't anywhere on his person that he could store it. He decided he would just carry it until he found a suitable spot.
Together the three of them left the house, making their way to the port. The sun was climbing steadily into the sky, melting the sky from a pale pink to a bright orange to a brilliant yellow, casting the sea in a golden light. The sea itself was calm, gently wafting onto the shore. The few clouds in the sky were thinning, barely blocking away the rays of the sun. The sea salt air drifted lazily. It was hard to imagine, with a sunrise like this one, that there could be any danger at all just beyond the horizon.
As they went, walking across the pavement towards the bridge with the stretch of beach to their right, Link watched Oshus out of the corner of his eye. Even though Oshus walked steadily and without a trace of worry or weariness in his expression, Link couldn't help feel that Oshus was weaker than he was letting on.
The port was much quieter, only a few sailors and merchants could be seen going about their business. They approached the docks, the boats all buoying lightly upon the incoming waves. Link strained to search around the various vessels, praying that the dock of the ship he was looking for wouldn't be vacant. He heaved a sigh of relief when he saw it, its white surface gleaming in the morning light. The phrase S.S. Linebeck painted in bold, black letters on the side. And there, in his deep blue coat and lounging in a chair on the deck, was Linebeck. He was leaning back with his feet propped up on the table and a chart spread out in his lap.
When he caught sight of them, he rolled up the chart and set it aside, swinging his legs off of the table. Link watched as he walked the length of the deck and descended the gangplank. "Well, look who's gracing our presence! It's old man Oshus!" Linebeck called to them, ignoring Link's existence.
"I thought I'd see our young friend off," Oshus said. "And make sure you didn't need any help."
"Help? From you?" Linebeck said snidely. "You sent me into that treacherous temple, you old barnacle! And the only thing that was in there was that cheap, old hourglass." He swiftly gestured to Phantom Hourglass still in Link's hands.
Link could hear Ciela inhaling angrily. He could tell she was trying to restrain herself from lashing out at the captain.
"I warned you against going in there; a warning that so many before were wise enough to heed as to avoid losing their lives," Oshus replied calmly. "But evidently, there are true heroes among us..."
Linebeck straightened up, pride etched in every feature of his face. "Preen my feathers a little more, old man! Yep, I'm famous, all right."
"Not you, fool!" Oshus said harshly, startling both Linebeck and Link. "You're a wreck. You'd be sunk by now if our young friend here hadn't shown up."
Link averted his gaze from the group, pretending to have been interested in something inland. He had enough experience to know that someone like Linebeck wouldn't take kindly to that comment and knew it was best to simply act as though he hadn't heard it. He could almost feel the captain's momentary glare at the back of his head as he continued to stare off in the opposite direction.
"No," Linebeck retorted. "I just decided to let the kid search the rest of the temple to prove he was... worthy. On a typical day, I blaze through one or two such temples... before breakfast!"
"Calm yourself, Linebeck," Oshus said with an air of force. He now directed his attention to Link, the tone in his voice softening. "You remember where it is you will start?"
Link turned back to them looking at Oshus, but not saying anything otherwise. He couldn't quite recall the name of the fortune-teller or the name of the island. "The Isle of Ember to seek out Astrid," Oshus declared to Linebeck.
"Isle of Ember, eh?" Linebeck said. "So it's as simple as sailing there and finding some Astrid?"
Link seriously doubted that it was that simple, but didn't comment on it. Instead he asked to Linebeck, "Do you have sea chart to the Isle of Ember?"
"Of course I do," Linebeck said as if this were insulting. "Every smart sailor has sea charts of the places they sail. Only a fool wouldn't."
"Right," Link muttered. "Just asking." There had been quite a many instances with Tetra the past few years in which they forsook the use of sea charts.
"So we're off to the Isle of Ember, then," Linebeck said, already walking back up the gangplank and onto the deck.
Link looked back at the other two. "I'll see you later, Ciela."
"Actually," Oshus intervened. "Ciela, I'd like you to go with Link. You'll be essential to his efforts, I'm sure. And by seeing the outside world, you might just find your lost memories."
The fairy stared at Oshus, aghast. "But... yesterday, you said_"
"I know what I said. But I believe your time has come."
"Oh, thank you, Grandpa!" she exclaimed, flying forward to embrace him. Link couldn't help but smile as the display.
"Be safe, young one," he told her. "Both of you."
The two broke apart, and Ciela returned to her perch on Link's shoulder. "Thank you again, Oshus," Link said.
Link turned to board the ship, but then Oshus spoke once more.
"Link, I have no doubt that this journey will be a difficult one. Be careful, but don't be afraid. Take risks, but take smart risks. Don't despair over fixable mistakes... The ancient power that used to dwell within you may be gone, but you can always find within yourself your own inner strength."
Link could almost feel his muscles freezing as he stared into Oshus's aged face. He barely knew Oshus, but the wise man had spoken as if he completely knew Link and of some the very things his mind lingered on. What shocked Link the most, though, was when Oshus mentioned "ancient power". How could Oshus possibly know about the Triforce? How could he possibly know Link was once one of its bearers?
Link was pulled from his stupor as his thoughts were interrupted. "Hey, kid!" Linebeck called down at them. "The Isle of Ember awaits! Let's go!"
With a last look at Oshus, Link climbed the gangplank, Ciela fluttering excitedly beside him. The black S.S. Linebeck letter gleamed on the hull as he stepped onto the ship. The last time he had been on board the ship, he had his focus on trying to persuade Linebeck. Now however, he was able to fully take in its grandeur, its exact size and unique shape, every color choice. But despite this, he still couldn't figure out how the ship actually worked and sailed anywhere. He couldn't see any place at all that a sail could possibly be set up.
Linebeck was once again pouring over a sea chart. Link approached him, and he looked up. He sighed loudly at the sight of Ciela. "Don't tell me I have to haul around that twinkly bit of fluff, too?" When neither Link nor Ciela responded, the captain huffed, "Bah, fine then... Now, I'm assuming it will take maybe three days until we arrive at the isle."
Link simply nodded. Ciela, on the other hand, voiced the question that had played around Link's mind ever since he had first seen the ship. She was obviously resentful about the "twinkly bit of fluff" comment too, because she burst, "How are we suppose to get there at all?! Your stupid ship doesn't even have any sails!"
"Sparkles," Linebeck said, not showing any indications of being offended. On the contrary, he seemed overly pleased with the chance to explain and boast about his ship. He stood straight with his arms on his hips in an stance that clearly said I'm the owner and captain of this awesome ship. "You're on the S.S. Linebeck," he said as if this explained everything.
"What does that stand for anyway?" Link asked, Linebeck obviously annoyed at not receiving the desired effect. "Is that like – Is Linebeck your last name? What does the S.S. stand for?" Ciela looked just as confused.
"And here I was under the impression that you were actually somewhat of a sailor yourself, kid," Linebeck muttered loudly. "Whether Linebeck is my first or last name doesn't matter, because we certainly aren't getting on a first name basis. As for S.S, that stands for Steam Ship. Ringing any bells?"
Ciela shook her head slowly. Link just answered, "Right," not wanting Linebeck to have another reason to think him and make him feel stupid; he had never in his life heard of a "steam ship". He was only ever exposed to boats with sails or oars. Of course, there had been the merchant, Beedle, who had used the combination of pedal and water-wheel to propel his vessel forward, but that had been, until now, the most unique technique of sailing he had witnessed. The idea of steam somehow powering a ship seemed ridiculously far-fetched.
Link decided to ask a safer question. "So how do these steam ships work anyway?"
"I don't particularly think you need to know that," Linebeck answered bluntly. "Well, I think we're ready to leave." He furled up the chart he was observing. He began scooping up the rest of the scrolls on the table and piling them into the crook of his arm. He walked to the door to the bridge, Link following slowly. Linebeck was just swinging the door open when he realized Link behind him and stopped.
He turned to Link. "Rule number one: No one is allowed inside except me, got it?"
"So where are we supposed to sleep?" Ciela asked, incredulously.
"There's plenty of deck," Linebeck said, indicating to it with a wave of his arm. "Take your pick at any patch of it. Now if there aren't any more problems, Sparkles, then I think we're ready to ship off." He didn't wait for her reply as he opened the door and slipped inside the bridge, closing it behind him.
"What a lousy, selfish, piece of_"
"It's fine, Ciela," Link said, interrupting her angry tantrum.
"Well what if it rains?!"
"Ciela," Link urged. "It's fine, trust me, I don't mind. I'm just happy that we're finally leaving... And believe me, I've slept on worse."
"Slept on worse?" Ciela inquired. "What are you talking abou_"
"It doesn't matter," he said, cutting across her again, and waving his hand dismissively.
"No, tell me," she pushed, plainly hoping for an exciting tale. He looked at her to see that her face was gleaming. "You said you've been in awful temples before and you've slept on worse. I mean, I'm just adding two and two together here, but it sounds like you've been on some crazy adventures, right?"
A smile tugged at the edge of his lips. He envied her innocence. Instead of responding with a story, he asked, "Have you ever heard of the Hero of Winds?"
The blank look she gave was enough of an answer without her saying, "No."
"I thought not," he answered.
The sun was now completely visible, warming Link's face through the thick coolness of the morning. The port was slowly awakening, shops beginning to open back up and people trickling out of their dwellings. More seagulls were now taking flight.
Suddenly, a loud, heavy blast sounded around them, breaking the silence and causing Link to jump, looking around in confusion for the source of the din. Link had never heard such a noise before and could only explain it as sounding like the combination of a enormous, angry pig and a canon blast. The ship beneath his feet vibrated with the noise. Smoke billowed forth from the chimney attached to the bridge. Then the ship gave an unexpected lurch, and Link clutched the railing to keep himself from falling. He looked up to see the docks drawing away from them, the wheels on either side of the ship churning water.
He gazed at it all in amazement, completely stunned at the power the ship held.
"Wow," Ciela said, and there was a note of awe in her voice, though she was trying to mask it. "This piece of junk actually works."
"How fast do you think we're going?" Link asked. He caught the evident fascination in his own voice and chuckled. He was instantly reminded of the combination of fear and utmost excitement he felt his first time ever on a real ship. He realized that the similarities between this time and his first were strikingly close.
"I don't know," Ciela said. Link smirked at her because she sounded a bit miffed that he wasn't putting forth his own effort to, in some way, criticize Linebeck's ship. Her irritation quickly drained away, though, and she smirked back. She flew over to land on his shoulder and said, "So what are we going to do for three days?"
"No idea," he said. "Sit here and watch the ocean?"
"Are you serious?" she questioned. "Is that all there is to do on a boat? I was expecting something a bit more exciting. Why does anybody love doing this? Sounds like it would get boring after a while."
He chuckled, grateful that he had her here with him. He sat down, leaning against the right side of the bridge with his legs hanging over the edge of the deck between the poles of the railing. He set the bag of food and his sword down next to him, the hourglass resting in his lap. He looked back at Mercay Island to see it steadily getting smaller.
Ciela noticed a peculiar expression forming on Link's face that clearly showed he had something on his mind. "What's wrong?" she asked.
"How did he know?" he voiced, hardly to her though.
"Who?"
"Oshus," he answered, not breaking his gaze from the island. "He knew about the Triforce... and somehow that I had a piece of it."
Ciela was utterly confused now. "The what?"
"Nothing," Link said, shaking it off. He didn't expect Ciela to know about the Triforce. It was an ancient relic that had been lost and hidden away since the days of Old Hyrule. There were only a select few who knew of it, and he didn't feel like giving a long explanation to the fairy.
Ciela was silent. Link looked at her on his shoulder out of the corner of his eye. She was gazing straight forward, seemingly put off that he wasn't expounding nor even telling her anything. "I'm sorry, Ciela," Link told her. "But it's a really long story."
"We've got three days," she mumbled.
"I just don't want to talk about it," he said. "It's a memory I'd rather leave behind, quite honestly."
"... At least you have your memories," he heard the fairy breath into the wind.
The ship chugged on, smoke continuing to issue from the chimney into the open air. The sun climbed still higher, changing the gold of the sky to a cloudless blue. The familiar caws of the seagulls had long since faded away. Mercay Island was now a dark shape far away in the distance, and soon it would completely disappear from view.
Link pulled his gaze away from it and turned toward the direction to which they were heading, anticipating when they would finally see the column of burning red rising up out of the horizon.
A/N: Recently I got a review that stated, "Phantom Hourglass was stupid."
I want to address this way quick. Actually, I probably should have addressed this at the beginning of this story, so I thank this reviewer for reminding me... I am fully aware that Phantom Hourglass is not one of the more favorited, admired, high-esteemed Zelda games. In fact, it often seems like it's at the other end of the spectrum. The thing is, I started writing this, completely understanding and half-expecting that this might not be a popular fic because of the criticism PH receives. I knew trying to turn this into an exciting, deep, impactful story would be a challenge, because PH didn't have nearly the amount of depth or developed story as say Twilight Princess or Majora's Mask. However, I saw potential in a PH novelization (and can I just say, I've got some ideas for the future I am so freaking stoked about). It's my desire to take this highly underrated Zelda game and turn it into something worth remembering and loving. And I hope you guys will stick around for Phantom Hourglass to be able to become that something more.
Thanks, guys! Love ya!