Chapter Fifteen

The Final Hours

"Hey, Linebeck!" Link calls, running up the dock, newly made Phantom Blade in hand. Ciela, Leaf, and Neri zip behind him, leaving trails of fairy dust to disappear into the air.

Linebeck raises an eyebrow at the kid. "Is that the new sword you have, Kid?" Without asking, Linebeck swiftly swipes it out of Link's hands, giving the blade a careful once over. "Meh, I've seen better designs. Without knowing the true nature behind it, it really wouldn't fetch much on the market. Hourglass is a nice touch."

Ciela immediately flies into his face. "We're not selling it, Moron! And who do you think you are?! Just swiping it out of Link's hands like that?! You could have hurt someone with your inexperience with a sword!"

Linebeck snorts before waving off the fairy. "Actually, Sparkles, I do know my way around swords." Linebeck gives the Phantom Blade a few swings, testing the weight and seeing how easy it was to wield the blade. A little part of his brain was niggling in the back of his brain, saying that the blade shouldn't feel this right to be wielded by him, not since the last time he picked up a blade was when he would spare with Jolene, now three years ago. But Linebeck pushes down that voice, instead choosing to think that the familiarity of wielding a sword came from muscle memory. He still couldn't ignore that hum of energy that seemed to be tuned with him however.

Giving himself a shake of the head, Linebeck twirls the Phantom Blade so he was gently grasping the blade and presenting the handle to Link. The young hero takes it, staring at awe up at Linebeck.

"You know how to wield a sword?!" Link queries, sheathing the blade.

"Hey, Kid. No making a big deal out of this. Sure, I know how to wield a blade. Am I gonna tell you and the puffballs why? No." Linebeck links his hands behind his head.

"So you could have been helping Link all this time." Ciela states, flying right back into Linebeck's face, her golden wings fluttering in anger. "All. This. Time."

"Tch!" Again, Linebeck waves the fairy out of his face. "There is a difference between knowing how to wield a weapon and actually being able to use it in battle." Linebeck raises up his hands. "I just happen to lack the nerve needed for actual sword fighting in battle."

"Right." Ciela dryly comments.

"So what's the plan for yah, Kid?" Linebeck queries. ignoring Ciela.

"Well, I'm headed over to Oshus's to train with the Phantom blade. Zauz tried to match the blade I wielded as close as he could, but there is still some subtle difference in the blade. Not terribly so, but enough to the point where I could make a mistake that might result in my death." Link explains.

Linebeck nods, trying not to wince at the young boy speaking so casually about the possibility of him dying. "And it's getting kinda late. It's takes you the better part of a day to get through that cursed temple now." Linebeck states.

Link nods his affirmation. "You're welcome to join us, Linebeck." He adds, giving no mind to Ciela's sudden increased fluttering.

"No thanks, Kid." Linebeck refuses. "I have some work to be doing on the S.S. Linebeck to make sure that she's in tip-top condition." Linebeck turns back to the ship.

"I'll see you later then, Linebeck!" Link calls.

Linebeck simply waves a hand in the air as a sign that he heard the kid before entering the ship.

Ciela lets out a "Hmpt!" before flying off towards the town. quickly followed by Link.

Few hours later, Linebeck emerges from the lower levels of the ship, wiping grease off his hands with an old rag. He glances out the porthole window and his eyes widen at how dark it had become. He pauses, realizing that Link, nor did any of the spirits return. He gives a quick look around the ship, making sure that the group hadn't come back and simply not let the captain know. However, Linebeck finds no trace of any of them.

Placing his hands onto his hips, Linebeck glances at the steps.

"The kid can easily take care of himself." Linebeck says to himself, letting himself into his cabin. "He probably just lost track of time while training with Oshus."

Almost without realizing it, Linebeck finds himself shrugging on his coat, lighting a lantern, and heading off the ship to begin the trek towards Oshus's home.

Just as Linebeck rounds the Milk Bar, there was a bright flash of golden light, almost like a flash of lighting, that illuminates the area.

Linebeck pauses, giving a glance around, raising up his lantern to give more light to the surrounding area. For a few moments, all the captain can hear is the sounds of merriment coming from the bar, and absolutely no one out and about.

Raising an eyebrow, Linebeck lowers the lantern, and begins walking along the town path again. He gives a look back to where the flash came from, so try and see once more if there was any explanation for the flash.

At that moment, a woman runs out from the shadows between the two buildings, making a beeline for Linebeck. She was moving so fast, the only thing Linebeck could process was the color yellow before the woman practically crashes into him.

Linebeck immediately grabs one hand at her shoulders, the other still holding the lantern. "Hey, are you alright?-" He starts to get out, trying to keep his balance as the force from the woman spins the pair around. Then, the woman places her lips onto his, effectively prevented Linebeck from saying anything.

Not that he could anymore. At the moment the woman places her lips onto his, Linebeck's brain shuts down, trying to understand this turn of events and what could have caused the woman to kiss him.

They remain that way for several moments. Then, due to Linebeck's shock, his lantern slips from his grip, falling to the cobble stone with a loud crash. The woman lifts her face away from Linebeck, opening her eyes. Linebeck follows suit. Golden eyes lock onto dazed and confused emerald and all of the blood in the woman drains out of her face. She squeaks out a horrified "bye" before releasing Linebeck to dash off into the night.

Linebeck remains there a few moments, slightly swaying with his dazed brain trying to keep up on what was going on. He blinks a few times before finally eloquently stating. "What the hell just happened?"

The captain helplessly looks about for anyone to help him out, but just as before, there wasn't a soul in sight.

Linebeck listens to the sounds of merriment in the bar, before finally leaning over and picking back up his lantern, which is amazingly still lit. He gives one more useless look around, before finally shaking his head and heading along his way.

In between the two buildings where the flash occurred, Ciela is repeatedly smacking herself in the forehead at her stupidity and apparent inadequacy to actually talk to her... whatever the hell Linebeck is to her, as a hylian sized fairy.

...

Linebeck raps on the doorway of Oshus's home, as he enters the simple hut. He finds everyone sitting around the kitchen table. A pot of soup rests in the middle of the table, the scent of a delicious stew emanating the black iron.

Linebeck gives a closer look at the table, and sees that almost everyone is at the table. A certain golden spirit is mysteriously absent. Linebeck finds himself wondering at where she was at. His thoughts get interrupted as Oshus welcomes Linebeck.

Without waiting for an invitation, Linebeck swings out a seat from the table and sits down. "So where's Sparkles?" He asks, waving a hand to where she would normally sit in between Leaf and Link on the table.

Link frowns. "She's not with you?"

"Why in the Goddesses name would Sparkles be willingly with me?" Linebeck bluntly states, giving a weird look at Link.

"She had left to go get you, to let you know that I was going to stay with Oshus and to invite you over for dinner as well." Link replies, cocking his head in confusion.

Linebeck gives a single shrug of his shoulders. "Didn't see her, Kid."

"So will you be joining us, Linebeck?" Neri asks, calling from her spot on the soup ladle handle.

Linebeck starts to refuse, then suddenly remembers something that he wanted to ask Oshus. "Sure, why the hell not, Powderpuff."

Neri simply rolls her eyes at Linebeck's language as Link let's out a cry of joy in true 13 year old fashion. "Try Oshus's stew, it's really good!"

Later that night, Linebeck walks down to beach in the darkness, after seeing that Link and the two spirits were safely asleep. Ciela was still missing in action, but Oshus assured them that the Spirit of Courage was not in any sort of distress, and is simply wandering the island.

Not that Linebeck would ever admit to be worried about her. Or any of them. Especially with Sparkles.

"Something has been on your mind tonight, Linebeck." Oshus says, suddenly appearing out of no where.

Linebeck briefly locks up, before closing his eyes and letting out a sigh. "You have got to stop doing that, Old Man." He states, shoving his hands into his pockets.

Oshus chuckles softly. "I am a very old man, Linebeck. Let me have my fun."

The captain snorts. "Old is an understatement for a god."

The two fall into silence, listening to the ocean waves crash against the sand. Linebeck finds himself staring at the waves receding.

"So what is on your mind, Linebeck?" Oshus asks.

Linebeck swallows, before moving his gaze to the dark horizon line. "It's about my wish..."

Oshus only nods, waving a hand forward for Linebeck to continue.

"And what I can do with it." Linebeck finishes, still not removing his gaze from the water.

Oshus places his staff in front of him, letting it sink slightly into the sand. "You're looking for perimeters on this wish." Oshus says. "Well, you can wish for almost anything. The only thing that cannot be wished for is a person back from death. The only god powerful enough and with enough rule over the other gods is the Goddess Hylia. However, she has not been seen since... well... let's just say I was roughly your age, give a hundred or so years."

Linebeck looks over at Oshus with a raised eyebrow. "Gods can become lost?" He says, voice incredulous.

Oshus nods solemnly. "Oh yes. There are many that no longer are known by hylians or other beings... Oni is another god lost to knowledge and sight."

"And who is this... Oni?" Linebeck inquires. "Or this Hylia woman?"

Oshus remains silent for several moments before speaking. "Oni was a demon that was masquerading as a god. Hylia, on the other hand, is a goddess older than your Goddesses, in fact... She is the mother of them." Oshus shakes his head. "However, their full story is for another time."

"So tell me, Linebeck. What is it you are hoping to wish for?" Oshus turns to look at Linebeck, his eyes hidden in the dark.

Linebeck briefly closes his eyes, taking a deep breath of air. "A long time ago now, my twin sister, Linette, was kidnapped. I've been searching for her ever since... But I've hit so many walls and gotten sidetracked so often... Not to mention how low I had fallen in my hopelessness in never finding her." Linebeck's heart begins to beat with the small inkling of hope that started growing ever since his conversation with Ciela that late night. "It may seem like a cop-out..." Linebeck's throat locks up on him, and he has to force the next words out of his mouth. "Can my wish bring her back to my side?"

Oshus remains silent for a long while, the only sounds being the wind and waves.

"No..." Oshus finally states. "I'm sorry, but it cannot."

Linebeck's heart freezes and his hope shatters. "...Oh..." Is the only thing the captain managed to get out.

"I am sorry I cannot help you. If Linette was in my domain, oh most assuredly yes that the moment I would come back into my full power, she would be returned to you. However, Linette rests under the domain of the goddesses and so she and her location remains veiled to me. And the last time I meddled in the Goddesses' affairs... it did not end pleasantly." Oshus explains, voice sorrowful and regretful.

Linebeck doesn't say anything, only nodding and leaving his head bowed.

"I'll let you be alone then." Oshus says, before turning and heading back towards his home.

Linebeck removes one hand from his pockets to roughly cover his eyes, head still bowed. He remains immobile for several minutes, the only movement being the slight tremor in his shoulders. Letting his hand fall, Linebeck lifts up his head towards the dark sky and opening his eyes. Even in the low light. there is a slight glimmer in the captain's eyes. Then. with a few quick blinks, it disappears.

"There couldn't have been an easy way out, huh?" Linebeck thinks to himself. Stupid of him to get his hopes like that. Whenever he tried to, something always merrily came along to make them crash and burn.

"Maybe I'm not meant to bring you home, Linette." Linebeck thinks. "... Maybe... You're not meant to come back home at all..." The lump in his throat returns and Linebeck again rubs at his eyes to keep the tears at bay. He shakes his head, muttering expletives while banishing the depressing thoughts to the back of his head.

"So why are you out here so late?" Ciela states, flying up in front of Linebeck.

For the second time that night, Linebeck jumps. This time, however, is much more violent, with him stumbling back a few steps.

"Cucco." Ciela mutters, rolling her eyes.

"Excuse you, Sparkles!" Linebeck snaps, crossing his arms and glaring at the fairy. "I just happen to be on the alert for any kind of nasties in the night. Pardon me for not wanting to be attacked."

Ciela echos Linebeck by crossing her arms. "So if you're so afraid of being attacked, why are you even out here?"

"Just talking with the old man, doing some self-reflecting." Linebeck says, waving a hand in the air to dismiss any underlying messages.

"Must have been some pretty heavy reflecting. You looked kinda upset." Ciela comments, knowing there had to be more.

Linebeck only shrugs his shoulders, refusing to comment back.

Without asking if she could, Ciela alights herself onto Linebeck's shoulder, leaning against his neck. The captain shifts his eyes to give her a weird look as much as he could, but allows her to stay. The fairy lets out a rush of melancholy air, seemingly melting against Linebeck's neck.

"And what's with your long face?" Linebeck queries, raising an eyebrow.

Ciela's wings perk up in alarm. "Oh! I'm not sad!... Just thinking how it seems so long ago since I discovered Link on this beach."

Linebeck nods his agreement. "Hard to believe it's only been almost over a year since I started sailing with you two, and the two other bits of fluff."

Only a year... huh." Ciela states, more to herself than to Linebeck. "And tomorrow... for better or for worse... it ends." Ciela curls up into a ball, her wings dropping back down. "What will you do after we beat Bellum?" She whispers, in a voice so low that if she hadn't been sitting right next to his ear, Linebeck would have missed it.

"Search for Linette, of course." Linebeck immediately says, surprising himself with how he quickly he responded. "And you?"

"Watch over the seas and my temple." Ciela mummers back, eyes lowered.

Linebeck snorts. "Compared to what you've been doing with the kid, that sounds pretty boring for a Spirit of Courage."

Ciela lets out a sound of agreement. She bites her lip, looking out across the ocean, wondering if she should voice her next words, knowing that she couldn't change anything. But after her failed attempt earlier, she just had to know if Linebeck gave any kind of inking of affection for her.

"Will you come back and visit me?" Ciela says, heart hammering in her chest. She doesn't even notice that she said 'me' instead of 'us.'

Linebeck stops short in his thoughts, giving another weird look at the fairy. "Are you feeling alright? Do you have any feelings of sickness or possession?"

"Just answer the damn question." Ciela grits out, punching Linebeck's throat.

"Ow..." Linebeck whines, before falling silent. He gives a one shouldered shrug. "Sure, why not? It'll be good to come back and see you. Hell, the kid and I can make a trip of it." He gives short chuckle. "You won't be able to get rid of me that easily."

Ciela forces herself to chuckle along. "Yay, fantastic." She mock-grumbles, heart feeling heavy in her chest.

"So what prompted a question like that from you?" Linebeck asks.

Ciela freezes, eyes going wide. Luckily, a tremor rocks the island and a wave of nausea sweeps through Ciela. She groans, curling tighter into herself, holding her stomach. By the Ocean King, did she hate her ability to sense evil. Practically every time Bellum caused anything, it cropped up.

"Hey, hey, no puking on the coat, I don't want to have to clean it." Linebeck orders, giving a stern look at Ciela.

Ciela rolls her eyes, before flying off Linebeck's shoulder. "Thanks for the concern." She drawls. She starts to fly back towards the hut, but stops and flies back next to Linebeck. "So what were you and Grandpa talking about?"

"Nosy fairy." Linebeck grumbles. He starts to answer with 'lost gods' but instead finds himself giving up part of the truth to the Spirit of Courage.

"I was asking him about my wish. What I could wish for, boundaries for the wish." Linebeck says. "Also, wanted to make sure that I wouldn't have to be careful with my wording tomorrow."

"Don't want your precious piles of treasure to turn to dirt as soon as you touch it, huh?" Ciela says. She gives a snort "Well, I'm not surprised."

"Bah!" Linebeck waves a hand at her. "Get out of here, Sparkles!"

"Goodnight, Moron." Ciela calmly returns, before finally flying off.

Linebeck gives a soft chuckle at Ciela's parting words before catching himself. He turns back to the ocean, trying to figure out when Moron had become a term of endearment rather than a insult.

"Probably around the same time when Sparkles became a term of endearment for her." Again, Linebeck's train of thought stops him up. "And when exactly did that happen?!" The captain demands of himself. He did not have terms of endearment for that piece of fluff nor would he ever have them for her. She's a fairy, for Goddesses' sake.

"Didn't stop you from enjoying the feeling of her leaning against your neck." His brain unhelpfully points out out.

Linebeck shakes his head, banishing the thoughts. He looks back out across the water and island, thinking back upon Ciela's words.

"Tomorrow, for better or for worse, it ends." He softly echos.

The wind quickly whips away the captain's words.

...

Okay, I lied about the three chapter update. Since I have chapter fifteen and sixteen's rough draft done, all of these chapters are getting clumped together for on big five chapter update. Consider it an apology present for not updating in almost a year.

Not much happening in this chapter, but I wanted to clarify why Linebeck couldn't have used his wish for Linette and also give up some foreshadowing for the final installment of the trilogy.

See you guys next chapter.

~Roses