Lord it's been five months, hasn't it? Soooo sorry about that, I randomly just took this long break for no real reason and just had no real motivation or inspiration to write, well... anything. But with the announcement of a new upcoming Zelda game (Echoes of Wisdom looks fantastic) and a newfound zeal for this fic in general, I decided to finally make my return! So, without any further adu, enjoy!

Chapter 10: Aquamarine

Two Years Later

"This is a pointless waste of time," Linebeck scowls. He spits a mouthful of tobacco juice over the side of the S.S. Linebeck, into the ocean. Across the deck, Ciela cringes; how the captain recently developed such an affinity for such a foul habit, she has no idea. But she doesn't intend to scold him about it, not unless he manages to inspire Link to pick it up too. "Always is, every time we do this."

"If it's important to Link, then it isn't a waste," Ciela flies a bit closer. Even from a distance, she can smell the tobacco on the captain's breath. Still, she holds her tongue. At least about that. "Who knows? Maybe Astrid will actually have some new information for him this time!"

"Yeah, and maybe I'll search my pockets and find a million rupees!" Linebeck snarks. He puts on a show of doing exactly that, pulling out his blatantly empty pockets to further prove his point. He rolls his eyes when he hears Ciela let out an aggravated growl. "Look, I'm just saying," he leans against the side of the boat, crosses his arms. "I don't know why the kid insists on putting himself through this every few months. He gets his hopes sky high just for that clueless fortune teller to feed him the same bunch of nothing over and over again.

"You don't know that!" Ciela argues. "It could be different this time! You never know."

"I know one thing, Sparkles," the captain pulls out a few more tobacco leaves from the stash in his coat. "If you have any faith in that fortune teller, or anything else we've tried for that matter, then you're just as delusional as Link is."

"He's not delusional," Ciela circles him angrily. "He just wants to go home, more than anything else in the world. And I thought you wanted to help him do that, Linebeck."

"I do," Linebeck's tone turns from sardonic to sincere. Or at least as sincere as he allows himself to come across without his pride taking a hit. "But even you've gotta admit, this is starting to get a little ridiculous. After three years, I would have thought he'd start to think about throwing in the towel, but nope. Here we are, back on the Isle of Ember, still on a wild cucco chase that's probably never gonna end-"

"Shh!" Ciela darts up into the air, her wings flickering in sudden alarm. "Link's coming back! Don't let him hear you say something like that!"

"What, you mean something he ought to hear?" Linebeck mutters. Still, he does as Ciela says, as much as it may annoy him. The loudmouthed fairy is usually right when it comes to Link, not that he'd ever dare admit it.

"So?" Ciela meets Link at the bottom of the gangway. The look on his face alone is enough to answer the question she poses next and then some. But she still decides to pose it anyway, even despite the warning glare Linebeck sends her way. "How'd it go? Anything new to report?"

Link sighs, only shaking his head. He turns his back on the pair, heading over to the railing near the stern. At 17, he's finally tall enough to fully lean against it as he stares out across the mid-afternoon sea. "She said the same thing she always does; she can't see any way home for me anytime soon," his voice carries only a hint of disappointment. After hearing it so many times before, it isn't as hard-hitting as it used to be. What's the point of getting upset about it anymore? "The only other thing she mentioned was that she saw some… 'astrological event' that's supposed to happen tonight when she looked at her star charts, but… she told me she didn't think it's anything that could help."

"...Star charts, huh?" Linebeck muses to himself. His eyes wander over to the cabin, where he happens to have one of those types of charts stored. He hasn't had much of a reason to use it lately, but maybe…

He shakes his head to clear out such an asinine thought. But it still sticks with him just the same, to the point that it all but forces him down below deck to get it.

"Aw, Link…" Ciela comes to rest on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry…"

Link draws in a sharp breath. He throws a smile on his face, weak as it may be, and forces himself to stand up straight. "Hey, it's ok," his voice is tighter than it should be. "I've already been here, what, four years now? What's a few more on top of that?"

Ciela recognizes what he's doing, the act he's putting on, immediately. She's seen it more than enough times now to know. And she isn't having any of it. "Link…" she warns gently, firmly.

"Besides," Link goes on anyway. "If I left, then I'd probably never see you or Linebeck again. By now, I've known you two longer than I knew most of my friends back home."

"But what about your family?" She tries not to bring them up too often; out of everything else Link has been separated from, he clearly misses them the most. Well, them and Tetra, who's become an even sorer subject than his sister and grandma somehow.

"Well… yeah… there's them…" Link looks down. He can't keep track of how many nights he's been kept awake, wondering if his grandmother is still around, wondering who's taking care of Aryll if she isn't, wondering what they must have thought when he didn't return to them like he promised he would. All he really can do is wonder now; because at this rate… the chances of him ever getting home are starting to look less likely by the day.

"I miss them… a lot," he admits. His voice softens, his brow furrowing as his smile vanishes altogether. For a moment, only the sea fills in the sound of his solemn silence. He breaks it with a long, exhausted sigh. His eyes reflect that exhaustion, making him look far older than he actually is. "But… I don't know… Maybe it's time to be honest with himself," He removes his cap, running a hand through his now-long hair. The ocean breeze tostles his blonde locks, and it feels so much like the breeze back home that it hurts. It hurts even more when he realizes he can only barely remember that breeze now.

"What do you mean?" Ciela asks, worried.

Link walks over to the table near the helm, briefly scanning the all-too familiar sea chart resting on it. It holds no answers for him; it never does. "We've tried everything, looked everywhere, and we still don't have anything to show for it, even after all this time… So, maybe…" he swallows hard, holding back emerging tears. "Maybe I should just give u-"

"Aha!" Linebeck suddenly barges out of the cabin. Several charts are piled up in his arms, a few of them coated in a thin layer of dust. "Turns out that fortune teller isn't as out there as I thought," he spreads one of his scrolls, a star chart to be exact, over the map on the table. "Something really is going down tonight, and it's gonna be big. I'm talking about a once in a lifetime kinda deal here."

"Are you actually gonna tell us what this thing is or just keep going on about how 'special' it is?" Link asks, finally managing a smirk.

"I was getting there, kid," Linebeck huffs. "So, there are these things called Goddess Tears, right?" He unfurls a weathered sketch of a handful of small, shining, teardrop-shaped stones. "They say they rain down from the stars every few centuries; allegedly they're supposed to be the tears of the big Three upstairs themselves, but that's just a bunch of hooey if ya ask me. What really matters is that if you manage to catch one of these tears and make a wish on it, then that wish might just come true."

"Wait… really?" Link asks, his eyes wide. The realization hits him like a storm; slowly at first, and then all at once. "Then… that means…"

Ciela gasps, quickly catching on. "If you could get your hands on one of those Goddess Tears-"

"Then this years-long search of ours will finally be over," Linebeck grins, clapping a hand on Link's shoulder. "No more spelunking through dungeons or following loose ends clear across the ocean. All you'll have to do, Link, is just wish for a way home."

"Just wish for it…" Link repeats almost breathlessly. To think that it could be that simple, that easy, and most of all, that soon. That only the span of a few hours could be keeping him from home now, that what he's spent so long searching for could at long last be in sight. It all sounds far too good to be true; maybe that's why, instead of just letting himself take the captain's word for it, he still finds room to doubt all the same. "Do you really think it's true though? Do you really think this could work?"

Linebeck shrugs. "I dunno, maybe." He sees no point in lying to the boy; he hasn't in quite some time, so why start now? "I'm usually the first to be skeptical about this kind of magical mumbo-jumbo, but who knows? This could actually be something."

"You're being strangely optimistic all of the sudden…" Ciela notes, skeptical.

"What can I say?" the captain grins as he moves to his usual spot at the helm. "I've got a good feeling about these Goddess Tears. Call it sailor's intuition. Plus, if they actually can grant wishes imagine the possibilities! I can wish for mountains upon mountains of treasure! I'll be set for life!"

"Ah," Link exchanges a smirk with Ciela. "Should've known this had to do with treasure."

"Now, let's shove off!" Linebeck calls as the S.S. Linebeck's engine roars to life. "We've gotta get to a good spot to make sure we catch some of those Tears. Get ready, kid: all our dreams are comin' true tonight!"

Tonight… So close and so sudden that Link hardly feels ready for it. He always thought he'd have more time to prepare, more time to come to terms with the mere idea of going home before he actually did. Above all else, he thought he'd have time to say goodbye to all of the friends he's made here.

But with so little time left to spare, at least he'll have a chance to thank the pair that's stuck by his side since the beginning. From the battle with Bellum to three long years spent fruitlessly searching the endless sea, Linebeck and Ciela have been just about the only constant in his life lately. They've kept him going, helped him smile when little else could, inspired hope in him that would have otherwise been lost a long time ago. They supported him, guided him, all but gave him a new family in the place of the one he used to have.

But now… now he's just supposed to leave them, without a second thought, never to see either of them again. Just like how he left so many others behind upon a different sea entirely. The only difference is that this time, it will be entirely his choice.

And somehow, that makes something that should feel so wonderful… feel so wrong.

They head to the southwestern seas, where Linebeck determines they'll have the best chances of crossing paths with the Goddess Tear shower. The sun finishes setting just as they drop anchor, and the moon and stars are swiftly arriving to take its place. As their glow begins to illuminate the open ocean, Link spares a glance over the side of the S.S. Linebeck into the waters below. His reflection peers back at him, barely resembling the boy he'd been when he arrived here four long years ago.

Back on Outset, twelve is the age when most boys take their first step toward manhood, donning the green garb of the ancient Hero of Time. Sixteen, however, is when the final step is taken, when boys are seen as fully-grown adults. Link was painfully aware when he passed that milestone well over a year ago, even more so when he went from sixteen to seventeen.

In almost no time at all, he'd gone from child, to teen, to adult in some strange, distant world, far away from where he knew he belonged. As a result, it's as if his life has been put on hold for the past four years, his body growing, but little else alongside it. He's let his hair grow long past his shoulders, but he still wears the same sort of green cap his grandmother had given him, even though that cap is now a darker shade. His skin's a touch more tan from spending so much time under the sun, but he still bears the same scar Bellum tore across his left eye. He doesn't carry a sword anymore, hasn't even lifted a blade since the day he defeated the demon; but his hand still yearns for one almost every minute of every day.

While so much has changed for him, so many other things have stayed the same. And, as he gently thumbs the worn swath of red fabric still hanging from his belt, Link can't help but wonder if the same rings true for the sea he left behind. And for a certain someone he's hoping is still sailing upon it.

"You ok, Link?" Ciela stirs him out of his thoughts. She lands on the railing next to him, actively ignoring Linebeck as rambles to himself about treasure from his spot near the map table.

"Yeah," Link offers her a small smile. "Just waiting."

"You know, I was looking more into these Goddess Tears on the way here," Ciela's wings perk up with excitement as she divulges her discoveries. "Legend has it they really are the tears of the Golden Three, but no one knows why they're crying or why their tears rain upon our world. Still, to think that something from the Goddesses themselves could be here, with us… It's almost unbelievable!"

"Heh, not that unbelievable," Link mutters, mostly to himself. After traversing the Great Sea for more than a few of the Goddesses' mystical relics in the past, the mere idea of them is almost mundane now. Still, he can't deny his hope in the potential power of these Tears; because if even they can't get him home… then he's not sure if anything else can.

"Alright, this is it!" Linebeck proclaims as he heads over to the pair. "Those Tears should start falling any minute now. Get ready to get wishing!"

"Linebeck…" Ciela takes on a tone that the captain is all too familiar with. One that almost always precedes some sort of scolding or nagging. "You do realize what'll happen if these Tears actually work, right?"

"'Course, I do, Sparkles," Linebeck grins. "I'll have all the treasure I could ever dream of!"

"And," the fairy presses sharply. "Link will finally get to go home. Which means…"

"He'll stop complaining about how much he 'misses' everyone there?" the captain guesses.

Link crosses his arms, offering Linebeck the driest look he can muster. Ciela bounces with annoyance. "It means you probably won't get to see him again, you selfish lump of seaweed! Don't you think you ought to show at least a little appreciation for your first mate before he's gone for good?!"

"Ciela, it's ok," Link steps between the pair before another one of their infamous arguments can ensue. "Really, Linebeck doesn't have to-"

"Nah, kid," Linebeck sighs, rubbing the back of his neck. "She's right." Strangely, he turns his back to the pair without another word. His silence goes on for a lengthy beat or two before Link finally speaks up to it.

"Uh… well?"

"Gah, just give me a minute, will ya, kid?" the captain spins around, flustered. "You know I'm not good at any of this… mushy, feely kinda nonsense. Why don't you and Sparkles have a good cry over your goodbyes first? I, uh… gotta head down below deck to check on the engines anyway."

"Ok, then…" Link frowns as he watches Linebeck leave. Before he can even ask Ciela on her take for what just happened, however, she's already upon him. She flies in close, hugging his cheek with her tiny arms as she lets out the tears she's been holding back practically all day.

"Oh, Link!" she wails mournfully. "I'm gonna miss you so much!"

"Aw, I'm gonna miss you too," Link smiles sadly, offering his hands up as a perch for her to sit on. "I owe a lot to you, Ciela. If you hadn't found me after I escaped the temple, I wouldn't be here today. And the way you've stuck with me, even when you didn't have to, for everything after that?" He sighs as another swell of guilt sweeps through his chest. "…What am I supposed to do without you?"

"You'll do just fine, I know it," Ciela assures as she wipes her tears dry. "And you won't be alone! You'll have your sister, your grandma, your friends… not to mention, Tetra." The fairy giggles. From the very first time Link told her about the young captain, it hadn't been hard for her to figure out the way he felt about her. Feelings that, even after so much time away from her, clearly haven't faded if the rush of red sparking across his cheeks is any indication.

"Yeah, well… hopefully, they'll…" He trails off, knowing he's hoping for so much more than he can even say. He's hoping that he'll be able to find them, that they're all still around. He's hoping they'll welcome him back with open arms, that he can pick up the life he was torn away from almost half a decade ago. And most of all, he hopes it'll all be worth leaving the life he's made here behind.

"Link?" Ciela asks. She watches as he turns to face the sea. There's still no signs in the sky above of any incoming Goddess Tears; when they'll actually arrive–if they do at all–none of them know.

"I was, uh… doing some thinking, on the way over here," he rubs the back of his neck. "And don't get me wrong, I really do want to go home; that's all I've wanted for such a long time now. But… now that I might actually be going… I… I'm not so sure I should…"

"What?!" Linebeck suddenly shouts. He storms up onto the deck, his face awash in disbelief over what he just happened to overhear. "We're this close to finally getting you home, something we've been trying to do for years, and all of the sudden, you've got cold feet about it?! Are you nuts?"

"No, Linebeck, that's not-"

"I did not put everything on hold for this long just to get you back to where you belong just for you to decide you don't want to go," the captain scowls. He's still a bit taller than Link, but not by much anymore. Still, he's tall enough to exert his authority over his first mate when he needs to, not that he ever really does. "Un-fucking-believable. Should've seen this shit coming from a mile away."

"Linebeck-" Link tries again, but the captain is far too steamed to cool down now.

"Think about all the time I've wasted, all the treasure I could have been searching for instead!" he laments. "But noooo, instead I fell for the sob story of some poor little homesick brat and let him charter my ship for four years for free! I must have 'sucker' written all over me to think that this was anything more than a-"

"Linebeck!" Ciela shrieks at the top of her tiny lungs. She finally catches the captain's attention, allowing Link to speak at last.

"I'm still going," he makes that clear right off the bat. The last thing he needs right now is for Linebeck to fly off the handle any more than he already has.

"Tch, yeah, you'd better be," Linebeck mutters sourly.

"It's just… it's gonna be a little harder than I thought, I guess," Link admits with a small, anxious laugh.

"Don't see what's so hard about it," the captain cocks an eyebrow. "Just catch a Goddess Tear, make your wish on it, and presto, you're home."

"No, I mean…" his shoulders drop as he leans against the side of the boat, staring up at the starry sky. "It's gonna be hard to leave Ciela… and you."

Linebeck doesn't say anything, but in an instant, all traces of frustration have fizzled out of his face. He slowly makes his way over to join Link, crossing his arms as he takes a look up at the sky himself. "Well," he makes a point of looking away from the boy beside him. "I can't speak for Sparkles, but you're probably better off without me hanging around you. Don't want me to keep 'corrupting you' by being a 'bad influence', right?"

"Oh, shut up," Ciela groans. He's quoting her on purpose, mimicking the warnings she's issued to him more times than he can count. Suddenly, none of those warnings seem to matter much anymore. Not now, when they're about to lose the boy they were meant to protect.

"You aren't a bad influence," Link says. He wishes Linebeck would actually turn around; he's always hated it whenever the captain forces him to talk to his back instead of his face. "But you are a pretty good captain, even if you do yell a lot and you complain when I so much as try to sleep in and you force me to clean the head more than anyone should ever need to and-"

"Aright, already, I get it," Linebeck finally looks at him, a smirk spread on his face. "You know, I gotta admit, I'll miss having someone around to do all of the stuff I don't feel like doing. Guess I'll have to dredge up a new first mate somewhere once you're gone," his smile widens as he ruffles the boy's hair up a bit. A rare, but fond gesture that the captain only issues when he's at his most sincere. "Doubt I'll find anyone as willing to put up with my bullshit as you, though."

"You're right," Link laughs as he readjusts his cap. "You probably won't."

A comfortable sort of silence settles as the pair turns their attention out toward the sea. The Goddess Tears should start falling any minute now and they don't want to miss a single second of such a special shower, one that so many hopes and dreams are riding on. After a while though, Link decides to speak up once more. There's something he's wanted to tell the captain for quite a while now, something that, he realizes, he may only have mere moments left to say.

"Hey, Linebeck?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"You, uh, may think that what I'm about to say is kind of dumb or corny." Now it's Link's turn to look away as a small, feeble smile fills his face. "But… I just want you to know how… grateful I am for everything you've done for me."

"Oh geez," the captain sighs. He rolls his eyes, but a soft grin still rests on his face despite it. "Here we go…"

"I mean it," Link insists. "You've helped me so much, in so many different ways, I-I can't even begin to think of a way to thank you for all of it."

"Hmph, just getting you outta my hair will be thanks enough, trust me," Linebeck's voice lacks the usual spark it carries. His smile slowly fades as he stares down at the water below. It vanishes altogether when he hears what Link starts to tell him next.

"You know…" he rubs his arms. It's a warm evening, but what's weighing on his heart still makes him feel a bit cold all the same. "I don't remember much about my dad. He and my mom died in a shipwreck not long after my sister was born. I thought I was used to not having him around, until I met the King…" He swallows hard. Talking about the King has never been easy, but it feels even harder now that so many years have gone by since. "He was about the closest thing I had to a dad for a long time, until… I lost him too. I must not be very good at keeping fathers around," he chokes on the word father. His eyes burn with tears that are only starting to fall as he turns to Linebeck, his voice tight, soft, and sad. "'Cause I'm about to lose another one…"

Linebeck freezes stiff when he hears that. He stares at Link, eyes wide in silent shock. The draws in an expectant, unsteady breath, and even though he's fully grown, he's never looked younger and more fragile than he does right now. It makes one particular, pestering thought that's been nagging the captain for a while now weigh even heavier on him than it ever has before. A thought that's all too quickly starting to turn into a decision, as downright stupid as that decision may be

"Dammit," he curses, under his breath first, but it grows louder and louder each time he repeats it. "Dammit, dammit, dammit!" He turns on his heel and stomps off toward the helm, leaving a confused and crestfallen Link in his wake.

"L-Linebeck?" He only takes a small step after him. He rushes to dry his tears, shame rising up in him to the point that he feels nearly sick with it. Goddesses above, why did he ever think this was a good idea? Why didn't he just keep it all to himself? Why did he ever get it in his head that the captain who all but raised him through his teens ever saw him anything more than the underling he'd always been? "I'm sorry! I just… I didn't think–I wasn't trying to-"

Without warning, a stark flash lights up the sky as bright as day. Even as that flash fades, the sky remains radiant, and it's easy to see why. Hundreds upon hundreds of tiny lights, small enough to look like shooting stars, rain down from the heavens and into the sea, painting them in vibrant shades of red, blue, and green. It's an utterly dazzling spectacle, and for a moment, the most Link, Linebeck, and Ciela can do is stand and watch it in awe. Until they realize exactly what's going on here.

"The Goddess Tears!" Ciela gasps, narrowly dodging one of them. "They're real!"

"They're… beautiful…" Link reaches down to pick up one of the red Tears resting on the deck. It's small enough to fit in the palm of his hand, and if he didn't know any better, he'd simply think it was a tear-shaped ruby. But the otherworldly glow surrounding it tells him otherwise; the Tear hums with untold power, the sort of power he's felt only once before, years ago when the Triforce of Courage rested in his hand. Now that he's able to see the Goddess Tears up close, he has no doubts that they come from the exact same sacred source.

From the fabled Golden Three themselves.

With that realization quickly comes another. He's seen the wish-granting power of the Triforce in action; if these Tears are anything like it was, then there's no question to be had anymore. They can get him home, all he has to do is-

"Make your wish, Link!" Ciela encourages. She floats away from him, knowing well that this will be one journey she can't follow him on. As a serving spirit to the Ocean King, she's tied to this world, she always will be. To tear her away from it would ultimately bring about the end of them both. Still, that doesn't make the fact that she has to stay and watch him go any less painful than she knew it always would be.

"I-I-" Link starts. He gasps, however, when he steals another glance down at the Tear in his hand. Within only seconds of landing, its color has faded, its light and power dulling and dying out. The other unclaimed Tears meet the same fate, ultimately disappearing altogether in a matter of mere minutes. Turns out, the Tears are on a time limit, and with no telling when the shower will end, that means they are too.

Linebeck realizes this almost as quickly as Link and Ciela do. He rushes back from the helm, catching as many Goddess Tears as he can along the way. At first, Link suspects the captain is doing this for himself. After all, more Tears means more wishes Linebeck can make for more treasure. But then, he suddenly shoves his entire Tear collection into Link's hands instead.

"Do it," he says, his voice every bit as grave and urgent as his expression is. "Go home."

Link draws in a heavy breath. There's still so much he wants to say before can go, but now, it's clear he doesn't have time for any of it. Still, that doesn't mean he isn't about to try. "Linebeck, wait. I-"

"No," Linebeck cuts him off. He grabs a few more fallen Tears off the deck to replace the ones that are already dying out in Link's hands. "No more waiting. If you're making that wish, you've gotta do it now."

Link shakes his head. His mind is screaming at him to do as the captain says, to make his wish before it's too late. But his heart… his heart is urging him to make things right. To make sure his final few seconds with his captain aren't ones he'll forever regret. "Please, just listen. I sorry about what I-"

"Forget it!" Linebeck snaps, aggravated. "There's no time! Just get out of here already. That's what you've wanted all along, right?"

Link flinches, as if the captain had struck him with his first instead of with words. Linebeck notices his reaction, sees the sudden grief filling his face. But he says nothing to it. Instead, he presses another Goddess Tear into Link's hand, seeing no need to tell him again what he needs to do with it. And with the shower of Tears starting to slow down around them, he needs to do it now… or never.

"...Ok," he sighs softly. He grips the aquamarine Tear tightly, staring down at it in equal hope and worry. His one-way ticket home, the thing he's been searching for for such a long time, what he's spent years dreaming of, now mere moments, seconds away.

And yet…

"Goodbye, Link…" he hears Ciela whisper softly, solemnly. Her voice is thick with tears, and Link can feel some of his own building behind his eyes.

"Bye, Ciela…" he returns just as gently. He swallows hard when he turns to the captain. Once again, Linebeck has his back turned to him. He doesn't have to think too hard about why. "B-bye, Linebeck."

To his surprise, the captain glances over his shoulder at him. He looks sad at first, but then, he smiles, flashing a Tear he's managed to catch for himself. Looks like he'll be getting two things tonight: he'll gain all the treasure he could ever want… and lose the burden of the boy he's been saddled with for far too long.

Link returns his smile, but it doesn't meet his eyes. His own tears fall freely down his face as he steals another glance at the sacred one in his hand. Its blue glow is starting to dim, but there's still power brimming from it. Power that he's begging, praying to the goddesses who sent these Tears to them in the first place, will actually work.

So, he closes his eyes, holds the Tear close to his heart, and forces himself to let go of one home so he can return to another.

"I wish…"

Ooooo looks like our boy is finally going home! But will the Great Sea be anything like he remembers it? Guess you'll have to wait till next time to find out. Don't forget to REVIEW please! Until next time!