The Open Sea Calls

- Struggle -

Linebeck was pacing up and down the pier almost frantically. He muttered under his breath, and cast many a glance towards the temple. Leaf followed him.

“I wish you could fly!” said the spirit. “That'd be fun!”

“Damnit, aren't you even a little worried!?”

“Sure! Link's stronger when I'm there. But he can kill Phantoms now!”

“Yeah... but what about after that, when he gets to Bellum?”

“Well... I just have to trust the others, because there's nothing I can do to help.”

“Yeah, you and me both...” Linebeck looked longingly over at the milk bar. “I could really use a drink right now...”

“Ooh, me too!” Leaf agreed.

“You're already psychotic and unpredictable. I don't know if I want to see you drunk. Besides, what if the kid decides he needs you in the end? At least you could be useful...”

“You may have a use as well, Linebeck.” Oshus stumped over, holding his odd walking stick.

“Ocean King! Hi!” Leaf bobbed over to greet him.

“Oh, you decided to turn up.” Linebeck made a face. “Just in time to not have to help with anything, or face the kid before you send him to his possible demise...”

“I said my piece when I completed the Phantom Sword,” the old man said evenly.

But Linebeck wasn't through yet. “You just saw how strong he was and thought, how can I make this poor sucker do my dirty work, didn't you? Like you would've with me if I'd passed you little test!”

“I merely asked for his help. And he agreed.”

“...After tricking him AND Ciela.”

“And you have never lied to the child, Linebeck?”

“I – not when it mattered! Not recently!”

“Well, I could say the same thing.” Oshus looked past him. “I hope your ship is in good condition?”

“Of course,” snapped Linebeck. “I take care of it. I hope you feel guilty for manipulating a kid like that!”

Oshus stared out at the sea. “...I regret the necessity. But it is what it is. He is at least well-prepared.”

“Huh, yeah, he'd better be,” Linebeck muttered, swatting at Leaf as the spirit came to rest on his head. “Are you here to do something useful, or did you just want to pester me?”

“...The spirit of power trusts you?” Oshus was looking curiously at his head.

“We're friends!” Leaf announced happily as Linebeck growled.

“That is... unexpected. What about the others?”

“The blue one's tolerable. Usually. Sticks her nose in my business a lot, though. Sparkles is a holy terror.”

“Hm... Well Ciela does not trust easily, but still... Perhaps there's more to you than I first divined.”

“Hmph, spare me,” Linebeck grumbled, stomping back on board his ship. Footsteps followed him, and he whipped around. “If you think I'm letting you hang around on my ship -”

“I need to have a look at the stone princess down there.” Oshus walked calmly past him, down the stairs.

“Gah!” Linebeck threw up his hands in defeat. “I guess no one cares what I say! As usual!”

“I care!” chirped Leaf.

“Shut up, you, and get off my head,” the captain muttered, stalking down after the Ocean King.

Oshus was gazing intently into Tetra's gray eyes. He looked out the window for a moment, and shook his head. “Not yet.”

“Not yet? So what, you're gonna stay until the kid gets back?”

“Hm... yes. Precisely.” Oshus turned around.

“On my ship,” Linebeck clarified, crossing his arms.

“Linebeck, have you been considering what you will wish for?” the old man said mildly, walking over to examine the sea charts pinned to the wall.

Linebeck frowned. “Of course I have. You're not getting away without granting my wish. I'm just trying to decide which treasure to wish for, and how much.”

“Ah, you would appear to be a quick study,” Oshus mused quietly, his sharp eyes piercing Linebeck's.

“Yeah. Well. I know what I like.” Linebeck turned away, his ears turning pink. He had a feeling the Ocean King was teasing him, but if he called the old man on it, he might have to explain more than he cared to.

“It should be a while yet, Linebeck. Why don't you keep busy while we wait?” Oshus suggested. The captain gave him a dirty look and stalked back up on deck.

“Ordering me around on my own ship...” he muttered. “He can't do that. I'll throw him off. I don't care if he's the Ocean King, I'd do it.”

“Oshus is funny, too!” Leaf spoke up, flitting out of Linebeck's hair to race around the deck. “But not like you are!”

“Oh, hilarious,” Linebeck agreed dryly, going over to lean on the railing. “...If he wasn't on my ship, I'd go to the Milk Bar.”

“I want to go, too!” Leaf cried, whizzing in tight circles around the cabin.

“I'm not leaving that old man on board without anybody keeping an eye on him,” said Linebeck. “And... I don't think I could stop at just one today. What if we need to get somewhere fast?”

“I HATE waiting!” Leaf fumed, suddenly angry. “Why don't they hurry!?”

“I'm sure they are,” the captain said morosely. “...Hey, be careful, I just fixed that lantern! You'd better not break anything!”

“But I'm MAD!” thundered Leaf.

“Yeah, well find something constructive to do!”

“Rrg... Hey!” The anger suddenly disappeared, and the fairy stopped short. “Wanna learn to fight? I could teach you!”

“No.”

“But I know you wish you could sometimes!”

“And now is not one of those times. Go away.”

“Come on, hit me! I won't move!”

“No.”

“Please? It'd be fun!”

“It would NOT be fun. It would be stupid.”

“But Linebeck...!”

“I'm going below!” the harried captain finally shouted. “Leave me alone!”

Linebeck stormed down the stairs and over to his crate. “One word, old man, and I'll sail you straight to the Isle of Ember and throw you in the volcano.”

But Oshus seemed preoccupied, staring off into the distance.

“Hmph... the best company on this ship is a statue,” Linebeck complained. He gazed down at Tetra for a moment. As he blinked, he thought he saw a flicker of life in his eyes, but then it was gone. “You seem like a woman after my own heart... Find any good treasure before you dragged the kid into this mess?”

Tetra, of course, gave no answer. The sailor stared at her a while longer, a frown growing on his face.

“Hey, old man,” he said thoughtfully. “Come have a look at this.”

There was no answer, so he turned around. In the middle of the room, something sparkled. Linebeck came closer to look as it became a glowing light...

Linebeck raised his arms just in time. Link fell on top of him, knocking him to the floor.

“Oof! Where'd you come from? What's going on here?”

Ciela was buzzing excitedly. “We did it! I remembered, and we beat Bellum! We just needed the power of the Hourglass!”

“No,” Oshus spoke up. “He is not yet defeated. But a portion of my power was freed.”

Link sat up, dazed and battered. Linebeck brushed some dirt off him. “You okay, Link?” the sailor asked as he sat up too.

The boy blinked at him, then nodded, looking uncertain.

“Still a lot of things not finished, huh?” Link nodded again, and Linebeck stood up, lifting Link around the waist, and carried him over to look at the stone Tetra. “Take a look at this. There's something odd here...”

The stone eyes glimmered. Something sparkled on her nose. And suddenly, in a flash of light, Tetra was human. Linebeck almost dropped Link, but kept hold of the boy.

Link laughed joyfully at the sight of his friend. “Tetra! You – You're...! But how?”

“Thanks to all you've done today, enough of my power was freed that I was able to return this young lady to her normal state,” said Oshus. Linebeck turned, letting Link drop to the floor.

“Thank you for all you've done for me,” Tetra said. She put up a tough front from what the captain had heard, but he really didn't see it now. She acted for all the world like a regal princess, gracefully thanking her subjects for a small but vital task they had performed.

“I saw everything you did,” she continued. Linebeck frowned, and she looked up, a hint of mischief in her big blue eyes. “You too, Linebeck. Thank you!”

“Hmph. All in the line of duty, of course. I do this stuff all the time. ...But I DID put a lot of effort into this.”

“What? Linebeck, you barely did anything!” interrupted Ciela.

“Oh? I'd like to see how far you'd get without me. Maybe you'd like to carry the kid across the ocean? Or try bargaining with pirates for a ride?”

“We might get a better deal that way,” Ciela pointed out. Link smiled at the two of them.

Suddenly a scream cut through the bickering. A long black tentacle with an eye on the end had crept into the cabin and wrapped around Tetra. She tried to grab onto something, but the thing dragged her out. Link tore up the stairs after it, followed quickly by Linebeck and the fairies.

Bellum's tentacles waved as it sprang onto the Ghost Ship. The creature sank into the wood, leaving out the tentacle that held Tetra, who had gone limp. Purple blobs sprouted out of the ship, and a beady yellow eye blinked open in each one.

“That thing's got Tetra!” Ciela screamed. “It's possessing the Ghost Ship! It's getting away!”

“Not for long!” Linebeck said. “Come on kid, let's chase down that squid-thing! I'll take the wheel, you just blow it out of the water”

The boy nodded and Linebeck ran down to fire up the engine.

“But it's moving too fast to chart a course for!” the spirit of courage wailed.

“You leave that to me, Sparkles,” the sailor assured her, backing the ship up, then spinning the wheel until they faced the fleeing ship. He pulled a few levers, and the ship roared into action. “Let me worry about the piloting, Link! You know what to do!”

Link nodded as they raced after the massive ship. Once they got within range, he started firing at the yellow eyes. It was easy at first, and he shot out most of them without no problem. Linebeck shouted out encouragement every time he hit one as he steered the ship back and forth, skillfully maneuvering the S.S. Linebeck to one side, then the other. Link had to hold onto the cannon for support, but there was a smoothness to their frenzied pace, and he was never knocked completely off-balance. The spirits whirred around him.

At last, at the northern edge of the Southwestern Sea, a cannonball knocked out the last eye. There was an unearthly cry, and the Ghost Ship foundered in the water until only its main deck and some wreckage floated on the surface. The smaller ship spun to a quick stop right beside the deck. Link ran down to the wreck, and Linebeck followed him. Oshus slowly stumped out on deck.

“No turning back now,” Linebeck said quietly, crossing his arms nervously.

Link nodded, looking around cautiously. “Where'd it go?”

With a growl, Bellum fell behind them, right on top of the S.S. Linebeck. Linebeck, Link, and the fairies whirled around just in time to see Oshus and the ship thrust into the sea.

“Grandpa!” Ciela cried, whizzing over to flit above the darkened waves.

“My... ship!” Linebeck wailed. Thoughts raced through his mind, but didn't stay long enough to register with him. Link just watched the scene in silent horror.

Bellum leapt up again, still clutching Tetra. Link spun to attack the beast, but the long tentacles whipped out at hi. The Phantom Sword skidded across the deck to Linebeck's feet as the boy was lifted up, struggling. He tried to reach for his bow, grappling hook, anything, but the monster's grip was too tight. He saw Tetra hanging limply nearby as he fought to breathe. As he swung around, a massive yellow eye stared at him. Teeth were bared, and Link tried not to think about what would come next, or how close he had come to succeeding.

And then the eye blinked in confusion and turned away. Link followed its gaze even as he fought against his darkening vision and burning lungs. There on the Ghost Ship's deck was Linebeck, shaking visibly and holding the Phantom Sword awkwardly in both hands. The three spirits spiraled around him, and he had managed to pierce a tentacle in its vulnerable eye.

Bellum bellowed in outrage. It lashed about and pulled away from the sword, throwing its captives around as it did. Tetra landed on a small piece of planking floating nearby. Link hit the main deck and blacked out.

“Hey! Wake up!” a voice cut through the darkness. Link forced his eyes open. As his vision came into focus, he saw Linebeck swinging the Phantom Sword wildly. There was no technique to his attacks, and though Bellum shied away, it was growing bolder.

“Link! Are you all right?” Ciela hovered above the boy's head.

“This is no time to talk!” Linebeck called, his voice rough. “Give me a hand over here, will you?”

As the captain turned to shout to the young hero, a long tentacle his his arms and wrapped around it. He tried to run, but his other arm was already caught. Linebeck struggled and fought as Link ran over. The older man caught his eyes, and managed to hurl the sword clumsily down at him.

“Here, catch!” Linebeck yelled.

Link dove and caught the sword, its hilt still warm from the previous wielder. He met Linebeck's resigned eyes, full of fear and determination.

Then Bellum lifted the captain up. The body's main eye looked him over as he writhed against his captor.

“What do you think you're doing!? Let go!”

The eye blinked. The mouth opened. And in a blur of waving arms, it attached itself to Linebeck's back. He trued frantically to turn around, to pry it off.

“Gaah, get off me!”

But the squirming tentacles were already wrapped around him, warping, changing, becoming a dark armor similar to the Phantoms'. Linebeck turned to the frozen hero desperately, his skin turning gray, his eyes rolling back. He took a step forward, raising a huge curved sword with an ease Linebeck had never possessed. Link stepped back cautiously.

But that was as far as it went. Linebeck stood, swaying. Every now and then a sliver of green would appear in his dead eyes.

“...Linebeck?” Link asked warily.

“Nng... not...” Linebeck managed to choke out. He fought to keep the boy in sight somehow, and to not move even when the armor and the thing on his back were pushing to attack. He took another lurching step forward, stepping enough to the side to throw himself off-balance. Alone, he would have fallen. But Bellum kept him upright easily.

“Linebeck?” Link asked again, lowering his sword slowly.

“Nn! No!” Linebeck growled, stepping forward and slashing at Link, though not close enough to hit him.

“I... I can't fight you!” the boy said, horrified, backing away again.

“Link, you have to! That's not Linebeck anymore, it's Bellum!” Ciela screamed.

Linebeck was still fighting, but he wasn't sure how much longer he could keep it up. He took two massive steps forward, close enough to see the boy's pale sweating skin and panicked eyes. He lifted his sword. His arm trembled as Link looked up at him.

The sword wavered. He started to lower it slowly... Maybe there was hope, after all.

“Link...” he croaked out.

And then a horned, grinning helmet closed over his whole head, and he knew no more. Brief visions of a fight passed through his head, along with snatches of song.

“So his messmates made him ready, and overboard sprang he, and swam alongside the Gerudo enemy, and with his awl and dagger, in her side he bored holes three, and sank her in the Lowland Sea...”

Try as he might, the boy couldn't get behind his enemy, where he knew its vulnerable eye sat. The thing was too fast, too graceful, too skilled in combat, as the man it rode never was.

“...but the captain did not heed, for his promise he did rue, and he left him in the Lowland Sea...”

Link fell back, bleeding, and scrambled breathlessly to his feet again. He was limping now.

“...So his messmates drew him up, but on the deck he died, and they sewed him in his hammock, which was so fair and wide...”

The boy struck out, knocking his foe back, and Ciela squirmed in the tentacle's grip, emitting a glowing ball of light. Link caught it and ran...

“...and they threw him overboard, and he drifted with the tide, and sank into the Lowland Sea...”

Everything froze, and the hero ran around behind his enemy. There was a terrible ripping pain, and then nothing.

…

So I decided to split up the last part a bit... There will be one, or possibly two more chapters to come! The game's ending, and then I have some idea of what I want after that. We'll see!

Sorry it's taking longer than usual! I know this isn't the best chapter. I'm focusing on other things at the moment, but I hope the next one will be worth reading. As usual, all feedback is much appreciated!