This was an idea I had a few years ago and never pursued, but I wrote it all up now! I’ve been wanting to actually write a fic with Linebeck for a while, I hope I did him justice :)
Ao3 link
Warnings: blood & injury, violence, brief seasickness, possession... I think that’s it
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It’s Wind’s home, no doubt about that, but the storm they’ve just been dropped into was obviously unnatural.
Sky stared at the clouds above them, purplish grey, swirling and sparking with lightning. It reminded him of fighting Levias when he’d been corrupted. The wind was howling, trying desperately to whip away hats and capes, and the rain quickly soaked the nine of them.
“Whoa!” Wind gasped as he looked around the beach they’d landed on. “What’s going on?!”
“You tell us, it’s your time,” Legend huffed sourly, huddling beside Hyrule and Sky against the weather.
“Is this normal?” Four asked in alarm, and Wind shook his head.
“No way, Windfall never gets weather like this. Something’s wrong,” Wind said as he looked around the beach they’d landed on.
“It looks like it’s worse out there,” Wild said, pointing out at the ocean, and Sky squinted along with the rest of them. It did seem worse. “Should we... I dunno, check it out?”
“Of course! If nothing else, this is big octo weather,” Wind said worriedly, already hurrying towards the dock in the distance. “They shouldn’t be this close to shore. We gotta take it down!”
“Oh I hate big octos,” Four muttered, and as Time nodded in agreement, Sky wondered exactly how big a big octo was.
Nobody was around on the island as they hurried towards the docks, though Sky saw a few lit windows in the houses further up the island. The beach and docks were totally deserted, and Sky wasn’t surprised. Nobody in their right mind would sail in this weather.
...Except, it seemed, whoever Wind was excitedly waving at as they reached the docks.
“Linebeck! Hey Linebeck!” Wind hollered over the storm, and the tall man striding down the dock turned, eyebrows raising.
“Squirt!” he hollered in reply, and made a beeline for Wind, faster than Sky necessarily would’ve expected. He lifted Wind up into the air, and then began to violently shake him. “What’s the big idea disappearing on me? Your sister and pirate friend said they got mail from you but I haven’t gotten a thing! Don’t you care about your old pal Linebeck?!”
He kept on shaking him as he spoke, and though they all tensed, Wind waved them off, looking glad to see the man.
“Sorry, I’ve been busy,” Wind apologized dizzily as Linebeck finally dropped him. “Threats to the world and stuff. What’s going on out there? What’s with the weather?”
“I was about to go figure that out myself,” Linebeck replied as he puffed his chest out. “Bad weather means bad monsters which means good treasure! I’d planned to just sneak by, but with you here you can take down whatever’s making a ruckus out there! You got here just in time, sea monkey.”
“Looks like it. Got room for eight more?” Wind said as somebody muffled a laugh. “They’re the real deal, with monsters and treasure.”
Linebeck eyeballed the rest of the Links with a squint, and Sky tried his best to look experienced.
“Wellll... it’ll be a bit tight, but I suppose so. So long as your friends aren’t slackers! I’m captain of the S.S. Linebeck, you hear me?” Linebeck declared, long coat flapping in the wind. “You have to follow my orders no matter what, and any treasure is the property of—”
“We get it, you’re in charge. Let’s get this over with,” Legend huffed and stomped past Linebeck towards the ship.
Linebeck blinked, then snorted. “Nice, I’ve always wanted a surly teenage swabbie.”
“He doesn’t like the ocean,“ Sky apologized, huddling under his sailcloth.
“Who would with this weather?” Hyrule said, leaning way over the edge of the dock to look at the ocean, and Wild yanked him back away from it.
“Well if you’re finished trying to fall in the ocean like a bunch of landlubbers,” Linebeck drawled at the two, then waved them on. “C’mon you lot, the weather isn’t getting any better. Let’s go find us some treasure!”
The other Links exchanged looks, then followed after him.
The boat they all got onto was different then any Sky had ever seen before (though, that wasn’t saying much— his experience was a bit limited), with big wheels on the sides, and what looked like a chimney at the back. Sky wanted to ask about it, and Four also looked rather intrigued, but Wind was chatting animatedly about everything he’d been up to while he’d been gone, Linebeck interjecting occasionally like they weren’t fighting their way through a huge storm at all, and nobody wanted to interrupt.
Wind had mentioned the man a few times on their journey, looking fond as he described a great captain and friend he’d traveled with for a while. He’d admitted he was a little cowardly too, but insisted he had a good heart.
Sky supposed they’d see how accurate that was.
The waves crashed and bobbed them up and down as they set off, spray and rain mixing indeterminately. Sky didn’t get seasick, but even Wind looked a little nauseous from how rough the waves were. The rest of them weren’t looking so great, and Legend looked downright ill, retreating belowdecks almost the moment they set off, and Twilight quickly joined him after losing his breakfast over the side. Sky did his best to stand steady and not think about it.
Despite the stormy seas though, they puffed steadily towards the center of the storm. Sky stood near the stern, watching Wind’s friend steer, and couldn’t help be a little impressed. Linebeck really was a skilled captain, and he guided them expertly to where the purple clouds were darkest, lightning cracking through the sky.
...Even if his personality reminded him a bit of Groose.
“Get the cannon ready, kid!” Linebeck hollered as they approached, and Wind ran over to the middle of the deck, a tall cannon popping up out of it. “The rest of you, if you got any helpful shooty things, get them ready too!”
Sky pulled out his bow, as did the other Links on deck. Twilight and Legend had come back up at the shouts, both looking a little less sick, and everyone squinted past the rain, looking at the roughest part of the water.
The way it was moving suggested there was something stirring it up beneath the waves, but Sky couldn’t see a thing.
“Is the water... purple there?” Warriors asked, and Sky frowned as he looked where he was pointing. It did seem like the water had a purple sheen, apart from the reflection of the clouds, and Sky glanced at Wind and saw him frowning, face scrunched.
“Well that doesn’t make sense... plus a big octo would’ve shown itself by now,” he said, and looked back at Linebeck. “Should we go closer?”
“We’ve come this far,” Linebeck shrugged, and got the ship moving towards the purple water. “Something’s up, and I don’t like it, but this storm’s got to go.”
More lightning flashed, and Sky jumped, seeing a yellow eye below the waves.
“Uh, guys,” he said frantically, clinching the railing as he looked at the water. “I saw something!”
“What kind of something?” Time called back, and Sky gulped.
“I don’t know, I just saw an eyeball!”
“Oh goodie,” Wild muttered from nearby, swiping wet hair out of his face. “Ocean eyeballs.”
“Maybe a gyorg?” Wind said hesitantly.
Linebeck frowned. “Fire a shot, kid,” maybe whatever it is will come up so we can see what—“
Something rammed into the boat.
Everyone shouted and scrambled to hold on as the deck heaved, clutching railings and grabbing arms.
“Holy— that didn’t feel like a gyorg!” Linebeck yelled, clutching the wheel.
“What the heck was that?!” Legend yelled in turn, and Wind swiveled the cannon around, looking a little more alarmed.
“I dunno, but big octos don’t ram like that, I don’t think this is—!”
Another slam into the side of the ship, and Sky snatched Wild’s arm to stop him from flying off the edge.
“Thanks,” Wild gasped, and Sky nodded as everyone else regained their footing, nobody having gone overboard. Yet.
Wind shot a cannonball into the waves, but didn’t seem to hit anything.
“We need to figure out what we’re dealing with!” Wind called over the waves and wind. “Does anybody see—”
The brightest flash of lightning yet cracked across the sky, thunder so loud that Sky’s ears rang, and all of them saw the flicker of yellow and black in the water.
Wind and Linebeck both reeled back like they’d been struck.
“Bellum,” Wind breathed, Sky somehow hearing him over the storm. “Linebeck that was—!”
“I saw,” Linebeck said, in the quietest voice Sky had heard from him yet.
“What’s Bellum?” Warriors demanded, and Wind swiped rain from his face.
“A giant squid of darkness, that’s what,” Wind said, and the others turned to him in alarm. “He’s what’s causing this, I know I saw him down there, but— I defeated him! He shouldn’t be back!” he said in dismay, and Linebeck rolled his eyes.
“Kid, if this shadow guy is bringing back monsters like you said, who’s to say he couldn’t bring back that thing as well?” he said nonchalantly, but his knuckles were white where they were clutching the wheel.
“Oh. Yeah, I... didn’t think of that,” Wind replied, swallowing. Sky could see the worry on his face, and he moved to his side, squeezing his shoulder.
“We’ll get him sailor,” he reassured, gripping his bow tight. “There’s ten of us, he’s way outnumbered.”
“Remind us of what Bellum does-slash-did?” Four called as the deck rolled under them, and Wind sighed.
“Took over an ocean, turned Tetra to stone, nearly sucked her and a bunch of other people and stuff dry of their lives, tried to kill us all, wrecked the S.S. Linebeck... and possessed Linebeck too,” he said quietly.
Sky noticed Linebeck’s hands tighten further on the wheel.
“Well how he’s back isn’t as important as how we’re going to beat him,” Legend spoke up, still looking nauseous, but more settled with a threat to focus on. “Any tips, sailor?”
Wind sighed. “Shoot the eyes.”
Legend smirked. “Of course.”
And then the tentacles appeared.
They reared up out of the water in a writhing mass, smacking and grabbing at the deck, awful yellow eyes on the end of thick black tentacles. Several of them cried out in alarm and began to shoot, but aiming was nearly impossible through the wind and rain.
Just once I’d like to get on a ship and not be attacked by tentacles, Sky thought with a huff as he shot even more arrows. Is that so much of a request?
An angered warbling sound rang out as someone’s arrow finally hit true, and Wild jumped forward, shooting multiple arrows in one shot.
The screech was louder this time, and suddenly the tentacles reached down into sword-striking distance, smacking and waving and trying to grab them or knock them all over. Sky wasn’t exactly sure what they were trying to do, but they were obviously aiming to hurt, so he put away his bow and drew the Master Sword.
Another screeching sound rang over the storm as several of them struck at the tentacles. The ones that Sky hit seemed to shrivel a bit, but it was hard for him to attack while the boat went up and down and was rocked by both the waves and tentacles.
A sudden wave almost threw them all off, and Sky yelped, barely holding on to his weapon. A screech came from the wheel, and Sky saw Linebeck frantically smacking away a tentacle with a mop.
He was shaking all over, face pale, but kept thwacking the appendage away anyway, all while trying to steer.
“You rotten tentacled peanut! Get off my ship!” Linebeck shouted as he smacked, and Sky tried to do a headcount of everyone else.
Legend was fighting nearby, Four hurrying up to go help Linebeck as more tentacles appeared. Time was defending Warriors, who looked like he’d hit his head during the latest lurch and was struggling to stand. Twilight was leaning way over the railing, Sky sucking in a breath when he saw that Hyrule was clinging to his arm, having nearly gone overboard. Wild was fighting his way over to help them, and Sky turned to see Wind slashing every tentacle he could see, face grim.
“I don’t remember him having this many tentacles!” the sailor said in a frazzled voice, and someone growled.
“That’s just our luck— ew, they’re all slimy!”
Sky couldn’t keep track of everything going on, just slashing tentacles over and over. When he cut one down it seemed like three more took its place, and he was starting to get exhausted. Rain was soaking him to the bone, thunder crashed in his ears, the deck rolling under his feet.
He wanted it to end.
Then suddenly, all the tentacles retreated.
Sky stumbled, surprised, and saw the others all freeze, then look around in equal surprise and suspicion, still holding weapons tight.
“...Did we get him?” Wild asked slowly, and Wind frowned.
“The storm’s still going. And when I got him the first time, it was a lot more—”
The ship heaved under their feet, and Linebeck yelped as the wheel suddenly spun wildly.
“What was that? Is he ramming us again?!” Sky asked, and Linebeck regained his footing and snatched the wheel.
“If he puts a hole in the hull, that’ll end us pretty quick,” Legend observed. Linebeck glared at him through the rain.
“I’m well aware of that Pinkie, but apparently that’s not his goal. He’s got us below, grabbed the rudder I think. I can’t steer!” Linebeck shouted, pulling on the wheel as hard as he could. “He’s dragging us somewhere— LET GO YOU CRUSTY LEECH!”
Bellum apparently didn’t care, and kept yanking the ship off course.
“Linebeck, we’re drifting towards Pawprint Isle!” Wind hollered, and Linebeck growled.
“I know! ...And call me captain when we’re on the ship, can’t get any respect, I swear—”
“I see land! We’re going to hit it!” Sky shouted as he spotted a little spot of land ahead. Several angry words came from the wheel.
Time began rifling in his pouch as they only seemed to speed up. “I might be able to go below and do something—”
“Time no, I don’t know what he’s up to, and his attacks are different!” Wind said pleadingly. “And you’d be alone down there!”
“It’d be better than sitting here, we—”
“We’re going to crash!”
“Hold on—!”
“Linebeck!”
The boat ran aground.
Sky nearly fell overboard as the force of it threw him off his feet, a horrible noise of the boat ramming into rocks and sand and who knew what else coming from below. Sky went flying as the boat was thrown around, and his head smashed into the metal base of the cannon.
He woke back up to a fairy sparkles, and pink wings flitting away into the storm.
Sky gasped, then coughed, some rain having gotten in his mouth, and he carefully sat up, beyond relieved he’d had a fairy in his pouch.
It was oddly quiet as he sat up, apart from the continued ruckus of the storm. Sky looked around and realized several of the others were either lying on the deck or missing altogether, and Sky hoped they hadn’t fallen into the ocean.
“Uhh... my ship...” a voice groaned, and Sky saw Linebeck dragging himself to his feet with the wheel as support. “My poor, poor ship...”
“We’ll fix it,” Wind assured dizzily as he stumbled up beside him. “I bet it won’t be—”
A large tan monster reared out of the water behind where Wind and Linebeck were standing, a huge eye glaring at the two.
Wind and Linebeck gasped, and as it dove for them, Wind shoved Linebeck away as hard as he could, tentacles snatching Wind around the waist.
“Wind!” Sky shouted as Linebeck went tumbling across the deck with a yelp, and Wind was dragged right up to the main body, huge eye fixed on him.
Wind thrashed like mad against the hold, face panicked, but the tentacles held him tight, Wind crying out as they squeezed. Sky tried to stumble to his feet, but he was still off-balance and toppled back over. He had no idea where his sword had gone, and fairy magic was still settling in his head, his dizziness not fully gone.
Wind was still struggling, but it was getting weaker the longer that horrible squid had a grip on him. Bellum lifted him high up into the air, almost examining him, and then abruptly slammed him into the deck, making him cry out.
Wind made a move to get up, but more tentacles grasped his arms and legs, stopping him from getting very far. The main body then moved towards him and Sky felt a deep thrill of fear, colder than the rain still pouring down, colder than the ocean frothing around them.
“Wind!” he and a few others yelled at the same time, and Wind met his eyes, looking frantic.
Then a stinger protruded from Bellum’s body, and the squid latched himself to Wind with a sound Sky wouldn’t ever forget.
Wind screamed and Sky thought he might vomit, someone else crying out in horror. Wind lost his balance and fell to his knees, eyes rolling back in his head.
He cried out again, but it was more of a whimper, and Sky finally dragged himself to his feet, snatching up what looked like Warriors’ sword from the deck.
Someone joined his side, and Sky turned to see Wild, blood on his chin, face frightened, his sword at the ready. Linebeck stood a bit behind him, face white, and he was clutching the mop he’d had earlier, the stick shaking in his hold.
Wind cried out again, and Sky looked back at him, sucking in a breath.
Wind was standing again, but he wasn’t Wind.
Bellum was still... attached to his back, and there were tentacles latched around Wind’s arms and neck, holding him stiff like a puppet. Wind’s skin had gone a grayish purple, his shoulders shaking, and when he looked at them, his eyes were a sickly, blank yellow.
“Sweet mother of pearl,” Linebeck croaked, and Sky swallowed, gripping his sword.
How on earth could they fight Wind?
“Ideas?” Wild asked nervously, and Sky scrambled to think of something. Linebeck just let out a hysterical laugh.
“Ideas? Look Bluey, the only way Link beat this thing the first time was with the literal spirit of courage and time helping him, we have no chance! The ocean king isn’t even around to give us a hand! And Link is insane with a sword, how exactly do you think we—?!”
He was cut off by Wind lunging at them.
Somehow he’d gotten hold of a sword, one Sky recognized as Time’s huge blade, and Linebeck shrieked as he nearly lost his head to the strike.
Sky leapt forward to intercept the blade when it swung again, and gasped as their swords locked. The sheer strength it had behind it pushed him backwards, and he only didn’t fall over because Wild tried to hit him from the side, and Wind moved to block that strike.
“Linebeck, how do we free him?” Sky gasped, Wind’s blank eyes seeming to fix on him.
“I don’t know, I was in his place last time! I only know what he and Sparkles told me afterwards!” Linebeck said in a frantic voice. “He said you kids are heroes! Can’t you do something?!”
“We’re trying!” Wild snapped back.
Wind launched into a spin attack and the three of them scrambled back from it, Linebeck retreating to stand further away.
Sky ducked under an attack, and slashed at Wind’s arm, surprised and a bit horrified when he actually hit him. Blood streamed from the cut, but Wind didn’t even react, only showing his teeth as he stared at Sky.
“Okay that’s not gonna work,” Sky winced, mentally apologizing.
“We were shooting eyes before,” Wild breathed as he ran back in beside him. Wind swung Time’s blade, but they avoided it. “We just need to find some eyes, right?”
Sky nodded, and he and Wild deflected strikes and dodged attacks for several minutes, looking for eyes. Linebeck stayed out of the way, legs shaking, but Sky was okay with that. He could tell the man wasn’t much of a fighter.
And Wind would already be upset enough if they freed him.
...When. Not if.
When.
“There,” Wild gasped as he and Sky briefly crossed paths. “I think I saw an eye on his back!”
“He’s too fast,” Sky panted back, swiping wet hair from his face. The rain had let up a little, but it was still coming down hard. “I don’t know how we’re going to hit it.”
“I’ve got a trick that might work,” Wild said quickly, and they leapt apart as Wind swung for their heads. “Just distract him!”
Sky nodded and lunged forward, striking rapidly at Wind. The sailor-squid blocked every attack, but while he was focused on Sky, Wild dodged around to his back, almost faster than Sky could follow.
Sky heard a hard sound as Wild swung, and Wind whirled around into a spin attack, knocking them both away.
“Wild!” Sky shouted, and Wild struggled to his feet, keeping his shield ready.
“I’m okay. The eye was closed, I timed it bad!” Wild called, and grunted as Wind slammed his blade into his shield.
Sky went to help him, then paused, noticing Linebeck at the edge of the battlefield again, still trembling, face white. He could see more than him or Wild, and if they maneuvered Wind so he kept his back that direction...
“Linebeck! Tell us when the eye is open!” Sky shouted, and Linebeck nodded, straightening a bit.
Sky went back on the offensive as much as he could, Wild’s chaotic style a bit distracting, but manageable. He just kept out of his way as much as he could while also attacking, and keeping an ear out for Linebeck.
“It’s open!” Linebeck suddenly yelled, and Wild leapt out of the way of a strike and ended up behind Wind, again moving so fast Sky almost couldn’t follow the movement.
He slashed his sword across the eye multiple times, and Wind shrieked, a mixture of his voice and something else coming through in the sound.
“You got him!” Sky cheered as Wild leapt under another strike, and Wild gave him a stressed grin, which quickly disappeared when Wind slashed his shoulder.
The force of it made him fall backwards, and Sky leapt to defend him, Wind’s face twisted in an odd expression of anger. The sailor slammed his blade into Sky’s shield, throwing him backwards as well, and Sky barely avoided hitting his head again when he landed.
Wind advanced, still grinning unnaturally, but then Linebeck appeared beside him. His arms shook like chu jelly, but he jabbed Wind’s fallen sword at one of the tentacles wrapped around his elbow.
“Let my kid go!” Linebeck hollered, and Bellum made an angry warbling noise as he whirled around and smacked him backwards.
Linebeck went flying, but Wild had gotten back to his feet, and did that strange move where he seemed to move faster than possible again. Bellum’s eye happened to be open, and Wild slashed it several times, then safely retreated.
Bellum nearly howled, dark ichor falling from the eye, the rain smearing both it and the blood on Wind’s arm.
Sky scrambled to his feet, recovered now, but then he noticed something shining near the railing. He ran for it, holding Warriors’ blade in one hand and picking up the Master Sword in the other.
“It’s open again!” Linebeck cried in a slightly weaker voice, and Sky shouted Wild’s name as he threw the Master Sword towards him.
Wild jumped over a swing of Wind’s blade, and in one swift movement, grabbed the Master Sword out of the air, and lunged behind Wind.
He stabbed the eyeball with a flash of blue, and a deafening shriek rang out into the storm.
Wind lurched away and clawed at his arms and back, eyes still blank. The tentacles attached to him began flopping around, Bellum writhing on his back, and there was another shriek, Wind tossing his head back. A flash of purple smoke exploded across the ship, knocking Wild over and blinding Sky and anyone else who was awake.
Sky covered his face, and he slowly peeked out when it finally dissipated, the rain had slowed to a drizzle, and the clouds had faded to a normal grey color. Wild sat nearby, panting as he held his bleeding shoulder, but he didn’t look at Sky.
He was looking at Wind, lying motionless on the deck with his skin no longer purple.
Sky’s heart jumped as he saw Wind’s eyes half open, relieved to see their normal shade. Wind was shaking all over and bleeding from his back, but before anyone else could get to him, Linebeck was stumbling to his side, yanking him into a hug.
“Stupid kid, can’t believe you—” he started ranting, but Sky couldn’t mistake the shakiness in his voice. “—of all the moronic things to go and do, you just had to shove me, I’m not worth that, kid—”
Wind hiccuped, and Linebeck stopped, sighing as he held him in a softer hug.
“You’re an absolute idiot,” he muttered into his hair, both shivering from the cold. “...What were you thinking?!”
“I didn’t want— you— again—” Wind got out between wet gasps, and Sky saw Linebeck close his eyes. “I-I’m—“
“Alright, alright. Shush. Take it easy,” he said quietly, still holding him tight. “...Thanks kid.”
Wind shuddered, and Sky saw Linebeck’s fingers tighten a little in his hair, still shaking.
“I’m sorry,” Wind choked out. “I hurt you, a-and the others, I c-couldn’t—”
“Don’t be ridiculous, it was that rotten squid’s fault,” Linebeck argued. “C’mon Link, you’ve been over this with me a million times.”
Wind sniffled, but didn’t argue, and Linebeck let out a huff.
“By the way, if you ever do something like that again I’m cutting your percentage of treasure in half.”
Wind let out a thick laugh. “I already don’t get a cut.”
“Well I’d cut it anyway. Stupid kid.”
Sky couldn’t help his own small smile, and Wind buried his face in Linebeck’s shoulder.
He purposely didn’t say anything about how tightly Linebeck was holding Wind, nor how the water on his face wasn’t just rain. Sky just walked over to them, gently squeezed Wind’s shoulder as he set a red potion on the deck beside them, then went to go help the rest of the Links.
