Dive: Stucky

Part 7: The Ghost Armada

For the rest of the day, Bucky tended to Steve. He was gradually pushing the dinghy back to land, and occasionally would dive down, snatch up a fish, and give it to Steve. He would accept it gratefully, and munch on it before his body couldn't sustain any more raw fish. Bucky could tell he was getting sicker as the sun set on the horizon. He knew they were still days out from the nearest human town.

When night came, Bucky hoisted himself into the boat next to Steve, shaking the water off his body like a dog. Since the sun was gone, the moon being the more forgiving light, made it so he couldn't dry out. He snuggled up against Steve's body, craving the familiar warmth. Steve wrapped his arms around his elegant waist and planted an affectionate kiss on his cheek.

"Thank you, for saving me," he said softly.

In response, Bucky nuzzled his neck, earning a tickled giggle from Steve. He held him more firmly in his arms, smiling hugely. He then heard Steve gasp softly, causing him to look up at him questioningly, but he wasn't looking at Bucky, he was looking up at the sky. Bucky followed his gaze, and his eyes widened too.

The night sky was an aurora of stars. They were all so clear, and they could see other colors like magenta and deep blues and purples. It wasn't very often that Bucky surfaced until now, so seeing this view came as a little shock to him. He gazed up in wonder and rested his cheek against Steve's chest.

"They say that on clear nights like these, you might be able to see spirits move across the sky," Steve said quietly, his voice almost reverent. "You have to have a possession of some spirit's old prize to see them appear properly. Something that they valued. I don't believe those weird urban legends, though."

Bucky nodded and pretended to know what an 'urban legend' was. He focused on the stars, willing himself to see the spirits. However, before he could rake the sky completely with his eyes, Steve let out another involuntary gasp, jerking away from him. Bucky looked at him in surprise, wondering what it was this time.

"Y-You're glowing!" Steve cried, pointing at him. 

Bucky looked down at himself, and indeed, he was glowing. It looked almost like someone had stuck a powerful blue flashlight under his skin. All of his blue colored scales looked like blue LED's, and even strands of his hair were aglow. This effect, he knew, only happened in the dead of night. He tried to remember the word that humans used to describe it... something like... bioluminescence. 

"It's... it's beautiful," Steve said softly, gently stroking Bucky's skin. Bucky flushed and looked away, smiling at his compliment. 

Suddenly, Steve broke into a fit of coughing. Bucky looked at him fearfully as he regained composure, whimpering softly. Steve smiled sadly and brushed some brown hair away from his eyes.

"I'm alright," he whispered. Bucky was far from convinced.

He slapped his tail in the water with frustration. Steve sighed and sat up, pushing Bucky over the side and into the water.

"If you're going to pout, please do so under there." He then rolled onto his side, facing away from him.

Bucky blew bubbles of spite under the surface. His glow illuminated the water around him as he drifted under the dinghy. Steve could be so infuriating sometimes!

Suddenly Steve started waving his hand frantically over the water. Bucky scoffed and tried to ignore it, but Steve's urgent voice finally brought him back up to the surface. He glared up at him with his oceanic eyes.

"We need to move, now," Steve said in a low voice, pointing at the horizon.

Bucky looked, and saw a ship prowling through the water towards them. There was a foreboding form of dark clouds on their tails. It looked like they were trying to escape a storm.

"That ship might save us if we make some signals," Steve said, ducking down and opening a small compartment in the bottom of the boat. Bucky showed him his glowing skin as a suggestion, but Steve shook his head. "If they see you, you're dead."

Bucky rolled his eyes and started to push the small dinghy out of the way as Steve pulled out emergency flares. He loaded the gun up and clicked it, aiming in the air. He pulled the trigger and the flare whizzed up and exploded with a crack! The ship loomed nearer and nearer, and Bucky noticed how it seemed to have its own aurora around it. It was a hazy golden glow, perhaps from the cabin lights? But there were no lights to be seen inside the windows. He looked at Steve and saw the same glow under his shirt. He reached inside and pulled out the old captain's medallion.

"What the-"

Steve's eyes widened in wonder and confusion as he saw the glowing medallion. Bucky then looked back to the ship that was drawing ever closer to them. He began to notice other ships behind it, materializing out of nowhere. It was then that he realized that they weren't looking at ordinary vessels at all.

It was an armada of spirit ships.

They were close enough now that they could see all their details quite clearly. They were all glowing with a golden light, and the medallion around Steve's neck started to shine brighter than before. Bucky assumed that it had some connection to the lost watercrafts that were sailing past them.

He glanced at Steve, whose face was stricken with awe. The majesty of the glowing ships was quite a sight to behold, especially to a human. Steve then turned to meet his gaze, his eyes still wide with astonishment.

"C-Can you believe this?" he whispered.

Bucky nodded and turned his gaze back to the ship. He felt a song rise up in his throat, burning to speak its words, but he thought better. It wasn't healthy to sing around Steve, no matter how much he yearned to.

Suddenly, a loud rumble of thunder shattered the eerie silence, like the breath before a tempest. The wind started to pick up rapidly, causing the little dinghy to rock back and forth. Steve snapped out of his wonderment and looked around, as if he had just realized the situation they were in.

"We have to get aboard now!" he cried, attempting to steady the boat.

Rain started to patter down, but it soon became sheets of wind and rain, feeling like small knives. The small dinghy was being tossed about among vicious waves and would soon break apart. Bucky dove into the water in vain attempts to keep the small boat from capsizing, but he too was struggling.

He peeked above the surface, and to his horror, he had lost sight of the ghost armada.