N
by an awesome blossom
Sometimes the difference between real and imaginary is just perception.

Bede was one of the first to assign the Roman numeral N to the numeric concept of nothing. "The Legend of Zelda" is property of the good folks at Nintendo.

N.

Something.

That was what happened when the sun rose the morning that Lake Hylia's waters filled to their natural position. And from the darkness came a Hero - the bearer of courage and light - greeted by light hiding in the shadows. His victory was to be expected but the subtle look of defeat that crossed his face was not.

"Are you all right?" Sheik asked in a surprisingly warm tone as they surveyed the lake's rising water level. "That temple was particularly...maddening if you ask me. I have to admit, I was unsure if you would return..."

Link tilted his head in Sheik's direction and his eyes showed uncertainty over whether or not he had heard him correctly. "Huh. You've been there? In the temple?"

Sheik nodded slightly. "After I rescued Princess Ruto, she requested that I aid her in destroying that monster. Of course, we hardly got anywhere because we were ill-equipped and hardly the Hero of Time... Hopefully we managed to make parts of it safer for you, though."

"Safer? The whole temple felt like a deathtrap if you ask me," Link said in amusement as a corner of his mouth curled upward.

The chuckle Sheik gave was soft and almost breathy. "Even in the limited area we crossed, it still felt as if the temple itself bled malice. I can't imagine how the areas we weren't able to access were..."

"It actually wasn't that dangerous," Link admitted with a small laugh, "just tedious and confusing. I only almost died once, which is infinitely better than that fire pit of a temple from before!"

"So the monster in there was difficult as well?" Sheik asked, almost apologetically yet still fascinated at the remarks Link had about the temple. Since their first meeting at the Temple of Time, it seemed as if their conversation at the lake was the only real one they had ever had. And it was the first time they had talked about a temple after the fact. Link by no means bored him, but Sheik wondered why he was still there - and why he had met Link again in the first place.

Link actually shrugged at Sheik's question in a bit of indifference. "Morpha's core wasn't difficult but avoiding being thrown around the room by its tentacles was. Volvagia seemed harder to kill, though."

"What almost killed you, then?"

A few moments passed without a word and when Link eventually looked back out to the lake, it hardly seemed like he would answer.

Though he appeared calm on the outside, Sheik's thoughts and stomach were churning. Had he gone too far in his curiosity? They never really talked, so it was possible that he had misjudged the Hero's openness... Sheik was decidedly uncomfortable in what he considered his folly and chose that moment to silently steal away. Thankfully Link didn't notice his departure until Sheik was crouched at the top of the barren and wounded tree sticking up from the island like a flag of surrender.

"...Hey Sheik, do you believe in -- huh?" Link asked at no one at first until he realized he was alone. "Sheik? ...Not again..."

The last of the Sheikah watched with a tinge of sadness as the Hero of Time looked around the island and in the water for him, ever failing to look up. Of course, Sheik would never allow himself to be seen even if he had. When it seemed as if Link resigned him to the fact that Sheik had once again left him, he took the opportunity to dive off the tree and into the lake below.

Your friend was in the tree the whole time.

"Did you know?"

...No, though I know he dove into the lake. He's of those Shadow people, you said? I know them. Hiding shadows are never seen.

"Are you always so cryptic and vague?"

Hardly. Though I might be more often since it seems to creep you out.

"You don't need to talk to accomplish that..."

Heh.

"...Do you think he knows?"

Your friend? Hard to say since he has that cloth covering his mouth. ...You'd miss the perfect look of disgust on his face if he did.

"...Let's go."