General note: As you can tell from the original publish date, I have been working on this story forever… but, I am picking this up once again for NanoWrimo 2012. Thanks for hanging in there guys/girls/non-binary individuals.

There is a pattern to the timeline for this story as presented in the introduction and carried out through the following chapters. I tried to make it obvious, but let me know if it confusing.

Disclaimers: The Legend of Zelda © Nintendo/ Miyamoto. I follow the Nintendo published timeline for OoT's placement in the Zelda universe. In this story, Sheik is a separate, male character who may or may not engage in homosexual activities ;). I attempt to not discredit Zelda for being a badass of her own, though.

TW: sex, general violence & language, gore (mild), character death, PTSD, sexism/homophobia, (Hyrulean/Sheikah) racism and colonialism. I don't glamorize/fetishize rape or sexual assault (and you shouldn't either assholes), but I don't ignore the topic entirely either because I'm just trying to write realistically.

R & R & Enjoy!

An Introduction of Beginning and End

I

Thick clouds billowed overhead- so tightly packed together that Sheik wondered if Hyrule was ever going to see a clear blue sky again. The air felt humid and suffocating to the svelte man as he studied the dark, low-lying clouds. They made him feel trapped and slightly claustrophobic, for he was indeed forever bound. He spurred his stallion into a quicker canter as thunder echoed throughout the valley of Kakariko, wanting to make it back to the castle before the weather threw its tantrum. He rode to the entrance of the village past all the nervous residents and beggars, mentally shaking his head at the ribald laughter coming from the nearby tavern. If there ever was an establishment that increased business during a depression...

Stumbling out of the small building at that coincidental moment, however, was a man clad in a green tunic. The Sheikah immediately halted his horse in mid-trot to scrutinize the blonde. Paralleled hope and apprehension rose in his chest as he began to recognize the Hylian that was now leaning against the side of the roadhouse. The sky roared again and rain took its cue to downpour on the village. Sheik's horse whined in protest, causing the drunk man to whip his head around to face the royal spy. Foggy blue eyes met Sheik, who only continued to stare back with wide red ones.

Despite the loud yells from the tavern and rumbling sky, silence consumed the pair in the seemingly frozen instant. Sensing the severity of the Sheikah's accusing look, the drunk straightened his posture and bluntly stated in an amused, yet evidently slurred voice,

"Ya' look like you 'ave just seen a poe…"

At which Sheik could only reply,

"…you have been missing for eleven years, Hero."

II

Zelda had spent all evening sitting at the old oaken desk that had at one time belonged to her father, writing letters that would never be read and signing off on amendments that would never be; they would pretend to consider her opinion, but in this kingdom the Queen's signature meant nothing. Despite how much she had tried to convince herself that there was no breaking the will of a dead King and that she would just have to conform with the rest of the female members in the kingdom, Zelda was finding it increasingly difficult to stay quiet on the matter as she observed Hyrule continuing to deteriorate around her (and all thanks to a few corrupt men).

However, on the streets it was the Queen's name that was spread like a plague as the cause for such depression. That had hurt her the most of all. She was confined to her own castle and prisoner of her own kingdom.

At this point, her signatures neglected all calligraphy and were now being signed in larger and sloppier handwriting, eventually covering the entire parchment by the time she had gotten to the bottom of the pile, both as a silent rebellion and mockery of the political system she had been a puppet in.

Suddenly, there was a knock at her study door and upon giving permission of entrance, Zelda stared out the window in front of her desk, not even bothering to face her visitor.

"My Lady," began the elder Sheikah, bowing to her queen's back, "I have just received a message through the Gossip Stones from Sheik…" Impa inhaled, still trying to digest the news, "The Hero has returned."

Zelda quickly turned to face her guardian, surprised but relieved.

"So my visions were true to me this time… though I don't exactly know what this means or why he is back, I will just be glad that he is." She stepped up to Impa and took a hold of her hands with her gloved ones and whispered in her ear, "This is our chance!"

"Yes, your majesty. We must act soon before the condition of the Kingdom worsens, but let us not rush into the battle too soon as we would not want to underestimate our opponents. "

The young monarch of Hyrule stared out the stained window again at the heavy rain falling from the heavens above. The farms needed this cleansing. Often, Zelda had watched the rain and wondered if Link was warm and dry; she had worried about him having enough money or a place to live, but she knew that Sheik had also wondered the same…

"Tell Sheik that he is to escort the Hero straight to the castle when the weather clears up, but not before then. I don't want them traveling in this storm… we need not be impatient."

"Yes, my Highness," replied Impa as she bowed and walked away.

The land had been under such depravity before, in a different timeline however. This depression had started with the mourning of the king's death, for he had left the power of the throne in the wrong hands. With the Hero's return, however, she now had a chance to regain what was hers…and reacquaint herself with a long lost friend.

Finally, Link is home.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

"When all of this comes to an end… what's going to happen to us?"

The Sheikah looked down at the blonde Hylian resting on his bare chest, wishing the teen hadn't asked him that dreadful question. He didn't want to lie to his lover, but he certainly didn't want to tell him the truth either. Judging by the melancholy expression in his eyes, he already knew the answer.

"Link… there's no telling as to what the Goddesses have planned for us tomorrow…"

The Hero's brow creased, disappointed in the response, and rolled over onto his back from atop Sheik, shivering from the loss of body heat that had been stored between their naked skin. Staring up at the cobwebs that decorated the ceiling of the barn, Link stated in a neutral tone,

"Don't preach to me about fate-bullshit, Sheik."

The Sheikah remained silent, but pulled a scratchy burlap blanket over them and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Maybe the Hylian hadn't really lost faith in the Goddesses yet, but his mind was heavy with thoughts of uncertainty and fears of losing everything- the little he did have.

A blue, glowing ball of light came flying across his vision, bringing him out of his reverie. Hovering in front of his face, Navi chirped in, "Sheik's right, though... tomorrow's outcomes are unknown to us."

Link scoffed childishly, "I didn't say you could come back yet."

"Yeah, but y'all aren't doing anything right now… and besides," she added as she floated over to the lantern, "It's getting cold out there and you need to get your rest."

"I'll just have to remedie that..."

Turning back to his partner, Link wrapped his arms around the other's thin waist and pulled him closer for a kiss. Sheik obliged, caressing the Hero's face in his worn palms as he did so, but eventually broke the kiss and rested his head on the younger's shoulder.

Sheik was trying to hide something, Link knew, but wouldn't press any further for this was something he had sensed as soon as their relationship had turned intimate. Maybe it was just part of his personality, he had once reasoned, but Link knew that there was something causing Sheik to be more aloof than usual on this night. Whatever it was, Link doubted that he would want to know... especially this late in the game.

The Sheikah had kept quite a few secrets from his lover, but tonight he was avoiding stating the painful truth that taunted the backs of both of their minds: …that this would more than likely be their last night together; that the chances of them both surviving were slim.

Sheik doubted that he wasn't going to be killed by either one side or the other. However, it was Link especially he worried about. Earlier, the Hero had refused to reassure Sheik that everything was going to be okay- that he was going to defeat Ganondorf with no problem.

Because he knew it wasn't true.

He knew it wasn't going to be okay; the task wasn't going to be done easily.

His kiss told Sheik that.

He was going to die.

But that was what true courage was. It wasn't pretending to not be scared or taking chances by blindly ignoring the dangers ahead. Sheik knew this. Real courage was everything Link had been- scared to death and knowing of his ill fate, and yet still finding the strength within himself to continue fighting the evil that ravaged the land. It was his job, his duty, his loyalty...

"No matter what tomorrow's outcome is-," Sheik started, resting his forehead on his partner's.

"-I promise I will always love you, Sheik," Link lied, reading his thoughts.

It wasn't his fault; he didn't mean to lie- he didn't want to. And though he has no control over what happened to them, he meant it to be the truth in his heart.

Initiating a deep kiss that trailed to sensuous skin on the Sheikah's neck, Link whispered desperately in his ear, "…make love to me one last time?"

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

III

Nayru's tears fell upon the young male's lissome shoulders and buried deep into his clothing. Sheik stood as lightning cracked directly above and decided to get back to the inn before the storm got any worse. Turning from the Gossip Stone, the blonde trudged through the soft earth- not in too much of a hurry to get to his room, nor caring that he was soaked, cold, and numb.

The Sheikah reached the front door and stepped inside, pretending not to see the angry glare from the owner of the inn. No one trusted Sheikah these days, especially not this Sheikah. If the owner wasn't desperate for business, he probably would have declined the royal guard a room for the night, because the Queen's men only brought trouble. Reaching his room, Sheik also ignored the unconscious man in his bed and completely stripped himself of his saturated garb. Water trickled down his tan legs as he sorely limped across the room to the hearth where he kindled the flames.

He hung his suit on a make-shift clothes line over the burning fire next to a worn, green tunic and shoddily patched pants. Crouching in front of the warm orange and yellow tendrils, he allowed the warmth to thaw his bare skin and ease his aching and tired muscles.

The man in the bed made a small noise in his sleep- so minute that even Sheik's trained hearing barely recognized it. He glanced over his shoulder at the god-like creature curled up on the stiff mattress. He would have never imagined the Hero in his bed ever again, no matter how different the situation was this time. The blonde turned back to the fireplace and reached up to straighten the clothes hanging from the mantle; his hands lingered over the Hylian's tunic and absentmindedly rubbed the worn fabric between his calloused fingers. The sensation and friction was all too familiar and his eyelids fell shut as old memories replayed in his mind. Before he had immersed himself too deep into the past, he stopped himself and stepped away from the overbearing heat of the hearth and pulled on a spare pair of leggings.

So much for the numbness, he thought, while cursing himself under his breath.

It had been easy to move on and forget when Link was not present, but now for the first time, the Sheikah warrior was not ready for a battle and was finding that the situation had shaken him. He knew he had to break away from those nostalgic feelings, otherwise he was just going to retrogress to past emotions. Were they just emotions? He asked himself as he silently walked over to the side of the bed and studied the fellow traveler.

He wasn't sure exactly how long he watched Link sleep. He tried not to notice how his skin glowed by firelight or how a drunken blush wore itself on the pair of perfect cheeks.

He tried his damnest to ignore the way the tight shirt molded to every contour of the Hylian's chest when he rhythmically inhaled.

And Sheik prevailed- he did not think of those things; he just numbly stared at the Hero of Time. He ignored that everything he had previously wanted in a past life was right there in his bed again and instead thought about how all those bad memories had returned to haunt him. The Sheikah sneered at the concept.

Why the hell did he come back?

Sheik reached out his hand and began running it through the gnarled and damp hair. Link let out a sign and lazily pressed his head against the comfortable fingers in a surprisingly childish manner. The Sheikah placed his opposite hand on the Hero's jaw and gently stroked it with his thumb, finding very little resistance or stubble. He wrapped his fingers into stray curls on the back of his head as his other hand slowly slid down his neck, until the center of his palm rested on the sensitive skin covering his Adam's apple.

Link did not react as the threatening grip squeezed harder.

How easy it would be to kill him…

Idiot. He still leaves himself so vulnerable.

Sheik relaxed his hold and leaned closer to the flawless lips that smelled of gin. He paused mere centimeters away to study more of the beautiful face, finding little change in it over the many years. Small scratches randomly decorated his skin, but Sheik could not ignore the fact that there were no scars. It has always seemed that once a wound was healed, it's presence was forever forgotten on the Hylian's body. Nor was the Sheikah surprised; he had witnessed the blessings The Three gave to those who were chosen and Link's gift had been amnesia of the body and mind. Hero's eyebrows slightly furrowed as his warm breath bounced off of the tan face, something that would have once sent butterflies to the apathetic Sheikah's stomach.

I could just take him right now…

Without much awareness for his actions, the crimson-eyed man traced the younger's bottom lip with the tip of his tongue in a somewhat testing, feeling manner. Loud thunder shook the inn and brought Sheik to his senses. He abruptly pulled away, upset with himself for losing control as soon as Link just waltzes right back into his life! Still deep in thought, the Sheikah played with a few loose strands of Link's golden hair that had stubbornly stayed tangled between his fingers. He noticed that the Hero's breathing was beginning to even out as he was becoming coming out of his sleep. Sheik turned to leave the bedside and resume his meditation beside the fireside, but felt a hand reach out and take a hold of his wrist.

"Let go."

"Come…in bed with me…," Link muttered, his eyes barely open.

"I refuse."

"Why?"

"You're drunk."

"no…I'm just…a little-"

"Go back to sleep, Hero. We are leaving as soon as the storm passes, so rest while you can."

"Sleep with me..."

Sheik raised an eyebrow at the choice of words.

"…I'm scare'd of storms…can't sleep by m'self."

Sheik had always found it pathetically humorous how child-like some people become under the influence of alcohol, but he had just pitied the other man at this point and cautiously crawled into the bed to humor the man until he fell back asleep. The cold Sheikah remained on the very edge of the bed with his back towards Link; he was as far away as he could be without falling off the edge, really.

"Good night, stranger," the drunk mumbled, affirming Sheik's suspicions.

-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-

With one last slash from the Master Sword, the Evil King-monster collapsed in an agonizing cry that quaked the ground. Link was battered and stabbed beyond repair, but fought against his body to remain on his feet until he was sure that Ganon was truly dead this time.

One last burst of dark magic and the evil vanished from the land; the fields of Hyrule sighed in relief as a comforting wind blew over the Hero, encouraging him to let out a sigh of his own. Thunder foretold of a storm in the distance. He heard the Princess calling his name from across the castle ruins and saw the bleak outline of her figure running over to him, but at this point his mind was becoming as blurry as his vision and as muffled as his hearing. He needed to rest. Not having enough energy left to react to the searing pain, he slowly lowered himself to the ground and quickly drifted into unconsciousness. He was tired of fighting for Hyrule, and his own life.

"Link!"

Zelda was immediately by his side, and began using her various healing magic on his wounds as bright red blood shined boldly by moonlight and seeped from every opening. She yelled his name and lightly shook him, trying to get him to regain awareness- she must not let him slip away! At one point, he did seem to fight for consciousness as he mumbled gibberish, out of which she could only recognize,

"Tell… I forgive him…"

"Who? Link! Stay awake! Please fight this one last battle!"

Zelda was almost sobbing now as she began realized that her efforts were proving to be futile and Link was just continuing to fade away… He was the kid who had saved countless lives, but yet she could not save his. He had been dying from the very start.

"No, Hero; it's okay… you don't have to fight anymore."

From her position beside Link, the Princess twisted around to see who behind her had said those words, only for her eyes to fall upon a figure she didn't recognized and hadn't seen in several years.

"Who are you and what are you doing here?!" She yelled, quickly springing to her feet with a dagger in hand and combative spells on her lips.

The Sheikah bowed to her. "Do not fear me, as I am not here to harm you, but to forever serve you my Queen. If you accept it to be so, I wish you to know me only being to that of the name 'Sheik'-"

"Sheik! Wha-? I don't have time for this! Link is dying; if you want to serve me, then help me save him!"

Seeing no harm in giving it a try if it were to prove his loyalty, the Sheikah made his way to Link's side and began administering his own collection of spells with the use of circles associated with dark magic. Zelda took note of an erie talisman hanging around his neck that appeared to be giving him assistance- could it be?

After several long minutes of silent chants and focussing energy so intensely it almost left himself lifeless, Sheik had to stop. "Something's wrong..." Sheik checked the Hero's vitals. Of course, he knew something was wrong just approaching the fallen man. "It seems his body is cursed. Possibly Ganondorf's doing. Our magic is taking no effect, it seems..." Cupping Link's beat-up face in his palms and sighing heavily after withdrawing from the body, the masked Sheikah finally admitted,

"He's lost too much blood…"

It had hurt Sheik to say it, but the Princess could do nothing but stare in disbelief. No, it wasn't supposed to happen this way! Link struggled for a breath that turned into painful gasping, as he no longer had the energy to cough up the blood he was choking on. His wheezing interrupted the solemn silence that had fallen on the pair.

"…he's in so much pain…" whispered Zelda, sounding a bit pained herself. A stone cold look having now taken its place on her face- a look that Sheik would for then on remember seeing on her face constantly.

She lifted her eyes to fully regard Sheik now and found that she didn't have any choice but to trust this man, for she was about to ask him to do a very hard thing. "Please… " She trailed off, not being able to find the words

He nodded, understanding exactly what she was trying to imply. Zelda picked herself up and walked a few feet away, her back turned to the men. She didn't want to watch this, but found herself briefly glancing over her shoulder anyways; it wasn't so brief of a glance that she missed the Sheikah tear off his cowl and gently press his lips to the Hero's. Suddenly some things made sense.

"Rest now," he whispered with the taste of Link's blood on his lips. Sheik fumbled with nervous fingers as he pulled a dagger from his wraps and rested his head on the torn chest, listening to the desperately beating organ; after every hesitant beat, the Hero's heart appealed to The Three, asking permission to beat again.

"May you rejoice in paradise without me, my love," Sheik whispered quietly into the savior's ear, before the dagger denied his heart's plea.

The Princess winced at the noise of the stab, but quickly turned as she heard another disturbing sound. She watched Sheik as he failed to hold back anymore and clung to the Hero, sobbing into his neck. Minutes passed as the man mourned, but Zelda found she had no more tears to cry. She had wanted to pity herself, but recognized that someone else had lost someone that had been a bit more than just a companion.

Her thoughts were far off at this point, as she began wondering and plotting what to do next. The new Queen was overwhelmed with a sudden responsibility and decision that had to be made soon. There was no known way for bringing back the dead, but perhaps there was something else she could do to rectify this whole mess; glancing over two dead bodies on battle ground, she realized that she now had all three pieces of the Triforce at her disposal to do what she had been trying to do since the beginning of all this mess.

With adrenaline fading from her veins, Zelda had became less and less aware of what was going on around her and barely registered Sheik pulling the dagger from Link's chest; She could not even bring herself stop him as he thrusted it into his own.