"Where the hell is she? I swear… Never around when you need her. Son of a…"

An hour had passed, and Sheik was getting highly annoyed. She had gone on a quest with Link to find Merlin's Lost Jewel, and it had been a tedious one. For a fearless warrior, Link was a bit of an idiot. Granted, he possessed a sword that only yielded to his touch, but he couldn't utilize his common sense to save his life. The both of them had just taken down a giant troll and two of his minions; the air reeked of their blood as Sheik texted Zelda to get them out of the area.

"Link… Link! Do you mind?For the love of God, we have someplace to go…" He was chasing a butterfly, and he had run into a nearby haystack upon hearing her voice. At this moment, Zelda had shown up, her tawny hair strewn and one of her crystal heels missing. She looked at Sheik, whose clothes were nearly doused in troll blood, and gave a slight gasp before jumping back. Before she could say another word, Sheik cut in with a tone that not even Link could miss.

"Yes, we killed them. They didn't want to give up the merchandise, so we had to take it before Ganondorf could find them. I don't get what he sees in them, anyway…" Noticing Zelda's scattered appearance, her scowl deepened. "Never mind, I think I do. You lost track of time, didn't you?" Looking Zelda right in the eyes, Sheik waited for yet another one of her world-famous excuses.

"I… Uh, yeah… Um… Well, yeah," Zelda began. A tomato could have paled in comparison to her embarrassing expression, complete with a pair of averting eyes and an ever-deepening blush. Sheik's eyes rolled as she stated, "it must have been made of solid gold for you to keep your confidant waiting in the midst of sheer danger. Let's go; we have someone's memory to modify, and some diamonds to purify." As the portal that Zelda previously stepped out of began to widen, the three warriors ended their quest by teleporting back to their home base.

ONE MONTH EARLIER

The plush castle seemed to carry the essence of a prison. Then again, that's how it always felt whenever Sheik couldn't sleep. It was two in the morning, and this was the time of night where her thoughts kept her awake. Why?She began to question herself. Why did you push him away? He was the one… She was thinking about Kairi, the one man she knew she could trust. And boy, did he go through hell and high water to earn that. I miss you…She remembered their first meeting as if it were yesterday. He had accidentally bumped into her at the town's local mall, and she did not take that lightly. In fact, any physical contact was a cardinal sin to the assassin known as the Sheik.

"Try watching where the fuck you're going, you dick!"

As Kairi turned around, he couldn't help but notice the piercing cold, blue eyes aimed at him like the kunei he had in his pockets. Putting on a sarcastic voice, he said to her, "pardon fucking me." His intended laugh died in his throat the moment Sheik kicked him squarely in his back, resulting in him falling into the nearest hot dog vendor's truck. Jesus, the bitch is strong,he thought as he quickly righted himself."Like I said, watch where you're going!" A crowd had already formed around the two, hastily pulling out smartphones to record the ensuing action. Kairi was ready for a fight, and Sheik knew it. She wasted no time in pulling out a blade from her cloak, readily aiming at his heart.

"Awww, that's so cute. Gonna kill me in front of all these innocent bystanders?" Kairi taunted. "If I wanted to, I could destroy this entire area with one hand." One glowing hand punched the ground, violently shaking and cracking the surrounding impact area for emphasis. "And I can take you and I both with it. There, fight's done." As he disappeared into the terrified, dispersing crowd, Sheik rolled her eyes and fled the scene before the police arrived. However, there was something about the silver-haired, green-eyed figure she took interest in.

Sighing, Sheik reflected on their various encounters, which had occurred at that very same mall. She would later realize that Kairi was an employee at that mall, working as a server at her favorite diner. He immediately noticed her long, flowing locks, which fell right at her bosom. They were golden brown, his favorite color. He couldn't help but stare, which explained why Sheik felt like she was being watched. At the sight of Kairi, she rolled her eyes and huffed. "Oh, it's you again…"

Walking over to her seat, he decided to cut to the chase. "Yes, it's me again. Look, we both got off wrong. I remember the look in your eyes as we were about to fight. I don't mean to come off as intrusive, but what drives you? What motivates you to fight?" Taken aback by his sudden question, she sharply asked him, "What do you mean?" Kairi had asked her what most men didn't. Many men had simply wanted to see and feel what was well-hidden underneath her clothing, and had failed in her intense screening process. But this man wanted to know about the real her, to a point she couldn't deny it. Although it had only been a week since they met, she felt more welcome towards him.

So she gave him a chance to explore her mind. They exchanged numbers ("doesn't mean I'll just open up to you. Remember, I could've killed you," she had quipped) and began to converse. Over time, Sheik started to feel more at home with Kairi. She had even told him her real name; until their second date, he was thoroughly convinced that her name was really Sheik. "It's fitting, plus you're a killer," Kairi had stated as they ate pizza and watched the city life unfurl below them. "There's no way in hell your birth name is Dana. It seems too sweet and caring for your taste." Laughing softly, Sheik responded, "maybe there's more to me than sorcery and a murderous disposition…"

Another sigh escaped her lips as she looked at her phone's wallpaper. It was a picture of them at the beach eating ice cream. His pistachio got into her hair, and she was smiling as her vanilla was on his nose. The cones were empty, but her heart had filled with sadness. All this time, and you were the missing piece… Sheik remembered their rocky start, where she had explained her distrust with men since her ex-boyfriend cheated with her closest friend, and how Kairi pleaded with her to let that past transgression go. She remembered how nervous he was when they spent their first night together at a house party, and how they extensively talked about their pasts on a rooftop before he asked her out. It had been a year and a half, and still she felt they were moving too fast. She had told him that she admired his patience, and that she accepted his request to be more than friends due to his respect for her.

Another two months had passed into the relationship, and they had known all about each other inside and out. Still, she kept him at bay. She wasn't ready to go there, it had been quite a while since she'd been intimate with a man. He didn't pressure her, but he wanted to know what kept her from letting go of the past. His determination to find out had led to her shouting at him, and she kicked him out of her house in a thunderous mood. She had seen him sleep in her hallway, but she was too ashamed to invite him back in the house. The next night, she had seen the local news explaining the death of a man in her area. He perfectly fit the description of the half-demon she had fallen for.

As silent tears streamed down Sheik's face, she began to weep for her beloved. I shouldn't have been so sharp with him, she thought. The reporter had stated that the man was killed by someone in the Tri-Force. She had a hunch of who it was, but it just didn't click. Kairi was at home when Ganondorf's defeat occurred. He had literally imploded after Link stabbed him in the heart, taking the entire population of demonic spirits out at that moment. But he was on the phone with me at that time… Maybe, just maybe, there was a slight chance that Kairi was alive!

As if on cue, her phone started to vibrate. A text from a familiar number had reached it. I know you're there,is what it said. "Oh my God…" Sheik said out loud… "Oh my fucking God…"