I do not own any of these characters (except the thieves), they belong to Nintendo. I should also mention that I am completely disregarding the second war and creating my own story.

Ike closed his eyes as the breeze blew past him. It had been three years since the Mad King's war and three years since some of his closest friends had died at his side. It had changed him forever, everyone at camp knew it. They had tried to lift his spirits to no avail and now they just left him to drift in a sea of misery. He had once been loud, lively, and his white smile always present. Now he was silent unless addressed, his smile a myth of old. He missed his old self but to laugh aloud again, to smile, it would almost be an insult. He let out a deep breath and opened his eyes. He looked down at the lake below him, memories replayed in his head but it failed to bring even a smirk to his lips. The cliff he stood on stood at least a hundred feet above the lake, it had once been used as a platform to jump from. He shook his head and walked into the forest, Ranulf would be waiting.

(Sheik P.O.V)

Sheik stood with her back against a wall and into the shadows, she prayed quietly he wouldn't see her. The hood of her cloak was over her head already, a thin scarf pulled across her mouth. He couldn't possibly recognize her but she couldn't shake her fear. He had watched her suffer, watched her be beat into a pulp, watched her slit her wrists and had done nothing for fear the wrath would be centered onto him. She watched as Link passed her, seeming unaware of her presence. He was her brother but it didn't feel like it, not anymore.

Once the coast was clear, she ducked into a random ally where she felt more at home. Link, always the hero, was the apple of their father's eye. It had been different once, when their mother was alive. She remembered her father's hugs and kisses goodnight and felt a pang in her heart. She mourned for those days, she mourned for her mother. Her mother had kept them all in check but after her unfortunate death, the King had lost it and became a rampaging drunkard. In his frenzies he would choose a child at random to release his grief on. At first it was manageable; whenever she and Link saw him drinking they would both retreat to their rooms and call it a night. Soon, though, he would order them from their rooms and berate them before clouting one of them on the head, whichever was closest.

As the years went on Link grew and began to train, making him less of a target. Her father then began to target her specifically since she was younger and weaker. Months went by and the beatings became less predictable and less consistent in injuries. She feared her life at home and fled with the help of one of her mother's old friends. He offered to take her to the place he called home and she agreed, though only for a short time. She helped fight a war with them just four years ago, and then she left before it had ended. She had felt out of place and awkward there. She ventured around and would occasional come home to her family that had taken her in. It was where she was headed now and smiled at the thought of seeing the one she called her true father.

(Ike)

Ike walked into the woods, wondering if Ranulf would ambush him from behind or just go for a straight forward attack. He heard a growl from behind and spun around but saw nothing. He rolled his eyes and continued to walk. He was even about to start whistling when something crashed into his side, knocking the air out of him.

"Ike!" Ranulf shouted as loud as he could.

Every now and then Ike would allow himself a smile, this was one of those times. He laughed and pushed the last of his old friends off.

"Calm down Ranulf, I wasn't going to break my promise," Ike said chuckling.

Ranulf rolled to his feet and helped Ike up.

"I know that. I just don't get to see you very often. Things are still kind of rocky between our two species. Traveling gets dangerous at times," Ranulf mumbled.

Ike nodded. Ranulf was a Laguz, half human and half animal. Ranulf was a Cat Laguz, his hair was a bright blue and his ears barely peeped above his thick headband. His canines were clearly visible whenever he laughed, smile, or talked. His tail flickered back and forth, almost like it was trying to chase itself. Ranulf was high energy and his eyes were always bright and shining. His eyes were two different colors, one was green and the other was purple. Not a bad combination but an interesting one for sure.

As they walked back to the camp they talked and caught up, Ike resting his hand on Ragnell, his sword, all the way. It was a warm day in the late spring and Ike enjoyed talking to Ranulf. It seemed like today was going to be slow and peaceful.

(Sheik)

Sheik knocked on the steel door and a visor opened. Two brown eyes met her crystal blue eyes and they squinted at her. Then a laugh was heard from inside and the visor closed and the door opened.

"C'mon in! Long time no see, eh?" The man chuckled and closed the door behind her.

She smiled and pulled her hood and scarf down. She never felt more at home than with her thieving family. She sat down at table with a group of men and waited silently for them to look up from their cards. They didn't. She continued to look at each of them in turn, smiling and holding back her laughter. She remembered when she first met them.

She was ten years old and had just run away, again. She stumbled through the city late at night, her tears having long since tried and her curiosity pricking at her. She had never seen the city so empty before, it was quiet and eerie. She instantly fell in love with the night. She wandered through the city aimlessly and wondered if her mother's friend, Shinon, would find her. She was waiting for him since he always seemed to find her at the most random times. All her wandering had led her to a pitch black ally, she felt no fear and entered. She had barely walked three steps before a hand wrapped around her mouth and a knife to her throat. She didn't struggle or scream; she just stood silently. A voice spoke calmly to her,

"What the hell are you doing out here at this hour? Are you stupid? You could get killed by someone like, well, like me!"

It seemed to chastise her more than threaten her and she grew tired of it. She brought an elbow out to his groin and removed one of the many knives out from the folds of her clothes, stabbing it into the man's calf. He doubled over from her first blow but still managed to grip her hand before she could plunge the knife into his calf. He chuckled and took a few minutes to stand, during this time she had tried in vain to free herself but refused to scream for help, she could take care of this. When the man got to his feet he kept his grip on her hand and took her to the end of the ally. He knocked on a door and whispered a few things before the door opened and a stream of candle light poured onto the man. He was tall, tan, and had dark features, black hair and eyes. He smiled down at her but it wasn't a menacing grin, it was a warm grin, amused almost.

He led her into the room and a dozen other sly looking men occupied the only table located in the center of the room. She heard the door shut behind her and felt the man release his grip on her wrist.

He cleared his throat and the other men looked up abruptly from their card game and their gazes darted between the man and Sheik.

"Sir, I understand we're thieves but there's a difference between thieving and kidnapping," one of them said.

"I didn't kidnap her George. I found her and I think I'm going to keep her," he said sarcastically. Sheik looked at him with scared eyes. He looked down at her and his smirk melted into a warm smile.

"I'm just kidding, kid. Tell me, what's your name?" He asked.

"Zel-" She caught herself before she could say anymore but the man caught it, she knew it.

"Zelda? The princess Zelda?"

He shook his head and sighed, "Ah, shit."

"You aren't going to take me back, are you?" She asked, her voice full of fear. This was clearly not the reaction he had expected. He raised an eyebrow and kneeled down to her height.

"Listen, kid, if anyone found out we were harboring the Princess we would be swinging in the breeze at the gallows."

She shook her head, "Just call me Sheik. Disguise me. I don't care, I don't want to go home. My father… He isn't the same since…"

She trailed off and they understood what she meant. The man looked at her concerned for a moment then a flicker of anger, "What about your father?"

His tone became a slight bit harsher and her heartbeat quickened.

"My father has become a different man," she said quietly. She didn't want to tell them anything else, she didn't know them.

"I see. Fine. We'll take care of you, eh boys?" he called. They nodded in agreement.

"I'll teach you how to handle that little knife of yours too," he added quietly with a wink.

Sheik looked at the men who had practically raised her. One man cursed and threw his cards down, the rest did the same. George smiled and said, "I win again. You bastards better step up your game."

They cursed at him and stood up, all pausing when they laid eyes on Sheik. Unable to control herself any longer she burst into laughter, as did the rest of them. They crowded around her and hugged her, asking her where she had been. Before she could answer any of them a voice bellowed from somewhere in the back.

"What the hell is going on?!"

A man stepped up to the circle they had formed. His once black hair now dashed with flakes of grey. They parted way and his frown melted, his brow relaxed and he chuckled. Sheik walked up to him and hugged him.

"I missed you, kid," he said in a softer tone.

"I missed you too, Dax," she said.

They all sat down and talk and visited. She was just passing through and wanted to pay a visit, she was on her way to see Shinon. It had been too long since she had heard from him and she was a bit worried. He was her older brother in every way except by blood. She would have to stay the night but would leave early in the morning. They weren't too happy about her leaving so early but there was nothing they could do about it. They talked late into the night and soon Dax announced that Sheik should be getting to bed soon, she would have to get up early in the morning. She argued that she wasn't a child anymore but he would hear none of it. She sighed and said her goodnights then went to bed.

(Ike)

Ike woke early the next morning and groaned. It was early alright. Around three in the morning early. He looked at the ceiling of his cabin. He stretched and looked at the empty cots around him. Ranulf had left after the camp had dinner, he had a meeting early the next morning. Ike rolled onto his stomach and began to let his mind wander. He thought of his life as a mercenary, a life he had been raised into by his father, Greil. His mother had died when he was six, it was a heavy blow to their family, but there was something more to her death, Ike knew that. He wasn't sure how she had died just his father and Titania knew. Titania was a close friend of the family, she had helped his father raise his little sister, Mist, and himself.

He closed his eyes knowing sleep would evade him for the time being and continued to let his mind wander. He thought of the people he worked and fought alongside with. Each one having weaknesses and strengths. Shinon, an excellent archer and comrade but not so much of a personal guy, he had a past with alcohol and drug addictions; he also seemed to loathe Ike for no particular reason. Gatrie, a man of his word and having unfathomable strength, but unfortunately was a man who slept around, a lot. Soren, a man who could cast the most complicated spells with ease and had surprising wisdom, but he hated almost everyone and was a bit too blunt with his words. Titania, a woman who could conquer any who challenged her but sometimes she took on a little too much. Mist, a sweetheart that was too naive for her own good. Rhys, a man who could heal anyone but was too weak to pick up a sword, it didn't seem to matter to him though.

Thinking of Rhys, Ike considered talking to him about his lack of sleep before an inky blackness consumed him and he fell into a deep sleep.