Link couldn't believe his eyes, as Sheik revealed himself as Zelda. What had happened to the teen he'd fallen for? Surely he and the bratty, spoiled princess that had started the whole mess in the first place (or so he suspected, and we all know he's right) were not the same person. He shook his head mentally, repeating that this was not possible. Besides, when Sheik had appeared this time he thought the voice was off. At first he suspected it was a cold or such a virus, but it was now obvious it was because Zelda was pretending to be him.
[Later, after Ganon's defeat, while everyone is celebrating]
It made him sick to think there was a possibility Sheik and Zelda were one and the same. Besides, their eyes didn't match, nor did their hair, nor the features, though it was hard to tell with the mask Sheik always wore. Link felt a twinge in his heart as he sighed inaudibly. How he longed to remove the fabric with his own hands… But Sheik was nowhere to be found. He'd questioned Impa on the matter but she had done naught but bow her head apologetically and walk off. Of course, asking Zelda was entirely out of the question. He groaned and dropped his head on his lap, trying to ignore his sworn brother Darunia and the rest of the Gorons trying to coax him into joining the festivities.
~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Zelda rapidly made her way to a hidden room under the ruins of Ganondorf's tower. The first thing she saw as she entered was a vivid ruby eye glaring at her from within a cage of sacred energy. The young teen tossed his head to the side, moving aside some of the golden hair that fell over his right eye. Glowering, he muttered a few angry words that did not reach her ears. However, judging by his livid attitude, she was sure it was an insult of some sort. Something like: "Go screw a tomb rat, princess." She sniffed disdainfully and shoved his plate of near-spoiled food through the veil, halfway, as to not shock herself with her own energy. Inside, Sheik pulled the tray in, feeling the rage boiling inside him. After everything he and his ancestors had done for the Royal Family, all he got in return was a life short of slaughter because he and Zelda had fallen for the same boy, Hyrule's hero. He found a short note along with the food fit for near nothing.
He saved Hyrule. And he's mine. He thinks I'm you. You hear me? You'll never get out of here. And if he had a shred of care for you, it's MINE now.Sheik twitched, growling deeply in his throat as he ripped the paper to pieces. 'I'm gonna kill her when I get out of here…' But his hope was slowly draining. He couldn't do the 'Sheikah teleportation' in this place, and there was no way he could defeat the seal of all seven mages. Besides, he thought as he sighed, where would he go? Link would only think him an imposter, believing Zelda was the true Sheik, and Impa was forced by the princess to shun his place among the Sheikah legacy.
~~~~~~~~~~
Link twitched as he felt the now-familiar presence sit beside him, ignoring the tall brunette within his best ability, trying to restraining himself from drawing the sacred sword and looping off her head with it. He stared at the triforce on his hand, with the courage triangle filled, still remaining even though the pieces had reassembled together.. Who would have power gone to, if not Ganon? No one in Hyrule was as powerful as he, right? But did he truly want to be most powerful? 'I wonder,' he thought, tilting his head, 'if I had to go against the seven Sages, could I do it?' He didn't know, and he hoped the opportunity to find out wouldn't arise.
"Is there something wrong, Link?"
He forced a pleasant smile on his face. He couldn't have her questioning his motives. "Oh nothing. I was just thinking, you know, about how everything changed suddenly twice during our lifetime." He would have said 'my lifetime' but he thought that, somehow, adding Zelda to that would make her think he believed her, therefore make her less careful. Apparently, it worked, as she grinned widely at him. With hidden alarm, he noticed a tinge of triumph flash through her eyes. His resolve to discover her secrets solidified fiercely. Next time she disappeared, he'd follow.
~~~~~~~~~~
Sheik leaned his back against the wall, knees pulled up to his chest. His arms loosely held them to him as his head rested against the stone surface, staring at the ceiling. He sighed and let the fantasies take over his consciousness. Warm, solid arms wrapped around his waist, a calm, deep-tinged voice coaxing his to open his eyes and see that his cage was no longer there and that Zelda was no longer 'lively' enough to ruin his life. And, of course, the sight of the blonde, aqua eyed hero once thought to be a Kokiri grinning down at him, only a breath away. Sharp, mocking laughter echoed painfully in his ear. His eyes snapped open and he glared at the evil woman.
"Poor, pathetic little Sheik all alone with nothing to do but lose himself in impossible fantasies."
He growled, straining to resist jumping at her. He didn't need another encounter with her wall of energy. "Shut up, princess. What do you know about loneliness?"
"Enough to know you'll go insane soon enough." She smirked smugly.
He was about to scream back at her when movement caught his eye. A swift shadow loomed towards Zelda. Zelda! She'd know if his attention wasn't fully onto her gloating figure. He placed his piercing gaze upon her once more.
"You make me sick."
"Don't worry. The feeling's mutual."
"On my part too," called a new voice from the shadows. Sheik's ruby eye widened visibly. Did he mean…? Link appeared beside Zelda, holding the point of his sword against her throat. "You make me sick, Zelda. You didn't when we were kids. I was an idiot then. So naïve." He bent closer to her, face set in stone. "It was stupid to send me off to fight demons if you wanted me to like you. Meeting so many corrupt people. I learned the way most minds work. I have good intuition now, you know." He used the sharp point to raise her chin so she'd be looking at him. "I really hate you, now." He pressed the blade, with enough pressure to hurt but not cut.
Sheik let out the breath he didn't realize he was holding, eyes shining in disbelief and elation.
"You wouldn't dare."
"Head Sage or no, none have the right to lock someone away like that, especially one who help save your beloved kingdom"
She stomped her foot childishly. "I demand you release me!"
"At any rate," he stated calmly, "I demand you release HIM." Zelda frowned, pouting, and Link prodded her with the Master Sword's steel "Well? Go on then."
She huffed and stretched out her hand, returning the power to its proper holders. "You'll be sorry."
"Not if no one finds out." Link yanked the sword back, a paper-thin cut now trailing Zelda's neck. "That's a warning princess." He flipped the sword upwards, catching it with the blade just above the handle, and knocked the teenage girl soundly over the head with it. She fell unconscious to the floor, a thin coating of blood covering her lower neck and the beginning of a delicate violet dress. Sheik sighed from relief and stood slowly, not daring a look towards his rescuer. Dragging his feet, he treaded his way around the limp body and made his way to leave. Link snatched up his arm, keeping the red-eyed Sheikah from exiting the small dungeonous room. "Can I know why she kept you here… at least?"
Sheik held his breath unwittingly. What could he say? 'Well, Zelda found out I was desperately in love with you and didn't want me to get in the way?' That wouldn't go over very well. He shrugged and tried to pull away, but the grip tightened around his limb, fingernails biting into his bicep. "She just didn't want me in the way, that's all…"
"Of what? In the way of what?"
The confused voice rang behind him, and he mentally cursed the devils for putting him in such a position. "…Of you, plural."
"Me and her?"
"Yes."
"But… how… how would you affect that?"
"She didn't want me to get to you first." He forced himself to be truthful, no matter how this shattered him inside. After all, as he'd just found out, messing with Link was never a good idea.
"First for what?"
"Ahh……"
Link tightened his grip, painfully so. "Answer the question."
Sheik winced. Of why did this have to happen? He was beginning to think maybe he was better off in the Sage Princess's evil clutches. "Love?"
"Is that a question or an answer?"
The voice behind him was deathly cold, freezing him to the bone. He whimpered inwardly. "Both?"
"Sheik…" The tone was impatient and warning.
He let out a deep, shuddery breath, willing the shaking away from his voice. "An answer." And then the most unexpected thing happened. The harp-player found himself wrapped within the hero's powerful arms. He vaguely noted the other was griming vacantly at the wall.
"Can you get us far from here?"
"Ahh… sure…" In a blinding flash of light, both the hero and the helper had vanished into the night.