AN: Hi again. So, this took me a little bit longer to write than I anticipated or wanted, but I ran into a couple of snags involving the mechanics and background of the story that I had to work through. Anyway, Please enjoy, and write me a review telling me how I'm doing.
When Sheik woke up it was already past midday, but of what day, he could not be certain, though instinctively (which he came to believe was divine revelation at work) he sensed that it was perhaps 5 moons since he had ceased to exist. After taking stock of his surroundings, he came to the conclusion that he was in a corner of Hyrule Field, not far from the steps leading to Kakariko Village. He wondered how he ended up in this location, as his last memories were of the Temple of Time, but he chalked it up to the will of the goddesses. In fact, he had decided that everything was the will of the goddesses, now that he was supremely aware of the role they play in his life.
Sheik began to take stock of his body, and was relieved to find everything seemed to be in normal order, from the tautness of his tendons and the flexibility of his joints, to the battle suit he had been wearing when he stopped existing. He even found the pack of supplies and civilian clothes that he had stowed away in the Temple of Time laying near him. The only notable difference he could sense was a significantly heavier wallet (which did have a couple hundred more rupees than he remembered having.)
He didn't really know what he was supposed to do, now that he no longer felt bound to the princess or to the goddesses and their power, though he felt grateful to them. Gratefulness was a new feeling for Sheik, as was freedom. Sheik imagined there were many new emotions and sensations he could feel now that he was free of duties.
After a while, he came to the decision that he would have to find someone that could give him information about the world and Link's whereabouts. But he wasn't sure who he could turn to. His previous life had left him with few contacts other than Hero himself. His first thought was Impa, the woman who trained him; he decided against her, for though she was his trainer, she was still a Sheikah bound to duty, and she would probably be bound to tell Zelda of his existence, something he knew he did not want to happen, at least not yet. The thought of Impa did, however, bring his mind to the other sages, and he began to contemplate asking one of them. Rauru, the light sage might help him, as he seemed to have no stake in the matter of Link's heart, and he would certainly recognize Sheik's existence as the will of the goddesses and therefore feel obliged to help him. Sheik decided against seeking him out though, as Rauru now took the form of the owl Keapora Geabora, and not only would the owl be hard to find, but he was also unbearably long winded and generally useless.
Nabooru was also out of the question, as it was well known that she wanted to do things to Link that would make a prostitute blush like a schoolgirl. Furthermore, his gender would make it very difficult to reach and speak to her, as it was rare for a Gerudo to speak to a man. While he was confident that Nabooru would allow him to speak, he would still have to sneak past her guard.
Saria and Darunia would both be helpful, and Sheik knew that gaining them as allies in his endeavor could go a long way in winning Link's heart, but because they could be this helpful to him, he decided against seeking them out just yet. He had never met either of them, and he felt that they would be infinitely more useful later, after he had at least found Link.
Sheik came to the conclusion that Princess Ruto would be his best bet for finding the information he wanted. She was attracted to Link, but Sheik had had direct contact with her, and more importantly, she owed him. He saved her once, and for that, he knew he could get information from her, and she would keep quiet about him and his intentions for a while.
Princess Ruto was most likely in one of two places; either praying at the Water Temple, or overseeing matters in Zora's Domain. Sheik contemplated where he should search first, and unconsciously he grabbed his lyre. He then wondered if he could still use it for teleportation, and this led him to wonder what the extent of his magical powers were now. As he was mulling the question over, he absentmindedly played his lyre, and while doing do he suddenly noticed the markings in the back of his right hand; he still bore the Triforce markings, albeit lighter than when he was Zelda's alter ego. He questioned the meaning behind the marks, concluding that either they were just a reminder of his past life and did not carry any magical significance, or that they indicated that the goddesses still favored him and that they may have given him power a normal Sheikah did not possess. He assumed the former conclusion was correct, but he secretly hoped that the goddesses were still watching out for him. Realizing that these questions could never be answered unless he tested out his magical prowess, Sheik resolved to try his hand at teleportation; softly his fingered etched out the Serenade of Water, and to both his surprise and pleasure, he felt the sensation of being transported, and Lake Hylia quickly appeared before his eyes.
Sheik was happy, but hardly convinced by this show of magic. He knew the Sheikah had ways of teleporting short distances through the shadows; no Sheikah had ever teleported as far as he just had through that method, but he didn't think it impossible. Furthermore, Link had used magic songs many times, and not always while bearing the Triforce of Courage. Still, if nothing else, Sheik could confidently conclude that he at least wielded a small amount of magic.
Throughout his travels, Link griped to himself about the Water Temple more than any other task he endured, so Sheik was slightly hesitant to enter it. When Link thought he was alone, he would complain about confusing and redundant puzzles that involved water levels, and he also had fears of a shadow of himself that lurked in the bowels of the temple. For these reasons, Sheik did not wish to dive into Lake Hylia and come up inside the temple; regardless, he was on a mission, and knew it had to be done.
When Sheik swam into the temple, he did not see the puzzles and enemies Link had faced; with the evil dispelled, the temple had become similar to the Temple of Time, only more watery. This also made the task of finding Princess Ruto considerably easier, as she sat not more than 50 meters ahead of him, clearly deep in meditation. So deep in her thoughts was she, that though she faced face Sheik, she did not notice him until he gently called to her. She peacefully came out of her meditative state, but upon realizing who had brought be back to reality, the Zora Princess became quite alarmed.
"Who are you, and what are you doing in this sanctuary of peace? And to be dressed as you are, impersonating not only a noble Sheikah but a hero of The Ganondorf Affair, that is truly despicable." she said, as she readied herself to combat Sheik.
Sheik remained calm as he answered Ruto's questions. "I am Sheik, of the Sheikah. And I come to this sanctuary seeking the counsel and knowledge of the Sage of Water, Princess Ruto. I do not impersonate anyone, for as sure as I stand before you, I am the person you think I am disguised as."
"You cannot be him, for he is merely a spell and a façade that protected Zelda and guided the Hero of Time through troubled times. If you are the princess, then show your true form."
"You are almost correct; I was a spell of the princess' doings. But now I am a full and free man. You saw the Goddesses offer to grant me a wish, and this is what I have chosen. And so, while I am not the princess, I still show you my true self."
Ruto was convinced when Sheik mentioned the goddesses; only one of the sages, the great fairies, or Sheik himself could possibly know of this meeting. Her gut also told her that the man who stood before her was being honest. Confident that she was in no immediate danger, she lowered her guard.
"If you are Sheik, then why do you seek the sages? If the Goddesses granted you a new life, why would you continue to get yourself involved in the affairs of the Triforce? Were I in your situation, I'd leave Hyrule without looking back, and live a peaceful life far away from all this destruction." Ruto said as Sheik walked toward her.
"I do not seek the sages, I seek you." Sheik replied simply.
"Me? What could you possibly want from me" Ruto asked, with the suspicion that she wasn't going to like what Sheik was going to say.
"I come to collect on the debt you owe me." Sheik said, confirming what Ruto was thinking. Though she suspected that Sheik was for this reason, she still became visibly irritated.
"I owe you nothing. Zelda, under your guise saved me, and I have already repaid her."
Sheik chuckled lightly to himself when heard this. He hadn't expected Zelda to need to take credit for his work this soon after the affair; he had assumed that she would be wary of acknowledging the existence of Sheik, as he had done things that were hardly befitting of a princess.
"Zelda did not save you, I did. Not more than a day after you have Link that token of your engagement, Zelda was secreted out of Hyrule Castle. On that same day, the Hero opened the door to the Sacred Realm. As you know, Ganondorf took advantage of this, and entered the Sacred Realm to claim the Triforce, and in doing so split it into three pieces with one part going to the Hero, and the other to Zelda. The princess knew that she was now in great danger, and she lacked the protection of being kept asleep in the Sacred Realm for Seven Years as the Hero had. So, using the power the Triforce afforded her, she forged me, and locked her consciousness away inside me, until all the sages were awake. During those years, and for the majority of the Hero's quest, I both protected Zelda and I guided the Hero. Incidentally, that also included saving you."
The Zora began to laugh a hollow laugh upon hearing what Sheik said. "Damn, and I signed a very favorable trade agreement with Zelda to repay the debt. Favorable to her that is, my people are hardly benefitting from it."
"Princess Zelda is a very smart woman, and I'm sure that she wishes to prove herself as a strong diplomat and peacetime ruler, as she was absent during the time of war and strife."
"My father said politics could be cutthroat, and Zelda just happens to be more brutal than a Gerudo mercenary. Now what is it that you want?"
"Not much, and certainly not as much Zelda wanted. Just some information."
Ruto acted resigned to her fate, but secretly, she was glad that all she had to give Sheik was information. "Fine, what do you want to know?"
Sheik quickly learned that it was six months since Ganondorf had been sealed, and that Hyrule was currently in the process of rebuilding itself. All the various races of people had sworn their allegiance to the kingdom once more, but there was some resentment, particularly among the Goron and Zora people, as they felt they had not been given their proper dues for having endured the extra hardships under Ganondorf for openly opposing his tyranny. He also learned that there had been some changes in the royal family; the King of Hyrule and Zelda's father had died, and Hyrule was currently being ruled by Zelda's mother, the Dowager Queen, who would release sovereignty when Zelda, who unlike her mother was royal by blood and therefore had a more legitimate claim to rule, took the throne, which was presumably going to happen when she was finished with her current mission to help rebuild Hyrule.
"I just have a couple more questions. Where did the Hero spend the intervening years?"
"Termina, mostly. Apparently he saved them from an evil magic mask that was going to destroy the land." Sheik smiled at the thought of Link saving a nation, even though he was supposed to be having a normal childhood. "He said that he spent that those years looking for a friend, but he couldn't remember who it was. Most people believe that he was looking for Navi."
Sheik contemplated her wording for a second. "And who do you believe he was looking for?"
Ruto paused before she replied, as if she was trying forums he proper way to vocalize her theory. "I don't think he was or is looking for anyone. My bet would be that he's looking for his past. When Zelda sent him back, he didn't retain the memories of his journey, well most of it anyway."
Sheik had assumed that Link wouldn't retain any memories of Hyrule, except for maybe his early childhood with the Kokiri, so he was quite hopeful at the prospect of Link having some memories. "What does he remember?"
"Well, the princess monopolizes Link's attentions, so I don't know everything, but what I've gathered is that Link remembers gathering the Spiritual Stones, placing them in the Temple of Time, and then leaving. He went to Lon Lon Ranch, grabbed Epona, and then exited Hyrule through the Lost Woods. Again, I don't know all the facts, but I heard that there was actually a spell that kept Link out of Hyrule until Ganondorf was defeated."
Sheik was happy that Link remembered part of the past, but at the same time he was disappointed that everything that the Hero remembered was long before he was involved in the Link's life.
"And where is he now?"
"Probably at the castle; Zelda usually keeps him there. She wants him to become a knight and a member of the royal guard, but I don't think he really wants that. If he isn't on her leash, he could be anywhere in the nation. Being perhaps the most loved person in Hyrule, he is often sent as an emissary, as he alone has access to the domain of all races within Hyrule's border. And on the very rare occasion that he doesn't have any royal obligations, he will get on Epona, and explore the country, forsaking as much of society for as long as possible."
Finally having all the information he was going to get from Ruto, Sheik thanked the sage for her information and turned to leave, but Ruto stopped him. "Are we even now?" She asked.
"Almost," he replied. "We will be if you don't mention my existence to anyone. I don't think people need to know that I'm alive yet; it wouldn't help me reach my goals."
"And just what exactly are your goals?"
Sheik smirked, and answered her question as he began to play the Prelude of Light. "I think you already know. You've certainly heard enough to figure it out. Goodbye Princess Ruto." And with that Sheik was gone, leaving Ruto alone once more.
'Love and protect, indeed,' she thought as she attempted to return to a meditative state. Upon failing to achieve the inner calm necessary for her meditation, she said to herself, "if he thinks this means I'm going to give up the chase, then he's dead wrong. After all, Link is my fiancé."
AN: Now that you've read it, if you would be so kind as to write a review, I would greatly appreciate it! I read every one of them, and they truly do help to keep me going.