A/N: For all of those who waited: SORRY! Je suis desolsée! Gomen! Thanks for being patient BushWhacker!
Disclaimer: Yup, Nintendo won rock, paper, scissors with me again. One of these days the characters will be mine! *Insert maniacal laughter here.*
Chapter Two: A Welcome Distraction
Don't damn me when I speak a piece of my mind,
'Cause silence isn't golden when I'm holding it inside.
'Cause I've been where I have been, and I've seen what I have seen.
I put the pen to the paper 'cause it's all a part of me.
Don't Damn Me, Guns N' Roses
Stretching out his over-worked muscles and sighing into the slight breeze, Sheik desperately tried to stop his train of thought. It always ended with the same result: the Hero of Time needed to hurry up and be ready. Hyrule was running dangerously close to being out of time.
And it's not like we have any spare Sheikah to throw at Ganondorf, the traitorous thought snuck across his mind before he could stop it. And then, wait, that's what I'm here for.
Sheik rubbed a calloused hand over his bare face. Try as he might, he could not brush off the bitter feelings he had bottled up over his race being mere servants. Another sigh escaped his chapped lips. Closing his eyes and leaning all his weight onto the wooden fence, the young Sheikah focused on the creaking of the windmill behind him. Finally he reached a state of peace when the constant creak drowned out the world around him.
Rich golden brows furrowed when a tinkling noise caught his sensitive ears. Then it was gone.
There it was again.
He frowned when the sound didn't go away, but instead grew louder. His frown deepened after a series of feminine sniffles left little mystery as to what the disturbance was. It seemed that you couldn't expect silence while taking a break in a graveyard. It was just his luck that someone would actually enter the graveyard during his 'breather.'
"Momma..." A wretched sob escaped the graveyard visitor. Sheik's stubborn will refused to fully acknowledge the disturbance. "...why couldn't you stay?" The visitor continued sobbing loudly, unaware of her audience.
I will not be distracted by-
A loud, wet sniffle. Sheik's eyelids clamped tighter until the pressure began to hurt.
I will not be distracted by this... this distraction, he thought furiously. Considering even his thoughts were unhinged by the injured-cow sobs now coming from somewhere off to his right, he knew it was all in vain. He was always a stubborn one though.
Just ignore it, Sheik. Whoever it is will go away soon enough.
A sudden whir and cackle, that Sheik immediately identified as a poe, was shortly followed by a shriek.
Or not, Sheik thought morosely.
Another scream and Sheik's eyes flew open. He quickly assessed the situation before him. A distraught, oddly clothed young woman stood facing the poe with her back to a tombstone as if trying to protect it. A quick, heart-wrenching moment of what-if passed over the man before he dismissed the anxiety of being seen. She needed his help. He would not fail as a protector in this world, however dark it may become.
Allowing his primitive instincts to reign over his actions, Sheik jumped off of the railing to land silently in a crouch on the graveyard ground. Feeling the adrenaline charge through his body made the animal within smile gleefully.
This was what he was bred for.
Malon had heard of these evil spirits, but she'd never been face to face with one before. It scared the wits out of her. As she stood protecting her mother's gravestone, confronting someone's twisted soul, she found herself stuck. Seemingly mesmerized by the twirling lantern that would strike her if she did not move, yet she couldn't.
Snippets of her life began to play throughout her mind. It was as if her own life begged her to find hope within her past. Just enough to react, yet the closer the past became the present, the more paralyzed the young woman became. Her father leaving her behind. No goodbye, just like her fairy boy. Just like her mother. Darkness spreading through her life - her world - too fast not to notice. A tangible, vile creature created within Ingo, lashing out in such a horrible way that Malon knew not how to cope.
Completely unraveled by her raw emotions and memories, another player in the mix went wholly unnoticed. That is, until said participant knocked Malon on her ass in order to divert the poe's attention. Being literally shoved out of her torturous thoughts was quite a shock. Almost as much as hitting the ground, or looking up and seeing an utter stranger standing between you and certain harm.
Stunned further into silence, Malon could only watch as the poe zipped after the incredibly agile stranger. She'd never seen anyone move like that! Noticing a few key aspects on the tightly clothed figure, the young woman couldn't help but identify what sex her savior was. Then, as the poe cackled and charged the stranger once again, he seemed to crouch and then he was in the air. Malon observed with wide eyes as the dexterous man flipped in mid air to land gracefully on his feet before pursuing her attacker. The gap was closed in a few strides, and then a short blade appeared to have materialized in the stranger's hand right before the blade pierced through the poe's defenseless back. It was disturbing how simple he made it look.
Angered, the spirit twirled away after the shock at being struck faded. The man didn't move from where he initially stabbed the poe. He just waited silently for something. The poe meandered a moment, and then targeted the stranger again. The mad spirit twirled its lantern dangerously as it came quickly toward the still man. Malon nearly cried out for him to move, but swallowed down the urge when her savior rolled to the side and quickly lashed out at the poe's unprotected side.
The young woman stood back up on shaky limbs as she watched the poe dissipate. Her gaze then turned to the man who had saved her. The first thing that crossed her mind was how much of his body was covered. His head, chest, forearms, and fingers were all wrapped tightly with slightly stained cloth. The odd body armor he was wearing had a couple of cuts in it that looked easy to sew. She found that the different shades of blue on his armor looked far too calm for how well he was able to kill.
Malon didn't look up to meet his questioning gaze once he pivoted to face her. In fact, her eyes were quite stuck on the strange symbol dyed into the cloth draped over his chest. What was that? Why did it make her stomach flutter and her fingers twitch?
So focused on her thoughtful inquiries, which really just consisted of finding a way to have him agree to train her, she didn't notice how close the stranger was until his masculine scent made her freeze. Trying desperately to ignore the fear that was consuming her, Malon slowly raised her stare. She regretted her choice almost immediately.
His eyes were the color of fresh blood.
Sheik reacted before he'd even grasped the situation. One moment he'd been taking in the tangled hair, her forlorn stance, the terrified look in her tear-bright eyes, and then she'd attacked him. The crazed red-head struggled to get her wrists out of his grip, so Sheik held on tighter. She was surprisingly strong, though she didn't know how to utilize her strength. Luckily.
"Why are you attacking me?" He hadn't meant to yell at her, but she finally stopped struggling at the sound of his voice.
"You're... not Ingo," she said haltingly. Sheik was highly confused by the entire situation. The name she said sounded familiar, but he couldn't place it when he tried.
"Who is Ingo?" Her eyes snapped up to his and Sheik was truly caught by surprise. The haunted look in her bloodshot eyes hit him like a physical blow to the chest, forcing him to take a step back and release her wrists. She quickly looked away and rubbed her sore wrists.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to... well, you know." The young woman gestured toward him. "And thanks a lot for the saving bit."
He nodded, and then realized the pointlessness of his action since she was still looking away. He also realized she had bruises where he'd grabbed her.
He was about to apologize when he noticed the large bruises on her upper arms. He hadn't touched her anywhere besides her wrists, so perhaps he hadn't injured her? Instead of relief, Sheik felt disturbed by the conclusions he was coming to. Unable to think of anything else to say Sheik said, "you should get home."
She laughed bitterly. "I have no home, stranger."
Ah, that answers some questions. He scanned the cemetery, it looked as somber as she sounded. "Then what will you do?"
The young woman's brow furrowed as she considered her options and her main goal. Just as Sheik started to relax into his customary slouch, she took a step towards him. "That stuff you did to the poe. Teach me."
It was Sheik's turn to laugh. "No."
"I can be of use! I can cook well, I'm great with animals, and I can sew." She looked pointedly at his clothes.
"That's pleasant, really. But I don't have the time, nor the patience, to train someone." He turned to leave; a small, amused tilt to his lips hidden under his cloth cowl.
"Please. I don't know your name, or if you're actually corrupt like almost everything else is, but I need help." She walked in front of him to establish eye contact. Determined blue met reserved crimson. "I want my home back. I want everyone to be safe again, but I know it won't just happen if we wish it hard enough. And the only way anyone can accomplish anything is to start at the beginning."
He didn't say anything for a long while. She waited. "Are you sure you're willing to sacrifice your life for others? If no one remembers your name in the end, will you regret giving your everything for these people?" He gestured back towards the village.
"I don't consider that a sacrifice, stranger. I'll actually be doing something with my life. There's nothing to regret in doing that." Malon held his gaze, trying to make him understand how she felt.
It was obvious to Sheik that she meant what she had said, yet he was still hesitant. He had traveled by himself for years, forgetting the meaning of simple concepts such as 'friendship' and 'together.' He had watched the world settle into darkness alone and had become bitter. Could he take this innocent's hand and lead her down the same path? Even though she chose to give herself up, could he, knowing what burdened life she was asking for, strip her of her rightful naïvete?
"Please." Her quiet voice broke Sheik out of his thoughts. "I promise not to be a burden."
"You misunderstand my hesitation." The gentle curiosity visible in her eyes made him want to explain further. Something he hadn't done in a very long time. He imperceptibly shook his head before inquiring, "If you were living in a house with a demon and someone dying of thirst knocked on your door, would you allow them to come in?"
Her brows furrowed, and then she scowled. "I am not dying of thirst! I am, however, willing to do whatever's necessary to meet my end goal!" Malon noticed his eyes widen slightly, so she willed herself to calm. "It's your choice, stranger, whether you open the door or not."
She watched his eyes become distant as he was once again lost in thought. He was silent longer than before, but Malon didn't disturb his thoughts. A few times when his gaze felt heavy, she had to force herself not to fidget out of anxiety. Just what is he thinking?
At that moment Sheik happened to be speculating just how good a cook she might be. It would be nice to break up the monotony in my life, anyways. And if she gets herself killed she has voiced time and again how willing she was, right?
Right.
"Sheik," he said while offering his hand, "Of the Sheikah people." She recalled hearing of such people years ago. It explained the red eyes at least.
"Malon." She accepted his offered hand with her own, not minding in the least that she had told him her real name. His hand was quite larger, they both noted, but he was surprised at how callused her hand felt. "I can't thank you enough, Sheik."
Worriedly, he found himself wondering how the Sages would react to her.
Edited: 2011
I fixed a few things: the first section with the lyrics so it'd be uniform with the other chapters. I added onto the poe fight since it takes two good hits to kill them in the game. I also felt bad that I mentioned bruises on Malon last chapter only to completely not follow through with them, so I fixed that hole de la plot.
Concerns, comments? Feel free to leave a review. :)
