Chapter Four: Puzzle Pieces
"Alright class, today we have something very important to discuss…"
Sheik yawned, rubbing her eyes. Ever since her revelation at Death Mountain, her dreams at been filled with images of familiar events and faces—some of which were more…unpleasant than others. While her past memories were undeniable proof of who she really was, they also served to confuse and frustrate her—like trying to solve a puzzle with only a few of the pieces. She had yet to relive enough memories to piece together an entire lifetime—she had several past lives; she had at least been able to figure that much out—but enough for her to recognize a pattern: The kingdom would fall into danger; she would be forced into hiding, kidnapped, turned to stone, or incapacitated in some other way; and a hero would rise up to save the land. It wasn't exactly a pattern that she liked—the idea of helplessness wasn't very appealing—, but it was one nevertheless and she hoped that it would help her piece together what few memories that she had.
…Of course, it wasn't exactly easy having her sleep dominated by visions of the past. Sheik got very little sleep over the weekend, so keeping herself awake during class was proving to be quite a difficult feat.
"…And so I am happy to inform you that, starting today, we will be having a new student. Would you please introduce yourself?"
"Sure thing," Sheik heard the familiar voice say. Her eyes widened. Wait, nononono—
"I'm Link Emeright, I just transferred here."
It took all of Sheik's self control to keep herself from scowling. That idiot, what was he thinking?
"Alright Mr. Emeright, why don't you take a seat? Take your pick from any of the empty chairs."
"Sure thing," Link said. To Sheik's dismay, he walked towards the back of the room and sat in the empty seat to her right. He grinned at her, and this time Sheik did scowl, glaring at the blonde dangerously. Link only smirked and turned his attention to the board.
When the class was over, Sheik took Link aside.
"What in Farore's name were you thinking," she growled under her breath. "Coming to school here was probably the worst thing you could've done."
Link raised an eyebrow, a cocky grin on his face. "Oh? What if I just missed you so much that I couldn't help myself?"
Sheik's eyes narrowed—it took all her strength to keep herself from strangling him. "Cut the crap, Emeright," she scowled. "What the hell are you doing?"
Link hesitated for a moment, then sighed. "Ganondorf's here, right?" he asked. Sheik frowned.
"…You're worried," she said finally. "You're afraid he might do something to me."
Link sighed. "…It's a possibility," he said. "And it's one I don't want to risk." He looked her in the eye. "I don't you to be with him a single minute without me, okay?"
Sheik frowned. "What, you don't think I can handle myself?" At that, Link winced and she sighed. "Fine," she said, "but the same goes for you. Don't do anything stupid, alright?"
Link smiled. "No promises," he said. Sheik shook her head.
"Hey, you!" The two nearly jumped in surprise. "What the hell is your problem?"
"…Midna?" Sheik stuttered in confusion. The redhead stomped up to the Sheikah, fuming.
"I tried calling you all weekend, but—" When she saw Link, stopped cold.
"…Um, Midna?" Sheik asked after a few seconds, waving a hand in front of the other girl's face.
"Ah—sorry," Midna said, shaking her head as she snapped out of it. Sheik frowned at the girl's strange behavior, but said nothing.
"Midna, this is Link," Sheik said. "Link, Midna."
Link flashed the redhead a charming grin. "Nice to meet you," he said.
Midna smiled back. "You too," she said brightly. She turned to Sheik with an evil glint in her eye. "So this is why you've been ignoring me all weekend. Y'know, if it was anyone else I'd be pissed, but since it's you I guess it's okay." She winked. "After all, it's not everyday that Sheik Cromwell comes into school with a secret boyfriend."
"Ah—It's not like that!" Sheik said quickly, flushing slightly.
Midna waved her hand. "Yeah, yeah," she said disinterestedly. She turned to Link and looked him over. "You seem okay, but for all I know you could be a wolf in sheep's clothing." She stepped up to him, looking him in the eye with a dark smile. "I'll just give you a warning—you hurt Sheik, and you're a dead man, got it?"
Link blinked. "Um, sure," he said.
Midna smiled disarmingly. "Good." She turned to Sheik. "Now, about that—"
"Hey, Sheik!"
Sheik sighed, rubbing her temples. Link coming to Castle City High was already giving her more problems than she needed. Meanwhile, Midna scowled at the newcomer. While Sheik didn't mind Ruto, Midna openly despised the Zora's presence. The two just didn't get along. Ruto did, however, consider herself to be a good acquaintance of Sheik's, so the Sheikah shouldn't have been surprised when she made her way over to them.
"I'm leaving," Midna muttered. "See ya, Sheik."
"Yeah, see ya," she responded. She turned to greet Ruto.
"Sheik, what's this?" The Zora asked. "I didn't know that you already knew the new guy."
Sheik sighed tiredly. "Yeah, we just met recently," she said. "Although I was surprised to hear that he was transferring here," she muttered somewhat bitterly.
Link ignored the blonde girl. "Hi, I'm Link," he said, extending a hand. "Nice to meet you."
Ruto giggled. "Oooh, he's cute," she gushed to Sheik. "Is he taken?"
"Of course not," the Sheikah said, "who in their right mind would want to be with him?"
Link clutched his heart melodramatically. "Oh, Sheik!" He exclaimed, "You wound me!"
"Stop being such a clown," the Sheikah muttered. Link only grinned.
Ruto's smile grew wider. "Oh, I see how it is," she said mischievously. "Don't worry, your secret's safe with me," she said, giving Sheik a wink. "I'll be sure to tell everyone that he's unavailable."
"Ruto—"
"Later, Sheik!" The Zora called out, already walking away. "And you too, Link," she all but purred.
Sheik pinched the bridge of her nose. "Great."
Link smirked. "Secret boyfriend, huh?"
Sheik glared.
"Shut up and get to class, Emeright."
Link's grin only widened.
"Whatever you say, Your Highness."
"…And for homework tonight, I expect you to read pages 50-71 by tomorrow." There was a collective groan as Mr. Dragmire merely smiled. "Oh, Ms. Cromwell and Mr. Emeright—I'd like to see you both after class." Sheik sighed as she began to gather her things. He'd probably want to talk about finding the next key. She had done some research about the Lost Woods over the weekend, but hadn't found anything useful; just a couple of myths and urban legends—stuff she already knew.
As soon as the rest of the class had filtered out of the room, Ganondorf closed the door.
"Now, about our little problem," the teacher said, "I was looking through a few of my spell books, and I believe I may have found something useful."
"Okay…" Link prompted, motioning for him to continue.
"A tracking spell. If it works, it should take us directly to where the key is being hidden."
Sheik noticed the teacher's hesitation. "What's the catch?" she asked.
Ganondorf sighed. "It'll take a few days to prepare," he said. "Aside from that, we have no idea whether it'll work within the Lost Woods. There is a possibility that there will be protective wards in place to keep trespassers out."
"Great," Link muttered. "We've only got one lead, and we're not even sure if it'll work."
"It's worth a shot," Sheik said. "While he's working on that, why don't you see if you can remember anything? It'd be best if we had a plan B to fall back on."
Link frowned, but nodded. "Alright, I'll try my best." He looked at Ganondorf. "When will your spell be ready?"
"Five days at most," the larger man said. "We can head out at the end of the week."
"Alright," Sheik said, nodding. "So for now…"
Ganondorf cleared his throat, and the two teens glanced at him. "Er, Ms. Cromwell, I've given it a bit of thought, and I think it's in everyone's best interests that you learn how to use magic."
"Magic?" Link repeated, raising an eyebrow skeptically.
"Indeed," the teacher said, nodding. "From what I saw on Death Mountain this past weekend, you seem to have some combat skill, but up against the opponents we'll have to face…" Sheik frowned at his hesitation, so he went on. "…your talents will be nearly useless. Without magic, you'll either be forced to rely on Mr. Emeright and myself or to remain here like…" he trailed off.
"…Like a damsel in distress," Sheik finished bitterly. She sighed. "Up against that golem, I realized that too. There was no way my martial arts training alone would help me against something that big." She looked up at the teacher seriously. "I don't want to sit around here while Link is off risking his life somewhere. And I certainly don't want to leave him alone with you. If there's anything you can teach me that will help me be more useful in a fight, then I'm willing to learn."
Ganondorf nodded approvingly. "Good. Now that that's settled, how about—"
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, hold up a minute," Link cut in. "For the record, I don't care whether or not Sheik learns magic or whatever. That's her choice, and that's fine." His eyes narrowed. "What I'm not okay with is the idea of the two of you being alone together. I don't want any of this stuff going on without me there."
Sheik looked like she was about to say something, but Ganondorf responded first. "Of course," he said. "I see no problem with that, especially since it must be difficult trusting me after our…history." The teacher frowned thoughtfully. "Speaking of which, how much have the two of you been able to remember so far? The more you know, the better the chance we have of succeeding."
Sheik shook her head. "Not very much. Since Saturday, I've gotten a few glimpses and pieces, but that's about it."
"Yeah, it's like that with me, too," Link said. "I've had a few dreams, but not much aside from that." He frowned thoughtfully. "Although I sometimes get a few flashes whenever something similar happens—like déjà vu."
Sheik looked at him curiously. "Really?"
Link nodded. "Yeah—it was like that when we first met and our hands touched—like that wasn't the first time something like that happened."
"Hmm…" The teacher frowned thoughtfully. He sighed. "Well, I suppose it isn't much, but I'm sure more memories will come to both of you later on. We'll just have to wait and see." Ganondorf leaned back in his seat and looked between the two teens, frowning pensively. Sheik glanced at the older man and raised an eyebrow.
"What is it?" she asked. The teacher shook his head.
"It's nothing, really," he said. "It's just that…Link and I have the same name and appearance as we did in our previous lives." Ganondorf glanced at Sheik. "But you…" He frowned. "You would think that you'd be the same way, or at least that you'd be royalty or something. Especially considering that this is one of the few countries that still has a monarchy…" He shook his head. "Whatever the reason, it doesn't matter now. The important thing is that the three of us have located one another, and now that we have the first key, we're one step closer to defeating our opponent and saving Hyrule."
Sheik frowned. "…That brings up another point," she said. "Who exactly are we fighting against? I don't like the idea of battling a nameless enemy whose motives are unknown."
Link shook his head. "Farore didn't tell me much about them." He frowned. "The only reason why we know he or she exists is because of the monsters that came after us."
Ganondorf sighed. "The one we're fighting is a man called Amora. He is a self-proclaimed follower of Demise—an ancient demon."
"Demise?" Link said. "How come I've never heard of him?"
"Not many people have. He was destroyed by the Hero of the Skies thousands of years ago."
"…So what is Amora after?" Sheik asked. "Revenge?"
Ganondorf shook his head. "Of course not. That man is still blindly loyal to his master. He seeks to destroy Demise's rival, a lesser goddess by the name of Hylia, and use her power to revive his master."
Link frowned. "Is that even possible?" he asked.
The teacher nodded gravely. "Yes. He is convinced that Hylia has taken on a mortal form, and in order to vanquish her he seeks out the shards of an ancient but powerful artifact."
Sheik frowned. "Artifact…?"
"An ancient dagger fabled to have been created by Demise. If the stories are true, then it should have the power to vanquish beings of light." Ganondorf's lips straightened into a line. "That is why he cannot be allowed to succeed—if Amora is able to unite the pieces and bring back Demise, Hyrule will dissolve into chaos."
"Wait a minute," Sheik said, eyes narrowed. "How do you know all this?"
The history teacher sighed. "I know because Amora came to me and requested my assistance. I turned him down, and he wisely left."
"You knew his intentions, yet you let him go?"
Ganondorf frowned. "At the time, I didn't think that he was being serious. I had figured that he was just some fanatic with wild fantasies. I only realized that he was actually capable of performing magic and following through on his plan when it was too late."
Link frowned thoughtfully. "…Do you really think he can succeed?"
"I have no doubt in my mind that he can, and that he'll do everything in his power to ensure that he will." The teacher looked at the boy pointedly. "So now you know it's so important that you retrieve the Master Sword as soon as possible. The danger is real, and we have little time to lose." He turned to Sheik. "I'll work on setting my spell, and in the meantime we can work on your magic." He looked at Link. "You should focus on honing your sword skills."
Link snorted. "Yeah, 'cause it's not like I have centuries worth of experience or anything."
Ganondorf ignored him. "Come back here tomorrow—we'll work on your magic then."
"I guess we have some time to kill," Link said as they walked out the door. "Y'know, I think it would be best if we OH SHI—" He ducked behind Sheik frantically.
"What are you doing?" the Sheikah said indignantly. The boy continued hiding behind her.
"Don't let him see me!"
"What? Who?" Sheik tried to turn, but he clutched her shoulders tightly, keeping her facing the opposite direction.
"Just hold still!" Link said. "If he finds me, then—"
"Hey, Link!" The two looked up to see a red-haired boy approaching them.
"…Hey, Mido," Link said as he reluctantly stepped away from his hiding place behind Sheik's back.
"You transferred to Castle City, too? Haha, now we can catch up on the good old days! Wow, I just never would've imagined that I'd see you again like this. This is great!"
"Yeah…" Link mumbled. "Great…"
"Hey," Mido said, looking Sheik over, "who's this?"
Link sighed. "Mido, this is Sheik. Sheik, this is Mido," he said, lacking enthusiasm. Mido didn't seem to notice.
"Nice to meet you!" Mido grinned.
"The same," Sheik said. Mido turned to Link.
"Well, it was good seeing you again. I'll see you later—we'll have to meet up sometime!"
"Yeah…of course…" Link slumped as the boy walked away.
"…What was that about?" Sheik asked, raising an eyebrow.
Link sighed. "Mido used to go to my old school. He…we didn't get along very well." Sheik frowned, unconvinced. "Look, can we just drop it?" Link said impatiently. "We've got things to do, right?"
Sheik wasn't satisfied, but didn't push the subject. "Alright," she said. She sighed. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
Link frowned curiously. "Huh? You're not going straight home?"
"No," she said patiently.
"But…Ganon's still here…"
Sheik raised an eyebrow. "Relax. He's probably on his way home as we speak. Besides," she said, holding up her arm, "you're the reason why I need to stay."
"…Huh?" Link's eyebrow furrowed in confusion.
Sheik sighed. "You busted up my bracer the other day with your sword. I have to go and get it repaired." She started to walk the other way. "See you tomorrow, Link."
"…You're wasting time, you know," the voice said. Midna shook her head.
"I realize that," she said sharply, "so you don't have to keep reminding me." She sighed, hugging her knees even more tightly. "I—I knew it would be hard, but…now that I finally have to do it…" Midna bit her lip in frustration. "And to make things worse, the fact that he's here is…" She shook her head helplessly. "I know I have to, and I'm going to, but…I don't have to like it, y'know?"
The other voice sighed. "I can't pretend to understand what you're going through, Midna, but you know you're not alone, right? I'll still be here if you need me."
Midna smiled weakly. "Yeah, thanks. I—I'm sorry. It's just—I can't help but imagine the pained look on her face when the time comes—I can still clearly remember the day when I…I…" She trailed off, unable to finish the thought, and took a deep breath. "…She looked so shocked, like I had betrayed them somehow." Midna chuckled sadly. "I guess in a way I had." She shook her head. "I can only thank the goddesses that I didn't have the chance to get as close to him as the last time, or else I don't know what I'd do."
"…It'll be alright," the voice said finally. "I'm sorry it had to happen like this."
Midna sighed. "It—It's fine. It's not your fault—it's mine. I let it get to this point." She looked down. "I made a promise," she said after a brief silence. "I'm not going to go back on that just because I'm having second thoughts. I've been putting this off for years, but now…" She looked up, her eyes burning with a newfound determination. "Now I'm going to do what I should have done all along."