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Chapter 10: The Truth, The Guide, and Half Lidded Eyes

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—Gwyn's POV—

"Hey, Link, what were those seven years like?"

He leans back, staring into the fire that had burned down to a few embers that were still giving off some heat and some soft lighting, making for a comfortable atmosphere.

"I would have to say its like waking up after sleeping without dreaming. You don't know when you finally fell asleep, only that you did. Waking up was much the same, you wake up and don't have any idea how long you slept until someone tells you what time it is or you look outside to see where the sun is in the sky.

"Take it from me, waking up and being told you've slept for seven years is not the greatest welcome back to the land of the living. Trying to adjust to the bigger body that I ha wasn't pleasant either. Though I will say it was nicer than running into the center of Castle Town and finding a small colony of ReDeads."

Link sat quietly for a bit watching the fire before throwing on a new log. He turns to look at me and smirks, "You were wondering if I had learned while I was asleep?" I tilt my head, creepy that he can guess what I wanted to ask… I give a nod in response after chalking it up to it just being Link.

"I swear you and Sheik must be related. He asked me the same thing not too long ago. No, I didn't learn, as I said, it was like sleeping without dreaming. Besides, to get to the real question you want to ask, I knew all these things about the Gerudo before then. It actually happened the first time I met Zelda, she showed me Ganondorf when he was in the castle visiting the king and Queen. She told me he was the King of the Gerudo's, at least that is what he calls himself, he is much to young to be this century's King and surrounded with evil magic. I learned it all then." Snorts and mutters to himself, "knew more about our people than I knew about myself"

Did I hear what I thought he said? Did he say Our people? I take a calming breath, "What was that last bit?"

Startled from his musings he looks up at me and then gives a small smile, "Just complaining at the irony of me learning more about the Gerudo in an instant than I knew about myself from my entire life."

My mind was still reeling... Did I hear wrong or did he...ehh, I'll leave it alone for now. I did hear a new topic that would be fun to go with though...

"So you got to meet Princess Zelda? What was she like?" I ask with overdone excitement, I know something better; I know what she is like nowadays. Though I was slightly interested in what he had to say about her, who she was from his perspective.

The fire crackled as his face lit up, "I met her shortly after I met Navi. She was nothing like I expected though. Hearing stories from the other Kokiri growing up always gave me a picture of a young woman who is too good for those around her to even turn her head down to look at them, dressed up in these ridiculous clothes and that she would act like I wasn't worth her time. She did have one part of it, she had a ton of guards that I had to slip past but everything else I had heard was soo wrong.

"She was really nice, honest, funny, and she cared about Hyrule a lot, not just the people in Castle Town but everyone who lived within her knowledge. The Gerudos, the Zoras, the Gorons and even the Kokiri. After that first visit I went back to see her a few times, and I really liked being around her. And she was really cute..." He shakes his head as his eyes focus back in "uh...yeah, sorry, got a little carried away. But it's true so I won't take it back.

"If I had to be honest, she is the biggest reason I am fighting to save Hyrule. Sure, the Goddesses chose me as the Hero of Time, the one to beat back the darkness. I fight so that Goron Link can grow up with a better and brighter future and the Kokiri so that they can keep their innocence and peace. I'm fighting for you and Sheik because you're my friends and for the Gerudos so that I can help them return to their full potential as a race.

"But the main reason is for Zelda. You may not know but the night I first fell asleep, the night Zelda and Impa escaped from Ganondorf after he attacked the castle, they passed me while I stood at the gate. And in that moment, Zelda gave me the Ocarina of Time, but not just the ocarina; she gave me her most prized and priceless gift. She gave me the future of Hyrule, and by going to the Temple of Time and allowing Ganondorf in the Sacred Realm...I almost ruined that future.

"I'm fighting to bring back hope and light to that future. I hope that one day I'll be able to see Zelda at the end of all of this and give her back control over a kingdom she is proud of and it be what she would have strived for the kingdom to be...even if I never see her again...I want it to be the future she hoped Hyrule would have." He paused, staring without seeing into the fire for a moment before continuing. "...That she would thank me for not failing her in the end like I did at the beginning..."

With that he placed a final log on the fire, stood and walked to outside of the ring of light given off by the flames and settling into the beginning stance of his meditation.

I watch him for a few moments, there was so much passion and fervor in his voice, in one word; it was intense. And to know that Zelda feels much the same way about her failure in keeping Ganondorf from the Tri-Force...

Soft footfalls approach slowly from behind me and I smirk slightly.

Without turning to see who it is I mutter just loud enough for her to hear. "You know, the way he talks, it seems that he cares almost as much for you and your high opinion as you care for Hyrule, if not to an equal extent. His eyes had a light I didn't see during the other part of our conversation until your name came up. And yet he doesn't even know you are within 10 feet of him every time 'Sheik' is around."

There's no immediate response, which isn't too uncommon, until it stretches for a couple minutes. I look over at her and see her shoulders slumped in on her body, her head hung towards the ground while her arms are wrapped tightly around her knees which are against her chest as if trying to hold something together while it's on the verge of exploding.

Scooting closer I wrap an arm around her and pull her to me while cooing, "Hey, what's wrong?" She finally turns her face to me. Her hair and head wrappings are skewed into a mess and I can see both of her scarlet eyes, a little more read than usual and puffed up from not just a few minutes, but hours of crying.

Something big went down, and knowing her, she was alone to deal with it. Dang it Zel, being a loner is going to get you hurt bad someday...you make your friends feel useless when you do this to yourself...

"It's alright girl, we're here for you." I say softly as I wrap her back into a hug, she starts trying to talk but it comes out as an unintelligible jumble as she starts to lose grip of her composure again. "We'll talk later sis, for now just rest." and I slowly start to rub comforting circles into her back while my other arm wraps around her front to her side, keeping her close to my side.

She nods and the shaking from her crying subsides as she slowly drifts off into sleep.

A hand comes into my line of vision from seemingly nowhere and I jump slightly as Link speaks, "How is she?" his thumb lightly stroking her still covered cheek.

"D...uh, w-well sh-...ummm...what?" Damn, she's gonna kill me. "H-how? Err... when?"

He chuckled lightly, "The whole 'Sisters of the Blade' thing, and a few other minor observations here and there. So it wasn't completely your fault, not really. She does well at hiding it, would have never guessed if I hadn't paid attention to things around me.

"But the clenched was her crying and allowing you to hold her, guys...yeah, not normal behavior, definitely not for a 'guy' who is as hard and closed off emotionally as Sheik supposedly is. Though you calling her girl and sis only supported that." He finished still chuckling lightly here and there.

I shake my head in disbelief. "I thought you were meditating...and surely you couldn't have heard us from where you were..."

He nods, "I understand how you could think I wouldn't hear, with meditation you turn and focus inward, towards yourself and what is happening within you. But if you practice that while working on your fighting technique, it will hurt you worse than help. In battle you have to be aware of yourself and your surroundings, so by practicing looking only inward at yourself, that becomes habit and you will more than likely get hurt.

"When I meditate, I focus on what I am doing with my body, but I also make sure I pay attention to what is going on around me. It would suck for you two if one of you tried to approach me just as I went into a swing and hit you. So yes, most of your late night conversations with Sheik you had while I was meditating, I heard pieces of. I didn't listen in too often though because I wanted to respect your privacy.

"Which is why I ask that you to not let Sheik know that I know she isn't a guy. If it is something she wants me to know then I will wait for her to tell me. It doesn't matter to me that she hid it. Sheik is a mysterious person, and this was just another facet to her person. I'll continue as I have been and she won't know a difference, you'll probably even forget since you didn't catch on that I knew." He laughs softly before throwing a wink in my direction and standing,

"Let me know when she gets up if I don't respond shortly after, I try to be attentive to everything but you two in the evenings so I may not notice her stirring." With a slight bow of his head he returns once more to his stance, slipping through his motions like a fish through water, purely natural.

My mouth is still opening and closing from the absolute shock I just received, it is completely undeniable that he played us both for fools the past week. I never even suspected he knew, of all the times we interacted or I watched him interact with 'Sheik'. Now the question is, does he know whom 'Sheik' really is underneath? He is a person of integrity though, not mentioning the fact that he knows because of an accident and is waiting until she feels comfortable to tell him. I don't think Zelda would be too happy about being found out, even if only halfway…

My focus drifts back to Sheik and sigh, just what are we going to do with you Zel…

As the night drags on, I shift my focus between Link and Sheik, he hasn't stopped moving and she hasn't moved since I decided she would probably sleep better lying down rather than in a sitting position. Her head is in my lap as I lean back against a rock that was happily situated behind me and I rub her arm comfortingly. The light from the fire dances slowly, the shadows passing over my eyes and causing them to quickly start to droop. Knowing that Link is at least somewhat tuned in to his surroundings is comforting enough for me to drift into sleep with the assurance he can take care of anything that comes up or wake me when Sheik wakes up if I don't notice.

Wish Sheik, Zelda, who ever the heck she decides to play as hurries up and figures out what she has staring her in the face, this guy is one us Gerudo ladies would fight battles over, and not friendly spars either…too bad he's taken… even now, seven years later…talking of…Zelda…

Sleep claims me.

—Sheik's POV—

I feel myself drift back into consciousness. There was a strange dream last night that I barely remember, but it was only Link and Gwyn talking, a warmth on my cheek, but I couldn't understand what they were saying for some reason…weird. I open my eyes slowly, letting them take in only a little light at a time so I can adjust without blinding myself first. Looking up I see I am in Gwyn's lap while she sleeps peacefully, and Link is…still meditating since the conversation last night, I guess it shouldn't surprise me but still…

"So, you decided to return to the land of the living then have you?" Link greets me with a laugh in his voice, "ahh, and it seems like Gwyn isn't too far behind you either. If I was a different person, I might get slightly jealous that you let a guy sleep in your lap Gwyn, when do I get my turn?"

Where has this Link been? He is acting a little more like I used to know him, like an immature idiot! He's been doing that less vocally since he's gotten back, hush, I would probably be pretty shaken up from learning I slept for seven years and grew that much in what seemed like a few hours. We're probably lucky he is as mature as he is really…huh, right.

Wait is he flirting with Gwyn? Well she is pretty and the only other 'girl' that he knows is here, so why shouldn't he? Doesn't really matter anyways does it.

I look around where the three of us are and I see my things off to the side a little from where I dropped them before sitting down next to Gwyn last night… Last night… I turn to Gwyn with a pleading look in my eyes. After a second she nods with a soft but sad smile on her face. She looks back at Link and lets him know we are going for a walk.

He smirks, "Oh, I get it, need some 'alone time' no need to disguise it" She shoots a glare at him and he holds his hands up in a sign of surrender, "alright, alright my bad, you two have your talk I need to head to Kakariko Village to restock on some things I missed while we were there anyways" He turns to look at me and says, "I hope you get feeling better Sheik. I might not be able to see the frown, but your eyes say more than enough…I'm sorry for your pain…Gwyn will get you set right though," He looks at her through narrowed eyes with a wicked grin on his face, "She's good at getting guys straightened out and helping them get rid of any stress—" he stopped talking as he moved to dodge a burning piece of wood thrown by Gwyn. With a sly smirk he waves and runs off towards the village laughing.

"Such a pain sometimes, he was perfectly amiable last night when you crashed; he stopped his meditation and everything to come over and check on you, and then he goes and pulls something like this this morning."

I smile some, "It was nice to have my mind redirected for a bit, he is annoying at times, but…"

"Loveable the other times? Gwyn supplies with a knowing grin.

I turn my head as I blush lightly, "Ummm, something like that…" I take a deep breath and slowly let it out before turning to face her once more. Her face shifts from one of playfulness to one more serious. After taking another breath I start explaining what happened the morning before, in full, the dream, the worry, going for a ride, coming back, the trip to the Zora domain. Everything, including more than a few of my thoughts, I freely opened to her. It was completely terrifying, but absolutely freeing in a way I never thought possible. After I finished with my return here, mentioning jokingly I would get her back for starting up the Zelda conversation with Link later, I quieted for a couple moments and thought back over what I had said before continuing.

"Sitting on the frozen ground, alone, weeping, alone, with an overflow of emotions tearing at some of my barriers, alone; it shook me, deeply. I haven't ever really been alone like that, well, not in a physical sense, where I could see, with my eyes, how my life probably looked if you were to paint a picture of it. Me alone, broken, scared, surrounded by a frozen land and people. Frozen because I kept him or her at a distance, no warmth or real friendliness being offered and barely accepted from them. It…it terrified me, to think that was what I was doing to you..." and to Link…

Gwyn sat, staring at me with a surprised look on her face.

"Yes, I know, big and sudden turn around, but I have to admit, I wont act like this a lot. Five years of being cold and uncaring to those around me is still ingrained, but…I want you to know that your friendship means a lot to me. You were the second person I thought of that I wished was around me so that they could help, Impa was right before you. But I knew I could trust you, I knew I could show you this because you knew of the real me behind the mask of Sheik. And I wanted to say thank you for that.

"Link was right, at one time, I was the little girl he described, but she was pushed to the side and away after my parents—" I'm saying too much, she's getting too far in, stop now, I've told her enough, she doesn't need to know anything else. Too much more and she could hurt me really bad, I have to shut down…but… I can trust Gwyn, she cares about me, why shouldn't I tell her more…no, it's too much right now, its too much. No, if I don't start here, right now, I will never get past this point.

Unknown to me, the mental battle was showing freely on my face, giving Gwyn a front row seat to the battle, my face unconsciously settles to one of determination and Gwyn eyes me cautiously.

"It hurt. Even though my parents and I weren't the closest, I still loved them, mom was strict but still loving and there to help when I really needed it. Dad and I would play pranks on her, Impa and unsuspecting servants; Impa and I would prank him back. He was busy a lot of the time, but still, I loved him. I knew I would be safe as long as daddy was around, and I knew mom would chase away the monsters. Impa filled those roles once they were...once they were gone, but it wasn't the same.

"I knew I could trust Link, he came back quite a few times between gathering the Stones, he would just come and talk and let me feel like a normal kid. He even joined Impa and I a couple times, pranking people. Daddy never got to meet him, mom didn't really approve at first, but I guess she saw me laughing enough times to let it slide. She was big on me staying proper as a princess.

"That night was the scariest night I have ever had to live through. We had planned some, a bag already packed, things ready to just grab and go. But it didn't work like we planned. Impa woke me up, my adrenaline was running high, and then by the time Impa and I stopped to make camp, I was slowly coming down from it. Everything crashed around me when Impa told me what happened. When she told me..." tears fill in my eyes and I don't bother to wipe them away, seven years of holding this in, of denying the pain and despair, this is so freeing and terrifying, why haven't I done this before? Because you didn't trust anyone to stick around. The only people that were close to it either died or disappeared, aside from Impa and Impa was working to help you fit into your new life as her nephew. There was no time for you to open up as a girl.

"When she told me they were gone...there was nothing left except Link, and then after days of crying over the loss of my parents, I was told he was gone also, or at least couldn't be found. There was only Impa left. Shortly after I had to become Sheik, I had to hide who I was, become someone new and leave Zelda behind just so that I could survive and live a somewhat normal life. While training to become a Sheikah, you have to learn to face and control your emotions, at that time; my emotions were too raw and fresh for me to be able to face them without losing control for half a day. Three foundations of my life had been torn out from under me. So instead of facing and accepting and controlling my emotions..."

"You shut them down." Gwyn finished for me softly. "Or at least the emotions from that point in your life back before the attack. You didn't just become a new person in name...you forced yourself to change everything about you and build a life where you even responded to emotions differently. I understand more of the stories we heard of you as Brother of the Shadows in Kakariko and other small towns.

We sat in silence for a couple minutes

Deciding the attention had been on me a little too long for my liking, I ask her, "So what did you and Link do yesterday once you two met up?" And so she launched into her going around, wasting time, what she did until she and Link met up and what they did while hanging out. Once she started telling me about him telling her the Gerudo's history and traditions, I listened intently.

I always enjoyed hearing about the histories and traditions of the races across Hyrule, but the Gerudo were always on the short side of information in my opinion. There was little known about them, and even less spoken of on their traditions. My teachers had been born during one of the biggest war between Hyrule and the Gerudos, leaving them very short on information and very heavily biased against them and their culture. The few times I was able to see them in the Marketplace when they visited Castle Town, I was able to learn some, but the still didn't divulge much information. They were too busy finding guys and such.

"How could he know all of these things in such detail?" I ask after she finishes recounting the conversation between her and Link.

Gwyn stands up from where we were sitting and begins to pace a few moments before replying, "I don't have any idea at all, the only thing I can think of is surely impossible...there's a little more that you need to know though. I'm not sure if you heard all of it, but I'm almost positive that he said 'our people' when he was talking bout the Gerudos, and from what I've seen, most people don't care about our race reaching their 'full potential'. But here is the finisher, and it is a little bit scary for me. Every time I have been around him, I feel something," Her eyes flash slightly before blushing as I quickly say, "Not like that. Its like, a deep desire to make him proud of me, or just happy overall. That coupled with the fact that...well, according to him, Ganondorf is not the rightful King for this century, his end of reign was supposed to end quite a few years back. I have been thinking about it since he mentioned it, and he is right, Ganondorf is in his forties or fifties, but the end of the reign was supposed to be almost two decades ago. We all figured that since the past century's King was kidnapped or killed or something, that it threw the time gap off, but then I realized, Our kinds have been killed before and the time span has always been at the end of the century.

"Which means...either the child who was supposed to be King was killed at or shortly after birth...or he is out in the world somewhere and doesn't know it."

"So where is the impossible part to all of this?" I ask her confusedly, though that is a major development, there must more to this... wait! Surely not...

"Well, look at everything I've told you about the conversations I've had with Link, look at how much he knows, the fighting stances he just knows. Him learning all of these things almost instantly when something is brought up. The explanation he gave of the whole "Sisters of The Blade", I don't know if we have it put that simply in even in the writings we study as children to learn about it, most certainly not that simply written and in depth. He has taught me countless things about my own people and I grew up learning about us.

"He also doesn't know who his parents were, and Nabooru mentioned a friend of hers getting pregnant and then disappearing not too long after...she was a Hylian who was banished from Castle Town and joined the Gerudos at a young age, around fifteen or so I think, she trekked all the way through the desert to reach our fortress, and without stopping for rest or water she fought against two of our mid-level fighters and won. It was impressive, but it wasn't good enough to get in. For an outsider to join, she must prove herself as harsh and unforgiving as the sands we live on.

"Nabooru told me the story many times...usually because I asked...

x-Flashback-x

It was almost nighttime; the younger girls were being put to bed by those who had been teaching them that day. As Nabooru tucked me in, I asked the quest that had become a tradition between the pair of us, "Can you tell me the story of the Hylian?"

Nabooru smirks and looks at me with care in her eyes, "yes my dear," She replied. I scooted over to give her room to sit on the bed beside me.

"She was seeking out refuge with the Gerudo but as you know, she had to defeat us in a duel to be granted access to the fortress. She easily defeated a pair of girls who were well trained, but still not some of our best. Once she defeated them, she faced another, though she was much more skilled, one of the best fighters at that time. As the Hylian woman duels, she is being beaten back slowly and begins to slip into how she fought while on the way to the desert; fighting for her life. Because of this, she unconsciously starts to attack in a way that is not allowed in a duel. Before her final hit lands, which would have been fatal, she stops her sword mid-swing, takes a couple steps back and drops her sword to her side and kneels with her head bent forward, neck exposed as a sign of surrender to death for the offense. Silence follows, then she hears her opponent walk over, moving around behind her. A knife is drawn from its sheath and, a few seconds later; gasps are heard throughout the circle of those standing around to watch the duel. A hand grabs a portion of her hair, pulls her head back, and then the hands begin weaving the hair that had been grabbed. The faces of those watching wore mixed emotions. After a few moments, the hands stop weaving, and then grip her shoulders and lift her up and spin her around. Once she is standing again on her own I look her in the face, the portion of my hair I cut and braided into hers stands out in contrast. My red flowing into her yellowish blonde. I give her a soft smile before completing the welcoming ritual.

"Welcome home, sister." I say after watching her for a few seconds

Welcome, sister" echoed the voices of those surrounding us.

"Don't forget this story young one, the determination, honor, and fierceness of the Hylian woman is what separate the Gerudo from all others around us. Remember our code, Eht li. Sor koh. Bah sai. Live honorable. War respectfully. Steal with dignity. Saviha was a woman who lived this code as well as many of us who were raised within the fortress, she was our sister and one of my great friends... Now, sleep young one, we have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." She smiles briefly at me before standing and walking out of my room, closing the door behind her.

x-End Flashback-x

"I've always remembered that story. Always. It was one of my favorites growing up. As I got older I asked if I could meet her, but Nabooru said she was gone. One night she explained even further than usual.

"Apparently, on one of the trips in to Castle Town, she met a young man, about her age or a little older, who was hurt on the side of the road. She left her traveling group and helped him back to Kakariko, which was the closest town, and stayed with him there for a few days caring and tending to his injuries. She came back to the fortress a couple weeks later and told Nabooru she had to leave, she was pregnant and knew it was a boy. Which Nabooru said was impossible because Ganondorf had returned and claimed the throne. Saviha just nodded her head, whispering that was why she had to leave; she couldn't risk her son being born, only to be killed if he is seen as a usurper to the throne.

"Nabooru said Saviha mentioned the man was also a full Hylian, but was accepted into the Sheikah just as she was into the Gerudo. Link has the telltale Hylian ears and, from what I understand, there aren't a ton of full blooded Hylians left, right?"

She nodded in response. "My parents were two of the last ten or so back while they were alive, not sure how many there are now though...the only male Hylian I know of who became a Shiekah was Serven Barrhem. He was a few years younger than Impa. I traveled with him for a couple years after I left Impa at Kakariko.

"He was killed though, probably a year ago, our camp was raided by a group of Stalfos and Stalchilds and he was working to protect a couple kids who thought they could take them on. They got in trouble because they couldn't handle themselves against that many...three others were killed in that one night."

I let out a huff of breath and throw the stick I had subconsciously picked up and was picking at while I spoke. "It's so damn unfair!"

I rest my head on my hands, "So many people have died for no good reason, others have been hurt in ways they'll never recover, or like the Zoras and Gorons, where whole races are being oppressed just because they disagree with a man who thinks he controls the world. The Stalfos and Stalchilds don't have brothers or sisters or families, they don't know pain, and yet the cause so much of it..."

A pair of arms slowly wrap around my shoulders and arms.

"I'm sorry, I've been completely useless it seems the past couple days, I just don't know what's gotten into me." I say softly as I continue to draw strength from the arms around me.

I feel Gwyn smile softly into my hair and squeezed me a little tighter, "I'm honestly surprised you've made it this long without breaking down worse...from what you've told me you mourned your parents' loss for two days, and most of that was probably shock. Shutting down that soon after it happened wasn't healthy, just like it isn't healthy to let it drag on for a few months, but you need mourning time, time to assimilate the fact that they are gone into your mental reality.

"I know back in the fortress we would mourn for a week straight after one of our sisters passes. During that week we would tell some of our favorite experiences with her, we still sorely miss them, and the sadness that they are gone never really goes away, but we cam treat it more like they moved away rather than died.

"It will probably be tomorrow when Link gets back, you wanna try doing that?" She asked. I sit for a few moments. Do I want to talk about them that much? I've kept everything buried for so long...do I dare open that door? ... Of course, no help there this time... Might as well, now will be better than never.

"You don't mind?" I ask, almost hoping she would say she didn't want to, but I knew better.

She pulls me back into a hug, "Of course not sis. I want to help you however I can."

I nod and lean into her and then I start talking. Starting from some of my earliest memories of my parents, jokes that my dad told until they got old, sayings my mom had for seemingly every situation. Sometimes laughing, sometimes crying, but I kept talking. We ended up talking pretty late into the night and her arms still were wrapped around me giving me comfort and support even after sleep claimed us.

POV Shift

"Well, she is finally making progress isn't she?" One voice says

"Indeed, just in this one day she has come much farther than expected." A second answers.

"You always did underestimate them my dear sister, humans are emotional beings, and her cutting off her emotions was like her building a dam in the middle of a rushing river. If you start tearing down even a small part of the barriers, the water will push against it and break it down more quickly than you planned.

"The first part is the hardest for them. They are so worried about what will happen when they let the emotions flow like they are supposed to, that they don't even start. Once they do, however, they are amazed by how freeing it is. Zelda will sleep very well tonight and wake up more rested than she has in a long time." The third voice says, finishing with a small smile across her lips.

"Come now Farore, you should know this better than me, you did create them you know." The third voice, one called Nayru, said as she chuckled.

The first voice huffed, "You're the one who created the laws governing everything. I have them the ability to experience emotions, you governed how they work on a larger scale though."

"Hell, I'm just happy you're chosen bearer of Wisdom finally decided to stop running around in her life with her eyes completely closed, she was liable to mess things up even more than before Even if they are only halfway open now. And I may not be Nayru, but I can tell that there is something going on between the pair of Chosen Heroes down there, what was that spell you taught The Hero of Time? Nayru's Love" Din giggled out, before turning sour at Nayru's next words.

"You can't go bashing our Chosen One's just because the one your piece chose happens to be evil and trying to take over the world. I told you we should have put fail-safe systems in place in case one of our pieces chose someone who wanted to destroy or rule the world. Why didn't you all listen to me? I am the goddess of wisdom after all!"

"Wait, how did my Chosen One get pulled into all of this? Mine is the only one doing what he is supposed to!" Farore fumed.

"Yeah running in recklessly and..."

And so the three once more continue their eternal bickering. Creating worlds gets old after a few million planets, bickering is one of the decently enjoyable ways to pass the time.

Sheik's POV

Waking up rested is an amazing experience, even if I only slept for a few hours, I feel much better than I usually do sleeping all night...

I get up from where I was laying, stretched and then started doing the 'meditation' Link showed Gwyn and I. Usually when I started doing it I was stiff and my motions were not very fluid, or at least not as fluid as they are now.

Last night must have helped more than I thought; I don't feel as weighed down...I'll have to thank Gwyn for the nudge when she wakes up...

I work through the spar between Gwyn and I from a few days ago, but I pay more attention to the moves she had used, trying to get a better feel for how she fights. Losing myself in the motions but still being aware of my surroundings. Though my eyes are closed I can hear where Gwyn is still lying, soundly asleep. And a few birds flying overhead while grasshoppers make noises in the grass.

After I work through the fight I begin working through the stances taught by the Sheikah, learning their weaknesses and strengths, getting a more intimate knowledge of the movements, flowing from one into the next.

When I first started, only a few rays of light had started brightening the sky; now, as I hear Gwyn start moving around and waking up, the sun had fully risen so I guessed at an hour or two having passed.

With a slight nod towards her, I return to meditating. A few minutes later, Gwyn joins me.

A couple hours pass and we are pulled from our moving meditation by the sound of a bird's wings flapping and slowly getting closer until it seems to settle right above us. As I open my eyes and look up, I see a falcon with a note tied to its leg. It glides lower and then lands on my arm once I offered it. Looking at me, it moves the leg with the note attached to it closer and then, once I take the note off, it flies off once more.

I slowly unravel the parchment and start to read aloud the very clean looking script so Gwyn knows what is happening.

"Hey you two, figured that since I wasn't too sure how long you'd take to finish that talk of yours (and I didn't really want to come back in the middle of something big) I would save myself some travel time and head straight to the Zora Domain and see what they need there and hopefully figure out where their temple is.

"I'll see you guys whenever, just don't rush things on my account. The last time I dealt with the Zoras, it wasn't too hard so I'll probably see you both in a couple days max. Don't burn down Hyrule Field; your two tempers together can be dangerous.

"Be safe,

-Link."

Gwyn chuckled at the last couple parts, "First off, he's the one going into a monster infested Temple and he tells us to be safe? And secondly, he knows you too well; dead on about that temper."

I smirk back, "Yeah, 'cause we both know that you're temper isn't hot, nor is your hair red. I mean who would ever think that you have a temper."

She growls jokingly before pulling out a new pair of scimitars, "Draw!" She says before lunging towards me. "Link's going to be gone a while, might as well make this free time useful."

I smile as the last of my blade comes free from its sheath and swings in front of me to block the opening strike. "Much more enjoyable pastime also."

After sparring for a couple of hours, neither of us being decided the clear winner but our limits being thoroughly tested, we settle in for some lunch. As we start talking, we return to the usual topics when its just the two of us, Hyrule, and what it was like growing up for us, and, of course, Link.

It is easy to see a gleam in Gwyn's eye at the mention of the last topic and it makes me a bit uneasy. The line of questions she brings up next make me even more so uneasy.

"So what did you think about Link when you two were still kids?" and then a little later, "What do you think about him now?" Normal girl talk, but…I don't really know my feelings, I just started really experiencing them again last night…he is cute, kind, and intelligent enough to hold a conversation with. Definitely strong as he has proven countless times in our spars and just making it through those Temples…

I don't have time for attraction though, even after all this is over with I will become…Queen… and then I have to begin work to ensure the safety and future of Hyrule. I will have laws to write, royalties from other areas to visit, enemies to placate and allies to help. There won't be time for me to fall in love, mom and dad had an arranged marriage, they just had to do the ceremony and then live with it…

I voice these thoughts to Gwyn, she looks at me a couple minutes before starting to laugh, "Honey, if I'm right, that excuse won't work out well for you. If Link is the Gerudo King, then you would not only have a nice, smart, and cute husband, but that would also help build relations between the Gerudo and Hyrule. I'm not saying marry him for that reason alone, Goddesses no! But since we are practically traveling with him daily, you might as well get to know him better to see if there is even a chance of you liking him." She finishes with a smirk

"You think you already know what the outcome will be, don't you." I ask with a pained grin. It had become a habit of mine that whenever Link was gone, and would be gone for an extended period of time, I would take the wrappings from my face. I was able to make a few minor changes to my face and body through magic and Sheikah techniques, but I felt it best to wear the wrap anyways, just in case. Since is started wearing it, it has become a barrier and safe place for me while it covered my face, but taking it off was freeing, knowing I didn't have to hide anything from Gwyn, not even the small pieces I was so worried about before. Last night helped in many ways…

We continue talking for a while, but she keeps hitting back on the topic of Link. The sun was slowly setting, as I felt a pull towards the Zora Domain. Quickly pulling my cowl back to my face I stand. "I'll be back shortly, Gwyn. Its time once more."

The pull starts to overpower me before I focus and teleport to where the urge is the strongest without waiting for a reply.