Epilogue: Great things Come with Great Prices

A month since the restoration of the Castle, and me living in its walls. Time had never gone slower for me than in those cursed days. I was losing hope of ever seeing Sheik again. Fast. Zelda insisted that she was alive, insisted that she'd show herself when she was ready, but… I had a feeling that she just didn't want to see me, after I ripped her message to shreds.

I was regretting ripping that damn letter, but I could never bring myself to take it out of its satchel and piece it together. I wanted to hear it from her, damn it, from her mouth and her's alone! How did I know it wasn't a hoax, anyway? Anybody could write a letter.

I missed her. I needed her. And if Zelda had noticed how easy it had been for me to change the pronouns for my friend, she didn't say anything about it.

Instead she asked me to attend her Birthday Ball, when all the nobles who'd escaped Hyrule were welcomed back, where the wealthy of other countries could see that it was safe to trade with Hyrule again, and it would be a great advantage to do some peace negotiations right about then. It was a great opportunity to introduce all the races of Hyrule too.

I agreed only because there was a high chance that Sheik would be there, since now that Impa was a sage, Sheik was the only one qualified enough to guard Princess Zelda.

Boy was I wrong.

Every dark corner, every curtain, every single place a Sheikah guardian would hide, or think to hide, I checked. Nothing, nada, naught, zilch, zero. I wished I could die. I hated balls, I hated wearing the Master Sword on my back even though there was no apparent danger, and I especially hated dancing. Music was for listening to; that. was. it.

Sheik's proverbs about 'dancing with death' do that to you.

As soon as I checked all hiding places twice, I escaped to a balcony, the smallest one in the darkest corner. It was designed for quiet time between lovers, apparently, but somehow the designers got it wrong and made it a little too shadowy for romantic taste. I liked that. It reminded me of people. Person. Aarrgh…

I was buried so deeply in my self-pity and guilt that I didn't notice that someone was there already.

"Oh…"

I jolted. "Oh."

The woman looked away and tried to retreat back into the light. "Forgive me, I didn't know you were coming, I'll jus-"

"Wait." I knew that voice. I'd know that voice anywhere. The woman hesitated, and I found myself recognising that hair, measuring her height. It was weird to see her have a round chest, curves that armour had hidden for so long, but watching her move… hidden strength vibrated in her steps, and I only saw it because I'd admired it for a long, long time.

The moonlight caught her face. Rubies flashed in her eyes.

"Sheik…"

She looked away, her head tilted to the side, looking lost, forlorn… I was reminded of the letter and what I'd done to it. I stammered over my words, trying to say everything at once. Sorry, why, I'm glad, how could you, I missed you, where the hell were you, I love you…

"Link."

That shocked me back to the present. "Sheik… why…?"

She took a deep breath; turned to the rail of the balcony. "I've been freed from my bindings; I no longer protect the Princess. Or Queen… since she is to be Crowned soon enough."

I struggled vainly to focus. Sheik was here. I was talking to her. She was alive! Why the heck was I having so much trouble putting sentences together!? "Right… so… uh…"

"I'm leaving."

My blood froze.

She continued on, still looking towards the outside world; never at me. "My old charge, Princess Loretta of Berumon. She needs a protector. I accepted the proposition. I leave with them in two days time."

"You're leaving…?"

She turned my way, but she never looked at me. She lowered herself in a practised curtsey foreign to my image of her, utterly shutting me out. "I won't bother you any longer; goodnight."

I felt betrayed as she turned away again. She'd lied to me. Again. She promised to tell all, she promised, she promised…

"Where the hell were you all this time?!"

She turned, but she wasn't looking at me. Why? Why?! "You swore that you'd tell me everything!"

"I did. But you tore it up."

"I thought you were dead!"

"Then was there any need to know me more?"

The acid in her tone aggravated me. "You betrayed me."

I glared at her, heat burning my guts, wishing I could just shake her, shout at her, as she finally met my eyes and said, "Yes, yes I did. Goodbye, Hero of Time; I hope you have a good life, after such a torturous time."

Then she left me, cold and alone on the balcony, the image of her eyes, so dead and forlorn and broken, haunting me in the night.

""""""""""""""""""""""""'''''"

I desperately scrabbled for purchase, dreading the three-story fall.

This must be the most idiotic thing I've done so far, and that was definitely saying something. I mean, scaling the castle walls just to talk to someone who obviously didn't like me anymore…

I finally got hold of an eagle head with my foot, and I sighed in temporary relief. I searched for the window I wanted, and after spotting it, I continued crawling through the frighteningly bendy branches.

I wondered what Zelda thought I was going to do.

After Sheik walked out on me, I needed to vent some of that anger out. Obviously, I couldn't do it to anybody I wanted to, so I marched up to Zelda, grabbed her elbow, dragged us into a relatively dark corner and demanded where Sheik's room was.

She'd cocked an eyebrow at me. "May I enquire why you'd like to know that?"

"Because," I said with forced patience, "She just walked out on me without any sort of explanation, without letting me ask any questions, without even a proper conversation, but most importantly, she walked out on me before I could even apologise. Now tell me where her room is before I decide to murder somebody important in her place!"

She gave me a flat gaze on my contradictory statement and said that I'd find her window on the north-east-eastern side of the castle, third floor, a maple tree branch tangled with morning glory in easy reach of it.

I was gone before she could even breathe.

And so there I was, crouching on a branch that looked straight into Sheik's room, (I wondered why Zelda didn't just point out the door for me, but…) and there was no light, except for one small flame from an oil-lamp. I popped the lock with a bent piece of metal and several good twists.

I'd have to thank Sheik for that technique later.

I swung the door open and closed it with a silent click, noting that the figure on the bed was fast asleep. Something crunched as I took a step, and it glinted in the moonlight. Metal? I crouched and took a look. Mirror.

I looked up and shuddered. An ornate mirror was shattered, a dagger pierced into the old wooden framing, dead-centre. Why would she do that?

I looked at the bed again, and I realised that she was still dressed as the same from the ball. She wasn't even under the sheets; just sprawled over the mattress on her back, as if she'd just thrown herself there and fallen asleep. That really couldn't be good for her…

Careful not to cut myself on the mirror shards, I kneeled next to the bed, looking at her face. It was crusted with salty trails and I found myself brushing them off, inching towards the fringe that had hidden her for so long. She'd said there was a scar. But it could just as easily be a lie…

I slid her fringe back. She moaned in protest, and the light from the lamp and moon graced her features.

I felt disappointed.

There was no scar; just a tattoo. A thick line of blue silver, curved to look like an animated tear-streak. Near the corner of her mouth a black star instead of a tear-drop winked at me like a kiss mark.

I then wondered whether Sheik really was a virgin at kissing.

Because now that I had a proper chance of looking at her, she looked amazing. The tattoo framed her cheek perfectly, and it stood out over her light tan. Her nose was an elegant point, her small mouth full, and the way her hair glowed in the moonlight…

Yeah. She was hot.

I tried not to stare at the very nice bulge at her chest, or remember the legs I'd told myself to look away from countless times in her armour. The image I pieced together was a very, very attractive one. I nearly forgot why I was there in the first place.

I noticed that she was twitching in her sleep; the shadow of fear clouded her face.

My heart pounded. Don't wake. No, don't wake up, please, I didn't even know what I was going to say, much less how, you wake up now, I swear, I'd kill myself, oh gods no…

She fumbled with the mattress, coughed, and then saw me. Shit.

I felt like a statue as she slowly braced herself on her elbows, then sitting up. She was taller that way, and if it weren't for the fact that I wasn't breaking eye-contact with her in case it helped, I'd be staring at her chest. She squinted in the half-light and rubbed her eyes, slowly recognising me.

Her face twisted tiredly. She let out a pained, "Why?"

I opened my mouth to answer, and nothing came out when I realised she was crying.

"Why do you always come after me? What have I done now? Haven't I been punished enough?" her shoulders shook. She wilted as if an unbearable weight was crushing her. "I've left you alone all this time haven't I? I stayed away, I didn't even let myself look at you. It was an accident that we met, I swear, it was you who told me to stay away, it was you. I've already said I'm sorry, haven't I? For lying to you, for hiding from you, for betraying you, for hurting you, for scaring you… I've said that I'm sorry. It's like I haven't said anything else my entire life… is this not enough for you? Is that it? Did you come just to remind me how much of a jack-ass I am?" more tears squeezed their way between her eyelids, her head bowed and trembling.

Considering I didn't understand a single word she said and how I got tied into this, I was guessing that she probably thought she was dreaming. And seeing someone so strong, so sharp on skill and blunt on insults, seeing Sheik look so shattered…

I promptly kissed her on the forehead and said, "Not true."

She sniffed, and for once she didn't look like a warrior, or a scholar, or a rebel, or even a Sheikah. She just looked like a frightened kid, laying out her demons in front of her. She sniffed and wept, "What's not true?"

"You're not a jack-ass, as you put it, and I missed you." I sat next to her, stroking her head, tangling my fingers in her hair, "I was so scared you weren't alive…"

"Unfortunately,"

"Say that again, and I will do something unpleasant." I warned, and she whimpered. I sighed, "How'd you do it anyway?"

She sniffed and rubbed her eyes with her arm, hugging her knees before looking away. "I used magic."

I frowned. "But I thought you didn't have any."

"I don't. Not the Hylian stuff anyway. What I did was purely Sheikah soul magic. Anybody can do it if they tried hard enough. Apparently. Anyway I had some cicada wings with me. Preserved. I cut myself and covered it in blood. Put myself in that meditative state and felt like crap when I was done. I went to the Spirit Temple, and you were fighting those witches."

The fact that I suddenly had the answer to my short-notice guide's disappearance put me off guard. "…You were that fairy. Ammy. That was… that was you!?"

She looked real upset at my tone, "I'm sorry I made you think I was dead, okay? It was my first go, I didn't even know it was going to work, much less what I was going to look like. I knew it was dangerous not knowing how long a body would last without a soul but you needed help, I didn't want to know what the Spirit Temple would do after th-"

"But you could've died. You-"

"We were near death every time we got out of a friggin' temple, and I felt so useless. I should've sensed those Stalfos coming, I should've warned you, I shouldn't've been so caught up on you and me and… it was the perfect chance to start opening up, at least I thought it was, that's why I said my name was Ammy, 'cause that's my real name, I mean the one my parents called me by, but I got that so wrong and confusing I didn't know what else to do… I'm so sorry…"

"Don't be, please, it's okay now…" I wrapped my arms around her shaking shoulders, and she clung on, almost desperately. "It's okay now."

"No it's not," she choked on air and trembled against me, soaking the front of my shirt, "I hurt you. It was gutless, giving you a letter instead of talking to you. I had so many opportunities to tell you who I was but I always let it slide 'cause I was so scared you'd hate me and you'd never want to look at me and I wouldn't be able to do anything with you anymore and, and, it was so wrong…"

"You really have to stop doing that." I muttered, and she looked up at me questioningly. "Kicking yourself, I mean."

She didn't say anything. Just held on and didn't let go.

"I missed you, you know." I breathed, rubbing my hand along her arm, "I thought I'd lost you. You didn't even show up after… I'm sorry I ripped the letter. You already know I did that, right?"

She nodded.

"I just… I wanted to hear it from you. It was so hard to believe that you were still up and about… I'm sorry, Sheik. I never thought… I didn't mean to hurt you this badly."

"I deserved it."

"Like hell you did."

She made a complaining whine. At least she stopped crying…

"You didn't need to drive yourself this hard. I'm sorry I made you think you had to do it; because you didn't. I'm just glad you're okay. Well, not okay, but… just happy you're alive. I thought…" I shifted her and held her closer, her contours pressing against my chest. I gulped for more reasons than one. "I thought I lost you without knowing you. You're such a great person to be around… gods, Sheik, I missed you so much…"

I rocked her, humming, and her hands slacked from my shirt, she leaned in on me, relaxed, her eyes closed. "Why did you leave a letter, anyway? Why weren't you there when I woke up?"

"You said you hated me." she breathed, sounding miserable.

That piece of news was definitely new to me. "What? When?"

She gave a shuddering sigh and burrowed deeper into my shirt. "You were mumbling in your sleep. My name, and you kept repeating 'I hate you'. I…"

"It wasn't you," I realised, the dream coming back to me, the Blind Girl, Dark Me… "I don't think you were even in the dream, it… it was me, but it wasn't me, and… he did something that… I don't remember. But it had nothing to do with you. Nothing."

She pulled away from the embrace I was really happy to be in, and looked at me, uncertain, some of that life I knew coming back to her. "So… so you, you don't hate me?"

I shook my head. "Never have, never will." I kissed her forehead again for good measure, and she gave a sheepish smile before hugging me again, more relaxed than ever, breathing in deeply and calmly. Damn, she was so warm…

"Awuvyu" she mumbled against my neck, and I had to ask her to repeat it.

She looked at me and then away, mumbling again in an embarrassed way that made me think she was confessing to a petty crime, "I love you."

I couldn't help the smile that stretched across my face. The night was getting better and better. "Really?"

She flicked her gaze my way just a bit, as if checking that I was okay with her confession, and added in that same embarrassed, pleading tone. "So much it hurts."

I tilted her chin so she faced me, rubbing my thumb over her cheek. She looked immensely tired, her eyelids were already drooping, and gods she seemed just as soft as she looked…

I kissed her, her lips familiar against mine. She nudged back just a bit before sighing and going lax, snuggling against my chest before drifting off to sleep. I laid her down, pulling the duvet over her, shaking my head at the urge to describe this girl who chased Poes for a hobby 'cute'. And another thing. Why had she felt familiar…?

I watched her sleep, contemplating. I gave the room and quick look-over before finding her scarf on the floor at the foot of the bed. I took it. Mulled it over. I placed the scarf gently over her eyes like a blindfold, and hid her tattoo with her fringe.

There she was, the Blind Girl, solid and real and right in front of me.

Furore, I may not love you as much as the girl(s) in front of me, but you're definitely a close second.

""""""""""""""""""""""""""""""

She sat on the bench in the sunlight, watching the wagons be prepared for the long trip home. Out of sight, the Royal Carriage waited, where she would be seated with the King and Queen, the friends of her parents, and their children, about her age. She vaguely remembered them, she supposed, but they hadn't met much since that instance when she'd told the boys a story spawned from boredom about a particularly nasty demon in the shack that lead to the dungeons when they were all only eight…

She smiled nostalgically; she would enjoy catching up with them, she hoped, if they were still as fun loving and easily manipulated into dares…

She suddenly wondered why Zelda had let her go so easily. She'd said something about Great things coming with great prices, but she was losing a guardian; her statement had made no sense at all.

The girl shrugged inwardly, grateful for the Princess. Sure, she'd claimed to hate the royal's guts since her sister's death but… she'd known it'd been too late. Too late to save Willa, she'd known, but she'd needed something to blame, something to hate for her whole family's departure… and Zelda had provided that. And for that, the girl was grateful.

Now she was going home. Home. She wondered what it'd be like now. The Fire Lilies would be in bloom, most likely, and the Violets… not as tender and soft as the Hylian ones, but they were so vibrant in colour… it would be good to see Berumon again. Very good.

She looked up at the clear blue sky, letting the sunlight wash over her face. She adorned no scarf, and her fringe was neatly tucked behind her ear, letting the tear-streak mark glitter in the light. Funny. She'd always liked the shadows better, to lie in the cool and ignore the sun, thinking its rays too warm and bothersome to enjoy. Maybe in winter, but never in any other time of the year…

Now she drank it all in, the soft warmth of the sun, revelling in the light she had seen countless time in his eyes…

"Heya Sheik."

Said girl gave a squeal and jump that would've made her ancestors groan and smack their foreheads in exasperation.

She leapt forward and spun, a dagger in her hand, meeting the eyes of her chortling offender. She couldn't believe her eyes. "… Link?!"

"Hey."

He looked so… cheerful, leaning on the bench she'd been sitting on, smiling at her from the shadows, at the irony. Sheik wondered whether she would ever be able to live it down, being caught off guard by a Hylian. Well, he was the Hero of Time…

He was watching her intently, and Sheik realised it was the first time he'd truly seen her, with no cowl or hair to hide behind. She fought the blush that came from his scrutinizing. And his smile. "You look good. The hair's interesting, but I think you'd look nicer with all of it long. Nice tattoo." He gestured towards his cheek, indicating her silver-blue and black mark.

This time she really did blush. "Scar," she countered defensively, putting her dagger away, "I used to have tattoos, one's like Impa, but… they got replaced…"

She watched him for the snort and roll of the eyes, the obvious disbelief and the resignation for the lies that was sure to come, but instead he gave an interested nod and hopped onto the bench, sitting down like a sack of hay, patting the spot next to him.

He… he was being friendly. That smile, that interest, it wasn't forced.

Sheik found herself wondering whether she wasn't still asleep, as she tentatively sat next to him, pulling a strand of her hair behind her ear.

"So…" a mixture of elation and horror rushed her as he began to stroke her scar with the back of his index. "How'd you get it?"

"I… uhm…" the fact that he seemed amused by her stuttering didn't help her any. "I tried wielding the Master Sword but it burnt, well it didn't burn me but it, I don't know I blacked out and when I looked in the mirror it was there. The scar I mean. It was before I met you."

He frowned at her, looking concerned, finally stopping the stroking that had sent her heart racing. "Why'd you go after the Master Sword?"

Guilt wrapped her stomach and bit deep. "I… I thought that the Hero of Time, you, were still trapped in the Sacred Realm, I… I hadn't really understood the Time-twister effect then, so I thought you were still trapped. I was fourteen, and my family… you know what happened… I'd calculated that you were fifteen, and I just wanted the whole war finished, fifteen seemed old enough for me… I'm sorry, I needed something to blame, it was selfish, I…"

"You beat yourself up way too much, Sheik."

Her gaze snapped onto his, disbelief written all over her face. "You're not upset."

He shrugged, and for the first time it was him that looked away, twiddling with the hem of his white shirt. "I'm not surprised, is all. Anybody would go for it, I don't blame you for your grief. But moreover…" he looked ashamed, as he mumbled out, "I'm surprised you're not upset with me, for ripping the letter when I knew you were there."

"You… you knew…?"

"I'm sorry. I've still got the pieces, I just couldn't bring myself to read them. I… I wanted to hear it from you. I get it now that it was stupid, and selfish and pretty immoral to boot and I'm sorry but… I just didn't want it to be a lie again. I didn't know whether you were dead, or alive, or just a piece of my imagination, and I'd just dreamed you up or something."

He looked at her with guilt nibbled eyes, pleading forgiveness. "I'm sorry I hurt you so bad, Sheik. I just wanted reassurance, and I should've realised you were the one that needed it more. I'm sorry."

Again, that blush. Damn the blush. It was making him smile a little, but it made her look so… so… stupid! Go away!

The sense of dejavu added to the feeling of foolishness. "It's okay. Let's call it even."

He smiled at a joke only he understood, and the Sheikah looked away, muttering, "I know my name now, too."

He looked simply delighted as he leaned in on her. "Really!? What is it? Come on, don't stall, tell me!"

She allowed herself a small smile of pride before saying, "My parents… they'd given my real name to their friend in case something happened to them, and they told me. It's… it's Amara. It means 'Eternal' in Sheikah."

He gave a satisfied smile, nodding in what appeared he thought to be in a sagely manner. "I guess they made it easier for you to adjust by calling you Ammy."

She blinked. "How'd you know that?"

He looked surprised, "You told me the other night."

"But I didn't speak to you at the ball, I…" a grin had torn across his face, making dread mount in her. She had a dream about talking to him, finally getting him to forgive her but that was all it was; a dream! He couldn't have snuck into her room, he didn't even know where it was, much less how to get there, he…

They were way too close. Their legs were touching, and he had somehow snuck a hand around her waist. Sheik caught his scent of pine and clean metal, found herself unable to keep control of her heartbeat or the blood rushing to her face.

"You know," Link smiled, "I've been going over this theory since the Fire Temple, about your obsession with hiding your skin and getting weirded out by talks about girlfriends and all that…" he gave a chortle when she gulped. "And after some serious thinking, I came to this conclusion." He leaned closer, and she held her breath as their cheeks brushed, his voice filled with glee as he whispered in her ear, "You're shy."

Sheik jerked backwards, offended. "I am not shy!"

He was holding back loud laughter with difficulty. "Then why are you wearing long sleeves when it's nearing summer? And either you have a fever, or you're blushing."

The self-satisfied smile made her want to strangle him and die of embarrassment all at the same time. "I am not shy!"

"Prove it," was all he said, and she bit her lip, trying to think of something to do. She could argue that by buying the bait she'd be admitting that she was shy, which she wasn't, so she could refuse, but he could easily take that as a surrender…

"Amara," Link cupped her cheek, and their foreheads touched. They were far too close, far, far too close. Oh, why couldn't she just push him away? It would be so much easier for her… but that smile…

"I love you too," he murmured, before gently pressing a kiss to her mouth. Too shocked to respond, Amara Sheik just let herself by kissed, and Link pulled away with a chuckle, "Yep. Definitely shy."

"Shut up."

He pecked her cheek before complying with her request, holding her gently against his chest. Timidly, Sheik met his gaze, and in her red eyes Link saw a future full of roses and some thorns, plenty of sun filled skies with the occasional rain, lots of hard work and adjusting.

Great things come with great prices.

"What's Berumon like?"

"...Why?"

"I'd like to know a little bit about where I'm living from now on, if you know what I mean."

Sheik blinked her eyes, looking dumbfounded. "You're coming?"

"I got hired to drive a wagon. And I can fix wheels whenever they get damaged too."

"What… what're you going to do after you get there!?"

Link shrugged. "Crash at your place. Get myself a job somewhere. Maybe get you a ring or two."

It took her full two seconds before registering what he was implying. "You realise that you're leaving everything you know, right? You shouldn't make decisions like that on a whim. What if… what if it doesn't work out…?"

Link shrugged again. "Great things come with great prices."

She looked like she was at the end of her rope. "What's so great you'll leave everything behind?!"

"You, duh."

She flushed, trying to make coherent sentences. Finally she folded her arms over her head as if in great pain, bending over to rest her forehead on her knees. "This is way too much information in too short a time…"

Link laughed and stood from the bench, waiting for her to look up at him, giving her a hand to hold. "Come on, we've got a long trip, and you've got to let your Princess know that you have a friend that needs advising…"

He cocked a devious eyebrow at her look of outrage. "You know you want to."

"I hate you." she muttered as she grasped his hand, letting him lead her to the line of wagons, "I can't believe I'm doing this…"

"Hmm…"

"You're going to get sick of looking at me after two weeks of travelling, you know that?"

At this Link looked back at her to see that small smile despite the sullen face, and as he watched her, and the way she moved, and the way her red eyes caught the light… he couldn't help but grin.

"I don't think so, Sheik. I don't think so."

She smiled at him, his future, promising him days that he was sure he'd never regret.

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