Link stopped him with a hand to his arm, gently, and Sheik tilted his head curiously as the Hylian glanced back at him. They were both tired, but Sheik knew Link was more aware than he was—he was slumped against the wall, sort of sliding after his companion. Link was walking upright.
"Uh, so, if I were to introduce you to someone would you like, drop dead of exhaustion, or would you be good?"
"…Who?"
"My grandma's best friend. I wouldn't usually, but she comes in all the time at weird hours and I don't want her assaulting you or something. She's a fortune teller—talks to all sorts of magical stuff in her spare time." That caught Sheik's attention, and he pushed off of the wall as Link knocked gently on a door in front of him. It flew open before his hand had even dropped to his side, and Sheik found himself blinking into a pair of murky red-brown eyes.
He knew her immediately, and he saw the recognition flash through her eyes. Terror shot like ice through his veins—
"Oh, look at you! You are so big now! Link said Sheik, but I did not think he meant you!"
And she enveloped him in a hug, and he felt tears stinging at the backs of his eyelids as he slowly returned the embrace.
"…Delr Fanadi."
"I knew I would see you again, dear, but not here! Oh, come in, come in! I will make tea." She released him, disappearing back inside.
"You know Fanadi?" Link asked, gaping. Sheik couldn't help but shoot him a wry look, covering his own shock.
"You know Delr Fanadi?"
"Link! Do not let him sit outside! Bring him in, bring him in!"
"Uh, yeah, alright. So, can someone explain what this is?" Link asked, holding the door open for him. Sheik ducked under his arm as Delr Fanadi's laugh echoed back to them.
Her home was a mess of colors, little objects and curtains and beads and charms hanging from every conceivable surface. Rugs littered the ground, save in a large room to Sheik's left, where the ground was nothing but smooth concrete covered in chalk markings and dried plant materials. He wandered in, careful not to step into the circle inscribed in Sheikah, reading the runes curiously.
"…When one leaves the Sheikah, there is a…process. One becomes Gerudo, or Hylian. Delr Fanadi simply left. My aunt...hid that from the Elders. I am sure it has happened before, but such a thing is not…officially recorded. And so Delr Fanadi is the only true Sheikah who is not a Sheikah. Does that make sense?" He glanced up at Link, and almost jumped in surprise—the Hylian was standing right beside him.
"So she left, but didn't get the DNA thingy your sister did?" It took him a moment to recall just what Link meant, and he laughed.
"You could say that, I suppose, but I would not repeat that…wording."
"How come?"
"It makes you sound ignorant, dear. Here you go!" Delr Fanadi all but forced a cup of tea into his hands, magically appearing in front of him. She gave Link another—the only difference between their cups, Sheik noted, was the color of the tea. Link's was a pale, liquid brown, and Sheik's was a rich mahogany.
"Do not drink yours just yet, dear. We will be doing some magic tonight." Link's eyes widened in surprise, and he adjusted his grip on the cup, wrinkling his nose.
"Eh. Can't I go to sleep first?"
"I will not—" Sheik began, shaking his head.
"No! Your aunt has called. We will be convening with the Great Fairies, concerning the…" Fanadi trailed off, eyes growing grave. Again, a chill ran down Sheik's spine.
"…That is why she made me leave?" Because she wanted his power?
"No, no! But you both will make the job much easier. You should know that the Great Fairies like young—"
"Fanadi!" Link yelped, horrified. Sheik glared at her. Now was not the time.
"Now—oh! I forgot the—Sheik, show him where to stand. I will be back!" And she flew from the room in a cloud of perfume and the clatter of jewelry.
She was so frazzled, so excitable. She'd been energetic when Sheik had known her, but nothing like that. And she'd never been so disorganized before, either.
It was a nice change. More relaxed. Almost…calmer.
"…So how do you know her? Not to pry or anything, but this is weird. Fanadi just about raised me—I've known her all my life." Sheik shifted uncomfortably, his anxiety sudden and intense. How in Nayru's name was he supposed to tell Link without telling him?!
"…When my parents were killed, Delr Fanadi argued with the Elders on my behalf. She ensured that my aunt became my guardian and not my…brother." The word tasted sour on his tongue. Byrne was the only one who had ever earned the title.
"Byrne?"
"No." Link's gaze was questioning, but there was a sudden understanding, deep and far kinder than Sheik had expected—even dared hope to expect—and Link didn't ask.
It hurt. To lie, to tell these half-truths and watch as Link swallowed them without hesitation. And he never grew frustrated, or angry, or demanded anything more.
"…Stand here. Delr Fanadiwill, ah…touch your magic. Use it. She was lying. Great Fairies do not require much magic to summon—Fairy Queens do." Sheik added, scowling after her. He spoke slowly, forcing himself away from his thoughts.
"What now?"
A purr distracted Sheik from answering, and he glanced down as something threw itself at his legs.
A remlit. Delr Fanadi had a remlit.
The felines were startlingly rare—they preferred higher elevations like mountaintops. The Sheikah had been working hard for the past few decades to increase their population numbers. They were powerful, in their own right. When evil was near they became wild and feral once the sun set, attacking anything that moved. Besides that they were favored as house pets because they were cute and fuzzy, although they weren't very loyal—female remlits especially. That Delr Fanadi would have one…What was she doing, so close to Link? It was too much of a coincidence, Link's reaction to his Mark and Fanadi having intertwined herself so thoroughly in his life.
"That's Mia. She doesn't like me much. Aryll's her favorite."
"…Your sister?"
"Yeah." Link huffed, dropping down onto the spot Sheik had pointed him towards.
"You are supposed to stand, Link."
"And you're supposed to—yeah, alright, I'll shut up. She'll be a while, anyway. She's not scatterbrained, but, you know." Sheik's lips quirked upwards into a smirk, and he followed Link's example, settling down on the ground in a second spot. He set his cup of tea on the ground beside him, untouched.
"So what's she gonna do exactly? I've never actually helped with a summoning before."
"…She will take our magic and use them to contact something. You may feel weak, shaky, like there is something powerful within your head. And then it will appear, and will usually leave you more confused than anything else before it leaves. Great Fairies have been known to, ah…reward those that gain their favor—usually young men. I assume the Fairy Queen will act similarly." Sheik stared directly at Link, praying that he wouldn't have to spell it out. Link stared at him blankly for a moment before recoiling, looking horrified.
"Oh, Farore—Fanadi's not gonna make us—"
"No." Sheik dropped his head into his hands, huffing the word out.
It was awkward, speaking of such things to Link. Marin had been so adamant about how uncomfortable Hylians were with sex, and Link had been so shy anytime the matter was approached—like when he'd first seen Marin, though that had only embarrassed him—speaking about it so openly, even if his words were guarded, was embarrassing.
The remlit butted his arms with her head, forcing her way onto his lap. Her needle-sharp claws pricked through the fabric of his jeans, tail swishing across his face as she curled it around herself.
"So we're probably going to fall asleep here tonight. Am I going to screw anything up if I go get blankets and stuff?" Link yawned, stretching his arms above his head. Sheik shook his head, hesitantly running his hand over the remlit's fur. It was softer than he'd expected, and silky. She let out a raspy purr and begun kneading her paws into his legs, making him wince. He considered just picking her up and dropping her onto the floor, but…
He'd heard of just how volatile the animals could be if angered, and he preferred his eyes in his skull.
Link had disappeared, and being alone—even with the feline—was uncomfortable. He trusted Delr Fanadi, but her home was an entirely unfamiliar place to him. Rare were the times he had been alone in Kakariko to begin with, and though he lived only twenty minutes or so from the town itself, he barely knew it.
He was being paranoid, Byrne would say. But he couldn't help it.
He stopped petting Mia and picked up his tea, eyeing it. He wasn't sure what was in it, but he didn't want to insult Delr Fanadi.
It tasted of rich spices, sweet and musky. He couldn't identify anything in it—herbs had always escaped him—but it bolstered his magic almost immediately, and he set it back down, unwilling to drink it all. There was a sharp cry of pain from outside the room and his head snapped up, but Link stumbled into the room immediately, nursing a hand.
"It will not take that long, dear! Now sit!" Delr Fanadi came back in, holding a large metal bowl carefully with her fingertips as Link obeyed, sulking. The outside of the bowl was ornately decorated in chalk markings, runes and written incantations and the like.
It was an archaic type of magic she practiced. Hylians often just drew on music—humming softly or tapping a beat was sufficient to access their power—and Sheikah shared that, to an extent. But the Ancients, those who had lived long before the Sheikah had taken their place as the Royal Family's protectors, those who had walked among demons, as Malladus claimed, had relied upon intricate designs of holy symbols that amplified or charged their magic—they summoned their magic through written words just as Hylians through music or Lorulians through art.
Learning their language was a momentous achievement in its own, but learning to master its magic was almost impossible—the magic loathed being used by any but the Ancients or Midna's people, and literally fought back against those using it. Besides Delr Fanadi, only Midna had done so—but Midna's came naturally, unlike Delr Fanadi's.
This was no ordinary summoning, even for a Fairy Queen.
She caught his glance and smiled, almost apologetically, as she settled down into her own small circle.
"She will not trust us, dear. Spells of truth are beyond my power alone."
"…This is far too much for just one…" He trailed off as the remlit stood and bounced off his lap, bounding over to Delr Fanadi. It curled up beside her, eyeing him balefully.
Delr Fanadi had lied to him—she wasn't going to tell him if he asked again. If it had been anyone else—beside Impa, or even Midna—Sheik would have left immediately. But he owed Fanadi more than just his life.
She hadn't just ensured he'd gone to Impa after his parents had…died. She'd ensured he'd lived. That he had been able to return the same courtesies his family had given him. Even Marin owed her.
And she'd asked for his help.
Delr Fanadi carefully placed the bowl directly between the three of them, in a fourth, larger circle situated between their own individual markings. She tossed a variety of things into the bowl—mostly plant matter, but thread and cloth and a strange silvery-blue metal were also added. Each time an item was added, Sheik watched droplets of water cascade over its sides warily—if any of them broke the chalk lines, their safety would immediately be in peril—but his fear was unwarranted. All the while she hummed in a language he was unfamiliar with, rhythmically swaying side to side unconsciously.
"Will you be alright, Link?" He asked softly, gaze moving to the Hylian. Link didn't look at him, gaze fixed on the bowl, and shrugged, playing with something in his hands. A string, maybe?
"Won't hit me until after, if I'm lucky. Using magic's really hard for me, but it keeps it at bay for a little bit." Despite the flippancy to his tone, his words were drawn, and there was a tightness to the corners of his eyes that betrayed his pain—already, and the magic was so weak Sheik could only sense it because he was searching for it.
Magic touched his, ancient and withered, and he immediately recognized it as hers, and opened his power to her. He felt the faint draw on the Mark of Wisdom immediately, and lowered his gaze from Link, carefully laying his left hand over his right on his lap, reflexively checking the bandages. Nothing showed through, thank Nayru. Hopefully it wouldn't act up—not in Kakariko, not in a strange place, not in front of Link.
He felt the barest brush of something familiar, half-remembered, and glanced up curiously, frowning, at Delr Fanadi.
He knew it, that signature, that power. But from where? It wasn't Delr Fanadi's magic…or the Ancient's magic. So what?
He glanced towards Link and his heart nearly stopped. Link was staring at him, the same half-frown on his face that touched Sheik's.
Did he know?!
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Link had been reasonably sure he'd be able to hide it. He'd had to attend school, for Farore's sake, and that meant using magic with instructors and other students—combining power. And no one knew. But Sheik? He was a Sheikah, and telling him he was magically disabled—even if it was true—wouldn't be able to cover all slip-ups, would it?
Fanadi had said it'd be fine, but…
Sheik's expression was drawn, ruby orbs focused solely on his hands. He looked uncomfortable—and Fanadi's magic touched Link's, and he hesitantly let her latch onto his magic, drawing it towards her so that she could better work it as his focus slipped from Sheik.
There was something—something different. For a second, he thought it was himself—but, no.
It had to be Sheik. Was Sheikah magic really that strange? For a second…
His head began to hurt, and he let out a soft sigh as Fanadi's chanting grew louder. Sheik's head suddenly snapped up to Fanadi, and then to Link—and Link's eyes widened in surprise. Did Sheik feel it too? So it wasn't Sheik! But that would mean it was Fanadi, which was imp—
But Fanadi was Sheikah too. So it probably was Sheikah magic.
He propped his elbows on his knees, dropping his chin into his hands, and glowered at the bowl. Magic was singing against his nerves, and the problem was too complex—his concentration vanished in a puff of smoke.
He was glad he'd eaten at the Milk Bar—it was already late, and doing this on an empty stomach would have him sick for days. Sheik hadn't, though, and Link frowned—would Sheik be alright? It was too late to go get anything for him, though, and the last time he'd tried, with the blankets and pillows, Fanadi had yelled at him.
There was a sort of snap, something powerful and alien and other flooding his senses—and the scent of salt and water and exotic plants and deep, rich magic filled the room.
He didn't realize he was staring at its eyes until it giggled with the youthful voice of a child. The Fairy Queen was small, floating just above the bowl Fanadi had set out, and it—she—moved towards him, her legs trailing a touch behind the rest of her body the only sign of movement. Her entire body was a single flawless expanse of shimmery blue ice-like material—she looked like an outline of a very young child, a shadow filled out in three dimensions. There were no individual strands of hair on her head—just a sharp curve flaring out around her shoulders from the rest of her body hinting at the presence of hair. Clutched in her hands was a small rag-doll, unlike anything Link had ever seen before.
He knew what Great Fairies looked like, and it wasn't a Great Fairy—its figure was spindly and drawn out, with four arms and the lower half trailing off into a tattered ribbon. It was kinda freaky.
"…That won't do…"
The Fairy Queen's mouth parted, curved into a smile as she regarded him, and she moved as close as she could without hitting Fanadi's barrier, tapping one finger in the air just above his left eye.
A discharge of power—strong, sending him doubling over even though he was already sitting, clawing at his head as raw agony shot through his brain, white hot and blinding.
And it was gone in an instant. He blinked, gasping for breath as Sheik's voice echoed in his ears.
"Link, are you alright?" The Fairy Queen's head lifted sharply, and she turned—head moving and her body following after her as if it was an afterthought.
She went absolutely still, facing Sheik, as suddenly as if she'd been struck.
"…You…"
"I seek answers from you." Fanadi said, voice clear and hard like it was when she had yelled at Link as a boy. The Fairy Queen whirled around abruptly, and the raw fury emanating from her was almost tangible.
"You dare?!"
"Yes." Fanadi said simply, calmly. Link glanced past the Fairy Queen to Sheik, gaze questioning, but Sheik looked just as confused as he did—if considerably more afraid.
Something cold settled into the pit of Link's stomach. What about this thing could scare Sheik so badly he let it show? And why her reaction to seeing him? Why and how did Fanadi know?
What had Fanadi done?
"I wish to know how many of your children have gone missing." She continued, ignoring Link's glare.
"After everything you've done, you child, you believe I would—"
"We seek to stop their murderer. Telling us will only aide you."
"I would see my daughters die before I aide you, you bitch!"
Oh. Again, Link sought Sheik's gaze. Was this normal…? No. Sheik was worrying a blade between his fingers, though his hands still rested on his lap, and his crimson orbs were anxious as they held Link's.
"What in the Dark Realm is going on, Fanadi?" Link asked sharply. The Fairy Queen turned to look at him, porcelain face rigid with anger. Her hands moved sharply, and the puppet she was holding began to glow with a dark sort of light—andholyshititsarmsmovedbythemselvesholyfuckingshitno—!
A flash of blue, and Link yelped as flames splattered the air in front of him, blazing turquoise.
"Drop it." Sheik's voice was cold as ice—and holy shit, that was the Poe?!
Where had he been hiding it all night—no, nope. Nope. Link wasn't gonna go there. Too much to freak out about besides that.
The flames died down and slithered back into a ball, and the Poe dropped down into his lap, light dimmer than it usually was. He had the sense that it was hurt in some way, and he tried to pet it as best he could—it had seemed to like it when Sheik did it, and he hated to think of it like a pet because it had been a person at some point, but he didn't know what else to do.
Sheik was standing, expression hard, glaring at the Fairy Queen like she was nothing. His hands were at his sides, unclenched, and dressed as he was, he was the single most terrifying thing Link had ever seen. Which he'd been before, but now that he was actually trying to be threatening, it was a serious thing.
"You think that you stand a chance, child?" She hissed. Sheik looked at her blankly for a moment, then cocked his head to the side.
"Yes."
Link had broken his leg once, as a kid. He'd fallen out of a tree after climbing after Percy, and he and Shad had had to drag him out of the woods until their father, Mako, had found them. It had hurt more than anything Link had ever felt before—even when he and Sheik had been at the studio and Sheik had played his lyre—but this was a thousand times worse. It was like he was being ripped apart piece by piece, set on fire and drowning all at the same time.
Then, mercifully, everything went dark.
No. Not mercifully. His head slammed into something hard, and everything was light again. He saw red. Holy Din, he was bleeding!? That was a shit ton of blood—
No, not red. Crimson. Sheik's crimson. Sheik's eyes. Thank Farore.
Somebody was shouting. Screaming. Link struggled to regain control of his limbs—where was his sword?!—and then fire shot through him, hot and fierce and all-consuming. Fighting—magical fighting—he had to do something—!
Clarity hit him hard, suddenly, and the pain disappeared—no, he pushed it away, deep into himself, ignored it, and got to his feet. Fuck his sensitivity. Sheik and Fanadi were in trouble.
The Fairy Queen was pounding on a barrier of crackling lightning, fury written into every line of her face. Sheik had one hand pressed against their side of it, expression as hard as hers was angry, concerned eyes locked on Link's. Fanadi was sitting where she had been before, chanting rapidly in some language Link didn't recognize.
Sheik was throwing an immense amount of power into the shield, more than Link had ever felt before in his life from another person—and it wasn't enough. Wouldn't be.
As if on cue, Sheik blinked, eyes showing shock as his legs crumpled beneath him and he slid to the ground—but he kept his hand on the barrier at all times, which spoke volumes for his willpower.
No wonder he kept kicking Link's ass.
Link put a hand on his shoulder, and as clumsily as a four-year-old, grabbed Sheik's power and redirected it as best he could.
He had a vague idea of how banishments worked. Shad had gone through a phase when they were younger where he'd been obsessed with summoning, though he'd never actually done it. If something got super pissed at you and you didn't have an easy getaway written into your spell, you had to banish them—Shad had described it like pushing, though Link didn't know what he was pushing or how hard.
He figured he couldn't possibly push harder than necessary, and decided throwing everything they had against the Fairy Queen herself was a pretty good idea.
Only reason it worked was because Sheik let him take his power. If he'd have resisted, they'd have died.
It wasn't a gradual process. Sheik fell first, falling backwards into him as his hand fell away and his eyes rolled to the back of his skull, and a second later Link screamed as his magic was torn—ripped as violently and cruelly as possible—from him. Kinda like there was something too big ripping its way out of his hand, which was not super small but pretty damn small for a fucking dragon to tear out of.
He'd never been entirely empty of magic. It was a terrifying second, like he couldn't get enough air into his lungs, and it lasted for an eternity as the Fairy Queen disappeared in a flash of brilliant golden light. Her doll fell to the ground, discarded and smoking. He looked down at Sheik, saw that he seemed fine, if unconscious and sprawled out over Fanadi's summoning ring-things. He let out a slow sigh of relief.
And then fell, boneless, to the floor, where he slammed his head into the floor again and conked himself out before the pain could come back.
Thank the Three.
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"…Sheik?" Sheik woke to a hand on his head. It wasn't a particularly unpleasant feeling, but Sheik didn't like it and he would have separated the hand from its wrist if Link hadn't spoken.
And if Fanadi hadn't taken his daggers from him, damn her.
"Did you sleep there the whole time?" He didn't bother to open his eyes, just nodded, cheek rubbing against the couch's scratchy material at the movement.
He'd woken up fairly quickly after the incident. Glared at Fanadi—he wasn't going to call her an Elder now, or show her any sort of respect after this—and dragged Link into his apartment, after Fanadi unlocked the door for him.
She'd given him some tea, said it would help Link, and left them alone.
He'd been too tired to panic about not wanting to snoop and not knowing where anything was, thereby forcing him to snoop. He'd sort of flopped Link onto the couch and then settled onto the floor with a blanket and fallen asleep.
"...So what happened?"
"She attacked you. I left my circle, which almost broke the spell containing her, to get to you. I attacked her back, and then tried to hold the shield. I do not remember much past that. Just a lot of magic and feeling her leave. When I woke I had Fanadi open your door and brought you here. I was afraid I would do something I would regret if I stayed near her for much longer. I am sorry if you—"
"Sheik, you probably saved my life a couple of times tonight alone. Don't apologize." Link admonished, moving his hand. Sheik let out an internal sigh of relief and threw the blanket off of him, forcing himself to his feet.
Everything was sore, like it usually was when he expanded his magic so violently. But Link was alright, and they were both alive.
"Does it still hurt?" Sheik murmured, glancing at him. Link shook his head.
"Nah. You make me drink that crap while I was out? Thanks. It's all good." He flashed Sheik a grin as he spoke, stretching his arms above his head. Sheik let out a slow breath, relieved, and closed his eyes.
"…Hey, the Poe…?"
"On your lap."
"Did you have it with you all night?"
"It does not have to be visible, Link. It chooses to do so. But...I do not know. I would assume as much. I do not check for its presence any longer."
"So why did it protect me?"
Sheik leaned against the armchair behind him, regarding Link quietly. He looked exhausted, as tired as Sheik felt, and had pushed himself up into a sitting position, though he still remained on the couch. He was playing with the Poe gently, movements slow and careful and deliberate, as if he were afraid of hurting it.
He was so strange…
"I do not know. It could have been a number of influences. I did not think to ask it for its aide…" Link looked up at him, and Sheik refused to meet his sapphire gaze.
"It's not your fault."
He was too tired to be angry. He just felt…resigned. It had been. It always was.
"Link…"
"So, this little guy is pretty awesome, then. I think we should name it, 'cause I don't know about you but I am pretty uncomfortable referring to it as 'it'." Link added, expression scrunched up as he stared at the Poe.
Hylians…
"What would you name it? Perhaps it already has a name and does not wish to share it."
"Well, if it did, it couldn't tell us, could it?!" Link retorted, scrambling to his feet. Sheik shrugged, frowning.
"Awesome! Then I'll call it, uh…Navi! I mean, it kinda looks like a girl. Right? Or, uh…I dunno. Do you know its gender?"
"That is irrelevant."
"Sheik…"
"Such things do not matter. They are not alive, Link. Not in the sense that you are or that I am."
"But they still have a gender."
"Link—"
"C'mon, just answer the question. Don't be a sourpuss."
"A…what?" Sheik asked, taken aback. Link's expression dropped, and he rolled his eyes as he expelled a deep breath of air.
"Jeez…You're boring. C'mon, just humor me. Say it did. What would it be?"
Sheik leaned back as Link jumped towards him, almost touching him he was so close, holding the Poe up to his face.
"Link…"
"C'mon! Please?" Link was pouting, staring at him like Sheerow did when Ravio didn't give him his daily treat right away. And Sheik caved.
"I think that Navi fits it…her…just fine." Link's grin was brilliant, shining.
"Was that really that hard? I'm sure Navi says thanks!" Sheik scowled at him as Link held his hands up and dropped the Poe onto his head. His scowl deepened, and he folded his arms across his chest as the Poe slithered down the back of his neck.
"That is the name of the Hero of Time's guardian fairy, is it not?" Link grinned.
"So we named a Poe after a fairy? Big deal. This Navi's cuter. And didn't try to kill us last night." Link spun around on his heel dramatically, bouncing into the kitchen as he spoke.
The apartment was small, but cozy. The living room and kitchen were one large room with a counter dividing the two, and a hall branching off between the two. Both the living room and kitchen were cluttered with things—furniture and pictures and…what was the word? Knickknacks?
To put so much of their lives up for strangers to see, to expose themselves so…
It was vastly different from anything Sheik had ever seen before, and he studied everything curiously. Pictures of Link as a boy and a baby he assumed was Aryll, along with an elderly woman he figured was Link's grandmother…and there were a few pictures, though not many, of a younger woman, with long blonde hair and pale green eyes. She looked washed-out, faded, but the resemblance between her and Link was very clear.
His mother, maybe?
"So we got some cereal, but it's the super sugary stuff Aryll likes. Not that I don't eat it or anything, it's just a ton of sugar. And there's toast, but we only have apple butter. Or there are popsicles and cucco soup. Ah, I suppose I should ask if you're hungry first, huh?" Sheik's attention drifted back to Link, and he blinked as he processed the Hylian's words for a moment.
"…Cereal is perfectly fine."
"You're not like, forbidden from eating it or something? 'Cause Ashei's Hylian and all but she's from Snowpeak and she's not allowed to eat fish on—"
"No…The only dietary restrictions that we enforce are those upon cannibalism." He murmured, gaze wandering.
"What?!"
His confusion was clear, and he stared at Link, arm half-raised in defense, bewildered.
"Why would you bring up cannibalism?"
"…You asked about—" Link's laughter cut him off, and Sheik glared at him, ignoring the heat flashing across his cheeks, the anger flaring within his stomach.
"I just—cannibalism? Really?"
"It is not something to laugh about." He said stiffly, bristling as Link fell to the floor.
"I meant like, meat or something. Not—Okay, okay, I get it, it's meat, whatever, bleh, gross. Sorry. I didn't mean to piss you off or anything. Just...why would you say that?"
"You asked about dietary restrictions." Sheik said, eyes narrowed, scowling, as he strode over to Link and continued glaring down at him.
"Touchy subject? I'm sorry."
"No. I apologize. I…Fanadi…" Sheik trailed off, shrugging. He didn't know where to begin, and his shoulders slumped as his anger dissipated. Link's gaze softened, and he scrambled up.
"Wanna go get answers now?"
"That...No. You go. I will…I cannot promise that my behavior will be appropriate if I go."
Because she'd used him. She'd lied. And not just to him, but to Link as well—and it wasn't just her, it was Impa and Midna and whoever else had known and anyone who hadn't and still wasn't telling him the truth. What had they done?
"You sure?" Link looked indecisive, staring past Sheik at the door as if he didn't want to go alone.
He probably didn't.
"…Go. I am positive that I will be able to feed myself without—"
"Alright, alright, no more sarcasm, I'm going. But I'm taking Navi with me." Link added, and grabbed the Poe off of Sheik's shoulder as he bounded out the door.
Sheik stared after him, motionless, anxious.
He was a coward.
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Fanadi was scrubbing the chalk markings off of the floor when Link entered her apartment. She'd always been something bright and cheerful, but she just looked…tired. Sad. She didn't notice him until he leaned on the doorframe and rapped gently against the wood. Surprise registered in her eyes, when she saw him.
"…I expected Sheik to come."
"Too angry. Told me to come instead." Link replied. He congratulated himself on keeping his tone even. He was furious, probably more so than Sheik, but he had to be the rational one. If he wanted answers, and to protect Aryll—because this was the sort of thing Fanadi had done with Aryll.
"Ah…" Getting up looked like it took more effort than it should have, and Link realized just how old she truly was then—but he didn't reach out to help her.
"Tell him that…no one sensed the discharge. My wards kept the magic hidden, though they were destroyed in the process. It should put him at ease." Link was silent for a second, and some knot of tension within him relaxed.
Nobody would have sensed his power, then. Thank Farore.
"So what happened?"
"Great Fairies do not know what occurs outside of their…territory. They sense evil, but not the specifics. It was necessary to contact their Queen to find out what we needed to know."
"So?" He couldn't keep the harshness out of his voice then. She closed her eyes momentarily.
"…There are some entities, Link, that hold dominion over certain souls. They can, if they so choose, take those souls before they pass on, but all souls, until they pass on, belong to those entities."
"So you're saying Sheik's her property?!"
"The Fairy Queen's domain is children. If a child dies, their soul is hers. Sheik...I…" Fanadi let out a slow breath.
"Imagine if a child gets sick while they are young. Too sick to cure. No way to save them. And then they are saved, their soul—which would have belonged to the Fairy Queen—taken out of her reach. Stolen. Do you really believe that would not anger her?"
"So, what? You're saying—"
"I thought I would be able to restrain her long enough to get the information we needed, with the both of you helping. Seeing Sheik…I did not count on her anger being so potent, or Sheik leaving his ring." A sad smile touched her lips. Link clenched his fist at his side, closing his eyes.
"…So you put both of our lives in danger for nothing."
"Not nothing." It was spoken sharply, harshly, and Link's eyes popped open as she took a few steps closer to him eyes blazing.
"Do you understand what is at risk here, Link? How many will die if this murderer is not stopped? She let slip that he is in possession of multiple Great Fairies! Do you realize what he can do with them at his disposal? If he gets his hands on any more Sheikah, he will make the last war look like nothing! The Elders needed to know! They will have to act now, before he can do any more damage to Hyrule!" He stared at her, stunned. Speechless.
"…What in the Dark Realm are you—?" There was a hand on his arm and he glanced behind him. Sheik's eyes met his, uncertain, upset.
"He did not know." The words were directed at Fanadi, and for some reason it was that—that small, meaningless gesture—that broke Link's control.
"You're going after a murderer? What in Farore's name is going on?! And what the fuck do you mean Sheik belongs to that crazy bitch?!" Sheik flinched—Link had spoken a bit louder than he had intended to—and ducked his head, seeming to shrink in on himself.
"Link—" Fanadi began, still standing straight-backed, showing no weakness, no sign of her age. Sheik looked up sharply.
"Why did you never tell me? Did Impa know?" Fanadi's eyes narrowed.
"Uow reih s neimhe! Zha giae sho i—"
"Iha!" Sheik barked, and her mouth snapped shut.
"Your stupidity nearly cost Link his life! Do you realize that? Does that sink in, Fanadi?! I could not hold her back! The only reason we—any of us—are standing here is through some Goddess-given miracle! To hide this—from me, from Impa, from Link, when you are risking him—do you have any sense of duty or of responsibility? And to let such an important thing just slip free? Midna would slay you on the spot for your—I do not even have the word to describe you." Sheik shook his head, disgusted, and turned, striding out the door as coldly as he'd treated the Fairy Queen the night before. Navi bounced after him, light flickering unsteadily.
Link stared at Fanadi for a second longer, frozen—he still trusted her, still loved her—but Sheik had answers and he was so angry and—
He caught Sheik's arm as the smaller boy reached the stairs, and Sheik stopped dead.
"Fanadi—"
"If the Elders find out that you know, Link, your life is forfeit."
Anything Link had been going to say died in his throat, and he felt his blood run cold.
"Why would…?"
"…Do you remember, some years ago, when Termina was attacked by that rogue sorcerer? He committed suicide, blew half of Clocktown's upper district to ashes. Do you remember how many died?"
"…The terrorist attack…? But…"
"This man—or woman, I suppose. We do not know who they are…What they are trying to do, what they are planning, what they've already done…They could destroy all of Hyrule. All of Termina, all of Labrynna, all of the Great Sea…everything. I suppose a better analogy would have been the Hero of Time's enemy, but…I prefer not to use him as an example." Sheik turned to face him, and he looked so tired…
If the threat was that serious…and why bring it up to Fanadi? Why trust her with the information? Why trust Sheik?
"Why didn't you tell me?" It was all Link could manage.
"Do you not understand, Link? The Elders did not trust Fanadi with this information. Impa did, and that was her mistake. The more people that know this the greater the danger is. Being associated with myself would condemn your case in their eyes—they believe it is better to be safe than sorry." He hesitated for an instant, gaze falling back to the floor as his shoulders slumped.
"I can tell you that I will not let that happen and swear they will not touch you all I like, but my power is nothing to theirs. I will not lie to you." He seemed so intent, so fierce in what he was saying. Did he really fear the 'Elders' that much? Were they really that crazy? Concern threatened to bubble out of his control, and Link had to wrestle it down before he spoke again.
"…Are you guys gonna take care of him?" Any sign of Sheik's previous hesitance vanished and he nodded his head once, sharply, posture rigid and proud. His fingers moved at his side, rising to his chest for an instant. Link wished he knew what that meant—he knew full well how expressive Sheikah were with their body language, after Sheik had mentioned it to him, and the fact that he couldn't understand infuriated him.
But Sheikah didn't teach outsiders anything, and bringing it up now would be rude.
Thinking about that now was rude. His mind was wandering.
"Then we're alright. I'm not gonna tell anyone else, and Fanadi definitely won't. He'll be in jail or dead or whatever pretty soon then, anyway." Link spoke as soothingly as he could, and he tugged Sheik away from the stairs. Sheik followed him, though he pulled his arm free.
"C'mon. What'd Fanadi mean? You got sick and she used magic or something, right? You didn't know about it, did you?"
"I…No. Not…I knew that…I knew that I owed Fanadi my life. I had no idea about the Fairy Queen or the souls, though. I do not…" Sheik trailed off, and he sighed, shrugging. Link pulled his apartment's door open, and they entered.
"I do not believe it." Link stopped, hesitating, and leaned his back against the closed door.
"You think she lied?"
"…No. I do not know everything, Link, and while I have never heard of creatures owning souls, that does not mean it does not exist." Sheik sat down slowly at the kitchen table. There was a bowl of cereal sitting there—Sheik must have made it before he went to Fanadi's.
Link watched him closely. Sheik looked scared. Of the Fairy? Or…
Oh…
"Look…The Hero of Time? He was raised by the fairies or some crap, right? I'm sure he went with her when he died. But you've got nothing to do with her, kid or not. I mean, you're, what? Sixteen? You're not a little kid anymore. She can't do anything to you. And, feel free to punch me if I'm wrong or something, but I'm pretty sure you've never had anything serious to do with fairies of any sort. Now, if there was some big dead thing saying it had your soul when you died, it'd be a different story." He added, flashing a small grin at Sheik.
"You are not funny." Sheik said quietly, but his knuckles loosened around his hands a little.
"Anyway. You guys worship Nayru above the others, don't you? I'm not a priest or anything, but I highly doubt she's going to let a fairy take you. Especially when you want to go to her."
Link struggled to keep his mind from dwelling on why Sheik was so upset over his afterlife. He was sixteen—he had decades left before that even became an issue.
Maybe it was another Sheikah thing.
Maybe not.
"I…I don't know what…" Link pushed off the door and walked up to Sheik, slowly kneeling beside him.
Sheik stiffened when he pulled him into a hug, but he let out a shuddering sigh a half a second later and fisted his hands against Link's back, holding the cloth of his shirt tightly. Link closed his eyes, chin resting on Sheik's shoulder.
They stayed like that for an hour.
-XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX-
"Who in the Dark Realm is this?" Sheik looked up, surprised, but Link kept his back to him as he spoke. The phone was clutched tightly in his hand, his tone harsh. Sheik slowly closed the notebook in front of him, tucking Link's handwritten translations into it as well. They'd spent the afternoon working on his language—Sheik was reluctant to ask to leave, even after what had happened with Fanadi.
Link, somehow, managed to keep his head clear, calm. Kept him from worrying over what had happened, over what everything meant…and Sheik didn't want to lose that.
"…What? How did you get my number?" Link paused, entire body going still, and then he turned to face Sheik.
"Do you have your phone on you, Sheik?"
It was his turn to pause, and he slowly checked his pockets—and no, he did not.
"…How the fuck did you manage—? No! For Din's sake, stop talking! I don't want to hear that!" Link yelped, yanking the phone away from his ear as if it were on fire.
"Dear Farore!" He cursed, and Sheik raised an eyebrow curiously. Link shook the phone as if it was on fire, continuing his string of curses for a good five minutes before returning it to his ear. His expression was angry, but he was so red even the tips of his ears were burning. Who…?
"No! Sh—No! Just—No! You're—it's still pervy!" There was a distinctly audible shriek from the other end of the phone.
"Yeah! Fine! Just shut up! Din's mercy, you're a horrible person! Here, talk to Sheik!" The phone was thrown at him without any sort of warning, and Sheik fumbled with it before he managed to get it up to his ear.
"What did you say to him, Ravio?"
"Oh! How'd you know it was me?"
"What did you say?" Ravio's loud laughter nearly deafened him.
"I asked if you had your phone and he said no, and I asked if you reached for your pants when you did."
"…What?" Link looked up at him, reddened further, and fled down the hall.
"Sheik, I don't know how you keep half the shit on you that you do. I mean, I've seen Marin wear some tight shit, but you blow her out of the water on a regular basis."
"…Bandages, Ravio. Which you would know if you listened to Midna's lectures. I do not—"
"Save it. Don't care. And then I told him that I took it from you 'for you left 'cuz I got skills, and it's not my fault he took it the wrong way. Like I'd stick my hand down your pants when I can do it to Hilda. Anyway, Impa's got all the Elders at her place, and she's pissed about something, so you're gonna come over here. They're gonna send a scout, and Hilda's got his shit, so he'll be dropping by to pick his stuff up. I don't know who it is, but you should be fine. Sheerow—holy Nayru's tits, Link gets to meet Sheerow!"
"No."
"Don't be mean! I wanna see my Hylian!"
"He is not—"
"Hilda says so! Don't you, Hilda?" There was a muffled grunt of annoyance, and a roar of static. Sheik scowled.
"Hilda says to be here with my Hylian, or she'll hunt you down like nobody's business. You got an hour." Ravio drawled, and hung up.
Sheik set the phone on the table and dropped his head into his hands.
Ravio would be the death of him.
Link inched his way out of the hallway slowly, and took his spot across the table from Sheik as if trying not to be noticed.
"I…want you to understand. He says these things for the sole purpose of embarrassing you."
"No, no, I get that. Doesn't help at all. So I've gotta take you home now? Or are you going to go by yourself?"
"Ravio wants you to meet someone."
"I'm staying here."
"I have no means with which to get there, besides you."
"I hate you."
Sheik couldn't help a grin from flickering across his lips.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
…Yeah, the beginning of this chapter would have made a better ending than the ending of the last chapter. Shoulda written it first. 'Cause this chapter kicked my ass. I got distracted with oneshots I need to finish and other things mentioned down below.
So if you hadn't already guessed about the Poe…Now you know! It's kinda like an Easter egg, in all honesty…
Thanks for all the support you guys have given me for this story. You make me excited to write this, now that we're back to slow updates. Every time I think I'm losing steam, you guys leave a review and it makes me very happy x3 You're all so awesome!
AND VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY VERY IMPORTANT CHARACTER(S) MENTIONED IN THIS CHAPTER. Like, you guys are gonna FLIP YOUR BALLS. Later :D You have no idea how excited I am. 'Cause OMG. I REALLY WANT TO WRITE THEM IN NOW BUT THE PLOT SAYS NO AND GAH.
No, it's not Fanadi. She was already in here (duh).
And this is NOT a crossover fic. There is actually a character in Minish Cap named Percy. Saying it now bc I know I'm gonna get the comments at some point.
AND MAJORA'S MASK OMG. AND THE DLC FOR HYRULE WARRIORS OMG. I'm super angry about Tingle, but Young Link is the most adorable thing ever, even if I'd rather never run into him in a back alley…The countdown thing is so fucking daunting. X.X And they start you off with 3 hours left on your clock (Lol) just to scare you and so you can see just how it works. Sheik's costume pack looks ridiculous, just saying. Lol. Kafei's mask just…Lol. But Midna gets the Ordon Shield, which, YES. SCORE FOR INSIDE TP JOKES. THANK YOU NINTENDO.
And a while back I mentioned that I did some AMV-y stuff. Well, now a bunch of friends and I are starting a Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword abridged.
YEAH. I'M SO EXCITED. Zaxiade's even letting us use their Ballad of the Goddess remix as our theme! [Insert fangirl scream here]. Seriously. It's so awesome, I think I'm more pumped for that than I am the Abridged itself.
I've really gotta learn to lay off caps-lock, Lol.