Three days later, Link had still not emerged from the Fire Temple. Sheik wore a hole into the fountain floor from pacing. Finally, they turned to the Great Fairy for advice. "Great Fairy, please. You said fairies whisper to one another, can you hear anything from Navi?"
The Great Fairy grimaced. "All I hear is silence. Navi may have been injured, and cut herself off to conserve energy. ...Wait, where are you going? Why are you undressing?"
Sheik threw their shirt and wraps to the side. "I'm going in after him. With the heat, these things will only slow me down."
"You can't do that, only the hero can-"
The fairy was cut off by an enormous thundering, and the whole mountain shook. Sheik ran outside to see the evil cloud around the peak dissipate, and the skies returning to normal. But even so, they couldn't shake a feeling of dread.
Sheik ran back into the Great Fairy of Power's fountain, and used a hidden tunnel to emerge in the Great Fairy of Wisdom's fountain in the inner volcano. They arrived in time to see a blue light deposit the hero on the warp pedestal. As soon as the light dissipated, Link collapsed.
"Link!"
Sheik ran to his side, and gasped at what they saw. The right side of his face was covered in blood and char marks. His tunic was in tatters, and as a result yellow and white burns covered his left shoulder. A set of three parallel gashes ran across his stomach, still gushing blood.
Cursing in various tongues, Sheik lifted Link onto their back. He was a tad heavier than they could carry, but they didn't have to go far. When Link's hat fell to the ground with a thud, Sheik discovered Navi inside. She was alive, but her breathing was weak. Sheik put her back in the hat and held the hat in their teeth as they scrambled into the fountain.
"I can ease his pain, but I can do little to cure these injuries," the Great Fairy of Wisdom said as she looked upon Link. "These wounds appear to have been caused by a remnant of evil magic, which is something I can not reverse."
"Can you keep him alive, long enough for me to tend to him, then? The fate of Hyrule depends on Link, we can not lose him!" Sheik was near hysterical. How could he be hurt so badly that the Great Fairies could not save him? Was Ganondorf this strong?
"If you wish it, I can make it so that he will survive. But any pain and after effects of these injuries will remain. I can not do both. You must choose; will you save the life of your hero and make him suffer, or will you give him peace for the remainder of his days?"
Sheik felt torn. They did not want Link to suffer, but at the same time, he was the only hope Hyrule had. If Link died, they wouldn't know what to do. Link had the Triforce of Courage and the Master Sword, he had to be the one to kill Ganondorf.
But Link was a wreck. His shoulder, his dominant shoulder, was nearly melted. His right eye was likely blinded. It would take months to recover to where he could fight in battle again. The pain would never go away. Hell, the memories would never go away. A tear slipped down Sheik's face at the thought of being responsible for years of agony.
"Do it."
Hearing a voice, Sheik and the Great Fairy looked over at Link, where Navi was laying. The little fairy had come around on her own, and was huddled over the uninjured part of the hero's face. She was sniffling from the sight of him, but grateful that he was alive. "He's strong, he'll be able to live with the pain. A little pain now is nothing compared to the eons of pain Ganondorf would inflict should he not make it."
"You're a valued companion, Navi," Sheik said, scooping up the little fairy and washing the soot from her face. "Great Fairy, please keep Link alive. For all of us."
Sheik sat atop the roof of Impa's house in Kakariko, eyes closed in meditation. They had managed to get Link down to the village, and now he was sleeping in the elder Sheikah's house. Sheik was afraid to warp given Link's condition, so one of the Gorons helped carry him down the mountain. When he was stable, Sheik began treating his injuries.
Granny from the potion shop had been able to create a salve for soothing Link's shoulder burn, and Sheik was able to stitch his chest gashes closed with the aid of some blue potion. However, Link's eye was another story. Sheik had carefully washed his face, and dabbed potion around the wound, but his iris was cloudy and nothing could reverse it. There were rumors of a doctor by the lake that could transplant eyes, though the surgery was long and involved, and could do more damage than good. Frustration that they couldn't help the one they cared about drove Sheik to scream and kick over tables, which was why they were currently banished to the roof.
Impa, help me. Only two temples in and already he's near death. What will I do if he leaves us?
Sheik looked back up at the night sky. Impa was a skilled healer, and Sheik wanted so badly to seek their elder's advice and treatment. But to do so would risk exposing the Princess's hiding place, the one thing Sheik couldn't do no matter the circumstances.
"Times will come when you are lost, and will not know how to advise the hero. When that happens, above all else, remember that you are not alone. The Sages can guide you, the citizens can guide you, even the hero can guide you. Just do not lose hope. We will eliminate the evil that plagues the land, but we will not do so overnight. Take time to consider your options, and the way will show itself."
Impa's words came back to Sheik. Their elder was wise, as expected of a tribe leader. Her words were comforting, and so they pulled out their lyre and strummed a melancholy yet inspiring song to gather their morale.
"Granny says you can come back down now," Navi said, having come up to deliver the message. "That tune's so sad. What is it?"
"The Song of Healing. A melody that heals evil magic and troubled spirits, though it doesn't seem to work outside of my homeland." Sheik sat down the lyre and sighed. "How is he?"
"He's still unconscious, though his breathing is easier. You've really helped him. So it was no cause for you to destroy your elder's house."
"I sent a boy, barely a man, into an active volcano without warning him of the deadly dragon that inhabited it. He emerged practically dead, kept alive only by the magic of the fairies and the divine gift. How is that helping?"
Navi giggled and flew around Sheik's head. "You are a friend when no one else is. I could tell he was confused and a little scared when he woke up. You pointed him on the right path, helped him with the pain of Saria's loss, and left him blankets and food. You perk him up with that harp, not to mention how you completely understand him."
"What? You mean his way of speaking is only heard by certain people?" It had never even occurred to Sheik that they were the only one hearing Link's words in their head.
"Oh yeah, no one can ever tell what he's saying. Poor boy has always been mute. Only Saria, the Great Deku Tree, and some of the fairies have been able to understand him. The Great Deku Tree told me once that it must be the price he paid to take refuge in the forest, and so only those with forest blood can understand him. Not even the Princess knew what he was saying, I had to translate. So I think it's a sign you two are meant for each other. After all, if that song in the volcano was enough to go on, you clearly return his feelings."
Sheik was taken aback. "We better get back inside, I sense a storm coming," they said, changing the subject. No matter how much they tried to shake off their feelings, everyone kept pointing them out. A definite connection existed between the Sheikah and the hero, a bond that as much as they wanted to, Sheik couldn't bring themself to acknowledge. Coming up to the roof was supposed to help Sheik clear their head. Instead, the little fairy helped muddle it by making Link's feelings known.