A/N: Fluff and Plot! Fluff and Plot! *Cheerleader Link*
A very happy Friday and a happy Halloween to you all! Does anyone have any cool plans for Halloween? Tonight, I'm making chocolate chipotle chili and hoping for rain; tomorrow, who knows. Maybe I'll write something, ha ha. Anyhow, please enjoy the latest chapter, preferably with a mug of your hot beverage of choice! Thanks for reading!
His breath hastened as she neared the golden goddess harp sparkling on the castle rooftop patio. He hadn't expected her to come up here looking so forlorn; her glossy pink lips were downturned and she appeared to be lost in thought. She brushed back the hair the wind was determined to blow in her face, frowned, and picked up the gilded instrument, taking a second to admire the beautiful artisanship.
She chanced a pluck a one of the strings. A clear note rang out, cutting through the silence before being carried away by the wind. Slowly she plucked, one note at a time, an uneven and lonely rendition of Happy Birthday. She sighed and looked at the late afternoon sun.
He clapped slowly, emerging from the shadows from behind her. "Not bad, for your first time…"
Peach jumped and spun around, "Sheik? Oh, Sheik, you're okay!" Her face brightened and she threw her arms around him in a tight embrace. "I was so worried!"
Sheik hid his blush under his cowl. "Well I…wouldn't want to miss your special day," he said, tossing his hair casually. "So, are you ready to go?"
"Go?" Peach cocked her head quizzically, "Go where?"
He smirked.
"Do you mean outside the castle? A-Are you sure you should be traveling in your condition? I mean, won't you get in trouble again?"
Sheik laughed, "Don't look so alarmed; I'm fine and nobody will ever know we were gone. I have a plan this time; we're going to use that harp to teleport again."
Peach looked down at the harp in her hands, almost turning green at the thought. "We are?"
Sheik smiled kindly, wrapping one arm around her shoulders as he took the harp from her with his other his other hand. "Don't worry, just hold on tightly and bury your face in my cowl and we'll be there before you know it."
With a deep blush, Peach positioned her feet between his, pressing her body fully against his, arms around his slender waist clenching her hands at his back, her eyes squeezed shut, face fully buried in the crook of his neck, nestling into his soft white cowl. It smelled vaguely green, like fresh water and moss.
"Ready?" he whispered into her ear.
She jerked her head in a nod, tightly bracing herself for that awful lurch. She waited for what felt like an eternity, her heart pounding in her ears. She waited, and waited, until she felt her grip loosen on the back of his shirt and she lifted her head in confusion.
"What are we waiting f—" Peach stopped; all around her was the scenery of beautiful Lake Hylia, surrounded by falling leaves and resplendent with sparkling gold reflections. Peach jumped back from him with a soft "waah".
"Y-you! Why didn't you tell me we were already here?"
Heh, sorry. Guess I forgot to mention it," Sheik grinned, "You're really scared of teleporting, aren't you?"
Peach folded her arms, cheeks still on fire, "Well…can you blame me? Last time wasn't a very enjoyable experience."
"And this time it was, right?" he laughed. It would have been ungentlemanly to tell her just how long she had been standing there, holding on to him next to the sunset lake, but he had certainly enjoyed every second of it.
She lightly shoved his arm in protest, "Well, I'm glad to see you're obviously feeling better," she paused, "I was worried for you…"
"Sorry," Sheik rubbed the back of his neck self-consciously; "I heard you went all the way into town to fetch a red potion for me…"
"It was no trouble, I saw a lot of things while I was out; Hyrule Castle Town is amazing. It would be difficult but I think…I think I could get used to living there, you know…when I can't stay at the castle anymore."
Sheik furrowed his brows, "What do you mean live in Hyrule? What about your kingdom?"
Peach sighed and flopped down on the grass, "I'm not giving up on going home but…I won't be able to be a guest at the castle forever."
Tears began to well in her eyes; her voice shook slightly, "Zelda said…after winter…" She trailed off, the rest too sad to say aloud.
"Peach…" he whispered bending down to sit next to her on the soft grass, "Hey…don't cry. It is said if you cry on your birthday, you will cry all year long."
He reached out to stroke her hair; gently guiding her head back to its resting place in his cowl. Peach allowed herself to lean on him, too sad to be embarrassed anymore. Sheik smiled, her beautiful warmth enveloping his body once more. He leaned his chin on the top of her head and wrapped his arm across her, positioning his harp to play.
A beautiful melody filled the area and married perfectly with the sound of the wind rustling through the grass and the frogs playing by the banks of the lake. The sound was tender and melancholy, warm but lonely. Peach stopped crying, and opened her eyes to take in the beauty of the moment.
It is hard to recall when I first knew I was in love with you, but when I'm with you, time stops, obligations are lifted, I am no longer me and you are not you. I've never felt this way about anyone before. This is who I am.
Sheik paused his song, and Peach looked up at him with shining eyes.
"Ah yes," he said softly, "I almost forgot about your present."
"A present?"
Sheik nodded. "Cover your eyes," he whispered. She complied as he rose noiselessly, retreating to the bush that concealed his gift.
Upon his return, he gently placed his hands upon hers and moved them away from her eyes. "You can look now."
Down in the grass, a long shining piece of wood curved delicately through the grass, a string drawn tight between each end. Next to it, a quiver of arrows with angelic white fletching at the ends.
Peach looked at the weapon plainly, "Oh! It's…it's a bow, right?" She tried to smile but Sheik could spot the insincerity easily.
"Heh, that's right. No need to sound so disappointed, Princess," he joked, trying not to sound disappointed himself. He wished he hadn't broken away from Peach for this and instead had just continued to play harp with her by his side for as long as he had fingers left to play.
"No no, I'm not disappointed! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to sound ungrateful. It's just that I've never used a weapon before…well, not a real one."
Sheik raised an eyebrow, "What do you mean 'not a real one'?"
"Well I've been known to be quite a force with a parasol and a frying pan," she replied in a mock boasting tone.
"Hmm, unsuitable weaponry like that is more a hazard to the wielder than the opponent." He took her wrist between his bandaged fingers for emphasis.
"I don't expect a delicate woman like you would do much damage by swinging around some blunt instrument like a caveman. But this," he grazed the bow with his fingertips, "This is civilized."
Peach sighed, the bow was beautiful, its artisanship was clear in every detail, but she could hardly consider any weapon truly…civilized. "It's beautiful."
Sheik stood up, grasping the bow and arrows in his hands. He slung the quiver over his back and drew out one arrow, slender and straight. "It's easy to use as well." He readied his stance and placed the arrow against the string slowly, so Peach could get a good look at the placement.
"You just place the arrow…pull the string back…" His slender biceps tightened against his clothes as he pulled the string back and waited, to fully demonstrate the correct posture. In one fluid flash of movement, he whirled around and shot the arrow directly at the setting sun. The arrow disappeared into the sky.
Peach clapped politely at the end of the demonstration and Sheik sat down beside her, handing her the bow. She traced her fingers over the decorations in the wood, silence passing over them.
"Sometimes…" Sheik said to the ground, "I wish I could blot out the sun and live in a world of shadows…"
Peach looked up at him with troubled blue eyes, "What do you mean? Why would you want to live in a world of perpetual night? A world without any hope or any light?"
Sheik looked hard at the sliver of sun disappearing behind the mountains on the horizon. "There can be no shadows without the light; they gather to praise the moon at night. The moon and her shadow dance eternal; 'round and around the Waltz Nocturnal. Across the sky in a love-struck trace; 'till the Sun comes up to end their dance."
He turned to Peach, his crimson eyes burning with intensity, "I can't expect you to understand, but…I don't want you to fear the shadows. The darkness doesn't cause the evil in sentient hearts, it only reveals the truth of what was there all along. The night tells important truths that the day could never face; it allows people to transform into what they are."
He plucked a fallen leaf from the top of her hair, gently smoothing down the flyaway strands, "The moon is white, pure, and radiant; her light gives shadows strength and in return, the shadows move to cloak the moon, giving her sweet repose, her twinkling subjects standing guard. Again, I can't expect you to understand, but I think if you learned to lo—well, I think it could be the same for you."
Peach stared back at him, her gaze held captive by his until he finally looked away.
"Let's get you back," he sighed.
Peach nodded in agreement. She took hold of Sheik much more easily this time, placing her arms around him in a gentle but tight embrace, her cheek nuzzled firmly against his warm neck as she burrowed her face into his cowl. When they materialized, she let go a little slower than she should have.
"Sheik…thank you," she murmured, voice muffled in fabric.
Sheik blushed and smirked invisibly behind his cowl, "It was nothing; perhaps if it pleases you, for your next lesson I should teach you how to use that bow. It is important for a lady to be able to defend herself if the need arises."
Peach looked at the bow in her hand, unsure of how she felt about weapons. However, it would be rude to refuse to use such an extraordinarily crafted gift, so she smiled at the Sheikah and nodded. "That sounds nice."
Sheik looked down solemnly, "I must take my leave but…before I go…"
He scooped her cheek in his hand and looked directly in her bright blue eyes, "Please don't fret; I swear I will continue looking for your portal back home every opportunity I am able. I will not stop until I have scoured every last corner of those woods."
Peach blushed, demurely averting her eyes from his intense gaze, "I'm so glad you were the one who found me," she whispered, "Thank you…thank you for everything."
Zelda opened her eyes to pitch darkness and a slight throbbing in her head. She could tell Sheik was already sleeping soundly and she had control over the body. It must have been later than normal, for the air of the castle was completely still.
She sighed, dragging her weary body out of bed. She lit her usual lavender pillar candle and placed it on the floor beside a tome so large she dared not put it on her fragile wooden desk for fear the physical weight of its ancient text might reduce it to splinters.
She closed her eyes and pressed her fingertips lightly against her eyelids. There were too many of these: late nights, ancient books, candles burnt down to useless pucks of stale wax. I am pushing myself too hard, she thought to no one in particular.
She stretched her hands above her head and brought them down together in a prayer over her heart, silencing her thoughts and focusing her energy. Still, her restless mind tried to sneak out from under her.
She sighed, there was no choice for her; this was her fate as the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom. The Triforce would seek the Triforce, no matter the costs to the bearer. This must be why Link left…
Her expression drew grim. In her heart, she knew he was gone. With two thirds of the Triforce lost, scattered among the hills and valleys of Hyrule…
And the people are growing anxious, Impa has said as much. She glared at the flame, feeling her own youth slowly burn away into the ether like wax pooled beneath the orange reflection. One way or another, she would be made a sacrifice, if not to the altar of time, than to the whims of her people.
Perhaps there was still a chance to live a happy life and to bring her kingdom prosperity as well. She could marry; have an heir or perhaps a young daughter. She imagined building a summer home in a vast field of lavender flowers, spending long afternoons frolicking and teaching her daughter about wild herbs, spell crafting, and ancient stories. Impa would be there to protect her and she would have a family again.
She shook her head; it would do no good to ponder idle fantasies while the Triforce still lay undiscovered, ripe to fall into evil hands.
Still, the citizens crave stability and the certainty of royal linage. I am the last of my line; if anything were to happen to me…
She sighed, Impa was right. In the long term, it would be a better strategy to announce her availability sooner than later; it would give her more opportunity to select a mate…to select the future king of Hyrule. More time to produce heirs to the throne.
Perhaps…the Festival of Storms…but it's so soon.
She sighed again and opened the book. She had no choice.