Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda, its characters and locations are all property of Nintendo. Any and all OCs and original locations belong to me unless specifically stated to belong to someone else.

Lumina, Part 5

The weather was getting colder as the season grew late, and stepping out into the night was refreshing, although it also sent a deep shiver down his spine. Sheik tightened his cowl into a makeshift scarf and adjusted his cloak so it covered his arms, trying to insulate himself as much as possible. Goddesses knew how long he'd be outside, and if he caught a cold because of carelessness he'd never hear the end of it from Link, who was, thankfully, deep in slumber in their room, worn out from another long night of political debate and discussion.

Nodding to the doorman of the hotel, Sheik began to walk, picking a direction at random and heading down the street. Lumina City was gorgeous at night, with its thousands of lit windows and gas-lighted street lamps. He wondered what it looked like during winter, when all was covered in a sheet of pure, white snow. The crunching beneath his feet, the cold bite of the air... Sheik had never been a particularly huge fan of winter in general. He could appreciate the beauty of the first snow and the atmosphere it could create, but after a week or so the cold began to grate on him, along with how the snow would melt a bit, freeze, then melt and freeze again, to create a veritable death trap wherever one would set one's foot.

Link, though...Sheik could easily imagine Link absolutely loving it all, even the pathetic slush that was left behind towards the beginning of spring. An image of the young Link he had once seen in Zelda's garden, frolicking with the other Kokiri and throwing snowballs at each other. Undignified as it was, Sheik had to admit that it was an adorable image... Had the Kokiri ever seen snow? He could easily imagine the Great Deku Tree casting some sort of spell that shielded his little wards from the cold, forever preserving the glorious summers that Link would describe whenever he felt nostalgic.

Until he remembered how he'd never fit in with the Kokiri, that is. He never said it, but Sheik could easily see how much that had hurt him as a child. And for what? The lack of a fairy? Why hadn't the Deku Tree seen fit to partner Link with one the second he'd arrived in the Kokiri Village?

Sheik clenched his jaw and tried to will away the unpleasant thoughts. It was all in the past, and no amount of annoyance or irritation on Link's behalf could change it. What mattered was that Link had eventually received a fairy companion (who was currently asleep inside the green cap, as per usual) and been accepted, for a short time, by the children of the forest...well, except for that one little brat... None of them knew that Link had grown up, however. Not even upon visiting his old home had they recognised his older self. Perhaps it was for the best, as Link claimed, but still...

Reaching a crossroads, Sheik thought of an old Sheikah rhyme to help him choose where to go, and continued on his way. The new path took him past the same market that Rehm-Feror had attempted to lose them in upon his arrest—all quiet and empty at this time of night, half an hour past one.

He'd listened to every word Link had told him, about the future. There were many...private details, the likes of which Link could not possibly have known unless that future's version of Sheik had chosen to tell him...and tonight, he was going to get one of those things confirmed.

The first time had been at the party where Link had sneakily managed to get the crown prince and his bodyguard to, as Link put it, go at it like rabbits (presumably instigating one of the biggest royal scandals in all of Lumina's history were they discovered). The moment didn't last for more than a fraction of a fraction of a second, but every warning bell in Sheik's head had gone off immediately. He'd voiced these concerns to Link, who had replied that it was nothing to worry about. Sheik didn't agree.

The second time had been when Sheik was in their hotel room, at the desk and writing a report for Zelda concerning the security issues he had identified with Rehm-Feror's current confinement procedures. He'd been alone in the room, but distinctly felt the sensation of someone watching him. A quick glance towards the rooftops outside the windows had revealed nothing but blue skies and white, fluffy clouds.

This time he did not tell Link. If this was what he thought it was, it was Sheik's business and his alone.

And so he found himself outside at a time of night no decent person would find themselves. Wandering. Waiting.

Of course, it wouldn't happen on the broad, brightly lit main streets, so he began to choose the seedier, darker side streets and alleys, knowing he was most likely inviting more trouble than it all was worth by doing so. He kept a tight hold on his dagger inside his coat pocket; prepared to whip it out the second he saw or heard something he didn't like.

As he expected, it didn't take long. Clearly he'd been watched for quite some time. Perhaps they too had waited for a perfect opportunity. He heard them first. A dull thud somewhere above, scrabbling feet on loose tiles, a hastily drawn breath. Sheik's mouth turned into a thin line as he headed into an even darker alley, pausing in the very middle of it...and waited.

Facing it head-on was usually a suicide tactic, but if his suspicions were correct...

There were two of them. Appearing on the rooftops, they quickly assessed that he was no threat as of yet and expertly climbed down, sliding down drainpipes and finding handholds in the old brickworks. They stopped about ten paces away, their faces completely hidden by their hoods.

The silence reigned for several seconds. Sheik waited. He wasn't the one who was going to start this.

"You've caused quite a bit of trouble for us, kid," one of them said. The voice was female, with an accent that sounded quite familiar. Sheik tried not to grin. He'd been correct, then. "Cost us a job."

"Pardon me if I am not weeping for your money pouches," Sheik replied. "I'd say going broke is preferable to the world ending."

The two hooded stalkers looked briefly at each other, before shrugging. "You'll have to elaborate on that one," said the other one, and there was no mistaking who happened to be under that hood...

"Classified information, I'm afraid," Sheik said, shivering slightly. The temperature was still falling. "Much like your identities...or were, at any rate. I think we can dispense with the masks, wouldn't you say? Kafei, Elenwe?"

Elenwe ripped her hood off, eyes shining with anger. "How the fuck do you know our names?!" Link's description had been spot on, right down to the way her eyebrows wrinkled slightly when pissed off. Beautiful, no doubt, and deadly...

Kafei simply sighed and lowered his gently, fixing Sheik with an ambiguous look, apparently uncertain of how to tackle the situation.

Sheik had been steeling himself for this moment, had gone through it a million times in his head. The anger was still there, along with the hurt and betrayal. Not even Link's story had soothed the pain...and now, staring at his cousin's all-too-familiar, yet slightly scarred, face...it all came back. It was a struggle not to fling the dagger straight at those ruby eyes that matched his own. Traitor, his mouth wanted to say. Bastard. But the words would not come, nor would his voice.

"Isn't it obvious?" Kafei said, looking at his partner in crime. "I should have known from the second we heard of the councillor's arrest. The Hero of Time isn't just a figurative title, after all..."

Elenwe's eyes narrowed further. "So...he's seen us here before...?"

"That would be my guess," Kafei said, nodding. "And so he's told my dear cousin what he has seen. I do wonder what it was... World ending, you say?" The purple-haired Sheikah frowned at that. "Clearly there is something we haven't been briefed on...though we never had a chance seeing as our employer was arrested and imprisoned nearly out of the blue before we could have our first proper meeting. I can only assume he, and therefore by proxy, we, had something to do with it?"

"Classified information, again," Sheik said, finally finding his voice. Seeing Kafei again was...strange. He was angry, which was a given, but also...excited? "Suffice to say, our interference with this particular contract of yours should be seen as the princess doing you a favour."

Kafei scowled at the mention of Zelda. "I'll believe that when pigs fly. As if she would ever do me a favour that wasn't helping me into a comfortable position under the headsman's axe."

"You'd never get that far," Sheik said. "I'd take your head myself long before it came to that. Truth be told, as far as I know she doesn't even know you're here...yet."

"And, what, you're going to tell her?" Kafei asked. "I realise you're angry at me, but—"

"Oh, I'm angry," Sheik confirmed, "but this affair concerns us, not her."

"So you're just going to kill me, is that it?" Kafei almost managed to sound saddened by that. "Well, I can't say I haven't been dreading this potential day for years..."

"If you want to kill him, you'll have to go through me first!" Elenwe announced, stepping between the two Sheikah, her infamous collapsible crossbow unfolded and pointing straight at Sheik's heart. "K, go!"

"E—"

"No one is killing anyone tonight," Sheik said, rolling his eyes. Of course that's what they'd expect...which, if it hadn't been for a certain Hero, would certainly have been the case. "Trust me, we would never have gotten to this point if that was my intention. I simply wish to...talk."

"Talk?" Kafei said, crossing his arms and raising his eyebrow just so in a gesture so painfully familiar...Sheik had almost forgotten who he'd emulated for so long...old habits die hard, he supposed. "And what do we have to talk about? Are you simply trying to keep us occupied while the princess' forces move into position around us?"

Had Kafei always been so suspicious?

Sheik rolled his eyes once more. "The princess doesn't even know where I am at the moment. For all she knows, I'm asleep in my bed at the hotel."

"With the Hero."

This time, Sheik did pause. Kafei chuckled.

"We have been doing our own reconnaissance. We wanted to see why so much trouble had been caused, and by whom. Imagine my surprise seeing you involved in all this."

Elenwe grinned. "Imagine K's expression when I told him I saw you and the Hero of Time smooching and going at it like—"

"That's enough," Sheik said, trying to fight down the blush that was threatening to fill his cheeks. That was a particular detail he'd hoped to keep hidden from people in general. "My personal relationships have nothing to do with this." He hesitated. "And even if they did, I care little for your prejudices—"

"Prejudice?" Elenwe said, looking confused. "Who said I was prejudiced? What I saw was—"

"And that is indeed enough," Kafei said loudly, groaning. "I would rather not imagine my cousin doing anything with anyone, thank you very much."

This is not going according to plan at all, Sheik thought. He'd expected a fight. Shouting. Or perhaps no confrontation whatsoever, with both parties deciding to leave each other alone. He'd never be able to go through with Impa's original kill order...not after what he'd learned. But what he knew could have happened and what was happening right now were two very different things. He could never have the future Link described—there were too many variables and particular moments for that...but perhaps something could be salvaged?

"I just need to know, Kafei," he said, fixing his cousin with a pointed look.

"Know what?" Kafei asked, still in a defensive pose. He was probably as uncomfortable with this as Sheik was.

"I need to know if...if it was an accident." That was the truth of it, really. There were only three people in the world he trusted completely. Zelda, Impa, and Link. Even so, hearing the supposed real version of the events from the Hero's mouth somehow made it all ring hollow. There was no...no real catharsis. Not when the party responsible wasn't there. Link had assured him it was true. Only Kafei could confirm it without a doubt.

Kafei practically recoiled at the question, suddenly looking at anything but Sheik. "Why does that matter?" he asked. "What happened, happened. There is no going back and fixing it."

"That is very true," Sheik agreed, nodding. "There is no changing the past...not unless you're the Goddesses' Chosen, which we are most definitely not." In more than one way...we do not even truly belong here. "But one of the good things about the past is that you can choose to forget it. You can put it behind you, and move forward. We're all alone now, you and I. With time...perhaps it doesn't have to be so."

Kafei didn't look convinced. Elenwe seemed to have accepted the fact that this was not a conversation that required her presence, and had drawn slightly back, looking between the two with a look of intent concentration. A good friend, Link had described her as.

"That's many years of bottled up regret and anger to deal with," Kafei muttered. "Who says it'll even matter, in the end?"

"I'd much rather try and fail than never know," Sheik said. "It's not going to be an instant process. I'm not that naïve. And perhaps it is stupid and ridiculous. I certainly would have thought so had the idea been revealed to me a year and a half ago. But I've seen too much to let it go now." Sheik crossed his arms and mirrored his cousin's pose perfectly. "But it is completely up to you. I cannot force you into this. And, if it helps at all, I swear to you that refusing to answer will not end in blood. This will be the last you ever see of me, if that is the case. For what it is worth, I hope it's not."

It was about as emotional an appeal he could make in the face of someone who still greatly angered him. It definitely would not be an instant process—for either of them. But he had to try. Both for his own sake, and those ridiculously manipulative, teary eyes and wobbling frown Link would unleash upon him if he said no. There'd be no living with the Hero if this failed. Actually, there'd be no living with the Hero if this succeeded, only the agonising sadness would be replaced by infuriating smugness. There was no true winning with someone like Link, who knew just about everything about everyone at this point.

And yet, Sheik loved him.

And Kafei, though that was deep, deep, deep down, obscured by years of anger, betrayal, and duty.

Kafei stared into Sheik's eyes, undoubtedly gauging whether or not Sheik was telling the truth. That was fine. Sheik would have been disappointed if he'd simply accepted it immediately. Survival instinct was something he could accept and respect. After a moment, something seemed to click into place behind his crimson eyes, and he nodded. "You're actually being serious, aren't you?" he asked.

"I have never been more serious in my life, though I'm sure some would disagree," Sheik replied.

"You always were a pain in the ass."

"As were you."

Kafei shrugged. "Older brother mentality, I suppose." His features focused, and his entire form seemed to tighten up. "Yes. What happened that night was an accident. The idea of hurting you...was so abhorrent to me that I nearly remained behind to ensure you survived, but..." He looked down at the ground, ashamed. "There is no excuse. I ran. I meant to invite you to come with me, but you never gave me a chance."

"I believed too much in our duty," Sheik said, nodding as he felt something deflate in his chest. He detected no lie in Kafei's voice, movements or eyes. He wasn't sure what he'd expected to feel upon finally knowing, but...really, not much had changed. The edge of his anger had been removed, certainly, but it wasn't enough to simply wipe the slate clean. "Even if you had managed to extend the offer, I would probably not have accepted it. I don't think our encounter that night could ever have ended differently...but this meeting certainly could."

"You're still angry," Kafei noted. "I can see that."

"It is a process, like I said. But it has begun."

"And how will this...process, move along?" the elder Sheikah said, lowering his guard now that he knew no attacks were incoming.

"That is the bit I am unsure of," Sheik confessed. "In...a different time, we would have had a war to fight in. Now...well, we do not. We will remain here in Lumina for a while yet to ensure the councillor and his co-conspirators are taken care, and then we will return to Hyrule."

"We could meet," Kafei suggested. "Anonymous places. When you return to Hyrule...letters?"

"I believe that will be best until I can persuade Zelda to cancel your warrant," Sheik said, nodding. "And Link would like to meet you again, of course."

"Only proper, I suppose," Kafei said. "I need to assess his worth, after all."

"Elenwe is welcome too."

"Me?" The Gerudo asked. "Why me? I'm not a part of this."

"You are, though, in more ways than you can imagine," Sheik said cryptically.

"Eugh, you two are definitely related," Elenwe grumbled, heading for the mouth of the alley. "I'll be waiting at the hideout, K, this is getting too stupid for me."

"I'll be along shortly," Kafei assured her. He waited until she was gone before he spoke again. "What was her part in all this?" he asked.

"I daresay we wouldn't have survived without her," Sheik said. "Not least of all because of what she was to you. And you to her."

"Partners?"

Sheik fought the desire to slug him for his obliviousness. "Not in the way you think."

"Then what do you mea—oh..."

"There you are."

"But, she's never said—"

"Because of Anju."

The change in Kafei's expression went instantly from confusion to anger. "What could you possible know about—"

"Only what I have been told," Sheik cut him off. "And I will not discuss it with you here. All I am saying is...you should talk to her about it. Perhaps you will learn something." Realising it was getting late, he pulled his cowl back up and fastened it once more. "I need to get back. Link is a light sleeper these days, and will realise I am absent if I stay much longer. Think on what I've said, and choose. Good night, cousin."

He didn't let Kafei get any more words in before leaving the alley beginning his lonesome trudge back to the hotel. His cousin did not follow. Perhaps he'd gone a bit too far with his comment about Anju…or perhaps that was what Kafei needed to hear to finally believe in his sincerity? Either way they both had a lot to think about. Sheik could only hope it would result in what Link's tales of the future had...or at the very least the pacification of his anger towards the older Sheikah.

It'll be a long road, indeed...

A very different set of circumstances definitely resulted in a much different confrontation between our two favourite Sheikah...hopefully they can patch things up properly. Probably the last of the Lumina stories for now. Hope you enjoyed it!