Author's Notes: Praise to those who praised me. Thanks KT, Lady of the squirrels, Kairan Akiyama, Lamika, noperfect917, Venks, fireflyofearth, Eisenkraehe, Surreptitious Chi X, Saiyou-the-lover, and FlamingDoritos.

Glad to see everyone is enjoying this fic so much. I'd like to say I'm sorry for making you cry, Akiyama, ...but really I love it when I do that to people. Link's reaction to Mikau dying was actually a direct copy of what I did in MM. I had to have rolled back time a dozen times before I finally gave up on saving him.

Also, thanks especially to Surreptitious Chi X. It's wonderful that fans like my fic, but it's a large compliment that someone that's never played the games likes my fic as well. I'm glad you and everyone else enjoys my writing so much.

Chapter 10

We woke the next day in the same position (pleasantly enough) and we gathered our things again to head out through the temple. At the exit of the temple, still underwater, we saw the lake was almost entirely filled and many Zora were swimming though the passageway to the city. The clean water from the fountain did wonders to dilute the toxic rain, and as we swam towards the tunnel as well, the water only had a slightly sour taste to it. The guards waved us in when we neared the gateway and with only a moments hesitation at having to face the city once more, I swam in.

Much to my relief, the Zora had apparently been working tirelessly to restore the city. The dead in this section had been mostly removed, though a few were lined up on the far bank of the main pool, covered with white cloths. I dipped my head at the sight of them and escaped out the exit of the city before any of the surrounding Zora could say anything. No matter what they had to say, be it praise or accusation, I knew it was nothing I wanted to hear.

I waved Sheik to follow me when I leapt through the now swiftly falling waterfall. Once we were on the other side, I was fast to run to the pool that would take us back to the Lost Woods. Sheik still didn't seem to like the idea, but using these magical passageways would shave more than a day off our trip to the Sheikah path around Death Mountain. This time, thankfully, the trip through the Lost Woods was uneventful and with our red cloaks sheilding us, we carefully wove our way through the disorienting forest.

Throughout the trip through the Woods, Sheik kept as tight a grip on me as before. There was no one to disrupt us this time, so I was able to better enjoy the feel of his closeness and this time he wasn't just holding onto my hand. After getting a good look at what becomes of those lost to the Woods, Sheik's phobia had only been intensified. He was now holding onto my arm, pressed close enough to me that he was resting his chin on my shoulder by the time we left the woods, and I certainly wasn't complaining. Not only did I shamefully enjoy the benefits I reaped from his fear of the Woods, but I also found it a rather excusable fear. After enduring being within the mask without complaints, diving down to save me in the fountain, and drawing his weapons against the Fierce Deity, Sheik was more than entitled to this small weakness.

I checked on Epona to be sure she was being shielded well from the rain, and, as I had thought, she was. I would be sure to thank the Kokiri properly after all this, but for now… "I'm sorry, girl," I told her as she nuzzled me. "You have to stay here for now."

She nickered at that and bumped her nose against my face.

"I know, I know. I don't like it either, but I can't protect you from the rain and I don't want you to get hurt. Stay here where it's safe," I explained and though she nickered argumentatively I turned and headed out of the village with Sheik.

"You're rather attached to your horse, aren't you?" Sheik asked as we trudged over the rope bridge and out into Hyrule Field.

I nodded. "She was essential when I was dealing with Ganon and when Zelda rolled back time she was the first thing I went to get back. I don't know how and I'm sure you think I'm too fond of her, but I'm positive she remembers everything."

He shook his head. "Actually I'm more surprised by how closely the legends depicted you," he explained. When I looked over to him I saw that small smile in his eyes (a refreshing change from the worshiping awe I'd seen there when I'd first encountered him in the snow).

"Oh?" I asked, both curious and a little afraid to hear yet another story from Sheik's childhood about me.

"There was a stained glass window in the Prince's play room that showed you mounted on her with a bow in hand. There was much debate between the scholars on whether you were a horseman or a swordsman. Apparently they underestimated your versatility," he added with a chuckle that was so soft it was almost just a slight shaking of his shoulders.

I shook my head at his amusement as we followed the filling Zora River to the bridge. "Just one or the other, huh? I don't know which I'd consider myself more..." I trailed off in thought before looking back over at him. "You said they had Epona in the picture?"

He nodded. "Yes. They didn't know her name anymore than yours, but I was quite surprised to see you with her when the Princess was wearing me. She looked almost exactly like the window in his room, but I suppose the window and tapestries and so forth were lost over the years."

"If they weren't, Zelda never mentioned them. I'll have to ask her once we're through with this." Honestly, I was interested a little myself so see what the mystics and scholars of Sheik's childhood had thought Epona and I would look like, but the fact that they had depicted her was good to know. Maybe she was assigned her task by the goddesses as well and that was why she remembered and understood so well. It also validated my near instinctual draw to her and dependence on her. Though a horse was poor for conversation, I didn't know what I would have done if I'd been utterly alone all those years after Ganondorf.

We made some small talk as we traveled through the rain, and I explained the Kokiri to Sheik and what it had been like growing up in the woods. My attempts to draw out details of his life didn't meet with much success, but I didn't let that deter me. Sheik was naturally a very closed person and so was I, so I knew well the habit of nodding and listening rather than talking. By the time we crossed the bridge and turned towards the wooded area that Sheik pointed out, I was rather sure that I had never talked so much in my whole life.

As we neared the spot that Sheik said used to have a trail going through it, I looked down at the grass beneath my feet. It looked sickly and stricken. First left dry and then drown in poisoned water, the once brilliant green of Hyrule Field was being stained by mottled patches ranging from wilted and stricken to yellow and dying. If the rain wasn't stopped soon, every farming field would be ruined and the land would be facing starvation.

It was dark when we reached the remains of the trail to the east of Kakariko and we both thought it best to try to find shelter along this broken path rather than attempt to sleep on Hyrule Field. As it was, we walked well into the night before we found a rocky outcropping that protected well against the rain. "Finally," I said with a sigh as I shrugged off the red cloak to leave it bundled up in a far corner of the alcove.

"I was beginning to think we'd be walking all night," Sheik said as he did the same and looked about our moderately sized shelter.

"Cozy isn't it?" I asked with a grin as I poked into the crannies for any dry leaves and sticks that might be around. "Maybe we should make a summer home out of it."

"It would let in the summer breeze wonderfully, wouldn't it?" he joked back and I laughed a little as I nodded.

"That it would and it's private as well. A win-win I think," I said as I tossed the meager bits I had found into a pile. "Though at the moment, we're rather short on materials for a fire. This should burn for only a half hour at the most."

He nodded and took a seat against the wall across from it and I joined him with a slight groan to finally be off my feet. I leaned forward to it and, extending my hand over the pile, I concentrated on the small spark in the back of my mind to set the pile alight. "Well," I said with a sigh as I leaned back. "That should be enough to dry out our boots at least." As it was the leather around the bottoms of mine was looking a little pale and, glancing over at Sheik's, I saw his were looking the same. "We'll probably both have to buy new ones after this."

"Probably," he replied waving his feet back and forth before the fire. "I'm sorry the path isn't here, as I said it would be, Hero. It used to run through here."

I shook my head at his apologies. "Don't worry about it. You know the way roughly and it's better than I could have done on my own. Not your fault that it fell into disuse over the years."

"I suppose it was naïve to think it would still remain after so long," he said as he leaned forward to hold his wrapped fingers before the flames.

I shrugged. "I don't know. A lot of things remain for a long time. What was this path used for before? Just reaching the Fire Temple?"

"...No. No, it led to a small village, but I guess it's been abandoned."

"Oh?" I asked, curious about why Sheik had hesitated, but he only nodded and leaned back against the stone. It was aggravating to know so little about him, but again I didn't press. Like telling him that Zelda had given him to me and that he could remove his mask and reclaim his name, I didn't want to rush anything. For who knows how long he had been shut up in that tent all alone or watching people interact without being able to do anything but watch. When this was over I'd tell him that he was bound to me (telling him sooner might also cause him to risk himself foolishly to protect me instead of putting Zelda's interests first anyway). Then, much later, I figured I'd tell him that he could take the mask off.

"How much further do you think we have to go till we reach the temple?" I asked.

"Um... with the condition, or rather lack there of, of the road, I don't think we'll reach it before tomorrow night. I think it'll be late into the next day before we get there."

I nodded and with a yawn, I let myself drift off beside him, eager for the morning to come and the end of this disaster.

---

We had been traveling several hours after our small breakfast of bread and cheese (I was still amused by how Sheik savored such a meager meal) when we reached a wide clearing. Once the sun had come up (however dimmed it was by the black clouds above), we could see the crumbling remains of stone torches that had once lined the path. We could even see that what we had mistaken for naturally scattered stone was actually stepping stones. The road must have looked nice at one time. The whole time we walked Sheik was even quieter than usual and soon I fell into the wary silence with him.

I wasn't sure why he was suddenly so tense, but it only got worse the further we went. Had he had some sort of problems with the abandoned village? Had they been dark people that he feared were still lurking or was it something else entirely? A small voice suggested that maybe he was just sick of talking with me, but I disregarded that quickly. He wasn't annoyed or bored, he was pensive and worried. I wished I had pressed the matter back under the overhang when we reached the clearing and saw the village spread out before us.

It had once been a nice sized hamlet, a little larger than Kakariko actually and its small homes and shops ambled along flagstone roads. Unlike Kakariko, the homes were mostly built of stacked stone blocks with slate roofs (those that were still whole enough to call roofs). By the look of it, no one had lived here for hundreds of years and before I said anything, I looked over to Sheik.

He stood immobile in his roughly cut cloak. The only movement was the shifting of the red fabric as the rain beat down on it and I wasn't even entirely sure that he was breathing. "Sheik...?" I asked softly but gone no response. He didn't even blink and I couldn't tell if he was near tears or flight. "Sheik," I said again, louder, and reached out to touch him despite it causing my hand to meet with the falling rain.

"Yes, Hero," he responded quickly, practically snapping to attention.

"It's 'Link', and what's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing is wrong, Hero. The road to the Fire Temple is this way," he replied shortly in his matter-of-fact formality and started down the street.

I didn't follow for a moment, trying to guess at what had him this spooked. As I walked swiftly to catch up with him, I decided that I'd been patient enough. Something had him very spooked. "Sheik... Sheik stop for a minute."

"Yes, Hero?" he asked as he complied, though again I met with a stony expression of duty and formality. I hated that expression.

"Don't say 'Yes, Hero?' like everything is normal. This place has you more freaked out than the Lost Woods, and I want to know why."

"I'm not-" he started to deny, but I wasn't hearing.

"You are too freaked out. You're practically jumping out of your skin to get us out of here and I want to know why? What was this village?"

"It wasn't anything! I just want to get to the Fire Temple!" he snapped back.

"It was something! And I want to know what! Was this place something forbidden or evil?"

"No!"

"Well, did the people do something wrong? Did something bad happen to you here?" I demanded, looking around us at what looked like a very innocent looking little village.

"No!" he shouted again, looking more upset by the minute, but I wasn't giving in.

"Well then, what did-" I cut myself off as I saw a faded, painted symbol on one of the few doors that was still mostly on its hinges. It was the same eye that was on the gossip stones and Sheik's tunic... Suddenly I felt very foolish as I looked around the abandoned village that I already knew was located on the way to a Sheikah shortcut into the Fire Temple. "...This was your home, wasn't it?"

He was silent for a long while before he dropped his eyes. "...I didn't live here long. I went to serve the royal family when I was fifteen... I knew the Sheikah were gone," he added quickly. "I had heard the Princess Zelda saying that Lady Impa was the last, so I knew that they wouldn't be here. I thought that maybe Hylians or humans had moved in, so I didn't really expect it to be just… abandoned. I guess the Lady Impa came from somewhere else. I guess people have been gone from here for a very long time," he said and the way he was shifting his weight told me he was embarrassed to be so upset by this, but it seemed more than reasonable to me. "I'm sorry I concerned you, Hero."

"Don't be. You've got every reason to be bothered by this. I can't imagine what this must be like for you. I'm... I'm really sorry I shouted at you," I apologized as I reached back out into the rain to grip his shoulder. His shoulder slumped a little under my grip and I tightened it reassuringly as I stepped closer to him. I could see that he had his hand over his face and I left him stand there for a moment to collect himself, but after a long moment without a change I spoke up gently. "Listen, you said that we probably wouldn't reach the Fire Temple until late this evening right? That means we'll have to find a place to camp before heading into the temple. ...Would you prefer to find a building here to bed down in for the night?" I wasn't sure if he would or if he'd rather rush out of here as quickly as possible.

He began to raise his head but then seemed to think it would be better to keep his face covered and turned from me. "I... I don't want us to delay our task just for-"

"We won't," I assured him. "I'd be no good charging into the temple exhausted from a day long hike. Better to rest anyway. Whether we do it here or further on is entirely up to you. I'm sure we can find a place in here that will give us enough shelter, but we can probably find somewhere else further on, too." I thought it was most likely in this town, but if he wanted to get away from it I'd happily hunt all night for shelter elsewhere.

After a few pensive moments, he nodded. "Yes, yes I'd like to stay a night here, if it's not disruptive to our mission"

"It's not, don't worry," I promised and patted his shoulder before pulling my now stinging hand back under my cloak. "Lead on, where ever you'd like. We have hours before dusk if you'd like to walk the streets before finding somewhere to sleep."

Again he nodded and seemed to gather himself back up. "Thank you," he said softly in an emotion filled voice and, with most of the strength returned his shoulders, he waved me to follow him along a street to our right.

As we went, we passed a fountain in a little square, a large building that looked like a place of worship, several smaller buildings that could have been shops or municipal buildings as well as many homes of varying sizes. We walked for quite a while, making turns in a way that led me to believe that we were following some track that he had walked a lot as a boy, but he never spoke up to confirm that suspicion. All through the long trek through the crumbling Sheikah village, Sheik never spoke a word, but rather silently walked a half a step before me, turning here or there, pausing at this corner or that building, lost in his own world.

I wondered what he was seeing in his mind. When he stopped at this or that building, did he remember it as a friend's house? A relative? Was it a crotchety old man who used to shake his cane at Sheik when he was a little boy? It could have belonged to anyone really, but this time I stayed quiet and left him to his thoughts.

It was getting darker when we stopped in front of a nice, little home on the north side of the village. It looked like its backyard had once been neatly fenced in by a stacked stone fence and by the looks of it had had a garden in one corner. He stood before its rotted door for a long while before he stepped up and tentatively pushed it open. It swung awkwardly on one hinge, but didn't fall, as I had feared it would.

The twilight did little to illuminate the inside, but the roof was mostly in tact so I was able to find a loose board easily that was dry enough to burn. I hoisted it up and lit it with a fist-sized pulse of flames. Soon it was burning well enough to light the room moderately. Still Sheik said nothing but was now able to walk through the decrepit house. It was only one story (thankfully as the two story ones would have worried me for safety) and he carefully walked around the main living and kitchen area and then back a hallway to the few side rooms that had probably been bedrooms. They even had the rotting remains of beds and other various furniture pieces in them. All the while, I held the light up behind him so he could see.

He came to a stop in one of the small bedrooms, just standing in the middle and looking around with a lost and uncertain expression on his face. On the far wall was the remains of a bed and a window over it. A small hole in the roof above had obviously let in just enough rain in the past years to let a small cluster of plants grow on the bed. Sadly the rain now was no help to the little green things and already the small white flowers were looking wrinkled and sickly. Sheik stepped forward and, after a moment of looking around. Went to grab the door that had fallen to the floor long ago. He struggled to get it up for a second before I found a spot to stick our light so I could help him. Without a word he directed me to lift the door to the bed and with a little work, we had built a small shelter over the plants. When rain was clean again the door would have to be removed, but for now, it would protect them from the witch's poison. "Thanks..." he said shakily and I placed my hand back on his shoulder reassuringly.

Again he leaned into the small touch and I could feel a small trembling in him. "Sheik...?"

"Can we stay here, tonight?" he asked in a voice that I was certain was higher and less steady than he would have preferred.

"Sure."

"I know there are probably better places that we could use. The fireplace probably doesn't work anymore and-" he continued quickly but I stepped around to face him.

"Sheik, it's alright. I'm fine with this place. Whatever you want."

He had his head down and swallowed before nodding. "Thank you."

"Why don't you clean off a bit of floor for us to sleep on and I'll go back through and see if I can find enough wood to get a fire going?"

He nodded silently and I squeezed his arm a moment before leaving with the light to hunt for more wood. With the roof mostly whole, there was actually a decent bit and after I had a good armful of fallen boards and broken furniture I headed back into the bedroom.

Sheik was keeping his hands busy pushing away debris from the driest corner and I stacked a decent amount of the wood into the fireplace, hoping it would work. Thankfully, it did and soon we had a bright and warm fire blazing in the dusty brick fireplace. "I only have two blankets in my pack," I explained as I rummaged in it. "Everything else is on Epona, but if we spread the one out on the floor and share the other, we should be alright, or at least better than we were last night under the overhang."

He nodded and took the blanket I offered him and he spread it out with a carefulness that said he was still lost in his own thoughts. While he did that, I took our cloaks and spread them out near the fire as well as kicking off my boots and taking off my tunic and gloves to let them dry, too. If I'd been on my own I would have stripped off my pants but given the situation I figured I'd leave them on. When he saw me doing it, Sheik did the same and had just hung up his own tunic when his eyes fell on my left hand. "What happened?" he asked and I looked down guiltily at the reddened skin of my fingers.

"I was my normal intelligent self," I said with a guilty grin. "I yell at you about washing out your mask but then I stupidly kept reaching out into the rain. It'll be fine."

"Have you rinsed it?"

I shrugged. "I didn't want to waste any of our good water," I explained but Sheik shook his head and pulled out one of the water skins.

"That's your sword hand, Hero," he admonished. "What good will water do us if you can't fight went the time comes?" he admonished me and I watched as he pulled off his own hand wraps far faster than I would have thought possible by the looks of them. "Here," he said and motioned for me to produce my stinging hand. Once I had he cupped one of his hands under mine and poured the water over it before pushing the skin back in my good hand so that he could rub my injured hand thoroughly between his own. "Again," he said and I dutifully poured the water over my own hand so that he could rub off any remaining poison. "You kept grabbing my shoulder," he said as he worked. "That's why you were reaching out wasn't it?" he asked a little softer than necessary and I shrugged, not wanting him to be guilty over it. As he finished he shook off his own hands. "It should be alright now, or rather it won't get worse."

"Thanks," I said with a smile and he just shook his head at my thick headedness.

"What do we have left in the food supplies?" he asked as he went to sit on the blanket.

I pulled out a good bit of bread and cheese as well as some jerky and we settled in for a quiet meal. "Thank you," Sheik said after a bit and I looked up questioningly. "You burnt your hand comforting me," he stated and I shrugged embarrassedly. "Thank you."

"Don't mention it."

He nodded and took a few more bites before he spoke again. "...This was my room," he said softly and I nodded slightly, having guessed that. "I feel silly for wanting to protect those flowers but..." he trailed off and I shook my head. I didn't think it was that silly, given everything. He smiled over at me at that. "Thank you for helping me. This... this place wouldn't have been... bearable... without you."

I reached out and squeezed his shoulder firmly in reply and he slumped again at the offer of support, a hand coming up to his face. "I just didn't think it would be like this..." he trailed off, his voice sounding shaky again and, despite my resolution to keep a friendly distance, I moved to sit beside him and wrapped an arm around his shoulders.

"I'm sorry," I whispered and inwardly wished for some way to roll back time for him, to make this place alive again with his family and friends intact. Anything to fix this wound in him.

Much to my relief, he didn't pull away from me but rather turned towards me enough that he could bury his face in my shoulder, drawing as close as our position allowed. As I felt his shoulders shaking I shifted my position a little more so that I could wrap both my arms around him and pull him closer. Again he only drew tighter against me as his arms wrapped around my back.

I held him tightly like that while he wept on my shoulder for minutes or hours; I couldn't tell and didn't care. The smell of his hair mingled with the salt of tears and he felt warm in my arms. Honestly, while I was doing it to comfort him, it was greater of a comfort to me than I would have guessed. In his silent sobs I found piles of memories of the times I had desperately wanted for someone to hold me close like this and let me cry on their shoulder. Though I felt selfish for it, I felt my own eyes prick with tears and thankfully any that fell were caught quickly by the back of my hand before Sheik felt them.

When the shaking of his shoulders had stilled, he pulled back from me with his head ducked to hide the effects of his crying. "I'm sorry, I..."

"Don't. If any situation would call for it, this is it," I said and he let out a small slightly wet laugh.

"I suppose so. ...Thank you."

Don't mention it," I said as I reached for the remaining blanket. "We should sleep. I think we're both a little drained," I said and meant it completely. Hopefully after a nights sleep I wouldn't have to fight the urge to kiss him quite as forcefully as I was having to now. ...Goddesses, how tempting it had been to just draw his face to mine, push that infernal mask down, and kiss him till he didn't hurt anymore and all the loneliness was gone from his eyes. Thankfully, I had resisted the urge and now sleep was the goal.

He nodded at my suggestion and moved to lie on the hard floor beside me. Despite the desire for more, that tender hug had actually left me feeling very warm and contented and I was asleep almost as soon as laid down beneath the blanket.

To be continued.