"Is there anything else I should be aware of?" asked Link, entering the house and adjusting his gloves.

At the table, Sheik and Impa startled, but he paid them no mind as he picked up his backpack, sword and shield.

Oni shrugged. "I am aware of everything. I know of every beating heart of every person in this village. You will have to be more specific," he said, entering the house after him while carrying Dark in his arms, who started to stir back to consciousness.

Link rubbed at his eyes. "For being a god, you sure are dense."

"He's a god?" asked Impa.

"Whut happen'd?" mumbled Dark. Oni set him down on a chair.

Sheik whispered to Impa that he would explain later, and stood up. "Link? Is something wrong?" he asked.

"I need to go see Zelda right now. I'm taking Dark with me, but I need you to stay here with Impa and Oni."

"We're going where?" asked Dark, trying to stand up and failing. He almost tripped on his own two feet, but Oni held him up.

"Link what happened? You're worrying me," said Sheik, standing in front of Link.

"I don't know what happened," said Link, trying to appear calm, and failing. "But there is a huge crack in the sky. You can't see it, but trust me, it's there."

"The sky?" asked Sheik, rushing out to look at it, but found only clouds.

"It will be visible to mortal eyes by dawn," said Oni with perfect calm.

"That is exactly the kind of stuff I want to be aware of," said Link, throwing his arms in the air. "Feel free to send any more useful information straight to my brain while I'm gone. And I trust you will keep Sheik and Impa safe if anyone, especially any other sages, come to look for them. Dark, let's go."

"Separating would weaken us," warned Oni, but made no move to follow him, and Link knew he would stay and do as he had asked.

"We can't separate. We share the same mind," said Link, looking back as he left. Dark trailed in after him with wobbly steps, as if in a daze.

Sheik ran after them. "I'll go with you. I need to see Zelda too," he said.

"No, not right now. I can't afford to…Look Sheik, I have a rough idea of what happened, but without knowing the full story, I don't want you near Zelda or near any of the other sages. Much less for you to be in a place where we can be ambushed," said Link.

"Do you think they might try to…attack us?" asked Sheik.

"Do I believe they would try to attack us out of the blue and take you back to the shield? No. Not at all. But it is a possibility, and with the uncertainty of everything, and...that," he said, waving at the sky. "I don't want to take any chances where you might be in danger."

"Hero, you do remember that I am not really princess Zelda waiting for you save me?" said Sheik, lifting an eyebrow at him.

Link laughed. "No, you made that really clear."

"I can defend myself."

"Can't we just blame my childhood crush for my desire to protect you?"

"We could, but that would be very stupid."

"He wants you to have time with your mom," said Dark, rubbing at his eyes. "You know, in case the sky breaks apart and the world is suddenly destroyed."

"That too. It's a mix of a lot of reasons," said Link with a deep sigh. "I didn't want to say that one reason, though. Still, please stay here Sheik. There is a lot I need to talk with Zelda, and I would prefer to have this talk alone."

Dark coughed.

"Alone with my evil shadow twin," amended Link, with a roll of his eyes.

"I too, would advice that the sheikah stay here," said Oni link, who was suddenly there, even though a moment ago he hadn't been. Only Sheik startled at that.

"Well, you heard the god. You stay here. A kiss for good luck?" said Dark, winking at Sheik.

"I will transport you both to the castle now," said Oni, lifting his hands at them.

Link and Dark made identical expressions of terror.

And then they were conveniently not there.

"You could have warned them beforehand," said Sheik, looking up at Oni.

"I could have" said Oni, shrugging.

Sheik sighed, and walked uphill back to the house. Oni followed him in silence.

"Was it true? That he wanted me to have more time with my mother?" asked Sheik, unwilling to look at the deity.

"It was. He felt guilty for not asking about your family right away, and he tried to make up for that. The existance of your family was not immediately obvious to him, as he has none, and the idea that others do have one is foreign to him," explained Oni.

"I see. He…mentioned it once."

"I know he did," said Oni, and stopped as if listening for something. Then he looked down at Sheik. "He just remembered the possibility that you have a father too, and says that if I can, I should take you to see him."

Sheik shook his head. "Tell him I'm fine. I don't know who my father is anyway," he said, and then realized what he had said. "I mean, don't tell him I don't know who my father is! Just tell him I'm fine, and I…I appreciate his concern."

"I highly doubt he would judge the sage of shadow for such a thing, but I will keep that information sealed away from him if that is what you wish," said Oni.

Sheik pursed his lips and pulled his golden hair back away from his face. "I realize it might not be apparent to him because he doesn't know much about the Sheikah, but my father was a hylian and that's…not supposed to happen. Sheikahs don't mix with Hylians. And I don't judge my mother, of course. Love is love regardless of anything else. But so many people have judged her throughout the years…Have judged me throughout the years… I could not bear for Link of all people to suddenly be aware of this."

"That separation is not against the Law," said Oni.

"Oh, no it's not. I mean, it's not illegal, of course. But people don't look at it too well. I suppose it's a bit like Link's feelings for me," said Sheik, waving at Impa, who waited for them back at the entrance to the house.

"Link's feelings for you? Do you mean that he loves you despite being a man? That is also not against the Law."

Sheik's face turned red. "You don't have to be so blunt. And no, that's not illegal either. Late King Lodell, Princess Zelda's grandfather made it legal I believe. But you don't see men like that going around kissing in plain view."

"I do not understand your needless human worries," said the deity.

"He went to see the princess alone?" asked Impa. The black cracks were all over her arms and neck now. Sheik forced himself to appear calm despite the way his stomach twisted with worry when he saw her.

"Sort of," said Sheik. "I guess you could say he was alone in a way. Alone with himself."

Impa smiled.