Chapter fifty-three
The Temple of Time Again
The next week passed, and preparations were finalized. The operation to storm the Evil King's territory and take back Hyrule was a mission of life and death. Win or lose, this battle would seal the fate of the Golden Land.
Link's aloof exterior matched his neutral state of mind. He was surrendering to the destiny that was forced down his throat at the age of ten, allowing it to take every ounce of his control. He put everything in the goddesses hands. They gave him the Triforce and the Master Sword; the tools to be their Chosen Hero. They created the Golden Land of Hyrule, and if they wanted it saved, they would save it. Whatever happens, happens; this mindset was easier than worrying. He felt almost disconnected—indifferent to his surroundings. As always, Sheik seemed worried, and even more so with Link's behavior. Just the night before, he sought refuge in Sheik's arms after a nightmare, but today he barely even acknowledged his Guide—which wasn't an easy thing to do considering they were riding the same horse.
Along with only 30 other soldiers, all of the Faron regiment, they rode through Hyrule in the middle of the night. Sheik's muscles were sore from being tense for hours, and he felt guilty for causing Epona so much stress. It were as if he and Link had switched roles; they were now in the territory of the enemy but Link hadn't changed his cool demeanor since they left the Hidden Village.
They drew closer to Castle Town as the horizon began to lighten. With no sign of Ganondorf's army in sight, Sheik never abandoned his guard for a second - it only alerted him more. If Ganondorf wasn't waiting for them on the battlefield, that could only mean he was saving his resources. Sheik voiced this to Link who only sighed in response. He noticed that the Hero's hands were clenching the reigns as tightly as Sheik held his bow, and that gave him some reassurance that maybe his nervous, instinctive Link was still present.
—
Upon reaching Castle Town while the sky began to turn pink, the unease finally gripped the rest of the soldiers. One by one, the war horses jumped over the broken bridge. A daunting familiarity washed over both the Hero and his Guide as they entered the town, chills of unwelcomed nostalgia creepy up their spines. Bows pointed out from the formation in every direction as they passed the first houses—the only sound being hooves on the broken cobblestone. Murmurs rippled through the formation; instructions and anxiety being passed from solider to solider. Sheik watched Neema up at the front draw her sword, and so he loaded an arrow into his bow.
The hairs on the back of Sheik's neck stood on end, and the band holding One moment the soldiers rode in a neat formation, and the next they were scattering through the web of streets. After a battle cry and a few shouted words, arrows began raining down which narrowly missed the horses. Gerudo soldiers had been hiding in the shadows and waited until the last hoof of the Hyrulean horses entered the town before attacking.
In a split-second decision, Link steered Epona skillfully through the destroyed town. They were the only ones who had taken this specific direction, and Sheik instantly recognized it as a way to get to the Temple of Time. It may be painfully obvious and vulnerable path, but Sheik trusted Link had a plan. There were shouts coming from all around, broken among the sound of hooves and lost to the rushing wind in their ears. Sheik could only make out a few words in the Gerudo language, but he gathered enough information to alert him to the fact that they were now pointing the arrows to him. There were many places to hide in the once-marketed streets of the town and that's when the arrows came flying from every direction. Too quick for them, Sheik aimed his arrow right for the forehead of a Gerudo peering through the crumbling window of a building, and another on the roof.
"Sheik!" Link cried. "Did you shoot them?!"
Sheik did not respond, twisting around to look for more. He had indeed shot the Gerudos and was glad Link apparently missed their gruesome deaths.
"The Hero is the King's!" came a harsh shout from somewhere ahead, obviously a Hylian man. "Do not shoot him!"
"Shoot the horse!" came another cry.
Arrows clattered at Epona's feet and she weaved recklessly to dodge them, jumping the burnt shops and stumbling on the broken cobblestone. Sheik took out more soldiers in clever hiding spaces in between crumbling buildings and hanging out windows, but it did nothing to stall the situation.
"The Sheikah must be killed!"
"Sheik! Go!" Link shouted, laying low on Epona's neck.
In Sheik's hesitation, multiple things happened at once: An arrow dug itself deep into his leg at the moment Epona's shrill whinny pierced the air, and the horse tripped on the uneven roads, falling to her knees and throwing Sheik off through overgrown bushes in an alley. In the time it took her to stand, she had been shot again.
The horse managed to keep moving a few feet before she staggered and fell into the thicket. Sheik had rolled a few times after being thrown off when she tripped, landing yards away from Link and his horse.
"Shit," Sheik breathed from up on his elbows.
"They fell in there!"
"Are they dead!?"
"I can't see anything!"
Despite the pain throughout his body, Sheik got up and stumbled to Link. The Hero was trapped under his horse, frozen in shock. With a straining effort due to his battered body, Sheik lifted just enough of Epona's unmoving body to free Link's legs, but the Hero did not move. "We have to go, Link!" Sheik whispered desperately. "Move!"
"We can't leave her…" Link sobbed.
"I hit the Sheikah!"
"Don't shoot! The Hero might have survived."
Navi was instructed by Link not to emerge lest her brightness draw the enemy's attention, and she had listened so far but when Link's hat was knocked off his head, she had to it back. That only scared Sheik more.
"Link!" he cried, and the Hero finally scrambled away.
According to the rusting of the thorny bush, they made it around the building just in time. More shouting followed them as they struggled to move as far as they could before stopping to catch their breath.
"Spread out and search for them!"
"We can't stay here," Sheik managed between clenched teeth, leaning against the building if only for a moment. Pain started burning through his leg once the adrenaline passed. "Shit," he cursed again, seeing that the arrow had broken off when he was thrown from Epona. The arrow was now only a short, splintery stick stuck out of his leg.
"You're hurt," Link observed bluntly, wrinkling his nose at the growing bloodstain on Sheik's thigh. "Dammit, Sheik..." He covered his face with his hands, his heavy breathing loud against the skin. "You should have just done what I told you! You never do what you're told..." His voice started out offending, but then shook and faded.
Sheik looked up, surveying their surroundings. "We're close to the Temple of Time," he said, spotting its steeple over the trees and buildings. "We have to get there... and then… then we can..." Behind them he could sense their enemies drawing nearer. "We have to go. Are you okay to move? Anything broken?"
Link shook his head numbly and set off. Sheik heard Navi's voice, and Link turned. He rushed to help his staggering Guide, wrapping an arm around his waist. He accepted Link's help and slung an arm around his shoulders.
They moved as fast as the limping Sheikah could through the overgrown grass towards the Temple of Time, praying that they weren't found.
—
Reaching the Temple of Time had a curious reaction. The glowing Triforce on Link's hand had allowed them to bypass the security around the Temple, then they had free access to enter. Sheik figured that maybe he was allowed in because Link was half-carrying him.
The Temple hadn't changed since the last time Sheik was here. The inside had been transformed from a place of worship to a camp to hide the princess. The soldiers with medical training gathered around the Hero of Time, but Link didn't have the energy to acknowledge them. He relinquished his hold on his Guide when the medics offered to care for Sheik, and trailed along with a stony expression while others buzzed around him searching for answers on his own well-being and dabbing at the cuts on his face with their swabs.
Moments after they arrived, Princess Zelda appeared in the doorway of the Hall of the Master Sword that now held her personal quarters. "Sheik, Link… thank goodness," she sighed as they were both deposited onto cots. "You're hurt," she went on to observe, echoing Link from earlier. When she realized what was happening, she helped the members of her guard care for Sheik, even wrapping his leg once the arrow was removed.
"What happened?" she asked after propping Sheik's leg up and daring him to move before turning to Link.
"Link is suffering a tragic loss," Sheik explained grimly, seeing the Hero flinch in between the nurses surrounding him on the bed next to his own. "We were shot down on our way here. We were unable to save Epona, his horse... his companion."
Zelda sunk down next to Link and placed her hand on his forearm. "I am so sorry, Hero."
Link remained silent.
The princess looked to Sheik who shook his head, discouraging her from prying; Link would talk when ready. Zelda dipped her head, closing her eyes as if paying respects to the Hero's fallen horse, and Sheik did the same. Upon looking up, the Hero was hiding his tears.
It was revealed upon examination that Link had a broken foot and a fractured hip from when his horse had fallen on him. Due to an adrenaline rush and the numbness of loss, he hadn't even noticed. He was prescribed a few dosages of healing potion and a day of rest.
"What will happen to the others?" Link asked harshly. "I can't just sit in the temple-!"
"They will clear the town and wait there for the rest of our army," Sheik assured, joining the Hero on his cot. "No one expected this to be won in a day, Link. Today was about getting you to the temple. Now we wait for the others."
After that, Link didn't say a word to him. Later in the day, when Sheik got permission to leave his cot, he met with various members of Zelda's guard to catch up and go over their plans. During this time, he caught sight of Link being doted on by nurses and, of course, by his fairy. Sheik tried to comfort him on occasion, but Link still would not speak to him.
—
That night, Sheik pushed his cot a little closer to Link's and listened to the guards passing by periodically. He knew Link wasn't asleep, but had no idea how to coax the Hero to sleep without telling a story or even rubbing his ears. He felt embarrassed even thinking it, never really considering being affectionate with someone in public to feel shame over. He understood why Link couldn't sleep, for neither could he in this tense atmosphere. Just as he opened his mouth to say something to Link, he stopped when he felt Zelda's eyes on him. The princess stood at the foot of his bed and jumped when Sheik rolled to his back to look at her.
"I thought you were asleep," she whispered, grinning. "I should've known better."
Sheik shook his head as he sat up, noticing Link had started pretending to be asleep.
Zelda smiled fondly at Link, then to Sheik. "Will you walk with me, then? If your leg has healed, that is."
Sheik instantly got out of bed, catching Link's half-hidden eye as he did so but said nothing.
He and the princess decided to walk behind the pillars to the Hall of the Master Sword, chatting in whispers about each others well-being.
"Seeing you and Link together is everything I ever imagined," said Zelda once they entered her quarters
Sheik gave her an astonished look.
"I did imagine you two!" she admitted, sitting on the stairs leading to the Pedestal of Time. Her personal belongs as well as desks full of papers, maps on the wall, and various weapons in piles were all along the circular perimeter of the hall, but nothing came near the platform where the Pedestal stood. "And I was right."
Sheik sighed, crossing his arms.
"Does he love you in return?"
Sheik instantly turned his head away, knowing that Zelda had the uncanny ability to read his expression through his cowl.
Zelda snickered. "That's as much of an answer as I need."
"Zelda, given the circumstances, is this really an appropriate conversation?" he said, his voice a bit tight. Had she honestly pulled him out of bed to talk about his relationship? How embarrassing.
"Yes," she answered simply through a beaming smile, then it faded into an exasperated frown. "Sheik, don't you think Link would need to be present if we were discussing something of importance? Not... that… this isn't important."
Giving up, Sheik moved swiftly and sat beside her on the cold, stone stair. He drew a deep breath. "I believe so, yes."
She bumped her knee against his, a surprisingly childish gesture from her. "How are you feeling?"
Sheik snorted. "About?"
"About staying."
"There's nothing I can do about it now."
"How do you feel, Sheik?" she asked firmly, using the motherly tone that only surfaced when he was being a brat.
Sheik inhaled deeply through his nose. He had never actually prepared an answer to this question. "Good," he finally said on the exhale. "It's actually... quite an undefinable feeling. I'm not entirely sure how I feel, but I love Link, and I know I can't feel bad about staying with him. Never completing my task is undeniably wrong, and I'm afraid of the possible consequences, but I can't bring myself to dwell too much on it."
"You want to know what I think?" Zelda offered, continuing at Sheik's nod. "Or, well… what I don't think. I don't think completing your task necessarily meant leaving. I think by staying and guiding Link until the end is what your task was meant to be."
Sheik smiled ruefully, dropping his gaze to his hands. "I think that's what you want to believe. But thank you. It does make me feel better to have your support."
Zelda leaned her head on his shoulder, yawning. They were quiet for a while until she asked, "So Link has not told you he loves you?"
"No… he has. But… I just…" he trailed away hopelessly as Zelda looked up.
"Tell me," she demanded.
Sheik chuckled nervously, then sighed. "Link is… naive… when it comes to feelings. I'm not sure he knows the emotional differences of attachment, but at the same time, I'm not sure there are any."
"Meaning?"
"Love is complicated, and loving someone and being attached to them emotionally are interrelated yet unclear. I suppose wouldn't mind how Link felt either way; as long as I'm with him, it's fine."
"Selfless as always," said Zelda, humor in her tone.
"I'm being honest," Sheik answered with a smile. However, his smile faded quickly when Zelda shook her head. "What?"
"I hope you both know how lucky you are, to have a sheer companionship like you do."
—
"Hey," came Link's quiet voice when Sheik returned.
Sheik turned as the Hero shifted on his bed, obviously making room. Sheik got the message and gratefully joined Link after checking to see if anyone was watching. Of course, they were, and it took a lot of self-confidence to climb into Link's bed in front of watchful eyes, but Sheik did so nonetheless.
"What did Zelda want?" Link asked as soon as Sheik's red eyes were inches from his.
"To ask about us," Sheik whispered back. His night vision allowed him to see Link's confused look.
"Us? Meaning..?"
Link's struggle to finish his thought was short lived; Sheik knew what he meant. "Yes."
"What did you tell her?"
Sheik wanted nothing more than to snuggle against Link like they did back in Kakariko, but he wondered if maybe they were under too much attention and if it could cause some suspicion of their true focus. It also wasn't very ideal for a Sheikah to be seeking comfort from another.
"That she was right," Sheik answered, finding Link's hand under the blanket.
Link did not reply beyond a shallow snort of acknowledgement or maybe it was humor. He eventually closed his eyes, and it seemed forget what his Guide hoped to be a conversation. Even still, Sheik stayed quiet.
Sheik never really understood how to care for grieving people. He had only been around Zelda for so long, and he knew how she worked. Link was not Zelda. The princess's feeling were controlled like Sheik's and he knew what to expect from her. Link was different. The night Link cleansed the Shadow Temple, his feeling were apparent and his need for affection was clear. Now Sheik wondered if Link was silently asking for comfort, or just putting up with Sheik's lame attempts. Sheik supposed the way to avoid a misunderstanding would be to ask, but at the same time he didn't want to upset Link further. In the back of his mind, Sheik knew this confusion was no foundation for a relationship, but being faced with this situation was much different than just in theory.
Maybe if he just let Link sleep it would be different in the morning. However, there was still this overwhelming urge to say something to him that Sheik couldn't force down. It was a strange feeling for him; he usually just stayed quiet—being quiet was easy.
Finally, Sheik lost the battle against his urge, but immediately regretted speaking after his words came out in a rushed, strained whisper, and he hoped the Hero was indeed asleep. "I love you." He had been dying to say that the entire day, but never found the courage to do so, and the flush of his face made him think he still had not.
Link opened his eyes, appearing unfazed by Sheik's awkward voice. He stared for a moment, his eyes wide and searching in the dark. Then he closed the gap between them, wriggling his hand free in favor ofn placing it in the small of Sheik's back.
"Love you too."
There was a paused where Sheik relished in Link's embrace before the Hero spoke again:
"I'm sorry… about earlier."
Sheik frowned. "For?"
"I shouldn't have yelled at you."
Oh. "...It's fine."
"It was just kind of a snap back to reality," Link said with a sigh.
"What do you mean?"
"Since we left camp I just thought… y'know… the goddesses would just take care of everything… and I would just… ride into Ganon's tower like I'm supposed to."
Sheik was silent for a moment while he analyzed those words. "The goddesses do not work in that way, Link. Just because they have chosen you does not guarantee they will preserve your life." He didn't wish to sound harsh, so he kept his voice soft. "You are the Hero of Time, but you are not a lifeless hero following orders thoughtlessly like one you may read of in a story."
"I haven't read many stories," Link muttered.
Sheik grinned despite the seriousness. Link always got a smile out of him no matter the situation. "I just mean that you are still human; you are still Link. This is still your life."
Link was quiet long enough it seemed like he was asleep, but Sheik actually knew better.
"I apologize as well, Link," Sheik whispered eventually, "and maybe if I had done what you told me, you could have—"
"Don't," Link interrupted. "You heard them: I know you did. They were going to shoot her anyway." There was a pause while Link nosed at Sheik's hairline. "And I know you're guilty for not listening but stop. You don't have to listen to anyone."
Sheik's immediate reaction was to argue that, but his choked back his words. Not only was their relationship was different now, but Sheik's overall position had changed.
"I just— If you were shot too…" Link shuddered against Sheik, his voice becoming a miserable whimper. "She's out there, Sheik…"
"I know," Sheik whispered, readjusting to wrap his arms around Link's neck. The Hero nestled against his Guide's chest, his breathing becoming shallow with sobs. "We will build a memorial for her… How about at the ranch where you rescued her?" He kissed the top of Link's head, remembering the day the Hero won his horse. "I'm sure the ranch girl who lives there would help us. It will be a lovely ceremony."
"But we can't bury her," Link moaned.
"A memorial does not require a body, necessarily. Many of the Sheikah who are honored in the Kakariko graveyard are unnamed and their bodies were never recovered, yet they are still remembered."
Link sniffed. "She was a good horse."
Navi had woken up to Link's crying and settled down between his shoulder and neck, spreading her wings on occasion like a butterfly to rub against his ear.
"A very good horse," Sheik agreed. "She lived a wonderful life with you, because of you, Link. She loved you as much as you loved her."
The next morning was eventful. Upon declaring Link healed, Zelda led both him and Sheik to her quarters at the back of the temple. Even if Sheik assured Link yesterday that this battle would not be won in a day, there was still no time to delay.
Zelda explained the pieces of the Triforce to Link and why he bore a third of the sacred triangle on the back of his hand. When Ganondorf had entered the Sacred Realm, his evil heart threw the Triforce out of balance and separated the pieces. He obtained the part representing the force he valued the most: Power. Wisdom and Courage were left to destiny to find the two individuals worthy of bearing their power.
"The Triforce is made up of three forces," Sheik said to Link's confused expression. "Ganon only obtained Power because he does not have the wisdom and courage to govern the power he seeks."
"So if I were to get there first," Link started, looking between both Zelda and Sheik, "I would throw it out of balance anyway, right? Would Ganon still have gotten Power?"
"I'm not sure, Link…" Zelda answered quietly. "I didn't know much about the Triforce back then, and I didn't even begin to think about the consequences. All I wanted was to keep Ganondorf from the Triforce, but it's very possible my plan could have backfired even if you had reached the Triforce first."
Sheik and Zelda exchanged grim looks, having had this conversation a few years ago after Sheik posed the very same question; it was the only real fight they ever had.
Link sat down on the stairs with his fairy on his shoulder. Nostalgia began seeping into Sheik's heart at the sight. A long time ago when the Hero of Time had woken from being locked away for seven years, he slumped down on these very steps and cried. That could have been lifetimes ago.
"At least the Sacred Realm wouldn't be hell," said Link, resting his arms on his knees. "That's what it is, right?" he added, looking up through long eyelashes at the other two. At no response, he looked down at his feet. "So even if I had touched it first, you don't think I would've gotten all the pieces?"
"I believe so," Sheik said instantly. Zelda gave him a incredulous look, and Sheik added firmly, "I don't doubt him."
"And you think I do?" Zelda asked.
"But Zelda got Wisdom. Not me," Link pointed out. "So no, I guess I wouldn't have."
"Maybe not at the time, but you have displayed on countless occasions your worth and respect for both power and wisdom," Sheik said. "And maybe a person can only hold one or three pieces, not two."
Zelda smiled, shaking her head in disbelief. "There was a time when you questioned the goddesses' judgment for a very different reason."
Sheik knew exactly what she was referencing: the night all his fears about the Hero of Time came spilling out, the night he confessed he thought the goddesses had made a mistake. Now he has no doubts in Link.
"I was wrong to doubt Link then," said Sheik, gazing affectionately at the Hero. "I'm sorry."
Link grinned. "It's okay."
"Link, Ganon is a corrupted man who knows no light," Zelda said seriously, calling the Hero's attention back. "The goddesses have blessed me with the absence of his light. To pierce it into his darkness will greatly weaken him." She held out her hands and Link stood to take them without question. "I will share this power with you."
At those words, their eyes locked and the Triforce on the back of their hands began to glow brighter and brighter with each passing second until the light engulfed their surroundings. It seemed their very hair was glowing a pale gold along with their eyes and skin, so bright Sheik had to turn away. Then the light was gone, and Link and Zelda were pulling apart.
Link flexed his hands, stiff from where they had been gripping each other so tightly. In his palm, he produced a single ball of pale gold light and his Triforce lit up once more. "Is this the magic you have?" he asked Sheik, watching his hand glow in a way that was admittedly similar to Sheik's teleportation magic.
Sheik quickly shook his head. "No, Hero. That magic is blessed by the goddesses."
Link looked to him, his bright blue eyes glittering from the magic.
"Careful not to wear yourself out," Sheik warned, wrenching his stunned gaze away from Link's face. The illumination of Link's features reminded him of finding the flame inside the Ice Cavern, and now wasn't the time to get emotional about the moment he fell in love with him. "I imagine that takes a great deal of power."
"It does," said Link, and the shimmering magic was gone from his hand. He focused on Zelda. "And this will just weaken him?"
The princess nodded and Link noticed the similarity between her and Sheik's serious, up-to-down, chin-out nod.
"The Master Sword is the only weapon that will truly banish the Evil King."
And at that moment, the temple gave a few tremors - enough to shake dust down on them. Reflexively, Link threw his arm out to grab Sheik, every monster he ever faced that shook the earth coming to mind. Sheik wriggled out of Link's grasp, looking to Zelda. As Sheik opened his mouth it seemed the entire building jerked, pulling all the weapons down from the wall into a clattering heap. This time, Sheik caught Link as the Hero lost his balance. Before any of them could speak, the temple began to steadily quake.
This moment was one of the rare times Sheik had ever seen Zelda truly fearful. "How is this possible?" she breathed.
"Earthquake?" Link asked, righting himself after nearly falling.
Zelda shook her head, pursing her lips, her eyes distant and her face pale.
Sheik drew a shaky breath, unconsciously tightening his grip on Link. He felt his blood run cold with the comprehension, heard his voice become deadpanned with horror. "He's breaking in."
To be continued...
I don't have any excuse for the lateness of this chapter. School did zap away my motivation, but also, the more time that passed between chapters, the more discouraged I became. I just kind of felt ashamed, you know? Thank you for all of your support and encouragement, but please understand that I was still in a bad place. I was really discouraged with my writing, I was unmotivated, I felt disconnected from the Zelda franchise in general, and I just had a horrible case of writer's block I guess. I know that I need to go back and fix some things in this story, and it was kinda keeping me from moving forward. I feel a lot more motivated since I've branched off to write for other franchises and in other styles, and I hope when I'm having a hard time with this story, I can trade off and that'll help. (The other place I am writing is on AO3 under the same username.)
Again, thank you all so much for continuing to read. It's been really helpful to see that so many of you still cared. Thank you 3 And thanks for being supportive and helpful when I lost this story when my computer crashed. I've started using Google Docs!
