Disclaimer: I do not own anything in the Zelda Franchise... I wish I did.
Chapter 11 - An Easy Decision
Under the caring breeze of a peaceful late-night, nocturnal birds are singing in soothing blissful chirps. Unaware and uninvolved in the strife plaguing the land of the Goddesses known as Hyrule.
Enjoying the umbral melody, a pair of young dreamers are doing their best to steal this moment and escape themselves from the reality that so ruthlessly claws everyone in it. Yet, try as much as he wants, the youngest of the duo can't separate himself from the woes always chaining his thoughts.
Resting his head against the firm chest of his blue-eyed fascination, Sheik is getting rather fond of his unusual pillow. "Link… what are we doing?" He shifted in his spot ever so slightly, making waves on the hero's green tunic.
Growing very attached to the feeling of the other blond resting on him, Link feels so happy right now that he just nuzzled his chin against the young Sheikah's golden hair and hummed back.
"This is serious…" Sheik tried to bring his concern again, this once pulling himself back enough to properly look up to see Link glancing back at him. "What are we doing? Everything will get so complicated… so turbulent."
Link, who was just smiles and sunshine, grew very serious in his gaze. "Do you regret kissing me?" His question carrying a lot of weight in its words.
"No!" Sheik shoot back, supporting himself with his elbows against the purple carpet. "I… don't… never." Then, pulling himself back to sit and hug his knees, Sheik trailed his ruby eyes to the large window to his right. "But, can't you see the ramifications of what we've done here? People will resent you. They may even turn against you. Something as dastardly as that could compromise our mission, your very destiny-"
Stopping his red-eyed affection ready to spur into an endless rant, Link sat up and wrapped the other boy into a comforting embrace. "What people may think. Any stupid rejection from strangers I don't even know their names… nothing of that matters to me." Pulling back enough to look at Sheik's face, his lips pressed together into a simple grin. "Only your opinion matters."
Staring wordlessly at Link, Sheik felt a bubbly sensation fuzzing his chest up. Still, even if the other blonde's words bring an unspeakable amount of warmth to his soul, the ever stoic and level-headed Sheikah couldn't control the frown from taking over his expression. "You're being a simple-minded fool!" He blurted out very loudly, making his companion wince. "Can't you see how much you're risking being with me? People will hate you. They will condemn you."
"I. Do not. Care." Link repeated very slowly. "Think what they want, it makes no difference to me. At the end of the day, I'm the one who will face Ganondorf. If our… my… If what I feel for you makes them hate me, then they can sit in their pettiness while I save their hide."
The unyielding light shining in Link's blue eyes robbed Sheik's of his air. As a wave of alien feelings rushed from his chest, he leaned his head forward and pressed his forehead against the hero's chest.
"Stupid…" He said quietly, his right hand beating firmly against the fabric of the green tunic. "I am so weak against you."
"Really?" Link asked cheerfully, his grin shining like a beacon for his happiness.
Sheik replied with a weak nod, pressing his face even more against his hero, enough to hear the rapid beating of the other blonde's heart. "I blame your ridiculously cute puppy eyes."
A healthy burst of laughter escaped the very fuzzy-feeling hero, his arms promptly pulling Sheik into a tight hug again. The other blond, feeling a lot shyer than he normally is, pressed most of his face against Link's tunic, doing his best to conceal his own silly smile.
Interrupting their moment of joy, a barely audible hush of shuffling noises echoed from the dark hallway.
"You heard that?" Asked Link, pulling himself away from Sheik to try and peak at the open door of their room.
Letting out a disappointed sigh, Sheik nodded as he crawls away to where he left his mask and turban. "Seems like our guest has woken up."
Cursing the poorly timed moment the injured boy chose to stir from his slumber, the young Sheikah began to roll his clean white bandages around his head, rearranging the mysterious outlook he normally wears.
Watching the other blond conceal his face yet again, Link felt a slight sense of disgruntlement push a bothered growl past his lips. His very sincere reaction not escaping Sheik's ears, to which the red-eyed blond chuckled ever so quietly.
"Sheik…" Link called out to him, his voice a little unease. "After the brave words and all that, it's kind of silly for me to ask this, but… What are we now?"
Already done with his disguise, Sheik turned back to look at Link with his sole exposed red-eye; his mask hiding the small smile hugging his lips. "A silly question indeed." He replied with a neutral tone, walking slowly towards his blue-eyed companion. "You are the Hero of Time and I am your faithful guide throughout your perilous journey."
Instantly Link's arms shoot up, his voice coming in a stream up to his throat in rebuttal. Yet, before he could get even a single word out, Sheik surprised him by pulling the white mask down and pressing a chaste kiss on the hero's lips.
Then all the fire of an outcry faded from the hero's blue gaze.
Brushing two fingers across Link's damp lips, the teasing Sheikah smiled at hero one last time before hiding his face yet again. Turning away from his startled lover, he casually left the room, leaving the other blond to his confused stupor.
Blinking a few times to flush his daze away, Link shifted his blue eyes to the sparkling stars watching him from beyond the window's glass; a soft smile pulling at the corner of his lips. "Sheesh… what a teasing master."
Groaning painfully from the grey fog of his dreamless sleep, Vahn stirred around the fluffiness engulfing him, this strange comfort bringing ease to throbbing echo thumping at his head. Forcing his eyelids open, he tried and peer at his surroundings.
"Where… Agh…." As he tried to pull himself upwards to sit, the screaming ache of his injury made the poor boy whimper and fall right back onto the soft pillow.
"I would avoid overworking your body if I were you." A firm and yet calm voice sounded from the side, making Vahn drift his gaze ever so slowly to the open door of what now he recognized as a fancy bedroom.
"Who are you?" Vahn asked, very stubbornly reenacting his struggle to sit. "Where am I?"
Watching the other boy wince, whimper, and cry as he pulled himself up, Sheik rolled his eyes at the antics, folding his arms against his chest. "Currently, you find yourself resting from an injury in my house. Me and… my companion found you unconscious in the middle of a raided camp."
"The camp?!" The boy jolted in his spot, one of his hands flying to his head as a wave of pain made him recoil back. "Some Dark Knights ambushed us… Everyone… Master… What happened to the people that were there with me?"
Quirking an eyebrow in curiosity, Sheik did his best to convey the answer in a way he would not worsen the boy's state of distress. "We found only you and four knights in that camp… While there were signs of other people's presence in trails, there were long gone before we arrived."
Contrary to Sheik's expectation, the boy's vibrant green eyes didn't dull out in sadness nor they flared up in despair. Showing a lot of maturity in contrast to his fairly young face, he simply pushed his back against the bed support and brought one hand to his lips in contemplation.
"They must have forced the others to show them the path." Vahn reasoned. "You said there were only four knights at the camp, right?" He shot Sheik a searching look but quickly drifted his gaze down again. "I remember at least twelve of them… Their leader clubbed me in the head when I tried to shield master from his abuse. Can't remember much after that."
"You seem… very calm about all of this," Sheik commented. "Most people would be hard-pressed to retain such composure after a harrowing event like this one."
The boy looked back at Sheik again, his face neutral but with a slight glow of suspicion in his eyes. "I'm… Chronicler. An apprentice of one at least. My master always valued a level-head, and the ability to remain calm despite the adversities. Still, I can't vouch much for this point of view of his, seeing that this stoniness landed us in this mess, to begin with."
Sheik felt himself growing even more curious about this person, who has very little problem letting his mouth run off without end.
Noticing the strange look he is receiving from his supposed savior, Vahn brushed the back of his hair and smiled sheepishly. "Sorry, sometimes my mouth has a will of its own. Look at me babbling without end before even presenting myself." Straining his body in an almost military-perfect stance, he bowed his head. "My name is Vahn. Thank you for rescuing me from those thugs' clutches."
Replying to the gesture with a cordial bow of his own, Sheik stepped over next to the bed. "Nice to finally meet you, Vahn. I'm Sheik."
"Sheik…" Vahn said his name in a drawn-out way, letting the unspoken question linger in the air.
"Sheik, the person who saved your life and let you in his house. That's more than you need to know at this moment." His ruby eye showing the finality of his sentence very clear, which Vahn acknowledged begrudgingly.
"Fair enough… I guess." Said the green-eyed boy. "Can I at least ask, where are we?"
"Kakariko… My family Villa inside Kakariko." Sheik replied fairly.
Quietly interrupting their conversation, Link walked in from the dark hallway. Both Sheik and Vahn considering the newcomer a little blessing to their ever-increasing awkward exchange.
"Are you feeling better?" Link asked the red-haired boy as he noticed the odd silence between the two of them.
One proper glance at the green wearing blond and Vahn's brooding face rather hastily changed to a friendly smile. "Yes, very much. Thanks to you two for saving me." He replied with a full verdant of spring in his tone; something that did not escape a certain Sheikah's observant eye.
Pleased by the positive reply, Link approached the bed with a friendly smile of his own. "The name is Link. Nice to meet you, eh…"
"Vahn!" He chirped in reply. "My name is Vahn. Nice to meet you too, Link." Then, Vahn frowned and leaned to look closer at the blue-eyed blond. "Link…" He repeated, this once in a quieter and pensive voice.
The pair of blondes traded a glance between one another, intrigued by Vahn's sudden behavior. Then, before Sheik could manifest his displeasure at the eagerness at which the red-haired is leaning closer and closer to Link, Vahn jolted back on the bed with wide-open eyes.
"I-I… I k-know you." Vahn stuttered as if he couldn't believe his eyes. Paying no mind to his throbbing headache, he shuffled around in a hurried attempt to reach for his baggy pants' pockets. "T-This one here. It's you, right?"
Inching forward into the edge of the bed, Vahn raised and unfolded a piece of paper in Link's direction; his jade-green eyes sparkling like never before.
"Where did you get this?" Sheik asked startled, snatching the piece of paper out of Vahn's hand.
Sheik's gloved fingers pressed very firmly against the worn-out piece of paper, his arm slightly shaking.
His red eye is staring directly into a very detailed and artful drawn picture of Link; green tunic and hat included. Colored and in profile, to show most of his handsome characteristics. To put it properly, this is a way too embellished picture of Link, whomever drew this made him more chiseled and broader in his features.
"Hey… that's me." Link beamed excitedly as he reached for his portrait. "What's an interloper?" He looked at Sheik, pointing at the printed letters written on the lower side.
"IT'S YOU!" Vahn practically jumped from the bed into the wooden floor right in front of Link. "The man that has even the Dark Tyrant himself getting weak in the knees. A legend no one knew to be true… The Hero of Time."
Clearing his throat loudly, Sheik graciously took the paper back from Link's hand and raised it forward in Vahn's direction.
Tapping one finger on top of the line 'Beware of the Interloper', he raised his stoic voice again. "Don't stray away from the question. What is the source of this… wanted poster?"
"I got that one when we passed by the Dark City… that's how we take to call the fallen capital nowadays. As I made a few runs in the slums trying to get us supplies to make the journey in the fields, I saw one of the Court guards handing these to everyone." After his lengthy explanation, Vahn jumped back in bed, letting his legs dangle in the air while his gaze is firmly pressed in the Hero's direction.
"Even if I really like the painting… it's a little creepy to imagine that someone out there is drawing a bunch of them to hand over to people." Link grumbled with a frown. "How much time would someone lose with that trouble?"
"They may be handling this 'trouble' with a bit more sophistication than that, Hero," Sheik replied, letting the habit of calling Link by his title slip out, much for the other blonde's annoyance. "One with magical talents could easily multiply something as simple as a drawn picture… Ganondorf has more than a few warlocks at his disposal, who could easily perform such a trick."
"I can too," Vahn announced with a proud little grin. "As a Chronicler, a little bit of magic is nothing to me."
"Apprentice of a Chronicler, as I recall, right?" Sheik said back, a little jab to the red-haired boy who seems too eager to impress the hero.
"Semantics…" Grumbled the frowning scholar apprentice. "I'm as much of a Chronicler as those grey-haired brick heads, who are so keen on ignoring my growth under master's teachings."
"Understandable mister Vahn, the Chronicler. Can you tell us what you and your party were doing in that awful hiding spot?" Stepping away from the bed, Sheik took a seat in a wooden chair, giving enough space for the boy to get comfortable in his borrowed bed.
"Before you start judging me for that blunder, my 'betters' were the ones who decided to camp there. And they would hear none of my complaints." Vahn explained. "Anyway, we were bound to climb the steps up the Death Mountain. In his research, master found a lead to something he called 'The gift of the Goddesses'. And this supposed relic is somewhere deep inside the raging mountain."
"Curious…" Sheik said back. "You claim to be heading up the Death Mountain, but your master decided to camp out in the open instead of spending the night in Kakarito, which is the only known route to your destination."
"Yeah… I'm with Sheik on this one." Link added in. "You guys were like five minutes from Kakariko. Why risk making camp where someone can ambush you?"
Resting his head against the comfy pillow, Vahn couldn't reel in the long sigh that escaped him. "Kakariko has a very… ill reputation everywhere else. With the number of refugees and the rumored famine going on. Master decided it would be very dangerous to set foot here with all the baggage we carried."
"The open field of Hyrule seems an even worse choice, wouldn't you say?" Sheik rebutted. A little offended by the prejudice aimed at his home town, but also finding himself ill-equipped to defend Kakariko against the accusations.
"Okay, sure. But my elders'… stupidity was not the only reason for why we avoided Kakariko." Replied the red-haired boy. "I don't know if you noticed, but the mountain is raining fire and brimstone down its slopes. No way anyone can survive the normal climb."
Taking in Vahn's words with wandering thoughts, Sheik nodded as another situation occurred to him. "That would explain the lack of proper efforts on Ganondorf's part in taking Kakariko. If the Moutain truly is coming alive… then it's only a matter of time before this fiery storm reaches the town."
"At first I was shocked to see people still living here with the state of the mountain. But after getting so close to it, I could see that the dark clouds in the sky are keeping the red glow well hidden." Turning his head to the side, searching for the sole window at the side, Vahn frowned in slight confusion at the sight of stars shining in the sky.
He almost began to doubt the truth in Sheik's statement about their location, but the very faint smell of sulfur hovering in the air tells him the grim reality of this place.
Shaking these stray thoughts away, he continued. "Master found a secret route that leads directly inside the mountain. A small entrance created by the ancient Gorons, well hidden from anyone who doesn't know the exact location."
Differently from Link, who is listening to Vahn's tale with a curious glee in his eyes, Sheik found himself frowning deeply at the end of the boy's account. "Now the Dark Knights have captured your master and colleagues, who so happens to know this ancient passage." Clicking his tongue in annoyance, the red-eyed blond pressed an iron-tight grip at the side of his chair making the wood creek painfully at his inner-anger. "No doubt they will use every method possible to extract this information from them. And by doing so, gaining a way to invade our last free allies."
Link shuffled in his spot, his gaze traveling to Sheik with a worried look. "You think they will attack the Gorons?"
Sheik nodded solemnly, a hint of sadness flashing in his red eye. "The fiend has done everything in his power to vanquish any allies the Princess may have. First, the free people of Hyrule who still opposed him, then he blocked every road leading to any other country… Lastly, he… The Zoras…" Even if the words are present, painfully alive in his mind, Sheik still hesitates to openly bring about the terrible fate that befell the aquatic people.
"I heard the Gorons managed to stay clear of the Tyrant's armies," Vahn interjected, in a way to spare the blond from saying it himself and also because he feels heavily inclined to speak to the blue-eyed hero. "Mostly because Kakariko managed to stay… isolated. But also, because they are huge stone-eating folk. I'd wager most of the mercenaries are terrified of them."
"Mercenaries may be terrified of Gorons, but these men are not mercenaries," Sheik replied. "Dark Knight is a rank reserved only to those completely loyal to Ganondorf… And the manner in which they gain such title makes them a very dangerous threat. Even to the strong Goron people."
Only the hint of a stepping sound coming from the side was enough to make the young Sheikah close his eyes and sigh.
"Then we help them!" Link promptly declared with determination shining in his cerulean blue eyes. "I've met the Gorons before. Sure, they are big and strong, but most of them are goofy and peaceful. They will have no chance in a fight against these Dark Knight guys."
Pointing his red-eye in a soft glare to his brave companion, Sheik tried to convince himself to speak against this hindering selfless behavior of Link. 'What else did I expect…' He sighed yet again, knowing fully how futile his endeavor would be.
"We leave first thing in the morning." Sheik ceded, much to Link's approval. "You." He said pointing at Vahn. "Better get back to sleep and try to regain as much energy as possible. Given your knowledge and the circumstances leading to this hasten attempt of rescue, you're coming with us."
Contrary to Sheik's expectation, Vahn showed no signs of fear or hesitation. Instead, his face brightened up with a hopeful smile. "Understood, sir." The boy replied with a jesting salute, yet despite his clear mocking intentions, it was impossible to ignore how impeccable and firm his stance is; almost making the fragile young man look like a veteran soldier.
Deciding that the trouble of trying to peer further into Vahn's intentions and identity would not be worth the hassle at the moment. Sheik only nodded at him and walked out of the room.
Link watched his companion go with a curious glance, mildly worried at the abrupt manner in which the Sheikah left the room.
"Ah… Link?" Vahn called out for him, making the Hero turn his gaze back to the green-eyed boy. "My master and the others… they are pompous self-absorbed brick heads… but they are good people."
A wide smile spread across Link's lips, walking closer to the bed he reached with one hand and ruffled Vahn's shaggy violet hair. "We will get them back, Vahn. I promise you."
Looking up at the amazing person in front of him is almost like looking at a shining beacon of light. Mesmerized by the Hero's brightness, the light-brown skin of Vahn's cheeks gained a streak of warmth and redness to it.
"T-Thank you…" He replied in a small stutter, surprising himself at his silly reaction to just one smile.
'So much for keeping him in line.'
Pulling, pushing, and shuffling the position of every little thing he can find in front of him, Sheik has spent the last five minutes occupying his hands with menial tasks while his head is berating himself for letting his feelings for the Hero cloud his judgment in correcting the man's ridiculous propensity to steer away from the intended path.
Shooting glares everywhere he looks, the young Sheikah is doing his best to make a working plan to pull Link back to their task at hand as quickly as possible. And his frown just worsens when he acknowledges the very slim chance of something like that working.
'Why can't he see that he can't save everyone?' One hand reached to a dull old throwing knife sitting on the tall shelf next to his bed. 'His life is worth more than just a few ones…' Pressing his index finger against the tip of the cold metal, the red-eyed blond sighed heavily, letting the old weapon down to its sitting spot. 'Because that's what makes Link… Link.'
Each time Sheik compares himself to his selfless companion, a part of him cringes and recoils in disgust of himself. The evident toll this war has taken on his young but calloused soul, makes him wanders if not for the horrors he has witnessed in these past seven years if then he would be so ready to risk everything to save others as Link so casually do.
Feeling so very tired out of a sudden, Sheik took refuge in the softness of his old bed. Letting his gaze wander aimlessly, he found the sight of his first love as a child; the harp Zelda gave him when they first began their friendship.
Brushing two fingers against the delicate cords, Sheik made the beautiful tune fly in the air, covering the otherwise gloom and dark room with a sense of warmth and comfort. Easing his mind into a state of peace, the young Sheikah only allowed his fingers to work in one of the many melodies that have been ingrained into his mind.
As the last string sang its cord, Sheik finally gained enough of his senses to notice a presence watching him by the door.
"That was… beautiful." Link commented with a look of awe to him, way too overwhelmed by the song to try and show his normal boyish energetic side, that most likely would push him to clap his hands excitedly.
"My aunt taught me…" Sheik replied calmly, his red eye falling to his harp again. "Like many other songs."
Quietly walking over to the bed, Link found a seat next to the blond Sheikah and took in his hand the mythical relic given to him by Zelda.
Bringing the Ocarina of Time to his lips in a careful trepidation, the young hero tried to copy the same notes Sheik had so beautifully played in his harp. However, as much as Link tried to emulate each note, he could only play a broken and out of tune version.
Despite the ear bothering sounds coming from right next to him, Sheik felt a little wave of chuckles escape him. "Not disastrous for your first attempt." His playful comment making Link pull the Ocarina away from his lips with a small frown on his brow; this reaction only making his red-eyed affection smile even more.
Showing his characteristic light pout that paints him younger than his face shows, Link turned his face to the side to try and escape another teasing attempt from the other blond. "W-What is the name?" He said quickly to try and push this conversation in a place where Sheik would at least lose that annoying grin. "The song's name? The one you just played."
Nudging himself closer to Link, Sheik pressed against the hero's strong arm; his gaze traveling away to the little dots still visible past the window. Closing his eyes, he felt the verses coming back to him as if he was traveling back in time to the day his master taught him this song.
"Something that grows stronger with the passage of time… A feeling that blossoms into a righteous power… never-ending in its flame… a true friendship."
A content sigh flew from the young Sheikah when he finished speaking as if a piece of his own truth came back to him right at this moment.
"The Bolero of Fire." He spoke firmly, turning his gaze back to a stern-looking Link. "One of the many songs Impa taught me. This one is dedicated to the powerful mountain next to Kakariko. My aunt said that the verses are just as important as the notes I play… but I don't think she meant those verses to me."
"Bolero of Fire…" Link repeated the words, his own voice echoing to his ears as if they were demanding to be heard again just to show their importance, whatever the meaning is. "Think you can teach me?" He asked Sheik with his charming little grin, making it very hard for the blond Sheikah to do anything but smile back and nod.
"I will gladly teach you, Hero." As Sheik called him hero again, a frown appeared in Link's feature, but at his point, Sheik is doing it just to tease the poor soul. "But another time, perhaps. Now you should follow Vahn's lead and rest. Tomorrow will be another long day."
Link's frown disappeared as a curious grin crossed his lips. "Can I sleep here?"
One very spontaneous laugh surprise both Sheik and Link, the red-eyed ninja not expecting such a daring request from his mostly innocent hero. "You cannot, Link. There are plenty of spare rooms in the house."
"Spoilsport." Link said with a pout, pulling himself up to his feet again.
With a large smile hiding behind his mask, Sheik just watched as Link slowly walked away towards the open door, the little devious hero making sure to stop and glance at Sheik every now and then just to see if the other blond would change his mind and call him back.
"Away with you, Hero." Sheik said in a tease. "Good boys always behave in someone else's house."
Taking the handle of the door with one hand, Link snorted and glanced back at Sheik with a teasing look of his own. "Maybe I'm not one of the good boys."
Another healthy laugh escaped the red-eyed blond. "Sleep. Now!"
Waving a good night to the pretty Sheikah, Link closed the door as he walked away. His heavy steps sounding off as he looked for another room for him to rest his tired body.
Left behind to the silence of his room, Sheik fell with his back against the comfort of his soft mattress. Closing his eyes and pressing two fingers against his lips, an involuntary sigh escaped him.
Despite the weight of fatigue wearing his body down, Sheik will be hard-pressed to calm himself down enough to fall asleep. There are more than a few memories of Link's warmth and the taste of his lips to keep the young Sheikah awake for the whole night.