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.

The Voice
13 - One Out of Three

Link stared dubiously at the concoction that was, apparently, supposed to be stew, as it cooked over his campfire, the ingredients bobbing uselessly in the boiling water instead of dissolving and combining to form the dish he'd been expecting. At this point, it was starting to look more like phlegm than a meal, and the urge to accidentally kick the pot over was growing stronger for every minute that passed.

"I don't understand," Sheik said helplessly. "You followed the recipe perfectly—I even double- and triple-checked while you worked..."

Link sighed, shaking his head. "G-Guess I'm j-just n-not a cook..." he said miserably. Dried fish was apparently on the menu today...again.

He adored Sidon for making sure he had enough food for at least a week on the road, he really did, but the Zora diet left something to be desired in terms of variety. It didn't exactly come as a surprise that it mostly fish, but still... Hence tonight's culinary experiment...which was rapidly proving itself to be a failure.

"Well..." Sheik said slowly, clearly not wanting to agree out loud. His hesitance said more than a thousand words, really. "I mean...you're not the first person to mistake sugar for salt, but I think it's a new mistake entirely to mix it up...and then have it congeal in a disgusting ball at the bottom of the pot."

Link blushed. "S-Scratch another t-talent off th-the list, th-then."

"You're still a good swordsman and archer?" Sheik tried.

Fat lot of good my sword and bow do when I can't cook the things I hunt, Link thought. He tried stirring the pot once more, sighing when it only served to cause disgusting gloopy sounds, and something that looked like an eye float to the surface...which was rather weird, since he could not recall having put eyes into the mixture.

"I think we should cut our losses and tip it out, lest it gains sentience and tries to kill us," Sheik said cautiously, and Link could practically see the Sheikah's face scrunching up in distaste.

"A-Agreed," Link said, deciding to nip this horrible new form of life in the bud, picking up the pot and carrying it some distance away from the camp, tipping the contents out into a set of bushes. Hopefully, no animals would catch the scent and try to eat it—they'd be in for one hell of a night, if they even survived.

By the time he returned, Sheik had turned his projection on, his image sitting on the log Link had occupied a minute ago. He gave the Hylian a small wave when he reappeared, shifting a little to make room for him.

"We should reach the fork in the road the day after tomorrow, at our current pace," Sheik said. "It's not too late to change your mind, you know."

Link frowned. "Wh-Why are y-you so a-afraid of seeing R-Robbie?"

Sheik crossed his arms, turning slightly away with a huff. "I'm not afraid of anything," he said. "I just don't see the value in wasting time on frivolities. For all we know, Robbie doesn't know a damn thing, and won't we feel silly for trekking all the way up there when we have nothing to show for it?"

"I d-don't c-consider it a f-frivolity," Link said firmly. "And I know y-you're w-worried."

It had become quite apparent on the second day after leaving the Domain, when Sheik would not stop trying to convince Link to travel to Death Mountain instead, with almost desperate zeal. He'd calmed down considerably after Link had said no for the tenth time, but he kept coming back with these small suggestions, reacting tersely whenever Link asked him why. He doubted Sheik would answer his questions truthfully anytime soon, but he'd continue asking anyway. Sooner or later, he'd crack.

"You're wrong," Sheik said simply.

"If y-you say so."

"I suppose it's time for your favourite dish," Sheik said, gesturing to Link's pack. "Enjoy."

Hooray, the passive-aggressiveness was back. Link certainly hadn't missed that part of his companion's personality. "I w-will," he replied, just as sharply. Two could play that game. It was just annoying that Sheik was so much better at it than he. He reached for his pack and rooted around for the packet of dried fish when his fingers touched something unfamiliar. Wrapped in leather, it jingled in a way that suggested...

Surprised (and with a little horror), Link withdrew the leather pouch and peeked inside, spotting the multi-coloured rupees. Red, green, blue, even a few silvers and—Goddess!—a gold one!

"Wh-What is th-this?!" he almost shrieked. He'd been flat broke by the time he entered the Zora's Domain, and now he suddenly had a small fortune?!

"Hm?" Sheik said, glancing over. "Oh, it appears someone decided to make a generous donation to the Hero of Hyrule's Protection Fund. Quite generous indeed—how much is that?"

Link glared at him. "D-Did you t-tell S-Sidon t-to give me th-this?" he asked.

Sheik's eyes widened dramatically, his hand hovering over his chest. "Why, I have never been so outraged! How dare you suggest I asked the prince to do such a thing?! Do I look like a beggar to you?"

"W-Well, no, b-but—"

"I simply looked the other way when Sharky slipped the pouch into your pack," the Sheikah continued. "He's surprisingly sneaky when he wants to be, I'll give him that. Granted, you were too busy panicking about what armour to wear to notice, so it wasn't that impressive."

"Wh-Why?!" Link asked, carefully putting the pouch away before burying his face in his hands. It was too much, all this.

"Because you didn't have a rupee to your name? Because he thought we would need it? Because he wanted to make sure you'd be able to travel in comfort?" Sheik listed the reasons on his long, delicate-looking fingers. "I could give you reasons for it all night, but I will settle on this: Because he cares about you, and wants to help even when he can't be here himself."

Link glanced up at the image, which had removed the mask and was giving Link a smile. A soft one, at that. The sort you'd never imagine someone as abrasive as Sheik being able to give. "R-Really?" he asked.

"Did you pay attention at all while we were in the Domain?" Sheik asked flatly, the smile replaced with a frown. "I'm pretty sure Sharky would bend over backwards for you. Actually, now that I say it, didn't he do that when you were—"

"S-Stop!" Link exclaimed, burying his face for an entirely different reason this time, his cheeks burning.

"I admit, I was a little out of it at the time, but I do recall a certain position—"

"Sheik!"

"A-Am I sh-short?"

The fifth night had him ask the question he'd been pondering the whole day. They'd passed a Hylian traveller on the road, and while their interaction had been limited by their mutual distrust of each other, Link couldn't help but notice that the man, though not much older than him, had several inches on him in height, which had him realise that just about every adult he'd met so far had, in fact, been taller than him.

Only Impa and Purah weren't, and they didn't count for obvious reasons; those being that Impa was positively ancient and therefore the size of a prune, and Purah was...well, equally ancient, but stuck in the stature of a six-year-old. Sheik had a point, and Link was almost afraid of what Robbie would turn out to be like.

If anything, he'd come to find he'd underestimated the full of horror of Robbie—but now we're getting ahead of ourselves.

So, there he was, asking Sheik what was likely his stupidest, most inane question so far. He was banking on Sheik getting used to it sooner or later and just humouring him, though. This appeared to be the tipping point, because Sheik's projection simply stared at him for a very long ten seconds, then opened his mouth...then shut it again...then opened it again, and said,

"You're not tall..."

A damning accusation and horrid insult, all packed into one seemingly innocent sentence, not a hint of mockery in its tone. Somehow, that was even worse. He glowered at the image, poking at the fire with a stick.

"Why do you ask?" Sheik asked after a while of no follow-up from the Hero. "Is this about the Hylian from earlier today?"

"N-No!" Link exclaimed a little too quickly.

"Ah, I see..."

"H-How t-tall are y-you?" he asked, not in the mood to be analysed by Sheik again right now. He'd probably make some horrible conclusion, like him taking his frustrations out on the world for his lack of height...or something stupid like that.

"Me? I'm not entirely sure—"

"S-Stand up," Link demanded, doing so himself. "L-Let's s-see!"

"All right, all right," the Sheikah said, holding his hands up defensively and rising to his feet. "If it's that important to you..."

Link stepped closer to the image, making sure they were standing on level ground. He was pleased to find their shoulders lining up quite nicely, their faces practically level. He smiled, feeling a little smug. "At l-least I'm n-not the o-only short one," he said.

Sheik looked between them, the slate lighting up a little. "Hm, we do appear to be the same height," he conceded with a nod. "Hang on..."

"F-For wh-what?" Link asked, just as the image flashed and...and... "H-hey!"

Sheik grinned. "There we go, that's more like it."

"D-Did you j-just grow?" Link said, fists clenched with outrage.

"A smidge," Sheik admitted, shrugging. "Just half an inch, really."

Just enough to make me taller than you, was the sentence that remained unspoken.

Link wasn't proud to admit he spent the rest of the evening sulking.

"I have to say, though," Sheik began innocuously enough the next day, "for such a big eater, your stature is surprisingly small..."

"Sh-Shut it!"

"It's not too late to turn back, you know," Sheik said about ten minutes after Link had taken a right at the fork in the road, which would take them to into the Akkala region.

In the distance, Link could see the Sheikah tower, having erupted from a tall, spike-like mountain peak. A fortress of some sort appeared to have been built around it (or on top of it, really). He wasn't sure why, but he looked forward to climbing it. It was weird, because looking down from great heights tended to make his stomach plummet.

"W-We're not t-turning back," Link repeated. "S-Stop asking."

"I'm just saying," Sheik pleaded, "We can make contact with the Gorons, help them with whatever they need, find the next Beast, free it, and then come back here in no time at all."

"J-Just s-saying that t-took forever."

"Eugh, fine."

"I mean, where do you put it all?"

Link ignored both Sheik and the desire to throw him in the river.

Link stared up at the beast dubiously. It regarded him back with the same look in its eyes (though it had to swivel its head from side to side to get a proper look at him). It then snorted in his face.

"Well?" Sheik whispered impatiently. "You going to ride it, or just stare at it for the rest of the day?"

How the hell was he supposed to ride something so big? It was nearly twice as tall as him, and surely outweighed him by...Goddess knew how many pounds. One wrong move, one wrong instruction, and the beast would throw him off and trample him beneath its hooves. He was sure of it.

"Sir?" the poor stable master asked hesitantly, looking between Link and the horse he'd just sold him. "Do you require some help?"

Link broke his gaze from the horse's, looking at the man. "N-No, th-thank you."

"Only," the stable master continued heedlessly, "if you need a step stool, I can fetch one—"

"Th-That w-will not be n-necessary!" Link shouted. "I'm j-just g-getting acquainted!"

"Good job on not stuttering over acquainted," Sheik whispered. Link had no idea if he was being sarcastic or not.

"I see," the stable master said, adjusting his floppy hat a little. "Then I shall...give you some privacy, sir. Just let me know if there is something else I can help you with."

"I w-will, thank you."

"A step stool could have been helpf—"

"No."

"All right—I hope you've got a good vertical leap."

The jet-black beast regarded him with a neutral expression as Link stepped closer, carefully patting its muzzle. It was a little frightening, given its size, but the horse was definitely beautiful. Calm, too, unless it was just lulling him into a false sense of security, waiting for the perfect moment to dash him against the rocks, turning him into a fine paste—

"It's not going to kill you, Link," Sheik said.

"Y-You don't kn-know th-that," Link replied, still patting the beast.

"It's a horse, Link," Sheik said with exasperation. "Premeditated murder is not something they're known for."

"B-Because th-they're good at h-hiding th-the evidence!"

Link wasn't sure why he was arguing with Sheik about horse murderers, but there he was.

Maybe he was a little bitter that Sheik and Sidon had conspired to get him a horse without telling him or giving him fair warning. The pouch of rupees had had about a quarter of it earmarked for a mount, which Sheik had only seen fit to tell him just as Link was about to pass the South Akkala Stable.

Or maybe he just didn't like his plans going off the rails. He'd been so focused on getting to Robbie that Sheik's insistence on stopping for the night at the stable had him on edge, and then he'd more or less commandeered Link's voice and asked the stable master for a beast of his own.

Okay, maybe it was Sheik speaking for him that was the bit that annoyed him the most. After all, a horse was a damn good gift...even if he was slightly terrified of this one. He'd give the slate a good talking-to later about speaking for him out of turn, though.

Bad enough that he had to give up climbing the Akkala Tower when he saw the flying (flying!) Guardians patrolling the abandoned fortress on top of the mountain, but now this...

"You should give it a name," Sheik said, paying no heed to the insanity that was currently coming from Link's mouth. "A good, strong one."

"M-Maladict," Link said without thinking, the name simply coming to his lips naturally.

"Maladict?" Sheik asked. "Where did you get that from?"

"D-Don't know," Link admitted. "It j-just felt r-right."

It certainly fit the black-maned steed. He just felt like a Maladict. Goddess knew where it came from, though.

"Hm...I like it," Sheik said. "Maladict it is, then."

Maladict took the moment to lower his head to the slate's level, dark eyes gazing solemnly at the slate before snorting at the screen.

"He did that on purpose!" Sheik shouted.

"G-Good boy," Link said, patting him again.

"N-Not a w-word," Link warned Sheik, face burning, as he staggered to his feet, trying to ignore Maladict looking down at him with a bemused look that was far too intelligent for a simple horse.

"Who, me?" Sheik asked innocently. "I promise, my lips are sealed."

"G-Good."

"I won't mention how you fell off your horse before you even made it into the saddle, in front of the entire stable...or that the stable master is coming towards us with a step stool."

Link wondered if it was too late to go back to sleep at the Shrine of Resurrection.

Despite the bumpy start (and utter embarrassment at the stable), Link soon found himself comfortable in the saddle. It felt...natural. Like he'd done it before. He shifted his weight almost automatically to accommodate the various gaits and speeds Maladict moved at, and he followed every command Link gave with the reins and heels of his boots.

"Now this is more like it," Sheik said as they moved along the road at a much faster pace than before. "At this pace, we'll reach the lab in no time."

Link had to admit that this was a far more comfortable mode of travel, even if the way of acquiring Maladict had been a little underhanded on the part of his lovers.

"How's it feel?" Sheik asked. "Still uncomfortable?"

"N-No," Link said, actually meaning it. He even found himself smiling as he urged Maladict to go a little faster. He actually felt like he belonged in the saddle, with the wind whistling in his ears, the steady thrumming of Maladict's hooves beating out a rhythm he could focus on, let himself follow...

"Certainly doesn't look it," Sheik said, chuckling. "A true knight indeed." He paused. "Well, perhaps not entirely. A true knight is an arrogant blowhard, and an utter menace to the common folk...and a terrific horseman. I suppose one out of three isn't too bad."

Link nodded. He could definitely do without the first two.

"And Sidon certainly has proof of your riding skills, doesn't he?"

Maladict, Link prayed, please be a horse assassin and kill me in my sleep.

He wasn't sure why he'd led Maladict off the road in the Akkala Highlands, turning him north-west. When Sheik had asked, all Link could offer as an answer was that it felt...familiar. Like he'd seen the place before.

He hadn't expected to find what appeared to be an ancient temple dedicated to the worship of Hylia, nestled in a sunken, pit-like formation surrounded by waterfalls. Stairs and platforms had once been carved into the rock, but they'd long since been withered away by the flowing water. The statue remained, however, forever gazing at her worshippers with love.

"This place must be thousands of years old," Sheik said with no small amount of awe in his voice. "Look at the carvings...definitely predates the formation of the Kingdom of Hyrule itself."

He almost sounded eager as he continued to analyse their surroundings, talking unceasingly and excitedly about what tools and techniques the builders must have used, what sort of civilisation the Hylians had had back then...after a while Link was having trouble keeping up.

He felt a smile tugging at his lips, wondering why this all felt so familiar. He stood at the broken edge of the platform, looking at the statue of the Goddess. Something was tugging at the back of his mind, and he wasn't sure what. A pity, that such a place had fallen into disrepair like this. To worship, one would have to step into the water and...and...

"...which speaks of very advanced knowledge of metallurgy, and—hey! What are you doing?!" Sheik shouted when he was interrupted mid-lecture by Link unclipping the slate from his belt. "If you want me to shut up, then just say so!"

"N-No, keep g-going," Link said apologetically as he swiped his fingers across the screen of the slate. "B-But show m-me the p-princess' p-pictures!"

"What? Oh, right. Wait...you think...?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Okay, okay, hang on..."

The photographs taken with the camera soon filled up the screen of the slate. There were the princess' originals, the pair he had taken with Purah...and one he didn't recognise. Confused, Link opened up the last picture taken...which was of him, sleeping in Sidon's bed. The prince himself seemed to be sitting on the floor next to it, holding up the slate, a wide grin on his face as he leaned into the frame.

"Wh-When...?"

"The night before we left," Sheik explained. "It was supposed to be a surprise."

It certainly was. "Th-Thanks," he said, smiling.

"Anytime. Now, the princess' photographs?"

"R-Right."

He scrolled through the images until he found the one he was looking for. There were no doubts about it—the photograph had definitely been taken in this old temple, depicting the statue of Hylia, and the two trees growing from the pond on either side.

That was why it felt so familiar, like he'd been here before! He looked up from the slate, focusing on the spot the image showed.

I've been here, he thought. A hundred years ago, I was here, with her. What did I forget? What were we doing here? Remember...remember, damn you!

The itching and tugging turned into a searing pain, and Link felt his knees hit the stone platform before everything went white.

"I come seeking help..."

"Prayer will awaken my power to seal..."

"Or so I've been told..."

"But I don't hear...or feel anything!"

"Quit wasting your time playing at being a scholar!"

"What is it...? What's wrong with me?!"

"...you all right? Link!"

"'M fine..." Link mumbled, rubbing his temples, rolling onto his back, not minding at all how the wet surface of the platform was soaking his hair. The pain was just as bad as when he'd regained some of his memories at the Domain. "Just...a h-headache."

"Did you remember something?"

"Y-Yes..."

She'd been so frustrated. It wasn't the first time, either. She'd offered prayer after prayer after prayer, but Hylia had not answered, had not granted her the powers Zelda needed, or offered the guidance she so desperately wanted. And what had Link done? Stood there, back turned as he listened to her voice breaking, the sadness welling up within her. Only when she'd cried out, demanding to know what was wrong with her, had he turned...and that was all he could remember.

"I w-was a c-coward," he muttered. "I am a c-coward."

"You were her protector," Sheik said. "Not her nursemaid. You did your duty, which was to guard her while she...did whatever she had to do in this place."

Easy for you to say, he thought. You weren't there.

...then again, can I say I was, since I don't remember anything from those days?

It felt like he had a toothache in his head, and he tried to make it better by closing his eyes. The darkness helped a little, but it also made the images in his mind so much clearer. Had he comforted Zelda, in the midst of her despair, or had he simply watched? If only he could remember...

"Do you need a minute?" Sheik asked gently.

"Y-Yeah..."

"All right," the slate answered. "Take as much time as you need. I'll be monitoring your vitals and let you know if something happens, yeah?"

"Thank y-you."

"Anytime."

The sun had set by the time he left the old temple, leading Maladict by the reins along the road. He was a little dizzy, and didn't dare try to ride until it stopped. The last thing he wanted was for his quest to come to an abrupt (and embarrassing) end because he broke his neck falling out of the saddle.

Sheik was mercifully silent the entire time. It was both a blessing and a curse. A blessing because Link wasn't sure how much more his nerves could take at the moment, and a curse because it didn't give his brain something to do...and as such, he kept thinking about what he'd remembered.

It was almost a relief when he spotted the campfire in the distance, and the pair of cheerfully singing Hylians sitting by it, roasting rabbits on spits. They sounded a bit drunk, and Link could see an opened cask of some sort being passed between them.

"Ho there, friend!" one of them shouted when Link came within earshot. "Come share our fire!"

"Shit," Sheik muttered. "Just what we needed—a pair of drunkards."

"Th-They look f-friendly," Link said, his mouth filling with water at the smell of roasted rabbit. He never felt comfortable around strangers, but right now he would do anything to be able to sit down in the warmth, have something to eat, and then a good night's sleep. That was hours away, if he turned them down. Not to mention the social etiquette it would break, turning down such a generous offer of hospitality.

"Yeah, but how friendly?" Sheik asked. "If they try to touch you, turn them down firmly."

Link glanced down at the slate. Even without the projection, Link knew his companion was glaring at the pair of them. "I w-will, don't w-worry."

"And don't drink any alcohol," Sheik added. "The last thing you need right now is your senses dulled. I'll keep quiet, but the moment I see something I don't like..."

"P-Please do," Link said, tapping the slate. He then raised his arm in greeting. "H-Hello!"

The Hylians wasted no time in offering him both food and drink (they'd already emptied one cask of wine), but Link only accepted the former. He claimed to be too young to drink, which they accepted as good enough reason. He wanted to cry when he first tasted the rabbit.

"We're travelling merchants, my brother and I," the first Hylian, Ralo, a robust-looking man with a moustache so thick a Korok could get lost in there. In comparison, his brother, Malo, whose face was absolutely devoid of hair, was thin like a twig, though his nose made up for what he lacked in notable features.

"M-Merchants of wh-what?" Link asked in-between bites, hoping his stutter wasn't bothering them too much.

"Just about anything, really," the Malo replied. "We're headed for the East Akkala Stable to pick up several crates of apples, in fact. We're taking them to Hateno, where they'll be made into cider."

"I s-see..."

"And you, Link?" Ralo asked. "What brings you to this Goddess-forsaken place?"

"D-Delivering Maladict t-to the s-stable," Link said, almost wincing at the terrible lie. Actually being truthful about the reason for his presence in Akkala was even worse, though, so he simply held his breath until the brothers nodded in understanding.

"One of them prize stallions, is he?" Malo asked, regarding Maladict with a critical eye.

"Y-Yes," Link said, nodding. "G-Got a g-good price f-for him."

"A fine beast," Ralo said. "I always wondered how those stables manage to breed them...I guess they take the ones like Maladict to each of their places and have them...how do you say...do the what's-it?"

"I d-didn't ask," Link said, joining them in their laughter. Good, now they'll only try to rob me of my horse instead, he thought. He wasn't sure which was better, Maladict or his money. Probably Maladict.

The horse in question snorted from where he stood, nose-deep in a bag of grain.

Definitely Maladict.

"Well, that is certainly fortuitous for us, Malo," Ralo said, grinning. "Means we won't have to brave the rest of the way alone. Link certainly looks formidable, doesn't he?" He looked at Link. "That is, if you would be willing to accompany us the rest of the way? Since we're all going there, I mean."

"S-Sure," Link said, nodding. Sheik wouldn't be happy about that, having to keep quiet the entire way. Hopefully the stable wasn't too far away...

"Empty," Malo said, groaning when the cask he held failed to yield any more wine.

"Grab another from the cart," Ralo said with a shrug, gesturing to the hand-cart nearby, which they were evidently using to transport their goods. "May I ask you a question, Link?"

I really should have used a fake name, Link thought, nodding to the man.

"Your armour...that was made by the Sheikah, wasn't it? I recognise the symbol."

There was no point in denying that, so Link nodded. "Y-Yes, it w-was."

"So, did you grow up with them?" Ralo asked, leaning forward. "Only, I heard they're very cagey about sharing...well, anything, really. Weapons, armour, knowledge, farming techniques...hell, no one really knows where they reside these days." He blinked. "No offence meant, of course, it's just odd to see a Hylian wearing their symbol..."

Behind him, Malo cursed under his breath as something clanked loudly in the cart.

"N-None t-taken," Link said, shaking his head, making up a story on the fly on how he'd saved a Sheikah's life once, and he'd been grateful enough to offer Link a set of armour and weapons as repayment. It felt oddly familiar—had he used it before? Ralo seemed to buy it, however, nodding along excitedly.

"I see, I see," he said, eyes flashing in the firelight.

"Link!"

Sheik's shout, coupled with the brief movement of Ralo's eyes to something behind him, had Link's nerves on edge immediately. He couldn't even recall how, but he was suddenly ducking and rolling to the side, something sharp cutting through the air right where his neck had been. He kicked out, his boot striking the fire and sending a shower of sparks and embers into Ralo's face, which had him cursing up a storm. Something went boom, and Link had barely managed to roll to his feet, draw his sword and thrust it out just in time to parry the sword that had aimed for his neck seconds before.

A white mask, painted with the Sheikah eye...no, wait, it was upside down! Malo's face was hidden behind it, his rough travelling clothes replaced with a red-and-black bodysuit. Link couldn't register much else before Malo went on the offensive again, swiping his curved sword (so similar to Link's own) in a complicated-looking flurry, trying to break Link's defences. He couldn't reach his shield, desperately dodging or parrying blow after blow.

"Ralo!" Malo called out.

"He fucking blinded me!"

A split-second of hesitation, but that was all Link needed. Again, feeling like he wasn't really in control, he stepped forward, into Malo's reach, and dropped. Rolling aside, Link struck out with his sword, felt it bite into something. Malo's scream followed shortly after, but was silenced almost immediately by a second swipe across his throat, all delivered before Link was even back on his feet.

Malo gurgled, clutching at his slashed throat, and Link could only stare down at him, his kicking feet slowly ceasing as he bled out. He hadn't meant to do that...hadn't meant to...to...

"You bastard!" Ralo roared, suddenly charging at him from behind the fire, jumping over it. He, too, wore a mask with the upside-down Sheikah symbol, and an identical suit. "You killed him!"

Finally able to draw his shield as well, Link met Ralo head-on, taking a dual hit from his large sickle-like weapons with the shield, the impact of which rattled his very bones, and caused the shield itself to give a threatening creak.

"Lord Ganon wants your head!" Ralo exclaimed, drawing back and spinning, aiming one sickle high and the other low, forcing Link to step back. Link kicked out, catching Ralo in the gut, but the man hardly gasped, merely giving an annoyed grunt.

"Don't get back into a corner, Link!" Sheik shouted.

"Not alone, are we?!" Ralo said with a grin.

Realising he needed to be proactive, Link charged forward with a roar, swinging his sword in a pattern he hoped was unpredictable, pushing Ralo backwards a little. Ralo, however, had seen it coming, and struck down with his right sickle, hooking Link's sword and pulling it right down with it. Link barely managed to hold up his shield and stop the sickle's tip from piercing his chest.

Ralo gave a roar of his own and pushed and pushed, until Link felt his back hit their cart. And then he was stuck. Ralo was so much stronger and heavier than him, and no amount of force would push him away.

His arms were aching, straining to keep the enemy at bay, while Ralo hardly looked bothered at all, leaning in closer and snarling. "You'll pay for killing my brother!"

"Hey, arsehole!"

They both looked to the side. Sheik was there, a sword in his hand, poised to strike at Ralo. His reaction was immediate, dislodging himself from Link. One sickle was raised to parry Sheik's blade, the other already moving through the air to slice the Sheikah's gut wide open. Pure instinct, probably. It must have been a surprise, then, when his sickles simply passed through Sheik like he was nothing, causing him to stumble forward.

Link swung his blade and caught Ralo's left arm, cutting open a wide gash and forcing him to drop the sickle he held in his hand. As Ralo spun, he followed up with a thrust that wasn't as true as he'd liked. It caught the enemy just under the ribs, but Ralo was already jumping away, leaving nothing but a superficial wound.

Ralo, one arm hanging uselessly and bleeding at his side, cursed loudly and backed up to his brother's body. Snarling, he reared back and threw the sickle directly at Link. He blocked it with his shield, but just as he made to go after Ralo, there was an explosion of light, a loud boom, and the sound of fluttering paper. By the time his vision cleared, Ralo was gone, along with Malo's body.

Panting, Link remained in a semi-crouched position, slowly turning around in a circle, waiting for another attack.

"They're gone," Sheik said, his image gone once more. "Looks like he teleported himself and the body away, somehow. Fucking magic, I'm guessing."

"A-Are you...s-sure?" Link asked, only letting his guard down when Sheik gave an affirmative sound.

"Positive," he followed up. "Their vitals are gone. Well, Malo's disappeared a while ago..."

Letting out a shaking breath, Link kneeled by the fire, letting his heart calm down, trying not to look at the red blood on the ground, or the stains on his sword. "Th-They a-attacked first," he said.

"That's right," Sheik said in agreement, activating the projection again. His sat on his knees in front of Link, trying to catch his eyes. "Link, look at me."

"I d-didn't mean—"

"I know you didn't mean to kill him, Link, but it was either him or you," Sheik said calmly. "This was not murder; it was self-defence. They tried to kill you, and you fought back."

I know, Link wanted to say. I know it wasn't murder. But it wasn't so easy to remember, when he saw the blood...or remembered Malo's body twitching on the ground.

"Link, I need you to breathe with me, all right?" Sheik said, bringing him back. "Look at me, yeah? And just..." he breathed in deeply, "follow me..."

Was I really that far gone? Link wondered as he breathed, trying to calm his entire body down. It took a long time. Too long. It was like a dark veil was slowly being lifted, leaving only the normal dark of night encasing them. The sounds of the various forest critters slowly filtered into his ears once more. An owl hooted. Something gave a shriek in the bushes. He was back.

"You were, but I don't blame you," Sheik said. He must have said the first part out loud. "This is the first time you've killed a person...at least this time around."

"D-Did I...d-do well?"

Sheik smiled. "Very well, Link. You did very well."

"Oh...g-good." Link blinked. "Y-You saved m-me. T-Twice!"

"Your reflexes saved you the first time," Sheik said, looking at the ground. "I had nothing to do with it. Barely managed to get myself in gear for the second—I had no idea if it would work, even. What if he knew what I was capable of?"

That made Link frown. Neither of them had seemed surprised at the voice coming from the slate. Had they known? Or had they been too busy trying to kill him to wonder about it?

"Y-You still s-saved me," Link said, smiling back at Sheik. He wasn't about to let his companion diminish his own contribution to the fact that Link was still living and breathing. "Th-Thank you."

"Like I'd let second-rate traitors like them be the end of you," Sheik said, grimacing. "Anyway...I suppose that confirms what Impa suspected—the Yiga know about your awakening."

"S-Seems s-so," Link agreed. He hadn't been sure if Impa had told Sheik about the treasonous branch of the Sheikah clan, or if he was supposed to fill in him on them, but that problem had taken care of itself, it seemed.

"All the more reason for us to remain wary whenever we're on the road," Sheik continued. "I suggest we make camp somewhere else for tonight—just in case Ralo decides to come back with reinforcements."

Link couldn't agree more, letting Sheik's image fade away before he gathered his things, putting them in Maladict's saddlebags. The horse hadn't been bothered by the fight at all, though he lowered his head at Link's approach, gazing at him with those dark eyes once more, snorting once.

"I'm a-all right, b-boy," Link said soothingly, patting his neck.

"Oh, and make sure you check the cart for anything useful," Sheik added when Link put out their campfire. "Never know what those idiots might have been carrying."

Link headed over the cart, ignoring the deep gouges Ralo's sickles had torn into the wood, and lifted the sheet covering their contents, revealing a large pile of...

"Bananas," Sheik stated. His tone was difficult to place. Somewhere between dazed and perplexed...possibly even bewildered.

"B-Bananas," Link agreed, performing a physical examination in addition to the visual one, just in case they were actually weapons of some sort. "J-Just regular b-bananas," he said after confirming that the yellow, curved objects in the cart were, indeed, bananas.

"Bananas," Sheik said again, as if doing so would make it less true. It didn't. The pile remained yellow and curved, and smelling quite sweet and faintly unpleasant, as bananas tend to do. "Why were they transporting bananas?"

"B-Beats me," Link said. "J-Just for sh-show?"

"What show? They were going to pick something up, not already carrying it. They weren't going to use them to make you believe their story, so...why bananas?!"

Link wasn't sure how many more times he could hear or say the word bananas before it lost all meaning to him, so he turned away from the cart and headed for Maladict, taking him by the reins. "D-Doesn't matter," he said. "L-Let's go."

"I just don't get it," Sheik's voice spoke in the darkness. "Why bananas?"

"Sh-Sheik, g-go to s-sleep."

"I can't sleep—even if I had that capability I'd still be unable to, because...bananas?!"

Link buried his face in his bedroll, groaning.

Oh, my poor neurotic boys...