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
Chapter 60 – Teach Me
Link had to admit that a bath was just about what he needed after the events of the past few days. The way his muscles finally seemed to relax after sinking into the hot, soapy water released no small amount of the tension he'd been feeling since...well, since entering Naboris in the first place. For a moment, he felt completely weightless, and all thoughts and worries just...evaporated.
It could only last so long, however, and soon enough he found himself wishing he could see Sheik. He braced his hands on the sides of the tub and was about to hoist himself out of it when he was suddenly struck in the face by a wet sponge.
"Get back in," Teba said warningly from the next tub. "It hasn't even been five minutes, and it's going to take more than to scrub off the layers of dirt caked onto you. I'm not even sure you're actually Link under all that."
Link threw him a glare, but did as he was told, sinking back into the water. It did feel good...and he supposed he could trust Riju with Sheik for a while...
Hah, as if it were Riju Link was worried about. He had no idea what Sheik was going to do, however, and now he was starting to wonder just how...enthusiastic the Sheikah was going to be in exploring his new body, finally freed from the slate...
Oh.
Freed from the slate.
Yet more tension was released, this time letting him sink into the water until only his face remained above it.
He'd been so preoccupied with the events as of late to realise that Sheik had finally gotten his wish. He was free from the slate, and...well, surely he would not wish to be deactivated now? All this time Link had worried about finding reasons to convince Sheik to change his mind, and a perfectly compelling one just lands in his lap out of nowhere.
Convenient. Almost too convenient.
What if...?
No, absolutely not!
He shut his eyes and dunked his head underwater, banishing every suspicious thought that tried to take root. For once, everything had worked out for the better, and he was not going to let his own mind ruin it by making it all seem like one big trap. No, he trusted Sheik, and knew his lover would take every precaution to ward against any possible plan Ganon may have laid in case the primary one failed.
If anything, Sheik would be even more suspicious than Link could possibly hope to match and would have purged any remnants of Ganon from the system.
Right?
His lungs began burning, craving air, and he resurfaced with a gasp. His eyes stung from the soap, and he rubbed at them furiously, blinking until Teba was more than just a grey-coloured blur to his right.
The Rito was looking at him with a calculating expression. "It's going to be fine, Link," he said, as if reading the Hero's mind. "He'll take precautions."
"H-How did y-you know...?" Link asked, blushing and reaching for a cloth so he could start scrubbing. His hair was a tangled mess and would need a thorough combing later.
"No offence, but you are quite predictable," Teba replied, turning his attention back to his own ablutions, carefully washing each and every feather he could reach to remove the blood and other substances that marred them.
Link had to struggle not to laugh at how ridiculous the Rito looked when he was soaked—it took all the poof out of his coat and revealed just how bony he was. He had to be, Link supposed, in order to actually get off the ground.
Still, he felt guilty for the times Teba had flown him, because he was pretty sure Link outweighed him by quite a bit. Link could only admire the sort of wiry strength required to not only carry Teba himself, but also a fully laden Hylian on his back.
"And since you clearly won't relax until I tell you," Teba continued, frowning at particularly crooked feather, "I can reveal that Sheik is currently being tended to by Riju."
"Wh-Why?" Link asked, groaning a little as he massaged his calves, the released tension revealing just how sore they were. Every muscle in his body was starting to hurt now, actually, and he had a feeling he was going to pay dearly for his stunts over the coming days.
"She thought he might like some privacy while he gets...acquainted with his new body," Teba said simply. "There was apparently a clothing situation as well."
Link paused. Clothing situation? It wasn't like...oh, right. He'd only brought two sets of clothing with him to the desert: the Sheikah armour, which was little more than a bloody pile of rags at this point, and his Champion tunic and the accompanying trousers. All he had left was...well, his vai disguise.
Hylia above, Sheik would kill Link if he so much as tried to hint that he should wear the disguise! Well, hopefully Riju could find him something suitable to wear...
As for getting acquainted with his body...well, Link wanted to do that too.
Not in a pervy way! He just...he'd only seen Sheik's face and arms yet. He wondered what the rest of Sheik looked like, under the remains of the Yiga bodysuit.
...and, well, he was kind of curious in the pervy way too...
He felt his cheeks heat up, and it took Teba clearing his throat pointedly to bring him back from the brink of imagination.
"Not really the place, Link," Teba said, using his beak to preen his feathers, pulling out broken ones and other random bits of debris caught in them.
"I w-wasn't—"
"Sure."
Goddess, could this get any worse?!
"By the way," Teba continued nonchalantly, "have you slept with Prince Sidon yet? Because there are some things you should keep in mind when you do, especially if Sheik is going to join you..."
Yes. Yes, it could.
Link felt marginally less like a tenderised piece of meat by the time he clambered out of the tub and dried himself off with very soft, fluffy towels. He'd managed to get the worst of the tangles out of his hair, even, and was looking forward to getting a brush to finish the job back in his chambers.
Beside him, Teba was carefully drying his feathers as much as he could, but he couldn't rub the water off like Link, lest he pull more feathers out.
"Worst part of being a Rito," Teba told him after noticing Link's curious look. "Having to air-dry. Won't be able to fly again for a while." He paused. "Well, being in a desert will come in handy, for once."
Link pulled on the clean set of smallclothes he'd brought with him from his chambers, and then his tunic and trousers. A pair of sandals had been left for him, kindly enough, which was a relief since his feet had been dreading to put those damned boots back on.
"There's the Hero I know," Teba said, smiling at him. "Hard to believe he was still there under all that dirt."
"Y-You're starting t-to look like a p-plucked cuccoo if you l-lose more f-feathers," he shot back.
"Ouch, right where it hurts," Teba drawled, but Link grinned a little wider when he caught the Rito subtly checking his coat, just in case.
Not so unflappable anymore, eh?
They emerged from the guest baths and followed the corridor back to their chambers.
"The Gerudo waste no time in throwing a celebration," Teba said, nodding to a pair of guards who went by, carrying a long, dust-covered table between them. "We have some respite for the next hour, but then there is a banquet, apparently."
Link suppressed a groan. He'd hoped to at least get a night's rest before having to mingle with people again, but fate truly wasn't on his side now, it seemed.
"They started preparing it before we even returned," Ayla said, suddenly appearing from a shadowy alcove, where she'd blended perfectly in the darkness. She smiled triumphantly at how she'd gotten them both to jump in surprise. "Seems they considered just getting Naboris away from the city was considered a victory in itself." She looked at them closely, nodding in satisfaction. "You look like people again. Good."
"The bath was much appreciated," Teba said, bowing his head. "Thank you."
"Think nothing of it, bird dad," Ayla said, waving her hand. "Seriously, it was Riju's idea."
Bird dad?
"Well, I appreciate it all the same, as well as your help in looking after my idiots."
Clearly, the world was going insane, so Link decided to just let those comments slip by.
"Wh-Where's Sheik?" he asked, ignoring Teba's amused glance.
"In there," Ayla said, nodding to Link's door. "We offered him a chamber of his own, but he refused. Guess he has plans." She waggled her eyebrows, and Link felt his cheeks heat up once again. In front of Teba, of all people! At least she only took pleasure in the moment for a few seconds before clearing her throat. "Anyway, bird dad is right—you have the next half hour to yourselves, but Riju would appreciate it if you joined us in the throne room for the celebration afterwards. The Gerudo would like to show our appreciation for the service you have done us."
"B-But I d-didn't d-do much," Link said, and was thrown off by the identical looks that passed over Ayla and Teba's faces at that.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't know saving the Gerudo people from a rampaging Divine Beast meant so little to you," Ayla said. "I'll tell the whole city to cancel the party, then—"
"I...that's...n-not what I m-meant!"
"She knows, Link," Teba said, patting his shoulder with a damp-feathered hand. "But it doesn't really do to underplay just what you accomplished out there. You and Sheik both."
"It's kinda rude to those who want to celebrate, you know?" Ayla added. "Besides, it's not anything fancy. We'll just be eating and drinking until we pass out."
Teba's eyes narrowed.
"Oh, come on, bird dad!" Ayla pleaded. "I want to see him drunk! Both of them!"
"Absolutely not," the Rito said firmly, giving Link a look that in no uncertain terms forbade either of them from touching alcohol. "They are still recovering."
The Rito and the Gerudo engaged in a staring contest that showed no signs of letting up anytime soon. Link took the opportunity to disengage, quietly opening the door to his chambers and slipping inside.
"Link?" Sheik's voice was surprisingly hesitant, coming from behind a dressing screen in the corner of the room. "Is that you?"
"Y-You can't t-tell?" Link asked, surprised. Sheik had always been able to pinpoint whoever was near as a slate.
"Stabby's sensors were all screwed up," Sheik replied, still behind the screen. "I'm still calibrating them, but it's a manual job and takes a while. I still haven't been able to connect to the Tower Network either, but I'm not sure if it's because we're out of range or because it doesn't recognise my credentials or something else. We really should check out that when we next get a chance, and..."
Link let the words wash over him for a little while, because he simply enjoyed the sound of Sheik talking without the veneer of electronic distortion marring it...but also because Sheik was rambling. He was actually nervous.
When had that ever happened? It was such an unusual occurrence that Link didn't know what to do about it at first and needed a moment to just absorb the moment.
Sheik still hadn't stepped out from behind the screen.
"A-Are you okay?" he asked, breaking into Sheik's blabbering, which had turned into a rant against Gerudo bath practices. "Wh-Why are y-you hiding?"
"I'm not hiding," came the annoyed reply. "I'm just...just drawing out the moment. It's what you're supposed to do, in cases like this, right? I mean, in all the novels the hero is supposed to be painstakingly teased until he can wait no more, and—"
"Sh-Sheik," Link said, unable to take it anymore. "Just c-come out."
There was an annoyed sigh from behind the screen. "Fine," the Sheikah replied, "but I want it on record that this was not my idea, okay? It was those conniving wenches', and I warn you, if you so much as chortle, your head is joining theirs on the pikes."
Oh, this has to be good, Link thought, steeling himself. "W-Warning noted," he said.
"Din, strike me dead where I stand," Sheik muttered and emerged from behind the screen, coming to stand in front of Link with his arms crossed, his visible eye narrowed in challenge. "Well?" he barked. "Have anything to say?"
Link wondered if he was going to pick his jaw up from off the floor if it fell any further. He wasn't sure what he'd expected Riju to dress Sheik in, but this was not it. The colours, vivid hues of the ones of the Sheikah uniform, were one thing—and boy, did they look good against the darker shade of Sheik's skin—but the fit, the shape...
Link had caught a glimpse of himself wearing the vai disguise on Sheik's screen before the Naboris events, and while he'd thought he looked surprisingly good in it, he'd had nothing on Sheik.
Maybe because Sheik's body had a slightly curvier figure than Link's did (oh gods, he could never say that out loud, or Sheik would kill him!), the outfit simply fitted him better. Or maybe it was because Sheik's skin was far smoother than Link's, not pockmarked with dimples and discoloured lines of scars, showing off the sleek, taut stomach of his lover, slight bumps of abdominal muscles hidden beneath the flesh, surrounding the beautiful...
...huh...
Link's eyes zeroed in on the very centre of Sheik's stomach, which looked slightly...off.
"What? What are you staring at?" Sheik barked again, sounding annoyed and...nervous?
"N-No bellybutton," Link murmured, unconsciously stepping forward.
Sheik's mouth moved beneath the veil, a small growl emerging from his throat. It was scary, how good it sounded coming from him.
"A bellybutton is nothing but a scar showing where you were once connected to the woman who bore you," Sheik said. "This body wasn't carried by anyone—why would it have one?"
And it was true. Sheik didn't have the dimple or folded scar tissue that everyone else had. There was a slight fold in the skin, but it only looked like the real thing. It was like the Shrine of Resurrection knew there was supposed to be something there, but not quite how to achieve it, so it had unsuccessfully improvised.
Link shook his head. It wasn't important. He focused on the rest of Sheik, taking in the lines of his form, noting little details, like how the body was perfectly capable of producing goose bumps...though it wasn't exactly cold in the chamber.
"What're you doing?" Sheik asked, and Link realised he had stepped even closer, barely a pace away from Sheik now. He was within reach. All he would have to do was to...to...
"C-Can I...?" Link asked, his hand already moving on its own volition.
Sheik gave him a long look before nodding minutely. "S-Sure," he muttered.
Sheik was warm. That was the first thing Link had noticed back on Naboris, and the first thing he noticed now. Just a few degrees higher than normal, but noticeably so. Link's fingers skimmed along Sheik's shoulders, noting with no small amount of delight how Sheik shivered under his touch.
"Tickles," the Sheikah muttered when Link gave him an amused look.
"W-Weird, huh?" he asked, to which Sheik nodded.
"Everything feels weird," he admitted. "Just the air on my face was...so new and alien."
"And th-this?" Link asked, trailing his fingers down Sheik's sides. His top was drooping just a little on account of Sheik not really having the assets it was sewn for, but that only gave Link a tantalising glimpse of his chest. "How d-does th-this feel?"
"It...hmph...it's...nice," Sheik admitted after fidgeting a little. "Still tickles."
"S-Sorry," Link said, feeling a little brave and stepping even closer, their faces only inches apart now. With some amusement, he noticed that Sheik was just a little shorter than him. "Y-You're shor—"
"Finish that sentence and die," Sheik growled, teeth bared beneath the veil.
"Y-You are, th-though," Link said playfully, glancing at the fabric covering up the glowing left eye. "Y-You're hiding it?"
"It'll just freak people out and cause more trouble than it's worth," Sheik said, apparently tired of being the observed, his non-gloved hand suddenly on Link's neck, the fingers rubbing experimentally across his nape, which immediately caused the Hero to shiver. "Like that, do you?" he asked.
"Y-Yeah," the Hero admitted with a smile.
"Guess Sharky isn't the only one who can make you do that now, huh?"
"P-Pretty much," Link said, glancing down at Sheik's left arm. The sleeves covered up most of it, a black leather glove hiding the hand—the one that was just a little too different to pass for a natural one. He took it with his right, noticed Sheik seizing up a little, and entwined their fingers. "You d-don't have t-to hide it f-from m-me, though," he said.
"I know," Sheik said, but his eye couldn't meet Link's. He clearly didn't. "But apparently, we've got a party to attend in a little while, and it's bad enough that there'll be voe there without me causing a panic by accidentally re-enacting the Calamity, you know?"
Link snorted. "Y-You're ridiculous," he said.
Sheik snorted right back. "Says the one who decided that blowing himself up was the best way of finishing a fight."
"W-Worked, didn't it?"
"Barely."
"It's a w-win in m-my book."
"Of course it is."
Link grinned, leaning forward until his forehead rested against Sheik's. So warm. So soft. A lock of Sheik's hair had come loose from the loose ponytail he kept it in, and that, too, was soft. Link wanted to run his fingers through it. Sheik's eye had closed, his gloved hand squeezing Link's so carefully.
"I've w-wanted th-this for s-so long," Link admitted.
"Me too," Sheik replied, his voice a mere whisper that caused the veil to flutter a bit. "It was all I could think about, at the end, when I wasn't sure if I was going to make it or not."
He couldn't take it anymore. Link let his left hand slowly rise and carefully lifted Sheik's veil, revealing a pair of soft-looking lips, and perfect, white teeth worrying at them.
"Sh-Sheik," Link breathed.
"Y-Yeah?"
"M-May I...?"
Sheik's cheeks reddened, and Link only had a little time to be surprised at how thorough the Shrine had been before he answered, "Please..."
It was but the work of a moment, a mere arching of his neck, and their lips would meet. Link breathed in, the scent of expensive soaps and oils filling his nostrils, and went in—
They both jumped back with identical yelps at the sudden sound of explosive knocking on the door.
"Hey, lovebirds!" Ayla's voice spoke on the other side. "Half hour's up, party's about to start! Get yourselves presentable and come downstairs! I'm gonna go get bird dad and then I'm coming back!"
Her footsteps (suddenly thundering instead of deathly silent) stomped down the corridor, fading away.
With the moment thoroughly killed, Link swore to end Ayla's existence as his gaze met Sheik's.
"I'm going to kill that woman," Sheik announced, before they both started to laugh at the absurdity of it all.
Sheik wanted to die. He really did.
Not like he had wanted before, when he'd asked Link to shut the slate down when it was all over and done with. No, this was a different kind of death wish, the sort where you pray for every god, goddess, omniscient and omnipotent being out there to smite you so thoroughly you are erased not only from the pages of history but also from the memories of everyone who knew you. In essence, for them to unmake you to spare you the mortification of your existence and what you had done with it.
That, or for the same thing to happen to Ayla.
Either or, really, for the way she'd completely ruined the moment, the heat of which Sheik still felt in the pit of his stomach even as they entered Riju's throne room and were assaulted by the sheer noise that was a Gerudo party.
Class meant nothing as civilians, soldiers, merchants, and people from all professions mingled in the large room, dancing and singing, eating and drinking, all the sounds of stringed instruments and drums so loud Sheik felt the beat in his chest, like the artificial heart within was trying to join in on the rhythm.
It was like the entire city had tried to fit into the throne room, and while that wasn't physically possible, a glance out the window had shown them that all the Gerudo were celebrating tonight.
The sights, the sounds, the smells, the heat, the feeling of a thousand piercing gazes locking upon him when they entered the room...it was all too much. The only thing that kept Sheik grounded was Link's presence at his side, wearing his vai disguise once more in an attempt to make Sheik more comfortable with his own outfit.
He'd even offered Sheik his Champion's tunic, for the sake of his own comfort, but that idea was just abhorrent to Sheik.
That was Link's tunic, and no one else's.
When Link had then offered to wear the vai clothes, Sheik had scoffed, but the Hero had fixed him with a stubborn face and pretty much said that if one of them had to cross-dress, they both would.
Not that Sheik minded Link doing that in the least. Link wore the outfit like it had been sewn specifically for him, and Sheik lamented the fact that he wouldn't be able to show Sharky just how good Link looked in it. Everything from the tantalising skin and playfully hidden face...it was just too good to be true.
Next to him, Sheik had a feeling he looked, at best, like a mannequin whose proportions were just a little too wrong for the clothes.
He really wished Tiny had worked a little harder on finding clothes for him...
But here they were, surrounded by Gerudo, all of whom were giving them curious and fascinated looks as they passed through the crowds, some possibly seeing voe for the first time, trying to find someone they knew. Ayla and Teba had gone on ahead, leaving them to find their own way.
With the crowds and noise, they had little choice but to make their way slowly towards the throne, which was also swarmed by the partygoers, but Sheik had a feeling they'd find at least Tiny there, and possibly Slagathor.
They found their quarry soon after. Riju was sitting on her throne, the Thunder Helm secure in her lap, regaling a group of young Gerudo children with the tale the sand seal chase across the desert, dodging lightning and obstacles as they raced after Vah Naboris. Buliara was standing just behind the throne, nodding at various points, smiling a little when one girl gasped at the part where Riju had gone flying after hitting a rock.
"But! I was quite all right," Riju said, smiling, "because I had the support of our ancestors, Lady Urbosa, the Thunder Helm...and Link and Sheik, the Hylian and Sheikah Champions!"
Wait, what?
Her eyes landed on them just as she spoke, and she gestured towards them with a regal move.
"And here they are," she said, smiling just a little too widely for it not to be sadistic. "Go say hello."
Ah, there it was.
Sheik had always had a suspicion that his death would come in the form of something unexpected and ridiculous. Being trampled by a small army of red-headed Gerudo children fit that description to a tee. He remained at Link's side as they stood firm against the tide, trying to focus enough to catch even one frantically asked question from among dozens, and wondering why one adventurous child in particular found it to be a good idea to climb him!
"Are you a voe?!" one girl shrieked. "Why are you wearing vai clothes?!"
"Is it true you talked to Lady Urbosa?!"
"Are you really the Champion from a hundred years ago?!"
"I didn't know the Sheikah had a Champion!"
"Does it hurt?"
The last question had come from the girl who'd climbed his back, locking her arms around his neck and wrapping her legs around his middle, effectively becoming a living backpack. Her golden eyes were looking at his eyepatch, a small frown on her lips. Her actions were bold, but her voice was timid.
Seven years old, maybe? He wasn't sure—Gerudo sizes confused him.
A glance to his side told him Link was already engaging with the other kids, doing his best to keep up with the rapid-fire demands for stories as two other children had begun scaling him like a tree. He looked far more relaxed around them, as usual. he was not so busy as to not notice Sheik's own tagalong or hide just how amused he was by it.
Sheik scowled back.
Right.
Children.
If he could deal with Stabby, he could deal with one Gerudo girl, right?
He turned his head to look her properly in the eye. "No, it doesn't hurt," he said. "The eye's not even injured, really."
Her frown deepened. "Then why do you wear the patch?"
"Well, some people might find it scary," he said. "It's...weird-looking."
He really should've known that wasn't the correct way to stave off a child's curiosity. If anything, it only made her more determined to see it, her fingers twitching around his neck.
"Can I see?" she said.
At least she was polite enough to ask.
"I don't think that's a good idea," Sheik replied, shaking his head. "It'll scare you. It'll scare everyone here."
"You're Lady Riju's friend and a Champion," she said stubbornly. "You're not scary."
Just a walking abomination, Sheik thought, noticing too late that her tiny hand had found its way to his eyepatch, and was lifting it. Too late to stop her.
Well, here we go, he thought. Here comes the screaming, the panic, the—
"It's not scary at all," the girl said simply, carefully lowering the eyepatch back down, hiding the glowing eye from view. "It's pretty."
Well...he didn't expect that. It made sense, though—the girl was young, had probably never set foot outside the city walls, had never encountered an active Guardian and the death and mayhem its eye could cause—the same sort of eye that was in Sheik's socket. It was...nice, knowing she hadn't been exposed to it.
"Thank you," he said, giving her a veiled smile. "You're very pretty yourself."
She blushed, hiding her face in his neck, mumbling something.
"What was that?" he asked. "I can't hear you."
"You're pretty, too," she repeated a little louder.
Screamed, really.
The unpleasant burning sensation in his cheeks returned from before, and only intensified when some of the Gerudo around them began to laugh and coo at him. He steadfastly refused to look at Link, but he could just tell that the Hylian had a shit-eating grin on his face.
"Th-Thank you," he said. She made no move to climb off him. What else did she want? "Er...what's your name?" he asked.
"Sivan," she answered said shyly.
"I'm Sheik."
"I know."
Conversational dead end. What the fuck did kids even want to talk about? Tulin had been endlessly fascinated by the images he'd displayed on his screen, but Sheik didn't have the benefit of shiny, distracting things anymore. All he had was a body he still didn't quite fit into anymore, a glowing eye, and a Gerudo child on his back.
Predictably, Link had started playing games with the other kids. There wasn't enough room for tag or hide and seek, so instead they were playing some sort of roll-calling game in the Gerudo tongue, which Link was stumbling over thanks to his stutter, but the kids didn't seem to mind, encouraging him by clapping and whooping, thoroughly distracted from Sheik.
He really wasn't sure what to do now, about Sivan, but it seemed she was mostly content sticking to him like a barnacle. Kind of like Link, really.
Fortunately, he was saved soon after as Riju appeared from among the throngs, followed by Buliara.
"Having fun?" she asked drolly, looking pointedly at his living backpack.
"Just super," he replied, glaring at her. "Link's busy."
"Good, I was hoping to talk to you, actually," Riju said, smiling up at Sivan. "Sivan, may I borrow Sheik for a moment?"
"No," the girl said, clinging tighter.
"You dare say no to your chief?" Buliara asked, though with no heat. Almost playful, really. Clearly this was not the real Slagathor, but an impostor!
"No!" Sivan repeated.
"Now, you may be comfortable with inciting rebellion," Sheik said, carefully trying to unhook the girl's arms from around his neck, "but I'd rather not make an enemy of the Gerudo—I don't have the diplomatic clout among the Sheikah to recover from it."
"But I wanna spend more time with you!" Sivan said demandingly, finally letting go.
"I'll be back soon enough, we can talk more then, hm?" Sheik said diplomatically, not really sure what the fuck they were going to talk about. Why couldn't she have been obsessed with Link too, like the others?
"Fine," Sivan muttered sourly, looking up at him with big, pleading eyes. "Promise?"
"I promise," he said solemnly.
She nodded, and then went to join the final assault on Link Fortress, where bringing him to his knees was apparently the new goal.
"Right, what do you want?" he asked, turning to Riju, who in turn led him to the balcony behind her throne, which overlooked the desert behind them.
The sun had gone down, and the air was considerably cooler out here. The noise was also a little less intrusive, now that it wasn't amplified by the stone around them.
"Link's good with kids," Riju said, leaning on the railing, inviting him to join her with a nod. Buliara took up position near the door, ensuring their privacy.
"He always has been," Sheik replied, thinking back to the Domain, and how he'd played with the Zora children there. "I think he feels more comfortable around them, because they're less complicated to deal with than adults."
"Hm," Riju said, nodding. "You're good with them, too. That was a surprise."
He scowled. "I don't think having a single conversation with one kid counts as being good with them, Tiny. You should know."
She scowled right back. "I'm not a child," she growled.
"Maybe when you grow up past my knee, then—"
"You piece of sh—"
"My Lady," Buliara reminded her.
"...shoe. You piece of shoe," Riju amended bitterly, giving her bodyguard a withering look, which Buliara just ignored.
Sheik chuckled. "Not old enough to swear, then," he said with glee. "Just a baby."
"Shut up!" she barked, swatting his arm.
"Using physical violence against a guest?" he said with a mocking gasp. "That's a diplomatic incident just waiting to explode, that is!"
"I should have had Buliara drown you," she hissed.
"Better than getting eaten alive for being a voe, I guess," he replied, nodding to the door. "Speaking of, how come Link and I haven't been run out of town yet? I mean, we're guests at the palace, but I'm pretty sure the iron rule is that no man shall ever set foot inside the walls, or something, right?"
Riju sighed. "The rule is there for a good reason...at least, it was back when it was instated."
"Oh, a history lesson," he drawled. "Fantastic. Do tell."
The Gerudo Chief swatted his arm again. Pain was still a strange feeling to him, but also thrilling, somehow. "You want to know, or what?" she asked.
"Okay, okay," he said. "When was it put into place, anyway?"
"We forget the exact year, the time from which it stems is still shrouded in mystery and shame—"
"Oh, gods, not the poetry—"
"Will you shut the fuck up for five seconds?!"
"Riju!" Buliara barked.
"He started it!" Riju said, pointing accusingly at Sheik, who tried to look innocent.
"Hey, I'm not the one was swearing!"
"Master Sheik, don't make me fetch Master Teba," Buliara warned him pleasantly.
Surprisingly, that did actually give him pause, and he nodded begrudgingly.
He'd have to figure out why the thought of making Tweety upset with him felt wrong. Maybe because it'd reflect poorly on Link or something.
"Fine, shutting up," he said.
"Good, as I was saying—"
"For five seconds."
Riju didn't swear or shout, but her face turned an alarming shade of red for a few seconds before whatever internal battle she waged was settled, quickly returning to its natural bronze.
"As. I. Was. Saying," she said pointedly, "we don't know exactly when the rule was instated, but we know why." She turned to look out at the desert again, sighing. "Ganon hasn't always been a mindless force of destruction, you know."
"Could've fooled me," Sheik said, thinking back to the aspect of the Calamity he'd encountered inside Stabby. There had been no reasoning with that monstrosity, despite its futile attempts to communicate. Not that Sheik would have done so anyway, even if its attempts had been coherent.
"He was a Gerudo, once," she said.
Sheik paused. "Come again?" he said.
"He was one of us," Riju repeated, still looking at the desert. "Back then, a male Gerudo was born every few generations, usually right after the previous one passed away. Some sort of innate, inborn magic, our scholars believe. The male Gerudo was always made king, and led our people, for better or for worse. Some were good and wise kings, others cruel and petty.
"He was named Ganondorf at his birth, and our people realised immediately that this king would be decisive, and either lead us to greatness, or to ruin."
"I'm guessing the latter," Sheik interjected, running a few processes in the back of his head that were trying to figure out the statistics and probability of what he'd just learned, quickly giving up when he realised that, yet again, fucking magic had to be the root cause of it all.
"He started a war," Riju said. "One that nearly caused the destruction of our people, all because of his greed and hunger for power, which he coveted most of all. He nearly brought the world to an end before he was stopped, while everything was teetering on the brink. They thought he'd been destroyed, but...it was simply a ruse. He has been waiting, biding his time, trying again and again, only to be beaten back every time by the heroes of those times.
She turned her head to look at Sheik, her brow furrowed. "Before, he sought, as always, power and reincarnation. Now...it seems he has given up, seeking only to destroy everything with no consideration for his own life. And he would have succeeded, if not for the princess."
"Why are you telling me this?" Sheik asked. "This isn't really the sort of information you want to be known, even if it were a long time ago."
"Indeed," Riju said with a nod. "Some people might still resent the Gerudo for giving birth to him in the first place, and I would appreciate it if you did not share this information too freely with those outside of the desert. However...I feel you should know this, for when the time comes to face him."
"You mean when Link faces him," he said, nodding slowly, understanding what she as getting at. "So I'll be able to convince Link to finish Ganon off, in case it tries to...what, pretend to surrender?"
"Or something similar, yes," Riju said. "There is no telling what Ganon might do once he realises he might lose." She glanced back towards the door, to the party where Link was playing with the kids. "Link is..." she trailed off.
"Too nice for his own good," Sheik finished for her. "I know. And I'd be lying if I said that I can't imagine Link actually offering Ganon mercy if it asks for it."
"Then you understand the purpose of this talk," Riju said.
"I do," Sheik confirmed. "If it comes to it, I'll...try to remind Link of why we did all this to begin with. I can't imagine he'll feel too merciful once he remembers."
"That's all I ask," Riju said. "And that you keep what you learned tonight to yourself and Link."
"Your secret's safe with me, Tiny," he said. "Unless you piss me off, that is."
She grimaced. "Why do you keep giving everyone nicknames? And why don't Link and Ayla get any?" she asked.
"Because I know it annoys people," he replied happily, enjoying the grimace that only grew worse. "And as for those two...well, Link is just...Link. I can't really think of anything to call him that isn't too obvious or dull. Plus, I don't really feel like annoying him any more than I already do."
"You do annoy him," Buliara noted idly.
"Nobody asked you, Slagathor," he shot back. "And Ayla...well, she's just not remarkable enough to earn one."
"Hah!" Buliara laughed. "No wonder she makes such a good spy."
Riju sighed. "Well, that's the serious business taken care of for tonight. Come, let us re-join the party."
Sheik clenched his jaw and braced himself. "Yes, let's."
At some point, Link had managed to detach himself from the throngs of children and migrated to one of the big tables that ran down the length of the throne room. There, he'd found Teba, Ayla, Risa, Barta, and—to Sheik's surprise—Kiro.
"You're alive, then?" Sheik asked, plopping down on the bench next to the Yiga, who nearly fell over backwards with surprise.
"Who are you?!" he demanded. "What do you w...Sheik?"
He looked much better now that Kohga's magical poison had disappeared from his system completely. His eye and shoulder were still thickly bandaged, but the surrounding skin and tissues looked much healthier than they had before. Colour had returned to his face, and there was a lot more energy in him than before, even if his eyelids looked a little heavy.
The surprise and shock were still there, though, and Sheik noticed how everyone else around the table looked more amused than anything, especially Link.
"You didn't tell him, did you?" he asked the Hero, who shook his head.
Sheik sighed, looking back to Kiro. "Yes, it's me, Sheik. Hi, hello, what's up? I got a body that's half real, half fake, whoop-dee-doo."
"I...that is...but when...how?" Kiro managed to stutter out, the boy looking ready to faint.
"Long story that I'm not very interested in re-treading right now," he replied, spotting the bowls of various foods scattered all over the table. "So...this free, or what?"
"You can eat?" Teba asked, looking surprised.
"I rather think I have to, unless I want half my body to starve," he replied, reaching for one of the dishes, only to have his hand stopped by Risa's.
"Perhaps you should try something else, Master Sheik," Risa said. "That one is...quite spicy, by Hylian standards. Linkle nearly died."
He let the "Master" thing slide again. He didn't want the headache that would surely accompany it.
"Is that right, Linkle?" Sheik asked across the table with a grin, to which Link scowled.
"It l-looked tasty," the Hero said, arms crossed. His face was a little flushed, and a rather large pitcher of water—now empty—stood on the table before him.
"We thought he was going to catch fire," Barta said, laughing. Every now and then, her gaze flitted to Kiro, as if checking to see if he were all right. That was nice of her, Sheik thought.
"I d-don't see y-you eating it," Link said pointedly, glaring at her.
"I know better than to try one of Buliara's favourite dishes," she said. "I actually appreciate having taste buds."
Well, if that wasn't a fucking challenge, then he didn't know what it was. Sheik pointedly reached over for the dish and took one of the little, meaty morsels from it. Ground up, mixed with some sort of spice and sauce. The smell was...delicious.
So...how did this eating thing work? Drinking water was one thing, that went mostly automatically, but eating? That required mastication, and while that was, as far as he knew, just moving his teeth to grind and mash up the food, how would he know when it was time to swallow it? Did that, too, mostly happen automatically, or...?
He noticed that every eye around the table was glued to him, including Kiro's, and he suddenly felt very self-conscious. "What's so fucking interesting?!" he barked.
"You," Ayla said easily, leaning forward on her elbows as she stared at him intently. Her face was flushed, clearly drunk already. "Go on," she encouraged. "Show us those gnashers at work!"
"How much has she had?"
"Before or after the party started?" Risa asked cheekily, dodging the swipe Ayla sent at her. "Hey, save that for afterwards!"
"A healthy amount," Ayla said pointedly, ignoring the cup of water Teba slid in front of her. "Now eat!"
Well, might as well sate everyone's curiosity, including his own. He popped the morsel into his mouth and found, surprisingly, the act of chewing to be quite easy. The movements felt natural, instinctual. He quickly reduced the meat to mush, releasing the spices and sauce within and...and...and...
Fucking Din above, had a volcano just gone off inside his mouth? His tongue felt like it was coated with liquid fire, and no amount of breathing or chewing or anything would put it out. He coughed, feeling sweat breaking out of every pore in his skin.
"Uh...you okay there, Master Sheik?" Risa asked, eyes wide.
"You're looking a bit...red," Barta added.
Sheik swallowed, regretting it immediately as the trail of fire only spread to the back of his throat and oesophagus. His eye was growing misty. "I'm...fine..." he said.
Now it was Kiro who quietly slid a cup of water in front of him. "Drink," he said quietly. "No amount of pride is worth this."
Sheik made a note to kick Kiro's arse later, but took the cup anyway, desperately chugging it down, dismayed when he realised the relief was only temporary—once the water was gone, the burning began anew.
"I...dying..." he gasped.
The table exploded with laughter.
It took a while, but the fire in his mouth was soon put out, and then some milder dishes were presented to him by the smiling Risa. Such an angel, that woman. His pride was a little wounded, but that was quickly forgotten when he started eating.
Goddesses, had he been missing out!
The explosion of flavour, the textures of the various meats and vegetables, the sauces, the bread!
If he ever got a chance, he would personally resurrect the person who put him in the slate and kill them over and over again, just for stealing his ability to eat. And then kiss the person who'd made the Shrine for giving it back to him.
He'd have to thank Stabby, too, for giving him the body.
The people around him began talking amongst themselves again. Risa, Barta, and Kiro were talking about their fight against Kohga, while Teba and Ayla were arm-wrestling...Teba more reluctantly than Ayla.
"Show me what those arms can do, bird dad!" Ayla demanded.
"Will you stop drinking if I do this?" the Rito asked with a sigh.
"Maybe?"
"Very well..."
He probably thought he was being subtle, but Sheik could tell that Teba was keeping a close eye on what he and Link were drinking, actively discouraging anyone from bringing wine or other alcoholic drinks to them. At this point, Sheik felt like grabbing a pitcher out of pure spite.
Link wasn't talking to anyone, however. He was simply watching Sheik from across the table, his eyes crinkled by a smile hidden under his veil.
"What?" Sheik asked quietly, suddenly self-conscious. He probably looked ridiculous, his veil flipped up and tucked under the eyepatch to keep it out of the way while he ate.
Was he making a mess?
He was making a mess, wasn't he?
He was embarrassing himself and everyone around him.
Link didn't answer, he just pointed at Sheik, still smiling.
Fuck, if that didn't make his stomach do a little somersault. Stupid feelings.
"Everyone!"
There was a loud crash as someone hit the gigantic gong near the musicians, the sound bringing an abrupt end to the noisy conversations in the throne room.
Riju was standing on her throne, still positively tiny compared to her seat. She had her hands up, calling for silence and attention. The room fell quiet quickly, everyone looking to the Chief.
"Everyone," she repeated. "I will not interrupt our merriment for long, but there is something that must be said, and something that must be announced."
There were scattered murmurs and the creaking of wood as people sat up to listen closer.
"First, an acknowledgement," the Chief said, looking at the section where Sheik and the others were sitting. "Vah Naboris has been freed, and our enemy, Kohga has been vanquished. These are great victories and causes for celebration, but we would be remiss to not acknowledge those whose efforts led to them."
She pointed at Kiro. "First, I would like to thank Kiro, whose brave efforts not only ensured the return of the Thunder Helm, but also saved the lives of several of our warriors. If not for him, they would still remain the prisoners of the Yiga. Kiro, I thank you." She dipped her head in respect.
Kiro, poor thing, looked like he was about to get run over by a sand seal. A few Gerudo were giving him mistrustful or suspicious looks, and the silence reigned a little longer than it should have.
"I personally owe Kiro my life," Barta said, glaring around her. "As do several of my girls! Thank you, Kiro."
The warning tone in her voice set off a smattering of applause, which grew into a genuine one soon after. Sheik gave the Yiga a shrug.
"At least you get to keep your head?" he said, to which Kiro groaned.
"Next, I would like to thank our trio of Champions," Riju said. "Master Teba of the Rito, Master Link of the Hylians, and Master Sheik of the Sheikah. With their unique talents, they managed to break Ganon's hold on Vah Naboris, free the spirit of Lady Urbosa, and bring the Divine Beast back under her control." She bowed her head again. "Thank you, Champions."
So, Sheik thought, I guess we are just throwing that title around willy-nilly, now.
At least the applause was raucous, and several hands came to pat their shoulders. That felt...nice. One particular hand lingered, however, and the next thing Sheik knew, Sivan had climbed onto the bench and plopped herself into his lap. Some of the Gerudo laughed at this, and Link, the little shit, had the audacity to loudly say "Aww..."
"You're back, huh?" Sheik asked, staring down at the top of the redhead that was currently helping herself to some food.
His food.
"Mhm," Sivan said. "You promised."
"I suppose I did."
Sheik tried to look to Teba and the others for help, but they were suddenly too busy with other things. Teba, in particular, was nudging Link with his elbow, the Hero shaking his head frantically before the Rito more or less forced him to stand up. The room fell quiet once more.
"Er..." Link began. "I...w-would just l-like to s-s-say..." His fists were clenched with the effort it took to have so much attention on him at once and not break down. Sheik wanted to throttle Tweety for forcing him into it, but that would have to wait. "I...w-we w-would not h-have b-been able t-t-to succeed in our t-task, w-were it n-not for y-you, L-Lady Riju." He looked ready to pass out by now, if not for Teba hovering beside him. "Or a-any of y-you," he added, waving to the ones at the table. He looked to Riju and bowed his head. "I m-mean, M-Master Riju."
As far as victory speeches went, it wasn't the best. It still had the desired effect, though, if the cheering and applause was anything to judge by. Link sank back into his seat and hid his face in his hands, while Teba comfortingly patted his shoulder.
"Is she okay?" Sivan asked, pointing at Link.
Sheik couldn't contain his laughter.
Hours later, they returned to Link's chamber. Theirs, now. Exhaustion had forced them both to retire, and Sheik could honestly say that being tired was his least favourite feeling yet. Moving felt like he was walking through treacle or quicksand, slowing down everything he did. His thoughts seemed to grind to a halt as well, at least in one half of his mind, creating a strange sensation where every thought and impulse moved at a staccato rhythm, which in turn only made him more tired.
A half-organic and half-synthetic brains has drawbacks, who'd have thought? Sheik thought, glancing at the bed, which looked incredibly soft and inviting.
How were they doing the sleeping arrangements, anyway? What was even the state of their relationship, at this point? Would Link have second thoughts, now that Sheik had a body and wasn't slate-bound? Or would he feel uncomfortable given Sheik's body's...idiosyncrasies?
He got his answer when Link, after shedding most of his clothes save for his sirwal, which had apparently conquered him with its complicated tie at the back, flopped down on the bed, giving Sheik an expectant look.
"You c-coming?" he asked, eyes glazed with exhaustion, patting the spot on the mattress next to him. The speech had taken a lot out of him, Sheik knew, and it wouldn't take him long to fall asleep.
"R-Right," Sheik said, beginning to remove the outfit. His hands felt clumsy, his fingers thick. Was this what nervous felt like? When your mind didn't cooperate, nor your body, and a sense of...uncomfortable anticipation?
"Let m-me help you," Link said, suddenly standing beside him, beginning to undo the various knots and ties that held Sheik's clothes together. His hands practically shaking at this point, Sheik let him, trying to calm himself down as he felt the Hero's hands ghosting over him, gently removing his sleeves, and then the glove. He felt Link's warm hand grasping his, paying no heed to how weird that hand really was.
"Y-You're beautiful, Sh-Sheik," Link whispered, thinking for a moment before pressing a kiss to the corner of his mouth.
Warm. Soft. A little wet.
Sheik wanted more. He turned his head and mashed his lips against Link's, immediately realising he had no idea what the fuck he was doing. He'd only watched Link and Sharky doing this, and had no idea how much pressure was needed, or how much he needed to move his mouth, or, or—
Link hummed, pushing him back a little so the pressure was lessened, then broke contact. "N-Not so h-hard," he, tapping Sheik's nose gently. "At l-least...n-not at f-first," he added with a grin.
Sheik grinned back, like an idiot.
"Teach me?" he asked, letting Link drag him towards the bed.
"Of c-course," the Hero said.
Miles away, in one of the fields of Hyrule, a group of red-suited individuals were gathered around another, who was kneeling in the grass, panting. The leader of the group read the message the messenger had been carrying silently, her eyes flitting to the one on the ground every now and then.
"It's true, then?" she asked, handing the paper to the Yiga beside her. "Master Kohga is dead?"
"Killed in battle against the Gerudo," the messenger said, finally getting his breath back. He'd been running nonstop, travelling by magic some of the way, until he'd found them. "The hideout has been compromised. We can no longer hold the southern region. The others are coming here to regroup."
"And the last Divine Beast has been freed," another Yiga said. "We are running out of time. What are our options?"
As one, the group looked to her. She supposed she was, technically, now in command of the clan, such as it was. Not exactly the way she'd hoped to ascend to the position, but beggars couldn't be choosers. She thought for a long moment, listening to the wind dancing through the trees and grass around them.
"We will split up," she announced. "Three teams, each with a single task. The first group will head south, towards the border. The barrier may be broken, but they can still harass the Gerudo that are surely coming to join the Domain's army. The second group will probe the Domain's defences and continue to sabotage their operations, poisoning their food and water supplies—anything that will halt their preparations."
"And the last group?" her second asked.
"I will lead that one personally," she said, turning to look north, to the mountains and the village she knew was hidden among them. There were only so many places it could be. "I think it's time we paid our dear cousins a visit. They have been a thorn in Lord Ganon's side for too long..."