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 64 - You're No Quitter!

Link breathed in deeply, letting his eyes flutter open and take in the weak, early light that was shining through the windows. The sun had yet to rise, but the sky was already brightening enough for Link to make out the features of the room.

He sat up...or tried to, at any rate. The first attempt was foiled by his abdominal muscles screaming out in protest at the horrendous treatment they'd suffered in the last few days. Riju really was merciless, always adding just one more repetition to his training regimen. It seemed to be working, but he wished it wasn't so fucking painful!

His movements were not appreciated by Sheik, who grumbled unintelligibly at the disturbance, buried under a pile of blankets. One of the first things Link had learned about Sheik, now that he had a body, was that the Sheikah was not a morning person. Not even a little bit. Link had thought Sheik was grumpy already, but that was before he'd tried waking him up before sunrise. There had been some very cutting words and numerous death threats. Link decided to let him sleep in from then on.

He looked down at the slumbering Sheikah for a moment, wondering how Sheik managed to both burrow into a nest of blankets and spread out to take up all the room on the bed, like a giant starfish, at the same time. It shouldn't have been physically possibly, but as it turned out Sheik's new body was very flexible.

His cheeks heated up at the unbidden memory that came to his mind, about two nights prior, when they'd decided to give that flexibility a different sort of test not suitable for public view. The results had been quite...interesting.

He shook his head, grinning, and leaned over to kiss Sheik's one visible cheek, his hair obscuring the rest of his face. His muscles didn't like the twisting motion, but he ignored their pleas. It was worth it, just to see the way Sheik's nose wrinkled slightly at the contact. Link couldn't help but find it adorable.

"Eugh..." the Sheikah mumbled, hiding his face in the pillow. "Morning breath..."

Link chuckled. "L-Like yours is a-any better," he said.

"G'way," Sheik mumbled, turning over to get away from him. "Sleep."

Link smiled, packing the blankets a little tighter around his lover before climbing out of bed, heading to the washbasin in the corner to freshen up before getting dressed and making himself somewhat presentable. Riju had been quite helpful in getting them new clothes, ordering several beleaguered seamstresses to come up with new designs and outfits for her guests to wear. Link appreciated it, though he felt a little bad for the seamstresses.

Then again, he had a feeling they got back at him and their chief with some of their products, such as the outfit he'd intended to wear today.

It was a training outfit, meant to be used while engaging in physical activity. The sirwal was familiar, a deep forest-green colour with blue, oval patterns for detail. What wasn't, however, was the complete lack of a top or something else to cover up his upper body. There were bracers for his forearms, and, strangely, a single sleeve for his left arm, shoulder, and half his pectoral muscle that was held in place with ties. The sleeve was really meant to be worn under the shoulder pauldron to prevent friction and discomfort.

There was also a gold circlet that kept his hair out of his face, which he wore because...well, it'd be rude not to, even if it made his hair look awfully pineapple-like. Pikango would be proud, he thought, looking at himself in the mirror.

This is going to be the stupidest-looking tan ever, he added, deciding he would not wear this out in the sun.

He gave the pile of blankets on the bed one last look as he headed for the door. "I'm h-heading out," he said. "S-See y-you in the t-training yard?"

"Mphhh," Sheik replied scholarly, the pile shifting only slightly.

That was, Link assumed, Sheikese for "Bye", "Yes", and "Shut the fuck up and let me sleep", all wrapped up in one convenient phrase, suitable for any situation or scenario.

He chuckled and left their room, not even blinking in surprise when he found Riju waiting for him in the corridor, leaning against the wall with an impatient look on her face. She was dressed in her sparring outfit as well, training scimitar strapped to her back.

"There you are," she said. "Where's the loudmouth?"

"S-Sleeping in," Link said, though it could hardly be called that since, again, the sun hadn't even risen yet. He didn't resist when she grabbed his arm and dragged him down the hall, heading for the training yard.

"He really is a lazy bum, isn't he? Must be because of all that shouting he does—wears him out, or something," she said, glancing at his outfit. "That suits you, by the way."

"Th-Thanks?" Link replied.

"You're welcome—I had one made for Sheik, too, but I don't think he'll wear it, out of spite."

That did sound like something Sheik would do, Link agreed, but he didn't say this out loud. "He p-prefers th-the Sh-Sheikah ones," he said diplomatically.

"Figures," Riju said.

Riju's decision to have some clothes made for Sheik that strongly resembled the Sheikah outfit of Link's had been surprising. The fit and material weren't quite right, but the colours definitely were. Sheik had done his best not to seem too grateful, but everyone had seen the way his lips had twitched in a pleased manner when he'd put them on and seen himself in a mirror.

"He's r-really g-grateful for th-those," Link added. "Even if h-he d-doesn't s-say it."

"He'd better," Riju muttered. "Paid for those out of my own pocket." She shook her head, looking at him. "Anyway, you're ready to continue, yeah?" she asked.

He nodded, feeling a little helpless. "D-Don't have a ch-choice, d-do I?" he asked.

"Well, that goes without saying," Riju said, waggling her finger in his face. "You're not leaving until I've mastered this thing."

It had become routine in the past few days, for Link and Riju to meet up early in the morning for their own sparring session before the others joined them in the yard. Link tried his best to teach Riju some of his techniques, as well as Urbosa's Fury, even though he had no real idea of how he was doing it himself. To him, it just came naturally, just like the other gifts the Champions had bestowed upon him.

With Riju, they had to find a way to brute force it. There was magic involved, of that much he was certain, and Riju certainly had some talent for it since she had, at one point, produced sparks with one of her snaps.

That had only spurred her on, her eagerness to learn increasing tenfold, to Link's chagrin. The smile on her face was not to be ignored, however, and he couldn't resist doing his best to help her learn her idol's ability.

In return for his infinite patience, as she called it, Riju helped Link work on his strength. Specifically, his core strength. He was nowhere near her level and couldn't keep up with her—frankly—insane regimen of crunches and various types of sit-ups, all meant to turn his flat stomach into something that could be used for washing clothes.

"Loudmouth's going to be so jealous," she'd said after their first session, when Link had been lying on the floor, unable to even summon the strength to sit up, his stomach refusing to obey his commands. "Keep this up, and he won't know whether to ravish you or be pissed at you."

Link wasn't sure if he felt comfortable getting such a talk from a fourteen-year-old, but he was too busy groaning in pain to voice his concern. Buliara had taken the opportunity to remind her chief of when it was or wasn't appropriate to speak of such things in public.

Which would have been fine, if Ayla and Risa hadn't been there to hear it and decided to add their own opinions to the mix. They both had...interesting viewpoints, Link had to admit, but his favourite bit was the wrestling match that had erupted between them and Buliara when the giant warrior had refused to budge on her position. Her victory against two opponents like that only proved why she was the Commander and Riju's bodyguard.

But then, of course, Riju had insisted on having Link and Buliara wrestle as well, and...well, Link thanked Hylia that Sheik wasn't there to witness it.

He'd never hear the end of it.

Sidon stood with Bazz and Pikango, surveying the map of the Domain they'd been using to search for the Yiga saboteurs. They'd divided the area around their camp into quadrants and searched them one-by-one, crossing them off when they were found to be empty.

"Area B7R," Pikango read off a report delivered to them this morning, "empty. No signs of enemy activity or presence."

"Right," Bazz said, crossing the section off. "That takes care of the base of the mountain." He looked up at Mount Ploymus. "Nowhere else to go but up."

"I've had some of my guys probe a little further up the trails," Pikango said, scratching his chin after tearing up the report and burning it. "They seem to have found some promising tracks, but they've held off on pursuing them further without backup."

"Just as well," Sidon said, pointing to the summit of Ploymus, which was partially hidden by the clouds. "According to Link and Sheik, a lynel has taken up residence near the summit. They injured it back then, but the creatures are frightfully strong, and they doubt they finished it off."

Pikango whistled. "That's a challenge—only some of our men have faced lynels before and lived to tell the tale. Mostly by running away as fast as they possibly could after distracting the creatures somehow."

"Swarming attacks are a proven tactic against lynels," Bazz said. "Overwhelming numbers to distract them, wearing them down until a weak point is exposed." He frowned, looking up at Sidon. "Even then, we won't walk away from the fight without casualties. Perhaps, my prince, it would be best if you—"

"Suggest that I stay behind, Bazz, and I will make you a general just to spite you," Sidon warned him.

"You wouldn't," Bazz said, glaring at him. Only the slight twitch in his left eye told Sidon that he was actually afraid the prince was serious.

"I would," Sidon repeated. "Four-star general, or possibly even marshal. Commander of all our armed forces, and all the responsibility that comes with it—"

"All right, all right," Bazz growled. "Fine, you're in the fight, but I must insist that you stick with your guards."

"Of course," Sidon said, smiling brightly. "I would never dream of giving them the slip."

As if he hadn't done just that on numerous occasions.

Bazz sighed. "Right, we'll start heading up tomorrow morning—it's too late to start organising the teams now, and we're still waiting on a few stragglers. I'll get the team leaders up to speed." He gave Sidon a critical look. "I assume you can keep yourself out of trouble until I'm back, my prince?"

Sidon frowned, feeling a little insulted. "You say that like I'm a trouble magnet," he said.

"You are," Bazz replied immediately, before shaking his head and stalking off. "Please don't knock anyone else into bushes while I'm gone."

"Once," Sidon shouted after him. "I've done it once!"

"And it could happen again!" Bazz responded.

Pikango laughed. "You two are awfully close for a prince and an army captain," he observed, rolling up the map and stuffing it into his pack.

"Bazz is my best friend," Sidon said, grinning fondly after the captain's retreating back. "Even if he tries his best to deny that fact. I was a right terror as a child, apparently, and him being the most junior officer at the time he was, more often than not, my designated babysitter."

"I see," Pikango said, still chuckling. "From babysitter to captain, then?"

"Indeed," Sidon said, suddenly frowning. "And no further, it seems. I have never seen him deny something so vehemently as the possibility of climbing the ranks. Father has tried to promote him multiple times in the past, but Bazz has always turned him down. I don't understand why, though; he'd be such a good major or colonel..."

"Perhaps he is simply one of nature's captains," Pikango suggested. "Perfectly content with the level of responsibility and privilege the position offers. I'm somewhat the same—at my age and level of experience, I could easily be much higher in the clan hierarchy, but I quite enjoy the freedom my current rank offers. Besides, ranks higher than captain usually doesn't involve as much hands-on contact or interaction with the rank-and-file troops. Bazz seems to enjoy that quite a bit."

Sidon nodded. "That...does sound like Bazz. Even as a brigade commander he preferred to charge right into the fray alongside us."

Pikango blinked up at the prince. "Pardon?" he asked.

Sidon felt his cheeks heat with a blush. "Ah, that is...er...when we were young, Bazz was pretty much the leader of all the kids in the Domain. He had this club, the Big Bad Bazz Brigade—all the other kids were members, including me. Link too, before...well..." he trailed off, shaking his head. He'd been too young to remember Link, back then. He could barely remember Mipha, at that, which never failed to make him feel guilty. He shook his head, narrowly avoiding smacking a passing Hylian soldier in the face with his head fin. "Ah, sorry!"

"My mistake, your highness," the man said, saluting and continuing on his way.

"Is it bad that I actually wish you had hit him?" Pikango asked.

"Are you in conflict with him?" Sidon asked curiously.

"No," Pikango said quickly. "Well, not any more than a Hylian and a Sheikah are in by our very natures, but...no, it'd just be funny."

"You're a very strange man, Pikango," Sidon said, grinning. "I can see why Link likes you so much."

"Yeah, well, he's a good kid," Pikango said. "Sheik too, even if he tries his best not to be."

Sidon nodded, trying not to let his worry about their slate-bound lover show too much. Sheik had not been in good shape when he and Link and left. He prayed that Link could find a way to snap him out of the existential depression that had overtaken the Sheikah.

"Anyway, perhaps we should brief the troops on what we're going to face soon," Pikango said, picking up on the change in the prince's mood. "Come, I'm sure they'll be thrilled to hear we're potentially facing a lynel."

"Undoubtedly," Sidon replied. The thing had tried to kill Link and Sheik. He would pay it back for that with extreme prejudice.

Sheik hit the floor painfully, knocking all the air out of his lungs with a groaning cough. He tried to rise, but a bare foot was planted on his chest, pushing him down with just enough force to make it slightly painful. Above him, Ayla was panting, her flushed face nearly obscured by her fiery hair, which had come loose from its braid. He could see her teeth flash in a grin behind the curtain, however.

"You're getting better," she said, chuckling. "Faster."

"I nearly had you just now," Sheik said sourly, trying to move her foot off his sternum. "Get off!"

She took another moment to savour her victory before stepping back, offering her hand to pull him back to his feet. There were no complaints about his weight this time, which was just as well because he was quite sure he'd really try to kill her if she'd said something.

"Oof, you really need to lay off those sweets," she said.

Scratch that, she was a dead woman. She just didn't know it yet.

"I'm next, I'm next!" Risa said excitedly, more or less shoving Ayla aside. "Come on, Sheiky, show me what you've got!"

"You got it," Sheik said, preparing to face off against his favourite Gerudo. "I won't show mercy," he warned her.

"Expect no quarter, give no quarter," she replied, giving him no more time as she charged directly at him, aiming a vicious jab at his face, which he dodged.

It was getting easier now, moving around in his new body. It was a combination of him settling into it, getting used to actually having a physical form, as well as his system adjusting things to his preferences. His sense of balance had improved drastically, now that his sensors were properly calibrated, and his muscle control was definitely getting better as well. He'd even managed to pin Ayla a few times, even if she'd found a way out of his holds.

Granted, the fact that she was so much bigger than him really made wrestling her unfairly difficult. Then again, his weight exceeded hers quite a bit, which made him a lot steadier and difficult to knock off-balance when bracing himself.

He'd fought Risa a couple of times by now, but she was all about boxing—preferring a good session of punching and kicking over wrestling. Sheik quite liked it—her aggression and sheer joy at fighting was easy to get caught up in.

If nothing else, by the time Sheik left Gerudo Town, he'd be well-prepared to fight opponents much taller than him.

He dodged a punch and went for a leg-sweep, but Risa was quick enough on the uptake to jump out of the way. "Too slow, Sheiky!" she cackled.

"I'll show you slow!" he roared and went after her, punching and kicking at whatever he could reach, trying to stick to the forms the Gerudo had taught him...which was easier said than done when his opponent was taunting him with every failed attack.

It didn't help that he had to consciously hold back his left-handed attacks, since that arm was so much stronger than his right one. The artificial muscles and skeleton allowed him to strike much harder, to the point where he was convinced that he could possibly kill someone with a single punch. He'd tried measuring how hard he could hit by striking various materials but had stopped by the time he managed to crack a solid stone wall with a jab.

Frighteningly strong, that arm, and his fingers were...well, odd. With their shape, and the way he could lock them into certain positions, Sheik was quite convinced they had actually been meant to be used as claws—the sharp, triangular nails certainly supported that theory, especially when he'd found them to be made of an incredibly hard material that had no official name in his databases.

Along with the Guardian eye, he supposed he had to wait until he was in a real fight to actually test them without accidentally hurting someone who didn't deserve it.

He really wished he could, though, when Risa laid him out with a sweep of her own, prompting the other Gerudo in the yard to laugh and hoot. Sivan and her mother weren't there today, so Sheik didn't have his little fan there to defend his honour either. Just as well, maybe, his dignity couldn't take needing a small child to defend it.

"You're having fun," Kiro said, plopping down on the floor next to him after his bout with Risa. He was looking better and better, Kohga's poisonous magic completely gone from his system now, and his wounds healing at a good pace.

Barta sat next to him, an ever-present shadow at Kiro's back. She claimed she kept to his side to make sure he was healing, out of gratitude for busting her and her soldiers out of the Yiga dungeons, but that wasn't the entire truth. She was also there to make sure none of the Gerudo bothered or attacked him. He was a Yiga, after all, and there was no shortage of Gerudo who had been wronged by them. Not even Riju's command would stop someone sufficiently angry or hateful.

"Fun?" Sheik said. "You think having the shit beaten out of me every time I enter the ring is fun?"

"I think you're having fun just being able to fight someone, for once," Kiro said, smiling and fiddling with the bandage covering his eye. They were quite similar, like this, with Kiro's bandage and Sheik's eyepatch. "Am I wrong?"

"Well, being able to make good on my death threats is certainly a new and welcome experience," Sheik conceded, glaring at him. "Speaking of, have you done something stupid I need to punish you for again?"

"No," Kiro said, shaking his head. "I've been good."

"Hmph," Sheik snorted. "Good."

They watched the training yard for a while, paying particular attention to Link and Riju trying their best to figure out Urbosa's Fury together, with disappointing results. Sheik couldn't help but snort.

"They've been at that for days," he said. "You'd think Tiny would've given up by now. Those sparks could have been static electricity for all we know."

"Lady Riju is stubborn," Barta said. "And I don't believe she even acknowledges the concept of giving up. She will learn this, no matter how long it takes."

"Even if it requires magical power, which she is not capable of wielding?" Sheik asked. "Far as I know, only the Champions were able to, and Link can only do it because they specifically gifted those abilities to him."

Barta gave him a look. "Then perhaps they will look at her efforts and reward her as well?"

"Maybe?" Sheik shrugged. "Hell if I know."

Who was he to try predicting the wills and actions of century-old spirits? He could barely predict his own actions, and he was now, by his reckoning, the oldest living creature in Hyrule.

Besides Ganon and the Deku Tree, that is, but those pricks didn't count on account of being complete arseholes.

"Hey Barta!" Risa called from one of the circles. "Why are you just sitting on your ass? Come fight me!"

"I'd rather not hurt you, Risa," Barta called back. "You remember what happened last time—you've lost enough teeth!"

"Those are coward's words," Risa shot back. "But that's okay—it's completely fine that you're afraid of fighting me again!"

Barta growled and flew to her feet, stalking towards Risa. "Those are fighting words! Come here so I can knock out your other molar!"

"Bring it on!"

Sheik couldn't help but admire just how hot-headed the Gerudo could be, with the proper motivation. At this stage, the only one he hadn't seen fly off the handle for some reason or other was Slagathor, and he had a feeling that was just because she was too focused on keeping Riju safe. Without that task occupying most of her thoughts, Sheik was willing to bet she'd be just as eager for a fight.

"We never could beat them in a straight fight," Kiro said, watching the two Gerudo clashing together. "We have strong warriors, sure, but pitting them against the Gerudo in open combat never ended well. We could only beat them using subterfuge, with ambushes and traps." He paused, looking at Sheik. "We couldn't beat the Sheikah either, back then."

Sheik looked at him, frowning. "Back then?"

"When the schism happened," Kiro explained. "Or so our records say, at least. It's why we were forced into the desert in the first place—we were pushed out by the Sheikah and their machines."

That was new. Truth be told, Sheik's data and records didn't go back far enough to cover the schism or how it had started. What he did know was only what he'd learned from Impa; how a group of Sheikah had turned against the rest of the clan and the throne of Hyrule, aligning themselves with Ganon and other forces of evil instead. She hadn't told him exactly what had prompted that turn in the first place.

Perhaps Impa herself didn't know, simply repeating what she had been told about the schism by her predecessors?

"So, the Yiga didn't have machines of their own?" Sheik asked.

Kiro shook his head. "No, we didn't," he said. "That's why we rebelled in the first place, in protest against the use of weapons like the Guardians and the Divine Beasts. The Sheikah who would go on to form the Yiga clan were opposed to the sheer destruction the things were capable of, to all the death they could potentially cause. Their capacity for evil, should the controls end up in the wrong hands."

Sheik took a moment to think this over. "That's...new to me," he said.

"It's what our records say," Kiro said with a shrug. "But...they could be wrong. Or altered after the fact to make us look better. Even if they weren't...well, we still ended up on the wrong side in the end. We still ended up on the side that used the machines for evil."

"Irony is always out to kick you in the teeth," Sheik said, shrugging. "Doesn't really matter anymore, does it? Our actions of today are too far removed to be compared to those of back then." He paused. "Kohga's dead, along with most of his supporters. After you retrieved the helmet, you said something about those refusing to fall into line or failing to live up to Kohga's standards being forced out of the clan. What happened to them?"

Kiro frowned. "I don't know. We weren't allowed to talk or ask about them. Those who did were punished severely. For all I know they could have been killed, or died wandering the desert, or a million other things."

"They could still be alive, though," Sheik mused. "Maybe that could be something for you to look into."

"What?"

Sheik rolled his eyes. "Please, I can see in that puppy eye of yours that you've no idea what the fuck you're going to do now. Sure, you'll heal, but what then? It's not like those Yiga who are still aligned with Ganon will welcome you back, nor will they listen to reason if they're still following Kohga's teachings. The Gerudo will put up with you for however long you need, but that's not going to be enough—you'll start feeling lonely sooner or later. You can't come with us—it's not safe for you in the Domain—not until we've properly explained who you are to the rest of the Sheikah."

"Ah," Kiro said, his eyes downcast. "I didn't think of that."

"I had a feeling," Sheik said drily. "Well, now you know what to do. Look for the rest of the clan who refused to follow Ganon and reunite them."

The Yiga's eyes widened. "What are you talking about? I can't do that!"

"Why not?"

"Because...just because!"

Sheik reached over and slapped Kiro, maybe a little harder than necessary. "That's quitter talk, and you're no quitter."

"But I—"

"You're just going to let your friends and family die out there?" Sheik said, glaring at him. "What kind of man are you? The schism was a long time ago, but surely not even the Yiga have forgotten that the clan comes first, no matter what? You're just lucky Impa isn't here to hear you say that—she'd kick your ass!"

That seemed to have the proper effect. Kiro's face went white, his expression slowly twisting into one of horror. "Is...is she really as scary as the stories say?" he asked carefully.

Sheik took a moment to think about the diminutive Sheikah clan leader, perched on her mountain of pillows, her wrinkled face smiling brightly at Link's arrival, for all intents and purposes looking like an ancient matriarch welcoming back a long-lost grandchild.

Looks can be so deceiving.

"Scarier," Sheik said firmly. "You don't want to end up on her bad side."

Kiro looked ready to pass out.